Wok

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min Peas, noodles, beef—everything you need for dinner in one dish.

Sources for posto are Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com). Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

This recipe is a great use for cold leftover rice. Order extra rice with Chinese takeout or make a double batch of your own one night — you can keep it, chilled, up to 1 week. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

You can add some diced red bell pepper to give this full-flavored dish a splash of color.

An Asian treatment of chestnuts that will be right at home with all your side dishes.

This recipe calls for Chinese leeks or baby leeks, which are available at some Asian markets. Chinese leeks are thinner and longer than regular leeks, with tubular greens that are edible, like those of scallions. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Gaeng Pah Muu Most curries from southern Thailand use coconut milk. This one, from the mountainous north, doesn't, because the climate is too temperate for coconut palms to survive. Don't be intimidated by the start-to-finish time; the curry paste and chicken stock can be made days ahead. Once you have those components at hand, the recipe only takes about 1 hour to put together. If you prefer your food less spicy, use the smaller amounts of curry paste and vegetable oil. Active time: 3 1/4 hr Start to finish: 7 1/4 hr (includes making curry paste and stock)