Main Course
8665 recipes found
Tamales
Tamales are a traditional Central and South American dish of masa, a corn dough, that is filled with meat, vegetables, cheese and seasonings, then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and steamed. They have been around for thousands of years — the Aztec and the Maya people ate them — so there are innumerable delicious variations, but this Mexican version, which is known as rojos de puerco, is filled with braised pork and red chile sauce. Often served at special events like weddings, baptisms, first communions and the like, tamales are particularly important to Mexicans and Mexican-Americans at Christmas time during which tamaladas, or tamale-making parties, are hosted to divide the work, share the food and enjoy each other’s company. For convenience, this recipe calls for masa harina, a dried form of masa that can be found in most supermarkets and is reconstituted with water and fat, but if you can find fresh masa, use it for outrageously good, authentic results.
Cornell Chicken
Herbaceous, tangy, juicy and crisp-skinned, this chicken is a common grill staple at fairs, fundraisers and cookouts in central New York. The recipe was developed in the 1950s by Dr. Robert C. Baker, a professor of food and poultry science at Cornell University, as a way to get people to eat more chicken. (It’s hard to believe it now, but at the time, chickens were more valued for their eggs, not their meat.) To provide more flexibility and control, a few changes have been made to the original recipe, but the essentials remain: Marinate bone-in chicken in oil, vinegar, egg and poultry seasoning, then grill and baste with the same mixture. The egg gives the chicken a creamy coating that also keeps it from burning (much like mayonnaise).
Cabbage Soup
Cabbage soup has been a staple in Eastern European cuisines as far back as the Middle Ages, when cabbage was one of the most readily available fresh vegetables. Even today, there is something undeniably comforting and restorative about this brothy yet hearty soup. While some variations call for chicken broth, this one is entirely vegan (though chicken broth certainly works if that’s what you have on hand). Cook the recipe as written, or make it your own by adding other vegetables from your fridge, or a can of rinsed white beans to make it more filling.
Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs
A modern take on a retro classic, these bread crumb-coated chicken thighs, helped out by a generous dose of melted butter, get especially crisp as they roast. To keep the crumbs from falling off, the chicken thighs are first coated with a piquant mix of mustard and Worcestershire sauce spiked with garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes. This both seasons the meat and keeps it juicy. Using panko gives the golden chicken skin a light and feathery crunch, but regular bread crumbs would also work. If you’d rather use white meat, whole bone-in, skin-on breasts are the best bet here; boneless breasts tend to dry out in the time needed for the crumb coating to crisp and brown.
Tortellini Soup
Store-bought cheese tortellini make this easy vegetarian soup a breeze to put together at home. The stuffed pasta cooks in minutes and floats in a creamy, tomato-y broth that’s loaded with vegetables. A splash of vinegar enhances the tomato flavor and provides a bit more acidity, and chopped herbs, added at the end, offer some freshness. This soup works well with substitutions like swapping kale or other hearty greens for the spinach, for instance, so feel free to use whatever produce you have on hand. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the grated Parmesan at the table.
Roasted Halibut With Cumin, Lemon and Bay
For a main course, this easy fish dish features flavors enjoyed in many Middle Eastern dishes and meant to be together — cumin, lemon and bay, so fragrant and satisfying. Use any firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as halibut, snapper or rockfish. (Using small whole fish like branzino is another possibility.) The fish can be roasted, uncovered, in a hot oven, beneath the broiler or in a covered grill. The lemon and bay get slightly charred, and their perfume immediately infuses the fish in a beautiful way.
Spicy Carrot-Ginger Soup
Let’s proceed on the theory that everyone likes soup, and some soups are better than others. You might think of squash for an autumn soup, but this bright soup of carrots, stewed with ginger and jalapeño and finished with a good squeeze of lime and a handful of chopped cilantro, is an example of how not to make the all-too familiar stodgy too-thick purée. Still, feel free to try it with kabocha or butternut squash. If the soup is not to be served immediately, cool after puréeing, and reheat just before serving — it will taste fresher.
Sesame Chicken
The history of sesame chicken, a delightful dish of battered and fried boneless chicken pieces in sweet and sour sauce, is a bit unclear. While it’s similar to General Tso’s, and la zi ji (or firecracker chicken), a spicy Sichuan dish of chicken, sesame, chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, sesame chicken skews sweeter, thanks to a heap of brown sugar and no chiles. As the name implies, the dish’s defining characteristic is the prominence of sesame flavor, owing to the toasted sesame oil in the marinade and the seeds sprinkled on top. Serve it piled on top of white rice and steamed broccoli.
