Main Course
8665 recipes found
Warm Roasted Carrot and Barley Salad
There is something very exciting about transforming a simple bunch of carrots into a deeply flavorful and satisfying weeknight meal. Carrots are given a lot of love here: Leaving the skin on adds texture, slicing them into thin batons ensures that they cook quickly and evenly, and drizzling them with honey right out of the oven amplifies their natural sweetness. A sprinkle of lemon zest adds brightness. Ras el hanout, a North African spice blend, means “head of the shop” in Arabic as it was often one of the best mixes a vendor had to offer. Its fragrant blend of coriander, cumin, ginger, clove and turmeric brings warmth and richness to the tahini. The perfect chew of pearl barley is so gratifying in this dish, but for even more flavor, cook your barley in stock.
Cheesy Baked Polenta in Tomato Sauce
This recipe is quite forgiving in that there’s plenty of wiggle room to play. Use whatever herbs and cheeses you have on hand, for example, adjust the spice levels as preferred, and opt for fresh tomatoes if they’re in season, or chopped canned tomatoes instead of whole. You can also veganize the dish entirely by using a nondairy milk and vegan cheese, adding some nutritional yeast if you like. This hearty main needs nothing more than some lightly cooked greens to eat alongside.
Schnitzel
The most celebrated schnitzels in Vienna feature a crisp golden crust that puffs dramatically around a thinly pounded veal cutlet (pork loin cutlets are an easy, inexpensive alternative to veal), allowing the meat to cook gently within. Head over to Germany and you are more likely to find schnitzel with a crust that adheres to the meat. Both versions can be fantastic. For an extra-puffy crust, brush the cutlets with vodka before breading them. The volatility of the alcohol produces steam that inflates the schnitzel as it fries. (Water or white vinegar will also work if you want to avoid using alcohol.) If you prefer a crust that adheres more closely to the meat, whack the cutlets with the back of a knife a few times after pounding them in Step 3 to create an uneven surface texture; dry the meat well on paper towels, and skip the vodka coating in Step 5.
Farro With Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto and Spinach
Here is an Italian-inspired recipe that uses store-bought or homemade pesto to season farro, which is then tossed with fresh spinach, roasted tomatoes, red onions and mozzarella for a complete vegetarian meal. Make it with fresh-from-the-market cherry tomatoes when they’re in season, but during the rest of the year, use grape tomatoes, as they tend to be more flavorful than cherry during the colder months. If you’d like, substitute arugula, or cooked broccoli rabe or kale, for the spinach. It tastes delicious warm or cold the next day — and topping it with shrimp, chicken or scallops can make it feel new again. Before reheating, add a bit more spinach, drizzle it with a little olive oil and give it a good stir.
Maple-Baked Salmon
Salmon baked at a low temperature until medium-rare delivers a silky texture that tastes special enough to make it a festive centerpiece. This easy dish works any night of the week, since it comes together in less than half an hour. Maple syrup sweetens the glaze, which gets a savory pop from whole mustard seeds in Dijon. Even though salmon is naturally fatty, a dollop of mayonnaise adds extra richness while thickening the glaze to help it seal onto the fish. The herbaceous aroma of cilantro stems baked into the sauce brightens the dish, as do tender leaves scattered on top. Fill out your feast with any combination of steamed rice, roasted potatoes, green beans or salad.
Braised Lamb With Squash and Brandied Fruit
Lamb shanks, braised until tender, are coated in a rich sauce of tomatoes, caramelized shallots and brandied dried fruit. The squash roasts as the lamb cooks, which is a time-saving perk, and its sweet custardy flesh rounds out the meal. Bone-in lamb shanks are ideal, but a similar weight of boneless leg of lamb will work just as well. Potatoes, carrots and parsnips will do well in place of the squash. Serve over steamed rice or couscous or with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Pumpkin Soup
This recipe turns canned pumpkin purée into a sublimely creamy, aromatic soup that makes for an elegant first course or a satisfying lunch on a cold day. While the combination of pumpkin and fall spices can easily veer in the direction of dessert, the addition of fresh rosemary, garlic, caramelized onions and curry powder plants this soup firmly in the savory camp. Finally, to make this recipe vegan, substitute olive oil for the butter, full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream, and vegetable broth for the chicken broth. If time and availability allow, consider roasting your own sugar pumpkin for this recipe: The soup will have a deeper, more complex flavor (see Tip).
Herby Tomato Salad With Tamarind-Maple Dressing
Collect the juiciest, ripest tomatoes you can find for this salad (the sweeter and fruitier, the better), which is amplified by an herby, piquant dressing. Start with cilantro, scallions, and Thai basil; perilla leaves lend a grassy, aniseed note. You can find them at Asian grocery stores or greenmarkets, but, if they’re unavailable, substitute shiso or mint. Tamarind is very sour, too tart to enjoy on its own, but paired with a sweetener, such as maple syrup, honey or brown sugar, it sings with citrusy, smokey notes. Don’t be afraid to add more maple, chile, salt or vinegar until you strike that harmonious sweet-sour balance. And, two final notes: If you’re looking for a heartier salad, add 2 cups of cooked grains, like farro or quinoa, and feel free to use store-bought crispy fried shallots if tight on time.
