My fast five
Hi, everyone! Mia here, filling in for Emily. Always a pleasure. I tried to come up with a fun theme for this newsletter — recipes that use only one pan, recipes that put a dent in your canned bean stockpile, hot honey recipes. But that just led me to thinking about the recipes that, well, I can’t stop thinking about. The recipes on repeat in my brain and on my table. So that’s what we have today! Below are five dishes that I can’t — and won’t — stop making. They come together quickly and easily, of course, and take advantage of the wonderful produce that’s swinging into season. And since I’ve made them all multiple times, I’ve shared different tweaks and substitutions I’ve made in case they’re helpful (or, I hope, inspiring).
1. Crunchy Queso WrapOh boy. I have made these so many times since we published the recipe — Alexa Weibel’s ode to the Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme — and each time I tailor them to what I have on hand. Some combinations: canned pinto beans, leftover rice and avocado; scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes and pickled jalapeños (this is called a “brunchwrap”); taco-seasoned ground chicken, shredded Cheddar and crushed Corn Nuts. Get yourself some tostadas and the biggest flour tortillas you can find, and go wild.
2. Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)Eric Kim simply doesn’t miss, and this recipe is a weeknight cooking bull’s-eye: fast, easy, superdelicious. (I don’t have kids, but I think this would be a big hit with them, as the chicken is boneless, salty-sweet and excellent piled on soft white rice.) Because I have a perilla plant that’s going gangbusters, I swap in those leaves for the lettuce, and assemble little bites of chicken, rice and a swipe of store-bought ssamjang. So good.
3. Sausage and Peppers Pasta With BroccoliThe peppers are taut, shiny and crisp right now, which means it’s time for this perfect Kay Chun pasta. I play fast and loose with the pepper element here, swapping in any farmers’ market finds — long hots, cubanelles, Jimmy Nardellos — for the bell peppers. (Adjust the chile flakes accordingly.)
4. Borani Banjan (Afghan-Style Eggplant in Yogurt)This Zainab Shah recipe is such a delightful study in contrasts: the warm eggplant on the cool yogurt; the snap of the pomegranate seeds with the soft tomatoes; the spice of the (optional) chile powder with the refreshing mint leaves. Sometimes I’ll add toasted pita or nuts for additional crunch (a move inspired by my love of fatteh), or a soft-boiled egg, halved, for a little extra protein.
5. Corn and Miso Pasta SaladI buried this one at the bottom because it does take 50 minutes, which may be pushing it for a weeknight-friendly recipe. But this Ham El-Waylly dish, more than any other, is what I make over and over every summer. I almost always add some canned tuna, and sometimes I’ll skip the pasta and serve my so-flavorful tuna salad situation over rice. I’ve also swapped in chopped chard stems and radishes for the celery, and can confirm that harissa, gochujang and sambal oelek all work beautifully in place of the Calabrian chile. Make this, eat it often and enjoy immensely. Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
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