By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
I got so many emails in response to my newsletter last week on what New York Times Cooking staffers feed their kids that I’m devoting this entire edition of Five Weeknight Dishes to reader suggestions.
Please don’t stop reading if you don’t have kids or kids who live at home. Most “kid food” is just really delicious, straightforward food. I promise there are recipes below that you might like.
1. Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Chicken and Gnocchi
The classic combination of chicken, potatoes, rosemary, garlic and lemon dazzles in this sheet-pan meal. Standing in for the potatoes are shelf-stable potato gnocchi, which offer many textures at once when roasted instead of boiled: pillowy-soft, crisp and chewy. Squeeze some lemon right onto the sheet pan, and as you scrape up the schmaltzy, garlicky bits, the juices and drippings glaze the gnocchi, leaving no drop of the chicken’s renderings wasted. It’s hard not to eat the gnocchi right from the pan, but if you can wait, serve everything alongside a green salad.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8 pieces)
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary (from 2 sprigs)
- 2 (12- to 18-ounce) packages shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 1 lemon
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pat the chicken dry, then transfer to a sheet pan and season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and rosemary with a fork. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Add the oil mixture and the gnocchi to the chicken. Toss with your hands to coat, massaging the garlic and rosemary into the chicken and gnocchi. Arrange the gnocchi in an even layer and place the chicken skin side up on top of the gnocchi. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to plates and finely grate the zest of half the lemon over the chicken. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon onto the gnocchi (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), then use a spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the sheet pan and toss the gnocchi in the lemon juice and pan drippings. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges. Eat the chicken with the gnocchi and a lemon wedge for squeezing over.
2. Carnitas
Carnitas (or “little meats”) are a traditional Mexican dish of cubed pork shoulder braised with spices and citrus until tender. Fresh orange, crushed garlic, earthy oregano and aromatic cinnamon and bay leaf create a rich and fragrant braising liquid that imparts its savory flavors into the pork as it cooks. There’s very little hands-on work involved, and the carnitas can be made a day ahead. Store the pork in the liquid overnight, then gently reheat before serving. A final finish under the broiler creates a golden, crispy exterior on the meat.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 navel orange, quartered
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 7 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces
- 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
- Warmed tortillas, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, combine pork, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the oregano and toss to evenly coat the meat in the spices. Squeeze orange juice all over the pork and add the juiced orange quarters to the pot. Add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaf and toss until well incorporated, nestling everything in an even layer. Drizzle oil evenly over the meat. Cover and braise in oven until pork is tender, about 2 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking.
2. Heat broiler to high, setting a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and shred the meat. Strain juices from the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids; discard solids. Skim fat from top and reserve the juices.
3. Broil pork until golden and crisp in spots, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer carnitas to serving plates and drizzle with some of the reserved juices. Serve warm with tortillas and toppings of choice.
3. Sheet-Pan Sausage Meatballs With Tomatoes and Broccoli
Instead of making meatballs from scratch, this weeknight recipe calls for rolling bulk sausage into small meatballs that cook alongside broccoli, tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkling a layer of Parmesan over the entire pan during the second half of cooking allows it to melt and crisp simultaneously; a blanket of gooey cheese coats the roasted tomatoes, while the Parmesan that falls directly onto the sheet pan becomes crunchy and fricolike. Use the garlic bread that cooks alongside to scrape up any pan juices or to assemble French bread pizzas.
By Yasmin Fahr
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 head broccoli florets or 2 bunches Broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound bulk spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or fresh sausages removed from casing)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 loaf soft Italian bread, split lengthwise
- 3 to 5 small garlic cloves, grated or minced
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the lower third and one in the upper. On one sheet pan, combine the tomatoes, broccoli and mushrooms with 1/4 cup oil. Season with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss to combine, then arrange the tomatoes so they are cut-side up. Roll the sausage into 1-inch balls. (There should be about 30.) Distribute them around the vegetables. Sprinkle the entire sheet pan with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Roast for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the bread with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread the grated garlic on the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and salt to taste. Cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Grease another sheet pan with olive oil, then place the bread on the pan, cut-side up.
3. After 15 minutes, gently shake the pan to flip the meatballs. Sprinkle the entire pan with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, concentrating your efforts on the tomatoes and the empty pan edges so that some Parmesan has room to crisp. Return the meatball sheet pan to the lowest rack and place the bread sheet pan on the higher rack. Roast until the bread is golden at the edges, the broccoli tips are crispy and the meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (If the broccoli and meatballs need a little more time, remove the bread from the oven, cover loosely with foil and continue to roast the other sheet pan for 5 more minutes.)
4. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any cheese that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve everything with the garlic bread and more grated cheese.
4. Crispy Tofu With Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
Inspired by McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce — a classic combination that debuted nationwide in 1983 — this tofu appetizer gets its inexorable crunch from potato starch. Pan-fried until shatteringly crisp, pressed tofu, cut into cute little rectangles, eats a lot like Chicken McNuggets and cooks up gorgeously every time. But the true joy of a nugget lies in the dipping, and this recipe stars a totally chill, no-cook sweet-and-sour sauce. Apricot preserves provide fruity sweetness as well as body, and rice vinegar, soy sauce and onion powder add savoriness.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 4 appetizer servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, or light olive oil
Preparation
1. Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel and place on a cutting board. Weigh down the tofu with a sheet pan topped with something heavy, such as a large skillet, cans or books until the tea towel is soaked, about 30 minutes.
2. While the tofu is pressed, prep the zucchini: Halve the zucchini crosswise, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks. Finally, cut each plank lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick “fries.” Place the zucchini fries in a large colander set over a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a measuring cup, stir together the apricot preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Transfer to a small dish for dipping and set aside.
4. Slice the pressed tofu in half horizontally and cut each of those halves into 8 rectangular pieces, creating 16 nuggets total. Directly on the cutting board, season the tofu with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, smearing each piece around to catch all the seasonings.
5. In a large bowl, toss to combine the potato starch and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place the tofu in the starch and gently toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated.
6. Fry the tofu: Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook, flipping a couple of times, until lightly golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked tofu to a towel-lined plate to drain, and season it with salt to taste.
7. To serve, transfer the tofu and zucchini to a large platter and serve alongside the dipping sauce.
5. Whatever You’ve Got Fried Rice
By Sam Sifton
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen.
Preparation
Start with some cooked rice, white or brown, a cup or so per person, made fresh or pulled from the freezer where you keep some in a plastic bag against the promise of just such an exercise. (The chill helps separate the grains.) Also helpful, also in the freezer: bags of diced organic vegetables you can get at the market (the mixed corn, carrots and peas number, for instance). For the rest: meat if you eat meat, a couple eggs, lots of chopped garlic and ginger, some scallions. You can make a sauce from soy sauce and sesame oil (about a 3:1 ratio) and fire it up with a teaspoon or two of gochujang. You’ll need a little less than one-quarter cup of sauce to feed four.
To the wok! Crank the heat, add a little neutral oil, then toss in your meat. I like chopped brisket from the barbecue joint, or pastrami from the deli, or ground pork, or bacon, or leftover roast chicken; whatever you decide on, you’ll need far less than you think. After the meat crisps, fish it from the pan and add about a tablespoon each of minced garlic and ginger, a handful of chopped scallions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds or so, then add those frozen vegetables. More stir-frying. Return the meat to the wok. Stir-fry. Clear a space in the center of the wok and add the eggs, cooking them quickly to softness. Throw in the sauce, then the rice, and mix it all together until it’s steaming hot. Finish with more chopped scallions.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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