Recipes By Lidey Heuck
187 recipes found
Grilled Honey-Mustard Chicken Thighs
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great choice for grilling any night of the week: They take well to marinades, cook quickly and develop a nice crispy exterior without drying out. This crowd-pleasing recipe, inspired by classic honey-mustard sauce, starts with a simple but flavorful Dijon mustard marinade. Since marinades high in sugar can burn when chicken is grilled over high heat, this recipe calls to brush the chicken with a rich, sweet and savory three-ingredient glaze (honey, Worcestershire sauce and more mustard) as soon as it comes off the grill. For a little kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to the glaze, and be sure to pass any leftover glaze around the table for dipping. Serve with grilled vegetables and a crowd-pleasing picnic side, such as pasta salad or potato salad.
Roasted Fish and Leeks Vinaigrette
This zippy sheet pan dinner takes inspiration from leeks vinaigrette, a French bistro dish in which leeks are boiled until tender and dressed with a mustard vinaigrette. Here, the leeks are roasted, along with some capers, for plenty of satisfying crunch and caramelized flavor. When the leeks are tender, the fish fillets are added right to the pan and roasted until tender and flaky. (A flaky white fish, like cod or halibut, or even salmon would work well here.) Finally, what brings this dish together is the quick, punchy vinaigrette made with whole-grain mustard, parsley, shallots and red wine vinegar. Spooned over everything before serving, it balances the richness of the roasted leeks and fish with just the right amount of acidity and freshness.
Pork, Asparagus and Snap Pea Stir-Fry
This speedy stir-fry draws inspiration from the Sichuan dish of fried green beans with pork. In that dish, the green beans are charred and crisp, with red chiles and bits of ground pork playing a supporting role. Here, the ratio is roughly half vegetables, half pork, making this recipe a great way to turn a pound of ground pork into a delicious and balanced weeknight dinner. Asparagus and snap peas not only add freshness and crunch, but they’re time savers, too, needing only a few minutes in the pan. Finally, in order to ensure that the ground pork has lots of flavor, the recipe calls for mixing it with grated ginger, garlic, honey and soy sauce before cooking. The honey is key, as it helps the pork caramelize quickly and stay juicy.
Tuna Pasta Salad
A pasta for tuna salad lovers, this recipe combines elements of a classic deli-style tuna salad with pasta, peas and fresh green herbs. It makes for a hearty picnic side dish or lunch, and keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, making it ideal for start-of-the-week meal prep. Chopped celery and red onion add crunch and color, and the tangy Greek yogurt dressing, flavored with lemon juice, mustard and garlic, comes together right in the serving bowl. Any small pasta shape works well here; just be sure to run the cooked pasta under cold water to cool it down before tossing with the dressing.
Lemon-Pepper Chicken Breasts
This beginner-friendly chicken recipe uses both store-bought lemon-pepper seasoning and fresh lemon for fast weeknight flavor. The lemon pepper does much of the work here, adding acidity, salt and mild heat to the chicken, while the fresh lemon juice adds the perfect hit of brightness to the buttery, garlicky pan sauce. Serve the chicken right out of the skillet, or transfer the breasts to a plate and drizzle every last drop of the butter-lemon sauce on top. Serve with rice and a simple green vegetable, such as roasted broccoli or sautéed green beans.
Greek Yogurt-Marinated Salmon
This weeknight-friendly recipe leans on Greek yogurt for a fish marinade that not only adds flavor, but also makes for salmon that’s even more tender than usual. The yogurt works on the salmon slowly, with less risk of “cooking” (or denaturing) the fish that citrus- or vinegar-based marinades pose, and acts as a protective crust, sealing in moisture as the salmon bakes. The marinade in this recipe calls for mostly pantry and fridge staples, along with grated fresh ginger and garlic, but feel free to use the yogurt as a starting point and add your own favorite spices and seasonings.
Pastina Soup
Often referred to simply as pastina, which means “little pasta” in Italian, this is Italy’s answer to the comforting cure-all chicken soup. Variations of pastina soup abound, but most include chicken broth, vegetables (in the form of sautéed onions, carrots and celery) and tiny pasta. The miniature star-shaped pasta most commonly used in this dish is sold as “stelline” — or “tiny stars” — in Italy, and simply as “pastina” in the United States. Acini de pepe works well, too, if pastina is unavailable. A tiny shape is key here, as the pasta continues to absorb broth after it cooks, giving the soup an almost creamy, porridge-like consistency. Some versions even call for puréeing the cooked vegetables and stirring them back into the soup to further thicken the broth. Homemade chicken broth would be an excellent choice here, but for those who need comfort in a hurry, this recipe uses the handy shortcut of reducing store-bought chicken broth and adding a Parmesan rind to the pot, to enrich and maximize the soup’s flavor.
