Three of this week's dishes — the pork stir-fry, the salmon tacos, and the bang bang tofu — come together in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, which is about right for a Tuesday. The chicken skewers need most of an afternoon to marinate, though almost none of that is active time. The mujadara is the real commitment: a couple of hours of simmering lentils and rice, finished with a crown of deep-fried onions for the grown-up bowl. Look at the week ahead and slot each recipe where it fits.
This Week's Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk)
- Pork, Asparagus and Snap Pea Stir-Fry
- Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
- Bang Bang Tofu
- Mujadara (Lentils and Rice With Fried Onions)
1. Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk)
A Lebanese grilled chicken plate built around toum — the punchy, almost-aioli emulsion of raw garlic, lemon, and oil you'll find behind the counter at any shawarma shop worth going to. The chicken marinates, goes onto skewers, and hits the grill until the edges char and the inside is done, then comes off onto warm pita with extra toum for spooning.
The split happens at step 3, when toum gets whisked into the marinade alongside coriander and tomato. Once that garlic emulsion coats the chicken, there's no walking it back. Pull a portion of chicken out before the toum goes in and marinate it separately with just vegetable oil, lemon, and a little coriander. Grill those skewers right alongside the adult ones and serve them plain with pita. Before plating for younger kids, pull the chicken off the skewers and cut it into pieces no larger than half an inch. Make sure the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
Adults get the full experience: charred, toum-glossed chicken on pita with another spoonful of the garlic sauce on the side.
The Split: Adults get toum-marinated chicken with extra garlic sauce; kids get plain herb-marinated chicken on pita.
Serves: 4 | Time: Approx 4 hours (includes marinating) | Epicurious →
2. Pork, Asparagus and Snap Pea Stir-Fry
A fast weeknight stir-fry: honey-glazed ground pork with asparagus and snap peas over rice. About fifteen minutes of prep and ten minutes in the wok, which means it's plausible even on a tired night.
The split lands at step 8, when the chile-garlic vinegar mixture goes in off-heat to finish the dish. Plate the kid portion before that step, while the pork and vegetables are still in their honey-caramelized phase, and finish their bowl with a little plain soy and a few drops of sesame oil. For kids under four, cut snap peas lengthwise and then into pieces no larger than half an inch. Keep scallion pieces to an inch at most, and reach for low-sodium soy if you have it.
Adults get the full chile-garlic finish: vinegar-bright, lightly hot, scallion-flecked over rice.
The Split: Adults get a chile-garlic vinegar finish over rice; kids get honey-glazed pork with plain soy.
Serves: 4 | Time: 25m | NYT Cooking →
3. Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
Oven-baked taco-seasoned salmon, a bright mango-corn-cucumber salsa, mashed avocado, soft tortillas, lime, and a drizzle of honey. Twenty-five minutes start to finish, and the whole thing is designed for people to build their own plate, which is most of the reason it works.
The split is the assembly at step 6. Once the salmon comes out of the oven and the salsa is chopped, everyone at the table controls what goes in their tortilla. Kids can keep it simple: avocado or refried beans and flaked salmon, salsa offered on the side as a dip if they want it. Flake the salmon into small pieces and make sure it hit 145°F internally. Check that the corn in the salsa is fully cooked and soft, dice the cucumber small enough that it's not a texture issue, and confirm the taco seasoning is age-appropriate before it goes on the fish.
Adults pile on the whole thing: avocado, salmon, a generous heap of mango-corn-cucumber salsa, a squeeze of lime, and the honey drizzle that pulls it together.
The Split: Adults pile on mango-corn salsa, avocado, lime, and honey; kids keep it tortilla, avocado, and flaked salmon.
Serves: 4 | Time: 25m | Pinch of Yum →
4. Bang Bang Tofu
Air-fried tofu tossed in a glossy bang bang sauce of sweet chili, mayo, and Sriracha, served over rice with sesame seeds. The whole appeal is the contrast: crisp edges on tofu that's still soft inside, coated in something that's sweet first and spicy second.
The split happens at step 5, when the bang bang sauce goes into the skillet and caramelizes onto the tofu. Once it coats the pieces, the heat is in there to stay. Set aside a portion of crisped tofu before the sauce hits the pan and toss those pieces with something milder: honey-soy, or plain sweet chili without the Sriracha. Make sure all tofu pieces are soft enough to break apart with gentle pressure, not brittle or hard. Hold the sesame seeds for kids under four, or crush them before sprinkling. Use low-sodium soy if you have it, and check the sweet chili sauce label for tree nuts or shellfish paste.
Adults get the caramelized, slightly fiery version: Sriracha-mayo-sweet-chili tofu over rice with a little extra sauce on top.
The Split: Adults get the full bang bang sriracha-mayo glaze; kids get tofu with a milder honey-soy finish.
Serves: 4 | Time: 35m | Pinch of Yum →
5. Mujadara (Lentils and Rice With Fried Onions)
This one's a harder sell — a slow, savory lentil-and-rice dish topped with deeply caramelized fried onions isn't naturally where kids gravitate, and with a two-hour cook time, this is a weekend dinner, not a Wednesday one. The base itself is genuinely mild though, cumin-scented with a little sweetness from the onions cooked into it, and that's what you're leaning on for the kid bowl.
The split comes at step 4, when the deep-fried onion crown goes on top, sharp, crunchy, and visually dramatic for the adult plate. Skip it for the kids and serve the lentil-and-rice base with a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil. Plain yogurt on the side at a comfortable temperature works well. Keep an eye on salt as the lentils cook, since sodium builds up quietly in dishes like this, and consider rinsing the lentils before they go in. Mince any fresh herbs finely, and hold the sumac entirely for younger eaters.
Adults get the full plate: crispy fried onions, garlicky yogurt, sumac, and fresh herbs scattered across the top.
The Split: Adults get crispy fried onions, garlicky yogurt, and sumac; kids get the soft cumin lentil-rice base.
Serves: 6 | Time: 2h | NYT Cooking →
If you're picking a place to start, the salmon tacos are it. A build-your-own taco night where kids decide exactly how much mango-cucumber salsa goes in their tortilla tends to go quietly, which is all you can really ask.
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