Weeknight Meals

This seasoned salt is equally good on other cuts of meat, like chicken thighs or breasts or pork chops. Make a big batch and use it as you like.

The soup equivalent of dipping your bread into tomato sauce, this rustic dish is summer’s comfort food.

Hot weather and spicy foods just go together, but this speedy stovetop dish won’t heat up your kitchen.

There’s something special about lobster you’ve prepared yourself, but if cooking one on a weeknight isn’t your speed, buy cooked lobster or shrimp instead.

This dish is a bold mix of salty, sweet, and acidic components. Crunchy slabs of melon and sharp greens keep it fresh; meaty chops provide depth.

A super-juicy watermelon is key; it should feel heavy for its size and sound hollow when tapped.

You can also make this dish with littleneck or cherrystone clams instead of mussels.

Separate compartments are key to packing this lunch. Switch up the fixings to keep it fresh: Salsa, guac, and sour cream are all good options.

To check if the fish is done, press on the spot right behind the head: If it feels firm and a thin knife inserted there reveals flaky flesh, you’re good to go.

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.

Make sure you keep your grill at a steady medium-level heat; if it’s too hot, the chicken will char without cooking through.

A fish taco dream come true: crispy, light-as-air fried fish, balanced by a creamy slaw and fiery, cooling, and crunchy fixings.

Lamb and yogurt is a classic combination. You'll be scraping the plate with pita.

You know those days when you can’t decide if you want to grill sausage or burgers? Problem solved.

Summer evenings in Maine can be chilly, especially early and late in the season. When it’s sweater weather, it’s time for this creamy fish chowder recipe.

Lobster will get tough if overcooked, so be gentle with it during the last step.

The whole point of a crab roll is the crab—get the best you can find, and don’t mess with it too much. And, that bun: It has to be split top.

Buy perky, energetic lobsters; they should be active and extend their claws upwards when lifted.

As the lamb cooks inside the pita, the fat will render into the bread, creating a crunchy, compact, vibrantly flavored meat pie that’s unlike any burger you’ve ever had.

Let the steaks rest on top of the tomatoes. Their juices will commingle and make the dressing that much better.

Takashi Inoue, of Takashi in New York City, loves to use this marinade on any cut of beef (hanger is another favorite), chicken wings, or pork ribs.

Liquid from the grated corn enriches and helps thicken the grits; fresh corn added at the end makes for nice bites.

Edward Kim’s take on the vinegary buckwheat salad called will put out the fire in your belly and wake up your palate. Crushed ice cubes on top keeps it chilled no matter the heat index, and, as they melt, add to what Kim describes as the dish’s “slurp-ability.”