“Delicious, easy, healthy and affordable”

These one-pot chicken meatballs with greens are already proving to be a weeknight winner.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 27, 2024 Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Clever, and kaleidoscopic, chicken meatballs with rainbow chard By Melissa Clark My family and I have just returned from a weekend in rural Pennsylvania, where we spend every Memorial Day weekend hanging out with good friends, eating enormous platters of grilled meat and veggies, and enjoying the mixed choir of tree frogs and bullfrogs that populate the lake. More reliably than any calendar, that throaty, flirty chorus announces that summer is finally (if unofficially) here. Back in Brooklyn, there's a whole other chorale going on: bass-crazy car speakers, anxious sirens, laughter from the neighbor kids as they cover their stoops in chalk art. Hark, summer has arrived here, too! All of this is nature's cue to shift into a lighter and more laid-back mode of cooking. Maybe the tomatoes haven't quite peaked yet, but the farmers' market already boasts greens in profusion, notably the piles of rainbow chard with their red and yellow stems. I'm excited to put some to good use in Yasmin Fahr's one-pot chicken meatballs with greens. Her recipe is fiendishly clever. After browning the meatballs, she smothers them under a mound of greens seasoned with sliced lemons and cumin, and then covers the pot to let it steam. The greens wilt, the meatballs cook through and the lemons release their juice into the savory pan drippings. It's a colorful, fuss-free meal to rock us into the season. Featured Recipe One-Pot Chicken Meatballs With Greens View Recipe → Another Yasmin creation I can't wait to make this week is her garlic shrimp with crispy chickpeas, an ebullient mash-up of shrimp scampi and gambas al ajillo, liberally seasoned with smoked paprika. The chickpeas are sizzled in a hot skillet until crunchy, and then doused in wine and simmered until tender. Shrimp are folded in along with lemon and parsley for zip and freshness. Be sure to cook this with a wine you'd want to drink with your meal — it really does make a difference! We also have a new meatless recipe from Hetty "Tofu Whisperer" Lui McKinnon: her lemongrass tofu with broccoli. This speedy dish gets its intense flavor from the chopped lemongrass used in a marinade that doubles as a pan sauce. Marinate the tofu the day before if you're planning ahead, but the dish would also work perfectly with a 10-minute soak. Seared broccoli florets and onion slices add texture, vegetable heft and a delightfully smoky char. Another tantalizing option — this time starring the ever charismatic duo of chicken and rice — is Kay Chun's arroz con pollo verde. It's a Peruvian dish made with an emerald green cilantro purée spiked with jarred aji amarillo (a hot yellow pepper paste). A can of soft, pillowy hominy stirred into the rice mix adds an earthy flavor and textural contrast. Or maybe you'd like to dive right into the deep end of summer with a no-cook recipe. Dan Pelosi has your hot-weather remedy, a marinated antipasto salad made from your favorite salty snacks. It's got olives, salami, provolone cheese and canned artichoke hearts, all anchored in a tangy butter bean and cherry tomato salad. Serve it with crusty bread and put it on repeat for an easygoing meal that will get you through the whole season. To me, the perfect summer dessert has loads of warm, bubbling fruit that I can top with scoops of ice cream that melt into a lush and creamy sauce. Crisps are the Platonic ideal of this, particularly Yossy Arefi's gorgeous, ruby-hued rhubarb crisp with its nubby brown butter topping. And as always, you'll want to subscribe to access all these smart recipes and scads more (to the tune of tens of thousands more). If you need any technical help, the sharp folks at cookingcare@nytimes.com are there for you. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. That's all for now. See you on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT IN THIS NEWSLETTER Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Garlic Shrimp With Crisped Chickpeas  By Yasmin Fahr 25 minutes Makes 4 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Lemongrass Tofu and Broccoli By Hetty Lui McKinnon 25 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Arroz con Pollo Verde  By Kay Chun 45 minutes Makes 4 servings Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Antipasto Salad By Dan Pelosi 30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour's chilling Makes 2 to 4 servings  Dane Tashima for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Browned-Butter Rhubarb Crisp By Yossy Arefi 1 hour 20 minutes Makes 8 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox ADVERTISEMENT Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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