Weeknight

3433 recipes found

Dry-Brined Salmon
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May 12, 2023

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.

8h 15m4 servings
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole 
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May 11, 2023

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. 

1h 15m4 servings
Snap Pea Salad With Walnuts and Parmesan
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May 11, 2023

Snap Pea Salad With Walnuts and Parmesan

For an especially bright snap pea salad, skip the oil and coat blanched snap peas with punchy mustard and lemon juice. Toasted walnuts and shavings of Parmesan add richness and crunch, while a shower of fresh mint adds freshness. This salad is great right when you make it but can also be made ahead and eaten cold from the fridge. How’s that for bright and breezy cooking?

30m3 to 4 servings
Stovetop BBQ Chicken
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May 10, 2023

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.)

30m3 to 4 servings
Asparagus, Spinach and Leek Soup
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May 10, 2023

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.

40m4 servings
Asparagus Mushroom Grain Bowl
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May 10, 2023

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.

30m4 servings
Asparagus-Feta Pasta
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May 10, 2023

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.

25m4 to 6 servings
Chicken and Artichoke Francese
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May 9, 2023

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.

1h4 servings
Fried Cheese and Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy
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May 6, 2023

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.

30m4 servings
Sausage Tortellini Soup
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May 6, 2023

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).

45m4 servings
Edamame Pesto Pasta
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May 5, 2023

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.

30m4 to 6 servings
Saltfish Buljol (Salted Cod Salad)
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May 5, 2023

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.

30m4 servings
Slow Cooker Harissa Bean and Couscous Stew
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May 4, 2023

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.

6h 30m6 servings
Kali Mirch Karahi (Black Pepper Chicken) 
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May 3, 2023

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.

30m4 servings 
Crisp Gnocchi With Sausage and Peas
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May 3, 2023

Crisp Gnocchi With Sausage and Peas

This quick skillet dinner combines crisp gnocchi and brawny sausage with sweet pops of peas and herbs. It tastes like spring, but it can be prepared perennially — and without any chopping or waiting for water to boil. (That’s right, you don’t need to boil the gnocchi before searing.) Draped in a combination of mustard and melted Parmesan, the dish is creamy, with a salty bite like cacio e pepe. However, if plush Alfredo is what you’re craving, you could add a splash of heavy cream along with the browned gnocchi in Step 4.

25m4 servings
Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
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May 2, 2023

Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

Oyakodon is pure bliss, combining the ease of lightly poached chicken with the velvety richness of eggs and onions simmered in sauce. In Japanese, oya means parent, while ko translates to child. Consequently, chicken and egg come together in a blend of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. A perfect weekday meal, oyakodon cooks in just under 30 minutes and is delightful alongside pickles and a bowl of miso soup. The chicken and egg bowl is a dream of soulfulness ladled over rice. Leftovers, if you have any, will hold in the refrigerator for a day.

40m2 to 4 servings
Chicken Galbi Noodle Salad
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May 2, 2023

Chicken Galbi Noodle Salad

This weeknight noodle salad is inspired by Korean galbi, short ribs that are seasoned in a garlic-ginger soy sauce marinade sweetened with sugar, onion and grated Asian pear. Fast-cooking ground chicken simmers in a simplified galbi sauce with garlic, ginger, scallions and sesame oil, quickly soaking in all of the aromatics. Allow the chicken to cook for a minute or two after the sauce has been absorbed, which creates crispy, caramelized bits. Don’t skip out on the basil, which instantly brightens the dish. The salad can be made a few hours ahead and is tasty both warm and at room temperature.

40m4 servings
Mushroom Piccata
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Apr 29, 2023

Mushroom Piccata

A brilliant combination of fat (butter), acidity (lemon) and salt (capers), tangy piccata sauce makes an excellent dressing for meaty, earthy mushrooms. Piccata refers to the Italian American dish of thinly sliced meat (typically veal or chicken) that’s dredged in flour, browned and served in a sauce of lemon, butter and capers. Though this dish would be delicious with just one type of mushroom, selecting a mix provides a broader range of textures and flavors. Grill them for smoky notes, or simply roast them in the oven for ease on a weeknight. The bright, piquant piccata pan sauce comes together quickly while the mushrooms cook. Leftovers turn into a fantastic salad the next day; simply chop the mushrooms and toss with leafy greens and more olive oil.

