Weeknight
3491 recipes found
Squash and Spinach Salad With Sesame Vinaigrette
This vibrant squash salad can stand on its own as a main salad or as a side to accompany all sorts of roasted meats or fish. Kabocha squash can be cooked with its skin on, and a simple roast results in supersweet, creamy flesh. The triple-sesame vinaigrette combines sesame seeds for crunch, tahini for smooth texture and toasted sesame oil for rich, nutty flavor. Equally tasty warm or at room temperature, this salad is super adaptable. (Delicata or acorn squash also have edible skins and are great alternatives.) It makes a terrific lunch, with the addition of beans or soft-boiled eggs for extra protein.
Stuffing Panzanella With Cranberry Vinaigrette
The best way to reheat leftover stuffing? Press it into a pan, cut it into cubes and fry it in oil until crisp. The exterior browns and caramelizes, while the inside remains tender and creamy, just like the best bread pudding. This trick works best with stuffing made from smaller pieces of bread, but even if you don’t end up with perfect cubes, they will still be delicious. Serve them warm, on top of a fresh, raw salad tossed in a tangy cranberry-mustard vinaigrette, with fried pepitas running throughout for even more crunch. If you use a homemade cranberry sauce for the dressing, you may want to sweeten it with a touch of honey.
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Mexican refried beans are a cinch to make at home on a weeknight thanks to some staple pantry items and a few basic fresh ingredients. Buttery canned pinto beans are perfect in this dish, breaking down into a creamy, silky mixture. (Black beans would also work great.) While the beans are often fried in lard or bacon drippings, this vegetarian version builds flavor with caramelized onion, bell pepper, garlic and smoked paprika instead. Pico de gallo adds a touch of tang to counter the rich beans. Pan-frying the wrapped burritos guarantees a golden, irresistibly crispy exterior and an interior that oozes with melted cheese.
Purê de Mandioca (Creamy Yuca Purée)
For some Brazilians in the United States, yuca purée takes the place of mashed potatoes on the Thanksgiving table. In Brazil, where yuca is indigenous and abundant, the root vegetable is often peeled, boiled and mashed. Milk and butter make the purée rich and creamy. This recipe was provided by Thailine Kolb, who learned the dish from her mother, Liomar dos Santos Paula Araujo. In Brazil, her mother serves the dish at Christmas, but Mrs. Kolb, who lives in New Haven, Conn., has embraced it as a Thanksgiving tradition. You can use fresh or frozen yuca, with similar results. If using fresh, be careful when cutting the firm vegetable and removing the outer bark. When using fresh or frozen yuca, be sure to remove and discard the starchy core before eating.
Roasted Chickpeas and Peppers With Goat Cheese
In this quick, colorful sheet-pan dinner, sweet bell peppers and spicy chiles caramelize as they roast, becoming even more intense under the oven’s high heat. Crunchy chickpeas and soft bits of goat cheese add flavor, texture and protein, rounding out the dish. Most of the work here takes place in the oven, leaving you free to make a salad if you want a cool and crisp accompaniment. Note that this recipe serves two or three; if you want to double it, be sure to use two sheet pans and add a few minutes to the cooking time so everything has a chance to turn golden brown.
Lemony Fish and Orzo Soup
This warming, weeknight one-pot meal is inspired by avgolemono, the Greek lemony chicken soup that’s rendered silky from egg whisked into its broth. Here, the technique of adding an egg mixture at the end creates a creamy soup that remains light in body. Mild, flaky fish, such as sea bass or cod, pairs beautifully with the buttery leek-and-garlic broth, which is fortified with clam juice for extra briny flavor. Orzo adds texture, while a final addition of freshly grated ginger brightens the soup. For a thicker, stew-like meal, make the soup an hour ahead and let it rest at room temperature (it will thicken as it sits); gently reheat before serving.
Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta
Like a cross between baked ziti and sausage lasagna, this mozzarella-topped pasta is rich with ricotta and crushed tomatoes — and cooks entirely in one pan, including the pasta. The Italian sausage adds meaty depth to the sauce, but vegetarians can leave it out or use their favorite plant-based sausage instead.
Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta
With a flavor profile inspired by pasta e fagioli, this weeknight pasta recipe coaxes rich flavor out of simple ingredients while enlisting the oven to create a luscious sauce from roasted tomatoes and white beans. Essentially, the dish requires just three steps: Boil pasta, roast your sauce ingredients, then stir together until the pasta is glossy. When roasted in the oven, the beans become crispy, like croutons, and break down in a way that helps thicken the sauce. Though a flurry of freshly grated cheese would be welcome on top, this otherwise-vegan dish doesn’t need it: The roasted tomato sauce is rich and luscious, fortified by starchy pasta water, roasted beans and a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi
This vegetarian weeknight dinner comes together in half an hour and is made super special with the addition of halloumi. It looks like a fluffy cloud when grated, and it gives the pasta just the right amount of salty tang. Be sure to use a very fine grater, like a Microplane, when you prepare the halloumi, as it will only add to the fluffy effect (which is what you’re after). This is a full meal in its own right, but you can also serve it alongside a big green salad.
Watercress, Pistachio and Orange-Blossom Salad
Tarragon, basil, dill and cilantro are elevated from garnish to the centerpiece of this dish from Yotam Ottolenghi.
Southern Macaroni and Cheese
There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Unlike most recipes, which start with a roux, this one begins with a milk-and-egg base, which gives the dish an incredibly rich, silky taste. It’s adapted from Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx, who has been making this dish since she was a little girl. The recipe was passed down in her family for generations, but because of the generous amount of cheese used, the dish was only made for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Extra-sharp Cheddar adds tartness and a layer of Colby Jack creates a gooey, molten center. If you can’t find a Colby Jack blend, shredded mozzarella or a Mexican-style blend will work in its place.
Leek and Cod Tortilla
Inspired by tortilla Española, this version of the classic Spanish dish uses mild, sweet leeks instead of onions. The addition of paprika-seasoned cod adds unexpected bites of smoky flavor, and cutting the potatoes into small cubes allows the tortilla to cook faster. The leek- and garlic-infused cooking oil is used to make a flavorful aioli to accompany the omelet. Store leftover flavored oil in the fridge and use it to make salad dressings, to sauté greens or fry eggs.
Sloppy Joes
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Put a Dutch oven over medium-high heat on your stove, then add a glug of olive oil and sauté in it a handful of chopped onions, a couple diced ribs of celery, a diced jalapeño and a small diced red pepper. When the mixture is supersoft, add a few cloves of minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, then dump a pound and a half of ground beef into the pot — ideally the sort that is 20 percent fat — and stir and sizzle until it is well browned, about 10 minutes. Bring the heat down a bit and add a lot of tomato paste — say 3 tablespoons, maybe 4 — and let it get a little toasty before adding a cup or more of puréed canned tomatoes. Cook that down for a few minutes, then add quite a few glugs of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to taste, and continue cooking until the mixture is quite thick, another 15 or 20 minutes. Season to taste and serve on toasted potato buns. I like steamed broccoli on the side, a walk for the dog and bed. 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.
Blackened Fish With Quick Grits
Blackening is a cooking technique that uses high heat and lots of seasoning to develop distinctive flavor by nearly charring the food in a cast-iron skillet. It’s particularly good for firm, lean white fish, such as catfish, snapper, trout or redfish. The fish is traditionally dipped in melted butter, then cooked in a dry skillet, but that can create billows of smoke. This smokeless method cooks seasoned fillets in oil to create a lovely texture. The cheese grits cook in just under 5 minutes, but are extra flavorful from cooking in chicken stock and still creamy as a result of added milk and butter.
Mushroom Toast With Pea Purée
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Take a bag of frozen organic peas and heat them in a little bit of boiling water for a couple of minutes to get them warm and cooked through, then drain them off and whiz them in a food processor with a hit of olive oil, some lemon juice and, if you have any, some tarragon leaves, until it resembles a thickish purée. Next, sauté a bunch of thick-sliced portobellos (count on about two mushrooms per person) in a lot of butter with a little bit of garlic. Really cook those down. Finally, make toast from hefty slices of your favorite bread, spread them with the pea purée, top with the mushrooms and — dinner! 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.
Salmon With Sesame and Herbs
The easy-to-memorize marinade for this fast broiled salmon hits all the right notes: salty, sweet and sour. The fish emerges from the oven with caramelized, crisp skin, which contrasts nicely with a salad of fresh parsley or cilantro (or both), tossed with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Close contact with the intense heat will help crisp up the skin, while keeping the rest of the fish tender and flaky. To avoid overcooking the salmon, be sure to buy fillets that are at least 1 inch thick, and keep an eye on the fish.
