Lime

I love to cook with ingredients that might otherwise be discarded, like fish collars. If you’re tempted to treat them as scraps, please don’t throw them away or use them merely for a stock. They’re delicious as the main focus of a dish—think of them as the spareribs of the sea. Here, croaker collars are marinated in citrus, chipotle, ginger, and fish sauce, and served with a mango salad full of funk, spice, and crunch.

Cube your salmon and roast it at high heat for a perfectly charred exterior and tender, flaky interior. The creamy marinade in this recipe brings flavor, while also keeping the salmon moist.

Tender lettuces get topped with juicy spiced chicken, ripe mangos, soft avocado, and cherry tomatoes. There's so much flavor and texture going on that there's barely a need for a dressing: just a hit of lime juice, salt, and EVOO, and dinner is done.

Adding sweetened condensed milk to the crust gives this cake a candy-like texture that reminds me of a Twix bar (a childhood weakness I rarely get to indulge since marrying a chef!). That same sweetness accentuates the buttery quality of ripe avocados. Chill it thoroughly, then let the cake sit at room temperature for a bit before you slice it. It’s so refreshing on a hot day.

A classic recipe gone rogue.

A triple hit of earthy flavors.

The national drink of Martinique.

Grilling watermelon caramelizes the sweetness of the fruit, and the char gives just a hint of smoky flavor.

This recipe pairs crispy fried plantains with homemade hot sauce and a cooling lime sour cream, but each is delicious all by itself.

Smothered pork chops may be an iconic soul food specialty, but this recipe proves you can smother anything. All it really means is coating slow-cooked meat with a blanket of saucy aromatics that end up as gravy too.

Hibiscus punch with ground ginger, roasted pineapple, and fresh lime. Rum optional.

Chia seeds look like poppy seeds, but when soaked in liquid for a while, they bloom and develop an awesome gummy texture. This limeade is made using the whole lime, which gives it a slight bitterness, but trust me: it’s so good you won’t want to make it any other way.

These energy bites not only hit the spot for something sweet, they’re also nutrient-dense and hit all your macros.

The texture is delightfully soft, almost cake-like, and sweetened with a quick-and-easy lime glaze. These cookies make great holiday gifts.

This crispy-crunchy-salty mix gets its green hue from a blend of ground seaweed snacks, dried dill, and lime zest. The seasoning of garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and sugar rounds it all out.

This refreshing blended drink is inspired by ayran, doogh, and lassi. Yogurt makes it tangy and creamy; white pepper gives a touch of earthy heat.

Chicken and broccoli may sound like a ho-hum dish, but you can make it finger-licking with the right marinade and dipping sauce.

Gently cooking salmon fillets in olive oil makes their flesh become extravagantly tender and silky. While confit sounds fancy, this is a mostly hands-off oven method that’s ideal for weeknights.

This tequila-infused carnitas recipe is perfect for festive occasions—or any weeknight you want to party.

Sure, you could use just one kind of potato for this pomegranate-topped side dish, but we love to combine a few. Try orange and purple sweet potatoes plus Yukon Golds. 

Think of this smoothie-like sipper as a base, then start riffing. Try blending mild red pepper flakes with mango, finely grated ginger with pineapple, or cucumber and mint with honeydew.

There's nothing better than puffy yeasted buns saturated in rum syrup, especially when it's inspired by the citrusy Mai Tai cocktail.

This party drink is something you’d imagine sipping at the bar of a trendy modern taqueria, except it's easy to pull off at home.

For the very best results, brine the chicken, sear it over the flames, and finish cooking it on the other side of the grill before tossing with a robust vinaigrette.