Here in New York, it’s simmer-on-the-stove weather, heat-the-oven-and-melt-the-cheese weather, how-many-weeks-till-spring weather. I love the snow. I like to ski, and I’m good for a nice wintry walk, which is perfectly comfortable as long as you layer up; my colleague Mia Leimkuhler, who lives in Montreal, tells me it’s fittingly known there as technique de l’oignon. (If you prefer your layers with cheese, now is the time to perfect your lasagna, stuffed shells and other baked pastas.)

But even I’ve started looking for dishes that are especially sunny, sating or smart for dinner to fight the late winter blahs. The recipes below fit the bill, as would a nice little piece of lemon snacking cake with coconut glaze — something to nibble on as you stare out at the snow.

1. Salmon and Cherry Tomato Curry

Salmon and cherry tomato curry. Food styled by Spencer Richards. (Rachel Vanni/The New York Times)

Poaching salmon is a remarkably foolproof way to prepare a flavorful dinner, especially when you do so in a pot of rich and fragrant coconut milk, radiant from sweet cherry tomatoes and spicy from chile and ginger. If using a wild salmon such as sockeye, simmer over the lowest possible heat setting and stick to the lower end of the cooking window. The gentle approach of poaching prevents overcooking the salmon flesh, regardless of the variety chosen. As with most curries, rice is the answer underneath.

By Ashley Lonsdale

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 bird’s-eye chile, or other small chile, sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1(14-ounce) can coconut milk
5 ounces chopped fresh spinach or baby spinach
Cooked rice, for serving
1/4 cup torn or chopped mint, basil or cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

2. In a large lidded skillet or saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chile, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cumin seeds and toast for 15 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes, coriander and turmeric.

3. Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt to taste. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, uncovered, until liquid is slightly reduced and the tomato skins are bursting.

4. Stir in the spinach and gently nestle the salmon fillets into the curry, submerging as much as possible. Cover and simmer over medium-low until salmon is cooked through, 4 to 7 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with herbs.

2. Chicken and Mushroom Soup With Spinach

Chicken and mushroom soup with spinach. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)

This very quick and hearty chicken soup comes together in just 25 minutes. Ground chicken cooks speedily, but check the label: It’s best to find dark-meat chicken for a richer flavor than leaner breast meat. The soup is warmed up with garlic and ginger, spiced with cumin and crushed red pepper, and gets its golden hue from a dusting of turmeric powder. The soup is also further enhanced by frozen sliced mushrooms, which are a great freezer addition for any last-minute meals that need a little more flavor and texture. If frozen mushrooms are not available in your grocery store, feel free to use sliced fresh mushrooms instead. Quick-cooking quinoa adds texture to the soup — and protein, too.

By Sue Li

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (3 ounces)
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon gochugaru (or crushed red pepper to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen sliced mixed mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms, sliced)
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach (about 4 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, ginger, garlic and chicken, and cook, breaking up the chicken into small crumbles, until the shallots are slightly translucent and the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa, cumin, gochugaru and turmeric, and cook, stirring often, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook until they thaw and soften, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and cook until the quinoa has swelled and the centers are translucent, 10 to 11 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. (The residual heat will wilt the spinach right away.)

4. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil.

3. Sheet-Pan Steak and Pepper Tacos

Sheet-pan steak and pepper tacos. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)

Tacos de alambre are a Mexico City classic that can be a mix of almost any protein but almost always includes steak, onions, green peppers and melty cheese — and often bacon. It’s served piled high on a plate like a mountain of goodness, with a side of warm tortillas and delicious salsas. While alambre means skewer, the skillet method has become standard, and here we’re simplifying it even further with a sheet pan approach. Flank and skirt steak both work well, so choose whatever is in your budget. In this recipe, bacon is placed in a cold oven, and as the oven heats, it slowly melts the fat off of the bacon onto the sheet pan. Traditionally, tacos de alambre are the main event on their own, though there’s no reason you couldn’t serve them alongside refried beans and rice.

