What to Cook This Weekend

11 Bright Recipes to Cure Your Winter Blues

There's more to cold weather than endless bowls of soup.
orecchiette cloaked in a bright green sauce topped with ground lamb pine nuts and currants
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones

Don't get us wrong, we love a hearty bowl of soup—but you can only eat so many. And sometimes it's nice to have a bright, vibrant meal to offset the fact that it's freezing outside (and getting dark by four o'clock in the afternoon). That's why we've gathered a list of our favorite things to eat in the dead of winter, all packed with enough flavor and color to satisfy your appetite and buoy your mood.

  • A plate of charred chicken with sweet potatoes and oranges.
    Photo by Peden + Munk
    1/11

    Charred Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Oranges

    A topping of feta and olives is a salty, bright complement to the caramelized oranges and roasted sweet potatoes in this flavor-packed chicken dinner.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    2/11

    Pasta With Brown Butter, Whole Lemon, and Parmesan

    Yes, a plate of pasta can feel like sunshine! Using an entire lemon in this dish brings an unbeatable fresh, fragrant flavor from the skin and pith—and a tart, bright flavor from the flesh and juice.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    5/11

    Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta

    This fresh and savory dish spins the flavors of shish barak—lamb and pine nut dumplings from the Levant—in a pasta direction. A dill and yogurt sauce brings it all together.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    6/11

    Citrus and Avocado Salad with Orange Water

    Winter produce can be disappointing, but citrus is a highlight. Here, you can use a mix of whatever you've got: oranges, blood oranges, grapefruit, pomelo. It's all dressed up with crunchy pistachios, creamy avocado, and a touch of fragrant orange-flower or rose water.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    9/11

    Stuffed Cabbage With Lemony Rice and Sumac

    Any green cabbage will work for this recipe, but we love savoy for its crinkly texture. The filling is a fragrant mix of warm rice, buttery pine nuts, and lemony sumac. A dollop of sour cream is optional, but highly recommended.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    10/11

    Beets With Dill, Lime, and Yogurt

    There's nothing better than a rainbow-colored dish in the dead of winter. Here, sweet and earthy beets get dressed with yogurt, lime, garlic, and freshly chopped dill.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    11/11

    Cabbage Stir-Fry With Coconut and Lemon

    We still love cabbage, even as winter drags on. This stir-fried version is flavored with fried mustard seeds, chana dal or urad dal, and red chile pepper and finished with coconut, lemon, and cilantro.

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