Toasted Millet Salad With Cucumber, Avocado and Lemon
Cooked millet has a taste and aroma that’s subtly reminiscent of raw hazelnuts, and as with hazelnuts, toasting millet first really deepens its flavor. If you want to work ahead, toast and cook the millet, set aside and toss in the other ingredients when ready. Sharp mint leaves, creamy avocado, crisp cucumbers and bright lemon really round out this dish, which makes a lovely side dish, an afternoon snack or the base of a protein-focused grain bowl. Millet is marvelous, but a wide variety of grains will work just as well.
Seared Scallops With Jammy Cherry Tomatoes
In this vibrant dish, seared scallops are paired with cherry tomatoes for an easy 25-minute dinner that feels a little bit fancy. The tomatoes are cooked in white wine and butter until they’re falling apart, which means you can make this with any cherry tomatoes, whether you picked them up at the summer farmers’ market or at a snow-covered grocery store. The whole thing is finished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and lemon zest. Equal parts casual and elegant, this dish is best served straight from the skillet, with a big green salad, a nice loaf of bread and the rest of the wine.
Summer Shrimp Scampi With Tomatoes and Corn
Shrimp get along well with garlic, butter and lemon, and so do tomatoes and corn. Combine them, and you get a summery shrimp scampi that comes together in one skillet. A searing hot pan helps the tomatoes blister and the corn caramelize before they are coated in a garlic-lemon butter sauce. This is a meal in and of itself, but if you want to serve it with pasta or bread, they’d be welcome additions.
Swordfish au Poivre
Au poivre, the peppery French finish for a steak, is simpler and more versatile than its fancy-sounding name suggests. A quick pan sauce of cream and Cognac enrobes a seared piece of meat fueled with crushed black or green peppercorns. But the preparation doesn’t have to be just for meat. At Veronika, a new restaurant in Manhattan that was attracting pre-pandemic attention, the English chef Robert Aikens used the seasoning and sauce to finish a thick fist of tender celeriac, with excellent results. Boneless chicken breasts are another choice. Here I opted for swordfish steaks, though you could use another densely textured slab of fish, like halibut, instead. But producing au poivre is strictly à la minute: Have your ingredients ready to apply so the wait time for serving is minimal. The recipe is easily reduced to serve two for that date-night dinner while sequestered at home with a good bottle of Burgundy to share.
Asaro (Yam and Plantain Curry)
This recipe is an adaptation of asaro, the Yoruba word for a dish of starchy root vegetables simmered in a seasoned tomato- and chile-based sauce. Regional versions of asaro are served all year round across the south of Nigeria and in other parts of West Africa. Traditionally, the dish is made with the West African yam, but you can also use white or purple taro root or unripe plantains. Here, firm, green plantains are combined with white yams in a sauce rich with caramelized shallots, garlic and ginger. There is a slight but welcome heat from a single red habanero dropped in whole to infuse the stew. Coconut milk and an optional spoonful of red palm oil — a floral, slightly smoky oil that is pressed from the fruit of oil palm trees — round out the flavors, and hearty greens cut the richness. Serve topped with crunchy shallots, fresh herbs and a wedge of lime.
Kimchi Noodle Soup With Wilted Greens
Kimchi jigae, a classic Korean stew, is the inspiration for this spicy, comforting soup. Unlike many soups, this one doesn’t require a lengthy simmer on the stovetop to develop complex flavor, as its ingredients bring complexity: Soy sauce adds umami and kimchi provides pleasant funkiness. Should you want to add shrimp, toss them in with the greens in Step 4, as they only take a minute or so to cook through. While jjigae is traditionally served with white rice, here it is served with delightfully chewy Japanese udon noodles. Although garnishes are always optional, the suggested toppings really take it there, and you should.
Slow-Roasted Beef
With the aid of a digital thermometer and plenty of hands-off time, this recipe makes the best of an inexpensive beef roast, which really shines when thinly sliced and reused in flavor-packed dishes over the next week. Though the recipe suggests a 2- to 3-pound roast, it will work for one of any size. (Just be aware that the timing will change accordingly.) As the beef rests in the fridge, it will initially darken in color and may later turn brown or gray; this is due to the oxidation of muscle pigments and is expected. Once you start cooking, always rely on your thermometer, not your timer. To test for doneness without a thermometer, insert a thin metal skewer all the way through the meat and hold it there for 10 seconds. Rapidly remove the skewer and touch it to the skin under your lower lip. It will feel like a hot bath water at rare.
The Big Lasagna
Delicate sheets of handmade pasta are layered with rich béchamel, savory tomato sauce and creamy ricotta filling, and studded with spinach and herbs, in this deeply comforting lasagna. But if you don’t have the time to make each component or can’t find all of the ingredients, use fresh or dried store-bought noodles and avail yourself of the many suggested substitutions. For a vegan version, use cashew milk and vegan butter to make béchamel, vegan cheese and cashew ricotta for the filling, and make sure to buy dried pasta that does not contain eggs. No matter how you make this dish, you’ll find that it’s grand, comforting and perfect for sharing with whoever is around. (Watch Samin make #TheBigLasagna on YouTube.)
