10,000 low low recipes

A whole banana tucked into a hot dog bun with peanut butter and jelly. This 10-minute no-cook snack is a kid-friendly grab-and-go breakfast or lunchbox win.

Tomatillo guacamole made with cooked tomatillos, mashed avocado, jalapeno, and lemon juice. A tangy Mexican dip with bright, citrusy flavor that's ready in 20 minutes.

Marinated mushroom salad in a tangy mustard-herb vinaigrette with white wine vinegar, parsley, and chives. A French-style cold appetizer that improves after hours of marinating in the fridge.

Serve this dish for breakfast, lunch or as a snack or as a side dish in a Western- style meal.

Broiled calves liver topped with French dressing-marinated mushrooms and fresh parsley. A quick, high-protein dinner for two that's on the table in under 10 minutes of cook time.

Menudo, the traditional Mexican tripe and hominy soup simmered with toasted ancho chiles, garlic, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for a smoky, soul-warming bowl.

DIY pancake batter from scratch with flour, eggs, milk, butter, and baking powder. The seven-ingredient pantry recipe that beats any boxed mix for fluffy weekend pancakes.

A simple but succulent chicken dish that has an amazing aroma that even your crockpot will enjoy.

Marbled chocolate cheesecake squares on a fudge cake crust, topped with glossy cherry pie filling. A semi-homemade shortcut that makes 48 rich, creamy bars from one box of fudge marble cake mix.

Southern grits casserole with garlic cheese and whipped egg whites folded in for a light, souffle-like texture. Only six ingredients for a savory, puffy side dish.

Watermelon rind pickle is a Southern preserve made from the white inner rind, brined for three days then simmered in spiced sweet vinegar with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon. Crisp, sweet-tart, translucent.

Zesty chili seasoning mix, a make-ahead blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes with a little flour to thicken. Skip the packet and season a pot of chili from scratch.

If you run out of preserved lemons, or decide on just a few day's notice to cook a chicken, lamb, or fish dish with lemons and olives and need preserved lemons in a hurry, you can use this quick five-day method taught to me by a Moroccan diplomat's wife. Lemons preserved this way will not keep, but are perfectly acceptable in an emergency.

Chicken thighs stir-fried with broccoli and scallions in peanut oil, then finished with grated parmesan and whole wheat croutons. A quick East-meets-West dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Whole wheat English muffins topped with a seasoned cottage cheese and wheat germ spread, fresh tomato, and broiled cheddar strips. A high-protein open-faced melt ready in 15 minutes.

Homemade dried orange or lemon peel air-dried at room temperature and ground into powder. A single-ingredient pantry staple that replaces citrus extract in baking, flavors teas, and punches up sauces.