Main Course
8665 recipes found
White Beans and Asparagus With Charred Lemon
These velvety, vegan beans get a lift from lemon, but they also hold a smoky secret. Aromatics are often sweated in fat to bring out their sweetness, but crank the heat and char them instead for, as Tejal Rao wrote, “serious, almost meatlike depth of flavor.” This is a common technique in pho, black-eyed peas and other long simmers, but it also develops flavor in quicker dishes. After searing lemon wedges, their blackened bits scatter throughout beans, asparagus and coconut milk, creating a creamy bowl that’s subtly smoky and comforting. When asparagus isn’t in season, replace it with a dark, leafy green like kale or chard. Serve solo, or with rice.
Salmon Teriyaki
Salmon teriyaki is a classic for many reasons, most notably because it is crisp and tender, sweet and savory all at once. This quick, single-skillet rendition cooks the salmon most of the way on its skin so that the flesh is tender and the skin is shattery-crisp. In the last few minutes, the fish is glossed in teriyaki sauce. (The “teri” in teriyaki means “gloss” or “luster.”) You could add a smidgen of chopped Thai chiles or grated garlic or ginger to the sauce if you like, or just embrace the allure of its sweet saltiness.
Sheet-Pan Roast Chicken With Tangy Greens
Chicken quarters are the unsung hero of weeknight dinners. In under an hour, they roast evenly, yielding consistently crisp skin with juicy insides. Curry powder and red-pepper flakes meld with the cooking juices, creating an effortless sauce directly in the pan, perfect for serving over the meat and tossing with greens for a fast, flavor-drenched side. The pickle brine from a jar of bread-and-butter pickles (or a splash of standard apple cider vinegar) lends a tangy finish to the greens. For this recipe, choose slightly larger and fattier chicken leg quarters to ensure enough pan drippings — and luscious schmaltz in every bite.
Sheet-Pan Garlicky Shrimp and White Beans
Everything — the shrimp, the beans and the garlic bread — cook together on one pan for an under 30-minute meal that requires very little cleanup. Canned cannellini beans get a little crispy in the high heat and their mellow creaminess serves to bring the other ingredients together, but you could also use any cooked bean you have on hand. The only real bit of work is making a pungent paste of garlic to spread on the bread, but if you are really pressed for time, just rub each piece of bread with the cut side of a garlic clove. (The flavor will be milder.) If you keep shrimp and bacon in the freezer, just thaw the shrimp in a bowl of warm water while you prep the garlic bread, and no need to defrost the bacon; just cut it up and use it frozen.
Dry-Brined Salmon
Dry-brining salmon — that is, salting it and letting it rest overnight — has a number of noticeable effects on the fish once cooked. Dry-brined salmon will have a firmer, juicier bite that doesn’t become chalky even if you accidentally overcook it. Because salt can break down some proteins in the meat, you’ll find that dry-brined salmon does not leak out white coagulated albumin as it cooks. It will make the salmon virtually nonstick (even in a bare metal pan), and the skin comes out as crisp as a kettle chip. Perhaps most important, because the salmon releases less moisture as it cooks, it greatly reduces the amount of hot oil that spatters out of the pan.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
This comfort food classic is streamlined for weeknight ease, giving you a complete one-pot meal in just a few steps. You’ll find all the cheesy, creamy notes of the childhood favorite without the long prep time, and there’s no need to make a roux. Here, the chicken stock, half-and-half and shredded cheese create an instant sauce without the need to stir a pot on the stove. For a quicker version, trim the chicken cutlets into bite-size pieces before stirring in, then reduce the second cooking time to 15 minutes. Serve with a side salad, if desired.
Shrimp a la Plancha
This simple but intensely flavorful dish combines two classic Spanish tapas. The first is shrimp, head and shells intact, roasted on a bed of hot salt on a plancha. The second is camarones al ajillo, garlic shrimp sizzled in olive oil in a cazuela (shallow clay dish). While not strictly traditional, this dish combines the best of both recipes — and fairly bursts with Spanish flavors thanks to the flavor-boosting powers of searing hot metal.
Torrijas (Spanish-Style French Toast)
Though variations on French toast abound, this torrijas recipe hails primarily from Spain, where the bread slices are first soaked in wine or milk and beaten eggs, then pan-fried until golden and finally dusted with cinnamon sugar or drizzled with honey. You’ll find many approaches to pain perdu (French for “lost bread”), all of which speak to an ancestral desire to turn a stale staple into edible comfort food. The use of Malaga or cream sherry (sweet wines from southern Spain) plants this recipe firmly in the Spanish camp. With its large surface area, the hot griddle permits you to cook it off in just one batch.