30m4 servings
Sheet-Pan Chile Crisp Salmon and Asparagus
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Apr 27, 2023

Sheet-Pan Chile Crisp Salmon and Asparagus

A mixture of chile crisp, soy sauce and honey coats salmon bites that roast alongside scallions and asparagus for a quick and colorful weeknight dinner. While the salmon doesn’t need to be cubed, it’s an easy and enjoyable way to eat it; the bite-size pieces can be served over rice, cooked grains or big salads. Much like a grain bowl component, this recipe is versatile, and works as an add-on or base. Finish it as you’d like: Try some gently torn fresh cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, flaky sea salt, lime slices or an extra drizzle of chile crisp.

20m4 servings 
Thai-Style Crunchy Vegetable Salad
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Apr 25, 2023

Thai-Style Crunchy Vegetable Salad

Inspired by Thai green papaya salad, this vibrant dish boasts a colorful medley of thinly sliced raw veggies; they’re electrified by a lime-and-fish sauce vinaigrette. This recipe builds upon a base of fresh asparagus, which is supercrisp, with a sweet, mildly grassy flavor, and cherry tomatoes. You can combine them with any mix of vegetables that are on hand: Radishes, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, cabbage and yellow bell peppers are all great additions, each bringing their unique flavor and texture to the party. The just-tossed salad is bright and crunchy, but if you happen to wind up with leftovers, let the vegetables marinate in the dressing overnight and they transform into a pickled side dish that’s delightful in sandwiches or with grilled steak.

20m4 servings
One-Pot Tortellini With Meat Sauce
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Apr 22, 2023

One-Pot Tortellini With Meat Sauce

This no-chop, one-pot wonder comes together in 45 minutes with just a handful of pantry staples. Refrigerated or frozen tortellini plump in a meat sauce that’s brawny with hot or sweet Italian sausage and garlic. Finish the dish with a grating of Parmesan, or even a blanket of melted mozzarella, if you would like to turn it into more of a baked pasta.

45m4 to 6 servings
Tofu Marsala With Asparagus 
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Apr 22, 2023

Tofu Marsala With Asparagus 

A vegetarian take on the classic Italian American dish, tofu cutlets stand in for the traditional chicken or veal and pair perfectly with the creamy mushroom sauce. Combining different mushrooms brings intense flavor to the dish; even adding a few shiitakes alongside white button mushrooms will add surprising depth. The cornstarch does two important things here: It helps create a crispy coating on the tofu, which keeps the interior soft, and it helps thicken the pan sauce during the final few minutes of simmering. A final addition of fresh asparagus puts a bright spin on the rich dish.

35m4 servings
Pork Bulgogi With Spring Vegetables
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Apr 21, 2023

Pork Bulgogi With Spring Vegetables

In this easy recipe, a deeply flavored Korean bulgogi marinade is paired with sliced pork, which is seared in a skillet with snow peas, radishes and mushrooms. You can use the basic recipe as a template, substituting other proteins like chicken, tofu or, most traditionally, beef for the pork, and whatever quick-cooking vegetables you like: cherry tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli florets are all great options. Don’t worry about browning the pork here. The goal is to sear it long enough to just cook it through, while the sauce condenses and caramelizes, coating the meat and vegetables.

50m4 servings
Ginger-Scallion Steamed Fish
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Apr 20, 2023

Ginger-Scallion Steamed Fish

Connie Chung wanted to add steamed whole fish — a dish served at the Cantonese banquet meals of her childhood — to the menu at Milu, her restaurant in New York City. But to make it work in a fast-casual setting, she needed to make some changes. She wanted to keep the tender fish heady with soy sauce, ginger and scallions, but it had to hold up during delivery and be easy to eat. She landed on steaming cubed fish with soy sauce and a ginger-scallion stock, a forgiving method that isn’t stinky or splattery and results in deeply seasoned, buttery fish. While any firm fish works in this adaptation, Ms. Chung uses salmon, her mom’s suggestion. At Milu, this dish is served with rice, charred broccoli, a watercress-cilantro salad and a ginger-scallion oil, but would also be great in a nori hand roll, over salad greens or tossed with ramen.

25m4 servings