Weeknight
3491 recipes found
Broccoli-Dill Pasta
Bryant Terry, an Oakland, Calif., chef with two young daughters, developed this recipe to make eating broccoli a treat. It worked: Blanched and puréed with lemon, garlic and a little of what he calls “umami powder,” the broccoli transforms into a deeply flavorful vegan spread that’s also highly adaptable. Thin it with pasta water and toss it with hot noodles, as seen here, or scrape it into a bowl as a dip for crudités. Spread it onto a thick piece of toast and cover it with sliced radishes, dill and crunchy salt. Use some to drown a softly poached egg, drizzle with olive oil, and eat with a spoon, or to dress warm white beans, then shower them with black pepper and grated cheese. Whatever you do, don’t skip rinsing the broccoli with cold water after you blanch it; the step keeps the spread a vibrant green.
Vegan Mushroom Étouffée
This clever vegan re-creation of a Southern Louisiana étouffée comes from Jenné Claiborne, who included it in her 2018 cookbook "Sweet Potato Soul." Succulent oyster mushrooms stand in for the shrimp or crawfish used in a traditional étouffée. The seaweed called dulse brings a smoky, savory note and a mix of Creole and Old Bay seasoning provides the familiar flavors. Ms. Claiborne suggests spooning this over brown rice instead of the traditional white.
B.J. Dennis’s Okra Stir-Fry With Rice
Limpin’ Susan is often called the wife of Hoppin’ John, the pilau of peas and rice that Gullah cooks have made for generations in the South Carolina Sea Islands and Lowcountry, and that is also common in the Caribbean. Like Hoppin' John, the dish takes many forms depending on whose kitchen you grew up in. Some recipes start with fried bacon and end with washed long-grain rice, onions and okra steaming over simmering water for 45 minutes. Others call for simmering everything in chicken stock, or mixing chicken broth and cornstarch, then mixing the broth into cooked rice. B.J. Dennis, a Charleston chef, likes his Limpin’ Susan more like a dry stir-fry, akin to what one might eat in Trinidad. The rice is cooked ahead of time, so liquid is fully absorbed and the grains remain distinct. This recipe is vegetarian, although Mr. Dennis likes to toss in a handful of chopped shrimp when the onions are softening.
Spicy Clam Chorizo Pasta
Clams work their way into plenty of dishes in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, which is where the chef Pati Jinich picked up this recipe for pasta con salsa picante de chorizo y almejas. The dish, which she featured on an episode of her PBS show, “Pati’s Mexican Table,” is a nod to the prized clams that are harvested in and around the coastal lagoons on Mexico’s Pacific shores. It pays homage to the surf-and-turf dishes in Tijuana, where cooks find seemingly endless ways to mix meat and seafood on a single plate. The dish takes its aggressive heat from chorizo and chiles de arbol, but it can be dialed down by substituting 1/2 teaspoon or less of red-pepper flakes. The beer in the dish is Ms. Jinich’s nod to the craft-beer boom in Baja.
Pasta Alla Vodka
There’s no need to order takeout from your neighborhood restaurant when this beloved, easy-to-assemble Italian-American classic gets dinner on the table in no time. Adding pancetta brings a salty smokiness, but if you leave it out, you’re still in for a quick and flavorful dish. If you’re feeling ambitious, the pasta is delightful with Caesar salad or garlic bread, but it’s also satisfying enough to take centerstage. Put on some Puccini, open up a bottle of red and you’re guaranteed a more relaxed dining experience than the one you might get at the local red-and-white checkered-tablecloth joint.
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad With Pear and Halloumi
Salty, fried halloumi cubes are the star of this bright, lemony kale and brussels sprouts salad. Crispy, melty and squidgy all at once, they are delightfully textural. Though the kale and brussels sprouts mix can sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving, for best results, you should fry the halloumi just before you plan to eat.
Chicken Soup With Toasted Farro and Greens
Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this comforting dish starts with chicken stock seasoned with leeks, carrots and celery. Garlic and fennel seeds are toasted along with the farro to add another layer of flavor. Boneless chicken thighs are cooked in the broth, then greens are tossed in just before serving. This soup is best served right away, as the farro will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, but leftovers can be reheated with some additional broth or water over low heat. Lemon zest lends a lovely lift, but a spoonful of chile oil would also be a lively addition.
