Making a cooking resolution? These 9 recipes will get you started. (2024)

By Tanya Sichynsky, The New York Times

If abiding by resolutions were as easy as setting them, perfection would be attainable and the self-improvement section of the bookstore would be cobweb city. Still, self-reflection can be a rewarding exercise at the beginning of a new year. What better place to start than in the kitchen, where you have to spend at least a little bit of time each day?

Consider a gentler approach to resolution-making: Try to become just a little bit better at something, rather than change your habits wholesale. Perhaps you’d like to incorporate Meatless Mondays into your weekly routine, or maybe you’re resolving to bake the birthday cakes for your loved ones this year. Maybe, just maybe, this is the year you finally learn how to cook.

No matter what your goals, we have recipes to bring you closer to them. Give these a try in 2024, and, by this time next year, we’re certain you’ll be impressed by how far your cooking has come.

FOR THE NEW VEGETARIAN

Recipe: Red Lentil Soup

This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. Based on a Turkish lentil soup, mercimek corbasi, it is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors. — MELISSA CLARK

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.

5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired.

Recipe: Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon Salad

This easy chopped salad fits loads of texture and flavor onto a spoon by combining finely chopped raw broccoli with chewy dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, fluffy quinoa and chunks of sharp Cheddar cheese. The mixture is tossed in a punchy mustard vinaigrette that soaks into the florets, only getting better as it sits. Feel free to substitute the quinoa for any grain, like brown rice, farro or buckwheat groats, though the cook time may vary. — SOHLA EL-WAYLLY

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 medium tart and crisp apple
• 4 ounces sharp Cheddar
• 3/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil on high and season aggressively with salt. Add the quinoa, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; cook until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve; rinse with cool water and drain well.

2. While the quinoa cooks, finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large bowl then cut the lemon in half. Add the olive oil, mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon; whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Peel the stem of the broccoli and trim off the dry end. Finely chop the entire broccoli and add to the dressing. Core the apple then finely chop the apple and the cheese; add to the broccoli and toss to combine.

4. Add the cooked quinoa, nuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as needed. Store, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Recipe: Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka

Paneer, a slightly salty and extremely versatile South Asian cheese, is the perfect backdrop for heady masalas. In this recipe, soaking paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before cooking rehydrates it, while coating and baking it — along with bell peppers and red onion — with yogurt, ginger, garlic, oil and spices means the paneer will be light, fluffy and flavorful every time. Basting the paneer with melted ghee toward the end of the baking process keeps it from drying out and adds nuttiness. In the end, you’ll have a one-pan meal of sweet, crunchy veggies and luxuriously spiced paneer in under 30 minutes. To make it vegan, substitute tofu for paneer (no need to soak) and skip the yogurt. — ZAINAB SHAH

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds paneer (fresh or store-bought), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil or neutral oil
• 3 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from about a 2 inch piece)
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste or finely grated garlic (from about 6 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt
• 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, quartered and each quarter cut into halves
• 2 tablespoons melted ghee or butter for basting
• ½ lemon, juiced (about 4 teaspoons)
• Roti and chutney, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Arrange one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one closest to the broiler heating element. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the oil with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, red chile powder, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon salt to make the marinade.

3. Add paneer, bell peppers and onion to the bowl with the marinade and mix until evenly coated. (If you have the time, marinate the paneer and vegetables for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours for even more flavor.)

4. On the prepared sheet pan, evenly spread out the marinated paneer and vegetables, and bake on the middle oven rack until the paneer edges start to turn golden, about 8 minutes.

5. Take the pan out of the oven and brush the paneer with melted ghee. Turn the oven to broil, place the paneer and vegetables on the top rack and broil on high until the paneer turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Take the paneer and vegetables out of the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and additional salt, if desired. Serve with roti and chutney or by itself.

FOR THE BEGINNER COOK

Recipe: Crispy-Edged Quesadilla

This straightforward quesadilla has an unexpected twist: a border of salty, crispy cheese surrounding the tortilla. Achieving it couldn’t be easier; just press down on the folded tortilla as it heats up in the pan so the cheese spills out and turns golden. A nonstick pan is key here, otherwise the melted cheese will glue itself onto the cooking surface. Medium heat is just the right temperature for a quesadilla: It’s hot enough to crisp up the cheese but low enough to prevent the cheese from burning. — MELISSA CLARK

Yield: 1 quesadilla

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons oil (such as olive, grapeseed or sunflower oil)
• 1 (8-inch) flour tortilla
• 2/3 cup shredded cheese (such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend)

Preparation

1. Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the oil. Let oil heat up for 20 seconds, swirling the pan around so the oil coats the bottom.

2. Place the tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Once the cheese begins to melt, 30 seconds to 1 minute, use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half. Using the spatula, press down firmly on the top of the tortilla until some of the cheese runs out into the pan. Let the quesadilla cook until the cheese that’s leaked out solidifies and turns brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Flip the quesadilla over and let cook on the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is crisp and golden. Slide quesadilla onto a plate and serve immediately.

Recipe: Gyeran Bap (Egg Rice)

Gyeran bap is a lifesaving Korean pantry meal of fried eggs stirred into steamed white rice. In this version, the eggs fry and puff up slightly in a shallow bath of browned butter. Soy sauce, which reduces in the pan, seasons the rice, as does a final smattering of salty gim, or roasted seaweed. A dribble of sesame oil lends comforting nuttiness, and runny yolks act as a makeshift sauce for the rice, slicking each grain with eggy gold. (You can cook the eggs to your preferred doneness, of course.) This dinner-for-one can be scaled up to serve more: Just double, triple or quadruple all of the ingredient amounts, using a larger skillet or repeating the steps in a small one. — ERIC KIM

Yield: 1 serving

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup steamed white rice, preferably short- or medium-grain
• 1 (5-gram) packet roasted, salted seaweed, such as gim (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the melted butter starts to darken in color from yellow to light brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Crack in the eggs and drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil on top, cooking until the whites puff up slightly around the edges of the pan and the translucent parts around the yolks start to turn opaque, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Watch that the soy sauce doesn’t burn, removing the pan from the heat if necessary.

3. Scoop the rice into a medium bowl and top with the fried eggs, including all of the buttery soy sauce drippings from the pan. Crush the seaweed directly over the eggs, piling it high. This will seem like a lot of seaweed, but it will wilt as you mix everything together with a spoon, which you should do to disperse the ingredients before eating.

Recipe: Broiled Salmon With Mustard and Lemon

In this simple salmon recipe, a quick stint under the broiler transforms smooth Dijon mustard into a savory, caramelized crust, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds just the right brightness and tang to the rich, sweet fish. Covering the baking pan with a protective layer of aluminum foil helps with the cleanup, meaning you can cook dinner and wash up in under 30 minutes. — MELISSA CLARK

Yield: 2 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, each about 1-inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. Position one oven rack 6 inches from the broiler heat source then heat the broiler. Season the salmon fillets all over with ½ teaspoon salt and a couple of grinds of pepper and place them on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan, skin side down.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and mustard until well mixed. Brush the tops and sides of the salmon with this mustard mixture.

3. Broil until the salmon is opaque with a deep brown crust, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. (The center of the fillets will be dark pink, if you pierce one with a paring knife and take a look.) If your fillets are thinner, reduce cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes. If you prefer more well-done fish, add 1 or 2 minutes to the cooking time.

4. Squeeze a lemon wedge all over the cooked salmon fillets, then serve salmon with more lemon wedges on the side.

FOR THE ASPIRING BAKER

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treats

These classic treats are salty-sweet and the perfect balance of crispy, gooey, soft and chewy. This version, inspired by the one Julia Moskin adapted from chef Colin Alevras for The Times in 2007, is also enhanced by deeply browned butter. But here, a good amount of salt balances out the sweetness and includes a secret to achieving the perfect texture: the marshmallows are cooked gently to prevent the sugars from caramelizing, which can turn your treats hard and dry. You can easily double this recipe, and use a 9-by-13 pan, but you’ll end up with slightly taller treats (which is not a bad thing). The rainbow sprinkles are optional, but highly recommended. — SCOTT LOITSCH

Yield: 16 servings

Total time: 20 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup/113 grams unsalted butter, preferably European-style, plus extra for greasing
• 1 (12-ounce/340-gram) bag marshmallows (preferably standard size)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons/5 grams kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups/180 grams Rice Krispies cereal
• Rainbow sprinkles (optional, but highly recommended)
• Flaky salt (optional)

Preparation

1. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat until it starts to foam, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the bubbling stops and the little specks of milk solids begin to turn golden, another 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully at this stage; you want the milk solids to go from golden to a medium-dark brown, but not black.

