By admin
I don’t know about you, but peak summer is when my weeknight cooking game really hits a wall. It’s partly because I cook more on weekends during the summer—big cuts of meat on the grill or in the smoker are my favorite, and tend to go overboard with side dishes because there’s so much in-season produce to work with. I’m also out in the evenings more often, taking advantage of the rooftops and outdoor seating that isn’t available year-round.
The main reason I’m a little stumped on what to make for dinner lately, though, is that I’ve exhausted most of my no-cook go-tos and it’s too hot for the oven. And, as much as I love to grill, it usually doesn’t seem worth it to light up the Weber for a quick Tuesday night dinner. The way around this, of course, is to turn to quick recipes that come together on the stovetop, no oven or grill required.
The following seven dinners are cooked entirely on the stovetop. All take less than 45 minutes to make, and you don’t need to prep anything ahead of time.
All of the recipes are made with simple, good-for-you ingredients, and each serving has a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fat, in accordance with current USDA dietary guidelines. There are three meatless recipes, two salmon recipes, and two recipes that contain meat (which, spoiler, is bacon). Each recipe serves two people.
Because summer weekends are busy and you likely don’t have as much time to meal prep, nothing in the recipes needs to be cooked ahead of time. I chose quinoa as the grain to use in a few of the recipes because it cooks quickly on the stovetop, in about 20 minutes. There are no big cuts of meat, either, since those take longer to cook and are the kind of thing you’d likely make during meal prep and repurpose.
And, because you might not even have time to make a grocery list on a summer Sunday, I also did that for you! Here’s everything you need to make these seven stovetop dinners:
Apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons
Baby spinach, 9 cups
Bacon, 8 strips
Basil, 1 cup
Broccoli florets, 6 cups
Cherry tomatoes, 3 pints
Chicken stock (or vegetable stock), 6 ½ cups
Corn kernels, 3 cups (from 6 small ears)
Cumin, 1 teaspoon
Eggs, 8
Garlic, 10 cloves
Paprika, ½ teaspoon
Parmesan, 2 ounces
Quinoa, 3 cups (dry)
Raisins, ¼ cup
Salmon, 4 4-ounce fillets (skin on, about 1 inch thick)
Scallions, 4
White beans, 2 (15 ounce) cans + 1 cup
All of these ingredients will keep for the entire week when stored properly. If you’re not sure how to best store your produce, here’s some sound advice. You should only keep fresh fish in the refrigerator for one to two days, so anything you’re not planning on eating in that span of time should be put in an airtight container and frozen, then thawed in the refrigerator overnight before you cook it.
Here’s what’s on the menu. Every recipe serves two, and you can cook them in any order you like.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell1 Broccoli Salad with Bacon, White Beans, and Raisins
Growing up, my mom would make a raw broccoli and bacon salad with raisins and mayonnaise for summer potlucks. I wasn’t a big fan of it back then (no kid likes raw broccoli, and even now I have a hard time appreciating mayo), but I’ve since started making a similar salad for myself, with a few tweaks. This one is served warm, and the broccoli is cooked to al dente. White beans bulk it up to a full meal, and the mayo gets swapped for olive oil and a little bit of apple cider vinegar.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell2 Salmon with Broccoli, Corn, and White Beans
One of my best summer cooking hacks is to use corn kernels in place of cooked grains. Sweet, starchy corn totally works as a base for salads, in warm side dishes, and on a plate with meat (or fish) and veggies. Here, seared salmon is served on a bed of corn, broccoli, and white beans for a satisfying, summery supper.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell3 Quinoa Bowl With Sauteed Tomatoes and Scallion, Soft-Boiled Egg, and Corn
Grain bowls make a great lunch, but I actually like them even more for dinner, because it’s fun to use warm toppings. Here, sautéed tomatoes add umami and a little bit off sauciness to a bowl of quinoa and corn, and a just-cooked soft boiled egg takes the whole thing to the next level.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell4 Quinoa with Parmesan, Corn, and Spinach
This meatless meal is surprisingly filling, and the shaved Parmesan makes an otherwise simple mix of corn, grains, and greens feel special.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell5 Tomato-Bacon Quinoa With Wilted Spinach
Toasting quinoa in a little bit of oil makes it delicious, but toasting it in rendered bacon fat? Totally different ballgame. I like to cook my quinoa with tomatoes and bacon, but if you prefer your bacon crispy, you can just cook it in the pot and take the pieces out once the fat has rendered, before you add the quinoa. Then, use the crispy bacon as a garnish to your finished meal.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell6 Skillet Tomatoes, White Beans, and Eggs
No list of simple weeknight meals would be complete without at least one breakfast-for-dinner option, and this one is no exception. This quick dinner is the perfect mix of textures, and would taste great with a big piece of crusty bread.
Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell, Carrie Purcell7 Salmon with Corn, Quinoa, and Raisins
Here, seared salmon is served on a bed of quinoa, raisins, corn, and greens that’s sweet, crunchy, and savory all at once.
Get the recipe here.
If you cook one of the recipes, post a photo on Instagram and tag @selfmagazine and @xtinebyrne (that’s me!)—we love a good food pic as much as you do.