Chicken and Rice With Scallion-Ginger Sauce
Chicken and rice is a favorite combination around the world. This version, an Asian-inspired one-pot meal, coaxes a lot of flavor out of a limited ingredient list. Rinsing rice until the water runs clear helps remove extra starch on the outside of the grains and will make rice less gummy when cooked. The most essential step when cooking rice on the stovetop is to resist the urge to peek under the lid; the telltale sign that the rice is done is when the steam rising from under the lid has subsided. (In the early stages of cooking rice, there may be visible steam escaping the saucepan, but as the moisture is absorbed by the rice, you may notice less steam.)
Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad
There are two essential steps to a stellar farro salad. The first is cooking the farro with enough salt and aromatics so that it delicious before you combine it with the rest of the ingredients. The second is to use very good olive oil in the dressing. This farro salad, from the restaurant Charlie Bird in SoHo, hits both these marks. The chef Ryan Hardy cooks the farro in apple cider seasoned with bay leaves and plenty of salt, which renders it good enough to eat on its own. But it’s even better after he adds loads of olive oil, plus pistachio nuts and Parmesan cheese to make it even richer. Then, before serving, he folds in fresh vegetables to brighten it up: juicy tomatoes, radishes, arugula and plenty of herbs. There are many farro salads of this ilk out there. This is one of the best.
Enfrijoladas Pintos
In this take on enfrijoladas, chipotle makes the pinto bean sauce slightly smoky and spicy, perfect for dipping pan-fried blistered corn tortillas. If you don’t have pinto beans on hand, use black or mayocoba beans for equally delicious results. Top this dish with quick-pickled red onion, which tastes even better if you make it the day before. For a perfect weeknight meal, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, avocado slices, and a sprinkle of toasted pepitas and cilantro leaves. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Creamed Tomatoes on Toast
Juicy canned tomatoes melted into fragrant cream mimic an instant cream of tomato soup. Served over toast, they make for a simple yet indulgent breakfast, or anytime snack. This dish is inspired by a recipe in "Roast Chicken and Other Stories." In the book, Simon Hopkinson writes that his version was inspired by Edouard de Pomiane’s "Cooking in 10 Minutes." Hopkinson bakes fresh tomatoes in garlicky, minty cream for half an hour. The version below, with canned tomatoes, woody herbs and a hint of cinnamon, is there for you when fresh tomatoes aren’t — and, like de Pomiane's approach, takes closer to 10 minutes.
Coconut-Braised Collard Greens
Cooking leafy greens in coconut milk makes them sweet, soft and rich. A spike of hot sauce and some rice or grits makes this a complete vegetarian meal; you can easily replace the butter with oil to make it vegan. The recipe comes from Von Diaz, a writer who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta. She combines ingredients and influences from both places in her home cooking.
Black Bean Chili With Mushrooms
Mushrooms and black beans are the perfect pairing for a hearty weeknight chili with a kick of heat from a fresh jalapeño. Seared minced mushrooms add a depth of flavor that balances an easy homemade chili spice mix of mild chile, warm cinnamon and smoky chipotle. If you’d like, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of the broth for 1 1/2 cups of Mexican lager.
Vegan Cacio e Pepe
This speedy vegan take on cacio e pepe utilizes a classic technique: Cook the pasta just short of al dente, reserve some of the starchy pasta water to add body to the sauce, then simmer the pasta in its sauce with a splash of pasta water, stirring vigorously until the sauce is emulsified. While many dairy-free pasta recipes look to puréed, soaked cashews for their creaminess, this one cuts corners by using store-bought cashew butter. A spoonful of miso adds depth, and tangy nutritional yeast adds umami. Toasting the peppercorns boosts their flavor and softens them.
Sopa de Fideo
Sopa de fideo is a quick and comforting Mexican staple that is particularly good on a chilly weeknight. The acidity from tomatoes, the bold garlic flavor and the luscious strands of fideo, a thin noodle similar to angel hair that’s typically included in Mexican soups, make for a hearty dish. Toppings for sopa de fideo vary, but common garnishes include avocado slices, sautéed mushrooms, lime juice, queso fresco, cooked potatoes, Mexican cream — the list goes on!
