Easy dinner ideas from the Los Angeles Times California Cookbook

Best-ever mac ‘n’ cheese.

Add extra flavor with a touch of barbecue sauce, corn niblets and fresh parsley.
Recipe: Famous Dave’s mac ‘n’ cheese
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Beer-infused chili con queso

Recipe: Beer ice cream

Recipe: Beer-battered shrimp with classic tartar sauce

This comfort food is a one-dish meal.
Recipe: New Mex migas
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Asparagus with bread crumb-fried eggs

Creamy scrambled eggs

If you’re looking for easy, it doesn’t get much better than oven-steamed salmon with dill mayonnaise.
Recipe: Steamed salmon with dill mayonnaise
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

We loved this pesto served over roasted salmon, though it would pair equally well with other fish, poultry or roasted vegetables.
Recipe: Roasted salmon with red pepper hazelnut pesto
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Combine cold-smoked salmon with butter-crisped Yukon gold potatoes, red onion, capers, fresh herbs and hints of horseradish and mustard, and served alongside tangy creme fraiche.
Recipe: Smoked salmon hash
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

A hearty one-dish meal -- your guests might never guess it’s vegetarian.
Recipe: Autumn vegetable hash
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Cubed pork loin is tossed with tart apple bits, potatoes, onion and bacon. A little curry powder adds a layer of richness, balancing the sweetness of the apple.
Recipe: Curried pork and apple hash
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula make for a quick yet flavorful dinner. Recipe: Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula

This quick pasta dish with shrimp and artichokes comes together in less than 30 minutes!.
Recipe: Capellini al gamberetti
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Top tender chicken breasts with no less than three kinds of cheese.
Recipe: Chicken Gorgonzola
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Chicken breasts are topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, herbs and rich pancetta. Recipe: Basque-style chicken

This rich chicken dish comes together in under an hour.
Recipe: Braised chicken with capers

These hearty treats are stuffed with no less than three cheeses.
Recipe: Gene Autry stuffed mushrooms
  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

This hearty ragout comes together in only 30 minutes.
Recipe: Wild mushroom ragout
  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Looking at the finished product, you might never guess this gratin has only 6 ingredients.
Recipe: Mushroom and spinach gratin
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

This pasta sauce has an old-fashioned long-simmered taste, but takes less than 15 minutes to cook.
Recipe: Rigatoni with mushrooms and pancetta
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

You’ll love the brightness and depth of flavor in this so-simple recipe.
Recipe: Mustards Grill curried slaw
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: BLD’s fresh vegetable salad

This deceptively simple dish contains a wealth of layered flavors.
Recipe: Rice with roasted cauliflower
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Top a prepared pizza crust with a little sour cream and smoked salmon, along with chopped red onion, fresh dill and capers.
Recipe: Smoked salmon pizza
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

You probably haven’t had Brussels sprouts quite like this before.
Recipe: Cleo’s Brussels sprouts
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts are quickly wilted in a skillet to chewy crisp texture, then drizzled with a tangy mustard vinaigrette and tossed with walnuts.
Recipe: Wilted Brussels srpouts with walnuts
  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

For a classic red enchilada, look no further than this recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation for 150 years.
Recipe: Classic red enchiladas
  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Assemble these enchiladas ahead of time -- perfect if you’re short on time and/or are planning for company.
Recipe: Green enchiladas
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica flowers (of the hibiscus family) are typically found in vivid red teas, but these tart dried buds are an unusually delicious filling for enchiladas.
Recipe: Hibiscus enchiladas with chipotle sauce
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh peas add bright flavor and crunch.
Recipe: Risotto with sugar snap peas and prosciutto
  (Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times)

Dandelion greens and bacon are a natural combination. Recipe: Wilted dandelion grens with bacon

This savory take on the comfort food -- stuffed with bacon, Gruyere cheese and dandelion greens and pan-fried to ooey-gooey perfection -- works well served any time of the day. Recipe: Savory stuffed French toast

