Dinner
8856 recipes found
Basil-Butter Pasta
This pasta captures the essence of basil, without pesto’s garlic, nuts and salty cheese tussling for attention. It smells like a sun-warmed basil plant, one of summer's greatest moments. To make it, simply blanch basil leaves to lock in their color, then blitz them with butter. As the bright-green basil butter melts onto hot pasta, it carries the sweet pepperiness (and the smell, too!) of the herb into every nook and cranny.
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are an incredibly comforting, quick and easy Mexican dish whose origins and name are believed to go back to the Aztecs. (In Náhuatl, the Aztec language, the name means “submerged in chile sauce.”) It was — and is — a great way to use up stale tortillas because they soften and absorb the flavor and color of the chiles. For chilaquiles rojos, guajillo chiles are used to add that familiar brick red color, as well as an earthiness that balances out the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes. Chiles de árbol add heat, but if you don’t have them, you can use one or two chipotles in adobo for heat and a bit of smokiness. Top with shredded rotisserie chicken or roasted vegetables to make a hearty meal.
Zucchini Tofu Udon
Fuyu, or fermented tofu, is the umami star of this quick noodle dish, delivering a briny, tangy saltiness that is also creamy. Also called furu or doufuru, it is made by fermenting soybean curds in a brine of rice wine, water, salt and spices. It has a strong flavor on its own, but when used to stir-fry noodles (or greens, as it is commonly employed in Chinese cooking), its punchiness mellows into a subtly sweet hum that is redolent of buttery blue cheese. This dish is finished with a generous amount of black pepper, giving it unmistakable cacio e pepe vibes. In a dish where black pepper is front and center like this one, freshly ground is preferred, but measuring it can be cumbersome, so if you are using a grinder, 1 teaspoon amounts to about 50 to 60 turns.
Fruit Salad
A bit of sugar and lime makes a standout fruit salad: The duo accentuates fruit’s flavors and sweetness while creating a syrup to gloss the fruit. Massage lime zest into the sugar so its oils release, then stir mixed fruit with the lime sugar and some lime juice. Taste and tweak until the result is electric. You could also add chopped mint or basil, ground cinnamon or coriander, vanilla bean seeds, chile flakes or grated fresh ginger.
Zucchini Pasta With Crispy Capers and Pistachios
This pasta dish celebrates zucchini, cooking it two ways. Half the zucchini is thinly sliced into rounds, fried then steeped in red wine vinegar for a sweet and sour kick. The remaining zucchini is cut into large chunks and braised until it’s so silky that it seems to melt into the pasta sauce. Cooking the pasta directly in its sauce takes a little more attention than usual, especially toward the end of cooking when the liquid reduces to a sauce, so be sure to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This one-pot cooking approach allows all the starch released from the pasta to be captured in the sauce, creating a rich, glossy coating without the addition of dairy. The fried topping adds bursts of flavor and texture, turning this into a show-stopping dish. This pasta works just as well cold, so can be made in advance.
Chana Masala
Variations of chana masala, which means spiced chickpeas, are found across South Asia. This version, particularly common in Punjab, calls for a simple spiced onion and tomato mixture, which serves as the foundation for the humble chickpea. The nutty and buttery legume benefits from both dried chile powder and fresh chiles, coriander and the spice blend garam masala. Thinly sliced ginger and cilantro, added upon serving, add freshness. Both canned and dried chickpeas work for this dish, and in the case of the former, the resulting bowl of comfort feels nothing short of a miracle in under 30 minutes.
Beef Chow Fun
Chewy, caramelized, slightly charred noodles are the star of beef chow fun, the Cantonese classic. (“Chow” means “stir-fry” and “fun” means “rice noodles.”) Scorching wide, springy rice noodles on a very hot surface achieves something similar to wok hei, the smoky savoriness that is the signature of wok stir-fries. The dish’s history is not certain, but according to “The Wok” by J. Kenji López-Alt (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022), some believe it originated at a food stall in Guangzhou (then Canton), China, during the Japanese occupation in the late 1930s and early 1940s. A Japanese military commander ordered hor fun noodles, but the stall was out of the starch needed to make the gravy. The cook improvised, stir-frying the beef and noodles with a thin, savory soy sauce until it was absorbed. It was so good that it stood the test of time.
Frijoles de Olla (Homestyle Black Beans)
This beloved dish often starts with unsoaked dried beans, which are traditionally cooked in an olla, earthenware pot, or other types of clay pots, such as a cazuela de barro. Any pot works and the seasonings are generally simple — usually onion, garlic, herbs and sometimes lard or pork — but the resulting flavor is rich and complex. A staple throughout Mexico, this dish varies from region to region in the types of beans used and include pinto beans, black beans and Mayocoba beans. Eaten as is as a side or a main dish, frijoles de olla also can be puréed, smashed or refried and used as a sauce or a filling for dishes like tetelas.
Tetelas de Frijol Negro (Black Bean Masa Dumplings)
Tetelas, triangle-shaped dumplings, are wrapped with a thin disk of masa and usually filled with a rich and spicy black bean purée. With roots in Mesoamerica, tetelas are thought to have originated in the pre-Aztec culture of the Mixtec people. They lived in the current Mexican states of Oaxaca and parts of nearby Puebla, where tetelas remain popular today. In this version, avocado leaves perfume the beans with hints of citrus and anise, but if you don’t have them, you can use a combination of parsley and tarragon instead. Tetelas can be served alongside a meal like hearty dinner rolls or as a side dish, topped with shredded lettuce or cabbage, salsa, crema, chopped cilantro and onion and a sprinkle of queso Cotija.
Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
A Bloody Mary is more than a hangover cure or acceptable brunch tipple; it is also an excellent example of precise and intentional ingredient pairings. There’s tart tomato, balanced with crisp celery, pepped up with piquant hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, then rounded out with lemon. These elements are the inspiration for a simple summer tomato salad, sans the vodka, of course. A brief pickle in lemon juice softens the celery and takes the bite out of the onions. This salad is vegan so rather than Worcestershire, which contains anchovies, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar are used to deliver that same umami and tang. (Vegetarians and vegans, remember this combination for other recipes that ask for Worcestershire!). Serve on its own, with bread to mop up the tasty juices, or toss it through pasta and serve as a salad. This salad will keep and will taste just as good (or even better) the next day.
Paprika-Rubbed Pork Chops
A marinade based on salt, sugar, ground coriander and various red-pepper powders infuses these easily pan-cooked chops. Double or triple the marinade for use on any fish, fowl, meat or vegetables (eggplant is especially nice). These chops can also be prepared on the grill. They cook quickly – 2 minutes on each side – over medium-high heat. Take care, though: Loin chops are quite lean and become tough and dry when cooked over high heat.
Street Corn Pudding
At Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin, Texas, you’ll find what you’d expect to find at a traditional Texas barbecue restaurant, including smoked brisket, sausage and potato salad. You’ll also find dishes inspired by co-owner Ernest Servantes’ childhood in Uvalde, west of San Antonio, like menudo, barbacoa tacos and this elotes-flavored corn pudding, one of the restaurant’s most popular side dishes. “It’s like Mexican street corn and cornbread had a baby,” Mr. Servantes said. Don’t worry if the finished pudding has a few cracks in the top — it will still be moist and light within.
Turkey Sandwich With Savory Blueberry Jam
Inspired by summer lunches in Maine, this beautiful turkey sandwich comes from the chef Matthew Cahn of Middle Child sandwich shop in Philadelphia. A spiced, savory blueberry jam anchors turkey and cheese on a toasted ciabatta roll. When it comes to this dreamy sandwich, the devil is in the details: Dressing peppery arugula with vinegar, oil and raw grated onion lends yet another layer of flavor that balances the comforting richness of the other ingredients. Store-bought garam masala works in a pinch, but for the full effect, try making your own from whole spices (see Tip).
Pepperoncini Tuna Salad
This verdant tuna salad looks and tastes classic (but with the saturation levels all the way up). Acid and crunch come in the form of delightfully sour, salty pickled pepperoncini and their neon-green brine. Sweet relish anchors the salad with balance, as does deeply aromatic and nutty toasted sesame oil. Any canned or jarred tuna works; just be sure to drain it very well. This recipe calls for celery to be folded in at the end for crunch, but any vegetable would work: thinly sliced cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, watercress, green peas, asparagus, even raw onion. Eat this on a bed of peppery arugula or stuffed into a split, just-warmed croissant or brioche bun.
Melon and Cho Cho Salad
This melon salad, from Denai Moore’s “Plentiful: Vegan Jamaican Recipes to Repeat” (Hardie Grant, 2023) is a delight on a summer day, and a quick, surprising start to the rest of your meal. Consisting largely of sliced cantaloupe and chayote (also known as cho cho), the dish requires minimal effort: chopping, tossing and serving. The amount of acidity and herbs can be adjusted and calibrated to your preference, or the crowd that you’re cooking for. As Ms. Moore writes, “This is a salad to be eaten seasonally, as it uses so few ingredients, so it’s important that each one has the best opportunity to shine.” Nodding toward a vibrancy of flavor, confluence of textures and an eye to pleasure, it’s a salad to look forward to.
