How is it mid-August alreadyHi, folks! Filling in for Emily this week. How have you been? I know a lot of people bemoan the fact that holiday commercials, gifty store displays and “however many shopping days until Christmas!” warnings start in October, but I am not one of them. I’ve been known to watch “White Christmas” in July. I shop for my kids’ stocking stuffers year round. And during those dark, lonely days of Covid, I started putting up our Christmas tree on Election Day, and I haven’t gone back. But when I see ads for sneakers and computers and pencils and backpacks in June — before I’ve even unearthed my flip-flops from the back of the closet — I want to bury my head in the proverbial sand. Alas, dear reader, it is mid-August, and almost half of the country’s kiddos have already returned to school. You’re either in it, or you’re soon to be in it, and you and your people have to eat. (And even if you don’t have kids, you’re still a very busy person!) These easy, fast and affordable meals will make back-to-school season a little bit easier.
1. Slow Cooker Chicken and Bean FideoLet’s have a moment of thanks for Irving Naxon, the inventor of the slow cooker. My family owes a lot of meals to him, and this clever recipe from Sarah DiGregorio is a particularly delightful one. Boneless chicken thighs and fideo, a short, thin pasta, cook together for a complete, comforting meal.
2. One-Pot Tuna Orzo With ZucchiniSamantha Seneviratne transforms a humble can of tuna into an impressive, but easy, Sicilian-inspired weeknight meal with nubbly orzo, tender zucchini, golden raisins, capers and plenty of fresh herbs.
3. Quick Turkey ChiliI’m not exaggerating when I say that my kids are 90 percent chili. It’s our go-to when I’m short on time and I want leftovers that will keep. This one from Genevieve Ko is packed with so many wholesome ingredients — lean ground turkey, a pound of kale and fiber-rich lentils — that there’s no need to make a side salad.
4. Slow Cooker Jalapeño Pulled PorkBeef prices are crazy right now, so I’ve been buying a lot more pork lately, and frankly, I think I like it more in roasts and braises? Ali Slagle’s jalapeño pulled pork is just spicy enough and touched with brown sugar for sweetness and fish sauce for complexity. We like it tucked into little Hawaiian buns, and I repurpose the leftovers in enchiladas or nachos.
5. Cod With Caper-Orange SauceGood ol’ cod, the Betty of the seafood world, gets the Veronica treatment in this really special recipe from Nargisse Benkabbou. A vibrant sauce of garlic, orange zest, turmeric, vinegar, honey and plenty of chopped capers coats the fish, which is served over a bed of sautéed spinach or kale. My kids, whom I used to trick into eating cod by telling them it was chicken, might even try this. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
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