Stovetop
653 recipes found
The Best Scrambled Eggs
For silky, outrageously good scrambled eggs, cook them low and slow. This method, which Mark Bittman learned from James Beard, is very low and very slow: you place the eggs over very low heat, stirring frequently, breaking up the curds as they form. The results are without compare. Make them for breakfast on the weekend, while the coffee brews and the bacon fries.
Velvety Scrambled Eggs
This recipe adapts a technique from making Chinese egg drop soup — gently poaching a thin stream of beaten eggs in simmering liquid — to a Western-style breakfast of scrambled eggs. The results are special and one of a kind. Drizzling the eggs into hot cream gets them to set into tender, velvety curds that end up bound with a rich custardy sauce, perfect for spooning onto buttered toast. The eggs are delicious without the herbs, but, given how rich they are, think of them as a special occasion dish, worthy of the added effort.
Pupusas
While masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, is mostly associated with Mexican cooking, there are other countries in Central America that utilize it for regional specialties. Pupusas, a stuffed and griddled corn cake hailing from El Salvador and Honduras, is one of these dishes. This version is stuffed with a quick bean and cheese mixture, but pupusas are a great home for leftovers; winter squash, braised meat and pressed, wilted greens all make exceptional fillings. As long as it’s fully cooked, not too wet and small enough to be flattened into the cake, anything can go inside. To dial up the authenticity and add some brightness, serve the pupusas with curtido, a pickled cabbage slaw traditionally served alongside.
Sourdough English Muffins
Bring a little tang to classic English muffins with this naturally leavened dough, which develops deeper flavor thanks to a longer fermentation than most sourdough breads. While most English muffin recipes call for dairy for tenderness, this one gets its texture — and flavor — from the spongy sourdough, and a final steaming to achieve that quintessentially soft exterior. Take your breakfast sandwich or tuna melt game up a notch with these big and fluffy stovetop muffins.
Creamy Zucchini and Bacon Pasta
Zucchini, bacon and cheese come together to create a delightfully smoky, creamy weeknight pasta meal. Two pounds of chopped zucchini simmer in rendered bacon fat, absorbing the rich and salty-sweet flavors. You can use zucchini from your supermarket, or any combination of summer squash from the farmers’ market, like golden zucchini, crookneck or patty pan. A finish of butter and Parmesan enrich the sauce, adding lusciousness, and a squeeze of lemon brightens the dish.
Crispy Coconut Shrimp and Shallots
Crispy coconut, caramelized shallots and tender shrimp are cloaked in a spicy-sweet orange chile sauce in this recipe, which is slightly reminiscent of coconut shrimp, the beloved beachside snack. However, the vibe here is more dinner main and perhaps even more laid-back because no battering and frying is needed. Instead, shrimp are simply sautéed in coconut oil to build coconut flavor, then bathed in sauce, before being crowned with the crunchy flakes of coconut and shallot. To soak up the sauce and round out this meal, steamed rice sits at the base, but wilted spinach or roasted green beans would be delightful.
Thieboudienne
Thieboudienne holds a special place within the cuisines of West Africa. This elegant one-pot rice masterpiece is often referred to as the national dish of Senegal, yet its presence and popularity extend beyond any national borders. Rof, an herb-heavy marinade, perfumes and seasons fish steaks; nokoss — a blend of onions, bell peppers, chiles and fresh tomatoes — thickens a rich tomato broth. The end result is one pot of tender vegetables and fish layered over fluffed broken rice. Your choice of vegetables can be flexible; cabbage, okra and cassava are traditional, but squash, pumpkin, cauliflower or eggplants will all make adequate substitutes. Use what’s in season and freshest. Serve this warm, family style from a large platter, garnished with xońe or xoñe, those bits of crunchy rice grains that, by proximity to the heat, stick to the bottom of the pot.
Salmon Soba Noodles With Ponzu-Scallion Sauce
Quick-cooking, earthy soba noodles, made entirely from buckwheat or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour, are perfect for easy weeknight dinners and can be enjoyed either chilled or in warm dishes. In this speedy noodle soup, dashi powder — an instant soup stock made from dried powdered bonito (skipjack tuna) that functions similarly to bouillon cubes — and subtly sweet cabbage help create a flavorful broth quickly. Salmon is thinly sliced and poached in the broth just before serving. A tangy and vibrant ponzu-scallion sauce balances the rich fatty fish, while grated daikon adds freshness, texture and a subtle bite.
