We’ve prepped your midweek meals so you don’t have to
Emily Weinstein shares five quick, easy and delicious recipes that are perfect midweek dinners – or serve them as holiday showstoppers at the weekend
It’s spring! And Passover! Chag sameach, if you observe. Personally, I like to treat Passover as an opportunity to eat matzo brei, matzo ball soup and macaroons for dinner as often as possible.
Not all of the dishes below are appropriate for the holiday (looking at you, shrimp and orzo), but the chicken and shakshuka recipes absolutely are, and they are delicious under any circumstance. That chicken is so beautiful, you could even serve it as the main course for a Seder meal.
Read more:
Sheet-pan chicken with shallots and grapes
This one-pan meal is simple enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to serve at a dinner party. Chicken thighs are quickly marinated in garlic, olive oil and za’atar, if you’d like, while the oven comes to temperature. Then, they’re roasted alongside thick wedges of shallots and sweet grapes, whose flavors are gently coaxed together and deepened by the chicken fat as they cook. Serve straight from the sheet pan, or plate on a pretty platter. Serve with a salad of chicories dressed with lemon, olive oil, anchovies and salty pecorino cheese.
By: Colu Henry
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: About 35 minutes
Ingredients
2½ to 3lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
3tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1tbsp za’atar (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 medium to large shallots, peeled and quartered root to stem
8oz seedless red or green grapes, or a combination, broken into small clusters on the vine
4 to 5 thyme sprigs, plus 2tsp finely chopped thyme
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Method
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and za’atar, if using. Season well with salt and pepper. Place the shallots and the grapes on the sheet pan and gently toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt.
2. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in between the shallots and grapes and lay the thyme sprigs on top of the mixture. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots and grapes at the edges of the pan begin to soften and caramelize.
3. Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack to sit right below it. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden. Scatter with chopped thyme and season with flaky salt.
Creamy one-pot mushroom and leek pasta
This deeply satisfying pasta, brimming with rich umami, is made in just one pot, an approach that bolsters its flavors. Once the leek and mushrooms are caramelized and sticking to the pot, they’re deglazed to lift all the extra depth from the bottom of the pan. (Use any liquid for deglazing, whether water, wine, stock, vinegar or tomato juice.) This recipe leaves the choice of mushrooms up to you: cremini and shiitake are a good combination, but you could even use rehydrated porcinis. If you are craving greens to cut through the richness, stir a few handfuls of baby spinach into the pasta just before you turn off the heat.
By: Hetty McKinnon
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
3tbsp olive oil
1 leek, white part only, finely sliced (about 5 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake or oyster, torn or sliced (about 6oz)
1 lemon, halved
1 pound short pasta, such as orecchiette, cavatappi, gemelli or penne
4 cups vegetable stock
2tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
½ to 1tsp red-pepper flakes
Method
1. Heat a wide, deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. When hot, add the olive oil and leeks, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, then stir and cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, another 2 to 3 minutes. (This allows the water from the mushrooms to evaporate, encouraging caramelization.) Add the juice of one lemon half to deglaze the pan and stir to combine.
3. Add the pasta and stock; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it. (All pasta shapes and brands will have different cooking times. You want the pasta to be just tender.)
4. Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the butter and parsley. Squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon half and stir until butter is melted and dispersed. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, top with ricotta, red-pepper flakes (to taste) and more chopped parsley.
Shakshuka with feta
Shakshuka may be at the apex of eggs-for-dinner recipes, although in Israel it is breakfast food, a bright, spicy start to the day with a pile of pita or challah served on the side. (It also makes excellent brunch or lunch food.) It’s a one-skillet recipe of eggs baked in a tomato-red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne. First you make that sauce, which comes together fairly quickly on top of the stove, then you gently crack each of the eggs into the pan, nestling them into the sauce. The pan is moved into the oven to finish. Shakshuka originated in North Africa, and like many great dishes there are as many versions as there are cooks who have embraced it. This one strays from more traditional renditions by adding crumbled feta cheese, which softens into creamy nuggets in the oven’s heat.
By: Melissa Clark
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp sweet paprika
⅛tsp ground cayenne, or to taste
1 (28oz) can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped
¾tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
¼tsp black pepper, plus more as needed
5oz feta, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large eggs
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
Method
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in crumbled feta.
2. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce.
Shrimp scampi with orzo
The universal appeal of shrimp scampi, frankly, isn’t the shrimp but the pan sauce: garlicky butter lightened with white wine and bursts of lemon, parsley and red-pepper flakes. Scampi is often tossed with pasta or served with crusty bread, but this version instead uses quick-cooking orzo. It simmers directly in the pan sauce, imparting a starchy gloss — and soaking up the garlicky scampi flavors. Toss the shrimp with some garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes to marinate while the pasta gets a head start on the stove, then simply toss the shrimp on top of the orzo to steam. It all comes together in a flash and feels effortless. Pair this dish with Caesar salad, steamed broccoli or arugula, or bask in its simple comfort, straight from a spoon.
By: Ali Slagle
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1tbsp lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon juice (from 1 lemon)
½tsp red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup orzo
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 cups boiling water, seafood stock or chicken stock
3tbsp finely chopped parsley
Method
1. In a medium bowl, stir together shrimp, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and half the garlic. Set aside to marinate. (This step can be done up to 1 hour in advance.)
2. Add butter, remaining olive oil and remaining garlic to a medium skillet set over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the orzo and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the garlic from burning. Carefully add the wine — it will bubble — and stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in water, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until orzo is al dente, about 12 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp in a snug, even layer on top of the orzo, cover, and cook until all the shrimp is pink and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Coconut-miso salmon curry
This light, delicate weeknight curry comes together in less than 30 minutes and is defined by its deep miso flavor. Miso is typically whisked into soups toward the end of the recipe, but sweating it directly in the pot with ginger, garlic and a little oil early on helps the paste caramelize, intensifying its earthy sweetness. Adding coconut milk creates a rich broth that works with a wide range of seafood. Salmon is used here, but flaky white fish, shrimp or scallops would all benefit from this quick poaching method. A squeeze of lime and a flurry of fresh herbs keep this curry bright and citrusy. For a hit of heat, garnish with sliced fresh jalapeño or serrano chile peppers.
By: Kay Chun
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
2tbsp safflower or canola oil
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced ½in thick (about 2 cups)
1 (1in) piece fresh ginger, minced (about 2tbsp)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
¼ cup white miso
½ cup unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk
1 (1½lbs) salmon fillet, cut into 2in pieces
5oz baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
1tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Steamed rice, such as jasmine or basmati, for serving
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Method
1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion, ginger and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add miso and cook, stirring frequently, until miso is lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk and 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in salmon, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in spinach and lime juice.
3. Divide rice among bowls. Top with salmon curry, basil and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top.
© New York Times
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies