By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
Our cookbook has arrived! “Easy Weeknight Dinners: 100 Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals for Busy People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat,” inspired by this newsletter and all of you, was released Tuesday. I’m thrilled for you to see it.
In honor of the book’s debut, we’re featuring the cover dish: Melissa Clark’s chicken with tomatoes, pancetta and mozzarella, a must-make for anyone who appreciates saucy, bubbling-skillet vibes. The other four recipes here are all brand-new in the NYT Cooking universe, classics in the making that could someday fill another book.
We have a few events scheduled, starting with a live taping of the “Taste” podcast Tuesday night in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. I’ll be appearing with Ali Slagle, weeknight-cooking queen. Please join us at the Talea taproom in Williamsburg from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. I’ll be in Montclair, New Jersey, with Melissa Clark on Thursday; in Washington, D.C., with Eric Kim on Monday; and in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday.
In addition to the cookbook, I’ve got another important birthday on the calendar: My older kid is turning 7, and I’m making her a birthday cake, one of my favorite food rituals. She requested chocolate cake, but with vanilla buttercream frosting and a cat theme to be determined. (If I’m making you buttercream, it’s because I really care; I’m a cream cheese frosting devotee.)
1. Skillet Chicken With Tomatoes, Pancetta and Mozzarella
With a topping of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, it’s no wonder that I always think of this easy skillet dish as “pizza chicken.” It’s a tangy, milky, gooey, lovable meal that’s somewhat reminiscent of chicken Parmesan, but with succulent bone-in chicken pieces instead of breaded and fried cutlets. Even better, it has pancetta and anchovies for complexity of flavor, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (or use a 3 1/2-pound chicken cut into 8 pieces)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 ounces pancetta, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 large basil sprig, plus more chopped basil for serving
- 8 ounces bocconcini, halved (or use mozzarella cut into 3/4-inch pieces)
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large ovenproof skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. Add chicken to skillet. Sear, turning only occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil.
4. Add garlic, anchovy and red pepper flakes to skillet; fry 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spatula, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.
5. Return chicken to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.
6. Scatter bocconcini or mozzarella pieces over skillet. Adjust oven temperature to broil. Return skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with pancetta and chopped basil before serving.
2. Corn and Cod Green Curry
By Ali Slagle
In this light, Thai-inspired curry, a trio of sweet ingredients — corn, coconut milk and fish — pair with the fruity and fragrant aromatics of green curry paste, which includes green chiles, lemon grass and galangal. Finishing with lime, basil and thinly sliced bok choy further brightens each bite. (The bok choy is cooked only a bit so that its crunchy stems and silky greens provide contrasting textures.) Instead of fresh corn, you can substitute 5 cups of frozen and unthawed corn kernels. Serve the curry on its own or with rice or rice noodles.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 ears of corn (or 5 cups frozen corn kernels)
- 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger (no need to peel)
- 4 ounces (1/3 cup) green curry paste
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral oil such as grapeseed
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
- Juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
- Basil or cilantro leaves, for serving
- Thinly sliced Thai bird or serrano chile, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Use the blunt edge of the knife to scrape any corn milk off the cobs into the bowl.
2. Into a large pot, finely grate the ginger. Add the curry paste and oil and set over medium. Stir until fragrant, darkened and sticking to the pot, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, then fill the can halfway up with water and add to the pot (about 1 cup water). Scrape the stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the corn and fish sauce. Simmer until flavorful and slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the fish and simmer until cooked through and flaky, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the bok choy and lime juice. (The bok choy will wilt off the heat.) Season to taste with fish sauce. Serve topped with the herbs and chiles as you like.
3. Seared Tofu With Kimchi
A simple, meatless weeknight recipe, this tofu and kimchi braise has deep flavors but comes together in just 30 minutes. The two main ingredients are tofu and kimchi. Equally delicious warm or at room temperature, this tofu braise makes a fun addition to meal prep. Serve it with rice, to soak up the delicious kimchi sauce, or tuck the tofu and kimchi into a sandwich. Store-bought kimchi vary in flavor and salt level, and the more fermented kimchi will be softer, juicier and a bit more sour. The recipe can take all levels of fermentation, but adjust seasoning as you see fit, sweetening with sugar or salting with extra soy sauce.
