Some bright, easy weeknight dishes
We are still at home, and we are still cooking. Let’s acknowledge that it can be a slog. I’ve found that it helps a little when I make a recipe that brings with it some kind of small revelation or a beat of joy: a tip acquired, textures I wouldn’t have thought to pair, a flavor I haven’t thought about in a while.
So here are some dinners that might do that for you, whether it’s a good shortcut for risotto, a recipe that honors ranch dressing or the best pasta dish to cook while you can still buy great corn.
Baked Risotto With Greens and Peas
Making risotto the traditional way is wonderful if you have time and want to slip away from the world by standing at the stove, endlessly stirring; it is less wonderful when dinner just needs to be done. And so I appreciate the stirring eliminated in this pleasingly green recipe. I will be making it pronto.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Recipe by Kay Chung.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio rice ( about 7 ounces) Kosher salt and black pepper
4 ounces green or lacinato kale ( about L bunch), stems separated and thinly sliced, leaves stacked and cut into ¼ - inch- thick ribbons ( about 4 packed cups)
3 ½ cups low- sodium chicken broth 4 ounces baby spinach ( about 4 packed
cups)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
¾ cup grated Parmesan ( 3 ounces),
plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir until coated in oil and lightly toasted, 2 minutes.
Add kale, season with salt and pepper, and stir until wilted, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover and bake until almost all of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted. Add Parmesan, butter and lemon juice, and stir until well blended
and saucy. ( Liquid will continue to absorb as risotto sits.) Season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and top with more Parmesan.
Pan- Seared Ranch Chicken
I am delighted by this recipe, which deploys a quick, yogurt- based version of ranch — America’s favorite dressing — as both a sauce and a marinade. Do as some of the commenters did and thin some of the ranch with lemon juice, then use it to dress salad greens on the side.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: About 35 minutes
Recipe by Ali Slagle.
Ingredients
¾ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, or ½ teaspoon dried, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or parsley ( or ½ teaspoon dried), plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless
chicken breasts or thighs 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
Directions
In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, dill and garlic powder; season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer half the ranch to a medium bowl.
Pat the chicken dry. If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then transfer the chicken to the medium bowl with the ranch and toss to coat. Let sit at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. ( Let it come to room temperature before cooking.)
Heat the oil in a large ( 12- inch) nonstick skillet over medium- high. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken ( with the marinade still on it) until deeply caramelized on the
outside, chicken releases from the pan, and its juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
If the ranch in the measuring cup is too thick, add a little bit of water to loosen it. ( You should be able to drizzle it easily.) Serve chicken with the ranch passed at the table, and more herbs as desired.
Lentil and Orzo Stew With Roasted Eggplant
Eggplant can be very bad or very good, depending on how well it is cooked. Roasting it until it’s golden and adding it to a tomatoey lentil stew is an example of the very good. The lemon at the end is essential, so do not skip.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes to 1 hour Recipe by Yewande Komolafe.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds eggplant ( 2 small or 1 large, skin on, or peeled, if desired), chopped into 1- inch pieces
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed Kosher salt and black pepper
1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dried lentils ( green, black or
brown)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or
water
½ cup orzo or other small pasta, such
as ditalini, stelline or macaroni
Zest and juice from 1 lemon, plus 4
lemon wedges for garnish
¼ cup shaved ricotta salata or
crumbled feta
Directions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with ¼ cup olive oil and crushed coriander seeds until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through roasting to toss the eggplant pieces for even cooking.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste begins to darken on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils until coated. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and age of lentils you use.
Stir in the orzo and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted eggplant pieces and large shavings of ricotta salata, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil
This recipe requires a little bit more effort on a weeknight — some sauteing, some blending — but it is beloved on NYT Cooking and as of this writing it has five stars, with more than 4,300 ratings. I couldn’t let summer end without mentioning it to you.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Recipe by Melissa Clark. 2 large ears corn, shucked and kernels
removed ( 2 cups kernels)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper,
more for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more
to taste
L cup torn basil or mint, more for
garnish
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to
taste
Fresh lemon juice, as needed
Bring a large pot of well- salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup water and all but ¼ cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved ¼ cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. ( It’s OK if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in ¼ cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.