Baked Salmon
This simple oven-baked salmon comes together in just 20 minutes and leans on everyday seasonings like garlic, brown sugar, paprika and pepper for an easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to swap in your favorite spices or blends, or serve with some fresh, chopped herbs if you have them on hand. Center-cut salmon fillets will take a few minutes longer to cook because of their thickness, so monitor doneness with a fork (the fish will flake easily when cooked). Serve with simple weeknight sides like couscous and sautéed kale, or use as a protein to top salads or grain bowls.
Mushroom Galbi
This vegan twist on traditional galbi swaps meaty mixed mushrooms in place of the meat. The garlicky soy-and-sesame-oil sauce deepens the flavor of earthy mushrooms, which get roasted alongside scallions and green bell pepper until tender and golden. A final broil imparts a nice char and smoky flavor that mimics the grill. Leftovers turn into a fantastic fried rice the next day, topped with a fried egg.
Miyar Taushe (Lamb and Squash Stew)
Stew is a luxury because it demands what we seem to have the least of these days: time. When making miyar taushe (also known as miyan taushe), this earthy-sweet stew from northern Nigeria, you stand vigil while lamb simmers on the stove, slowly coming undone, and butternut squash softens in the oven, its skin ready to cave in. The squash is rendered velvety in a blender, with a dusting of calabash nutmeg — woodsier and mustier than regular nutmeg — then united with the lush lamb stock. Yemisi Aribisala, a Nigerian writer and the author of “Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds” (Cassava Republic Press, 2016), notes that the pot should be big enough so the stew reaches only halfway up, because it splatters. At the end, you deliver to your guests bowls of tamed sun, hot, creamy, melty, thick and earthy-sweet.
French Toast Casserole
A good breakfast casserole is not only a crowd pleaser, it’s also a practical addition to any breakfast or brunch spread for many reasons: It comes together with a simple ingredient list, it can be assembled, then refrigerated overnight until the next morning, and it is much easier to cook for a crowd than traditional French toast. Day-old French bread works best here, but you can substitute any fluffy white bread or enriched bread like challah or brioche; just remove the crusts if they’re on the thicker side. The butter and brown sugar topping creates a crunchy, caramel-like crust as the casserole bakes, and the inside remains moist and tender. This casserole is plenty sweet on its own, but feel free to dress it up with powdered sugar, maple syrup and fresh berries.
Crispy Green Bean and Potato Sabzi
Indian cooking is filled with one-pan sabzis that come together fast and deliver big, complex flavor. This variation on a potato and green bean sabzi has a twist: almond butter, which gives the vegetables a nutty, almost tempura-like coating, made fragrant with warm spices, ginger and garlic. The green bean and potato combination makes for a nice contrast of textures, but you can easily make swaps: potatoes for sweet potatoes, green beans for broccoli. Chaat masala — a salty, tart and delightfully funky spice blend — is widely available in South Asian grocery stores or online and is well worth having in your pantry to give sabzis like this one some extra sparkle.
Iwuk Edesi (One-Pot Rice With Chicken)
Preparing this rice and chicken one-pot meal from “My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora” by Yewande Komolafe (Ten Speed Press, 2023) is an experience: the rich fragrances of these ingredients will slowly fill your kitchen as the rice softens. Iwuk edesi is a dish rooted in Efik and Ibibio cuisine, a gift from the southeastern region of the country. It is often found on buka menus and is sometimes called “native rice.” If you use another type of meat, the cooking times may differ, but the method essentially stays the same. This is a solid standalone meal, best enjoyed straight off the stove, but is equally satisfying the next day as leftovers.
Jammy Tomato Breakfast Eggs
Over the nearly two decades that Yewande Komolafe was unable to visit Nigeria, where she grew up, she was fortunate enough to have her parents visit at least once a year, she writes in her cookbook,“My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora” (Ten Speed Press, 2023). She and her brother Seeni would host them and attempt to rekindle some sense of Lagosian tranquility through cooking together. Their mother would typically make breakfast: a skillet full of tomatoey Naija eggs served with thick slices of yam or whatever sweet American white bread they could find that most closely resembled agége bread. The scent of her dried herb seasoning blend, mixed and packed right before her trip, would hang in the air as she cooked. In those moments, she knew that even if she couldn’t visit home, a weekend tradition of home had come to her.
