Weeknight
3433 recipes found
Everyday Dal
The warming, soothing and downright healing effects of dal are well known throughout South Asia and its diaspora. This is an everyday dish for a good reason: It’s simple to make but tastes complex, and the flavor only deepens over time. There are countless ways to make dal; this version requires just 10 minutes and five ingredients (not including salt), all serving important purposes: The lentils cook quickly, the turmeric lends an earthy wholesomeness and the rich chhonk, or tempering, made by sizzling spices with ghee, brings instant depth. To gussy it up, try adding a packet of frozen spinach, or stirring minced garlic into the chhonk. If you’re tempted to use ground cumin instead of cumin seeds, resist! The seeds have a distinctly smokier flavor and add a pleasant texture to the dal.
Maraq Digaag (Spiced Chicken Soup)
This aromatic and revitalizing soup is the lesser known sibling of maraq ari, a traditional Somali goat soup beloved for both its nutritious and healing properties. Maraq digaag is a comforting soup to turn to in times of sickness. This soup is thick and filling, thanks to the addition of potatoes, and has small hints of heat due to the jalapeño, plus the layered flavors of the xawaash spice blend. Eat it as it is, with bread, or with the noodles of your choice mixed in. The fresh chile invigorates this comforting soup, but the heat level is entirely up to you; you can remove the jalapeño early for a milder soup or keep it throughout, spicing up the broth for as long as you’d like.
Baked Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
An irresistible layer of simultaneously melty and crunchy cheese tops this simple, comforting weeknight meal. Meaty mushrooms, juicy chicken and succulent strands of spaghetti make it a recipe fit for hearty appetites, and the efficiency of doing most of the active cooking on the stovetop drastically cuts the baking time. Budget-friendly chicken breasts — which are worth stocking up on when on sale and freezing — stay tender as the pasta bakes thanks to the assistance of some broth. The results are ready in just 30 minutes, but taste like a long-baked casserole.
Sheet-Pan Quesadillas
A single quesadilla thrown together on the stovetop takes mere moments, but when you want to make a larger batch all at once, a sheet pan comes in handy. Lightly greasing the pan results in the richness of a stovetop quesadilla, and the dry heat of the oven gives you crisp tortillas and bronzed, bubbling cheese in 10 minutes. A sprinkle of salt on the tortilla maximizes its inherent nutty flavor and all it needs is cheese to be a great quesadilla. But, a little extra filling in the form of vegetables — like corn kernels and onions, or leftover beans or shredded chicken — would be welcome. Serve with the usual accouterments: raw onion, cilantro and avocado, maybe sour cream and salsa or hot sauce, whatever you like to eat with your quesadillas. This recipe makes 6 quesadillas, but that amount can easily be scaled down.
Roasted Chicken Thighs With Hot Honey and Lime
These sweet and spicy chicken thighs pack enormous flavor using only a handful of pantry ingredients. Generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders, they’re roasted at a high temperature to maximize the crispiness of the skin. Halfway through cooking, the chicken is brushed with a butter-and-hot-sauce blend. Finally, honey and lime zest are whisked into the remaining hot sauce butter to coat the fully baked chicken thighs. A squirt of tangy lime juice provides balance and the perfect finishing touch. Serve with a simple and refreshing cucumber salad or coleslaw.
Chile Crisp Chicken Cutlets
These savory, tangy, spicy chicken cutlets get their zest from an easy marinade of chile crisp, soy sauce and red wine vinegar. This recipe upgrades the standard breading procedure — flour, egg and bread crumbs — by whisking the excess marinade and eggs together, creating another layer of flavor before the chicken is encrusted in crunchy bread crumbs. If time permits, leave the breaded cutlets in the refrigerator for at least an hour before frying to help create a durable crust and allow the marinade to more fully season the chicken. If you like, serve with a vibrant side of lightly wilted spinach and wedges of lemon.
Quick Lamb Ragù With Artichokes
While many meat ragùs are hearty and long-simmered, this 30-minute riff has a little spring in its step. Ground lamb, cherry tomatoes and canned artichokes quickly bubble into a pasta sauce that’s brawny, sweet and pleasantly bitter. This trio of ingredients, often stewed with herbs and white wine, is a common springtime combination throughout the Mediterranean. Fresh mint or basil add lightness, and if you have a bottle of wine open, add a generous splash. For additional richness, top portions with ricotta or grated Pecorino.
Weeknight Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
While it is hard to beat the perfection of a meticulously layered lasagna, this cheater’s version delivers all the comforting vibes with minimal effort. This weeknight dish requires no chopping; just mixing and baking. Choose ease, with oven-ready lasagna sheets, as they don’t require preboiling and will cook quicker than the regular ones. (Fresh lasagna sheets will certainly work, too, with the same cooking time.) Don’t drain the thawed spinach, as the extra moisture will help keep this dish moist and saucy. The easiest way to thaw spinach is to leave it overnight in the fridge; it can also be defrosted quickly in the microwave.
