In the past when I’ve eaten dip for dinner, it’s because we had leftovers from a party. That, plus leftover crudités, can anchor a good meal. It can skew fabulous for adults, with after-party vibes (wine, leftover cheese, bread, charcuterie, Christmas ham or shrimp cocktail). Or it can go kid-friendly, with the leftover cheese and bread, hummus, salami and carrots dunked in that creamy dip. (A lot of little-kid meals are just assemblages of finger food anyway.)
But why not just make the dip for dinner? Give me reasons. I’ll wait!
Ali Slagle just gave us 54 no-recipe recipes for party snacks, including the grilled feta below. I also love this green goddess salad dressing as a dip; play around with the Greek yogurt and mayo to get to your desired dippable consistency. (The recipe, adapted from the author Jessica Battilana’s cookbook, “Repertoire,” goes with this greenest green salad, which I also recommend.)
Tell me what you’re cooking and baking! I’m at dearemily@nytimes.com, and I read every note.
1. Grilled Feta With Nuts
Ali Slagle’s grilled (or oven-roasted) feta could be the center of a simple dinner, accessorized with a salad and some bread; warm pita would be nice. This one is flexible: Swap out the nuts for chickpeas, tomatoes, salami, dates or anything else you think would be devoured.
2. Arroz con Pollo Verde
Unlike other versions of the dish found across Latin America, arroz con pollo in Peru includes ají amarillo (a yellow hot pepper) and a cilantro purée that cooks with the rice and chicken. Kay Chun streamlines the dish for a delectable, low-maintenance one-pot meal.
3. Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs
The author Julia Turshen’s turkey and ricotta meatballs have a following; the ricotta in the recipe, which is from her cookbook “Small Victories,” keeps the resulting meatball light. Julia pairs her meatballs with tomato sauce, but Ali Slagle tweaks the recipe by basting them with a garlic-infused melted butter, to serve with potatoes or other root vegetables.
4. Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka With Spinach
I love this fish tikka, from Zainab Shah, which cooks in your oven rather than over coals. You lose the smokiness that comes from coal fire, but the spices and chile heat of the dish are delicious regardless, and they deliver complex flavor for very little work.
5. Tofu and Bok Choy With Ginger-Tahini Sauce
Kay Chun’s creamy ginger-tahini sauce is served with steamed soft tofu and bok choy in this beautifully minimalist meal, but you’ll want to pour it on everything. Serve this with rice to round out dinner.
