4 weeknight dinner recipes that will wow you

Hot honey

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Let cool to room temperature.
3. If you prefer a smooth hot honey, use a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the solids as you transfer the honey to a 16-oz jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you use a clean spoon when dipping into the hot honey, it will keep in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Baked cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Remove the cheese from its round wooden box. Wrap the entire box in aluminum foil. Return the cheese to the foil-wrapped box and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Using a paring knife, poke a small hole in the top of the cheese and push in the garlic clove. Drizzle the wine into the hole and over the top of the cheese.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
5. Drizzle the cheese with the hot honey. Serve immediately with charred bread or crackers. It’s unlikely that you will have
   any leftovers — we’re talking hot cheese here, after all — but you can store any remaining cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for
   up to 4 days.

Harissa

1. Place the guajillo and ancho chilies in a medium bowl. Fill it with room-temperature water and let the chilies soak for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the stems and as many of the seeds as you can from the soaked chilies (missing a few won’t hurt).
3. Place them in a high-speed blender. Add the bird’s eye chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, paprika, Aleppo, sugar and vinegar. Purée until smooth.
4. If you want the harissa to be creamy and emulsified, you can stream in the oil with the blender running on high speed and continue to blend until the oil is fully incorporated. If you prefer to keep some of the oil available for drizzling, add the oil all at once and pulse to combine.
   Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Sweet potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. To make the sweet potatoes: Cut each sweet potato into 8 wedges. If your sweet potatoes are truly huge, you might want to cut each one in half around the equator, and then cut each half into 8 wedges. Each wedge should be about 1 × 4 inches.
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with the paprika and salt. Toss to combine.
4. Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet; roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are charred and easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Drizzle with the harissa.
5. Make the crema: In a small bowl, place the sour cream. Add the lime zest and juice. Stir to combine.
6. Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. Serve with crema for dipping or dollop over top. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately. Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store leftover crema in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Garlic Confit

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the garlic, chilies and olive oil to just barely a simmer.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Cook the confit, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the garlic is tender and easily pierced with a paring knife.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a clean 16-oz jar with a tight fitting lid. Pour the oil overtop. Refrigerate immediately. Store the garlic confit in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Because garlic is such a low-acid vegetable, when it’s preserved it needs to be kept in the fridge. If you want to keep the garlic confit for longer than a few weeks, you can freeze it and use as normal.

Cumin smashed potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Sprinkle in the baking soda and some salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to just above a simmer and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife. Drain. Set the potatoes aside until they are cool enough to handle.
4. Place the cooled potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Using a dough knife or a small skillet, spatula or clean kitchen towel, press down on the potatoes until the skin splits and they are about ¾-inch thick.
5. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and the cumin seeds.
6. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Salsa Verde

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, and sugar, until the sugar dissolves. Add the garlic confit and use a fork to mash it into the shallot mixture.
2. Add the green chili, cilantro and parsley. Pour the olive oil overtop. Stir to combine.
3. Season with salt, pepper, and the chilies. Give it a final stir to combine

Steak

1. Pat the steak dry and place in a shallow dish. Brush all over with enough of the oil to coat; season generously with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt per side and 3 to 4 grinds of pepper). Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to improve searing. (If the steak is ice cold, it will cool down the pan and be difficult to develop a good, dark crust on the meat.)
2. In a heavy-bottom skillet that is large enough to fit the steak, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over high heat. Once it starts to shimmer, gently lay the steak in the skillet. If you have a splatter guard, you can cover the steak while it cooks to reduce mess. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, reducing the heat to medium if the oil starts to smoke, until a dark brown crust has developed.
3. Reduce the heat to low and transfer the steak to a plate. Tip the oil out of the skillet and discard. Return the steak to the skillet. Add the butter and vinegar. Using your favourite big spoon, baste for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the steak is fully coated and only a little buttery vinegar remains in the pan. Transfer the steak to a cutting board; let rest while you prepare the rest of the dish.
4. Make the salsa verde and transfer the cumin smashed potatoes to a large platter.
5. Slice the steak into ½-inch wide pieces, against the grain. Place it on top of the potatoes along with any juices.
6. Spoon about one-third of the salsa verde over the steak. Put the rest out in a bowl or jar so people can spoon more on if they like. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of the sugar and the olive oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add the lemon zest, salt and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir until just combined.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Place the pears, cut side up, in the batter, but don’t press them in more than about ½ inch, as the batter will rise as it bakes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 Tbsp of sugar on top.
4. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving.
5. Cut the cake into squares and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.