Dinner
8856 recipes found

Twice-Baked Potatoes With Cauliflower and Cheese
This is a recipe that nods at a lesson taught by the British writer Nigel Slater, which is to poach the cauliflower in bay-leaf scented milk while the potatoes bake. The soft florets are then mashed in with the potato flesh and a healthy splash of the cooked milk. Add butter. Top with cheese.

Corn Risotto
This creamy, pale yellow risotto is studded with chewy fresh corn kernels, making for a nice mix of textures. Making your own corn stock deepens the flavor of this dish, but if you don’t have the time, chicken stock will work. The dish is also pleasingly light, for risotto — finishing the dish by folding in airy whipped cream adds richness without also adding heft. Add the cream quickly and carefully right before serving. If it sits in the hot risotto it will melt — which wouldn’t be the end of the world, of course, since you’ll still have a wonderfully creamy risotto.

Crispy Gnocchi With Tomato and Red Onion
Inspired by panzanella, the beloved Tuscan bread salad, this dish swaps out stale bread for pan-fried gnocchi. The plump, crusty dumplings do a surprisingly good job at soaking up the summery combination of tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, while still maintaining their crisp edge. Shelf-stable gnocchi work best, as they are sturdier and crisp up well, but you could use frozen gnocchi, taking extra care not to move them around too much in the pan so they don’t break apart. Top with a sharp cheese such as Parmesan, pecorino or ricotta salata, for a hit of saltiness, if you like. This meal is best eaten immediately while the gnocchi remains crispy, but it can sit for up to 30 minutes, giving the flavors time to mingle. (However, don’t let it sit too long, as the gnocchi will turn mushy.)

Pan-Fried Salmon With Green-Coconut Chutney
Coastal flavors from India permeate this crispy-skin salmon. The coconut chutney carries the buzz of ginger and green chile, while a drizzle of tadka — a hot, bright red oil infused with mustard seeds, curry leaves and Aleppo flakes — is the crowning glory of the dish. For perfectly crisp skin, resist the urge to fidget with the fish until the appropriate amount of time has passed; the skin will start to crisp at the edges and the fillet will release with ease. Use fresh or frozen coconut to make the chutney. (Desiccated coconut simply doesn’t work as well here.) You can use freeze-dried curry leaves instead of fresh, but you might need to double or even triple the amount, as their intensity is noticeably weaker in comparison.

Cha Ca

Guava-Glazed Jerk Pork Tenderloin
Jerk is a powerfully complex blend of spices and aromatics redolent with cinnamon, allspice, cumin and chiles. Historically, it’s tied to Maroons fleeing enslavement in the Jamaican foothills, and is among the most iconic flavors of the Caribbean. True jerk is grilled over an open fire, and is as much a seasoning as it is an action, because you can “jerk” pork, goat, chicken and even fruits and vegetables. It’s often applied to dark, often gamey or gristly cuts of meat that stand up to complex flavors. While not traditional, this leaner, lighter pork is an excellent vessel for jerk. It’s especially good when marinated overnight and grilled, but is so simple to prepare it can easily be made for a weeknight celebration. A simple jelly glaze at the end adds sweetness and tang, caramelizing under a quick broil. Pair with rice and peas, maduros or a bright, fresh garden salad.

Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew
This quick-cooking fish stew, with its raft of eggs and no-stir preparation method, is specific to eastern North Carolina. Church fund-raisers and family gatherings center on the stew, where traditionally men would layer chunks of fish with bones and skin, thinly sliced potatoes, onions and spices in a caldron and stand around the fire watching it cook. About five minutes before it was done, someone would crack an egg for each guest into the tomato-rich broth. Eggs were a cheap filler and a way to stretch the stew to provide enough protein for a crowd, along with fish like striped bass or flounder from North Carolina’s Atlantic shore. Vivian Howard, who left New York to open Chef & the Farmer, a restaurant in Kinston, N.C., offers this version for home cooks. The key is not stirring it at all, and watching the heat so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Serve it with a couple of slices of squishy white bread (Sunbeam is traditional), which act as delicious sponges for the broth.

