harpercollins

This British recipe calls for “digestive biscuits,” but graham crackers will work just as well to infuse chocolate-filled vanilla cupcakes and toasted ‘mallow topping with that classic campfire flavor.

Pomegranate seeds look stunning sprinkled simply over the top of this pavlova. Their vibrant color really lifts the dessert, and the way they burst in your mouth complements the chewy meringue beautifully. I use sliced canned peaches when peaches are out of season; they work just as well.

Cool romaine lettuce and barbecue-flavored chickpeas combine to create great flavor and texture in this hearty pita sandwich. This pairs well with many simple companions—potatoes or sweet potatoes, fresh corn, a simple quinoa salad or pilaf, or a light soup. And steamed green veggies are always welcome, too.

Though I’m all for high-quality prepared sauces and such to use as shortcuts, I’ve never found a bottled vegan barbecue sauce I really like. But this nearly instant sauce is so easy that I’ve ended the search. It’s especially good with tofu, tempeh, and seitan.

I’ve already admitted that I’m usually too lazy to make pizza dough from scratch, what with good, natural brands of prepared crust so widely available. Once in a blue moon, though, I like to indulge; it’s really not that difficult. This is a recipe I’ve relied on for years when those blue moons come along.

To make these cakes, I use the reverse creaming method, as opposed to the more common creaming method. Instead of beating air into the sugar and butter, adding the eggs then stirring in the dry ingredients, the reverse creaming method requires the butter to be rubbed into the dry ingredients, followed by milk and eggs. As well as being simpler, with fewer stages, I think this method produces a better textured, more even sponge. When you rub the butter into the flour and sugar, the flour particles get coated in fat, which minimizes gluten formation in the cake. Gluten is the essential component in bread, but in cakes too much can produce a tough and chewy sponge.

The ingredients for a meringue are very simple; you need double the weight of sugar to egg whites. It is easy to make any quantity of meringue if you follow this 2:1 ratio.

Make this salad ahead of time to allow the flavors to become bolder. This is delicious in a bowl as a refreshing summer meal. Or serve this on top of a plate of assorted greens or bowl of cooked grains, rolled up in a tortilla, or as a topping for baked potatoes.

Salade Niçoise is a beautifully composed salad of French origin that looks fancy but is incredibly easy to make. The traditional version is often made with tuna, but here the fish is replaced with baked tofu, which makes a great stand-in. And the array of ingredients—white beans or chickpeas, slender green beans, tomatoes, and olives—makes it a splendid main dish salad for a summer meal, either on busy weeknights or festive occasions.

Packaged baked tofu is tasty and not all that expensive, but homemade baked tofu is even better. The trick to this chewy, savory transformation of bland white tofu is to make sure it’s well pressed and to let it marinate for plenty of time.

Chocolate cake is a beautiful thing on its own, but adding a thick layer of sharp passionfruit curd undercuts the heavy richness and balances the sweetness—which dangerously means that one slice is no longer enough���

These honey-garlic noodles are perfect as is, or as a side dish served with chicken, steak, or a fried egg or tossed with your favorite stir-fried veggies. The recipe comes together very quickly, so get everything diced, sliced, minced, and prepped first.

This sandwich combines the classic combo of pork and fennel, some heat from the red pepper flakes, and a gorgeous golden sunny-side-up egg. Perfect with English Muffins and a giant cup of joe.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream has mastered vegan pints, and you can too.

This spiced fish is served on a fresh corn tortilla with pickled red onion, Baja cream and slaw and a spoonful of your favorite tomato salsa—the best part is that most elements can be made ahead.