We recently published a sort of how-to guide for fulfilling three common cooking resolutions — recipes and tips for wasting less food, eating breakfast and mastering meal prep. I shared a couple of my own goals in Tuesday’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter, and — because my post-holiday brain is still wafting around in a loose, daydreamy state — I thought that it might be helpful to think up some more very doable goals and share recipes to go with. Here goes!
If you’d like to do fewer dishes
This one’s easy! We have a hearty collection of one-pot dinner recipes. I turn to Melissa Clark’s sheet-pan paprika chicken with tomatoes and Parmesan often, swapping out the tomatoes for potatoes in the colder months, giving them a little extra cooking time if necessary after the chicken’s done.
Featured Recipe
Sheet-Pan Paprika Chicken With Tomatoes and Parmesan
If you’d like to finally make stock and see what you’ve been missing
This goal comes from my colleague Lee Manansala, a video editor for New York Times Cooking. I’ve got you, Lee! Here are Ali Slagle’s vegetable stock and Samin Nosrat’s chicken stock, both of them rich and much more fully flavored than the canned stuff. If you have a pressure cooker, you can use it to make this bone broth or chicken stock recipe from Melissa (she also has a tip for making it in a slow cooker).
If you’d like to clean out your pantry
Here’s Kenji López-Alt’s helpful guide to the food expiration dates you should actually follow. That bag of yellow split peas you just found? Turn them into alitchka kik, a protein-packed, turmeric-spiced dish from the chef Genet Agonafer, adapted by Naz Deravian.
If you’d like to eat more sour things
One of the best ways, I think, to make cooking a regular (and fun) habit is to lean into the flavors you really like. I have a sour tooth where my sweet tooth should be, so I’m going to buy the big container of preserved lemons and make Nargisse Benkabbou’s weeknight chicken tagine and this roasted cauliflower salad with halloumi and lemon, another vegetarian stunner from Alexa Weibel.
If you’re doing dry January
Speaking of preserved lemons, this nonalcoholic dirty lemon tonic from Rebekah Peppler has rave reviews, including this one from Christine, a reader: “Having tried and been disappointed with many zero proof drinks, this is a delicious relief. Easy, visually appealing and not too sweet.” (We have many more booze-free beverage ideas here.)
If you’d like to eat more sardines because you already eat a lot of tuna
First, here’s Wirecutter’s roundup of the best tinned fish. Second, Sohla El-Waylly’s sardine puttanesca! And third, this grain bowl with sardines and sauce moyo, a bright and beautiful dish from Genevieve Ko.
If you’d like to spend less money on coffee
All you need is a big jar, ground coffee and coffee filters (or a fine-mesh sieve) to make cold brew at home. Our recipe has five stars and “is an excellent way to make smoooothhh coffee,” writes Hector Lahera, a reader.
If you want someone to just tell you what to make for dinner because you already have enough decisions to make in a day
Make sure you’re signed up for Dinner Tonight, our newsletter that sends one fast, easy recipe to your inbox every Monday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.
If you want to eat fewer ultraprocessed foods
I’m going to let our friends at the Well desk handle that one, with the Well Challenge: Five Days to Happier, Healthier Eating. You can sign up for that here!
If you just want a cookie, but maybe a cookie that’s less “December holidays” and more “January goodness”
These banana everything cookies have oats and walnuts in them, which makes them banana bread in cookie form and an excellent partner for that homemade cold brew up above.
The post Do Fewer Dishes in 2025 appeared first on New York Times.
