Good morning! Today we have for you:
- A sprightly shrimp and avocado salad with peanut dressing
- An easy pasta with tomato-poached eggs that can be as spicy (or not spicy) as you like
- And, 20 ways to make a head of cabbage dinner
Ashley Lonsdale’s shrimp and avocado salad with peanut dressing. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
It’s beginning to look a lot like springtime
By Mia Leimkuhler
Just the other day, while taking the dog on his pre-dinner walk, I spotted a harbinger of spring: two people enjoying happy hour outside.
It wasn’t at a restaurant patio, and it wasn’t a picnic situation (there’s still plenty of gross, stubborn snow on the ground). Instead, it was a couple who’d brushed off their outdoor table and chair set and were enjoying two beers and a bag of chips in the 5 p.m. sunshine. We nodded to one another in appreciation of this early evening vitamin D.
I know this false spring will pull the rug out from underneath me; there’s snow in the forecast where I live. But still, I’m going to take these short bursts of warmth and sunshine as an invitation to similarly thaw my cold-weather cooking. This new shrimp dinner from Ashley Lonsdale strikes the exact vibes I’m going for: light but filling, lots of green, no heavy pots needed.
I’m particularly intrigued by the peanut dressing, which starts with scallions, garlic, peanuts, sesame and fennel seeds sizzled in olive oil until toasted and fragrant. That crunchy, flavorful mix is then combined with honey and apple cider vinegar to dress seared shrimp, ruffles of lettuce and half-moons of avocado. Ashley notes that any number of proteins — chicken, steak or salmon — could benefit from this dressing, and I’ll take her up on that suggestion. This salad is going to be the template that sees me through to spring.
Featured Recipe
Shrimp and Avocado Salad With Peanut Dressing
Speaking of spices
Roasted chicken thighs with cauliflower and herby yogurt: Coriander, smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper) give this Yossy Arefi sheet-pan dinner its savory earthiness and subtle kick. Several readers added some halved small potatoes to roast with the chicken and cauliflower — so smart.
Berbere fish with roasted broccoli and potatoes: Once you have berbere — a warming spice mix that includes cinnamon, fenugreek, coriander and chile — you can use it to make chicken, meatballs and this simple fish dinner from Ifrah F. Ahmed. If you’d like to make your own berbere, we have instructions included as part of this shiro (ground-chickpea stew) recipe from Ghennet Tesfamicael that was adapted by Samin Nosrat.
Tomato-poached egg pasta: I recently lightly splurged on some really nice imported crushed red pepper at an Italian grocery store, and I’ve been so dazzled by the intense flavor they’ve added to my dishes. This new weeknight dinner from Christian Reynoso will really let them shine, with briny capers, sweet shallot and that rich egg yolk providing the perfect base for their bright spiciness. (It goes without saying, of course, that you could also pull back or skip the chile flakes entirely if you’re not as spicy-smitten as I am.)
For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Roasted Chicken Thighs With Cauliflower and Herby Yogurt
By Yossy Arefi
6,375
1 hour
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Berbere Fish With Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes
By Ifrah F. Ahmed
1 hour
Makes 4 servings
Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne.
Pasta With Tomato-Poached Eggs
By Christian Reynoso
12
30 minutes
Makes 2 servings
And before you go
Yes, cabbage is a winter crop, but real cabbage-heads know that this inexpensive and versatile vegetable cannot be confined to just one season. So consider this collection of excellent cabbage recipes a year-round cooking companion, pulling out, say, cabbage Parm for a mid-March dinner, and lemon-tahini slaw for the first cookout of summer.
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
20 Ways to Make a Head of Cabbage Dinner
These recipes make a convincing argument in favor of the criminally underrated vegetable.
By Becky Hughes and Sharon Attia
Thanks for reading!
Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter
Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly.
Sign up for The Veggie newsletter
Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties.
If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.
Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.
You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times.
To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.
Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app
Connect with us on:
Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices
The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018
