“This has become my absolute favorite meal.”

This cauliflower shawarma with spicy tahini is a New York Times Cooking classic.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 18, 2024 SUPPORTED BY INVESCO QQQ Melissa Clark's cauliflower shawarma with spicy tahini. Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. My cauliflower shawarma, a forever favorite By Melissa Clark Though there are plenty of obvious upsides to being an interim restaurant critic for The New York Times, I've found one major drawback: I cook less. As much as I adore the convivial adventures of dining out, I still miss the cozy cadence of nights in with my family — dicing onions, mincing herbs, mixing our own drinks while spilling the tea. Cooking has been my creative, therapeutic and family time for as long as I can remember, and doing less of it has only made it more precious. This reviewing gig has changed my cooking, too. Restaurant meals are generally larger, richer and more meat-heavy than what I'd whip up on a Wednesday. So whenever I'm back at the stove I steer toward lighter, meatless fare that's exuberantly flavored and fun to cook. Case in point, the prep for my cauliflower shawarma with spicy tahini keeps things to a conversational pace. Just toss cauliflower florets with oil and spices and then put them in the oven to roast while you chat. As they soften and caramelize and wrap you in their cumin-y perfume, you can catch up on the headlines of the day (OMG, she did what in chem lab?) while whisking the harissa-flecked tahini sauce. Then you can enjoy family dinner, homework monitoring, maybe an episode of Kaos (OMG, she did what in the underworld?), all without a reservation. Featured Recipe Cauliflower Shawarma With Spicy Tahini View Recipe → If it's still shawarma when you take the chicken out, then it's still Alfredo if you put some chicken in. Naz Deravian's chicken Alfredo adds slices of seared boneless, skinless white meat to bowls of Parmesan-laced pasta Alfredo for protein and heft. Don't ignore Naz's tip to use freshly grated cheese, because the pre-grated stuff often has additives that make it hard to emulsify into the sauce. There's just a whisper of meat in Kay Chun's garlicky broccoli pasta: She sautés chopped salami along with breadcrumbs to make a crispy, savory topping for orecchiette that's liberally studded with soft, green bits of broccoli and chives. But Colu Henry's emerald-hued farro and green bean salad with walnuts and dill is inherently, wonderfully vegan with its nubby texture and snappy flavors. That is, unless you want to sprinkle in some feta cheese, which Colu mentions as a briny off-menu option. Madhur Jaffrey's recipes have long been a source of home-cooked comfort for me, and her shrimp pullao is a perfect example of why. The yellow turmeric rice is dotted with green chiles and tender pink shrimp, all suffused with garam masala. Serve it with some salted yogurt on the side for a creamy, tangy contrast to the homey carbs. Five stars, absolutely worth staying in for. I may be cooking lighter but I'm not giving up dessert, oh no. Lisa Donovan's stone fruit clafoutis is like a juicy, fruit-forward flan that's a breeze to whip up in a skillet with whatever late summer peaches, plums or nectarines you've got. Then revisit the recipe in the fall when ripe pears make an alluring seasonal substitute. To get these recipes — along with thousands upon thousands more — you'll want to subscribe to New York Times Cooking. If you meet a technical issue, email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Lidey Heuck supplies this week's one-pot recipe — technically a one-pan recipe, since her roasted fish with cherry tomatoes comes together in a baking dish. Made with fillets of your favorite kind of fish seasoned with honey, shallots and lemon zest, this is a colorful, 30-minute meal with verve to spare. A MESSAGE FROM INVESCO QQQ Recipe For Innovation with Chef Claudette Zepeda Cooking is an art, and no one embodies that more than Chef Claudette Zepeda. From Tijuana to San Diego and the borderlands in between, watch as Chef Claudette creates 5 innovative recipes inspired by companies in the Invesco QQQ ETF. Invesco Distributors, Inc. Watch Now IN THIS NEWSLETTER Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Chicken Alfredo By Naz Deravian 55 minutes Makes 6 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Broccoli Pasta With Salami Bread Crumbs By Kay Chun 45 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Farro and Green Bean Salad With Walnuts and Dill By Colu Henry 35 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Shrimp Pullao Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey Adapted by Melissa Clark 50 minutes Makes 6 servings Chris Simpson for The New York Times Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas. Stone Fruit Clafoutis By Lisa Donovan About 11/2 hours, plus cooling Makes 6 to 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 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. 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