Dinner
8856 recipes found
Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice With Saffron)
Sabzi polo is an essential part of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, symbolizing renewal and prosperity with its vibrant mix of fresh herbs. This fragrant, fluffy rice dish is traditionally served with fish, honoring an age-old custom that ties the holiday to themes of abundance and good fortune. The combination of dill, cilantro and parsley infuses the rice with a bright, earthy aroma, while saffron lends a deep golden hue. One of the most treasured parts of sabzi polo is the tahdig, a golden, crispy layer at the bottom of the pot. In this version, tender lettuce leaves create a unique variation of tahdig. To ensure the tahdig releases beautifully, use a nonstick pot. Serve this alongside mast-o-khiar, a cucumber-yogurt sauce, which can be spooned over the rice or used as a dip for the crispy tahdig.
Cabbage Steaks
Tender and crisp cabbage “steaks” are indeed vegetarian, similar to cauliflower steaks, but achieve remarkable complexity from the way they are sliced into thick planks and roasted, which chars the outer edges and makes the inner leaves rippled and buttery for a balance of textures. The key is using plenty of olive oil: Some gets blended with spices and brushed all over the steaks, and even more is drizzled on top just before roasting. Serve these cabbage steaks as a simple side with a sprinkle of dill, alongside a pile of pierogi, a spatchcocked chicken or roasted salmon, or serve them as a main, with a spoonful of romesco and some fresh bread.
Lemony Roasted Mushroom Pasta
A mélange of mushrooms, roasted with aromatic garlic, sweet red onions and warming woody herbs, brings elegance to this easy weeknight pasta. Roasting mushrooms is a wonderful hands-off cooking technique, giving them the time to soften and become golden around the edges while staying moist and plump. Lemon wedges are roasted, too, which unlocks their sweetness and coaxes out a deeper citrus flavor. A dash of soy sauce is just enough to intensify the umami of the dish. While using a single variety of mushrooms is just fine, incorporating different types will deliver more texture and flavor. To make this vegan, simply use nondairy butter and opt for nutritional yeast rather than cheese.
Baked Sweet Potato With Blue Cheese and Bacon
Give sweet potatoes the steakhouse wedge salad treatment in this comforting dinner for one. Sweet potato halves roast until silky and caramelized alongside strips of bacon, whose crisp texture and smoky flavor accentuate a creamy blue cheese butter. Chopped walnuts provide additional crunch, while lemon and chives brighten it all up. This recipe can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd, or even popped into a toaster oven for a party of one.
Spiced Chicken Breasts in Pastry
These chicken breasts baked in pastry may sound impossibly fussy, but they’re quite simple to prepare. The only tedious part is making sure the chicken breasts are the same size and thickness. Small boneless chicken breasts work well, and will need only a little trimming, but if all you can find are large ones, you’ll need to cut them into four 6-ounce pieces, an easy butchering project. (Save leftover scraps for a stir-fry or freeze them to add to a future chicken stock.)
Cucumber-Cabbage Salad With Sesame
Taking cues from Vietnamese flavors, this colorful salad can be served on its own or be a fine accompaniment to roast chicken, grilled meat or fish. The dressing, a zippy mixture of garlic, ginger, sesame oil, fish sauce, lime juice and jalapeño, makes sure the vegetables shine. Ordinary cabbage will work fine, but if you can find napa cabbage, so much the better.
Chicken Jalfrezi
Originally created as a way to add flavor to roasted meats, chicken jalfrezi is a tangy, spicy stir-fried curry with origins in Bengal. “Jalfrezi” translates to "hot fry," and the dish typically features meat coated in a thick tomato-based gravy — a defining characteristic of the Anglo-Indian version that became popular through British curry houses in the mid-20th century. This recipe uses both Kashmiri chile powder and fresh serrano chiles to deliver its signature spicy kick.
Stir-Fried Cabbage and Pork in Fish Sauce Butter
This quick, weeknight cabbage and pork stir-fry is humble in ingredients yet packed with flavor, thanks to briny fish sauce, rich brown butter and potent aromatics (ginger, garlic and red-pepper flakes). Chopped cabbage gets a nice char in butter that browns as it cooks, adding richness to the lean vegetable. Fast-cooking ground pork is infused with garlic, ginger and scallions, and the final addition of salty fish sauce, bright lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro creates a punchy sauce. If you like a jolt of heat, use a thinly sliced bird’s-eye chile in place of the crushed red pepper.
