December seems like a strange time of year to get excited about new weeknight recipes. There’s just so much to do as the holidays approach. Lean on standbys! Order takeout! You’re busy.
And yet — this is surely a procrastination technique — I’m in full cooking mode, trying recipes I’ve never made a few nights a week, feeling jazzed about the new ones on New York Times Cooking when I see their photos in our staff meetings. A few of my recent favorites are below.
One more thing: We’ve just released our collection of the 50 most popular new recipes of 2021. I think you will like No. 1. Almost everyone likes No. 1. (Unless you are vegan — in which case, let me direct you to No. 5.) As always, write to me to tell me what you think and what recipes you need. I’m dearemily@nytimes.com.
1. Sheet-Pan Mushroom Parmigiana
I love all Parms, but they’re usually not fast to make. (Chicken Parmesan, for instance, requires breading and pan-frying before assembling the dish.) That’s why I’m particularly excited about this new recipe from Hetty McKinnon — a streamlined, vegetarian approach that’s easy to make and can be done in about 30 minutes.
3. Sesame Salmon Bowls
I reveled in this clever recipe by Kay Chun, which was inspired by chirashi. Instead of making sushi rice and then seasoning it, she cooks the rice in the vinegar, and steams the salmon directly on top. And then there’s the scallion-ginger dressing and crunchy veg she serves it with. It’s so incredibly good.
4. Pasta With Cauliflower, Bacon and Sage
At some point this year, I got really into bacon as an ingredient in pasta dishes. It’s a miraculous one. A little goes a long way, and the fat in the pan brings that irresistible smoky flavor and richness to the simplest of sauces, as demonstrated in this Lidey Heuck recipe. This is peak winter pasta.
