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April 16, 2026

Good morning! Today we have for you:

Yewande Komolafe’s crispy tofu with cashews and blistered snap peas. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Dinner, and make it snappy

The tofu at the grocery store nearest me is either firm or extra firm, and comes packed in a way that keeps it good for a long time. Because of this convenience, I almost always have a block of it in the fridge, next to the eggs and the Greek yogurt — my Quick Protein Triad.

Come to think of it, I also have pretty much everything needed for this fast Yewande Komolafe dinner, and maybe you do, too: garlic, ginger, coconut milk, soy sauce, honey (or molasses, or dark brown sugar), rice vinegar, scallions. All that’s left to pick up are cashews, mint and snap peas, the last of which are negotiable. Yewande notes: “Snow peas, green beans, broccoli or asparagus? If it’s fresh and green, it’ll work just fine.” It’s nice to know that, with a few more ingredients, I can turn my trusty block of tofu into this healthy, full-flavored dinner.

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Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Snap Peas

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Go-to tofu

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Spicy Mushroom and Tofu Mazemen By Hetty Lui McKinnon 1,548 30 minutes Makes 4 servings

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Za’atar Roasted Tofu With Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Lemony Tahini By Yewande Komolafe 4,727 40 minutes Makes 4 servings

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot. Crispy Tofu Tacos By Alexa Weibel 2,907 1 1/4 hours Makes 8 to 10 tacos

More fast, healthy dinners

Sheet-pan hot honey chicken: Yes, it’s mid-April, and you might be sweet-potatoed out after a long winter. But they’re so good (and good for you)! And their sweetness is made more delicious with a simple mix of honey, Dijon mustard and cayenne. So I feel confident sharing with you this easy Sheela Prakash chicken dinner (which, ahem, has five stars and over 1,000 reviews).

Salmon with avocado and cilantro salad: Then again, maybe you want to lean into spring’s lightness with a meal that combines savory salmon, creamy avocado and everyone’s favorite divisive herb. Serve this fresh dish from Yasmin Fahr with couscous, orzo or bread.

Pork laab: And if you’d like to go all in on herby, sparkly, lime-y flavors, here’s Sherry Rujikarn’s pork recipe. I often make it with ground chicken; the combination of sharp shallot, fish sauce and ground red chile easily lifts that lean protein. We also have tofu laab and roasted mushroom laab as vegetarian options.

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Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Sheet-Pan Hot Honey Chicken By Sheela Prakash 1,226 30 minutes Makes 4 servings

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Salmon With Avocado and Cilantro Salad By Yasmin Fahr 807 35 minutes Makes 4 servings

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Pork Laab By Sherry Rujikarn 649 25 minutes Makes 4 servings as part of a larger Thai meal, 2 servings as a main course

And before you go

Is anyone else on a sweet kick lately? No? Just me? Fine, I’ll eat this new tahini and chocolate chunk cake from Samantha Seneviratne all by myself.

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Tahini and Chocolate Chunk Cake By Samantha Seneviratne 22 1 hour 30 minutes Makes 16 servings

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