I’m always looking to give you the easiest ways to make great dinners, recipes with a good ratio of effort to deliciousness. But as I sat down to write this week’s article, I noticed that the five I selected below are all really, truly, exceptionally simple and great — standouts that are satisfying, too. They’re perfect for a busy time of year (now) when you need fortification at home at the end of the day. That’s especially true if you, like me, live in a place where there’s already snow on the ground and in the trees.
1. Beef Biryani With Cumin Raita
Beef biryani with cumin raita. This shortcut recipe from Kay Chun transforms biryani from an hourlong engagement into something you can make quickly. Food styled by Monica Pierini. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)
This cheater version of biryani allows you to enjoy the wonderfully fragrant and complex dish on a busy weeknight. The shortcut method here gives the rice a head start in a Dutch oven, while a ground beef mixture comes together quickly in a skillet. Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list, as most of the ingredients are dried spices that don’t require any prep work. Aromatic garlic, ginger and spices are bloomed in ghee to extract as much flavor as possible, and there’s a nice hit of heat from the chile powder (so use half the amount if a milder dish is desired). A tangy cumin raita is a lovely finishing drizzle that brightens the meal.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
5 cardamom pods
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons ghee
1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground Kashmiri chile powder or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, divided
1 pound ground beef (preferably 20% fat)
3/4 cup Greek-style plain yogurt, divided
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large Dutch oven, combine rice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, broth and 1/2 teaspoon of salt over medium-high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant and well blended, 2 minutes.
3. Push onion mixture to one side of the skillet and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in the empty side. To the melted ghee, add garlic, ginger, garam masala, chile powder, fennel, turmeric, star anise and 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin; stir until well blended, 30 seconds.
4. Mix the spices into the onion mixture until well combined, then add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes (it will finish cooking with the rice). Turn off heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the yogurt until well incorporated.
5. Drizzle milk evenly over the rice, then add the beef mixture on top in an even layer. Scatter over half of the cilantro, cover and cook until the beef is tender and rice is cooked through, 8 minutes longer.
6. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons of water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
7. Gently fluff the rice with a fork and discard star anise and any other visible whole spices. Divide biryani among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm, with the cumin raita on the side.
2. Sheet-Pan Lemon Turmeric Chicken
Sheet-pan lemon turmeric chicken. Simple and sunny, this recipe from Zaynab Issa cooks in fewer than 25 minutes under the broiler. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)
While a broiler is often used to add a final kiss of color to a dish, here, it functions more like a grill — using high, direct heat to cook the chicken. This speedy, mess-free method yields tender, juicy meat with a browned, slightly crisp exterior in just 20 minutes. The sunny marinade features yogurt to gently tenderize the meat, along with garlic, turmeric and lemon zest for a bright, earthy flavor. The leftover lemon gets broiled alongside the chicken, and the juice gets squeezed over the top for a final zingy touch.
By Zaynab Issa
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 min
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup plain yogurt, plus more if desired for serving
1 lemon, zested then halved and seeded
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
White rice or pita, for serving
Hummus, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and lots of black pepper and mix well to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat; let marinate while you prep the tomatoes and onion. (Chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
2. Set oven to high broil and arrange a rack 6 inches from the heat source.
3. Transfer tomatoes and onion wedges to a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, season with salt, and toss to coat. Nestle chicken thighs among the vegetables and drizzle their marinade on top. Place lemon halves, cut-side down, in the pan.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until the chicken, tomatoes and onion wedges are charred in spots, 18 to 22 minutes. (Watch carefully in the final minutes of cooking to make sure nothing gets too scorched.)
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Once the lemons are cool enough to handle, squeeze out any juice over the chicken. Serve the chicken, tomatoes and onion wedges over rice or stuffed into pita pockets alongside hummus or more yogurt seasoned with salt.
3. Pasta With Spicy Sausages, Tomatoes, Rosemary and Olives
This rich, tangy and spicy 30-minute dinner recipe was originally developed for whole wheat pasta, which begs for bold flavors to stand up to its earthy nuttiness. But it really works beautifully with any pasta. If the fresh tomatoes at your market aren’t delighting you, substitute a 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, trimmed and diced
1/4 cup green pitted olives, slivered
Salt to taste
1/2 pound pasta, like penne
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and rosemary; cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir occasionally until they have broken down and turned into a sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the olives for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Add salt to taste, cover and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well and toss with the sauce. Finish with parsley, if you like.
4. Tomato and Ginger Braised Tofu
Tomato and ginger braised tofu. Hetty Lui McKinnon makes a jammy, zingy sauce for tofu using burst cherry tomatoes, ginger and soy sauce. Food styled by Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)
Tomatoes and tofu may not be an obvious pairing, but they belong together in this speedy braise. A brave amount of ginger provides a robust flavor foundation for this sauce, imparting verve. (If you’d like to increase the heat, you could add some crushed red pepper, too.) Halving the cherry tomatoes helps them break down faster, transforming them into a rich sweet, savory and tangy sauce in minutes. This recipe works any time of year: If fresh cherry tomatoes are unavailable, 28 ounces of canned cherry tomatoes will also work. Pan-frying the tofu first makes the slices sturdier and locks in moisture, creating the perfect texture to carry and soak up the braising sauce.
By Hetty McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (2- to 3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper
2 (14- to 16-ounce) blocks extra-firm tofu, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a wide pot or deep skillet on medium-high. When hot, add a generous drizzle of olive oil, along with the garlic and ginger. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with lid (or use a sheet pan), adjust heat to medium-low and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and look jammy, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes, until very hot. Drizzle with olive oil and, working in batches, add as many tofu slices as can comfortably fit in the pan. Season the tofu generously with salt and pepper and drizzle the top of the tofu with a little more oil. Cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining tofu.
3. To the tomatoes, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Taste the sauce — it should be tangy and savory — and if needed, season with more salt and pepper, or sugar if it’s too tart.
4. Add the tofu slices to the tomatoes, carefully turning them in the sauce to coat. Cook on medium heat until the tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes.
5. Top with scallions and serve with rice.
5. Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
Cheesy green chile bean bake. This Ali Slagle bean bake is the kind of utterly easy, incredibly flexible dinner you need if you’re feeding kids. Food styled by Barrett Washburne. (Kerri Brewer/The New York Times)
This quick and easy skillet dinner is somewhere between an easy take on enchiladas verdes (no rolling required) and a complete-meal rendition of chile con queso. The base is a mixture of charred green chiles, pinto beans and store-bought or homemade salsa verde, which delivers the brightness of tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and lime. Blanket the bean-and-chile mixture with Monterey Jack cheese, then broil until molten. Serve with tortillas, tortilla chips, rice, a baked sweet potato or fried eggs. You could also add Mexican chorizo, bacon or spinach with the chiles, or leftover pulled chicken with the beans.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
2 poblano chiles or green bell peppers, seeds and stem removed, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde, or 1 3/4 cups homemade salsa verde
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, stems reserved and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups/6 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
Lime wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the broiler to high. (If you don’t have a broiler, see Tip.)
2. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the poblanos and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the beans, salsa verde and cilantro stems, and simmer until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then broil until melted and browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve right away topped with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Tip: You can also melt the cheese on the stovetop. Set the heat under the skillet to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
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