Weeknight Kitchen

If you like alla vodka, you’ll love alla mezcal. In the classic vodka version, the ethanol in the alcohol is used as an emulsifier in the sauce but doesn’t really add any flavor. Since more flavor is more better, I decided to try swapping out my favorite adult beverage, and the result was a smoky take on the Italian American classic.

This creamy marinara sauce is great tossed with any dried pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”

I always keep a stock of prawns in my freezer, they’re great to have on hand as they cook so fast. I love this recipe both because it’s bursting with sweet and spicy flavours and because it’s a one-bowl job for both the marinade and dressing: I love a time-saver! You can swap out the prawns for halloumi to make this vegetarian, if you wish.

These egg muffins are my homemade Starbucks dupe without the Starbucks price tag. I used to be a total cottage cheese skeptic, but once I blended it seamlessly with eggs, I was hooked—and now I’m living my best cottage cheese life! This little trick not only cranks up the protein, but it also nixes the heavy, curd-like texture for a silky bite. No wonder this is one of my most popular meal-prep recipes—low-sugar, low-carb, and packed with staying power to keep that midmorning crash at bay. Use the base recipe as a blank canvas for any chopped mix-ins you love!

These French-inspired butter beans in a mustard sauce are creamy, hearty, and filling. The flavors of Dijon mustard, white wine and thyme are quintessentially français and delicately balanced. Serve with a crusty baguette to mop up the sauce for a rustic vibe and cozy meal.

There are not one, but two one-pan chicken dinners in this book (see page 179), and this one is definitely company worthy. I love to serve this chicken and sweet potato bake with a Spanish romesco sauce; the recipe for the sauce is in this book as well. If you don’t want to be bothered, though, you can find the sauce in some specialty markets or simply leave it out. Perhaps use a drizzle of chili oil or even hot sauce.

Inspired by the iconic Oreo, these sandwich cookies combine cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and crushed candy canes for some festive winter flavor. This is a cut-out cookie, and you’ll notice the rolling method is like that used for Soft Sugar Cookies. For the chocolate version, use cocoa powder instead of flour to dust your surface and rolling pin, so that the sticky dough stays dark and workable.

This dish and Pad see ew (see variation) are both super popular Thai street food dishes known for their smoky flavour and deliciously chewy rice noodles. The combination of light and dark soy sauces stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and meat, often pork or chicken, creates a rich, savoury taste. The only difference between the two is that the pad kee mao stir-fry starts with lots of fiery chilli and finishes with some herbaceous Thai basil, making it an ideal meal to enjoy with a cold drink, hence the nickname ‘drunken noodles’.

I've been experimenting with tempeh a lot this year—a plant-based protein made from fermented soybeans. The soybeans are formed into a firm, dense block and has a slightly nutty, earthy flavor with a hearty texture. It’s a nutritional powerhouse, and unlike tofu, tempeh retains the whole soybean, which provides more fiber and a meatier consistency. After much trial and error, I personally find that cutting the tempeh into small cubes and marinating it at least 2 hours before roasting really helps the flavor soak in In this dish, the marinade is spicy and savory, which I thought was great alongside rice, but I can also see myself enjoying this tempeh in summer rolls, salads, and more.

This is inspired by a Roman recipe called pasta e piselli. As is the case with so many Italian dishes, it is deceptively simple but packed full of flavour and is sure to please diners of all ages. Brodo – Italian for broth – is often made with meat stock, so do use a chicken stock here, unless you’re serving to vegetarians. This is a recipe that will welcome a spare Parmesan rind: it will impart so much flavour. Just add it to the liquid as it cooks and discard before serving.

Romans have been worshipping at the altar of cheese and pepper (aka cacio e pepe) for centuries. This simple, creamy, indulgent, delicious combo is a pillar of the four great Roman pastas. We haven’t messed around with it, simply swapping out pasta for Italian borlotti beans. Ready in just 15 minutes, this is comfort food at its best.