I know a lot of people bemoan the fact that holiday commercials, gifty store displays and “however many shopping days until Christmas!” warnings start in October, but I am not one of them. I’ve been known to watch “White Christmas” in July. I shop for my kids’ stocking stuffers year round. And during those dark, lonely days of COVID, I started putting up our Christmas tree on Election Day, and I haven’t gone back.
But when I see ads for sneakers and computers and pencils and backpacks in June — before I’ve even unearthed my flip-flops from the back of the closet — I want to bury my head in the proverbial sand.
Alas, dear reader, it is mid-August, and almost half of the country’s kiddos have already returned to school. You’re either in it, or you’re soon to be in it, and you and your people have to eat. (And even if you don’t have kids, you’re still a very busy person!) These easy, fast and affordable meals will make back-to-school season a little bit easier.
1. Slow Cooker Chicken and Bean Fideo
Similar to vermicelli, fideo are short, delicate noodles that are often used in Spanish and Mexican cooking, as in the Mexican classic, sopa de fideo. This nontraditional slow-cooker dish puts fideo to good use in a medium-spicy, smoky chicken and bean braise. You can dial the heat up and down by including more or fewer chipotles in the mix. Itap a comforting stew of tender chicken, pinto beans (you can sub in black beans) and toasted noodles. The toasting step adds a deeper flavor to the finished dish, but you can skip it if you’re pressed for time and simply break the noodles up directly into the slow cooker. Serve with plenty of cilantro and avocado.
By Sarah DiGregorio
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, minced, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from 1 (7-ounce) can
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 6 ounces fideo (see Tip)
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Cilantro and chopped avocado, for topping
Preparation:
1. In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, stir together the chipotles and adobo sauce, the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the honey, salt, vinegar, oregano and cumin. Add the chicken and stir well to combine, getting the sauce in all the nooks and crannies of the chicken.
2. Cook on low until the chicken is very tender, about 4 hours.
3. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the fideo, breaking up the noodles into small lengths if necessary. Toast the noodles in the oil, stirring continuously, until most of the noodles are a deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Scrape the toasted noodles into the slow cooker. Coarsely break the chicken up with two forks. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the beans and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the noodles are just tender and the beans are warmed through, 10 to 20 minutes, stirring once to ensure all the noodles get cooked evenly.
5. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or vinegar as you like. Serve topped with cilantro and avocado.
TIP: Some brands of fideo are sold already cut, some are sold in bundles that you can break up into the skillet.
2. One-Pot Tuna Orzo With Zucchini
Sweet, savory and super-simple, this dish is made mostly from pantry staples and cooked all in one pot. Chewy raisins add an unexpected sweetness tempered by a bit of acidic red wine vinegar. Canned tuna is a great protein choice for weeknight dinners but be sure to buy the oil-packed variety for cooking — itap much more tender. If you find it, high-quality oil-packed jarred tuna is even tastier. That said, jarred and canned tuna is fully cooked, so itap best added at the end to warm the tuna through without overcooking it.
By Samantha Seneviratne
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- Salt
- Red-pepper flakes
- 12 ounces orzo
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (5-ounce) can olive-oil packed tuna, drained
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Grated Pecorino Romano, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. In a large, high-sided skillet, heat the oil over high. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 6 minutes.
2. Adjust heat to medium, stir in the garlic and season with salt and red pepper. (Do not let the garlic burn.) Add the orzo and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the orzo is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the tuna, raisins, capers and vinegar and cook until just warmed through. Add the herbs right before serving. Top with cheese if desired.
3. Quick Turkey Chili
By Genevieve Ko
Can this be considered chili if itap ready in half an hour? For a completely fresh take, yes — yes, it can. Right when itap done, the kale, cilantro and peppers remain green as grass with a bright bite. The turkey is still tender and juicy, the tomatoes tangy and the spices tingly. Those distinct lanes of flavor merge if you keep the pot over low heat for an hour or more, or if you pack up leftovers and reheat them throughout the week. Thickened with lentils and a whole pound of kale, this chili is hearty with protein and fiber, making it as satisfying as it is satiating.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Grapeseed or canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 Hatch or Cubanelle peppers, seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 serrano or jalapeño chili, seeded for mild if desired, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 pound frozen kale, thawed
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1 (15-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (including stems)
- Lime wedges, sour cream or yogurt, cheese and rice (optional), for serving
Preparation:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high until hot. Add a very thin sheen of oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion and spread in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until the bottoms are deeply charred, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Drizzle more oil into the pan. Add the peppers, garlic and serrano. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot.
