Hi and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes. Next Thursday, as you may or may not know, is Valentine’s Day. I am probably the only member of the Food department who goes out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. I know. I get it. But really, is it a treat for me if I have to cook after work? That doesn’t sound like a treat for me? And if my husband cooks, then I do the dishes — also not a treat for me? So we go out! Someone makes us manhattans, and then we eat steak. It’s corny, and I love it.
I am giving you a great, just-a-little-fancy pasta dish below, in case you want to cook for someone as a Valentine’s act of love (and to remind them of how exceptional you are). I’m dearemily@nytimes.com if you need culinaryish counsel.
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Here are five recipes for the week:
Colu Henry’s pasta with scallops, tomatoes and herbs.CreditJulia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
2. Baked Mustard-Herb Chicken Thighs
Back to real life and another one of my loves: Dijon mustard. I always have a jar in my fridge. Here it’s combined with bread crumbs to make a miraculously flavorful, crunchy coating for chicken thighs. Cooking this easy is rarely this tasty. Serve with potatoes and lemony roasted broccoli. Boneless thighs would also work; reduce the cooking time.
View this recipe in your weekly plan.
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3. Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea and Coconut Curry
This recipe by the cookbook author Meera Sodha is utterly delicious, and it’s vegan too. Yes, it’s a stretch for a weeknight — there is some chopping — but it’s both manageable and good the next day, so it’s a strong candidate for making ahead. (Or treat yourself to pre-chopped veg at the store.) Put rice on the stove as you start the onions and the timing should work out perfectly; make extra rice if you want some to serve with the brussels sprouts or squash below.
View this recipe in your weekly plan.
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5. Simmered Kabocha Squash With Scallions
I love squash and am always in search of ideas for cooking it that make sense after work. Enter this simple recipe from the author and blogger Cynthia Chen McTernan, which calls for kabocha squash (you don’t have to peel it), but I’ll be trying it with peeled, pre-cut butternut squash if I can’t easily get my hands on kabocha. Serve over rice and a fried or poached egg to make it dinner.
