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Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 to 2 tablespoons berbere, depending on desired spiciness

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

¼ cup red wine

¾ cup water

Ground black pepper, to taste

Place the chicken on a large plate and drizzle it with the lemon juice, then sprinkle it with salt. Set aside.

In a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg, berbere, and smoked paprika.

Sauté until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the wine and water, mixing well, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pot, turning it to coat it with sauce, and return to a simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Uncover the pot and simmer for another 3 minutes to reduce the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

HOW LONG? 30 MINUTES (10 MINUTES ACTIVE)

HOW MUCH? 4 SERVINGS

NO-WHINE WINE

My life doesn’t leave much room for affectations. Wine, for example. I love it, but I don’t sweat it. Which means I’m happy to sip, slurp, or chug it from tumblers, recycled jam jars, sometimes even a wineglass. I’ll use a sippy cup if that’s all I’ve got. I don’t expend much thought on whether my “stemware” has the right “bowl” for the wine.

I’m equally laid back when it comes to pairing food and wine. I drink what I like and eat what I want. Sometimes they are wonderful together. Sometimes they merely tolerate each other. Either way, I got food and wine I like, so I’m pretty happy. And that is about as complicated as it needs to be.

Red Curry Beef

Think of this as a Thai-inspired sloppy joe. I usually serve this seriously seasoned ground beef over rice, but it’s traditionally eaten scooped into lettuce leaves. If your style is more along the Manwich lines, spoon it onto a bun or baguette.

1 cup long-grain white rice

1½ cups water

2 tablespoons canola oil

1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pound lean ground beef

¼ cup coconut milk

6 scallions, thinly sliced

5-ounce bag baby spinach

Juice and grated zest of ½ lime

½ cup shredded fresh basil

½ cup crushed unsalted peanuts, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, combine the oil, curry paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and sauté until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk. Return to a simmer. Mix in the scallions and spinach and cook until the greens are just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix in the lime juice and zest and the basil. Serve the beef over rice, garnished with peanuts.

HOW LONG? 30 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 4 SERVINGS

Panko and Parmesan-Crusted Cod with Wilted Spinach

I learned this trick for adding tons of flavor to basic white fish when I was a kid. Apply “secret sauce”—a blend of equal parts mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. This sauce, which has a tangy, sweet, and creamy flavor, also makes a fine condiment on burgers and sandwiches.

Any hardy green works well here, including kale and chard. And just about any mild fish, such as tilapia or haddock, is great with this coating.

The breadcrumb mixture for this recipe is crunchy, with chunks of panko and pine nuts. If you prefer a finer crumb, run the mixture through a food processor before using it.

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 cup panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs

¼ cup pine nuts, finely chopped

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dried