4 Weeknight Dinners That Are Way Better Than Greek Lady
It’s Monday. You just got another econ problem set. You spilled the entire contents of your backpack onto the floor of Van Pelt while the security guards “checked” your bag on the way out. Your favorite cashier at FroGro didn’t greet you by name as you made your weekly purchase of strawberry jam and cherry tomatoes. Was it really yesterday that you felt like you had enough energy to take on the world?
I’m here to tell you that it’ll get better. The problem set will get done, the crowd in the library will slowly forget your clumsiness, and that cashier… well, service has never been FroGro’s strong suit anyway. But just because you had a bad day doesn’t mean you should bury your problems in a mediocre gyro from Greek Lady. You deserve better, so here are four simple weeknight recipes that’ll help turn things around.
Chicken Marbella:
Marinade the chicken in the fridge tonight, then pop it in the oven after class tomorrow. Boil some couscous while it’s cooking away, or pick up a loaf of country bread from Metropolitan Bakery to serve along side. Anything to soak up the savory-sweet juices. (Simply Recipes)
Shakshuka:
Middle East meets mid-week meal in this not-sad take on eggs for dinner. Thirty minutes of effort and you’ll be digging into a fragrant bowl of smoky tomato sauce studded with runny eggs and rich pockets of feta. Serve with crusty bread, chopped mint, and a generous dollop of Greek yogurt. (NYT Cooking)
Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken and Veg:
Don’t fear the whole chicken! This impressive weeknight staple is way easier than it looks. Salt and pepper your bird, stuff it with half a lemon and a few sprigs of thyme, then plop it on top of a pile of salted root vegetables. Slide it in a piping hot oven and voila. In less time than it takes to finish your history reading, you’ll be sitting down to your own mini Thanksgiving dinner. (Barefoot Contessa)
Pasta + Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce:
Stop! Drop that flavorless jar of pasta sauce and put it back in the cabinet. You deserve better. With nothing more than a good 28oz can of tomatoes, an onion, and a stick of butter, I promise you can make a Monday night sauce that you’ll still be thinking about when the weekend hits. (Food52)
-Chase Matecun