Weeknight Meals

Make sure the vodka cooks for a full minute or two to evaporate all the booziness.

Be sure to pat the snapper fillets dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as you can before slicing.

Think of this fried rice recipe as a template, not a dictum. If you don’t have beef jerky on hand, use leftover short ribs or spareribs, try some Chinese sausage, or skip the meat altogether. The technique is what is key here, not the specific ingredients.

Puffed and pulverized wild rice is the new breadcrumb, coating any meaty white fish you like in a nutty, crispy exterior.

Freekeh has a smoky flavor that gets more depth when the grains are toasted; you can use wheat berries, spelt, brown rice, or farro instead.

This raw tomato sauce gets texture from zucchini and body from toasted nuts that are blended into the base. You can sub almonds for hazelnuts.

Last night’s steak, whatever it is, will do. Rib eye, porterhouse, flank, and strip are all excellent the next day.

There’s nothing wrong with a regular tomato-and-mayo sandwich, but this shredded lettuce and Italian vinaigrette masterpiece is worthy too.

Meaty and flakeable, these fillets don't mind being tossed.

No offense to all the vegetarians, but the chimichurri is also pretty fantastic on your favorite steak.

If you have any doubts about your fish-cooking skills, put an end to them by using a nonstick skillet.

With its clean flavor and forgiving, crispable skin, black bass is…no trouble. (Sorry.) Dress it up with a versatile spicy relish.

If this were our party, we’d get all the grilling out of the way early in the day and toss this Mediterranean fantasy of a salad together in our caftans.

A little honey in the marinade helps these cutlets caramelize, guaranteeing they’ll be nicely browned despite the super-short cooking time.

If you’re camping, make this your night one dinner, when the fish is freshest.

A peppy cherry dressing is a natural pairing for pork.

This one-pot dinner is simple: Sweet cherry tomatoes, earthy chorizo, and a splash of wine do the heavy lifting.

These fillings would also work wrapped up in a tortilla or lavash.

Panzanella salads are a great way to use up the last of that loaf of crusty bread. Change it up as summer progresses by tossing in other vegetables or herbs. Just don’t skip the tomato: It helps soften the bread.

Imminently adaptable and riffable: Use any leftover protein or shred a rotisserie chicken in place of the tofu, and use whatever crunchy vegetables you’ve got in the produce drawer.

This pesto pasta recipe gets heft (and a side of veggies) from the addition of broccoli to the purée. They won’t know it’s there unless you tell them...wink wink.

Even if assertive fish like sardines aren’t typically your thing, the mellowed flavor that they take on when grilled—not to mention that crisp skin—might change your mind. What’s more, the skin’s high oil content means these fish are way less prone to sticking.

The classic slow-cooked cut is moving into the fast lane, grilled and paired with a mole that’s ready in a flash.

When you toss hot clams right off the grill with some flavored butter, the butter melts and mingles with the clam liquor, creating an irresistible combination.