There’s something about the winter holidays that can put even the best home cooks in a rut.

If you’re not scrambling to make something for the office potluck, odds are you’re making bite-sized, allergen-free snacks for your child’s holiday party or trying to figure out how to one-up your sister-in-law at your family feast. Then, there’s the crunch to meet deadlines before vacations begin. In what little time remains, you don’t want to be in the kitchen. Enter: takeout (and lots of Christmas cookies).

But Mark Bittman, who joins us for our second hour Dec. 10, says cooking well doesn’t have to take a long time. It can actually be quite quick, and healthy too.

Sound too good to be true? Don’t take his (or our) word for it. Try these recipes from the New York Times columnist yourself.

(And if you have a specific question, comment, or request for Bittman, send us a tweet or an email, or leave a comment).

Red Lentils with Toasted Cauliflower

Bittman’s note:

There is no better use for lentils than dal, the stewed, spiced lentil dishes ubiquitous in India. The idea is to cook them long enough so they begin to break apart and become creamy. And these red pulses are not only traditional for the soupy dals (which are often used like sauces), but they also soften in minutes. Toasted cauliflower adds another layer of texture. To easily expand the meal, serve with rice, bread or steamed greens.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 cups coconut milk (two 15-ounce cans)
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
4 scallions

Directions

[Cook | Prep]

1. Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Trim, peel, and chop the onion.

2. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
Peel the garlic clove and 1 inch ginger; mince them together.

3. When the onion softens, add the garlic and ginger and 1 tablespoon curry powder. Cook, stirring until they’re fragrant, a minute or two.

4. Add 3 cups coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1 1/2 cups red lentils. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily. Partially cover and cook, adding more water if the mixture gets too dry, until the lentils are tender and begin to break down and become saucy, 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Turn the broiler to high; put the rack 6 inches from the heat.
Trim and chop the cauliflower into small pieces (roughly 1/2 inch, but you don’t need to be exact).

6. Put the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 3 tablespoons oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and spread it out in an even layer.

7. Broil, undisturbed, until the cauliflower is tender and nicely browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
Trim and chop the scallions.

8. When the lentils are tender and beginning to break down, stir them vigorously with a spoon for a minute. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and divide them among 4 bowls. Spoon the cauliflower on top of the lentils, garnish with the scallions, and serve immediately.

Bánh Mì

Bittman’s notes:

Bánh mì—a Vietnamese-style hoagie—is often a complicated affair with a number of different components. Here it’s pared down to the absolute essentials: pork and pickled vegetables. Pretty cool for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 small daikon radish or 4 small regular red radishes
1 large carrot
1 small cucumber
Salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 inch fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Sriracha, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 hard sub rolls
Several sprigs fresh cilantro

Directions

[Prep | Cook]

Trim and peel the daikon or 4 small radishes, carrot and cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
If you’re using a food processor for grating, cut the vegetables into chunks that will fit through the feed tube. Shred them by machine or by hand on a box grater.
Put the vegetables in a colander in the sink; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 3 tablespoons sugar and toss. Let sit.

1. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Peel and mince 1 inch ginger and 1 garlic clove.

2. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to the skillet along with the ginger and garlic. After a quick stir, add the ground pork; let it brown in the pan, 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Turn the broiler to high; put the rack 6 inches from the heat.
Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons Sriracha in a small bowl.

4. Add 1 tablespoon each fish sauce and soy sauce to the pork. Stir and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Split the sub rolls open and broil them until lightly toasted, 1 to 3 minutes.

6. When the pork is fully cooked, remove the pan from the heat.

7. When the sub rolls are toasted, remove them from the broiler; spread with Sriracha mayonnaise.

8. By now the shredded vegetables will have released some water; squeeze out the water through the colander. Divide the vegetables among the sub rolls.

9. Lay the pork on top of the shredded vegetables. Top with several cilantro sprigs (stems and all) and serve.

Rice Bowl With Sausage

Bittman’s notes:

Whenever you can use what you’ve got and can save a trip to the market, I’m all for it. Flexible recipes like this Rice Bowl with Sausage from How to Cook Everything Fast are perfect for improvisation: I had excellent Indian summer peppers from the farmers’ market to use instead of the fennel. The recipe includes a couple variations to get you started, but the formula is infinitely variable. Here’s how: Start some rice in one pot and get the sausage—any kind—browning in a skillet while you prep the vegetables—broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or even greens would all work. Then add thick slices to the pan so everything cooks together and is perfectly seasoned by the time the rice is ready.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage links
2 large fennel bulbs
Pepper
4 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup shaved)
Several sprigs fresh basil for garnish

Directions

[Cook | Prep]

1. Put 1 1/2 cups rice in a medium saucepan; add a big pinch of salt and water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil.

2. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cut the sausages into slices; add them to the skillet.
Trim and slice the fennel; add it to the skillet.

3. Sprinkle the sausage and fennel with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the sausage is browned and the fennel is golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. When the water boils, adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily but not vigorously. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until small craters appear on the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.
Shave 1 cup Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler.
Strip the basil leaves from several sprigs and chop.

5. When small craters appear on the surface of the rice, tip the pot to see if any liquid remains. If so, cover and keep cooking until the rice is dry, checking every minute or 2.

6. Divide the rice among 4 bowls, and spoon the sausage and fennel over the top. Garnish with the Parmesan and basil, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like, and serve.