KEEP IT SIMPLE
Weeknight Meals with Big Flavor
Happy November, y’all! It’s hard to believe there are only two months left of 2023. Our mantra for the rest of the year? Keep it simple. And that’s why it’s the perfect time to show off a few recipes from our new favorite cookbook from the good folks at Milk Street.
Christopher Kimball and his team of editors (including our W4D pal J.M. Hirsch) have put together a stunning book of more than 200 weeknight recipes that are big on flavor and easy to cook. In Simple you won’t find lengthy ingredient lists, or complex multi-step methods. It’s all about coaxing the very best flavors out of accessible ingredients with clever tips and innovative techniques that result in delicious-yet-surprisingly-doable dishes.
Essentially, they have taken all the best flavors and tips they learned from traveling around the world (since they started Milk Street in 2016) and adapted them to these simple, boldly-flavored, soul-satisfying dishes—these aren’t your average Plain Jane recipes, but a collection of international flavors for your home kitchen.
ONE-POT TORTELLINI WITH CHERRY TOMATOES & SALAMI
AU: We love a one-pot recipe here at W4D. Whether it’s a pot, a pan, or a sheet tray—fewer dishes to clean at the end of the meal is a big motivator when it comes to weeknight cooking.
EK: Yep! We love to cook, but we don’t love to do more dishes than necessary, so a one-vessel recipe is always a small victory.
AU: If you haven’t made them already, you should try my Sheet Pan Gnocchi “Amatriciana”, Sheet Pan Sausage, Gnocchi & Veggies. The gnocchi get crispy and the cherry tomatoes turn into a “sort-of-sauce” on the sheet pan. Also try our pal Bob Blumer’s favorite Trader Joe’s shortcut meal that Elizabeth wrote up a few weeks ago: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Baby Broccoli and Pancetta. They’re all super simple I-don’t-feel-like-cooking-but-want-to-eat-something-yummy recipes that are life savers on a busy weeknight!
In Milk Street’s Simple, there is no shortage of incredibly delicious pasta dishes you can make, but I was drawn to one that uses store bought tortellini (from the refrigerated section): One-Pot Tortellini with Cherry Tomatoes and Salami.
Much like my sheet pan gnocchi recipes, the fresh pasta gets crispy, but that’s because you BROWN THEM in oil—like you would a potsticker dumpling (insert “WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?!” ).
AU: Then, instead of removing the pasta from the pot to make the sauce, you just add all the sauce ingredients and continue cooking the pasta IN the sauce. Chopped salami turns into toothsome, meaty bites while the cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil create a classic saucy combo. I used a small Genoa Salami that I chopped into lardon-sized bits, but the book recommends using Pepperoni, too. I think a spicy Soppressata would be the perfect choice. My favorite part is that the browned tortellini have such a satisfying chew—I can’t stop eating them! It’s cute that the book suggests this makes 4-6 servings. ;-)
EK: Two at the most! I love a cook-your-pasta-in-the-sauce kinda dish!!
TAHINI ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH ZA’ATAR
EK: I love Middle Eastern flavors and use Za’atar for many things. If you’ve been reading and cooking with us for a while, you know that. Two of my favorites are in our archives, Whole-Roasted Cauliflower with Za’atar and Caramelized Onion Tart. Both use Za’atar as the main seasoning and another favorite Middle Eastern ingredient, labneh, a.k.a. (strained) yogurt cheese.
AU: I am never without Za’atar in my spice cabinet. I love how it makes even a simple roast chicken an unexpectedly nuanced meal.
EK: Simple has quite a few recipe that feature Za’atar and I was drawn to the Tahini-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Za’atar. You can see how delectable they look in the photo above. That photo looked good enough to eat and so it was the first recipe from the cookbook that I wanted to try.
I made this recipe as the authors intended, quickly on a weeknight, and did not take any process shots because truthfully, the process was so simple without any special techniques that I didn’t need to.
The “secret” to this recipe is in the batter! The sweet potatoes are “battered” with a cornstarch-Za’atar dry rub and a tahini-olive oil wet rub, then roasted at a high heat. This combination allows the outside to form a crunchy sesame-rich crust while the sweet potatoes are tender on the inside. The headnote says that the cornstarch keeps the tahini on the surface of the potato, so they are nicely encrusted.
The spears of sweet potato are served with a tahini-yogurt sauce and I used labneh because I had it, and I love it. If you’ve seen the Yaza Foods Labneh in a store near you, you know they make a Za’atar and Olive Oil Labneh, which makes making this sauce even easier. All you need to do is add tahini, lemon zest, and lemon juice and you have a dipping sauce for the potatoes (and any protein that you decide to serve alongside them). I made a roasted chicken and it was superb!
EK: My sweet potatoes did not look as crisp as the book’s photo, but they were tender and nutty with tahini, and perfectly seasoned with salt, pepper, and Za’atar! It’s definitely a side that I will make all winter long. I might just try that batter on chicken fingers!
GIVEAWAY: WIN MILK STREET’S SIMPLE
Want to experience some Simple, delicious cooking at your home? We are giving a book to one lucky paid subscriber!*
Every page has gorgeous photography by Erik Bernstein (with expert food styling by Erika Joyce) and is packed with genius ideas to make weeknight cooking second-hand nature. From healthy sides to round out your meal, like this kale salad…
…To homey classics with a twist, like this incredible Kimchi Grilled Cheese with Ham. You use kimchi in the sandwich, but not before mixing a little kimchi brine into the mayo to build layers of flavor.
*Paid subscribers will automatically be entered into the Book Giveaway. If you’re not a paid subscriber, hit the button below by Monday November 6, 2023 at 11:59pm PT (Continental U.S. only; Void where prohibited).