If salad is your thing, look no further than Nancy Silverton for some great dinner ideas.
Recipe: Butter lettuce with nuts, bacon, egg and cheese
  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Tender potatoes are pureed with heavy cream to form the base for this rich and satisfying soup, with roasted diced chiles folded in for subtle heat. Read the recipe »  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Leeks, apples and thyme pair wonderfully in this dish, making for a bright soup with plenty of flavor.
Recipe: Leek, apple and thyme soup
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a wonderfully simple soup, coming together in only 30 minutes.
Recipe: Spinach soup with nutmeg and creme fraiche
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Assorted mushrooms tossed with garlic-shallot butter and fresh herbs.
Recipe: Craft’s mushrooms
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Nutty quinoa, meaty shiitake mushrooms, caramelized fennel, garlic and crunchy toasted cashews.
Recipe: Quinoa with shiitakes, fennel and cashews
  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

It’s dinner in a skillet.
Recipe: Braised chicken with capers
  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

When you’re looking for a perfect one-dish meal, look no further than this recipe for Tuscan chicken stew.
Recipe: Tuscan chicken stew
  (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

Sometimes you can’t get any simpler than a salad for dinner.
Recipe: Mixed greens with chicken, goat cheese and pecans
  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh and bright and ready in less than 30 minutes, this dish goes perfectly with grilled salmon or other fish .
Recipe: Angel hair pasta with fresh shiso-herb mix
  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Fun finger food.
Recipe: Shishito pepper tempura
  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

A perfect make-ahead sandwich. Recipe: Egg salad sandwich with dill

Recipe: Chicken curry sandwich

Dungeness crab salad sandwich with Meyer lemon  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Chickpea salad with chorizo (Garbanzos alinados con chorizo)  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Wild mushroom soup is a rich purée. Recipe: Joe’s wild mushroom soup

Grilled romaine lettuce with walnuts, Parmesan and anchovy dressing

Recipe: Green beans with pickled shallots

A thick, 2-pound, bone-in rib steak, some coarse sea salt and pepper. It doesn’t take much more to make a perfect main course. Recipe: Cote de boeuf

The shrimp will be spicier if the shells are removed before cooking.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Slow-poached shrimp is tender and flavorful.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

This fried shrimp dish couldn’t be easier to make.
Recipe: Mangalore fried shrimp
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Noodles with cabbage, poppy seeds and pepitas

Recipe: Tuscan kale salad

Kale salad with farro, dried fruit and blue cheese  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

The kale salad from Napa Valley Grille. Recipe here.   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

The combination of coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and lemon grass from the stock is sweet and fragrant.
Recipe: Tom Kha Gai
  (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

A rich chicken soup that comes together in minutes.
Recipe: Chunky vegetable chicken soup
  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Rich and full of flavor.
Recipe: Tuscan chicken stew
  (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Beets and blood oranges with mint and orange flower water

This hearty salad comes together in only 20 minutes.
Recipe: Pink grapefruit and fennel salad with crab
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Tangerine, butter lettuce and goat cheese salad.

Recipe: Italian sausage and kale gratin

Rich and hearty.
Recipe: Lentil and barley stew
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

One of our top-10 cookies from our first Holiday Bake-Off.
Recipe: Peppermint pinwheels
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

One of the winners from the 2011 Holiday Cookie Bake-Off.
Recipe: Ronnie’s raspberry crescents
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Wedding cookies are truly international. You¿ll find them called Russian, Mexican or Greek. This recipe comes from Bonnie Zanardi of Whittier and it was one of our 10 best holiday cookies of 2010.
Recipe: Ultimate wedding cookies
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Love blue cheese? For a slight twist on the comforting classic, put crumbled blue cheese between slices of raisin brioche, along with thinly sliced pear.
Recipe: Grilled blue cheese with pear
  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Wedge some thinly sliced sweet onions between thick slices of bread along with a rich semi-soft cheese and grill away.
Recipe: Grilled cheese with sweet onion
  (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

These are some serious pancakes.
Recipe: Neil’s pancakes
  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

A simple drizzle of maple syrup completes this hearty dish.
Recipe: Blueberry and ricotta pancakes
  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)