Curtis Stone's Easy Weeknight Meals (2024)

Before he became a father, Curtis Stone admits, he had no idea what it felt like to work a full day and then have to figure out what to feed your family. "Life in the kitchen gets so much harder when you have kids," he says about dinnertime with fiancée Lindsay Price and their toddler son, Hudson. "Once I had a child of my own, I realized I needed really simple, quick recipes that would break down into something delicious." That's what he delivers in his new cookbook, What's for Dinner? Curtis still believes in the ritual of the family meal, even if you're just making sandwiches or throwing pasta into boiling water. "Lindsay and I spend a lot of time together in the kitchen, whether we're both cooking… or she's just sitting on the bench having a glass of wine while I do it," he says with a laugh. "I think it's so special to sit at the table with your kids every night and just communicate." When he does have time on his hands, Curtis loves nothing more than prepping a full-on feast. "Lindsay is crazy about Mexican food, so last Mother's Day, I made her braised pork tacos and got a mariachi band to come and play in the backyard," he says. "It was awesome—just the three of us, dancing around on the lawn." —Brittany Burke

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: 45 minutes

4 sprigs fresh tarragon

2 lemons

10 white pearl onions, peeled, thinly sliced

4 (5-oz) skinless salmon fillets

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¾ lb thin green beans, trimmed

¾ lb thin yellow wax beans, trimmed

6 radishes, sliced into thin rounds

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Remove leaves from tarragon; reserve stems. Coarsely chop enough leaves to measure 2 tsp.

2. Thinly slice 1 lemon into rounds. In a large skillet, combine sliced lemon, tarragon stems, and ⅓ of the onions. Add enough cold water to come two thirds of the way up the side of the skillet. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

3. Sprinkle salmon with ½ tsp of the salt and ¼ tsp of the pepper. Lay fillets in skillet and add hot water if needed to submerge them completely. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook salmon, without simmering, 5 to 7 minutes, or until opaque with a rosy center when flaked in the thickest part with the tip of a small knife. Transfer salmon to a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green and yellow beans and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well and pat dry withpaper towels.

5. In a large bowl, toss beans, radishes, the remaining onions, and chopped tarragon. Grate zest from the remaining lemon over vegetables. Squeeze juice from the lemon and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Add the remaining ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and toss again.

6. Place a salmon fillet on each of 4 dinner plates. Divide salad among plates and serve at once.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving: 369 cal, 19 g fat, 34 g protein, 16 g carb.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Creamed spinach

1½ Tbsp olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 lb fresh baby spinach leaves

¾ cup heavy cream

3 oz blue cheese, such as Maytag

¼ tsp kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground pepper

Steaks

4 (12-oz) boneless rib-eye steaks (about 1 inch thick)

1½ tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Creamed spinach: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add spinach, a handful at a time, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until just wilted. Transfer spinach to a sieve and press firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.

2. Add cream to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in spinach. Coarsely crumble half the blue cheese over spinach and toss to coat. Stir in salt and pepper. Keep warm over very low heat.

3. Steaks: Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper, pressing seasoning into meat. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, then add 2 steaks. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to wire rack. Wipe out skillet, add the remaining oil, and cook the remaining 2 steaks.

4. Serve steaks with creamed spinach. Sprinkle with remaining blue cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving: 1,150 cal, 89 g fat, 70 g protein, 19 g carb.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

5 slices bacon, cut into ⅓-inch pieces

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced into ⅓-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 (7-oz) medium baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled

12 large eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

¾ tsp sweet smoked paprika

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Add onion, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, and thyme to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with bacon, leaving drippings in skillet.

3. Meanwhile, grate potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.

4. Increase heat to medium-high and add potatoes to skillet; stir to coat with drippings. Press down on potatoes with a spatula and cook until bottom is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Scatter bacon and vegetable mixture over potatoes.

5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, salt, and paprika together until just combined. Pour over vegetables and bacon. Transfer skillet to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until frittata is puffed and golden brown.

6. Loosen edges of frittata with a silicone spatula and gently slide it onto a large serving plate. Cut into 4 wedges and serve. (Frittata can also be cooled to room temperature before serving.)

Makes 4 servings. Each serving: 470 cal, 32 g fat, 23 g protein, 22 g carb.

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes' marinating time

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Marinade and dressing

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp very finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

3 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sriracha

1 tsp kosher salt

2 (9-oz) boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup minced scallions (white and green parts)

Salad

1 lb napa cabbage, halved lengthwise, very thinly sliced crosswise

2 carrots, shredded or cut into matchstick-size strips

3 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal

⅔ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

1 tsp black sesame seeds (optional)

1. Marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, ginger, canola oil, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and salt to blend. Transfer 3 Tbsp of the marinade to a baking dish, add chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

2. Dressing: Whisk vinegar and scallions into the remaining marinade. Set aside.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, add to grill pan, and cook about

4 minutes per side, or until chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced in the thickest part with the tip of a small sharp knife. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.

4. Cut chicken crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.

5. Salad: In a large bowl, toss chicken, cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and half of the almonds with enough dressing to coat lightly.

6. Mound salad in center of 4 plates. Re-whisk dressing and drizzle a little over and around salad. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and sesame seeds.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving: 420 cal, 24 g fat, 32 g protein, 19 g carb.