Fusilli With Broccoli and Anchovies
This is Italian country cooking at its best, a simple dish that requires few ingredients and very little time. Use the same pot of water that you use to cook the broccoli for the pasta. Then finish the broccoli and anchovy mixture in a pan while the pasta is cooking, and toss the pasta with the sauce right in the pan.
Radicchio Salad With Crunchy Shiitake Mushrooms and Barley
A colorful grain salad is the perfect light meal. Here, barley adds heft and texture to a bitter leaf salad that’s balanced with a sweet-tart dressing. The sleeper hit of this recipe are the crispy shiitake mushrooms, which impart deep flavor in two ways: They are pan-seared, and the caramelization left in the pan adds extra umami to the dressing. For gluten-free diets, you could substitute buckwheat groats or brown rice in place of the pearled barley.
Shrimp Bathed in Olive Oil and Lemon
A simple but lavish bath of olive oil and lemon juice is the Italian way of showing off superfresh seafood. The key, according to Marcella Hazan, is that the dish should never see the inside of a refrigerator, which changes the texture of the seafood and the flavor of the olive oil. She calls for shrimp in this recipe, but the formula also works with squid, clams and meaty fish fillets.
Quesabirria Tacos
The little puddle of fat floating on top of a pot of birria is pure gold, stained red from chiles, and rich with all the concentrated flavors of the original stew. In other words: Don’t waste it! Instead, spoon the fat off the top of the broth and reserve it for crisping tortillas to make quesabirria tacos, pan-fried until crisp, with cheese smushing out of the edges and browning in the pan. You can enjoy the tacos with salsas or hot sauce, but the birria meat and cooking oil are so flavorful that a little cilantro and onion are all you really need.
Spicy Rice Noodles With Crispy Tofu and Spinach
Herby noodles, chile oil and crisp tofu come together in this spicy, filling bowl that will disappear before you know it. But the component parts are just as valuable on their own: Make crisp baked tofu once, and you may never pan-fry cubes again. Make a scallion-basil paste on your cutting board, and forget about pesto from the food processor. And make a little extra spicy sesame oil, so that you can swirl it into scrambled eggs and smashed cucumber salads.
Vegan Pho With Carrots, Noodles and Edamame
When I was testing my vegan pho broth for a Recipes for Health series last spring I froze a few containers of the broth; I had forgotten how good it is. I didn’t have some of the traditional ingredients for pho – bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, green chiles – so I used what I had and it was definitely pho. I used cayenne for heat and a chiffonade of romaine lettuce was a good stand-in for the bean sprouts, crunchy and fresh. Lots of chives stood in for scallions. I did without cilantro or Thai basil but had plenty of Italian basil and mint from my garden.
Vegan Chorizo
When tofu is crumbled into small bits, combined with umami-rich mushrooms and coated with big-flavor ingredients like chile guajillo, clove and oregano, it becomes a real showstopper. For this soyrizo recipe, the seasonings are similar to those used in Mexican pork chorizo, so use it in dishes where you would normally use the traditional sausage: Serve it as part of a savory breakfast, add it to veggie hash or tuck it inside tortillas for tacos topped with crunchy onion, cilantro, guacamole and lime.
Creamy Pasta With Bacon and Red Cabbage
Smoky bacon and cabbage are a classic Eastern European combination, but tossing them with pasta and a bit of cream takes them in a heartier direction. Use a short, curvy shape, such as cavatappi or fusilli, that can catch the silky sauce in its crooks. Red cabbage is called for here, but regular green or Savoy cabbage would also work well. Top any leftovers with a fried egg and, of course, extra grated cheese.
Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
Boxty, breadlike potato pancakes that originated in Ireland as early as the late 18th century, were created as a resourceful way to transform less-than-stellar potatoes into a hearty side dish. Variations of these crisp, chewy potato pancakes abound, but most involve some combination of mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, flour, baking soda or baking powder; buttermilk or eggs are sometimes added for richness. Popular in pubs but also made at home, they’re typically served as an accompaniment to stews and rich meat dishes. This recipe is adapted from “The Irish Cookbook” by Jp McMahon (Phaidon, 2020), who serves them in a more modern fashion, with smoked salmon, sour cream and pickled onions, which balance and brighten.