One thing I miss from the pre-Covid era is eating at friends’ homes, which I do sparingly at this point, and only with the precautions that you’d imagine. I love seeing what my friends decide to make, a fascination that is surely related to the fact that I’m a professional recipe recommender. Trying their dishes, another joy, is an altogether different thing from eating off the menu at a restaurant — though I miss that, too.
Last weekend, a friend made these baked eggs in cream for lunch, which I wouldn’t have thought to do, along with a green salad that had a lightly sweet shallot vinaigrette. It was both simple and wonderful, and it made me want to shake up my repertoire. Other friends recently made us quiche, which I never, ever make, but which I completely devoured. As my editor Krysten Chambrot once said, “Quiche low-key rules.”
It’s not exactly the same thing, but tell me the recipes you’re cooking at dearemily@nytimes.com. I’ll share some of them next week. Here’s what I’m making, in addition to the weeknight dishes below: birthday cake for my younger kid (but with pink frosting and a metric ton of sprinkles), whole-grain pancakes, Bolognese sauce (Marcella Hazan’s is classic and cannot be beat, though I like this shortcut, too), black bean-chorizo stew, citrus salad, mapo tofu.
1. Red Curry Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Speaking of recommendations: This recipe by Lidey Heuck is something I’ve seen people making on Instagram or endorsing in one of the many food and parenting newsletters I read. It’s delicious and very dal-like, but with Thai elements added. It’s also on the longer side for a weeknight recipe, but I managed to put a kid to bed while the lentils simmered away. Or you can make it earlier in the day, then reheat it for dinner.
2. Quick-Braised Chicken With Greens
Ali Slagle’s fast method for braised chicken is cozy but still has a bit of bite from hot pickled peppers and their brine. I’d eat this with crusty bread or — even better — the olive oil-fried toast she recommends.
3. Sheet-Pan Shrimp Gratin
Eric Kim bakes this creamy, cheesy gratin on a sheet pan, rather than in a baking dish. The resulting sprawl of the bread-crumb topping means more you get zippy crunch in each bite. I want this for dinner tonight.
4. Vegetarian Skillet Chili With Eggs and Cheddar
This easy charmer from Ali Slagle comes together quickly with pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes and beans; the eggs cook directly in the sauce. Drag a warm, soft corn tortilla through it to make a perfect bite, or shower it with crushed tortilla chips for a little crunch.
