For a while now, my husband and I have been making the same dinner every Sunday night. He makes the fish — a seared, salt-and-peppered fillet of whatever looked good (or was on sale) at the fish counter — while I make the vegetable side and the Zojirushi makes the rice. The vegetable side could be yamitsuki, gomaae, roasted broccoli sprinkled with furikake, easy savoy cabbage with a touch of miso, or whatever we have and whatever we feel like. It’s essentially Japanese breakfast for dinner, and it’s always anchored by a giant piece of fish, and we always love it.
That could be your fish dinner, or — if you’d like a clear recipe to follow, one that’s super flavorful and a breeze to make — you could click through to this aptly named collection, 14 Recipes Because You Want to Eat More Fish. My wonderful colleague Allison Jiang assembled this list, stacking it with winners: Zainab Shah’s sheet-pan fish tikka with spinach, Ali Slagle’s ginger-dill salmon and this one-pan roasted fish with cherry tomatoes from Lidey Heuck.
Because I like all things spicy, I usually add a heavy pinch of chile flakes and skip the honey if my tomatoes are especially sweet. Some readers note adding crushed fennel seeds, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or a dab of harissa. Which is to say: It’s your fish dinner! Make it as you please.
Featured Recipe
One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry Tomatoes
I’m still happily cooking my way through Allison’s 14 healthy dinner ideas, and I think this week’s chicken will take the form of this weeknight-friendly chicken tagine from Nargisse Benkabbou. I can’t do this dish any more justice than Eri, a reader:
“I hardly bother leaving comments on NYT Cooking recipes but I felt compelled to leave a note saying how much my family and I enjoyed this. I was surprised at how delicious this was considering it took far less time to prepare than a traditional chicken tagine. Do make the effort of sourcing the preserved lemons. They really make a difference together with good quality olives which I threw into the pot 5 minutes before the dish was done.”
Speaking of sourcing: I did some halfhearted pantry organization the other day, less “cleaning things out” and more “holding something up and saying its name” before putting it back. That’s how I rediscovered the fancy cans of fish I brought back from some travels, which will shine in Melissa Clark’s simple pasta with tuna, capers and scallions.
I also found a half-bag of dried giant lima beans, smooth and shell-white. After an overnight soak and a gentle work-from-home simmer, they’re all set for Lidey’s braised white beans and greens with Parmesan, which of course could be made with any canned cannellinis you’ve got kicking around.
For more legume action — but this time with the warmth and gentle heat of curry powder — there’s Zaynab Issa’s curried coconut and red lentil soup. Her recipe calls for both coconut milk and coconut water, the latter providing an extra dose of hydration, a welcome boost to those observing Ramadan.
And for something sweet, I’m thinking pie. Specifically this striking blood orange buttermilk pie with a graham cracker crust from Jocelyn Delk Adams. If you can’t find blood oranges, this would still be bright and delicious with juicy navels or (my favorite) pink Cara Caras, their citrusy tang both enhancing and balancing the sour smack of the buttermilk.