Sheet-Pan Japchae
Though readily available at restaurants today, japchae — the royal Korean stir-fried glass noodle dish — is traditionally a banquet affair, eaten just a few times a year at holidays and special occasions because the labor to produce it is so high. Each vegetable, among a rainbowed array, is ordinarily stir-fried individually, but in this variation, all of the vegetables roast together on the same sheet pan in color-blocked sections for ease and deliciousness. The roasted vegetables caramelize with less effort, and then need only to be tossed with the noodles and sauce, making japchae a dish within reach for any night of the week. The spinach, mushrooms and bell pepper recall key flavors of typical japchae, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand or prefer. Frozen spinach might not be a conventional ingredient, but it roasts beautifully and ends up tasting almost like umami-rich kale chips or roasted seaweed. You can add a drop of toasted sesame oil, if you’d like, but the toasted sesame seeds here lend enough of that quintessential aromatic nuttiness that makes japchae taste so regal.
Broccoli Korma
Broccoli florets are simmered in coconut milk and almond butter then topped with slivered almonds, resulting in a nutty, luxurious main or side in just 30 minutes. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use another black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Garam masala dials up the spice and an onion provides subtle sweetness. Serve with rice or roti.
Smothered Chicken
This easy, beloved one-pan meal is true Southern comfort food. Though smothered chicken often includes bacon, celery or bell pepper, this recipe strips it to its essence, relying more upon onion and scallions. The classic cooking technique of smothering has its roots in West African, French and Creole culinary traditions and, at its core, is a simple stovetop braise. Serve this dish with steamed rice or mashed potatoes, plus a side of collard greens or green beans.
Spicy Mushroom and Tofu Mazemen
Mazemen, sometimes known as mazesoba or abura soba, is a brothless ramen dish believed to have originated in Nagoya, Japan. Inspired by a punchier and spicier Taiwanese flavor profile, the soup is replaced with an intensely savory sauce. In this vegan take, this sesame paste-based sauce delivers a rich finish, bolstered with umami agents such as miso, soy sauce and chile crisp. Mazemen, which translates to mixed noodles in Japanese, should be tossed before eating, so that the sauce and the toppings distribute evenly through the noodles. While this recipe is vegan, an egg yolk or an onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg) is a common mazemen topping, which falls apart as it is tossed through the noodles, leaving a silky and creamy finish.
One-Pot Tofu and Broccoli Rice
One pot is all you need to make custardy tofu, fluffy rice, crisp vegetables and a spicy sauce for dinner tonight. Toast rice with ginger and garlic for a fragrant base, then partway through steaming the rice, add broccoli florets. Once the rice is tender and the broccoli bright green, use the rice’s resting time to warm the tofu on top. The tofu’s marinade of peanut butter, soy sauce and chile crisp adds a punchy, creamy complement that completes the meal. If you want to use another vegetable instead of broccoli, you may need to adjust when it’s added to the pot: add sturdier vegetables like sliced carrots and winter squash with the rice, as they take longer to cook, and more delicate asparagus or spinach with the tofu.
Yogurt-Marinated Roast Chicken
Marinating chicken in yogurt, much like buttermilk, creates juicy meat and caramelized skin, but yogurt’s additional fat and lactic acid contributes extra richness and tang. The practice of marinating meat in yogurt likely dates as far back as 13th century Central Asia and has stood the test of time for good reasons. While you don’t need to add anything to the yogurt besides salt for it to work its magic, yogurt carries flavors well. For even more depth, consider fresh aromatics like chopped chiles, garlic, ginger, and herbs, as well as dried spices like turmeric, cumin, za’atar and garam masala. As yet another bonus, you could serve more yogurt alongside to sauce the chicken. If marinating with Greek yogurt, thin it with a little olive oil until pourable — otherwise, its weight could keep the skin from crisping.
Baked Fish With Olives and Ginger
Set in a shallow pool of briny, gingery oil, mild fish fillets cook effortlessly on a sheet pan, layered with bold lemon, olives and capers, similar to a deconstructed tapenade. The mixture is brightened even further with the addition of grated ginger, which provides a zingy contrast to the salty, meaty olives. (But this recipe is flexible: Sliced garlic or anchovies would also work nicely, taking a more savory turn.) Nestling the delicate fish in oil helps it stay moist in the oven, and creates a no-effort pan sauce that is best served with bread, to soak up every delicious drop.
Cilantro-Lime Salmon and Rice
Bright and vibrant cilantro and lime liven up this weeknight-friendly, one-pot meal. Start by toasting rice in butter in a skillet to create a flavorful base, then, when the rice is almost finished cooking, add green beans and briefly marinated salmon to steam. Like many one-pot meals, this one is carefully calibrated so that each of the ingredients finishes cooking at the same time. Give the beans a head start to ensure they tenderize in the short time it takes the delicate salmon to cook through. To serve, garnish the finished dish with more cilantro and lime juice.
