Breakfast: simple. Lunch: not much of a labor. Dinner? Sometimes smoke can pour from your ears just thinking up an idea for what to cook. If you forgot to take something out of the freezer, or feel worn out from the struggles of daily life, you may frequently think, I guess I’m skipping dinner tonight. In a word: Don’t. With the following recipes, Eater editors fill you in on their evening meal go-tos, weeknight-approved.
Hyoson Ro, Korean Bapsang
I make this Korean braised tofu dish nearly weekly — especially on meatless Mondays — because the ratio of ease to flavor payoff is immense. All the recipe requires is pan-frying tofu until golden before pouring over a simple sauce of gochugaru, sugar, green onions, and garlic blended with soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little bit of water to thin out the mixture. The sauce reduces in the pan and coats the tofu in a sticky, salty, and slightly spicy glaze. Serve this over white rice; I also like to pair it with a fluffy steamed egg. — Kat Thompson, associate editor, Eater at Home
This is a classic dish on nearly every trattoria menu that comes together easily in minutes, the perfect balance of carbs and vegetables and protein. But the revelation of Pelosi’s recipe is the vegetarian hack, which swaps in crisped chickpeas and fennel seed for the Italian sausage. In my opinion it’s better than the original, and just as easy. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent
To me, the hallmark of a truly essential weeknight dinner recipe is that I don’t have to leave the house to make it. That’s the case with this pasta e ceci: I already have everything I need to make i in the pantry and fridge, likely with back-ups to spare — canned chickpeas, short pasta, tomato paste, stock, and parm. The recipe takes only one pot and about 30 minutes, which is, admittedly, a little more work than opening and heating a can of soup, but it tastes way better, like what I’ve always dreamed Chef Boyardee could be. — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter
J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats
Lately I have been all about butter beans, and this 10-minute Spanish-inspired recipe drowns them in olive oil, bright sherry vinegar, shallots, and fresh Parsley. I’ll usually eat it hot from the pan atop some crusty bread with avocado and feta for a breezy dinner, and then, throughout the week, I’ll sprinkle it over greens for a quick protein-filled summer salad with boquerones, or use it as a base when basting eggs for lunch (think, beans on toast à la Spain). I like less crunch, so I used a mandoline to make the celery extra thin, and sprinkled in some chile flakes for an extra kick. — Francky Knapp, commerce writer
Eric Kim, NYT CookingDue to some dietary restrictions in my household, I sometimes have to come up with dinner ideas that are objectively a little on the “plain” side — but I still don’t want them to be boring. Enter NYT’s spiedies-style chicken with broccoli. It’s reminiscent of the Italian dressing marinades of my Midwestern childhood, but with its roots in a regional dish (the spiedie skewers of Upstate NY fame). The marinade packs a surprising amount of flavor, and the dish comes together in minutes (my favorite riff is to toss the chicken and broccoli with a little pasta and Parmesan cheese). — Missy Frederick, cities director
