Weeknight Meals

Hard cider has been fermented, so it contains alcohol. It is a traditional ingredient in Normandy, France, but you can substitute dry white wine.

Serve this stewlike chicken dish over couscous or mashed potatoes, or with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth. We used Cerignola olives from southern Italy; they are large and firm enough to hold up to slow cooking methods like braising.

This dish was inspired by one of cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb curries.

To prevent the arugula from wilting, let the chicken cool slightly before serving.

To fry the sage leaves for garnish, place them in hot oil until they start to curl, about 3 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon.

For a side dish, try basmati rice cooked with a pinch of saffron.

Serve this dish with arugula, tomatoes, blanched green beans, and crumbled Parmesan cheese tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Brine-curing the pork makes it soft, tender, and juicy. The pork is cut into small pieces, so it only needs to be cured for 4 hours.

Low-fat plain yogurt can be used instead.