Weeknight Meals

Using a sliced whole lemon gives you unbeatable fresh aroma from the skin, bitter complexity from the pith, and tart, puckery juice from the flesh. Thin slices soften evenly and ensure that the lemon plays nicely with the pasta, butter, and Parmesan.

We took loose inspiration from Hainanese chicken rice to create this weeknight-friendly dish that retains the comforting and fragrant qualities of the beloved original.

Dried barberries are incredibly tart, more so than any other dried fruit you’ll encounter. Look for them at Middle Eastern markets or specialty foods stores, or order them online. 

Coconut milk and lots of aromatics bring life into this fish chowder. And just when you thought oyster crackers couldn’t get better, you’ll cook them in butter and smother them in paprika.

This rich, flavorful Nigerian dish brings together bold chile heat, the pleasant funk of fermented locust beans and dried shrimp, and a good dose of Old Bay.

Using both syrupy date molasses and pitted, sliced dates gives this dish rounded sweetness. It gets a dash of sourness from apple cider vinegar and some heat from cayenne.

This recipe from Bryant Terry highlights the earthy taste and the toothsome texture of collards, and offsets the greens with tofu that’s been soaked in a Jamaican-inspired marinade.

These turkey burgers are my nod to the Mediterranean, packed with fresh herbs, lemon, and red onion.

This soup coaxes big flavors from a short ingredient list. Patiently browning the onions and garlic is essential to adding flavor and depth to the finished dish.

Thai green curry paste packs potent flavor into this one-pan, eight-ingredient, weeknight-friendly chicken dinner.

Bright in color and flavor, the silky sauce for these meatballs is made from a purée of coconut cream, Thai green curry paste, and spinach.

Green curry with chicken and eggplant from Chef Hong Thaimee.

No, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to love what’s going on here. Cauliflower and mushrooms provide richness and toothiness that do justice to the meaty original.

Mashing some chickpeas into the sizzling chorizo adds heft while keeping this meal light on the meat

Our simple technique of draining before frying makes the tofu extra-crispy, and perfect for absorbing the salty-sweet flavors of maple syrup, soy sauce, and fresh ginger.

Chances are you’re trimming off and discarding way too much of your broccoli stems. The stems are so flavorful, they should be their own vegetable.

We took the classic, beloved Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook and made it weeknight-friendly by using quick-cooking pork tenderloin instead. 

Gluten-free meatballs are as easy as adding cooled cooked rice instead of bread to ground meat.

A punchy, chile-spiked fish sauce vinaigrette works as both marinade and dressing for glass noodles and handfuls of basil and cucumber.

Red split lentils cook even more quickly than other types, making them ideal for weeknight dinners. Turn them into a meal by pairing with savory spiced greens.