Spiced Pea Stew With Yogurt
Inspired by a warmly spiced Persian stew traditionally made with peas and tomatoes, this version allows the sweetness of the peas and the warmth of onions, ginger, cumin and turmeric to lead. It tops the pea stew with a fresh pea topping made from a portion of the just-cooked peas, plus crushed sesame seeds and chopped cilantro, all of which add vibrant color and texture when sprinkled over the stew just before serving. A drizzle of yogurt on top brings a cooling contrast. Serve the stew alongside steamed rice, pita or other fresh warmed flatbreads.
Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes and Cabbage)
Colcannon is a comforting Irish dish of fluffy mashed potatoes mixed with tender cabbage or kale, often with scallions and usually with plenty of butter. While it has become a tradition to enjoy colcannon on Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival from which Halloween is drawn, it's also a fine dish to celebrate any Irish holiday, including St. Patrick's Day. For Samhain, treasures would be buried in the dish; depending on what you found in your portion, your fortune for the coming months would be revealed. In some cases, a ring suggested marriage, while a coin promised future wealth. Use russet potatoes for a fluffier mash or Yukons for a creamier texture. Omit the cabbage and kale entirely and you've got a different Irish classic: champ! Fry tablespoons of leftover colcannon the next day for wonderful potato pancakes to serve under a runny egg.
Pav Bhaji
A popular street food originally from Mumbai, pav bhaji is a flavorful and colorful mashed vegetable curry served with toasted and buttered dinner rolls or buns. Pav means “dinner roll” and bhaji “vegetable dish.” Typically, a mix of boiled potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and green peas are mashed and cooked with sautéed aromatics like onion, green bell pepper and tomatoes. The flavors are jolted awake with green chile, Kashmiri chile powder and the warming spices in the pav bhaji masala. You can purchase pav bhaji masala at Indian markets, or prepare your own blend. Look for pav at Indian markets, or use any dinner roll or slider bun. Salted butter should be used generously for a luscious, rich and comforting pav bhaji. To serve, squeeze lemon or lime over the bhaji to brighten everything up, sprinkle with fresh onion and use the pav to scoop up a glorious bite.
Sausage and Barley Soup With Greens
This simple, satisfying soup relies on sausage as its flavorful base. Start by cooking raw sausage, rather than precooked links, since it generally has better texture and flavor for soup. Pearled barley adds heartiness and a wonderful chewy texture. Stir in a handful of greens at the end, plus a little vinegar for brightness, and you have a cozy meal in less than an hour of mostly hands-off time. To make this soup gluten-free, you can substitute French green lentils for the barley. If you are making it ahead of time, wait to add the greens until you’re ready to serve to preserve their bright, fresh flavor.
Bourbon Beef and Farro Stew
Reminiscent of a soothing beef and barley soup, this bourbon-scented short rib and farro stew brings much-needed comfort during the cold season. As with many beef stews, you’ll start by searing the short ribs. Beef short ribs are not the cheapest cut, but they are prized for their marbled fat, which builds complexity, and they simmer up deliciously fork-tender. Making the most of the flavor-packed fat rendered from the short ribs, the onions get lightly caramelized in it, then showered in splashes of smoky, sweet bourbon. Next, everything goes in the pot: The short ribs are gently simmered in beef stock alongside paprika and cumin-spiced onions, carrots and farro. A splash of balsamic finishes the stew, balancing out the rich, meaty flavors.
Broccoli Rabe Pesto Pasta
Blitzing pungent broccoli rabe into a creamy, nutty pesto (along with walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice) helps mellow any bitterness in this verdant weeknight pasta. Start by quickly boiling the broccoli rabe and garlic, which takes the edge off. Fans of broccoli rabe will enjoy extra bites of the greens throughout this pasta dish, and those looking to round the flavors out further would do well to add cooked Italian sausage, cannellini beans or a dollop of ricotta cheese. The broccoli rabe pesto can also be used as a topping for crostini or pizza, and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Rumbledethumps (Potato Mash With Cabbage and Cheddar)
A traditional Scottish potato-cabbage mash, rumbledethumps is named for the sound a spoon makes as it rattles along the sides of the pot as you mash all of the ingredients together. This version is adapted from Ali Stoner (or “Roving Haggis” as she is known on Instagram and YouTube), who updates traditional Scottish recipes for the modern palate. She takes a few liberties, replacing cabbage with brussels sprouts and boosting flavor and texture with caramelized onions, fresh chives, punchy mustard and a crunchy panko topping. This humble mash invites variation, whether you prefer it chunky, creamy or topped with extra cheese and cream. It is complex enough to stand alone, with a sharp green salad, but it also pairs well with beef tenderloin, a simple roast chicken or a good pot of beans.
Fried Cabbage
Southern fried cabbage smartly marries lean cabbage with pork in the form of rich, meaty bacon. First, you chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy. Next, the cabbage cooks right in the bacon fat with onion and garlic, quickly soaking up tons of smoky flavor. Covering the cabbage as it cooks helps it soften quickly and evenly, achieving a uniquely silky texture. A touch of stone-ground mustard gives a tangy lift. This easy side pairs well with roasted chicken, fried chicken, pork chops and grilled sausages.
Curry Shrimp and Sweet Potato
Inspired by the charms of Caribbean curry shrimp, this recipe provides a quick and adaptable path to dinner. Once the base recipe has been memorized, any number of substitutions can be made for the shrimp and supporting vegetables. The formula is simple: While shrimp marinate in curry powder, a medley of onions, bell peppers, garlic and chiles sweat their way to succulence. Sliced onions are added in two steps — once at the beginning and again at the end, with the shrimp — to offer both a mellow sweetness and a more pungent bite. This curry can be served on its own, but prefers to be spooned over freshly steamed rice.
Cod With Brown Butter and Pine Nuts
This easy baked cod takes your weeknight cooking to wonderful heights, in just 15 minutes. While the fish bakes, you’ll make a browned-butter topping that offers richness and crunch from the pine nuts, as well as a welcome acidity thanks to the sumac and lemon juice. Serve this with some lightly steamed greens or boiled new potatoes for a complete meal.
Potato Wedges
These oven fries are a deeply satisfying and nostalgic side dish that comes together with ease any night of the week. Seasoning the wedges with spices, grated Parmesan and garlic, and roasting them with more freshly grated cheese on top, ensures plenty of flavor in every bite. Soaking the cut potatoes in cold water before baking releases extra starch which leads to crispier outsides and creamier insides. Equally essential to that textural contrast is drying the potatoes fully before seasoning and baking them. Enjoy as-is, or serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Little Gem Salad With Crispy Halloumi
Meet halloumi crumbs, a best-of-all-worlds garnish for salads, pastas and more. They’re crisp like toasted breadcrumbs, salty like Parmesan and still maintain some of halloumi’s signature chew. To make the crumbs, grate the sturdy cheese on the large holes of a box grater, then sizzle the strands in an oiled skillet. Here, pistachios and whole spices, like fennel or coriander seeds, are also added for a boost of flavor and even more textures. Even the simplest salad of crunchy, lemon-dressed lettuces can wow when these crumbs are showered on top. To make it a meal, serve it with roasted root vegetables, lentil soup or a grilled or roasted protein.
Cauliflower Satay
In this party-friendly appetizer, roasted cauliflower is paired with a shortcut version of the rich, creamy coconut and peanut butter satay sauce often served with chicken. To coax out deep, nutty flavor from the cauliflower, first roast it simply slicked with oil to help it caramelize, then coat it in a blended mixture of coconut milk, shallots, lemongrass and spices to bump up moisture and flavor and roast until tender. While your cauliflower roasts, you’ll prepare a supersimple peanut sauce by simmering coconut milk with red curry paste and peanut butter. (The salt and heat levels in store-bought curry pastes vary widely, so season your satay sauce accordingly.) Intended as an appetizer, this recipe is hearty enough to work as a main course when served with rice, but also pairs well with crispy or grilled tofu, grilled chicken or steamed vegetables, and can dazzle as the centerpiece for a main-course salad.
Skillet Cornbread
This cornbread recipe from photographer, documentarian and writer Pableaux Johnson is a simple and rustic standard. Baked in a hot skillet to encourage crispy edges and a substantially toasty bottom, cornbread is traditional to many regions in the South. This recipe was passed down by Mr. Johnson’s grandfather, Achille Leon Hebert from Baton Rouge, La., and it was served every Monday at Mr. Johnson’s legendary red beans and rice community table at his home in New Orleans. It traveled with him across the country on his Red Beans Roadshow, where he collaborated with local chefs and served dozens of communities over the span of almost a decade.
Turkey Meatloaf With Parmesan and Red Wine
Adapted from Renee Erickson, the Seattle chef and restaurateur, this meatloaf has more verve than most. The ground meat (in this case turkey, but you can substitute beef or pork) is seasoned with grated orange zest, garlic and Parmesan for maximum oomph. But the real secret lies in the tomato sauce that stripes the center and top of the loaf, which is spiked with red wine. The tangy sauce adds color and complexity to the loaf and helps keep it extra juicy as it bakes. Serve this with mashed potatoes and peas for a classic, comforting meal, then tuck leftover slices into buttered toast the next day for the best meatloaf sandwiches imaginable.
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.