German Pancake
This large-format pancake puffs up at the perimeter, creating light airy edges, while the center remains denser and almost custard-like. It’s the combination of these two textures that makes the German pancake special — that, and the ease of being able to whip up pancakes for six without being tethered to the griddle. What’s the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake, you may wonder? Semantics, really. The origin of this giant baked pancake is commonly attributed not to a Dutch or German dish, but to a Seattle restaurant called Manca’s that began serving the dish in the 1940s. The inspiration and name for this uniquely puffy pancake may have come from some variation of pfannkuchen (the German word for pancakes) and the word Deutsch (German) pronounced in American English eventually morphing into “Dutch.” While many German pancake recipes call for a cast-iron skillet, this recipe uses a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan to create one gargantuan pancake with plenty of crisp edges. How you serve the pancake is up to you: Fill it with berries and maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, or cut it into individual squares and let everyone top the pancakes to their liking.
Fondant Potatoes
In this classic French restaurant dish, Yukon Gold potatoes are given the steak treatment: Seared in a hot pan, basted and then baked, they become creamy and fall-apart tender. (The name, fondant, refers to the French word for melting). To achieve their signature cylindrical shape, you can use a round cookie or biscuit cutter, or a paring knife, to shave down the sides of the potato. Choosing potatoes that are long and tube-like, rather than round, will also help. But you can also feel free to skip this step; the potatoes won’t be strikingly uniform, but they will still be delicious! Serve alongside steak, or roast beef or chicken for a show-stopping and comforting dinner.
Honey Garlic Shrimp
This speedy dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes and relies on pantry staples like honey and soy sauce for easy weeknight flavor. The honey-garlic sauce works double-time, serving as a sweet-and-savory marinade and as a pan sauce for the crustaceans. While large shrimp work best for this recipe (and are the most forgiving when it comes to cooking time), smaller shrimp will work, too. If your shrimp cook through before it’s time to add the sauce to the skillet, transfer them to a serving dish and reduce the sauce on its own before pouring it over the shrimp. Serve with steamed rice, and a simply cooked green vegetable or cucumber salad.
Baked Chicken Meatballs
These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.
Egg Muffins
Baked egg muffins are an ideal weekday breakfast: They’re portable, easy to make in advance and endlessly adaptable to what’s in the fridge. This recipe calls for a colorful mix of spinach, tomatoes, bacon, Cheddar and feta, but feel free to experiment with your own combinations. Aim to keep roughly the same ratio of ingredients that contain more water, such as tomatoes and spinach, to less wet ones like cheese and bacon. For a vegetarian version, replace the bacon with chopped steamed broccoli or sautéed mushrooms.
Baked Cod
This is a very simple method for baking cod, with an ingredient list both short and mighty. Minced herbs, garlic and scallions give the mild, flaky fish lots of flavor -— but you can feel free to substitute whatever fresh or dried herbs you happen to have on hand, since cod takes well to a range of herbs and flavors. As the fish bakes, the lemon juice mixes with the olive oil and seasonings, resulting in a bright and savory sauce. Spoon it over the hot fish and serve directly from the baking dish, with roasted potatoes and a green salad on the side.
Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Chicken breasts and thighs are perennial favorites when it comes to weeknight dinner recipes, but for another quick-cooking and flavorful chicken dinner, consider these baked drumsticks. Coated with a mix of everyday pantry spices and roasted until browned and tender, they are reliably delicious with very little effort. Like chicken thighs, drumsticks are forgiving to cook: While technically cooked through at 165 degrees, they remain juicy and moist at even 175 degrees and higher. Serve them with your favorite weeknight side dishes, such as rice pilaf and lemony steamed broccoli, or a big plate of crudités and ranch dressing for dipping. Finally, if you like things on the spicier side, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the spice mixture, or sprinkle with a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce when the chicken comes out of the oven.
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cornbread
While there’s nothing wrong with a pan of classic cornbread, this recipe makes for a fun twist when the occasion calls for something a little bit more festive. Jarred roasted red peppers not only add a pop of color, but also a juicy, vinegary tang that balances the richness of the cornbread and helps keep it moist and tender. The feta softens but doesn’t melt, leading to satisfying little pockets of cheese in each piece. Finally, thanks to the sour cream in the batter, this cornbread won’t dry out overnight. To make in advance, fully cool the cornbread, then cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours before serving.
Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Any dish with an “assemble-your-own” component is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and these loaded baked sweet potatoes are no exception. The usual suspects — sour cream, scallions and shredded cheese — are here, along with crispy, spice-roasted chickpeas, which add a satisfying crunch and enough protein to boost this recipe into the dinner category. The sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast on one pan, making this dish a breeze for weeknights. On that note, lining half the pan might seem fussy, but it’s worth the extra step — the chickpeas need contact with the hot pan to get nice and crisp, and the foil or parchment under the potatoes makes for easy cleanup.
