Hi and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes, delicious recipes you can make on a Tuesday — but actually I also make them on Saturdays. Last weekend, a group of my closest friends came over for dinner, one of those things that miraculously comes together sort of at the last minute. I got to the store that afternoon and put a sheet pan full of chicken thighs in the oven just after my daughter went to bed. (I did chicken thighs rather than a whole chicken because they’re fast, everyone likes them and I barely have to think about them, since they cook evenly and are so forgiving.)
On a rack beneath that I roasted carrots (the way I like to serve them, with a big swoosh of yogurt, is actually very similar to this), and below that sliced delicata squash to toss in a salad. I also made a pot of farro. You wouldn’t do it all on a weeknight, but you could definitely do a piece of it, and it’d be so good.
Read on for details! Or email me about dinner parties, roasting, anything at all at dearemily@nytimes.com.
CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times
1. Salt-and-Pepper Roast Chicken
This is a whole chicken, of course, and not thighs, but the simplicity is what I wanted to share with you: salt, pepper, oven, done. This is a great recipe as written if you have extra time, but you could use 4 to 8 skin-on, bone-in thighs instead, arranging them skin side up on a sheet pan. Scatter the herbs around, or skip them altogether; I also like to brush the skin with olive oil. Keep the same oven temp, and they should be done in 35 minutes.
CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times
2. Farro With Roasted Squash, Feta and Mint
Mix roasted squash with farro for a warm, sweet-and-savory grain bowl, which is substantial enough to be a meal. (If you’re at all anxious about that, add browned chunks of sausage or toss in handfuls of baby arugula.) Seed and slice the squash while the oven heats, or buy cubed squash and just roast a little longer. You could also skip the apple cider and cook the farro in water; cook an extra cup of grains to use in the frittata below.
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CreditRomulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food styling: Vivian Lui.
A legitimately fast way to do delicious fish tacos: under the broiler, with minimal but flavor-packed toppings. The fabulous Sarah Copeland, who wrote the recipe, tops hers with avocado and sour cream or full-fat plain yogurt for her two small kids. I’d just make this for dinner, though you could add black beans on the side if you’d like.
CreditRomulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food stylist: Vivian Lui.
I’m finding this recipe irresistible. Fresh broccoli and carrots, thinly sliced beef, noodles, soy sauce and ginger and garlic, stir-fried and bright and savory and delicious — and it’s a one-recipe meal, though extra string beans on the side wouldn’t hurt.
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Ali Slagle’s grain frittata.CreditLinda Xiao for The New York Times
