If you are in a dinner rut, Jaden Hair is not going to let that last for long. Her book is packed with recipes that are not only of the quick and easy variety, but that are also healthy and full of fresh ingredients. Chinese take-out, begone! More

Red beans and rice is a true Creole classic! Like many of the best Louisiana dishes, it is made up of humble ingredients that, after a long simmer, are transformed into a bowl of rich, creamy comfort food. It is truly Southern cooking at its core, and perfect for an upcoming Mardi Gras celebration (or even just to ease the early-February chill).

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Somewhere in its past, polenta picked up a reputation for fussiness. I am here to tell you that it is anything but fussy. You can whip up a pot of creamy polenta in about 30 minutes, and it makes a luscious bed for anything from quickly sautéed mushrooms to a hearty slow-cooked meat ragu. Here's how to do it yourself.

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A panade is one of those dishes that is way better than it has any right to be -- or than it looks to be. It's an assembly of day-old bread, shredded cheese, and handy pantry ingredients (in this case, cranberry beans, swiss chard, and sausage) that gets doused with broth and baked until bubbly. Not quite a soup and not quite a casserole, it's something more: the best of both worlds.

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Chicken breasts form the cornerstone of our weeknight meal repertoire, so much so that it's easy to fall into a rut when cooking them. If it's been a while since you last shook up your routine, what about these sizzling Chicken Fajitas for dinner tonight? Or raid your spice cupboard and try the No Clay-Pot Chicken with Soy and Ginger or the Thai Green Coconut Curry -- both are favorites. Ten recipes, ten different chicken dinners, ten ways to cook something you'll love tonight.

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Warm, gooey goat cheese is not an overrated snack, and in fact, makes eating a salad seem so much more appealing. (Well, to me at least.) And when you pair the crunchy, melty nuggets with buttery pecans and bright greens, tossed in a thick walnut vinaigrette...then salad nirvana awaits.

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I had a few realizations over the holidays this year with family. There were the usual suspects, of course: travel mayhem, gifting stress, and family drama. But this year there was a new player on the block: bad casseroles. I'm not sure if it was just chance or if my mom and sisters were digging through old late 1980's cookbooks, but we had some very heavy, flavorless casseroles during the Christmas holiday. One such recipe was that infamous Tuna Noodle Casserole made with canned soup. I hadn't had it in years, and the whole time I was eating it, I couldn't help but think: there's got to be a better way! More

The first time I made these roasted vegetable tacos, I had few expectations beyond using up odds and ends: some leftover tortillas, a handful of carrots and parsnips, a lone sweet potato, half a head of cabbage. Enlivened with a pinch of pantry spices and a squeeze of lime, however, the tacos turned out to be worthy of making again and again, with intention and pleasure. More

The cold mid-winter weather always brings out my nesting side. I gravitate towards anything that'll make me feel warm and cozy: hot coffee, nourishing soups, warm bread and butter. But this time of year I'm still trying — trying, not always succeeding — to keep things light. (December was pretty indulgent!) Enter this delicious sweet potato ravioli from Laura of The First Mess. It hits all the right notes: creamy, filling, comforting, and all without using any dairy. More

I have absolutely zero interest in football, so for me, the annual gathering of friends on Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food. The spread always includes a few of the grubby, nostalgic snacks we grew up with — cheesy queso dip, I'm looking at you — as well as some fresher, lighter snacks that often incorporate flavors from one of the many international cuisines that surround us here in Los Angeles. You're looking at my contribution this year: a Korean take on the usual pulled-meat slider, a juicy sandwich loaded with gingery, chile-spiked shredded chicken and tender kale braised with garlicky kimchi.

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