Fast and easy weeknight meal from New York Times.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 packed cups baby spinach
1 lime, halved
1 fresno, jalapeño or serrano chile, thinly sliced

This New York Times Cooking recipe was surprisingly easy and delicious... and it makes great leftovers. Winner!

Ingredients
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
9 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano or mint
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (your choice thighs or breasts)
3-4 mini cucumbers
1 large tomato
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

This New York Times recipe is good for a dinner party. It easily serves 4-6 and spends 40 minutes unperturbed in the oven, making it something that can cook during cocktails and chit chat. We made just a few tweaks to the original recipe.

A simplified version of this Kitchn recipe, this is a nice accompaniment to sushi and other Japanese meals.

2-3 Persian or mini cucumbers, cut to desired size/shape
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Furkiake seasoning (optional)

A cousin to our delicious mango chow, courtesy of Caribbean Pot.

1 Large Pineapple (peel, cored, diced into pieces)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno pepper (sliced thin)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3 large cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fine)
5+ oranges (juice)
2 limes (juice)
1 small red onion (sliced thin)

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar - will keep for up to a week.

Courtesy of The New York Times

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 (12- to 18-ounce) packages shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 pints small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape or Sungold
¼ cup thinly sliced or torn basil leaves (optional), plus more for serving

Based on this New York Times recipe, this dish was a snap. Use peeled frozen shrimp for an even easier dish that can be made almost entirely of pantry staples.

Serves 2

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine or broth
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
⅓ cup chopped parsley
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

A few years ago I started making sephardic-style charoset for Passover... and I never stopped. Although it is not the classic apple and walnut dish of my youth, I like the flavors better and I find it easier to manage on a piece of matzah with horseradish.

This year, I discovered this Serious Eats recipe, which I found not only tasty but also easy to make. Win win!

Tasty and easy Bon Appetit recipe, tweaked only ever so slightly.

Serve with steamed white rice and a vegetable side such as sunomono-style cucumbers or stir-fried broccoli.

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 3–4-lb. chicken parts (just boneless breasts worked fine)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 qt Peanut oil (for frying)

1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 small onion, chopped
2 serrano chile, seeds removed if desired, chopped
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chaat masala
2 tablespoons prepared tamarind chutney, divided
pinch of sugar

1 cup raita yogurt

¼ cup sev or similar/fried noodles

This recipe presumes a bread machine.

• 1⅓ c water
• ¼ c grains (fast-cooking better)
  ⅛ c gluten
  2 cups wheat flour
  1 c less ⅛ white flour
  2 T dry milk
  2 t salt
  3 T honey (use a T measure to make indents in the flour, pour in)
  3 T butter in small pieces
  just less than 2t yeast on top

Add ingredients in order - the gluten and flour will "float" on top of the water, make sure the grains you add are in the water to soak.

Adapted from Bon Apetit, ~4 servings

Leche De Tigre

• ⅔ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon (packed) chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• ½ ají limo or habanero chile, seeded, halved lengthwise

• ½ small red onion, chopped

• ½ cup bottled clam juice (optional)
• Kosher salt

Purée first 4 ingredients and 4 large ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Add onion; pulse 3–4 times. Strain liquid into a medium bowl. Stir in clam juice, if desired; season with salt. Cover and chill.

Based on a kitchn recipe, this was one of the best matzah brie batches I've ever made.

Serves 2

4 eggs, divided
splash milk or cream
1 dash salt
1 dash sugar, optional
2 sheets matzo
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Crack all but one of the eggs into a large bowl; add the milk, salt, and sugar, if using; and whisk very well to combine.
Break the matzah into 1/2-inch pieces or smaller and add to the egg mixture.
Let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until matzah is soft and pliable.

• 2 pounds uncooked corned beef brisket (about 1 small), rinsed, trimmed if fatty, spice packet discarded if included
• 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 3 bay leaves, torn
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 medium onion, peeled, halved through root
• 1 large russet potato, peeled, halved crosswise
• 1 12-ounce bottle Guinness stout or other stout or porter
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Hash

• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving

1 ~4lp spatchcocked chicken
Salt
dry rub

2 hours before grilling, rinse and dust the chicken with salt, let sit uncovered in fridge.

When ready to start, rub on the dry rub of choice - we used a rosemary/thyme/HdP/sage/pepper/smoked salt rub for a classic roast-chicken flavor.

Prepare the grill for 2-zone cooking, raising the ambient temperature to ~325-350°F

Add smoking chips; Place chicken off-heat, with the dark meat towards the fire, and roast until the breast reaches 135°F

For 4 eggs:

4 English muffins
8 slices smoked salmon or ham
4 very fresh eggs, drained of louse whites and poached for 3 minutes

For Hollandaise:

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
Pinch Kosher salt
½ stick unsalted butter

Prep english muffins and sliced meat. Set up mise-en-place

Combine egg yolk, water, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in the bottom of a cup that barely fits the head of an immersion blender.

Melt butter in a small saucepan that is easy to pour from over high heat, swirling constantly, until foaming subsides.

