Hello, everyone. I missed writing to you when I was out on my summer vacation, though I didn’t miss trying to come up with different ways to say “delicious.” (“Toothsome!”)
I returned and plunged directly into fall madness, a maelstrom of back to school, back to office, back to everything. Naturally, as I tried to determine who in my home had to be where and at what time, I wondered what I was going to have for dinner. (What, you’re not constantly thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner?)
I find that after Labor Day, a switch flips and the collective yearning for summer food comes to a halt. Enough with the pan con tomate; it’s time for roast chicken. So this week, for me, is all about those meals: not heavy, but not light either, and sufficiently filling for the hectic early days of fall. And, because of the aforementioned crazy schedules, it’s also about speed and ease.
Email me at dearemily@nytimes.com to tell me what you think, what you’re cooking and what recipes you’d like to request. I read every note!
1. Peanut Butter-Glazed Salmon and Green Beans
Peanut butter is best when it’s eaten directly out of the jar with a spoon, but it’s also a fantastic shortcut ingredient for sauces. This one-pan recipe from Kay Chun uses peanut sauce as a savory glaze for fish. Easy and very satisfying.
2. Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)
This recipe, a version of the Thai classic adapted from the chef Kris Yenbamroong’s cookbook, “Night + Market,” is one of the more delectable things you can make in less than 30 minutes. Serve it with rice; that’s not negotiable.
3. Sheet-Pan Baked Feta With Broccolini, Tomatoes and Lemon
You thought fall was pumpkin-spice season? In fact it is sheet-pan season, marking its triumphant return from summer hiatus. This fan-favorite recipe from Yasmin Fahr is both virtuous (all those veggies) and tasty. You can throw canned chickpeas onto the pan if you’d like to bulk up the meal or feed someone who doesn’t love feta.
4. Baked Mustard-Herb Chicken Legs
This dish is kid food, grown-up food, everyone-is-pleased food: Put it out on the table and you’ll see. It’s an old recipe by Mark Bittman, which he learned from the chef Gary Danko, and it never fails. I’d serve it with orzo or egg noodles, and something green.