Weeknight
3434 recipes found
Cold Noodles With Tomatoes
Halved cherry tomatoes provide a strong flavor foundation for this cold noodle dish that’s at once savory like gazpacho and refreshingly satiating like naengmyeon, the chilled Korean noodle soup. Inspired, too, by oi naengguk, a hydrating cold cucumber soup, this dish leans into the wonders of ripe tomatoes and lets you taste them as they are: raw and juicy. Julienned cucumber would taste wonderful here, as would supple poached shrimp or halved hard-boiled eggs.
Grilled Porgy With Lemons and Scallions
Porgy is a fish that takes beautifully to grilling whole, filled with aromatic ingredients. Here, Ayesha Nurdjaja, the chef of Shuka in New York City, stuffs the fish with lemon and herbs. When lightly charred, the skin of the fish becomes crispy and delicious. One way to guarantee that your fish will lift easily off the grill is to have clean, well-oiled grates, and if you're willing to sacrifice a couple of extra bunches of scallions, lay them on the grill, then put the fish on top. The scallions will burn away, but the fish will release. Fennel fronds work the same way. Ms. Nurdjaja tops the fish with a lightly-dressed arugula salad — but it’s just as delicious on its own.
Chicken Salad With Nectarines and Goat Cheese
Crunchy and creamy, sweet and tangy, this main dish salad is a new take on the goat cheese, spinach and fruit salads of the 1980s. Lemon-kissed nectarines and shallots are tossed with chicken, pita chips and greens. A mature green like spinach adds heft, but any salad green works. Goat cheese cream hidden beneath the salad is a delightful surprise; you get a bit of the tangy cream every few bites. Make it vegetarian by nixing the chicken and adding white beans to the nectarines in Step 1. Embellish freely with thinly sliced beets, sunflower seeds, sliced jalapeños or soft herbs, or swap in another stone fruit like apricots or cherries.
Tofu Larb
Larb, a ground meat dish seasoned with fresh herbs popular in the Northeastern and Northern regions of Thailand, originated in Laos where it's known as laab. This vegan version requires minimal cooking and features crumbled extra-firm tofu, which soaks up the spicy, citrusy sauce like a sponge. Toasted ground rice is a traditional addition that adds a lovely aroma and nuttiness while thickening the sauce. Makrut lime leaves and crispy fried shallots can be found at Asian grocery stores, at some larger supermarket chains, or online, but both can be omitted. Crispy shallots bring a bit of crunch on top, but chopped, roasted peanuts would also work. Eat it with lettuce leaves for a light meal, or if you’re looking for something more substantial, serve it with sticky or regular rice. For those who are looking for even more spice, top with sliced fresh chiles. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Tofu Laab
Laab (also spelled larb), a ground meat dish seasoned with fresh herbs popular in the Northeastern and Northern regions of Thailand, originated in Laos. This vegan version requires minimal cooking and features crumbled extra-firm tofu, which soaks up the spicy, citrusy sauce like a sponge. Toasted ground rice is a traditional addition that adds a lovely aroma and nuttiness while thickening the sauce. Makrut lime leaves and crispy fried shallots can be found at Asian grocery stores, at some larger supermarket chains, or online, but both can be omitted. Crispy shallots bring a bit of crunch on top, but chopped, roasted peanuts would also work. Eat it with lettuce leaves for a light meal, or if you’re looking for something more substantial, serve it with sticky or regular rice. For those who are looking for even more spice, top with sliced fresh chiles. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham
Nuoc cham, a Vietnamese sauce bright with lime juice and chile, is tossed into this simple, satisfying salad to give it a salty-sweet finish. Thinly sliced bell pepper and shaved cabbage provide crunch, while meat pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken — or any leftover chicken — soaks up the dressing. Serve this by itself, or alongside steamed rice or room-temperature cooked rice vermicelli.
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Zucchini and Basil
In this simple weeknight recipe, chicken thighs and drumsticks are seasoned with garlic, herbs and red-pepper flakes, and roasted alongside tender chunks of zucchini that caramelize in the oven’s heat. Torn basil leaves and a squeeze of lemon give the dish sharp and tangy notes just before serving, while the optional coriander seeds tossed into the pan lend depth. This recipe comfortably serves two to three, but if you're feeding more people, feel free to double the ingredients. Divide the ingredients between two sheet-pans, and bear in mind that you might need to add a few minutes to the cooking time. Add some crusty bread or rice to soak up the savory juices, and you’ve got a summery meal that’s fresh, full of flavor and an absolute snap to make.
Grilled Merguez and Onions With Mint-Lemon Couscous
In this summery salad, spicy merguez are grilled until seared, then served over a mound of couscous and vegetables that have been seasoned with herbs, cumin and plenty of lemon. Red onions wedges, grilled on one side only, are charred and caramelized in some parts while staying crisp and pungent in others. If you can’t get merguez (which are traditional North African sausages made from lamb, beef or a combination of both), you can substitute any other spicy sausages. Choose something with a bite to contrast with the juicy sweetness of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Note that those without grill access can easily use the broiler here.
Coconut Fish and Tomato Bake
A coconut-milk dressing infused with garlic, ginger, turmeric and lime coats fish fillets in this sheet-pan dinner. Accompanying the fish are bright bursts of tomatoes which turn jammy under the broiler and relinquish some of their juices to the pan sauce. This sauce is silky enough to coat a spoon and packed with flavor. It pairs well with anything from snapper to flounder and even salmon, so choose the fillets that look best at the market. You’ll want to sop up the sauce with thick slices of grilled or toasted baguette, or spoon it over steamed rice.
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.
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.
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.
Smacked Cucumber ‘Quick Kimchi’
This is not a traditional kimchi, but it approximates the flavor profile, bypassing a lengthier fermentation and instead relying on vinegar. Considered a muchim in Korean — which can refer to any number of “seasoned” or “dressed” salads or other preparations — this dish is best eaten right away, or at least within 24 hours, while cucumber’s characteristic crunch is still intact. The smacking step creates craggy edges that help better absorb the spicy, funky dressing, so don’t skip it. If you can, place a bowl under the colander in Step 1 to catch the cucumber brine; it tastes fabulous in a martini. Enjoy this as a side salad alongside any grilled main dish, especially steak, or any type of barbecue. For a vegetarian option, you can swap out the fish sauce for soy sauce.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chicken Ragù Hand Pies
Leftover chicken ragù — or really any savory filling that is not too liquid — can be tucked inside this tender dough to make baked hand pies. They can be frozen before or after baking, then tucked into lunches and eaten at room temperature. A couple of rounds of prepared pie dough from the grocery store would make a quick and easy substitution.