What To Cook in May: 31 Flavorful Dinners

Who knew a simple veggie dish could taste this flavorful? Cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper add warmth to this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato hash. For an added serving of protein, top it with a fried egg. If you're cooking for a sensitive palate, use less red pepper for a mild flavor that everybody can enjoy.

Slab bacon lets you get a thicker dice than presliced bacon that will hold its own in the pasta; if it's hard for you to find, just use thick-cut sliced bacon. Peppery watercress wilts well yet maintains a little crunch. It also adds a nice savory note, balancing the sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the bacon. Arugula would also work.

For an easy one-dish meal, serve the savory herbed fish over a bed of wilted kale with mushrooms and tomato. Keep the Mediterranean Herb Mix on hand to use in other seafood, poultry, or pork recipes.

Make sure the cast-iron skillet is hot before adding the steaks so that they get a nicely browned crust on both sides. We like using both red and orange peppers, though just one color will work.

These Michoacan-style enchiladas are simply folded or rolled for tortillas napped in a chile sauce, not the baked casserole as in the U.S. 

Flavor-packed, incredibly nutritious, and very filling, this stuffed sweet potato is a triple threat! You’ll get nearly 50 percent of your daily quota of heart-healthy fiber, as well as 25 percent of your potassium needs (which is a nutrient that most Americans fall short on daily yet can help offset the negative effects salt). Want to make it vegan? Just leave off the yogurt—or sub with your favorite non-dairy alternative.

Ginger and sambal oelek, a chile-garlic paste that’s now at most supermarkets in the international aisle, made this recipe a favorite by providing bold flavor in no time. Have all ingredients ready at the stove so they can go in at just the right moment.

If you don't have a food processor, you can sub about 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs for the torn bun.

This fresh, citrusy pasta salad features chickpea pasta for a gluten-free fiber boost. Canned wild sockeye salmon is worth seeking out; it contains not only healthy omega-3 fatty acids but also a large amount of vitamin D—two nutrients that can help tamp down inflammation.

This easy dish is perfect for a casual get-together with friends. Inspired by arroz con pollo, it is hearty with satisfying complexity. Cumin, saffron, and oregano season rich chicken thighs and nutty farro as the dish simmers. If using saffron, deploy it sparingly; those tiny threads bring subtle flavor and a little color to the dish, but too much will yield a medicinal taste. Serve with a side salad to complete the meal.

Green curry paste is the base of the flavorful sauce — look for it in the Asian foods aisle of your supermarket.

Chopped kimchi and kimchi juice adds lots of tangy-spicy goodness to this quick meatless main. Though there's no meat, do be aware that most traditional kimchi isn't vegetarian (it includes fish).

A sweet and savory peach glaze caramelizes on the pork as it cooks to perfection in a grill pan. We cut the tenderloin in half crosswise for easier maneuvering and faster cooking, and we tent the pork with foil to hold in more heat while it's in the pan. You could also use a cast-iron skillet if you don't have a grill pan. Serve with Watermelon-Tomato Salad.

The grill is a healthy cook’s best friend, allowing you to build big flavor and crispiness with minimal added fat. Make this meal meatless by trading the chicken for steamed edamame or rinsed and drained black beans.

Pork shoulder becomes meltingly tender as it slow-cooks in the chile- and garlic-infused citrus sauce. Searing the pork in a skillet for just a minute adds a depth of flavor you don't otherwise get in a slow cooker. 

In place of fried shrimp, spice-rubbed tilapia lightens the calorie load while still harnessing classic Cajun flavors.

A sautéed mix of peppers spiked with vinegar adds instant interest to the pork. Skip the poblano and use just the bell peppers if you like. 

Complete the meal with hot cooked brown rice and thinly sliced cucumber and carrots.

Simple and bright, this is the kind of main that puts us in the mood for spring. If you’ve never thrown fresh lemons on the grill, try it: The slight edge of char intensifies their tartness, and they look gorgeous. The marinade is more of a wet rub since the chicken goes straight to the grill, though you could refrigerate up to a day ahead. This salad is endlessly adaptable for spring and summer vegetables: Try shaved carrot and summer squash ribbons, haricots verts, or even just a shower of fresh herbs.