Souvlaki
Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish of marinated meat grilled on skewers, often served with tzatziki, pita and grilled vegetables or a crisp green salad. It’s made with a variety of meats, including beef, lamb, pork and chicken, used here. This yogurt-based marinade makes for incredibly tender grilled chicken, whether it sits for 2 hours or overnight. Pork tenderloin is a great swap for the chicken because it’s flavorful, lean and cooks quickly. Use two (1-pound) tenderloins and grill until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Crispy Rice With Salmon And Avocado
This recipe for golden-crisp blocks of sushi rice topped with cool and creamy salmon and avocado is a riff on a spicy tuna and crispy rice dish created by Katsuya Uechi, a Los Angeles chef who was inspired by yaki onigiri. While the dish does require a number of steps and is best eaten right when it’s made, you can break up the work by cooking the rice and seasoning the salmon with lemon zest and jalapeño up to 24 hours ahead. (In fact, the results will be better if you do.) Right before serving, slice and fry the blocks and top with the salmon and avocado. These gorgeous two-bite treats make an excellent party hors d'oeuvres or full dinner with a cucumber salad.
Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders
There are many different ways to cook chicken tenders, but for feeding a smaller group, the air fryer is a convenient method for super-crispy and juicy results. A simple combination of panko bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper make up the coating, but that can just be the beginning: Try adding nutritional yeast for a boost of umami, shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper for heat, or a sprinkle of oregano for a more classic flavor profile. Turn this recipe into a full meal by adding half of the recipe for air-fryer broccoli or air-fryer green beans to the basket when flipping the chicken tenders.
Braised Green Beans and Potatoes
In this simple but powerful recipe, fresh green beans are the alpha and the omega, the bean and the broth. You know a recipe is going to be good when it calls for both onion powder and garlic powder in addition to fresh onion and fresh garlic. The muskier dried versions of these alliums aren’t redundant; they lend fortification to the savory structure that only onion and garlic can build. The potatoes, simmered until soft and fuzzy at the edges, make this holiday side dish — served, please, with a slotted spoon, as part of a buffet plate — feel more like a complete meal when enjoyed later, as leftovers. The ham hock (or smoked turkey leg) isn’t just an afterthought, said Scotty Scott, this recipe’s author and the author of “Fix Me a Plate.” Picked off the bone and chunked into a bowl with the green beans and their rich broth, the meat is a reminder of the soft but important boundary between special and ordinary.
Ricotta Pasta Bake
Thanks to a whole lot of ricotta, this baked pasta is so creamy and milky that it’s nearly as fluffy as pudding. The dish has a sweet tang from roasted lemon and tomatoes, plus a crisp bread crumb topping to contrast all that plushness. Because the sauce is mostly cheese, it’s worth seeking out ricotta that doesn’t have gum or stabilizers; you’ll get the best results from ricotta that is made of just milk, salt and perhaps a vinegar or natural culture.
Mortadella Sandwich With Ricotta and Pistachio Pesto
Mortadella may just be the best sandwich meat there is. Run through with translucent spots of pork fat and sometimes slivers of pistachio, it’s tender yet springy when sliced deli-thin. Here, it’s layered with milky sweet ricotta to balance its savoriness, while pistachios add crunch and basil freshness. Homemade focaccia turns this simple sandwich into a life-affirming meal, but reheated bakery-bought squares have a similar effect. If your deli counter sells mortadella, ask for it very thinly sliced.
Crab Cakes
Flavored with Old Bay seasoning, mustard and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, these classic Maryland-style crab cakes are heavy on the crab, with just enough bread crumbs and mayonnaise to hold everything together. Serve with homemade tartar sauce, lemon wedges and a green salad for a special lunch, dinner or appetizer any time of the year. For an hors d’oeuvre-sized portion, form smaller cakes (about 3 tablespoons of batter each) and pan-fry as directed. The batter can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
Vegetable Soup
This simple, one-pot soup is chock full of vegetables and can be customized as you wish. Think of this recipe as a template and feel free to swap in whatever happens to be in your fridge or freezer, adding vegetables according to their cooking times. Diced fennel, zucchini or even broccoli would be particularly nice additions. Try fresh rosemary or your favorite Italian seasoning mix in place of the oregano and thyme, or a pinch of cumin for a subtle, smoky flavor. Hearty greens, such as kale and Swiss chard, can be substituted for the spinach. Add a 15-ounce can of drained, rinsed white beans for a more filling soup. Serve as-is, or finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan, thinly sliced scallions and torn fresh basil to take things up a notch.
Cuban Sandwich
There are many types of Cuban sandwiches, but the star of this one, also known as a Cubano, is tender, fall-apart roast pork. The pork’s marinade, called mojo, is citrusy and garlicky and spiked with earthy cumin and oregano. Sour oranges are traditionally used (see Tip), but a mix of regular oranges and lime juices can be swapped in if the former is difficult to source. A loaf of Cuban bread is ideal for its fluffy interior, but a soft French bread, bolillo bread or hero rolls can stand in its place. Besides the pork, the sandwiches are stacked high with deli ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard (add salami to make it Tampa-style). They’re pressed until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Any leftover pork can be served alongside Cuban beans, maduros and rice.