By Sue Li
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, drained and cut crosswise into 8 equal slices
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 scallions, root ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup store-bought or homemade napa cabbage kimchi, coarsely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Cooked rice (optional), for serving
Preparation
1. Pat tofu pieces dry between sheets of paper towel.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. When the oil is shimmering, add the tofu in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly golden on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the scallions and kimchi to the same pan with the tofu and gently move the tofu pieces around to incorporate them into the kimchi mixture. Cook until the kimchi wilts a little, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kimchi juice, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 cup water.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then adjust heat to medium and simmer until the tofu has absorbed some of the flavors but the mixture remains saucy, 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Serve with rice or on its own.
4. Spinach One-Pot Pasta
This shockingly simple dish achieves success thanks to a small yet mighty powerhouse: Salty, umami-rich anchovies melt into the cooking oil, giving the dish subtle complexity and oomph. This pasta uses only a few ingredients and just one pot, and the method is smart and streamlined: As you boil your pasta, you set your spinach in a colander then drain the cooked pasta directly on top. You’ll dissolve the anchovies in olive oil in the empty pot, then return the cooked pasta and wilted spinach to the pot, along with cheese and red-pepper flakes, stirring to form a glossy sauce that is aided by the moisture released by the spinach. A great back-pocket recipe for nights when prep work seems impossible, this recipe is a satisfying meal all on its own, but feel free to stir in some white beans if you’d like to bulk it up.
By Yasmin Fahr
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Salt
- 12 ounces short-shaped pasta, such as orecchiette or fusilli
- 1 pound mature spinach, tough ends trimmed, or about 1 1/4 pounds (two 10-ounce bags) baby spinach
- Olive oil
- 4 to 6 oil-packed anchovies, depending on preference
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing, if desired
- 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, halved
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
2. Place the spinach in a large colander in the sink. Drain the pasta over the spinach. Drizzle with oil and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking.
3. Wipe out the pot and place over medium-high heat. Carefully add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the anchovies (it might splatter) and stir until they start to dissolve, about 30 seconds.
4. Pour the pasta and spinach into the pot, add the cheese and red-pepper flakes and stir until a glossy sauce forms and the spinach fully wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. If the pasta looks dry, add the reserved pasta water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time. Use two forks to separate any spinach clumps, if needed.
5. Squeeze a lemon half over everything. Taste and season as needed with more salt or lemon. Garnish with more cheese, if desired.
5. Garlicky Shrimp Tacos
A nod to gambas al ajillo, the immensely popular Spanish tapas dish of garlic prawns, this recipe tucks garlic shrimp into festive tacos that can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes. There are very few ingredients involved, but they all pack a punch. The quick-cooking shrimp are seared and finished in olive oil that’s infused with lots of fragrant garlic and rich, smoky paprika. Be sure to save the robust oil that’s left in the skillet and enjoy it drizzled over your tacos. Dress them up with crisp sliced radishes, creamy avocado, spicy pico de gallo and fresh, herbaceous cilantro, plus a final squeeze of lime to brighten all the flavors.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- Salt
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 2 dozen)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Warm corn tortillas, sliced avocado, sliced radishes, pico de gallo and cilantro leaves, for serving
Preparation
1. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season shrimp with salt and add half to the skillet; sear for 1 minute on each side and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp.
3. Adjust heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic and paprika to the skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp (and any accumulated juices) and cook, turning and basting, until opaque, just cooked through and nicely coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl.
4. To build tacos, pile a few shrimp in the center of each tortilla and drizzle with some of the garlic oil. Top with avocado, radishes, pico de gallo, cilantro and lime crema. Serve with lime wedges.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
