Sometimes I worry about my recipes the way I worry about my kids. As in, is this one getting enough attention? Does that one need a little extra love this week? I think it’s safe to say that Andy’s Pork Ragu is the Marcia Brady of dinners here on DALS (Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! [1]) followed closely by Salmon Salad, Braised Short Ribs, and maybe those shrimp rolls from Playbook [2]. In my defense, there’s a good reason for the repetition: they’re favorites in our house and grace the table over and over, year in and year out. But that’s my house and I was thinking: Just because my daughters won’t go near the Mongolian Stir-fry Tofu [3] (still!) doesn’t mean that your kid won’t beg for it every night. So herewith, a Redemption for the Forgotten: 10 recipes — all quick, all tasty — that deserve a little love.
1. Squash Toasts with Butternut Squash and Ricotta [4] I could eat everything listed under “toasts” on the ABC Kitchen menu, but this one would be right at the top.
2. Orecchiette with Peas, Country Ham, and Mint [5] – The orecchiettes work like little baseball mitts catching the peas. The country ham works cause…it’s country ham.
3. Pork Chops in Tomato Juice with Kale [6] – It’s really amazing that this isn’t on my table twice a week given how much my kids like both pork and kale. Here, the chops are pounded super thin and braised in a delicate tomatoey broth.
4. Sticky Pomegranate Chicken (page 174, Playbook) Four ingredients, 90% of cooking time is hands-off.
5. Steak Tacos with Quick Pickled Onions and Cilantro Sauce [7] Good for leftover steak or anytime you want a little meat to go a long way.
6. Lamb Sliders with Yogurt Sauce [8] Slider always sounds way more fun than sandwich.
7. Fried Fish Nuggets with Bacony Greens [9] This seems to be gaining traction with families dealing with egg allergies. (The dredge is sour cream, not a whisked egg.)
8. Lettuce Hand Rolls [10] (with ground pork or turkey) The photo may be a little JV, but the dinner is decidedly varsity. I remember tasting a forkful of the 5-spiced ground meat straight out of the skillet at a photo shoot and knowing instantly that it would work at the family table.
9. Chickpea Fries [11] I used to make these for the kids with ketchup (we called them “fancy fries”) but now I think I’d make them with a little yogurty-dill sauce and lemon. Maybe even as a starter next time someone comes over for dinner. Such a crowd-pleaser.
10. Pan-roasted Chicken Thighs with Leeks (page 282 Dinner: A Love Story [12]) Chicken, leeks, mustard and the dashiest dash of cream to make it feel indulgent. Plus: Leeks. And P.S. Leeks!