Do you need a holiday timeout? When we are in the eye of the storm, aka the lull between Thanksgiving and December celebrations, it helps to step off the conveyor belt of planning, cooking, baking and entertaining. Take a break and fix something easy, healthy and decidedly not holiday-inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and call it a culinary break.

I use the term “curry” loosely since this recipe is hardly authentic. An authentic curry consists of a mountain of whole spices and aromatics, carefully and lovingly toasted, ground, sauteed and coaxed to create a potent paste that forms the base of a stew, which simmers for an ample amount of time to infuse its flavor. (I highly recommend doing this, by the way, but suggest you wait until after the holidays.)

This yellow curry rendition gets its name thanks to a generous shortcut dump of curry powder into the soup, which, in the category of quick meals, does the trick. It’s a healthy soup, brimming with vegetables and thickened with coconut milk, and it’s a one-pot wonder, prepared in about 30 minutes. During a month of roasts, bakes, sauces and icings, this soup is a spicy and refreshing hiatus, guaranteed to warm and restore before you get back to the business of planning and making that big holiday dinner.

Curried Chicken Stew

Active Time: about 35 minutes

Total Time: about 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 to 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced 1/4–inch thick

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)

2 cups coarsely chopped curly green kale, Tuscan kale or spinach leaves (tough stems removed)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

1 red or green jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook over medium heat until the chicken colors on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. It will continue to cook when added to the stew.)

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Saute over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and saute until the carrot brightens in color and the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander, stirring to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spices for about 15 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale or spinach. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro and taste for seasoning.

Ladle the curry into bowls. Garnish with additional cilantro and the jalapeno slices. Serve with basmati rice.

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If you celebrate Christmas, when do you get your tree? We wait until the week before Christmas to get ours. It’s important that our tree is fresh and not dry for the holiday, because we celebrate Christmas Danish-style: by lighting live candles on the branches. Live candles are traditional on Nordic Christmas trees. It may sound risky, but when closely managed, it’s quite safe and rewarding for its beauty.

The candles are inserted in special weighted holders perched on the branches, and the flames self-extinguish once the candles melt down to their base. It’s a magical sight, traditionally first done on the eve of Christmas, or julaften, which is celebrated with a big holiday dinner.

We break Danish tradition in our home by lighting our tree candles the weekend before Christmas. This way, we can open our home to friends to enjoy the experience, which has become its own tradition. Naturally, there is plenty of food and libations to go with the event. I load a table with platters of finger food, cheese and charcuterie, and of course, sweet treats such as these cookies.

The ginger and spice in the cookies go well with glogg (spiced mulled wine), which I make in a large pot swimming with orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. Once the sun sets and darkness creeps in, we turn down the lights and light the candles. A hush envelops us as we gather around the tree, entranced by the flickering flames casting a soft glow that illuminates the tree and warms the room.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Makes about 36 cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1/3 cup finely diced candied ginger

Sanding or demerara sugar for sprinkling

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and cloves in a bowl to combine.

Cream the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the candied ginger. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two rimless baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheet and gently flatten. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the cookies until set and crinkled on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool.

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The holiday season is full of traditions. Traditions bring pleasure and reassurance. They give us something to look forward to, and in times of difficulty or uncertainty, traditions root and comfort us. Sharing and repeating traditions connects us to our past and reinforces our relationships with family and loved ones.

A tradition can be a simple gesture or ritual, an act of faith or a gregarious celebration. It needn’t be elaborate; in fact, it can be as simple as a cake.

In our home, this cake is made at least once during the holiday season. It’s a simple, uncomplicated treat for busy days and frenetic times, meant to be left on the kitchen counter for a sweet pick-me-up or a moment of repose. It’s an all-day cake, because it’s equally appropriate for breakfast or afternoon tea, and elegant enough for an understated dessert.

Thanks to an infusion of orange and olive oil, the cake is redolent with citrus and spice, and it's unfailingly moist. Almond meal lightens and adds a wholesome crumb, which encourages second helpings. While this cake will last for days at room temperature, it’s likely to be devoured before the sun sets twice.

The recipe ages well, passed between the hands of family bakers. And, like the telling of an oft-repeated family story, there may be tiny embellishments and tweaks made, depending on the baker. For instance, baking soda is now added to elevate the cake and offset any remarkable sinkage in the center. (Baking soda neutralizes any acid in the batter; in this case, citrus juice.) The spices may be slightly edited, influenced by the contents of the spice drawer and creative whimsy. Cardamom often plays a lead role, while ground coriander and cinnamon may step in for support. The citrus zest, however, is nonnegotiable and should never be skimped.

The final presentation can be as grand or as simple as you'd like. Serve it as a no-nonsense naked cake, because it can surely stand on its own and should be celebrated as such. If that's too plain for your liking, jiggle a flurry of confectioners' sugar over the top for lightness and snowy frivolity; bathe it in a citrusy sugar syrup for a sticky, shiny finish; or dress it up with a cloud of spirited whipped cream infused with orange liqueur. The possibilities are endless.

Spiced Orange Almond Cake

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 8

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup almond meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup fruity olive oil

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated orange zest, from an untreated orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line with parchment and butter the parchment.

Combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and coriander in a bowl.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light in color. Add the olive oil, orange juice, zest and vanilla and stir to blend. Add the dry ingredients and stir to blend without overmixing. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and cool completely.

Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar or with whipped cream, if desired. The flavors of the cake will develop while it cools. Store the cake at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Optional glaze:

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup fresh orange juice in a small saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reduces to a syrupy consistency, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. When the cake is finished baking, immediately brush the top with some of the glaze. When the sides of the pan are removed, brush with more syrup.

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