This quick and simple pasta dinner tastes clean and bring. The briny parsley mixture cuts the richness of the salmon perfectly. Serve this healthy salmon piccata pasta dish alongside a leafy green salad with shaved parmesan.

If you don't have barley on hand, serve with brown rice, quinoa, or farro. You can also cook the tofu on a stovetop grill pan—just be sure to turn your oven vent on high, as the honey-based glaze is sure to create some smoke.

The chicken and squash soak up all the flavors in this dish from the garlic, ginger, and the lemony tahini sauce; the rice is there to make sure no sauce gets left on the plate. You can purchase pre-chopped butternut squash in the produce section of the supermarket. Curly kale works well in place of Tuscan.

We combine everything you love about Chinese takeout—the sweet, savory, spicy sauce; the super-crispy tofu; and the crisp-tender, perfectly caramelized vegetables—into one quick vegetarian main. Celery takes on a leading role rather than a base ingredient here: It maintains its crunch, adds a natural saltiness, and is a nice foil to the more robust flavors in the dish. Szechuan here refers to the stir-fry method rather than a tingling, chile-laden heat. If you want more spice, swap the crushed red pepper for one or two very thinly sliced Thai red chiles.

Don’t rush processing the cauliflower; it’s key to giving the puree the consistency of grits. You can also use purchased riced cauliflower. If it’s frozen, you can toss it right into the saucepan unthawed.

Cilantro stems shouldn’t be cast aside; they pack more flavor than cilantro leaves in many ways and are ideal in marinades. You could also stir them into chicken soup or puree for chimichurri. Skirt steak comes from the bottom rib plate of the cow, right next to the flank steak. Both cuts are great for grilling over high heat since they aren’t thick or tough; you want to achieve a good char in the short time it takes the meat to cook. Serve the steak on its own tonight, and then slice leftovers for tacos or fajitas tomorrow.

The slow cooker is a surprising but easy way to prepare crab legs, and this buttery, garlicky mixture is a perfect cooking liquid and serving sauce. Look for crab leg clusters in the frozen foods section of the grocery store.

Kids love the sweetness that the coconut adds to the coating of these chicken fingers.  And, if your kids are allergic to wheat flour, note that this recipe uses rice flour instead of wheat flour for the coating. Pan-frying is an easy way to get crispy crusts on chicken breasts and tenders without unhealthy frying. You can use almost any combination of ingredients for pan-fried chicken. Keep this simple strategy in mind: Dip chicken in buttermilk to add a tangy flavor, and coat it with flour and nuts or other tasty breading ingredients. Then pan-fry it in a sensible amount of heart-healthy oil to create a crisp exterior.

This dish includes a savory gravy to serve over the tender chicken thighs and baby potatoes.

Taking time and care with each component—like getting a nice char on the eggplant—is the secret to this standout sandwich.

Many traditional barbecue sauce recipes start with ketchup—a great base because it’s already thick and sweet. Here, we use hoisin sauce as the starting point of a citrus-spiked BBQ sauce; it works just as well as ketchup, lending sweet, salty notes with warm spice notes of star anise. We look to 2 kinds of citrus for big flavor boosts: orange juice for mellow sweetness and lime juice for tang. You can also substitute cider or white vinegar for lime juice if you don’t have that fruit on hand. Be sure to line the baking pan with foil coated with cooking; the sticky-sweet sauce would make a hard-to-clean mess if it went directly on the pan.

This delicious, hearty pizza is far from light-tasting, but nutritionally it soars above most other options in the deep-dish pizza category. We cook it in a cast-iron skillet to help give it a deep-dish pizza look and feel. For a crisp, not soggy crust, the key is to start the crust on the stove top, then top it, and transfer it to the oven. Round out your meal with a side salad and your drink of choice.