Gravlax With Herb Butter
I think of making my own gravlax — the Nordic sugar-salt cured salmon — as the gentle, blue-square cooking analog of an intermediate ski trail: It’s mostly easy, but requires some experience. While butchering a whole salmon and cold smoking what you’ve butchered are also exhilarating milestones in the life of an advancing home cook (both a little farther up the mountain and a little steeper on the run down), buying a nice fillet and burying it in salt, sugar and a carpet of chopped fresh dill for a few days is a great confidence-building day on the slopes, so to speak. The cured gravlax will last a solid five days once sliced, in the refrigerator. If a whole side of salmon is more than you need at once, the rest freezes very satisfactorily.
Meatloaf
Traditional meatloaf was created as a tasty way to use up leftover vegetables and to stretch meat further during lean times. This easy meatloaf recipe is a classic version, blending ground beef, pork and veal with simple pantry seasonings, but you should feel free to use your preferred combination of meat, such as half pork and half beef. Milk-soaked bread ensures a tender meatloaf, and baking it freeform — on a baking sheet instead of a loaf pan — provides more surface area for the tangy-sweet tomato glaze to caramelize as it bakes. Leftover slices can be crisped in a skillet and served with a salad or tucked into a sandwich. Alternatively, freeze one uncooked loaf for the next time you need to put dinner on the table with ease; simply thaw the night before and bake as directed.
Kaddu (Sweet and Sour Butternut Squash)
This cozy vegetable main is an ode to earthy, maple-y fenugreek, a staple spice of Indian cooking that is a perfect match for the mild sweetness of butternut squash. Normally roasted, butternut squash is gently stewed here with ginger, onion, turmeric, tomatoes and brown sugar, bringing out a unique and addictive sweet-and-sour flavor. Kaddu is traditionally paired with puri, a type of fried bread, but roti, tortillas and even toast work well with this bright and hearty one-pot dish.
Fish Laab
Laab (also spelled larb), a boldly flavored Thai dish, often combines ground chicken, ground pork or other ground meat with dried chile, scallions, shallots, fish sauce, lime, fresh herbs and nutty toasted rice, which you can make yourself or find at Asian markets. The dish also works with crumbled tofu, mushrooms, cauliflower or fish. In this quick-cooking fish version, fish fillets are pan-seared until cooked through, then broken into bite-sized pieces and tossed with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with sticky rice, small wedges of salted green cabbage, cucumber spears or lettuce leaves.
One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta and Lemon
This elegant, bright pasta dish comes together in about the same amount of time it takes to boil noodles and heat up a jar of store-bought marinara. The no-cook sauce is a 50-50 mix of ricotta and Parmesan, with the zest and juice of one lemon thrown in. That’s it. To make it more filling, add peas, asparagus or spinach in the last few minutes of the pasta boiling, or stir in fresh arugula or watercress with the sauce in Step 3. It’s a weeknight and for-company keeper any way you stir it.
Mayo-Marinated Chicken With Chimichurri
If the idea of rubbing chicken cutlets with mayo before grilling them leaves you cold, I relate — I felt the same way until I tried it. Now I use mayonnaise as the base for nearly every marinade I use, whether I’m cooking on the grill or in a cast-iron skillet indoors. The magic of mayo is that it helps your other marinade ingredients spread evenly across the surface of the meat, delivering more consistent flavor, while improving browning. (Don’t worry, the cooked meat doesn’t taste like mayo.) In this recipe, that means chicken cutlets that cook through and brown in about four minutes, with deep chimichurri flavor enhanced by a post-grill drizzle of fresh sauce. This recipe will work with nearly any marinade, exactly as written: You could use pesto, salsa verde, bottled barbecue sauce, jarred Thai curry paste, teriyaki sauce or mole, all with equal success.
Coconut Milk Chicken Adobo
When I left home, adobo was a dish I could cook off the top of my head. The name was bestowed by Spanish colonizers, referring to the use of vinegar and seasonings to preserve meat, but the stew existed long before their arrival. It is always made with vinegar, and often soy sauce, but there are as many adobo recipes as there are Filipino cooks. In this version, coconut — present in three forms: milk, oil and vinegar — brings silkiness and a hint of elegance. Every ingredient announces itself; none are shy. The braised whole peppercorns pop in your mouth.
Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns star in this quick weeknight dish, which is built primarily from pantry staples. Don’t be shy about adding the entire tablespoon of pepper, as it balances out the richness of the beef and adds a lightly spicy bite to the dish. A quick rub of garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper and cornstarch seasons the beef; the cornstarch helps tenderize the beef and later imparts a silky texture to the sauce. Feel free to marinate the beef up to 8 hours ahead and cook when you're ready. If leftovers remain, tuck them into a crunchy baguette or roll them into a wrap.