Dinner
8856 recipes found
Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles
Garlicky, gingery and as spicy as you dare to make it, this Asian-influenced pan-fried noodle dish comes together in minutes. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, which means you can make it whenever you need a comforting noodle dish that comes with a bite. If you can’t find the Chinese egg noodles (also called Hong Kong-style noodles), you can make this with rice noodles or soba. The key is to only boil them until they are halfway done. (They should be pliable but still firm in the center.) They will finish cooking when you pan-fry them.
Curry Udon
Japanese curry bricks deserve their place in our pantries as a staple — inexpensive, with a long shelf life, and full of fast flavor. For those without easy access to store-bought curry bricks, you can make your own or opt for this recipe, in which a quick roux is made using a commercial curry powder blend. A Japanese brand like S&B is ideal, though most products labeled “curry powder” will work. If you have curry bricks in your pantry, you can use them and skip to Step 4, but note the package instructions to determine how many bricks to use. This recipe makes a thick, silky broth that clings ardently to the chubby udon noodles. Potatoes, carrots and onions are common ingredients used in Japanese curry, and while the spinach is not traditional, it adds a nice green element; substitute with broccoli, baby bok choy or kale if you prefer.
Pasta With Chickpeas and a Negroni
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. A drink before dinner? Make a Negroni, then pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce. First, the Negroni: one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, one part Campari, stirred with ice then strained over ice and garnished with orange peel. Sip! Then peel and chop an onion and sauté it in olive oil with a few cloves of smashed garlic and a spray of salt and pepper. Have another hit of Negroni. When the mixture has just started to brown, add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes, along with a stick of cinnamon. Stir and simmer away for 10 minutes or so, longer if you can, then add enough cream or half-and-half so that the sauce turns softer in color, running to pink. Meanwhile, boil some salted water and prepare your favorite pasta (I like shells for this application) until it is just al dente. Drain, then toss in a 14-ounce can of drained chickpeas and stir the whole thing into the tomato sauce, topping with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes. Finish that Negroni. Eat. Sam Sifton features a no-recipe recipe every Wednesday in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up to receive it. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.
Riso al Forno With Crab and Shrimp
For a casually elegant dinner, this rice casserole fits the bill for a crowd-pleasing main course. It’s generous in the kind of meat you use and its timing: You can use any kind of shellfish, including shrimp or lobster, and you don’t serve it directly from the pot, so there’s no urgency. You can cook the rice and fold in the shellfish up to 2 hours in advance of serving, then top with shrimp and crumbs, and bake.
David Tanis’s Persian Jeweled Rice
This dish is called jeweled rice because it is golden and glistening, laced with butter and spices and piled with nuts and gem-colored fruits. In Iran, it is typically served at weddings or other celebrations. Great platters of it appear at banquets. It also goes beautifully with a weeknight roast chicken. You will probably need to do a little shopping to make this traditional dish. But it is well worth it, and most good supermarkets can supply what you require.
Instant Pot Tomato-Braised Chickpeas With Tahini
Perfumed with cinnamon, cumin and turmeric, and drizzled with a creamy, garlicky tahini sauce, these tomato-braised chickpeas make for a complex, satisfying meatless meal, especially when served with warm flatbread for dipping into the sauce. If you are starting with soaked and drained chickpeas, reduce the water to about 1 1/2 cups — just enough to cover them — then cook on high pressure for 13 minutes instead of 35.
Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
Baking rice on a bed of tender vegetables has to be one of the most fail-safe ways to prepare it. Here tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil with cinnamon and thyme, then baked with basmati rice until everything is fragrant and soft. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, “Ottolenghi Simple,” it makes a spectacular side dish to pan-seared meats or fish, or can be the heart of a vegetarian meal with some crumbled feta and pine nuts sprinkled on top for serving.
Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef and Noodle Salad
Bun bo xao, a zesty stir-fry of marinated beef hot from the wok paired with room temperature rice noodles, makes a satisfying main-course salad year-round. Dressed with a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce and topped with roasted peanuts, the flavors are clean, bright and restorative. Yes, this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, but the prep is simple, and it’s an easy introduction to Vietnam cooking for the uninitiated.
Yellow Rice
Yellow rice is a beloved dish among many cultural traditions. A staple side in Latin American kitchens, arroz amarillo appears in various iterations across the region. The appeal of yellow rice extends to Central and South Asia, and South Africa, and its brilliant hue achieved with saffron, turmeric or achiote. This version uses widely available and economical ground turmeric, and is a canvas upon which you can incorporate other ingredients and spices. Consider adding a bell pepper to the onion and garlic, or stir in a cup of frozen peas at the very end. The amount of cooking liquid you use depends on the type and quality of your rice, and be mindful to cut down on salt if you use a salted broth. Typically served as a side dish, the dish can also be served on its own.