3. Coat the empty side of the pot with oil, and then add the turkey and spread it over that half of the pan. Sprinkle the turkey and vegetables with the chili powder, coriander and cumin. Cook, smashing the spices and aromatics into the meat and breaking the meat into tiny pieces, 2 to 3 minutes. The spices should smell toasted.
4. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. For a thicker chili, smash the lentils a bit. Stir in the lentils and return to a boil. Turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and stir in half of the cilantro. At this point, the chili is ready and will taste light and fresh with crisp green vegetables. You also can keep simmering it for hours over the lowest heat setting for a softer, stewier chili. If the mixture dries out, add more broth or water.
5. Serve the chili with the lime wedges, sour cream, cheese and remaining cilantro, over rice if you’d like.
4. Slow Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork
This four-ingredient recipe draws inspiration from carnitas, barbecue pulled pork and Vietnamese caramel pork for sticky, sweet and spicy pulled meat. Braising browned pork shoulder in a slow cooker in pickled jalapeño brine and fish sauce tenderizes the meat and adds savory depth. Part of the cooking liquid then simmers with brown sugar and pickled jalapeño slices for a glaze to drape over pull-apart, crispy-edged meat. Eat over rice, tortillas or burger buns.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: About 6 1/2 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
- Salt
- 1 (12-ounce) jar pickled jalapeño slices
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Preparation:
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt. Add to the pot, in batches if necessary to keep from crowding, and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Pour off any excess fat from the pot, then reserve and don’t wash the pot.
2. Hold the pickled jalapeños back with your fingers and pour the brine into the slow cooker (about 3/4 cup). Add the fish sauce. Cover and cook on low until the meat shreds easily when pulled with a fork, 4 to 6 hours.
3. Spoon off the layer of fat from the liquid in the slow cooker, then pour 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker into the reserved Dutch oven. Add the brown sugar and 2 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, depending on heat preference. Simmer over medium-high, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the mixture reduces by half and resembles maple syrup, 7 to 9 minutes.
4. Working right in the slow cooker, use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Stir the sauce into the pork.
5. Cod With Caper-Orange Sauce
This simple fish dinner is all about contrast: tender, flaky white fish over a bed of spinach, paired with a vibrant, citrusy sauce thatap equal parts briny, sweet and gently spiced. The sauce comes together in minutes; olive oil gets infused with garlic, orange zest and turmeric, then balanced with vinegar, honey and plenty of chopped capers. The result is bright and aromatic, with just enough richness to coat the fish beautifully. The olive oil gives it a smooth, rounded depth, while a touch of butter ties everything together into a silky, golden sauce. Itap the kind of meal that feels fresh and nourishing, but still quick enough for a weeknight. Serve it with rice, couscous, or plenty of bread to soak up every last bit.
By Nargisse Benkabbou
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Grated zest of an orange, plus 1/4 cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons nonpareil capers, chopped, plus whole ones for garnish
- 8 cups/11 ounces packed spinach leaves, stemmed and roughly torn if large, or use baby kale or chopped stemmed collard greens
- 4 (5- to 7-ounce) skinless cod fillets (or other white fish such as haddock or hake)
- 1 tablespoon butter
Preparation:
1. Make the caper orange sauce: In a medium bowl, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, honey, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Use a fork to whisk until emulsified, then add the chopped capers. Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, tossing frequently, until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
3. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt on all sides.
4. In the same pan over medium heat, pour the caper-orange sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the butter and keep stirring until it has melted.
5. Add the cod fillets and cook on one side, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. Use a spatula to gently flip the fillets and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
6. Before serving, drain the spinach (if it has released any liquid) and spread across a large serving plate. Arrange the fish fillets on top and spoon the warm sauce over. Garnish with extra capers and serve immediately.
This article originally appeared in .
