Tired of fighting over who’s going to do the dishes? Try cutting the number of dirty dishes in half. If that sounds impossible, you haven’t met Melissa Clark, the award-winning New York Times food columnist and author of the new book “Dinner in One.” Her cookbook has over 100 one-pot, one-pan meals, but we’ve picked two favorites to spice up your weeknight routine: Creamy Peanut Chicken with Charred Snow Peas and Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake. Much more than begrudging meals of convenience, these are company-worthy dishes. This chicken dish has the same rich, creamy and gingery notes of noodles with peanut sauce, just applied to a chicken and snow pea stir-fry, making it a bit lighter and full of protein. The peanut sauce you’ll make is the perfect balance of sweet, savory and tart, with its complex combination of peanut butter, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, fish sauce and more—and you’ll want to use it on just about everything. On the sweet side, our ricotta cake has a moist, dense crumb imbued with orange zest and olive oil. You’ll learn why cakes that use oil have a different texture than cakes made with butter; when and how to experiment with alternative flours; and why it’s key to start with room-temperature eggs. And yes, this cake comes together in a single bowl, making clean-up a breeze. Great dinners and desserts with far fewer dirty dishes? It’s a win-win. Melissa Clark: Facebook Twitter Instagram
