Season Types: Winter

Fragrant roasted garlic and caramelized burst tomatoes mingle together in this simple yet elegant sauce served over Marsala chicken. Lindsey B. of Spring Lake Park, MN created this 2012 Just 5 Cooking Challenge grand prize recipe.

Poaching and shredding boneless chicken breasts takes no time, leaving spare time to prep up the rest of the stir-fried veggies and condiments to make this classic Chinese take-out dish.

Serve this fresh take on a classic with crispy fried polenta and sautéed julienned zucchini with lots of fresh garlic. Pan-fry the chicken in olive oil if you’d like a crispier coating.

If you prefer dark meat, use boneless skinless thighs that are pounded out to an even thickness so they grill quickly. Aïoli is really nothing more than a thick, aromatic garlic mayonnaise and is the heart of midsummer celebrations of seasonal vegetables in southern France. Here the mayo is made with roasted garlic and fresh herbs—the perfect sauce for grilled chicken.

Make this thick, hearty and nutritious chicken soup to fill up your kids’ thermoses for school lunch. In the fall you can use all sorts of autumn vegetables—try butternut squash, parsnips, or rutabaga for the carrots and celery—or your own canned tomatoes from a garden harvest.

The benefits of a fiber-rich diet, along with the increased intake of B-vitamins and a wide variety of minerals, are undisputed. But don’t ignore how great whole grains taste—experiment with the exploding availability of interesting rice blends, unique pastas, and grains like barley.

Pad Thai is really just a stir-fried noodle dish, with a sauce that’s a balance of salty, sour, and sweet. It’s a popular street food snack in Thailand, tossed with small dried shrimp and tofu, but strips of chicken add more weight for a main dish. Look for tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, and palm sugar in Asian grocery stores.

This is a great dish for a cold day. The pistachios and breadcrumbs create a flavorful crunchy crust that pairs perfectly with the plum relish!