Rosemary roast beef and pecan crusted salmon beside Thai coconut chicken and a berry pecan salad

The Thai coconut chicken thighs are the closest thing to a curry on this list, and the traditional version leans far harder on fish sauce than mine does. I keep it mild because it has to feed the whole house, so the depth comes from ginger and the lift from lime, which is why there are wheels of it sitting right in the sauce. I reduce it until the coconut fat splits back out, and that is what lets it reheat without turning grainy. It is the one dish here that is better on day three than day one.

The berries are the reason that salad looks the way it does. The dill pistachio asparagus came off from the market, spears thick enough to survive a hot oven, dressed while still warm so the dill actually sticks. Neither of those two is worth making out of season.

Reheating here is a three-speed problem. The garlic potato wedges want 12 minutes at 425°F uncovered; the orange glazed chicken bites need 8 minutes at 400°F so the glaze tightens up again; the cilantro basmati rice comes back best with a tablespoon of water stirred through, covered, three minutes in the microwave. The rosemary roast beef and the spring mix salad never see heat at all.