Broiled Salmon With Chile, Orange and Mint
A butter-flavored sauce with vibrant citrus and herbs brings an easy elegance to your weeknight salmon. Red-pepper flakes give off a subtle heat — feel free to add more if you like — while orange zest and fresh mint cut the richness of this superbly fatty fish. A crisp green salad or sautéed asparagus would work well alongside, as would a glass of rosé.

Roasted Broccoli With Vinegar-Mustard Glaze
On its own, roasted broccoli is a treat: caramelized and crisp-tender, with frizzled florets and sweet stems. To prevent overcooking, roast at a high heat and on one side the whole time. Flipping the broccoli to brown on both sides increases the chance that it will dry out or turn to mush before the outsides are as caramelized as you like. To give the broccoli a little pizzazz, this recipe takes inspiration from a classic mustard pan sauce, which makes chicken breasts or steaks sparkle. Toss the broccoli with butter, vinegar and Dijon mustard right out of the oven, and the heat from the sheet pan will meld them into a silky, bright sauce.

Broccoli Toasts With Melty Provolone
A beautifully assembled toast can make a lovely light dinner. In this version, blanched broccoli is cooked in olive oil that's been infused with garlic and anchovies (always optional) until it’s very tender, then it’s piled onto toasted bread. Grated extra-sharp provolone, which is a nice complement to the mildly sweet broccoli, is sprinkled on top, then the toasts are broiled until the cheese is melted and golden brown. You can use cauliflower, broccoli rabe or thickly sliced sweet peppers in place of the broccoli, but be sure to cook your vegetables until they are velvety soft — it provides a nice contrast to the crunchy bread. While these toasts work well on their own, they make an equally good accompaniment to roast chicken or grilled fish.

Coconut Curry Fish
Jamaican curry powder plays a major role in this deeply savory weeknight dish, giving the sauce its unique flavor and golden hue. The traditional spice blend is heavy on the turmeric, and benefits from being toasted, which brings out its notes. This recipe calls for frozen whiting, which doesn’t hold up to frying but shines here, simmered in a sauce studded with red and green bell peppers. If whiting is unavailable, cod is also a good choice.

Broiled Quail With Raisin and Apple Stuffing

Peanut Fish Stew
Luscious and delicate from coconut milk, with distinguishable nuttiness from ground peanuts and peanut butter, this fish stew would be a welcome addition to the comfort food repertoire for every home cook who isn’t allergic to the namesake ingredient. This recipe from Ricky Moore, the chef at Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, N.C., comes together quickly with an approachable ingredient list. It also has deep, penetrating notes from ginger and garlic that give this stew subtle yet superlative depth. The diced tomatoes are an essential ingredient: Their acid cuts the creaminess of the dish and their color imparts a warm reddish hue. This stew is best served with rice and topped with spiced pickled celery.

Goose Pho
Wade Truong is the head chef at Kybecca in Fredericksburg, Va. He is also a skilled hunter who does his best to eat only wild game at home. As a result, his freezer always has a stash of goose and duck carcasses, which he turns into pho. Mr. Truong's recipe is based on techniques he learned at his parents’ restaurant, Saigon Café in Harrisonburg, Va., and can be adapted to work with a mix of meats. Although geese give the pho a cleaner, beefier flavor, he sometimes uses duck, which imparts an earthier taste. Cooks who don’t have access to goose or duck carcasses can use a combination of chicken carcasses and beef bones. Mr. Truong adds goose or duck feet, which are rich in collagen, to give the soup the distinct, silky mouth feel of a good consommé. The feet are optional, but he suggests at least adding chicken feet; your butcher or poultry purveyors at the farmers' market can usually sell you some.

Rib Steak With Marrow and Red-Wine Sauce

Polenta With Sausage and Tomato Pepper Sauce

Skillet Vegetable Potpie
Loaded with the season’s finest offerings, this pie comes together in one skillet and manages to be hearty yet light. Leek provides a sweet and aromatic base, potatoes add body, fennel delivers an earthy note and asparagus imparts crisp freshness. (You could also use broccoli or green beans.) Sour cream in the base offers a slight tang and keeps the sauce light. Be sure to chop all of your vegetables around the same size to ensure they cook evenly and are tender by the time the pastry is golden. If you like, add other seasonal vegetables like peas or fava beans in the spring, or cauliflower or brussels sprouts in the fall and winter. (Frozen vegetables work well, too.) When using store-bought puff pastry, thaw it in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have an ovenproof 9- or 10-inch skillet, simply transfer the mixture to a similar-sized round or square baking dish.

Broccoli-Dill Pasta
Bryant Terry, an Oakland, Calif., chef with two young daughters, developed this recipe to make eating broccoli a treat. It worked: Blanched and puréed with lemon, garlic and a little of what he calls “umami powder,” the broccoli transforms into a deeply flavorful vegan spread that’s also highly adaptable. Thin it with pasta water and toss it with hot noodles, as seen here, or scrape it into a bowl as a dip for crudités. Spread it onto a thick piece of toast and cover it with sliced radishes, dill and crunchy salt. Use some to drown a softly poached egg, drizzle with olive oil, and eat with a spoon, or to dress warm white beans, then shower them with black pepper and grated cheese. Whatever you do, don’t skip rinsing the broccoli with cold water after you blanch it; the step keeps the spread a vibrant green.

Vegan Mushroom Étouffée
This clever vegan re-creation of a Southern Louisiana étouffée comes from Jenné Claiborne, who included it in her 2018 cookbook "Sweet Potato Soul." Succulent oyster mushrooms stand in for the shrimp or crawfish used in a traditional étouffée. The seaweed called dulse brings a smoky, savory note and a mix of Creole and Old Bay seasoning provides the familiar flavors. Ms. Claiborne suggests spooning this over brown rice instead of the traditional white.

Meen Gassi (Fish Curry)
Sour with tamarind, full-bodied with coconut and smoldering with dry red chiles, this dish has roots in the coastal city of Mangalore. In India, a cook might reach for Byadagi chiles from Karnataka to stain the sauce a bright red color. In the United States, chiles de árbol are easier to find. A stone mortar and pestle is the best tool for grinding the curry paste; the finer you can get the coconut and chile, the smoother and richer the texture of the final sauce. From there, the recipe is very adaptable — replace the fillets with any fish you like, including nice oily ones like mackerel or sardines.

Chicken Strips With Rice, Oranges And Dried Cherries

B.J. Dennis’s Okra Stir-Fry With Rice
Limpin’ Susan is often called the wife of Hoppin’ John, the pilau of peas and rice that Gullah cooks have made for generations in the South Carolina Sea Islands and Lowcountry, and that is also common in the Caribbean. Like Hoppin' John, the dish takes many forms depending on whose kitchen you grew up in. Some recipes start with fried bacon and end with washed long-grain rice, onions and okra steaming over simmering water for 45 minutes. Others call for simmering everything in chicken stock, or mixing chicken broth and cornstarch, then mixing the broth into cooked rice. B.J. Dennis, a Charleston chef, likes his Limpin’ Susan more like a dry stir-fry, akin to what one might eat in Trinidad. The rice is cooked ahead of time, so liquid is fully absorbed and the grains remain distinct. This recipe is vegetarian, although Mr. Dennis likes to toss in a handful of chopped shrimp when the onions are softening.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Walnut Pumpkin Butter
These homemade ravioli are simple to make but add a wow factor to the holiday table. And they can be made ahead and frozen, and cooked up in minutes on the day. Two (15-ounce) cans of pure pumpkin purée may be substituted for the fresh pumpkin if desired.

Caramelized Shallot Pasta
This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste. Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot. This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.