Enchilada Sauce
This quick, basic enchilada sauce can easily be doubled (or tripled) and frozen so you can satisfy a sudden enchilada craving. For a more traditional Mexican flavor profile, you can experiment with ancho, guajillo or pasilla chile powders. If you’d prefer some heat, add a few teaspoons of chipotle chile powder or chopped chipotles in adobo, or, in a pinch, cayenne or red-pepper flakes.
Vegetable Pulao
Pulao is a weeknight staple in many Desi households, as it can be made in one pot, has a flexible ingredient list and makes no sacrifices on flavor. Whole spices, which give the pulao its intense, complex flavor, are key in this recipe. But the beauty of pulao is that it can be easily adjusted according to your preferences and what you have around. You can swap the carrots for cauliflower, or the potatoes for sweet potatoes. In a pinch, a frozen bag of carrots, peas and corn will work just fine. And if you don’t have one of the spices, fret not and carry on. Pulao is often served with achaar, or pickle, yogurt and papad — but it’s also wonderful by itself.
Cantonese-Style Steamed Fish
This classic Cantonese dish is one of the simplest ways I know to prepare whole fish or fillets. Simply steamed lean white fish is seasoned with the umami richness of soy sauce and wine, then finished with a (careful) tableside drizzle of hot oil that sizzles and sputters, bringing out the bouquet of fresh ginger, scallions and cilantro piled on top of the fish. You’ll need a lidded pan wide enough to fit the plate you are steaming your fish on, and deep enough to cover the fish, the plate, and a steaming rack underneath. But you’ll end up with fish that is light and silky in texture and aroma, but deep in flavor.
Saffron-Ginger Pears
For a stellar dessert, poach pears and let them steep in a bright yellow saffron-ginger syrup. With saffron, a little goes a long way: A quarter teaspoon will not break the bank. Prepare these days ahead of serving and store them in their syrup; they’ll only improve in flavor. Served chilled with a dab of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this dessert is sheer luxury.
Four-Spice Salmon
Fish fillets can be a weeknight cook’s savior. They are healthful and easy to prepare, require little time to cook and take well to all manner of spices. In this straightforward recipe, adapted from the New York chef Katy Sparks, you start with salmon fillets, liberally rub them on one side with a mixture of ground coriander, cloves, cumin and nutmeg, and then brown them in a very hot pan so the spices form a crust. Flip once, and that’s it. For the best results, use fillets of equal sizes, cook them to medium rare, and use freshly ground spices. If you have only pre-ground, be sure they haven’t gone stale sitting in your cabinet too long. (Yes, spices can go stale.)
Cheesy Stovetop Mac With Sausage and Kale
Quick, easy and delicious, this one-pan meal is perfect for weeknights when cleaning up is the last thing you want to do. It’s reminiscent of hamburger skillet macs, which gained popularity in the 1970s, thanks to Hamburger Helper, when beef prices were high and families wanted to stretch a pound of meat. This kale-packed version spices up that classic with herby sweet Italian sausage, fresh garlic, red-pepper flakes and hot sauce. Like the original, the starch from the pasta helps thicken the cooking liquid into a quick sauce that becomes creamy once the cheese is added. Serve with a crisp green salad and toasted bread.
Vegan Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
Making this plant-based dish might become a new holiday tradition in your house — and the recipe is fast and easy enough to become part of your weeknight rotation as well. It’s not your average macaroni and cheese as it has no actual cheese, but its creamy cashew sauce, stained green from smoky fire-roasted poblano chiles, is guaranteed to turn heads. The end result is sure to be piled high on everyone’s plates. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Cheesecake Pudding
This easy stovetop pudding is smooth, rich and tangy, just like your favorite cheesecake — but it’s far faster (under an hour), far easier (no fussy water baths) and far less intimidating (the topping won’t crack). It’s considered a boiled custard, meaning the ingredients are heated slowly until the mixture forms large bubbles in the pot. Whisking the cornstarch and sugar together before adding them to the custard is a crucial step that helps the sugar granules break up the starch, which prevents lumps. This silky pudding is delicious served alone, enjoyed with just a spoon, but you can also gussy it up with fresh berries and crumbled graham crackers for a more cheesecake-like experience.
Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
The taste of a good pad kee mao relies on fresh garlic, basil and chiles — and a lot of each. (“Kee mao” means, roughly, “drunk-style,” and dishes with that label are associated with late-night cravings and hangover prevention.) The finished dish should be fragrant, pungent and whatever means “hot” to you: Deploy your chiles accordingly. Hong Thaimee, a chef in New York who grew up in Bangkok, employs a heavy Dutch oven, instead of a wok. (She said she was surprised to find that it worked better than a wok for Thai stir-fries on her tiny apartment stovetop, as its wide, flat bottom has more contact with the flame and holds onto more heat.) Fresh lime leaves are a popular addition; they are easy to buy online, along with fragrant Thai basil and, sometimes, holy basil. But in a pinch, Ms. Thaimee said, Italian basil and a garnish of lime zest are fine.
Pasta and Bean Soup
The chef Tom Valenti channels his late grandmother in his cooking, utilizing her ''stove top approach to life'' by braising and stewing and slow cooking the kinds of food that snowstorms were made for. Her pasta and bean soup, a treat for carb-lovers with its addition of mashed potatoes to thicken the broth, was one of many old-country comfort foods that she fed Mr. Valenti during his childhood.
Corned Beef Hash
A jumble of salty meat, crisp potatoes and sweet onions, corned beef hash is a satisfying and hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. The New England classic is also pragmatic, borne as Julia Moskin wrote “on leftovers from endless boiled dinners of beef, cabbage, potatoes and onions.” This recipe doesn’t require already-cooked potatoes, though you can swap them in if you have them. And instead of corned beef, use 1 1/2 cups bite-size pieces of another cooked protein, such as pastrami, roast beef, sausage, bacon, chicken or tofu — or omit for excellent home fries.
Blueberry Oatmeal
You can make this oatmeal, which will take on a purple hue once the blueberries begin to burst, on top of the stove or in the microwave. It only takes about 10 minutes on top of the stove (five minutes in the microwave).
Amatriciana on the Fly
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Here’s a half-hour challenge that’s no challenge at all. Set a large pot of salted water on the stove, over high heat. In a pan, sauté chopped bacon — slab bacon, if you can get it — in a glug or two of olive oil until it’s crisp. Remove the bacon and add chopped onion to the fat, cooking until it’s soft and fragrant. Figure the equivalent of a slice of bacon and half an onion per person. Meanwhile, boil water for enough pasta to feed your crowd, and cook it until it is just shy of tender. While it cooks, add some canned chopped tomatoes and the cooked bacon to the onions, and stir it to make a sauce. Drain the pasta, then toss it with a knob of butter, and add the pasta to the sauce. Slide all that into a warm serving bowl, then top with grated pecorino. A scattering of chopped parsley is never going to be a bad idea here, but you can omit it if the clock’s ticking. Serve with red-pepper flakes and extra cheese on the side. Sam Sifton features a no-recipe recipe every Wednesday in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up to receive it. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.
Spam Macaroni and Cheese
This decadent yet simple recipe pairs creamy macaroni and cheese with crispy, salty-sweet diced Spam for a dish that bridges Puerto Rico and the South. It’s much quicker than most homemade macaroni and cheese recipes (which often require making a roux and cream sauce), without sacrificing texture or flavor. It is also incredibly adaptable, because it will work with most cheeses. If you have the time and the will, sprinkle the finished macaroni with extra cheese and bake under a low broil for 5 to 10 minutes until toasted. During tough times, a box of instant mac and cheese and a can of Spam will also yield delicious results.
Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Stew
This creamy chicken stew is spinach-artichoke dip reimagined as a simple stovetop braise. It comes together quickly, thanks to frozen spinach and jarred artichoke hearts, though if you have time, there is also a slow-cooker version of this recipe. Fresh dill and scallions are added just before serving, and provide bright, herbal flavor that offsets the richness of the finished dish.
Inside-Out Lamb Cheeseburgers
Grind the lamb for these smoked mozzarella-stuffed patties yourself and you'll be rewarded with burgers that are full of flavor. "Grinding" may sound intimidating, but it's easy and quick to do it at home with a food processor. Then be sure to handle the meat gently. Make the patties with a light hand, and resist the urge to press on them with a spatula as they cook.