Longevity Noodles With Chicken, Ginger and Mushrooms
During Chinese New Year, long noodles are eaten in all corners of China. “Longevity noodles,” also presented at birthday celebrations, are never cut or broken by the cook, and if they can be eaten without biting through the strands, it’s considered even more auspicious. Longevity noodles are usually stir fried, presenting challenges to the home cook. Noodles should be stir-fried alone and lightly oiled so that they don’t clump together in the wok, and all ingredients must be completely dry so they sear properly.
Lemon Spaghetti With Roasted Artichokes
Lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan and basil come together for a silky and vibrant sauce that makes this weeknight-friendly pasta sing. The addition of roasted artichoke hearts adds texture and complements the zestiness of the dish. There’s no better time than a weeknight to embrace canned or frozen artichoke hearts, as they are immensely less work than whole fresh ones, and they roast beautifully — and effortlessly — in a hot oven. Holding onto that salty, starchy pasta water is key to ensuring that each spaghetti noodle is enveloped in the lemony sauce; use it judiciously to emulsify the sauce as you quickly toss it.
Dirty Rice With Mushrooms
This vegetarian version of Southern dirty rice replaces the traditional ground beef and chicken livers with hearty mushrooms, creamy black-eyed peas and flavorful spices for a satisfying one-pot meal. The recipe starts with the classic Cajun holy trinity — onion, green bell pepper and celery in equal parts — to create a flavorful foundation. Mushroom broth adds even more depth and reinforces the earthy cremini mushrooms, while a drizzle of hot sauce adds tang and kick. Serve with simple leafy greens or chopped salad.
Chile-Oil Noodles With Cilantro
In this 20-minute recipe, a mixture of savory condiments coats bowlfuls of wide noodles chilled slightly by a quick rinse in cool water. While you cook the udon, take the time to prepare the sauce, abundant with contrasting flavors, and the fresh herbs. The sauce can be made in advance, but make sure it’s at room temperature before tossing it with the noodles and the cilantro at the last minute. Substitutions are welcome: Swap in chile crisp in place of the chile oil with crunchy garlic, or scallions in place of garlic chives. Sichuan chile oil brings a citrusy flavor that is hard to replicate, so don’t skip it. It can vary in spice level: For a milder sauce, use only the liquid oil, or add Sichuan peppercorns from the bottom of the oil for extra tingle. Fried shallots are here for texture, but omit them if you use chile crisp.
One-Pot Vegetable Biryani
Vegetable biryani may be the underdog of biryanis since it's often overshadowed by meatier varieties. But like other formidable yet unsung dishes, this one’s adaptability helps it hold its own. Recipes vary across South Asia: Hyderabadi versions are known for their fieriness, while milder, nuttier variations dominate northern regions. This one falls somewhere in the middle. Use any vegetables you have, such as nutty cauliflower, sweet peas and crunchy carrots. Nuts and fresh or dried fruits add a confetti of flavors and textures. This recipe skips the layering typically called for in favor of conveniently stirring everything together. Luckily, using fewer dishes doesn’t compromise flavor.
Marcus Samuelsson’s Quinoa with Broccoli, Cauliflower and Toasted Coconut
Quinoa “might be the new kale,” said Marcus Samuelsson, the chef and owner of Red Rooster in Harlem. The ancient grain is the star of this quick one-bowl dish, which Mr. Samuelsson created to be an easy weeknight meal. Quinoa, steeped in coconut milk, becomes a rich canvas for vegetables and bold flavors like ginger and Aleppo pepper.
One-Pan Coconut Curry Rice With Chicken and Vegetables
Baking rice is a fail-safe way to a fluffy bowl of grains — and a quick route to a fragrant, hearty dinner. Red curry paste, coconut milk and peanut butter spice the chicken, rice and vegetables in this hands-off, one-pot recipe. Chunky peanut butter adds nuttiness, crunch and creaminess all at once. Feel free to swap out the carrots and broccoli for vegetables with similar cooking times, like sweet potato or snap peas. Drizzle your red curry rice with lime-spiked coconut milk for brightness just before digging in.
