302 mellow recipes

Old-fashioned raisin nougat made with hard-crack sugar syrup, marshmallow cream, and cocoa butter. A vintage homemade candy with chewy raisins folded throughout.

This is an awesomely flexible dinner. You basically chop everything up, douse it in oil and some salt, pepper or whichever spices you're in the mood for (or grab first!) and chuck it in the oven for an hour or so.

Gateaux piments, Mauritian chilli cakes made from soaked chana dal, green chilies, turmeric, and fresh herbs. Deep-fried into crispy golden fritters.

Arroz con pollo simmered in beer with chicken, long-grain rice, tomatoes, turmeric and saffron, finished with green olives, peas and pimentos. Cuban-style one-pot dinner.

Old-fashioned barbecued beans with kidney beans slow-baked for hours in a tangy sauce of ketchup, chili sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and bacon drippings. Sticky, sweet, and deeply savory.

Creamy split pea soup blending green and yellow peas with fresh fennel, leeks, and thyme creates a silky vegetarian bowl of comfort.

Making your own mustard is easy and a perfect compliment to home-made deli recipes. You can control how smooth and how rustic and chunky your mustard is. This makes about 3/4 cup of mustard.

Masur dal simmered with turmeric, ginger, and garlic, finished with a cumin and crispy onion tadka in ghee. A simple Indian lentil recipe that's warm, comforting, and ready in about 35 minutes.

Pickled dilled beans canned with fresh dill, garlic, and a kick of red pepper flakes. Crunchy whole green beans in a tart vinegar brine, the Bloody Mary garnish you'll never run out of.

Crispy baked polenta triangles topped with roasted red peppers, fresh basil, and Parmesan. A light, low-fat Italian appetizer with golden crunch and creamy center.

Glazed lemon squares with a Bisquick shortbread base, a tangy lemon-coconut custard filling, and a sweet lemon glaze on top. A bright, citrusy bar cookie with three distinct layers.

Sweet corn and halibut tamales wrapped in fresh corn husks with fresh-cut kernels, cilantro, red bell pepper and a whisper of cornmeal. A lighter, coastal take on traditional tamales that cooks in just 20 minutes.

Savory Southwest corn muffins stuffed with diced ham, pepper jack cheese, green chiles, and red bell pepper. Hearty enough for a meal with a side salad.

Hazelnut cornmeal biscotti with toasted whole hazelnuts, stone-ground cornmeal, and warm cinnamon. Italian twice-baked cookies with a sturdy crunch perfect for dunking.

Chunky mustard beans with red peppers blanch green beans, peppers, and onions, then bind them in a turmeric-mustard pickling sauce with celery seed and mustard seed. A bright, tangy pickled relish for water-bath canning.

Corn flake-crusted chicken thighs baked on one sheet pan with sage-roasted potatoes and a honey mustard BBQ dipping sauce. Mom's weeknight dinner that everyone fights over.