Forget gingerbread men. These warmly-spiced cookies will become a new holiday tradition.

At the start of spring, the whole world seems to be bursting with tiny, irresistible signs of new life: green leaves sprouting from branches, fuzzy kittens popping up in my Facebook feed, and tender, sweet new potatoes making their brief annual appearance at the market. They may not last long, but when preparing ingredients this fresh and fleeting, the upside is that you don’t have to do much to make them stand out.

Seafood salads served in avocado halves always used to remind me of 1960s kitsch food, the sort of thing you might see photographed in garish colors in a thrift store magazine. That was until I realized why this retro combination was so popular with the ladies who lunched fifty years ago: it is very, very good.

When I started planning the menu for the afternoon baby shower I hosted for our latest Gatherings from The Kitchn, I knew I wanted to serve salmon. High in omega-3 fats and low in mercury, salmon is a great choice for pregnant women who are confused about which fish they can and should be eating. But this recipe isn’t just for pregnant women, of course. On a bed of crisp greens, alongside cold roasted asparagus, a piece of this mustard-brushed salmon is terribly elegant.

Salad dressings are so simple to make from scratch that I don’t buy bottled versions anymore. But there are some nights when even the act of measuring out vinegar and oil just seems like too much. I am careful about oil and vinegar dressings; I don’t eyeball the measurements, and I find them surprisingly time-consuming to get just right sometimes.

When I die, I hope they carve these words on my headstone: She always found a way to add more vegetables. (It will be an enormous headstone, naturally.) I’m always looking for a way to add more vegetables to recipes, not only for health reasons, but also because I’m lazy. Why make a grain dish and a vegetable dish for dinner when I can combine them both into one bowl?

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of one-bowl meals. Give me a bowl, a spoon, and a comforting mix of grains, vegetables, and protein and I’m set. Kimchi fried rice satisfies all those requirements — and even includes the underappreciated “pickle” food group — but I always like to add a couple handfuls of shredded greens to the mix for a boost of color and nutrition.

Thai stir-fried greens have been in my weeknight cooking repertoire since I began cooking. It’s the first Thai dish I ever prepared that tasted straight-outta-Thai-Town authentic, and it’s so simple, I make it — usually with rice and a Thai omelet — whenever I want a quick, flavorful dinner with lots of healthy leafy greens. I typically use some variety of sturdy Asian green vegetable, like Chinese broccoli or yu choy sum, pictured above.

Cooking for my family during a holiday visit to Seattle, I came up with this chowder as a light yet comforting weeknight dinner to give us a break from the rich holiday meals we had been eating. The broth skips the usual milk or cream and is instead thickened by pureeing cooked potatoes and aromatics into a creamy, flavorful base studded with chunks of mild white fish and soft vegetables. Warm, satisfying and not too heavy, this dairy-free soup is the perfect meal for a chilly January evening.

Whether I’m trying to put a late-night dinner on the table or cooking for onekai jeow Fish sauce! Rather than salt, fish sauce is added to the beaten eggs, along with green onions, herbs or shallots. Some recipes for kai jeow also call for soy sauce, but I prefer a simple omelet of just eggs, fish sauce and a lot of sliced scallions. I also occasionally add ground pork or chicken for a slightly more substantial main dish.

When I first made this recipe, it was January, which means we were all craving food that is a little lighter, a little healthier, and a little more in line with the way we’ve resolved to eat this year. But at the same time, it was January — when we’re wrapped up in sweaters and blankets, it’s comfort food we’re dreaming about. That’s where this recipe comes in.

At a taco shop in Phoenix, Arizona, I saw an unfamiliar drink on the menu called cochata. Before the cashier had even finished telling me it was iced coffee mixed with housemade horchata, I had ordered one. There are some combinations you just know are going to be perfect, and iced coffee with creamy, sweet, spiced horchata is one of them.Unfortunately, the iced coffee at the taco shop was not very fresh, and the cochata didn’t live up to my expectations.

Two years ago I stumbled onto the description of an intriguing summer cocktail: a shot of Campari topped with IPA, served with ice and a twist of lemon. One bitter sip was all it took; I was hooked on what has since become my favorite simple summer apéritif. Have you tried it?

It may look like a simple cheese panini, but braaibroodjie is more than meets the eye both culturally and taste-wise. Traditionally served at the end of a South African barbecue — braai in Afrikaans — these sandwiches are usually cooked over open coals and include and unusual combination of flavors: sharp cheddar cheese, tomato, onion and a layer of fruit chutney. My twist swaps out the raw onion for smoky grilled scallions and can be made on a grill pan or outdoor grill.

You’re either an egg yolk person or you’re not. If you’re the latter, drippy egg yolks are confusing and repulsive — and this recipe is not for you. If you’re among the former, welcome! You have come to a place where egg yolk oozes over garlicky kale, crispy bacon, and a toasty bun, pooling on the plate for extra dipping as you eat. Ready to start your day off right?

It’s spring, the sun is shining, and that feels like reason enough to celebrate. It’s just the right time to serve this bright, zingy lemon tart, a simple, no-bake dessert that combines Greek yogurt and bottled lemon curd in a tender pastry crust. It’s a pretty, no-fuss sweet perfect for a sunny weekend brunch. The first time I encountered the happy marriage of lemon curd and Greek yogurt was while catering a baby shower last spring.

Are you a gingerbread lover? If you’ve had enough of ginger cakes and gingersnaps, try these icebox cupcakes, made with our favorite spicy gingerbread cookies and whipped cream, softened overnight in the fridge into triple-decker mini-cakes. Soft, spicy and single serving, they’re a twist on the usual cookie — and possibly the best way to eat three cookies at once!

When I need an impressive dessert in a hurry, I pull out my bundt pan. Though the batter is no more involved than any other cake, the big, fluted finished cake looks like it took a lot of work or special skill. Even better, bundt cakes don’t require frosting, layering or any other decoration beyond a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream on each slice.

My can’t-live-without-it item for quick lunches is whole wheat pita bread. Healthy and filling, pita rounds can be stuffed with salads, made into sandwiches, or turned into impromptu personal pizzas. The blog Love and Lemons created a colorful spread of quick vegetarian pita lunch ideas that has inspired me to shake up my pita routine and try a few new combinations.

Here at The Kitchn we get a lot of requests for recipes and ideas for those with diabetes and pre-diabetes — there seems to be a growing number of cooks out there looking for healthy, appealing meals and trustworthy advice about planning diabetes-friendly menus.