Dinner
8856 recipes found
Memphis Dry-Rub Ribs
This Juneteenth showstopper, using a dry rub from Greg Collier, the chef and co-owner of Leah & Louise in Charlotte, N.C., is an ode to the flavors of the Mississippi Delta. The smoky, sweet, salty pork ribs slow roast in the oven, yielding tender meat seasoned with a traditional barbecue dry rub. You can substitute the pork for slab beef spareribs with equally good results, or use mushrooms for a vegetarian approach. Crushed peanuts and sweet-potato pikliz make the ribs a meal.
Potato Kugel
Make this ahead — the flavor really comes out after it has been reheated.
Spicy and Tingly Beef
This recipe for a simple dish of mala beef comes from Jason Wang of Xi’an Famous Foods in New York, but as Wang puts it, “You can mala anything.” Spicy chiles and tingly Sichuan peppercorns define mala, one of the many flavors of Sichuan cuisine, and though it can season beef, the same technique for a vivid, brilliant sauce can be applied to a big pile of sautéed mushrooms, or simmered tofu and sautéed greens. However you choose to make it, serve the dish over hot rice or simmered noodles and finish it with a little drizzle of Sichuan chile oil, if you’ve got it.
Craig Claiborne's Smothered Chicken With Mushrooms
A classic of his Mississippi childhood, Craig Claiborne's smothered chicken made its debut in The Times in 1983, accompanied by mushrooms and small onions that give it a slightly more metropolitan flavor. (You could always omit these if you have neither on hand.) The basic idea is to split a chicken down the back and cook it whole in a skillet over butter, with a weighted plate on top to insure a crisp skin, and rich gravy. In terms of temperature and time, the Southern gospel of low and slow is key to achieving maximum smother.
Spiedies
Spiedies are a mainstay sandwich of Binghamton, N.Y., and its surrounding boroughs. They’re made of meat marinated for a long time in what amounts to Italian dressing, then threaded onto skewers, grilled, and slid into a cheap sub roll, sometimes with a drizzle of fresh marinade or hot sauce. The recipe that follows calls for beef, but pork or venison can be used almost interchangeably. Marinate for a long time: a full 24 to 36 hours is not uncommon, and results in chunks of meat that are so deeply flavored that they taste great even when slightly overcooked. (If you use chicken, however, reduce the length of time in the marinade, since the meat starts to break down after 12 hours or so.) Serve the spiedies with an additional drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil, on top of Italian bread or alongside rice.
Chinese Roast Pork on Garlic Bread
Chinese roast pork on garlic bread is one of the great New York sandwiches, a taste of the highest peaks of Catskills cuisine: thinly sliced, Cantonese-style char siu married to Italian-American garlic bread beneath a veil of sweet-sticky duck sauce. It’s been around since the 1950s, a favorite of the summertime borscht belt crowd. You can make the sandwich with store-bought char siu if you like, but I prefer the homemade variety because I can make it with fancy pork from the farmers’ market. It’s also juicier and more flavorful. Then, layer the meat onto garlic bread, and add a drizzle of duck sauce – for that, I use leftover packets from Chinese takeout orders or make my own with apricot preserves cut through with vinegar. Some people add a slash of hot mustard; others fresh pickles, or coleslaw. “It’s the ultimate assimilation crossover food,” the food writer and erstwhile restaurant critic Arthur Schwartz told me. “That sandwich is a symbol of acculturation.”
Crispy Chickpea Pancakes With Roasted Mushroom Salad
Italian farinata are simple pancakes made from chickpea flour, which gives them a deep, nutty flavor and unexpectedly luxurious texture. Make sure to use an ovenproof pan so you can finish the pancake in a hot oven to give it golden, crisp edges. Top the farinata however you like — roasted vegetables, a dressed salad, a mix of fresh herbs — or even eat it plain, with a cold drink, just before dinner. But a mix of roasted mushrooms and radicchio seasoned simply with vinegar and olive oil is perfect in the fall.
Risotto With Smoked Mozzarella and Escarole
Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey brought this recipe to The Times in 1988, when a properly-made risotto was still a relatively new dish for the home cook. It would make a wonderful meatless main dish or as an accompaniment to roast chicken or grilled steak.
Turkey Brine
This classic wet brine is adapted from an old Yankee Magazine recipe for a traditional New England roast turkey. It yields a moist and tender bird.
Curried Tofu With Soy Sauce
Tofu is light, so I wanted to make the sauce as substantial as possible. Use canned coconut milk with the caramelized onions. Like heavy cream, coconut milk will thicken a sauce, making it luxurious in almost no time. Then, to add contrasting texture, I decided to use nuts as well. Both walnuts and cashews do splendidly here. But the bottom line is the onions: they really must be browned carefully and thoroughly, without burning. (Sam Sifton)
Grilled Carrots With Yogurt, Carrot-Top Oil and Dukkah
You can serve these carrots with Greek yogurt, or with homemade labneh, if you start the night before (see Tip below). This recipe calls for making your own dukkah: You’ll have more than you need, but keep any leftovers in a sealed container to sprinkle over salads, grilled meat or fish. A bunch of carrots from your farmers’ market will work best here, but you can also use regular carrots that have been halved or quartered lengthwise. If you can’t find bunches of carrots with their fresh tops, you can prepare the oil using parsley instead, or double the tarragon for an even more herbaceous version.
Green Beans and Greens With Fried Shallots
These delightfully al dente green beans are a quick-cooking nod to the green bean casserole. There is no cream of mushroom soup, but there are fried shallots. Torn leafy greens, briefly sautéed with a bit of butter and a few melted anchovies (which can be omitted for vegetarians), are added to the beans to wilt at the last minute for a very green-on-green side. Depending on what else you’re serving, this could almost count as a salad. Be sure to finish with plenty of acid and flaky salt.
Harissa and Miso Spaghetti
In this recipe, harissa and miso turn spaghetti into a comforting meal reminiscent of carbonara. Together, these two condiments bring sweetness, a touch of heat and just enough umami to call for a second serving. The bread crumbs are optional but they are totally recommended; they can be prepared in advance and kept for two days in a sealed container.
Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
This takeout classic is beloved for a reason: It’s mild, satisfying and dependable. The chewy noodles and tender beef make for a weeknight dinner that won’t send you back to the fridge, snooping for a snack before bedtime. What makes this version better than the one from your neighborhood spot? A few things: It’s fresher, hotter and arguably faster. In this version, smaller florets ensure that the beef and broccoli cook quickly, and are easily scooped up with chopsticks. The florets' size also lowers your chances of overcooking them before they're crisp and tender. To finish, add sesame oil, if you have it, but don’t sweat it if you don’t.
Pizza With Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon and Blue Cheese
Here is a recipe for pizza that calls to mind — at least this mind — the joys of car travel through southeastern France, where pizzas such as this are available at all the imaginary cafes in small towns near the Italian border. It certainly tastes as if it comes from that region and, if you close your eyes as you eat it, you can almost imagine yourself halfway through a drive from Aix to Turin. The time spent caramelizing the onions is more than worth it, so do it the day before you intend to make the pie. Which is when, as it happens, you should make the dough as well. And we have a recipe for that as well — a version adapted from the team behind the magical Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn.
Steak With Ginger Butter Sauce
An astonishingly good recipe for steak with butter, ginger and soy that Mark Bittman picked up from the New York chef Jean Georges Vongerichten and gave to The Times a few years later. It’s simple and takes no time to make after work.
Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Fish
The final days of December for African-Americans mean playing games of bid whist and spades, and cultivating joy through seasonal dishes. For Rashad Frazier and his family in Portland, Ore., Kwanzaa is all about the food, Nguzo Saba (the seven principles) and honoring members of their families who have made their lives bright. Mr. Frazier is a personal chef and an avid outdoorsman; this rub is his go-to for highlighting fresh-caught fish, which he is serving for the holiday.
Vegetable Dumplings
The Polish have pierogi, the Japanese have gyoza: Many of the world’s cultures have some version of dumplings, whether they’re filled with meat, cheese or vegetables, and baked, steamed, fried or boiled. This recipe is adapted from the children’s cookbook “Around the World: Delicious Dishes from Across the Globe,” from the American Girl cookbook series, and was inspired by the dumplings you might get at your local Chinese takeout spot. They’re not necessarily authentic, but they are delicious, and folding and frying them is a fun weekend project for kids of all ages. You can use round or square wonton wrappers for this project, but don’t forget the sauce: It’s what makes these dumplings great.
Craig Claiborne's Smothered Chicken, Creole Style
For this version of a classic Southern smothered chicken, Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey reddened the gravy and brought it some of the gentle heat of the Delta. Served with white rice, it makes for a classic family meal.
Honey Chicken
In this classic recipe, a flavorful marinade of sherry, cinnamon, honey and lime elevates the standard weeknight roast chicken. It's not a bad idea to make two chickens worth; you can freeze one in the marinade and defrost the pieces as you need it.
Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives
Chicken, that old weeknight standby, can get pretty boring day after day. This dish, adapted from "Mediterranean Cooking" by Paula Wolfert, is almost as easy as a few pan-fried chicken breasts, but its flavors – ginger, turmeric, cumin, Spanish sweet paprika, briny olives – are far more exciting. If you have the time, brining the chicken thighs for a couple of hours in a salt-sugar-water solution before cooking will yield supremely tender meat, but if you're in a rush, skip it. You're still going to fall in love with this dish.
Jingalov Hats
This recipe for jingalov hats, the simple flatbread stuffed with a mix of greens, comes from “Lavash,” an Armenian cookbook by John Lee, Ara Zada and Kate Leahy. The authors got the recipe in Artsakh from Lilia Harutyunyan, a local baker who mixes tangy wild sorrel and dandelion greens with soft herbs such as chervil and cilantro, as well as earthy beet greens, chard and spinach. The key to a great bread is in the mix of greens, which gently steam inside the bread as it cooks on the stovetop. Wash and dry all the greens in a salad spinner to remove as much moisture as possible before chopping. The pomegranate seeds are optional, though Ms. Harutyunyan likes to add them for extra tang.
Julia Reed's Fried Chicken
Quick-Roasted Chicken With Tarragon
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. French elegance on the fly. Heat the oven to 425, or higher if your oven runs cool. Mix a few tablespoons of mayonnaise with a little Dijon mustard and a lot of chopped tarragon in a large bowl until everything’s incorporated to your liking. Salt and pepper some chicken thighs — I’d do bone-in, but boneless would also work — then add the thighs to the mustard mixture, tossing to coat the meat. Arrange the chicken on a greased sheet pan and cover each piece with a handful of bread crumbs, really pressing the crumbs in so they adhere. Slide that pan into the oven for a half-hour or so while you make some rice or boil off a few potatoes. You can make a salad, or steam some greens. Then check to see if the chicken has been cooked all the way through. Probably not. Another five or 10 minutes ought to do it. You’re looking for a nice crisp crust, golden brown, above the luscious meat. 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.