180 meet recipes

Persian lamb soup simmered with dried fruits (prunes, apricots, peaches), turmeric-browned onions, and a sweet-sour balance of brown sugar and citrus for comforting depth.

Old-school chicken foot soup with sauteed breast meat, carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs simmered in a roux-thickened broth with white wine. Rich, collagen-loaded comfort food served over rice.

Posole Don Federico: a soul-warming Mexican pork and hominy stew, built on pig's feet and pork shanks for a rich broth, with green chiles, garlic, and beer. Garnished with cilantro and scallions.

Kentucky-style burgoo soup made with mixed cooked meats, okra, lima beans, corn, and garden vegetables in a rich beef-and-chicken broth. A lighter take on the legendary Bluegrass State stew.

Crab cakes with tomatillo salsa bind lump crabmeat with bread and egg white for a light crust, pan-seared and topped with tangy diced tomatillo-lime salsa. Southwest-style seafood dinner.

Cold green vegetable soup with poached fish. Source: Olga Gorechev, St. Petersburg, Russia

Fried turtle meat simmered in a dark roux-based tomato sauce with mushrooms, shallots, bell pepper, lemon peel, and cayenne, served over hot rice. An authentic Louisiana Cajun dish that's as wild as the bayou itself.

Layered sausage and macaroni casserole with mushrooms, cottage cheese, and Italian herbs, topped with bread crumbs. A hearty weeknight bake with big savory flavor.

Broiled crab melts on Melba toast rounds with lime, green onion, and hot mustard, topped with bubbling Swiss cheese. A two-bite appetizer for parties, ready in 20 minutes.

Light crab salad with asparagus, water chestnuts, and green onions tossed in a tangy yogurt-horseradish dressing. A crisp, refreshing seafood salad that's low in fat.

A lighter green chili loaded with beans, green peppers, jalapenos, green chiles, and cumin in chicken broth. No tomatoes, all heat, ready in 30 minutes flat.

Turkey pumpkin chili with great northern beans, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and canned pumpkin. A lean, high-fiber fall chili loaded with cumin, oregano, and chili powder.

Thai devilled crab salad stuffed into Roma tomato halves with lemongrass, fish sauce, lime juice, mint, and chili. A no-cook, elegant appetizer with bold Southeast Asian flavor.

Vegan Irish stew with seitan, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots in a rosemary-herb broth thickened with cornstarch. A plant-based take on the classic Irish stew.

Cajun seafood gumbo with shrimp, lump crab, ham, and okra built on a dark cocoa-colored roux. Finished with file powder for authentic Louisiana flavor and body.

A good spring dinner selection, light and healthy.