Weeknight Rescue//2022//Week 15

Welcome to the weekend, friends. I’ve got lots of good stuff on the menu this week, including some Easter planning inspo (this Easter Menu is a good starting point). For those celebrating Passover, my friend Jessica Levinson is a real pro and has lots of recipes you may want to tap into, which you can find here.

Middle Eastern-Style Lamb Pizza

When it comes to springtime, I always think about including lamb on the menu. This isn’t a particularly traditional way to eat it, but it’s darn tasty. It starts with store-bought, whole-grain naan that you top with a savory blend of onions, ground lamb, spices, and diced tomatoes. Fresh mint and quick pickled red onions make a bright finish. Feel free to make it in the oven or fire up your grill and get the job done there. If you can’t find naan, you can make these using store-bought pizza crust (Boboli, for example) or lavash.

Vegetarian No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

I tend to make this in the summer, but it grabbed my eye this week. It’s layers of zucchini, tofu, cheese, and sauce. I like to serve it with a warm baguette for swiping sauce from my plate. I usually cut myself a break and use jarred tomato sauce instead of homemade, which makes the whole thing come together with ease.

Mussels in White Wine & Garlic

A big pan of garlicky mussels and a good baguette for sopping up all the juices always feels like a celebration at the table to me. It’s a good one if you are skipping meat for Good Friday. Just add a generous salad and dinner is done.

Saucy Instant Pot Chicken with Olives and Greens

This is a braised chicken done in the Instant Pot with olives, kale (or other leafy greens) that cooks down into a tender, comforting meal. It’s tasty over polenta, noodles, or another favorite grain. It’s also great as a leftover the next day. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this Sicilian Skillet Chicken I developed for Simply Recipes also has olives, citrus, and greens and is pretty fabulous.

Collard Green Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa and Crème Fraîche

Tomatillos are in season and can easily be transformed into a tasty salsa for these vegetarian tacos. Of course, there’s no shame in subbing store-bought salsa verde if you are short on time. On the side, I’d warm up a can of beans or do a batch of these slow cooker pintos. 

No Yeast Whole-Grain Lemon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are an Easter morning staple around my house. These are a whole-grain version made with buttermilk, brown sugar, and a lemony glaze. They are pretty unfussy as far as cinnamon rolls go, and rise with baking powder instead of yeast (that means they can be in the oven in about 30 minutes!). If you want to make more traditional, yeasted rolls, I’ve had luck with this recipe by Maria Sinskey, which is adapted from her Family Meals cookbook.

Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Some would say a simple grilled cheese is a perfect food, so why mess with it? It’s a good point, but I’ve found piling kimchi onto a grill cheese sandwiches adds appealing heat and tang that plays deliciously off the richness of melted cheese. If you are dead set against kimchi, you can add pickled jalapeños or anothe pickled cabbage instead. Make this for lunch or a light supper.