Cribbed from Marcela.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2-3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 cup long grain rice

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the poblano chiles and saute, about 8 minutes.

This sauce was AWESOME, and I made it all by myself.

Makes about 1 cup:
2 cups unpacked parsley
1 cup unpacked mint
1 cup unpacked basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon

Blend all ingredients, preferably with an immersion blender, until smooth.
If needed, add more oil (and/or vinegar, to taste) to help blend.
Alternatively, double (or triple!) the ingredients to make it easier to blend in a conventional blender. Trust me, you'll eat it all.

Via Dorie Greenspan, these quick blender savory pancakes could be used in many interesting ways. Combines nicely with this avocado and cucumber salad for a meat-free, heavy protein meal.

Pancakes
1 cup home-cooked or canned no-salt-added chickpeas, drained, 1/4 cup of their liquid reserved
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise (germ removed)

For Crust (enough for two crusts - note, Jon finds this recipe difficult to work with, especially when doubled, and would consider using a different crust recipe next time)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For Quiche:
5 large eggs
3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
dash nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
3T sake
2T soy sauce
1T chile sesame seed oil
1T sesame seed oil
Juice of one lemon
1T rice vinegar
1t fish sauce
2T minced ginger
1T minced garlic
Salt to taste
Whisk until emulsified

Sauteed Greens:
1T sesame seed oil
1" ginger, coarsely chopped or finely sliced
1 shallot, finely sliced
1-2 cups spinach or other hearty green
1T sesame seeds

Fish:
⅔lb Flounder, with salt and pepper (Serves two)

Prepare the sauce.

Batter

1 cup rice flour
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Assembly

5 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil, divided
4 oz. small shrimp, peeled, deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 scallions, thinly sliced
4 oz. mung bean sprouts (about 1 cup)
Large green-leaf or Bibb lettuce leaves and mixed tender herbs (such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil; for serving)
Nuoc Cham (recipe below)

I found this recipe on the internet. It was easy to make and pretty tasty. Also, I would imagine you can use almost any green, making this a relatively healthy year-round dish.

4 cups stemmed and torn collard greens or swiss chard (about 1/4 lb or 1 bunch)
1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or about 2/3 cup dry beans, soaked and cooked)
3 medium to large cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp tahini
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 salt
1/4 black pepper

3 chiles (Thai, serrano, or jalapeño), thinly sliced into rounds
¼ cup tamarind concentrate
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 4 tsp more for cooking
1½ pound hanger steak, de-membraned and cut into 4 pieces

Whisk chiles, tamarind, brown sugar, salt, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a shallow baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, or up to a day.

For some reason, Bon Appetit recommends using a whole butterflied fish, but that just presents you with many small bones to deal with. This dish will be equally good with filets. Serves 2 and can easily be doubled.

2 branzini/ Mediterranean sea bass filets
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or fresh coarsely chopped breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

We took a lamb recipe from Jerusalem: A Cookbook and adapted it with a cooking technique from Cook's Illustrated to create a perfectly tender, medium-rare lamb roast with shawarma spices.

This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe was amazing. The balance of the sweet currants with the curry-spiced chickpeas was surprising and delightful and the fried onions sealed the deal. Yes, it's got a lot of components, but it is totally worth it. I have halved the proportions to serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main.

1 lb shrimp
2 Cups shrimp or seafood stock (you can make it from the shells of the shrimp)
4 Tbsp lard/fat/unsalted butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
1 Cup fresh Tomatoes, diced
1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp minced Italian Parsley
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 bundle of Fresh Thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 T Creole seasoning (I added extra cayenne, Herbs De P, oregano, and smoked salt)
salt and pepper to taste

My goodness was this delicious. You have to give Martha credit where credit is due.

8 oz smoked salmon, roughly chopped, divided
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise (for texture; can be omitted if you don't like mayo)
2 Tbsp diced red onion
1 Tbsp capers
1 tsp prepared horseradish
Juice of half a lemon

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (CI uses 3 whole eggs)
1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
¾ cup rye (or AP, or white wheat) flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 4 tsp. sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus 8 tsp., room temperature
Lemon wedges (for serving)

Blend eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, and milk in a blender until smooth. Add rye flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. sugar and blend well. With blender on low, gradually stream in melted butter. Strain batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or medium bowl.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

We made a really great cold noodle salad, courtesy of Bon Appetit. It was made extra-delicious and protein-rich by topping it with leftover cold sliced grilled Malaysian steak skewers. Grill the skewers on the weekend and you have an easy weeknight meal almost ready to go!

1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more

3 cups Pomodoro Sauce or other sauce

A delightful spring salad from Bon Appetit. We didn't feel the peas added much, so they are listed here as optional.

1/2 cup Marcona almonds
2 tablespoons white wine or rice vinegar (or pomegranate vinegar if you have it)
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups baby arugula or watercress, thick stems trimmed
2 cups pea vines
8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered if large (about 2 cups)
1 cup shelled fresh peas (Optional, can also sub in blanched asparagus)
1 ounce Parmesan, shaved

This tasty and relatively easy recipe came from this fantastic cookbook centered on one of my favorite cuisines. The recipe calls for a mix of lamb and veal, but lamb alone would probably be good too.

Makes 24 kofta.

1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground veal
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 large medium-hot red chile, seeded
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Rémoulade

1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

Pulse the first four ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Add mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce; process until smooth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Shrimp

We originally intended to make this Bon Appetit recipe, but we morphed it to save some time. In the proportions here, this recipe will make two easy week-night meals. The rice and beans can be made the first night and reheated the second. A rotisserie chicken bought on the first night can be reheated in the oven or shredded and "fried" on the stovetop with a bit of olive oil.

Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 medium onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 250F, with the rack in the center of the oven.

3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.

Beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.

This recipe is a modified version of one from the Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook, using a salt-cooking/curing method from the Pacific North-west:

1/2 lb of raw salmon is one serving of cured salmon for lox/sandwich/in a salad.

For under 1lb salmon: 1.5 cups each of plain, fine-grain kosher salt and sugar
For a 1 lb salmon: 2.5 cups each salt/sugar
For a 2 lb salmon: 3 cups each salt/sugar

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For the salad, toss lettuce, avocado, diced red bell pepper, onion, and tomato with a sour-cream or mayonnaise based dressing spiked with a bit of tabasco sauce.

Mix 1:1 flour and cornmeal with salt, cayenne and cajun seasoning to taste. Toss in pre-shucked, drained oysters and shake until coated. If using shrimp, toss shrimp first in a scrambled egg, then in the breading.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain and cool slightly, serve on top of the salad.

On our vacation to Thailand a few years ago, we spent one of our days in Chiang Mai at the Thai Farm Cooking School. Some of the dishes we made were really delicious and frankly quite easy (if somewhat challenging to find all of the ingredients in the DC metro area).

Adapted from The Bitten Word, adapted from Food & Wine.  We didn't have any Harissa handy, so we improvised.  This salad provides a great, bright and spicy contrast to a tagine dish.

For the salad

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I am a big fan of any number of "middle eastern salads" - lettuce-less salads which go by different names (with slightly different twists) in a variety of middle eastern and mediterranean cuisines. Yes, there is a difference between a fattoush salad and a shirazi salad, but frankly, I find that what I want is the same basic recipe with a few optional modifications, depending on how the dish will fit into the week's menu.

The basic vegetable components of the salad are:
Diced tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes)

A great side dish that could, with the addition of a protein, take center stage. Goes great as a side to Japanese grilling.

1/2 packet (~4.5 oz) soba noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste

1/4 cup minced green onions

In a large bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and wasabi. Pour about half the dressing into a small bowl and reserve, keeping the rest in the bowl.

Adapted from Tart and Sweet:

This recipe calls for baby carrots - those available in springtime during the thinning process. I assume you could also make this recipe with regular carrots, cut into spears.

Yield: 1-2 pints (or 1 pint and 1 half-pint)

2 bunches baby carrots (about 1 pound), trimmed, peeled, and cut into pieces that will fit upright in your jars

1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cups water
3/4 Tbsp kosher salt
3/4 Tbsp brown sugar

Per pint-sized jar:
1 clove garlic

Adapted from Tart and Sweet:

Yield: 2 pints

Approx 1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into pieces that will fit upright in your jars with at least 1" headspace

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
1/8 cup kosher salt

Per pint-sized jar:
1 clove garlic
1 small chili pepper (serrano preferred, but any kind will do)
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 tsp yellow mustard seed
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1 bay leaf
1 tarragon sprig
1 dill sprig
1/4 tsp vegetable crisper granules

A recipe of my own creation, but inspired by this one.

I don't have measurements, but sort of just made this using the following ingredients until it tasted right and balanced.

Cooked chicken, chopped or torn into smallish pieces (I always start with a rotisserie chicken from Eastern Market, but any chicken will do)
Apple, diced into small pieces
Red onion, diced into small pieces
Raisins (I'm partial to golden raisins, but it doesn't matter; dried cranberries could be used here too)
Cilantro, finely chopped

Throughout college, I had several Trinidadian friends (including a great freshman year roommate). One of the easiest (and most delicious and most fattening) dishes we would eat was macaroni pie. I stole this recipe from CaribbeanPot.com and it was quite tasty.

14 oz "macaroni" (we used bucattini pasta)
1/2 medium onion diced finely
1 habanero or scotch bonnet diced finely (optional)
2 large eggs
1 can evaporated milk (~12 oz)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 tsp dry mustard
2 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

I modified a Bon Appetit recipe, and it was delicious. The original recipe called for quinoa, but only having wheat berries in the pantry, I substituted. And frankly, I think the wheat berries were better because they provided more texture and toothsome-ness that quinoa would have. The only other change I made was dropping the dill. I don't particularly like it, and even though Jon does, I made it when he wasn't home!

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil