Mujadara is a simple Middle Eastern dish: brown lentils and bulgur are cooked together with cumin and topped with plenty of slowly browned onions. The onions give it a sweet flavor, so be generous with them. Serve it with plain yogurt or a vegetable salad.

This lentil stew with smoked sausage is a hearty one-pot meal: brown lentils simmer with sausage, onion, carrots, and tomato paste until tender. Finish with marjoram and a splash of vinegar. Serve with bread.

Lentil bolognese is a meatless version of bolognese sauce: instead of ground meat, red lentils simmer in tomatoes with carrots, celery root, and onion, breaking down to thicken the sauce. Serve it with spaghetti and Parmesan.

Chicken thigh curry with red lentils is a hearty one-pot meal: brown pieces of boneless chicken thigh with onion, ginger, and curry powder, then simmer with red lentils, tomatoes, and coconut milk. The lentils break down and thicken the sauce. Serve with rice.

Hokkaido pumpkin stuffed with red lentils is a meatless fall meal: roast the pumpkin halves until tender, then fill them with lentils simmered with onion, tomatoes, and cumin and bake with feta. Hokkaido, a type of winter squash, does not need peeling because its skin softens as it roasts.

Baked new potatoes with bryndza, a soft sheep's milk cheese, make a simple summer lunch: boil the potatoes in their skins, halve them, and bake with bryndza mixed with sour cream and crisp bacon. They taste similar to bryndzové halušky, Slovak potato dumplings with sheep's milk cheese, but are much quicker to make.

New potato salad is a lighter summer version of potato salad: boil new potatoes in their skins, cut them up, and toss them while still warm with cucumber, scallions, and a sour cream, mustard, and dill dressing. It pairs well with roasted meat, fish, or grilled dishes.

Roasted pork collar with new potatoes is a one-pan meal: season pork collar slices with caraway seeds and garlic, place them over new potatoes and onions, and pour in pale lager before roasting. The potatoes roast in their skins and soak up the meat juices.

Couscous with roasted eggplant is a hearty meatless lunch: roast diced eggplant and chickpeas with olive oil, cumin, and paprika, then toss with couscous soaked in hot broth. Top with garlic yogurt sauce and mint.

Peppers stuffed with couscous are a meatless take on stuffed peppers: pour hot broth over couscous, mix it with feta, olives, cherry tomatoes and parsley, then spoon it into pepper halves and bake until tender. Serve them for lunch or as a side dish with meat.

Baked pearl barley with leeks and mushrooms is a hearty meatless lunch: cooked pearl barley is mixed with leeks and button mushrooms sautéed in butter, covered with cream and eggs, and baked under grated cheese. The barley retains a pleasantly firm texture even after baking.

Split pea soup with barley is a thick winter soup: yellow split peas simmer with smoked meat and root vegetables, while barley makes it even heartier. Garlic and marjoram are added at the end. It is essentially a complete lunch in a bowl.

This split pea puree is a smoother, more delicate version of traditional thick split pea mash: yellow split peas are cooked until tender, blended with butter, seasoned with marjoram, and topped with fried onions. Serve it as a side dish with smoked meat, sausages, hot dogs, or roasted pork neck.

Kısır is a Turkish bulgur salad: soak fine bulgur in hot water with tomato paste and paprika, then toss with scallions, parsley, mint, lemon, and olive oil. Unlike tabbouleh, it is red and has a higher proportion of bulgur.

Bulgur with chickpeas and spinach is a quick, meatless, one-pan lunch: simmer the bulgur in broth with chickpeas, onion, garlic and tomatoes, then stir in fresh spinach just until wilted. Serve with yogurt or a slice of feta.

Beef and buckwheat makes a hearty one-pot lunch: first simmer the beef with onions and carrots until tender, then cook the buckwheat in the cooking juices. The buckwheat absorbs the flavor of the juices, while the meat stays juicy.

Beef pörkölt is a thick Hungarian stew: cubes of beef simmer with plenty of onions, sweet paprika, green bell pepper, and tomato until tender and the sauce is thick. Unlike goulash, it has less liquid and contains no potatoes. Serve it with halušky (small dumplings) or knedľa (sliced steamed dumplings).

Beef stew with sweet potatoes is a hearty one-pot meal: cubes of beef simmer with onions, carrots and thyme in broth, with chunks of sweet potato added for the final 30 minutes. The sweet potatoes add a touch of sweetness and partially break down, thickening the sauce.

Duck legs with white beans are a simplified version of French cassoulet, a slow-cooked bean and meat casserole: soaked, partially cooked beans are simmered with sausage, tomatoes, and thyme, then topped with duck legs and baked. The fat from the duck legs drips into the beans, adding flavor. Soak the beans a day ahead.

Duck legs with buckwheat make a fall lunch: slow-roast the legs in the oven and simmer the buckwheat with button mushrooms and onion in a little duck fat from the roasting pan. Buckwheat's nutty flavor pairs just as well with duck as dumplings do.

Duck legs with sweet potato puree make a fall meal: slow-roast the legs until tender, add apple wedges toward the end, and serve with smooth sweet potato puree. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and apples balances the rich duck meat.

Carp with paprika is a fish version of paprikash: carp portions are briefly seared, then simmered in a sauce of sautéed onions, paprika, and sour cream. Simmer the carp only briefly so it does not fall apart. Serve with halušky (small Slovak dumplings), pasta, or bread.

Carp patties are a way to prepare carp without the hassle of bones: the fillets are passed through a meat grinder twice to crush the small bones, then mixed with a soaked bread roll, egg, onion, and parsley. The patties are coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown.

Baked trout with sweet potatoes is a sheet-pan meal: roast cubed sweet potatoes with red onion and garlic until golden, then add trout fillets for the final 12 minutes. The fish cooks quickly, while the sweet potatoes need more time.

This bean spread is made by blending cooked white beans with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and paprika until smooth and creamy. It is meatless and filling, perfect for spreading on bread or serving as a dip for vegetables. Soak the beans a day ahead.

This simple Italian white bean and tuna salad combines cooked white beans, tuna, thinly sliced red onion, and parsley with olive oil and wine vinegar. It's filling and makes a good lunch or packed meal. Soak the beans a day ahead.

Quinoa patties make a meatless lunch or dinner: mix cooked quinoa with grated zucchini, cheese, eggs, and breadcrumbs, then pan-fry until golden. Squeeze the water out of the zucchini so the patties don't fall apart.

This summer quinoa salad combines sweet peaches, slightly bitter arugula, mozzarella and hearty quinoa. A honey-lemon dressing brings the flavors together. Serve it as a light lunch or a side dish with grilled meat.

Quinoa with lentils and roasted pumpkin makes a filling, meatless fall lunch: roast cubes of Hokkaido pumpkin, a winter squash, with cumin, then toss with cooked quinoa and brown lentils. Together, quinoa and lentils provide protein and make the dish satisfying.

Sweet potato fritters are made much like potato pancakes: mix grated sweet potatoes with eggs, flour, and garlic, then pan-fry until golden. They are sweeter than potato pancakes and are served with a chive yogurt dip.