Stovetop BBQ Chicken
Nothing compares to live fire, but even if you don’t have a grill, you can make chicken that’s burnished and sticky with barbecue sauce. To achieve a similar smokiness on the stovetop, paint boneless, skinless chicken with some barbecue sauce and sear it so the sugars in the sauce caramelize and char. The sauce here leans tangy and spicy, but adjust it as you like. Once the chicken is cooked, let the sauce bubble until glossy enough to slather onto the chicken. Since that only took 30 minutes, consider your sides: perhaps a green goddess slaw, potato chips or pickles. (If you’d like to use bone-in chicken, try this oven method.)
Asparagus, Spinach and Leek Soup
This silky, verdant soup gets its color from a mix of green vegetables. Asparagus is the dominant flavor, with fennel and leeks adding sweetness, zucchini its plush texture, and spinach and herbs their earthy mineral character. The color is at its brightest right after puréeing and will darken as it sits, but this won’t affect its rich, complex flavor. If the soup thickens too much after cooling, add a little broth or water when you reheat it.
Asparagus Mushroom Grain Bowl
A savory, gingery mix of seared mushrooms and asparagus makes the main topping of this hearty grain bowl, which is rounded out by a jammy egg and a salad of shaved asparagus, scallion and sesame. Although shaving the asparagus for the topping does take a few minutes to do, it’s worth the extra effort for its crisp texture next to the soft sautéed vegetables. And the dish will still be ready in about half an hour. Use your favorite cooked grains here: Brown rice and farro are chewy and earthy, while quinoa and white rice are more tender and gentle in flavor.
Asparagus-Feta Pasta
A sauce of tangy feta and Greek yogurt (inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi) anchors the components of this creamy, vegetable-filled pasta, and the combination of asparagus and peas makes it especially colorful and perfect for spring. Although the textures are at their most supple when served hot or warm, this dish also works well at room temperature, served as a pasta salad.
Chicken and Artichoke Francese
Inspired by chicken francese, a popular Italian American breaded chicken dish, this lemony breaded chicken-and-artichoke recipe creates a bright, one-skillet meal. This recipe embraces the traditional flavor profile — “Francese” means French in Italian, acknowledging the origins of the butter-and-lemon sauce — but otherwise veers from tradition: The chicken breasts are cut into bite-size pieces (rather than being thinly pounded) to mirror the size of the artichoke hearts. The breaded chicken and artichokes are all prepared in the same pan, then lacquered with the wine and lemon butter sauce. Fried lemon slices add visual flair and tart flavor. A smattering of parsley makes this meal feel like a restaurant-quality dish.
Fried Cheese and Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy
Fried cheese becomes a main meal in this pantry-reliant dish. Make it with your choice of ‘fry-able’ cheese, one with a high melting point that retains its shape after cooking. Halloumi and paneer are excellent choices, but queso blanco and queso de freir are often less expensive, but just as delicious. (Note: Halloumi is saltier than most frying cheeses so use less salt.) The trick to frying cheese without it sticking is to use a hot skillet, but if you’re not confident, opt for non-stick. This dish can easily be adapted for vegans by substituting the cheese with extra-firm tofu.
Sausage Tortellini Soup
This lighter take on hearty sausage soups is cozy with chicken sausage, delicate tortellini, fennel and whatever green vegetables are gracing your market. Fennel is a late winter-early spring crop that works triple time for us here: The bulb is sweet and soft, sliced stalks are crisp-tender and the fronds are chopped for an herb garnish. While fully cooked chicken sausage adds just enough richness, feel free to use any fresh or fully cooked chicken or pork sausage you have and like (just remove fresh sausage from its casings before browning).
Vegetable Tortilla Soup
This vegetarian spin on tortilla soup gets its savory flavor from deeply caramelized cabbage, which brings sweetness, bitterness and earthiness. It uses tortillas in two ways: Pulverized tortilla chips add body and a delightful undercurrent of nutty flavor. (Grinding the tortilla finely ensures that it integrates into the soup without needing a final blend.) They are also sprinkled on top, adding a satisfying crunch while echoing the soup’s corn flavor. Treat this recipe as a template, and add whatever other vegetables you may have. As with other tortilla soups, the final garnishes are key to balancing the complex flavors. Don’t skimp on the lime, as its bracing acidity lifts all of the elements.