Crunchy Spring Iceberg Salad
A big plate of greens may feel virtuous, but this one is also luxurious. This is a very green salad, with chunks of crisp iceberg lettuce serving as a bed for briefly blanched peas and asparagus, topped with a cooling-yet-spicy cilantro yogurt. Tearing the iceberg into bite-size chunks makes this an easy-to-eat salad, no knife required. It’s particularly great for outdoor dining or for those who need to eat with one hand. (We see you, new parents.) The feta adds lovely hints of tang and saltiness that work well with the herbaceous yogurt. The peas and asparagus bring freshness; you could also use other springtime staples such as snow peas, sugar snap peas or sliced radish. Serve with jammy boiled eggs for something heartier.
Kharra Masala Fish (Fish With Tomatoes and Onions)
The classic sweet and sour combination of onion and tomato makes the base for this quick fish kharra masala. Optional mustard seeds add pungent flavor and pair well with lemon juice, ginger and the smoldering heat of dried round red chiles. Use any kind of white fish you like and add more onion for more sweetness. Serve this bright and punchy dish with rice or roti, or by itself. For a saucier dish that’s more like a curry, stir in a half cup of water, fish stock or coconut milk after Step 2 and bring to a simmer.
Fettuccine With Ricotta and a Fistful of Mint
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Set a pot of nicely salted water over high heat to boil. When it does, add the fettuccine, then get the rest of your dinner ready as it cooks to al dente. Chop up a fistful of mint and a small shallot if you have one (half a small onion if you don’t), mixing them into a cup or two of fresh ricotta, then loosening the mixture with a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add some salt and pepper to taste, perhaps a shake of red pepper. When the pasta’s done, which’ll be about the same time as you’re done with the sauce, drain it in a colander and add it to a big warm bowl, then fold the cheese into it, mixing gently. Serve to adoration. 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.
Savory Thai Noodles With Seared Brussels Sprouts
Isa Chandra Moskowitz runs a vegan restaurant in Omaha, Neb., so she knows how to make plant-based food that meat-eaters will also like. This one-pot noodle dish, loosely based on pad Thai, has lively textures (like shredded brussels sprouts and chewy rice noodles) and super-satisfying flavors.
Salmon With Whole Lemon Dressing
Roasting salmon low and slow in one large piece means just cooked, perfectly medium-rare salmon every time. In a pinch, this recipe would work with pre-portioned salmon fillets, but make sure they are at least an inch thick, and decrease the cooking time by about 5 to 8 minutes. The lemon dressing here is tangy, floral and, yes, a little bitter (as the whole lemon is involved, pith and all). If that’s not your preferred flavor profile, feel free to only use the zest and juice.
Pasta With Chorizo, Chickpeas and Kale
Packed with the intense flavors of garlic, paprika and salt, dried chorizo sets the flavor profile of this pasta. First, the chorizo sears in a skillet to render some of its fat and flavor, then chickpeas, scallions and kale soak up its spices. Salty Manchego cheese maintains the Spanish vibes, but Parmesan or pecorino work equally well. While eight ounces of pasta might not seem like a lot, meaty chickpeas and hearty kale complete the dish.
Maangchi’s Cheese Buldak (Fire Chicken)
Cheese buldak is a Korean dish that is incredibly easy to prepare: a marinade of red-pepper paste and red-pepper flakes that becomes a fiery sauce for braised chicken, which is then served beneath a cloak of broiler-melted mozzarella. A child could do it, or an adult who often acts like one. Mine is an adaptation of a recipe that owes its deepest debt to Emily Kim, the Korean web star known as Maangchi, whose video for cheese buldak has been viewed on YouTube more than seven million times. (Omit the rice cakes if you can’t find them easily!) Thanks to subtitling by her fans, the video can be read in 24 languages. There are thousands and thousands of comments below it, mostly positive. One reads, “Can you be my mom?”
Spicy Red Pesto Pasta
Today, pesto describes many sauces that don’t necessarily adhere to the traditional formula of cheese, basil, nuts and olive oil. This red version, which is inspired by pesto alla Siciliana, the scarlet cousin of green pesto Genovese, leans on sun-dried tomatoes, nuts and tangy roasted red peppers and uses basil as a garnish only. Though pesto is traditionally pounded by hand, a food processor simplifies the effort. This pasta sauce is versatile: Crown it with lemon zest for brightness, or stir in heavy cream for extra richness. Should you find yourself with extra pesto, drizzle it over steak, slather it on sandwiches or serve it alongside a cheese board or crudités.