Bacon and Egg Don
In the pantheon of comforting donburi (Japanese rice bowl dishes like katsudon, oyakodon and gyudon), bacon and eggs aren’t traditional toppings by any means, but they sure hit the spot. Eggs, soft-scrambled in the bacon fat with mirin and soy sauce, serve as a gently sweetened duvet for the rice and a counter to the salty bacon. Mirin, the Japanese rice wine, does a lot of work here to take ordinary eggs and rice to restaurant-flavor heights. To level up the rice, stir in 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon mirin while fluffing it. A sprinkle of furikake (rice seasoning) and shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend) might feel like gilding the lily, but their nuanced savoriness completes this dish.
One-Pot Mushroom and Ginger Rice
Inspired by Cantonese one-bowl rice dishes like bo zai fan and sticky rice, this mushroom and ginger rice has clean yet robust flavors. The Chinese cooking technique of velveting — dusting protein in cornstarch to keep it tender and silky during cooking — is usually reserved for meat or seafood but here, the same method is used for the mushrooms, allowing them to stay juicy and plump as they cook in the rice. Crisping the rice at the bottom of the pot is optional, but if you choose to do it, stay close, listen to the sound of the sizzle, smell the aroma; if you detect any burning scents, take it off the heat immediately. At first, the rice will seem stuck to the pot, but it will release more easily once it has cooled. A dish like this would traditionally be cooked in a clay pot, so use that if you have one, but if not, a cast-iron Dutch oven will do the job.
Mortadella Carbonara
This pasta celebrates mortadella, the soft Italian cold cut made of pork seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg, and often dotted with pistachios. As ribbons of the tender, delicately spiced meat tangle with long noodles, its milky fat melts into the sauce of egg and cheese for an incredibly silky dish. By using mortadella instead of guanciale, as is traditional in carbonara, you don’t need to cook the meat first, so this dish can be made in one pot. Green peas add pops of freshness, but skip a pistachio, basil or mint garnish (tempting as it may be) to avoid detracting from the main attraction. Top the finished dish with more black pepper and Parmesan and savor all the richness mortadella has to offer.
Herby Skillet Chicken With Greens
In this easy skillet meal, seared boneless chicken thighs are nestled on a bed of herbs, browned whole garlic cloves and greens before the pan is popped into the oven to roast until golden. Just before serving, butter, lemon zest and (optional) olives or capers are tossed into the pan drippings, adding creaminess and a tangy, salty spark to the sauce. Serve this over rice or with roasted or mashed potatoes, or with bread for soaking up the drippings.
Chopped Wedge Salad
About three-quarters of the way through eating a wedge salad, the toppings are gone and you’re often left with unseasoned, watery lettuce that you have little interest in finishing. If this sounds familiar, consider messing with tradition by skipping the wedge and chopping all of the ingredients. When the salad’s elements are the same size and tossed together in a bowl, the lettuce is thoroughly dressed, and every bite is an ideal one with a perfect mix of juicy tomatoes, smoky bacon, crunchy lettuce and creamy blue cheese. A chopped wedge salad can be a meal unto itself, or serve it alongside burgers, steak or garlic bread.
Baked Tomato Pasta With Harissa and Halloumi
Keeping a jar of store-bought pasta sauce in your pantry pays high dividends in this five-ingredient recipe. Jarred pasta sauce is ripe for enhancement; here, a confident amount of harissa injects not only spice, but also a deep smoky, savory tang. This is a versatile and adaptable weeknight baked pasta: You can experiment with different flavors of sauce to achieve a different finish; try vodka sauce for a creamier finish or arrabbiata for something spicier. Grating the halloumi allows the firm, salty cheese to melt evenly through the pasta. A hefty amount of dill brings much needed lightness to this dish, but you could substitute parsley or chives.
Easy Boneless Chicken Thighs
For boneless, skinless chicken as crisp and juicy as its bone-in, skin-on counterparts, start with chicken thighs, pat them dry and sear them in a hot skillet. Thighs have enough fat that in a very dry, hot environment, they can develop a bronze crust without getting tough. Compare them to seared breasts or rotisserie chicken and you’ll notice a considerable improvement in succulence and richness of flavor. Serve these thighs with a side dish or two — say Southern fried corn, mixed sabzi or refried beans — or use them anywhere you’d use cooked chicken, like in salads, soups and enchiladas.
Adas Polo ba Khorma (Persian Lentil Rice With Dates)
Lentils and rice scented with warm spices and strewn with fried onions is a classic Persian dish with infinite variations. This minimalist take, from Nasim Alikhani, the owner of Sofreh restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, keeps things quick and simple, and uses just a few pantry-friendly ingredients. The lentils and rice are cooked together in the same pot, then layered with a mixture of caramelized onions and plump, sweet dates, as well as chopped fresh herbs for brightness. A dollop of yogurt on top adds a tart and creamy touch. Feel free to riff on this basic recipe, adding nuts for crunch, stirring in other spices like cardamom, ginger and saffron, and substituting the likes of raisins, dried apricots or dried cranberries for the dates. At Sofreh, the dish is finished with a dash of rosewater and melted butter for extra richness and perfume.