Hot & Spicy

This noodle dish celebrates the pungent, spicy notes of ginger by both infusing it in stock to create a warming broth and frying it with shallots and panko to create crunchy ginger crumbs you’ll want to sprinkle onto everything: eggs, rice or even a savory porridge. Feel free to double the amount of the ginger crumbs, if you like; they’ll keep in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to one week. Serve these noodles with your protein of choice — tofu, fish, leftover roast chicken — or any cooked vegetable for a complete meal.

We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting, and assertive without being overbearing. The oil and sugar give the marinade some viscosity so it doesn't just season the shrimp but clings to it. But it's the sugar that makes this dish -- on the grill, the sugar caramelizes, giving the shrimp a laquered feel, and its sweetness balances the kick of the Sriracha. Recipe courtesy of the cooks at food52.com. Photo by Sarah Shatz, courtesy of food52.com.

We wanted a vegetarian-vegan tofu recipe with butternut squash, coconut, and almonds, because these are ideal foods for pregnancy and breastfeeding. It had to be blissfully delicious, as well as nourishing and filling (i.e high calorie!) We came up with a recipe which is loosely based on Thai vegetarian cooking. It's fancy enough for company, but easy to make. The coconut milk, tofu, and toasted almonds can be prepared ahead of time.

"Shrimp are marinated in a spicy and sweet sauce then grilled on skewers for easy cooking and serving. Great for cookouts!"