To get in your post-work yoga class or after-work cocktail with colleagues, it often isn’t until 8:00 that you roll through your door. Tired and hungry, dinner becomes a frustrating ordeal and that spring risotto that you’ve wanted to make all week goes on the back burner. Rather than hitting up Seamless or making a grilled cheese, some of our favorite chefs share meals that can be made in 15 minutes or less. From homemade gazpacho to grilled duck breast and even overnight oats for the next morning, these recipes will change the way you think of dinner on the fly.
“My favorite meal to whip up on the fly is definitely my summer gazpacho! It’s extremely refreshing and light since it’s made with fresh vegetables—it’s the perfect soup for a warm, sunny day.”
—Pastry chef François Payard
Serves 20
Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 yellow bell peppers, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, diced
1 cup onion, diced
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 cups tomato juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
White pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Instructions:
Reserve 1/4 of the diced vegetables for the garnish of the soup. Add the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust any seasoning and pour into 20 small bowls or shot glasses and garnish the top of each with the reserved diced vegetables and a basil leaf.
“This dish reminds me of the breakfasts I would eat growing up in Philly. Avocado, pumpernickel, and smoked whitefish come together with pink peppercorns and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. It’s a home run.”
—Chef Alon Shaya, Shaya
Serves 4 (two pieces per person)
Ingredients: 4 slices pumpernickel or rye bread
4 oz. clarified butter
4 avocados
2 T lime juice
4 oz. smoked white fish
1 T sea salt
1 T pink peppercorns, crushed
3 radishes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Instructions: 1. Slice the pumpernickel or rye bread into 1⁄2-inch- to 3⁄4-inch-thick slices.
2. Heat a large skillet with clarified butter. Toast the rye slices in the butter until golden brown and slightly crispy, but not dried out. Remove from the skillet and drain on a paper towel.
3. Slice the avocados all the way around, from top to bottom, and open to remove the pit. Then slice the inside of the avocado halves from top to bottom into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. With a tablespoon, scoop out the fruit, discard the shell, and place the avocado slices evenly on the 4 slices of toasted bread.
4. Using a fork, smash the avocados into the toast to spread it out evenly. Make sure the avocado is a 1⁄4-inch-thick layer on top of the toast.
5. Sprinkle the lime juice on top of the smashed avocado and then season with the salt. Place the smoked whitefish on top of the seasoned avocado and sprinkle with the pink peppercorns and spread the radish matchsticks evenly over the top.
6. Cut each piece of finished toast in half at an angle to make triangle-shaped pieces. Place the pieces on a plate and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.
“A local fluke filet with herbed breadcrumbs and Sicilian capers—it’s a light, easy dish perfect for warm summer nights, and goes perfectly with a nice spring green salad and a glass of rosé.”
—Chef-restaurateur Eric Miller, Bay Kitchen Bar
Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh fluke filet, cleaned and ready to go by your local fishmonger
2 whole lemons, juiced fresh
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, cleaned and chopped
1 bunch fresh chives, cleaned and chopped
1 bunch fresh tarragon, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rinsed capers (preferably the big Sicilian capers packed in salt, well rinsed)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 cup melted sweet butter
Instructions:
1. Lay the fish out evenly on your broiler pan, and in a small bowl combine salt, pepper, fine herbs, and the panko breadcrumbs.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter. Cover the fish evenly with the breadcrumb herb mixture and pour the lemon juice mixture over the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the capers over the top.
3. Preheat the broiler or a 450-degree oven. To cook, place the tray of fish under the broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes (the breadcrumbs should be nice and crispy). You can always tell if fish is cooked thoroughly when it flakes apart at the touch of a fork. With a spatula, place fish on a warm platter and serve.
“While some would think this is a challenging and more time-consuming task, cooking duck breast requires a few minutes with a cast-iron pan and a spoon. I enjoy this preparation because of the simplicity of rare duck—classic and rich. It’s also easy to cook flavorful, crunchy veggies after the protein is done. Love the combo!”
—Chef Matthew Hyland, Emily
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 duck breast
Green beans
Grainy mustard
Salt
Instructions:
1. Generously salt skin side of duck breast. Put duck breast into heavy pan (cast-iron preferred), skin-side down, over low heat until fat is rendered out (approximately 10 minutes).
2. Turn up heat to high and quickly tilt the pan to angle it so that the fat pools in the bottom and the duck remains up top. This will keep the fat nice and hot, which will be used to finish cooking the duck.
3. From there, spoon the hot fat over the meat until it reaches the desired color—outer meat will cook quickly from this method, keeping the inside rare and juicy. Once done, remove from pan and rest on a cooling rack.
4. Toss green beans in pan to cook in the fat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve duck and beans with grainy mustard on the side.
“There could be nothing easier than throwing a bunch of ingredients into a Mason jar, shaking, and letting them sit overnight—no cooking!”
—Chef and cookbook author Aliya LeeKong
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 T dried currants (or 1/4 cup raisins)
3 T unsalted, shelled raw pistachios
2 1/2 T dried, unsweetened coconut
2 tsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
Pinch ground vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 cup milk (cow’s, nut, coconut, et cetera)
1/2 cup yogurt
Instructions:
1. In a Mason jar or bowl, add all of the ingredients.
2. Shake or stir until well combined.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can heat them a bit over the stove the next morning if you like your oats warm.
“This is my favorite because the flavor of it reminds me of home. It is a quick snack that both of my parents used to make in Italy when they didn’t have enough time to cook a proper meal. They often made it for lunch when they only had an hour break to come home and eat before having to return to work.”
—Executive chef Simone Bonelli, La Pecora Bianca
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup of chopped mixed cured meats
1/2 bunch of bitter greens (radicchio, dandelion, or broccoli leaves recommended)
1 fresh farm egg
1 slice of toasted country bread
Instructions:
1. Bring a little pot of water to a rolling boil, then drop a cold egg straight from the fridge into the boiling water. When the water starts to boil again, lower the flame and let it cook for a total of 6 to 7 minutes. Cool the egg down immediately under cold running water and peel it gently while still warm.
2. Crush the garlic clove and roast it with a tiny bit of olive oil, add the chopped cured meat, and sear them all together for no longer than a couple of minutes. Next, add the chopped bitter greens and stir very quickly without overcooking the greens (around 30 to 45 seconds), then deglaze with a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
3. Toast your slice of country bread and top with the sautéed cured meats, greens, and soft-boiled egg to finish. Garnish with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.