By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
I’ve got an especially good lineup of recipes for you this week, fresh and quick dishes that vibe with the warm weather and — always a good sign — have five-star ratings as of this writing.
When I select five recipes for you each week, I don’t imagine that everyone will make all five, or even more than one. Every person and home has different tastes and needs, schedules and rhythms. But these five would work pretty brilliantly as a group spread throughout a full week. They offer opportunities to prep ahead, yield good leftovers for lunch and are customizable enough to make choosy eaters happy.
1. Quick Harissa Apricot Chicken
Harissa paste does all the heavy lifting in this one-pan chicken dinner, so choosing one thatap high-quality and pastelike, rather than thin and watery, is very important; spice levels will vary brand to brand, so taste a bit before cooking if you’re sensitive to spice. Apricot preserves balance out the harissa’s intensity and provide sweetness and body, while olives add a punchy bite of saltiness. As a nod to its inspiration, Moroccan chicken tagine, ground cinnamon adds a background note of warmth and earthiness.
By Zaynab Issa
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves or jam
- 1/4 cup high-quality harissa paste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup olives, preferably Castelvetranos, smashed and pitted (or pitted ones torn in half)
- Crusty bread or cooked pearl couscous, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat a large (12-inch), high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season one side of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is warm, add olive oil and place chicken, seasoned side down, in an even layer. Season the now-exposed side of the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook until the chicken is mostly opaque on the sides, easily releases from the pan, and is nicely browned on the underside, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add chicken stock, apricot preserves, harissa paste and cinnamon to a large liquid measuring cup. Whisk well to combine and break up the jam.
3. Flip chicken over and let cook on the other side until lightly seared and no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the harissa mixture, add the olives, and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the chicken is fully cooked through, another 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning according to taste (this will depend on the chicken stock and harissa used).
4. Serve immediately with crusty bread or couscous, spooning the sauce and olives over the chicken. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of mint leaves, if desired.
Tip: If you’d like to work ahead, the sauce mixture in Step 2 can be made up to 2 days in advance; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
2. Soy Butter Fish and Peas
Some dishes feel like they take hours to develop deep flavor, but this one comes together in minutes. The fish gently steams in a rich, buttery soy and black pepper sauce, soaking up its deeply savory notes while staying perfectly tender. Just before serving, snap peas (or snow peas) are tossed in, adding a fresh green crunch. Everything cooks in one pan, making this dish fast, effortless and packed with flavor. Feel free to swap in other quick-cooking vegetables like bok choy or asparagus for a different take.
By Andy Baraghani
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds skinless white fish (such as cod, hake or halibut), cut into 4 pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 (2-inch) piece (unpeeled) ginger, thinly sliced into rounds
- 3 cups (about 12 ounces) snow peas or snap peas (or a mix)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Preparation
1. Season the fish on all sides with salt and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Season with about 6 cranks of pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon, if you’re measuring).
3. Using tongs, gently lay the pieces of fish in the pan. Cover the skillet and steam until the fish is almost fully opaque, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Uncover and sprinkle the snow peas over the fish. Cover the skillet again and continue to steam until the fish is fully opaque and cooked through and the peas are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve directly from the pan or transfer to a platter.
3. Creamy Lemon Asparagus Gnocchi
Pasta is swapped for gnocchi and asparagus in this bright and creamy, one-pan dish inspired by pasta al limone. In this recipe, rather than boiling and blanching, store-bought gnocchi and asparagus are quickly pan-fried together until the gnocchi is tender and golden brown and the asparagus is bright and crisp. A combination of broth and heavy cream as the base makes for a speedy sauce and keeps the dish on the lighter side. For the brightest lemon flavor without any of the sourness, lemon zest is used in two ways: half is added to the butter for the sauce to release its oils and create an aromatic base, and half is stirred in at the end for a fresher note. Rather than relying on starchy pasta water to thicken, lemon juice reacts with the cream and transforms the thinner sauce into one thatap silky, velvety and clings perfectly to the gnocchi.
