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31 Recipes to Make in May

31 Recipes to Make in May

By Bridget Hallinan

Updated April 28, 2020

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

May means warmer weather, and while it might not be summer yet, it’s not too early to break out the grill and mix up some refreshing drinks. We’ve rounded up 31 recipes (one for each day) that you can try throughout the month, including smoky pasilla-and-citrus grilled flank steak, creamy vegan pasta primavera, and smashed fava beans on toast with pecorino and mint. Read on for the full spread.

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Asparagus-and-Zucchini Frittata

Credit: © John Kernick

Chef Chris Behr’s versatile frittata with crisp spring vegetables can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Serve for brunch with an accompanying platter of crusty bread, fresh fruit, cheese and salumi, or for lunch with a green salad.

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Pain Perdu with Roasted Plums

Credit: © John Kernick

Los Angeles pastry chef Karen Hatfield sprinkles her egg-soaked bread with cinnamon sugar before cooking it, creating an excellent crispy crust. She then tops the French toast with roasted plums and crème fraîche, creating the ultimate breakfast (or dessert).

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Classic Ceviche

Credit: Greg DuPree

A knockout ceviche is the result of a delicate balance of heat, salt, acidity, freshness, and crunch.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Gently crushing the cucumbers for this salad releases their aroma and creates nooks and crannies for soaking up the dressing. They still retain plenty of crunch, a great contrast to the rich, creamy butter beans.

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Bitter Greens with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Credit: Jennifer Causey

The key to enjoying greens like radicchio and escarole in their raw state is to temper their bracingly bitter edge with the rich, the citrusy, and the sweet. The creamy golden yolks of soft-boiled eggs and a zesty vinaigrette bring everything together here.

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Grilled Carrots with Lemon and Harissa

Credit: Cedric Angeles

At Maydan restaurant in Washington, D.C., these carrots are cooked directly in the coals of their massive hearth. Grilling over charcoal until charred gives a similar result. A blend of roasted and dried peppers and chiles give the harissa sauce fruity, smoky depth. Use the leftovers to season roasted chicken or vegetable soup.

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Rhode Island–Style Clam Stuffies

Credit: Victor Protasio

Packed back into their shells and roasted, “stuffies” are a hearty way to enjoy quahogs and a staple of summer meals in Rhode Island.

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Salpicón Taco

Credit: Victor Protasio

Chef Juan Pablo Loza of Rosewood Mayakoba makes this refreshing salpicón, a basic salsa made here with cucumbers, radishes, habanero, red onion, and tomatoes.

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Beef-and-Celery Yakitori

Credit: © Con Poulos

The surprise in this dish is celery, which is actually perfect for skewering and grilling. It becomes deliciously crisp and tender, making it the ideal partner for rich and fatty rib eye steaks.

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Grilled Mushrooms and Sausages with Pimentón Vinaigrette

Credit: © Con Poulos

Delicious griddled wild mushrooms are the stars of this simple Catalan-inspired dish dressed with a smoky, garlicky vinaigrette.

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Seared Mackerel with Marinated Tomatoes

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Julia Sedefdjian’s simple mackerel is briefly marinated, then seared and served over simply dressed ripe heirloom tomatoes. A white balsamic–spiked tomato vinaigrette provides the perfect sweet-tart counterpoint to the rich, robust flavor of the mackerel.

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Butter-Basted Scallops with Spring Greens and Snap Peas

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Crisp-tender snap peas, spinach, and dandelion greens finish in the same pan for a truly springy, masterful main dish.

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Grilled Chicken with Coconut Rice and Chile-Lime Sauce

Credit: Greg DuPree

When making this crispy grilled chicken at home, it’s all about the marinade. To make it, use full-fat coconut milk; you’ll skim the cream to make the marinade and use the remaining milk to infuse the rice with rich coconut flavor.

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Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Allowing the pasta dough to rise (just like a bread dough) before rolling and shaping gives the cecamariti in this dish its characteristic texture and flavor.

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Huckleberry and Butter Pie

Credit: Greg DuPree

Huckleberries are similar to blueberries; either will work here. Sumac, a dried crimson berry common in Middle Eastern cooking, is naturally tart. It stands in for the lemon here and heightens the floral aroma of the berries. Violet extract is the can’t-quite-place-it element that intensifies the jammy berry filling.

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Strawberry Daiquiri

Credit: Victor Protasio

The best strawberry daiquiri is bright and full-flavored but never too sweet, balancing juicy berries and tart lime.

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Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera

Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

A few smart swaps transform your favorite creamy spring pasta into a vegan-friendly masterpiece. Umami-rich nutrional yeast shoulders the duties of Parmesan, while buttery macadamia nut milk stands in for heavy cream.

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Roasted Carrot Soup with Fresh Cheese and Black Bread

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Baltic black bread, traditionally made with rye flour and sourdough starter, is dense and sour, with a tight crumb. Its lush rye flavor gives this vegetarian soup earthy depth. A sprinkle of homemade cheese curds and fresh herbs lighten up each bowl.

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Spring Pea Chaat with Lemon Raita

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

This fresh and crunchy chaat stars a trio of spring peas punched up with a tempered mixture of whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chiles, and ginger. The tart lemon raita brings a welcome cooling element; spoon the extra over rice, naan, or fresh fruit.

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Strawberry-Raspberry Cake

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

This simple cake relies on a well-aerated batter for its light texture; cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy before adding the flour for best results.

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Smoky Pasilla-and-Citrus Grilled Flank Steak

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

The deep flavor pasilla de Oaxaca chiles impart to beef is exceptional. This recipe calls for six medium-size dried pasilla de Oaxaca chiles; if you can’t find them, chipotle morita or chipotle meco chiles are good substitutes.

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Mussels with Harissa and Basil

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Toasted walnuts are a surprise addition to the creamy, smoky red pepper puree that gets swirled into these harissa-spiked steamed mussels. Anisey Thai basil and salty-sour pickled onions compliment the sweet, plump mussels.

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Chickpea Doubles with Tamarind and Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Traditional Trinidadian doubles are served open-faced and quickly wrapped in wax paper, letting the bara steam, and keeping the spicy filling piping hot. Try leftover tamarind sauce in margaritas, drizzled over fresh mangoes, or with roast pork.

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Woven Lasagna with Prosciutto and Fresh Spinach Sauce

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Weaving the pasta sheets in this lasagna allows the outer pieces to bubble and crisp in the oven around the creamy, rustic prosciutto-ricotta filling. Don’t skip the fresh pasta sheets; their length and texture are key to weaving together this show-stopping dish.

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Quick-Cured Salmon Steaks with Grilled Tomatoes and Tzatziki

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford

Salmon steaks are essentially two fillets attached by the spine of the fish. Less expensive, and easier to grill than a fillet, these steaks are quickly cured in a brown sugar-based dry cure that’s also wonderful on fillets.

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Mango-Cashew Kulfi Pops

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Canned mango pulp works better in these frozen ice pops than fresh mangoes because of its concentrated flavor, which helps cut through the rich cashews and sweetened condensed milk.

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Smashed Fava Beans on Toast with Pecorino and Mint

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Fava beans are one of spring’s most coveted ingredients, and Andrea Slonecker’s favorite way of preparing them is to smash them with mint and pecorino into a chunky spread for topping toast.

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Bruised Cabbage-and-Herb Salad with Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Bruised Thai basil, cilantro, and mint permeate this dish, with a dressing of fish sauce and lime, pounded chiles, garlic, and ginger. Serve it alongside grilled or roasted fish or chicken and steamed jasmine rice.

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Spicy Cumin-Braised Pork

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Just a tablespoon of Onwuachi’s Pepper Sauce brings plenty of heat, and tenderizing flavor, to this reverse braised pork shoulder.

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Masala Paneer Kathi Rolls

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Fresh cabbage salad adds a sharp, acidic crunch to these warmly spiced, vegetable-filled rolls.

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Cardamom–Poppy Seed Cookies

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

A generous ratio of butter to flour helps the dough spread in the oven, resulting in thin, crispy cookies with lacy golden brown edges. Chill the dough before baking to control spreading and concentrate the flavor of the cookies.

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By Bridget Hallinan