Roscioli Roman Cacio e Pepe
The Roscioli family has built its own culinary empire in Rome since the 1960s, including bread bakeries, a pastry shop, a wine bar and a salumeria that moonlights as a restaurant. It’s a straight-from-the-airport destination for many American chefs, who go to taste the best food and wine from all over Italy, plus perfected Roman classics like cacio e pepe. The Roscioli method involves making a “crema” of cheese, pepper and water in advance. (It can also be refrigerated for later use.) The cheese needs to be grated until fine and feathery, so that it will melt quickly, and the hot pasta water must be added slowly. Unlike many recipes, the pasta here should be fully cooked, not al dente; it won’t cook any further once it’s added to the cheese.
Smashed Cucumber and Chicken Salad
A few simple elements — shredded rotisserie chicken, smashed, salted and drained cucumbers, and a sweet and spicy dressing — come together quickly in this Sichuan-inspired salad. The end result: a fresh, crunchy, flavorful main, served cold with no cooking time, perfect for hot summer days when turning on a stove feels like a Sisyphean task. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and tastes even better once the cucumbers have had a chance to marinate and soak up the briny dressing overnight. For a whole other salad, add chickpeas to whatever’s left, or sandwich leftovers between a couple of slices of bread to make a far-from-ordinary lunch.
Sardine Pasta Puttanesca
Pasta puttanesca packs a punch, loaded with flavorful pantry staples like capers, olives, garlic, anchovies and red-pepper flakes. This version adds sardines and swaps the canned tomatoes for plump cherry tomatoes, which both bring meaty bites to this simple dish. It’s best in the summer, when the tomatoes are especially ripe and juicy. Keep the pasta quite undercooked, so it can become tender while simmering in the burst tomato sauce. The sauce will look thin at first, but just keep vigorously stirring and it will get glossy and emulsified.
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Pappardelle With Tuscan Pork Ragù
This shredded pork sauce is rich and herbaceous, and pairs perfectly with thick, fresh pappardelle noodles.
Roasted Chicken Thighs With Blueberries
This easy roasted chicken dinner packs a bright, puckery blueberry punch. The whole-grain mustard gives the sauce spice and a satisfying pop that plays off the jammy blueberries. Patting the thighs dry and starting them in a cold pan allows the skin plenty of time to render brown and crisp. The most important thing is to ensure the skins are getting full contact with the skillet’s surface. (If your thighs are large and crowd a medium pan, use a large skillet instead, so they brown rather than steam.) Save any leftover sauce as a mustardy sandwich condiment.
Filet Mignon
For filet mignon that is supremely tender and stress-free, slow and steady wins the race. Skip the smoking-hot pan and the oven finish. Instead, flip often in a medium-hot skillet and baste with butter. The moderate temperature develops a browned crust without toughening the meat and makes hitting the ideal temperature for a rosy-pink center much easier. It's like a culinary version of the tortoise and the hare. The butter, studded with black pepper, adds a spicy richness to the lean and mild meat, though feel free to add smashed and peeled garlic and rosemary or thyme sprigs to the pan as well. Serve alongside a wedge salad, sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes.
Taco Salad
This Mexican American classic has roots at Disneyland. Charles Elmer Doolin, a cofounder of the Frito Company, created an edible cup out of Fritos and served it at his Disneyland restaurant, Casa de Fritos, in 1955. It was the size of a teacup, filled with ground beef, beans and sour cream, and called the Ta-Cup (a portmanteau of taco and cup). The creation was a hit, with recipes for taco salad made with various corn chips proliferating in the ’60s, becoming a staple in school cafeterias, and eventually growing into the jumbo version added to the Taco Bell menu in 1984. (The menu item was retired in 2020.) You can use any corn chip for this recipe, and there’s no need for it to be in cup form, but opt for Fritos, if you want that authentic taste.
Grilled Tofu Tacos
Inspired by zesty Baja tacos, which typically feature fried fish, these quick vegetarian tacos are filled with tofu that has been marinated in a spicy adobo sauce, then grilled for smoky flavor. All of the typical toppings work perfectly here: Shredded cabbage adds crunchy texture and a creamy, cilantro-spiked crema tames the heat. If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, the tofu can be cooked indoors on a lightly greased cast-iron skillet for charred flavor that’s enhanced by the adobo sauce.
Pepper Steak
The Chinese American stir-fry dish, pepper steak, celebrates the oft-maligned green bell pepper in all its savory, vegetal glory. In this version, thin slices of flank or skirt steak, marinated in a flavorful mix of soy sauce, honey and black pepper cook up beautifully tender yet burnished and caramelized at the edges. Be sure to chop all of your vegetables before you start cooking, since time at the stove is hot and fast with this easy recipe.