Weeknight Meals

Pistachios and lamb are often paired in Greek cooking. Tomatoes, artichokes, and parsley—other common ingredients—combine to create a flavorful accompaniment.

Pesto made with parsley and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese (and without nuts) makes a colorful topping for tender lamb chops. It could also be tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or mixed with cream cheese for a dip to serve with crudités (see page 52).

Use the extra loin from the Pork Loin with Figs and Port Sauce (page 217) in the recipes below (you’ll have enough meat to make both).

Use the extra loin from the Pork Loin with Figs and Port Sauce (page 217) in the recipes below (you’ll have enough meat to make both).

When cooking stuffed chops and roasts, it is important to check the internal temperature of the stuffing to determine doneness. To accompany the pork, use a good-quality store-bought chutney, and serve a simple green salad on the side.

Sweet paprika and sour cream share the spotlight with pork in this Hungarian classic. Buttered egg noodles, the traditional accompaniment, soak up the spicy, creamy sauce.

Using store-bought flour tortillas in lieu of homemade pancakes makes it easy to replicate this Chinese take-out favorite in your own home. Hoisin sauce, sold in most grocers’ Asian-food section, replaces the traditional (and harder-to-find) plum sauce.

This Asian take on grilled pork chops blends honey, soy sauce, and ginger for a sweet and savory glaze. Grill the bok choy only until char marks form and the outer leaves begin to wilt.

Make the Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks on page 205, and then use the extra roasted tenderloin in one of these recipes (page 206)—one with Asian flavors, one with Mexican.

Make the Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks on page 205, and then use the extra roasted tenderloin in one of these recipes (page 206)—one with Asian flavors, one with Mexican.

Nothing complements pork like the flavor of apples; here the fruit is sautéed with leeks and honey. This recipe calls for roasting an extra tenderloin; serve one with the apples, and reserve one for use in a recipe on the following page.

Panko bread crumbs give these beef-and-pork meatballs a lighter texture than those made with regular bread crumbs. Serve over spaghetti, if you wish, or in a small loaf of soft Italian bread for meatball sandwiches.

Turn leftover meat from Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce (page 194) into one of these weeknight dinners. The steak for the salad can be served cold, while the steak in the fajitas will warm through as it gets cooked with the rest of the ingredients.

Turn leftover meat from Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce (page 194) into one of these weeknight dinners. The steak for the salad can be served cold, while the steak in the fajitas will warm through as it gets cooked with the rest of the ingredients.

For the most tender slices, cut flank steak against the grain, at a slight angle. This recipe calls for cooking two steaks, so you should have about one pound left over to incorporate into the salad or fajitas on the following page.

Crisp scallions provide the vegetable base for this tasty stir-fry. If the scallions are particularly thick, cut the white parts in half lengthwise; they will cook through more quickly.

Store-bought curry paste is a handy shortcut for preparing Thai- and Indian-style dishes at home. Here, just one tablespoon adds the characteristic color and flavor to beef and noodles. Look for the paste near other Asian ingredients in the supermarket.

Try the colorful salsa that tops these steaks on grilled hamburgers or chicken, or as a dip for tortilla chips. Or replace it with one of the varieties on page 59.

Roast beef sandwiches make good use of meat left over from Roast Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes (page 182). Here are two unexpected takes on the classic.