Sally Pasley Vargas

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Sally Pasley Vargas

Makes one 9-inch roundThis gorgeous strawberry ricotta tart makes a show-stopping dessert for your Easter gathering. Make it easy on yourself by prepping the components in stages. Start by making a sweet cookie dough crust a few days ahead; roll it out and freeze it for up to three months. Once you have the dough in hand, you'll need to line it with parchment and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Partially prebake it to ensure it stays crisp once you add the filling.

2 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Sally Pasley Vargas

A one-pan chicken dish for Passover begins with shallots, potatoes, fennel, and carrots roasted until almost tender. The vegetables are topped with chicken pieces (cut up a whole chicken or use parts) with some chicken stock and a touch of vinegar added to the pan. When they finish roasting, the delicious juices produce a flavorful sauce. Add short lengths of asparagus to the vegetables at the last minute. To keep the spears bright and appealing, steam them on the stovetop while the chicken roasts.

3 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Sally Pasley Vargas

These Mexican open-faced sandwiches on crusty bread, slathered with refried beans and topped with melted cheese and pico de gallo, make a nice change from tacos. In their country of origin, you might encounter molletes at street stalls or in cafeterias or cafes, made with rolls called bolillos. They have a crisp crust and soft interior similar in texture to a French baguette but they're shorter and oval-shaped.

1 month ago | bostonglobe.com | Sally Pasley Vargas

The in-between season, when the chill and warmth bounce back and forth, is a tricky time of year to know what will be appealing on any given day. Roasted beets hit a tasty middle ground when you turn them into a salad with blue cheese, peppery arugula, crisp apples, and sunflower seeds, all tied together with a tangy lemon-chive vinaigrette. Adding a bit of citrus zest to the dressing gives a subtle, pleasing lift to just about any vinaigrette.

1 month ago | bostonglobe.com | Sally Pasley Vargas

Spicy and slightly sweet, the Korean chile paste gochujang is the star of this vegetarian supper. Bake tofu cubes in the oven until crispy and pale golden, put on a pot of rice, and simmer a glaze made with the condiment. For the glaze, thin the gochujang with water and a touch of lime, sweeten it with brown sugar. While you bake the tofu, you'll have time to steam broccolini. Toss cubes of tofu and short lengths of broccolini with the glaze and serve over rice or noodles.