Dinner in One: Exceptional and Easy One-Pan Meals

Many of us here, as well as hordes of readers of The New York Times, turn to Melissa Clark for ideas for good, simply prepared food. Her approach is often enough of a twist on the familiar to help us feel we're getting out of a rut.

In this collection of one-dish recipes, Clark offers an assortment of sheet pan, skillet, pasta, dutch oven, and casserole dinners that occupy an attractive place between comfort food and contemporary flavors.

A simple dish of lemon chicken roasted atop potatoes, dressed with a few capers, is here, along with spicy turkey larb, a riff on the meat salad enjoyed in Thailand and Laos that is redolent of lime and fresh herbs.  Crunchy peanut-crusted tofu with asparagus will work for an appealing meatless dinner, as will a hearty dish of rice and beans with quick-pickled jalapenos.

Throughout the book Clark offers side bars to suggest substitutions or vegan approaches, adding to the versatility of this practical cookbook.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.