By Kayla Hoang
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (16 to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 1 bunch (about 1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed and stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Preparation
1. Zest the lemon (you should have about 1 tablespoon zest). Juice the lemon into a small bowl until you have 1 1/2 tablespoons.
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the gnocchi to the skillet in an even layer, breaking up any gnocchi that are stuck together. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and a pinch of salt to the skillet and toss to combine. Cover again and cook until the asparagus is bright green and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring halfway. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
3. Wipe out the skillet if needed and return to the burner over medium heat. Melt the butter. Once melted, add half of the lemon zest and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Add the heavy cream, broth and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a healthy simmer over high heat, about 1 minute. Simmer, adjusting heat as needed, until the sauce is reduced slightly and clings to the back of a spoon in a thin layer, 2 to 3 minutes. While stirring, add the Parmesan.
5. Return the gnocchi and asparagus to the skillet and toss to combine (the sauce will be thin and won’t cling to the gnocchi). Bring the mixture to a healthy simmer over high heat and continue to cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a steady bubble, until the sauce thickens and clings to the gnocchi, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. (There will be a decent amount of somewhat thin sauce; stirring in the lemon juice in the next step will thicken the sauce and bring it all together).
6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stirring constantly, add the remaining lemon zest and lemon juice. The sauce will thicken and become silky. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan and pepper as desired.
Tip: Extra lemon juice can be stirred in at the end for more zing, but note that the sauce will continue to thicken as more juice is added.
4. Halloumi Souvlaki Bowl
With just a few building blocks–seared halloumi, sautéed chickpeas and yogurty rice—this recipe yields a quick and easy dinner in a bowl. Halloumi is coated with a dried spice rub that includes cumin, thyme and oregano, then gets seared until golden and crisp on the outside. Chickpeas seasoned with smoked paprika add a bit of depth to the bowl. Even the base gets an instant flavor boost: The rice is coated with yogurt to make it tangy and a little rich. Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and lemon give the bowl plenty of brightness and texture.
By Sue Li
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt
- 2 (8-ounce) packages halloumi, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and dried
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes (about 11 ounces), halved
- 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 4 lemon wedges
Preparation
1. Rinse and drain the white rice. Place in a small pot with a fitted lid and cover the rice with 1 cup water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the rice has come to a boil, cover with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice until plump, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the lid on while you make the halloumi and chickpeas.
2. Combine the oregano, thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add halloumi and toss to coat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the halloumi and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same skillet and add the chickpeas and paprika, toss to coat and cook until the paprika is toasted and the chickpeas are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside.
5. Fluff the cooked rice and fold in the yogurt and grated garlic; season to taste with salt.
6. To serve, divide the rice among 4 bowls, top with the halloumi, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Serve with lemon wedges.
5. Cumin-Lime Shrimp With Ginger
These quick, flavorful shrimp are versatile enough to work their way into an assortment of weeknight dinners. Fold into soft tortillas and top with sliced avocado for shrimp tacos, or serve over steamed rice studded with tomatoes, chiles and fresh herbs. They also work well served on top of a red or green cabbage salad. If cumin’s not your thing, feel free to swap in another dried, warm spice, such as coriander or curry powder.
By Colu Henry
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (16 to 20 shrimp)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- Flaky salt (optional)
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp and the cumin until well coated. Season with kosher salt and toss again.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp to the pan in one layer and cook undisturbed until they just start turning pink, about 1 minute. Flip and cook for about 1 minute more, then remove from the pan and set aside. They may not be fully cooked at this time, and thatap OK. Repeat with remaining shrimp and leave in the pan.
3. Add the reserved shrimp back to the pan with any juices that have accumulated. Stir in the ginger, garlic and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the lime juice to pan and scrape up any brown bits that have formed at the bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture is reduced by about half, about 1 minute more. Stir in the lime zest and scatter with the cilantro. Season with flaky salt, if desired.
This article originally appeared in .