Buckwheat Blueberry Waffles
You could leave your waffles unadorned, but the combination of toasty buckwheat flour, fresh lemon zest, a tickle of nutmeg and pockets of fruit make these practically irresistible. The blueberries here could be fresh or frozen, and feel free to substitute other berries you have on hand. Serve warm with a pat of butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup or honey. The batter can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cook as directed in Step 3. The cooked waffles can be tightly wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve, toast a frozen waffle in a toaster, toaster oven or an oven set to 375 degrees.
Toasted Sesame and Scallion Waffles
Toasted sesame, fresh scallion, salty cheese and tingly black pepper all infuse these light and savory golden waffles with flavor that a simpler waffle can usually only dream of. When served topped with eggs — fried or poached — these become a wonderful breakfast, perfect brunch or filling snack. They are best served warm, but you can enjoy them at room temperature, too. The batter can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cook as directed in Step 3. The cooked waffles can be tightly wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve, toast a frozen waffle in a toaster, toaster oven or an oven set to 375 degrees.
Chocolate Waffles
Waffles topped with something sweet are special, but the deep, rich notes from unsweetened cocoa and sweetness from dark brown sugar in this dessert cosplaying as breakfast may please chocolate lovers even more. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, and fresh berries for color and texture, or take them a step further with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. The waffle batter can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cook as directed in Step 3. The cooked waffles can be tightly wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve, toast a frozen waffle in a toaster, toaster oven or an oven set to 375 degrees.
Edamame Pesto Pasta
While edamame are most often served in their pods and consumed as a snack, the shelled beans found in the supermarket freezer are an excellent ingredient for weeknight cooking. Edamame are young soybeans harvested before they ripen or harden, and they are an excellent source of protein. Here, they are blitzed to make a nutty ‘pesto’ — buttery but mellow, with a hint of sweetness. This is also a great way to use up whatever soft herbs you have in the fridge like basil, parsley, mint, cilantro or dill or a combination. The nutritional yeast adds a savory punch, but if you aren’t vegan, you can substitute with a grated hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino.
Saltfish Buljol (Salted Cod Salad)
Salted cod has a long and venerable history in the Caribbean islands. It is at once classic and current; a relic from the trans-Atlantic slave trade that has been repurposed into delicious relevance. In this dish, bright, spiky notes come from the addition of lime juice, habanero chiles, fresh tomatoes and a bevy of fresh, grassy aromatics. Salted cod comes packaged either boneless or bone-in. You can use either, but boneless salted cod is a tad easier to prepare than bone-in. When working with salted cod, it is imperative to desalinate the fish by either an overnight soak or by rinsing it prior to boiling. Depending on your preference, you may need to boil the cod twice and change the water in between each boil to rid the cod of excess salt.
Slow Cooker Harissa Bean and Couscous Stew
This weeknight-friendly stew is loosely inspired by North African tomato and bean dishes, like loubia. The stew has minimal prep, aside from soaking the beans, so it’s easy to throw into the slow cooker in the morning. Just before serving, it’s enriched with pearl couscous and a generous dose of zippy parsley. Harissa pastes differ in flavor and saltiness; taste yours before using it to make sure you like it, and adjust the amount of salt added at the end if necessary. You can always stir in more harissa before serving for extra spice. Orzo or ditalini can be used instead of couscous.
White Lasagna
Made without any Bolognese or tomato sauce, a white lasagna is a celebration of pasta and vegetables bound together by a creamy béchamel. This version, brimming with herbs, spinach, asparagus and peas, is an ode to spring, like a baked pasta primavera in its richest form. Serve it in small squares as a first or pasta course, as it’s served in Italy, or in more substantial slabs as a meatless main course. It’s a bit of a project, so if you want to work ahead, you can make the béchamel up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The baked lasagna can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.
Kali Mirch Karahi (Black Pepper Chicken)
This chicken dish with deep fiery flavor is traditionally made with bone-in chicken pieces and, like chicken karahi, its more common counterpart, it’s served in restaurants and homes across South Asia. Unlike chicken karahi, though, this dish is particularly convenient to make if there aren’t fresh tomatoes laying around. This recipe, which uses boneless thighs, can be made with pantry staples and comes together in 30 minutes for a weeknight meal that layers heat and packs a punch. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use regular black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Lemon juice, julienned ginger and Thai green chiles add freshness; Greek yogurt cools it all down.