Caramelized Tomato and Shallot Soup
Fresh tomato soup is a treat best enjoyed with juicy, end-of-season tomatoes, but this versatile recipe is delicious all year long. Both the shallots and tomatoes are caramelized along with tomato paste, which gives the soup deeper flavor. Take your time and let the tomatoes reduce, because the more they caramelize, the more delicious the soup will be. While this recipe does take a little bit of time, it’s mostly hands-off simmering. Make it when the weather turns cool and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove sounds just right.
Bangers With Mashed Winter Squash and Fried Sage
This autumnal spin on traditional British bangers and mash is cooked almost entirely on one sheet pan, which makes it a hands-off, weeknight-friendly dinner. The butternut squash roasts alongside the sausages before getting mashed with maple syrup, a pinch of cayenne and a drizzle of brown butter flavored with fried sage and garlic. The butternut mash makes a delicious, savory-and-sweet base for the roasted sausages — with a little bit of extra brown butter drizzled on top. Any sausages will work here, though cooking time may vary.
Quick Roasted Eggplant
Of all the ways to cook eggplant, roasting it in large cubes is one of the easiest and most delicious. Eggplant browns beautifully in a hot oven, becoming crisp and golden at the edges, and tender and soft in the center. Because it will absorb the olive oil quickly, giving the eggplant a good toss with your hands is the best way to make sure it’s evenly coated before it goes into the oven. And don’t skip the parchment paper: It makes for easy cleanup and prevents any crispy eggplant bits from sticking to the pan. Serve roasted eggplant with a scattering of fresh herbs, or dress it up with a drizzle of tahini sauce or herb salsa.
Fried Eggplant
These crispy breaded eggplant rounds make a delicious appetizer served with marinara sauce for dipping. The key to tender, creamy eggplant with a crisp, crunchy coating is slicing the eggplant thinly and salting it to draw out excess moisture before breading. Coated in seasoned panko, the eggplant rounds cook in under 3 minutes, meaning you can fry the whole batch in under 15 minutes and serve the rounds piping hot. If you’re planning ahead, you can also bread the eggplant slices and refrigerate them on a paper towel lined plate for several hours before serving.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
These crunchy, cheesy breaded chicken breasts are baked, not fried, making for hands-off cooking and easy cleanup. Instead of relying on a typical three-part dredge — with flour, eggs and bread crumbs — this recipe uses mayonnaise to help the bread crumbs adhere to the chicken. The mayonnaise does the job beautifully, adding flavor and moisture in the process. Tossing the panko-Parmesan mixture in olive oil helps the bread crumbs brown in the oven, mimicking the crisp texture of a fried cutlet but with way less oil. Serve with a simple green salad or your favorite sauce for dipping, as these breaded chicken cutlets are essentially large-format, dinner-friendly chicken tenders.
Garden Salad
This simple salad works well as a side for almost any main dish and is an excellent way to use up whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. You’ll end up with a delicious, well-balanced salad as long as you combine mild, crunchy items, like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, with more intensely flavored ones, like radishes and raw onion. Homemade balsamic, ranch or your favorite bottled dressing will all work well here, but do wait to dress the salad until right before serving for best results.
Eggplant Lasagna
Roasted eggplant takes the place of pasta in this veggie-heavy riff on traditional lasagna. All the other lasagna elements are here, including a spinach, herb and ricotta filling; marinara sauce; and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The result is a completely gluten-free dish that tastes every bit as hearty and comforting as a true lasagna, with a welcome brightness from the addition of lemon zest. This is by no means a difficult recipe, but there are several steps. To save time, you can roast the eggplant slices in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling the lasagna.
Roasted Zucchini
Due to its high water content, zucchini takes well to high- and direct-heat cooking methods like sautéing and grilling. Using these methods, color (a.k.a. flavor) can develop before the squash releases too much moisture. This recipe for roasted zucchini employs a few tricks to combat sogginess. First, the oven is cranked up to 450 degrees, so the zucchini browns in a matter of minutes. Second, the zucchini is diced into 1-inch cubes, so the pieces are large enough to withstand the high oven temperature without breaking down. Finally, the sheet pan is preheated, giving the zucchini a headstart on browning when it hits the sizzling-hot pan. For best results, use small to medium zucchini and wait to salt the squash until just before it goes into the oven. You can season simply with salt and pepper, or toss the zucchini with hardy herbs like oregano or thyme before roasting, and finish with fresh lemon and tender herbs such as basil or mint.