Every week, Executive Food Editor Keith Dresser pairs each main dish with a side to give you a complete, satisfying dinner without the guesswork. Look for the game-plan section to learn tips on how to streamline your kitchen work so that dinner comes together quicker.
Dinner This Week: Greek-Style Pita Sandwiches
This week’s menus include Greek-Style Lamb Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki Sauce, Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots, and Chicken Piccata for dinner in about an hour
By Published Feb. 8, 2023
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Dinner 1: Greek-Style Lamb Pita Sandwiches and Chopped Carrot Salad
Game Plan: Start by draining the yogurt and salting the cucumber for the tzatziki sauce. Meanwhile, prep the lamb patties and make the carrot salad. Once the tzatziki has been mixed, finish preparing the sandwiches (steps 5 and 6).
For Greek-Style Lamb Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki Sauce with the same flavors and textures as restaurant gyros, we pan-fry ground lamb patties seasoned with oregano, onion, and minced garlic. To ensure that the patties are juicy, we add a panade (a paste of fresh bread crumbs and milk), substituting pita crumbs for the traditional bread crumbs. Chopped Carrot Salad with Mint, Pistachios, and Pomegranate Seeds starts by finely chopping carrots in the food processor instead of grating them by hand. This produces a delicately crunchy, light-textured base in just seconds. We save even more time by not peeling the carrots; scrubbing them is sufficient, and the skins contribute a subtle but pleasant bitterness. Plenty of fresh mint, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pistachios brighten things up and a lively dressing brings the salad together.
Printable Shopping Lists: Greek-Style Lamb Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki Sauce and Chopped Carrot Salad with Mint, Pistachios, and Pomegranate Seeds
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Dinner 2: Cod Baked in Foil and Braised Red Potatoes
Game Plan: Begin by prepping the ingredients for the fish. Next, start cooking the potatoes. As the potatoes simmer, make the fish packets. Once the lid has been removed from the potatoes, start cooking the fish. Plate the fish as the potatoes finish.
Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots yields flaky fish and tender but firm vegetables flavored by aromatic juices. We place the packets on the lower-middle rack of the oven close to the heat source in order to cook the fish and vegetables quickly and evenly and also to reduce the exuded liquid into a flavorful sauce. Braised Red Potatoes with Lemon and Chives is a one-pot side dish that features the benefits of both boiling and roasting. We combine small red potatoes, butter, and salted water in a 12-inch skillet and simmer the potatoes until they turn creamy. We then fully evaporate the water and allow the potatoes to brown in the butter.
Printable Shopping Lists: Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots and Braised Red Potatoes with Lemon and Chives
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Dinner 3: Chicken Piccata and Pan-Roasted Pear Salad
Game Plan: Start by cooking the pears and then allow them to cool while prepping the chicken and the remaining salad ingredients. Cook the chicken and then toss the salad right before serving.
For Chicken Piccata with tender chicken and a rich, flavorful lemon sauce, we start by briefly salting the cutlets to boost their ability to retain moisture and then lightly coat them in flour, which helps with browning. We sear the cutlets quickly on both sides and set them aside while making the sauce, which includes both lemon juice and lemon slices for complexity and textural appeal. A hearty amount of briny capers and a few tablespoons of butter finish the dish. For Pan-Roasted Pear Salad with Watercress, Parmesan, and Pecans, we toss quartered pears with a little sugar and cook them in a skillet until golden brown and softened. Adding a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the hot pan yields a sweet/tart glaze. Spicy watercress balances the sweet pears and shaved Parmesan and toasted pecans add richness and texture.
Printable Shopping Lists: Chicken Piccata with Pan-Roasted Pear Salad with Watercress, Parmesan, and Pecans
View more weeknight dinner ideas below, or check out all of the Dinner This Week menus.
- Dinner This Week: Cataplana
- Dinner This Week: Caldo Verde
- Dinner This Week: Philly Cheesesteaks
- Dinner This Week: Spaghetti with Sausage
- Dinner This Week: Roasted Shrimp
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.