By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
We’re rolling toward the most festive time of the year — and, naturally, the busiest one.
On the one hand, I’m dreaming of pie, especially now that our Thanksgiving 2024 pie recipes have arrived.
But festive frenzy aside, you still have to make dinner at the end of long days of work, school, assorted events, planning, shopping, blah, blah, blah. That’s where the recipes below come in: five especially delicious options for the week ahead and those to come.
1. Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime
Canned pumpkin purée and coconut milk, heavily seasoned with curry spices and lots of fresh lime juice, make a sweet-sharp sauce for chickpeas. It’s a rich, creamy curry that you can eat on its own or serve over rice or couscous. If you want to incorporate more vegetables, stir in some spinach, baby kale or sliced green beans during the last few minutes of cooking, letting them soften in the sauce.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola
1 large onion, chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded or not, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 knob ginger (about 1 inch), minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
1 (13.5-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
3/4 cup chopped cilantro, more for serving
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
Cooked rice or couscous, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, jalapeño and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden on the edges, about 8 minutes.
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garam masala, cumin and turmeric; cook for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Stir in chickpeas, coconut milk, pumpkin, 1/2 cup water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors meld. (Add more water if it starts to look too thick.) Stir in cilantro and lime juice to taste. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
4. Serve over rice or couscous if you like, and top with more cilantro and lime wedges on the side.
2. Sheet-Pan Chicken and Cheesy Broccoli
Sheet-pan chicken and cheesy broccoli. Kay Chun tosses a blanket of Cheddar and Parmesan onto roasted broccoli, which is paired with chicken thighs and drumsticks coated with Italian seasoning. Food styled by Vivian Lui. (Johnny Miller, The New York Times)
This weeknight sheet-pan meal takes just a handful of ingredients and turns basic chicken and broccoli into a zesty family meal. Chicken legs are coated in punchy Italian seasonings and roasted until fragrant, golden and crispy. The genius move here is tossing the broccoli in the chicken drippings, encouraging the florets to absorb all of the flavorful pan juices as they cook. A final shower of cheddar and Parmesan creates a cheesy drape over the florets, and the errant cheese that hits the pan turns into crispy frico shards. If there are any leftovers, they can be chopped and tucked into rolls or tossed with pasta the next day.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 12 pieces), patted dry
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 pound broccoli
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Chopped parsley, for garnishing
Lemon wedges, for serving
Cooked rice or crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed sheet pan, season chicken with salt and pepper. Add oil and Italian seasoning and toss to evenly coat. Arrange in a single layer, skin-side up, and roast until golden, juicy and cooked through, 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, separate the broccoli head from the stalk. Cut the head into small, 1 1/2-inch florets. Trim off the tough end of the broccoli stalk, then peel the tender stem and thinly cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. You should have about 6 cups of broccoli.
3. Transfer chicken to a serving platter (or divide among 4 plates). Add broccoli and capers to the sheet pan and toss to evenly coat in the chicken drippings. Spread in an even layer and roast for 5 minutes. Push the broccoli together toward the center of the pan (to minimize gaps) and sprinkle with the cheddar and Parmesan. Roast until broccoli is crisp-tender and cheese is melted, 5 minutes longer.
4. Divide the cheesy broccoli and capers among the 4 serving plates and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges plus rice or crusty bread on the side, if desired.
3. Pasta With Spicy Sausages, Tomatoes, Rosemary and Olives
Pasta with spicy sausages, tomatoes, rosemary and olives. You can fine-tune this pasta from Melissa Clark to suit your needs. Food styled by Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Armando Rafael, The New York Times)
Simple and perfect. You can fine-tune this pasta to suit your needs: Use canned tomatoes instead of fresh; swap the spicy sausages for sweet; hold the olives till the very end so you can omit them for anyone who won’t appreciate them (keep them in for yourself, of course).
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, trimmed and diced
1/4 cup green pitted olives, slivered
Salt to taste
1/2 pound pasta, like penne
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
1. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and rosemary; cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir occasionally until they have broken down and turned into a sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the olives for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Add salt to taste, cover and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well and toss with the sauce. Finish with parsley, if you like.
4. Baked Salmon and Dill Rice
Baked salmon and dill rice. Naz Deravian pairs dill rice with salmon for one-dish cooking. Food styled by Rebecca Jurkevich. (Linda Xiao, The New York Times)
Fragrant dill rice is a natural accompaniment to salmon, and a complete meal of the two is made easy here by baking them together in one dish. Add fresh or dried dill to basmati rice, which is eventually topped with salmon covered in a tangy, sweet and spicy paste of mayo, lemon zest, honey and dried chile flakes. To ensure the rice is perfectly fluffy without overcooking the fish, the grains are baked until most of the water is absorbed before the salmon is added over the top.
By Naz Deravian
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
4 ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup), or 1/3 cup dried, plus more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
1 large lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick at their thickest parts), skin on or off
Preparation
1. Place an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil.
2. To a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, add the olive oil and spread it around the pan. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and the dill, and stir to combine. Spread the rice evenly across the pan. Add the boiling water, stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake until most of the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, honey, turmeric and red-pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon fillets well with salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons total) and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise paste on top (or flesh side) of the salmon fillets.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil. Place the salmon fillets on top of the rice, paste side up, reseal and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and the salmon is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh dill and red-pepper flakes.
5. Sweet and Sour Cauliflower
Sweet and sour cauliflower. This new recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon is a vegetarian version of the beloved Chinese American restaurant staple. Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne. (Julia Gartland, The New York Times)
Reminiscent of classic sweet and sour dishes served at Chinese American restaurants, cauliflower seamlessly steps in for pork or chicken here. For beautifully burnished florets with crispy edges, the cauliflower is treated to a simple dusting of cornstarch, applied in stages to create a more even coating, and a gentle lick of oil before baking or air-frying. Punchy and tart, this sweet and sour sauce is a keeper. Ketchup is the key ingredient, and it brings sourness, sweetness and umami to a simple blend of garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Eat with rice, noodles or on top of pan-fried tofu.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
6 tablespoons cornstarch (for the cauliflower) plus 1 teaspoon (for the sauce)
1 large cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Rice or noodles, for serving
Preparation
1. If using an oven, heat it to 425 degrees. If using an air fryer, heat it to 400 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.
2. Place 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower, season with a big pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and toss until well coated. Add 3 tablespoons cornstarch and toss. Drizzle in another 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and toss well again, making sure there is no dry cornstarch on the cauliflower.
3. If using an oven, grease a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Arrange the florets in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the cauliflower to encourage even cooking, and return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes, cooking until it is tender and golden around the edges.
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4. If using an air fryer, you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your machine. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the rack, and air fry for 16 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through, to encourage even crisping. Cook the remaining cauliflower.
5. While the cauliflower cooks, make the sweet and sour sauce: Place the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic in a small pot. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture starts bubbling around the edges, about 1 minute. Whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
6. To serve, transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the florets. Top with scallions. Serve with rice or noodles.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.