By Kristina Felix

Yield: 8 tacos

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 slices bacon, diced (4 ounces) or use 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, smashed and sliced
2 limes
1 pound flank or skirt steak
1/2 white onion (about 5 ounces)
6 ounces mushrooms, such as shiitake or cremini
1 large green pepper or 2 medium poblano peppers (about 9 ounces)
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices Muenster cheese, 4 to 5 ounces
8 corn tortillas
Your favorite salsa, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. If using, spread the diced bacon evenly in the pan. Arrange a rack in the top third of your oven, place the sheet pan (with or without the bacon) in the cold oven and set the temperature to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Juice the limes into the bowl and stir to combine. Dice the steak into 3/4-inch pieces, add to the bowl and mix well to coat. Set aside to marinate.

3. While the meat marinates, prep the remaining vegetables: Thinly slice the onion and mushrooms, trimming away any tough stem ends (reserve for stock if desired). Cut the pepper into 3/4-inch dice. Add the vegetables to the bowl on top of the meat, but don’t mix them in. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper into the bowl.

4. When the oven reaches temperature, about 15 minutes, carefully remove the hot sheet pan (the bacon fat will be hot), and pour the bacon and drippings into the bowl with the vegetables and stir to combine (the bacon won’t be crispy at this stage). If not using bacon, add 2 tablespoons oil to the bowl instead and toss to combine. Arrange the contents of the bowl in one layer on the hot sheet pan, place back in the oven, adjust the heat to 450 degrees and roast until meat is charred in spots and vegetables have begun to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

5. Toss the meat and vegetables in the sheet pan to coat with the juices, arrange in one layer again, and top with the cheese slices. Return to the oven until cheese is completely melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

6. While the meat and vegetables roast, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Warm your tortillas in it, about 2 minutes per side, then transfer them to a clean dish towel to stay warm. Keep the skillet on the heat over medium.

7. To serve, scrape the cheesy meat and vegetable mixture directly into the hot skillet. Bring it to the table along with the warm tortillas and salsa so everyone can build their own tacos.

4. Peanut Butter Noodles

Peanut butter noodles. Food Stylist: Sue Li. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)

This nutty midnight pasta is a dream to cook, as it requires just a handful of pantry staples and one pot. Peanut butter (the less fancy, the better) anchors a creamy sauce swathed in umami. Accentuated by a good, salty Parmesan, these noodles recall those cheesy peanut butter sandwich crackers. They make an ideal dinner for one, but the amounts can easily be doubled or quadrupled as needed. For an equally gripping vegan alternative, try swapping out the butter for olive oil and the cheese for nutritional yeast.

By Eric Kim

Yield: 1 serving

Total time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Salt
4 ounces spaghetti or 1 individual package instant ramen (seasoning packet saved for another use)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil (and salt it, if using spaghetti). Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and return to the pot. Turn off the heat.

2. Add the peanut butter, butter, Parmesan and soy sauce. Vigorously stir the noodles for a minute, adding some reserved cooking water, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. Season to taste with salt.

3. Top with more cheese, if you’d like, and serve immediately.

5. Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens

This weeknight wonder is for those who delight in turning a modest can of beans into a spectacular dinner. Inspired by the flavors of red pesto, this recipe calls for simmering cannellini beans with staple ingredients like onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomato paste and heavy cream, as well as sun-dried tomatoes and salty Pecorino, until the results taste complex and rich. Top the beans with a lemony arugula salad that is peppered with fried breadcrumbs for a dish that is crunchy, chewy, crispy and creamy in every bite.

By Alexa Weibel

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other creamy white beans, rinsed
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2/3 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan
4 (packed) cups/3 ounces baby arugula
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons juice (from 1 lemon)
Toasted bread (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Stir in the panko, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently and shaking the pan, until toasted and golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer seasoned panko to a paper-towel lined plate, then wipe out the skillet.

2. Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste and stir until darkened and mixture is combined, about 3 minutes.

4. Stir in beans, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes and 1/3 cup water, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the seasoned panko, lemon zest and juice, plus the remaining 1/3 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Pile the greens at the center of the bean mixture. Serve with toasted bread, if desired.

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