Very versatile vegetable pajeon

These crispy Korean scallion pancakes can be made with pretty much whatever vegetables you have.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 9, 2024 Sohui Kim's vegetable pajeon (Korean scallion pancakes with vegetables), adapted by Melissa Clark. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Very versatile vegetable pajeon By Melissa Clark A small zucchini and half a bell pepper (yellow). A few carrots, some scallions and a half-bunch of kale. That's what was in my vegetable drawer a few days ago, begging me to make a clean-out-the-fridge dinner. Usually, such a motley mix would call for soup, because soup is the great uniter. But I was more in the mood for something I could bite into, something with crunch. Lucky for me, I'd just received my advance copy of "Easy Weeknight Dinners," a collection of 100 of New York Times Cooking's best speedy, simple recipes, edited by our own Emily Weinstein. The first page that flipped open was for Sohui Kim's vegetable pajeon, crispy Korean scallion pancakes that can be made with pretty much whatever vegetables you have on hand. Half an hour later, my crisper drawer was cleared out, and my plate was filled with the golden, nubby cakes, drizzled with soy sauce and Sriracha. The plate, in turn, was cleaned pretty quickly. Featured Recipe Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables) View Recipe → Another excellent cookbook to land on my desk in the last week is Carolina Gelen's "Pass the Plate." Carolina, a regular contributor to NYT Cooking, shares recipes that reflect her childhood in Romania along with the stylishly crowd-pleasing, unfussy dishes that have made her, quite deservedly, a social media darling. I'm very interested in her Marsala chicken meatballs for the contrast between the syrupy wine and the woodsy mushrooms. Make sure to let the mushrooms and onions get deeply bronzed before adding the Marsala to the skillet: Those browned bits on the bottom of the pan are the foundation of the savory, glossy sauce. Speaking of glossy, savory sauce, check out the melted brown butter and fried sage leaves drizzled over Lidey Heuck's bangers with mashed winter squash. The dish is seasoned with maple and a pinch of cayenne, making it both company-worthy and cozy, a meal to keep in rotation all autumn long. Another keeper for the fall and winter dinner party rotation: David Tanis's peppered sea scallops with spinach. Spiked with turmeric and garam masala and puréed until silky smooth, the spinach acts as both a green vegetable and sauce for the pan-seared shellfish. A sprinkle of lemon zest is an elegant finish that brightens all of the flavors. Shall we try meatless and fishless? Here's Ali Slagle's sheet-pan feta with chickpeas and tomatoes. This easy, five-star beauty was inspired by two traditional dishes often found in a Greek meze spread — bouyiourdi (baked feta with tomatoes and hot peppers) and saganaki (fried cheese). With a mix of molten, salty feta, juicy roasted tomatoes and hot honey-slicked chickpeas, it's a colorful, multitextured dish that's ripe for variation. Cook Ali's version first, then make it your own by swapping other vegetables for the tomatoes (try cauliflower or mini peppers), or harissa or smoked paprika for the hot honey. You can't go wrong. For dessert, Jocelyn Delk Adams has a new recipe for mango lime loaf cake that you can make without a mixer. Reminiscent of hot summer days on the beach, the tropical flavors strike enough sunny, fruity notes to brighten a cold, autumnal evening. Or serve slices for breakfast, toasted and dolloped with yogurt for a creamy, tangy counterpoint. You'll want to subscribe to get these and all of the other recipes at New York Times Cooking. If you're hit with a technical snafu, email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Perfumed with fresh ginger and warm spices, enriched with coconut milk and studded with crunchy cashews and soft green peas, Meera Sodha's cauliflower curry is the stuff one-pot dreams are made of. Serving it with buttered basmati rice may be purely optional but has my highest endorsement. One last thing! If you're in the market for a new knife or a food processor, our friends at Wirecutter have put together a cheat sheet to the best Prime Day kitchen deals. You can browse their list here. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Marsala Chicken Meatballs By Carolina Gelen 1 hour Makes 4 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Bangers With Mashed Winter Squash and Fried Sage By Lidey Heuck 50 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Peppered Sea Scallops With Spinach By David Tanis 35 minutes Makes 4 servings, as a main course Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Sheet-Pan Feta With Chickpeas and Tomatoes By Ali Slagle 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Mango Lime Loaf Cake By Jocelyn Delk Adams 1 hour 25 minutes, plus 45 minutes' cooling and setting Makes One loaf (8 to 12 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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