Microwave Rice
The microwave is for more than just popping popcorn or heating leftovers. It can also make an excellent bowl of rice. Unlike a stovetop, which can create hot spots on a pan that result in scorched rice, microwaves provide even heat on all sides, creating uniformly textured grains. This method is also very practical: You don’t have to babysit the grains, and you won’t have to clean a pot with stuck-on bits of rice. It may take a few attempts to figure out the exact timing for your microwave as machines differ in wattage and efficiency in air circulation. If you want to jazz up your rice, try adding a pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil or even a pinch of a spice blend like ras el hanout before microwaving.
Cold Noodles With Sesame Sauce, Chicken And Cucumbers
It doesn't surprise me how often people order cold noodles with sesame sauce at Chinese restaurants. What is surprising, though, is how few people make the dish at home. It is incredibly easy to prepare, with common ingredients, and you can serve it as a main course or appetizer. You don't even need sesame sauce. Peanut butter is an acceptable substitute, as long as you use good peanut butter, simply defined as that made with peanuts and salt. (The name brands contain about 10 percent added hydrogenated fat, plus a couple of other typical additives.) Creamy is more common, but chunky is also good. It's easy enough to buy sesame paste (tahini) at health-food stores specializing in Middle Eastern ingredients and even at supermarkets. Sesame oil, which contributes mightily to the flavor of the finished dish, is a staple sold in Asian food stores (and, increasingly, in supermarkets).
Sautéed Winter Squash With Swiss Chard, Red Quinoa and Aleppo Pepper
Although any winter squash will be delicious, you do have to put some elbow grease into peeling and cutting the squash into small dice (no larger than 1/2 inch, and preferably smaller than that), so I recommend butternut, which is easiest to peel. Delicata, even easier to peel and dice, would be another good choice but you won’t get the bright orange color, which is beautiful against the chopped blanched chard, whose stems lend texture to the dish. Red quinoa – just a sprinkling – makes a great finish, contributing another texture and more color. You can make a meal of the skillet combo if you top it with a poached egg, or you can serve it as a side dish.
Rice Noodles With Seared Pork, Carrots and Herbs
Vietnamese-style marinated pork chops are often served whole with rice noodles, herbs and a dipping sauce. This version mixes all the components, infusing the noodles, sliced meat and vegetables with the sauce and keeping the noodles tender even after a day in the fridge. Dark, robust maple syrup takes the place of the traditional dark caramel in a nod to autumn (and as a weeknight shortcut to save you the hassle of browning sugar). The pork takes only a few minutes to cook, the noodles about 3, so this whole dish comes together really fast.
Kimchi Rice Porridge
A combination of pungent chopped kimchi, toasted scallions and ginger, and rice that's been bolstered with a hit of kimchi brine, this porridge is fiery and sinus-clearing. The rice isn’t perfectly fluffy; instead, leftover rice simmers until it breaks down from kernel to stew. (You can, of course, use raw rice, too: Cook it in Step 2 for about an hour, partly covered and stirring occasionally.) You'll want to cook the scallions and ginger until nearly burned, and top the whole thing with a fried egg (or make it soft-boiled). Take note that most kimchi gets its funk from shrimp, anchovies and-or fish sauce, so if you’d like to make this dish vegetarian, make sure to use a vegetarian kimchi.
Quinoa Salad With Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese
This versatile salad, or pilaf, may be construed as a home cook’s answer to a fast-casual lunch bowl. But it does not need to be piled high with a freewheeling array of additional ingredients. As it is, this could be a stand-alone first course, a lunch dish or a side to serve alongside meat or seafood. Serve it hot, warm or at room temperature. The quinoa adapts well to advance preparation, and letting the salad sit before serving improves the texture. In summer, this dish is prime picnic material.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms With Gremolata and Quinoa
When I discovered how delicious Brussels sprouts are when the edges are lightly browned, whether by pan-roasting or oven-roasting, they became a top winter vegetable in my house. Both the Brussels sprouts and the mushrooms roast quickly in a hot oven. I roast them separately so that the juice from the mushrooms doesn’t prevent the Brussels sprouts from browning properly. You can serve the roasted vegetables with quinoa but I also love them with polenta, pasta and other grains.
Salmon Soba Noodles With Ponzu-Scallion Sauce
Quick-cooking, earthy soba noodles, made entirely from buckwheat or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour, are perfect for easy weeknight dinners and can be enjoyed either chilled or in warm dishes. In this speedy noodle soup, dashi powder — an instant soup stock made from dried powdered bonito (skipjack tuna) that functions similarly to bouillon cubes — and subtly sweet cabbage help create a flavorful broth quickly. Salmon is thinly sliced and poached in the broth just before serving. A tangy and vibrant ponzu-scallion sauce balances the rich fatty fish, while grated daikon adds freshness, texture and a subtle bite.