3. Immediately turn off the heat and add the marshmallows to the pot to stop the butter from cooking any further. Stir to coat all the marshmallows in the hot, browned butter until they’re well coated and begin to soften, about 1 minute.

4. Return heat to low, add the salt and stir until the marshmallows are almost smooth (some small lumps are OK), 1 to 2 minutes more. Be patient at this stage; you want the marshmallows to melt evenly and gently, softening all the way through without reaching a boil. (If you apply too much heat, the sugars can caramelize and you could end up with harder Rice Krispies treats.) Turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Add the cereal and, using a large silicone spatula, fold the mixture until all the cereal is coated.

5. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Using the spatula, gently push and pull the cereal to spread out to fill the pan. (For the most delicate, fluffiest treats, avoid pressing down, as you don’t want to pack them in.)

6. While still warm, top the treats with rainbow sprinkles and a very light sprinkle of flaky salt, if using. Let cool for at least 30 minutes to set before cutting.

7. Once cool, remove from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut it into a 4-by-4 grid to get 16 squares. Treats keep best for up to 5 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe: Basque Cheesecake

Generously burnished and with a velvety, custardy interior, this rustic, crustless cheesecake from the Basque region of northern Spain is the platonic ideal of a low-effort, high-reward dessert. The caramelized exterior evokes a toasty marshmallow, but the cake itself is not too sweet. Marti Buckley adapted this recipe from La Viña, a small bar in San Sebastián, for her cookbook, “Basque Country” (Artisan, 2018). This statement cake is achieved using only five primary ingredients. It’s baked at a higher temperature than a classic New York cheesecake and in the hot oven, the cheesecake dramatically inflates into a soufflé-like puff before sinking into itself, creating a cradle for fresh fruit, should you wish to serve it with some. But Basque cheesecake is perfect on its own, at its arguable prime the day after it’s made, enjoyed at room temperature. — TANYA SICHYNSKY

Yield: 12 servings

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter or nonstick spray, for greasing the pan
• 1 3/4 cups/350 grams sugar
• 2 1/4 pounds/36 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups/480 milliliters heavy cream
• 1/4 cup/30 grams all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 to 3 inches overhanging the top of the pan. (You can trace and cut a circle to fit the base and then cut a band of paper to fit neatly around the sides, but the more rustic and simple method is to press an entire sheet into the pan, pleating the paper where it begins to crease. If you use multiple sheets of parchment, grease in between the layers so that they stick and lay flat.)

2. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. (This can be done by hand as well; beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.)

3. Add the salt and mix. Add the eggs one by one and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the cream. Sift in the flour, then mix it in on low.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until browned and almost burnt on top, 50 to 60 minutes. The center will still be quite jiggly. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely on a rack. It will have risen significantly, nearly past the top of the pan, but it will sink in the center as it cools.

5. Before serving, remove the rim of the springform and gently tug away the parchment paper. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Crackly on top and fudgy yet tender in the center, this cake tastes like a complex restaurant dessert, but comes together effortlessly in one bowl. Chocolate chips save you the messy step of chopping chocolate bars and deliver deep flavor along with cocoa powder. If you don’t have a springform pan, a regular cake pan lined with foil all around makes it easy to lift out the delicate cake, which melts in your mouth when served warm or at room temperature. Refrigerated or frozen leftovers take on a candylike chewiness, but a quick zap in the microwave will return it to just-baked softness. Slices are delicious on their own or with any creamy toppings. — GENEVIEVE KO

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup/168 grams unsalted butter, cut up, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup/173 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup/50 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup/150 grams sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan, or press a large sheet of foil into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch round cake pan, smoothing the sides, and generously butter the foil.

2. Bring a few inches of water in a large saucepan to a simmer over medium heat. Set a large heatproof bowl over the saucepan and add the chocolate. When the chips look soft and melty, stir gently until smooth. Turn off the heat, and add the butter to the bowl. Stir gently until melted and smooth. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth, then take the bowl off the saucepan.

3. Stir in the sugar until incorporated, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4. Bake until crackly and dry on top, and a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with some crumbs attached.

5. Cool in the pan on a rack, then remove the sides of the springform pan or lift the cake out of the cake pan using the foil overhang. You can slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Or, to cut very neat slices, freeze the cooled cake until firm. Slice and warm up in the microwave or oven, if preferred. Serve the cake with whipped cream or ice cream, if you’d like. The cake can be wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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