“Put an egg on it” is still riding its culinary moment: A fried or poached egg draped on top of a dish is a reliable shortcut to making it richer, more filling and more mouthwatering on Instagram (that eye-catching and borderline rude runny yolk).
But have you ever put a salad on it? This is my lazy woman’s approach to making sure a meal is pleasingly green: Pile so many herbs and other salad leaves directly onto your main that the dainty word “garnish” no longer applies. What I’m talking about are herbs by the fistful, thrown on like you don’t even care where they land, adding a string section of flavors and textures.
Three of the recipes below are in this vein; the others are just really delicious and I wanted to be sure to tell you about them. As always, I’m dearemily@nytimes.com, and I love to hear from you.
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Here are five dishes for the week:
CreditAndrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
This chicken from Hawaii is bathed in a sweet-salty-sticky sauce, and if that doesn’t persuade you to make it then I don’t know what will. (Vegetarians, you could use the sauce on tofu.) Margaux Laskey, one of our editors, cooks it for her daughters when she wants to make sure they’ll eat. Leave time for marinating: Set it up in the morning, or before bed the night before. Serve it with green beans and rice (make extra if you’re intrigued by the frittata below).
2. Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes
This is one of my favorite weeknight recipes, in part because it’s topped with a wild amount of mint and scallions. (The photo here doesn’t really capture the bodacious quantity of herbs in this recipe.) And you know what? You should do more! Add basil! Add parsley! Add arugula! I often skip the pancetta to make it vegetarian and add cheese with the butter at the end of cooking.
3. Spiced Lamb Skewers With Lemony Onions
I don’t skewer things often enough. (Do you skewer things often? Is it just me?) This recipe made me realize the error of my ways. Use beef, chicken or pork if you don’t care for lamb, but don’t skip the extras (lemony onions, yogurt, flatbread), which make the whole thing sing. Run the skewers under the broiler if you don’t have a grill.
4. Grain Frittata With Chile, Lime and Fresh Herbs
I am always looking for new ways to eat eggs for dinner: They’re delicious and rarely require any advance thinking. This clever recipe whisks a cup of cooked grains into the eggs; a bit of fish sauce goes in too, for a narrative twist. (Vegetarians can skip that, or try a little soy sauce instead.) Again, do not be stingy with the herbs, which you could turn into a more substantial salad by adding arugula. Or add smashed cucumbers with honey and lime.
