220 lounge recipes

Mushroom Swiss chicken melts over wild rice with bell peppers, all cooked in one skillet. Swiss cheese melts over the chicken right in the pan. Ready in 40 minutes.

This quick but succulent chicken dish is the perfect dinner to prepare after coming home from a long day at work.

Brown rice side dish using a 6-hour soak method for faster, more even cooking, then finished with slivered almonds and bright lemon zest. A simple, diabetic-friendly low-fat recipe.

Authentic lamb curry with freshly ground whole spices, coconut milk, and lemongrass. Aromatic cardamom, coriander, cumin, and peppercorns create complex Indian flavors.

Homemade graham crackers from-scratch with whole graham flour, brown sugar, and a long overnight chill. Crisp, lightly sweet wholewheat crackers ready for s'mores, pie crusts, or straight-up snacking.

Homemade low-calorie cranberry concentrate with lemon, simmered and strained into a tart syrup. Refrigerate or freeze in cubes for instant cranberry drinks all season long.

The crisp, densely chocolaty cookies, with an unusually long baking time, were an annual favorite among the 20-plus recipes that Susan Couchman of Hartland remembers were made each year by her mother, Gloria Kuchler.

Yummy chicken curry: tender curried chicken in a quick, creamy sour cream sauce with sweet golden raisins, ready in about 20 minutes. A fast, mild weeknight curry that skips the coconut milk and the long simmer.

Penne with Provencal eggplant, slow-caramelized sweet peppers, garlic, and fresh basil in a lemony Italian-herb dressing. A meatless pasta bowl built on long, gentle cooking.

Killer shrimp: fiery herb-and-garlic broth with rosemary, thyme, fennel, and red pepper, simmered long then poached shrimp added at the end. Eaten with your fingers and plenty of bread.

Twice-baked anise biscotti: long crisp Italian cookies flavored with star anise, perfect for dunking in espresso, vin santo, or a strong afternoon tea.

A homemade vanilla pecan liqueur: brandy slowly infused with pecans, vanilla beans, and cinnamon, then sweetened with sugar syrup. A smooth, nutty after-dinner sipper worth the weeks-long wait.

Canned garlic dill pickles with red chili peppers, dill heads, and a balanced sweet-salt brine. Two quarts from one batch, water-bath processed for shelf-stable storage of 2 months or more.

Zucchini halves loaded with a savory ground beef, rice, and fresh dill filling, smothered in spaghetti sauce and Parmesan breadcrumbs. A hearty Italian-style dinner that feeds a crowd.

Thai beef satay skewers marinated in coconut milk, curry powder, fish sauce, and cilantro. Grilled, broiled, or pan-fried and served with peanut sauce.

Dried tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container for a very long time and should be plumped in a little warm water before using.