Check out the dozens of recipes from The Kitchn's Quick Weeknight Meal Contest. We are dying to try Cara's Spinach Pie Quesadillas.

Granted, the point of chicken nuggets is that they are fast and easy: Open box and bake. But some friends of ours who are moving gave us some tenderized chicken breasts from their freezer, and homemade chicken nuggets are actually no trouble at all.

I made a mixture of panko, fresh thyme, leftover caramelized onion flavoring, and salt. (The caramelized onion flavoring is basically just onion powder. In fact, you could add any number of spices and flavorings to your panko mixture.) Then I cut the chicken into nugget-size pieces and beat one egg in a bowl. I dipped each chicken piece in the egg, pressed both sides of each piece into the panko mixture, and baked the nuggets in a 400-degree oven on the top shelf. After about 10 minutes I turned the nuggets over and then baked them for another 5 minutes.

I braced myself for that inevitable complaint, "These aren't like my usual chicken nuggets!" But, surprise! Jasper liked these!

Kathy Thomas, mother of four and coauthor of the soon-to-be-released Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations, (with New York Times food columnist Florence Fabricant and the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering) suggests this cheap and easy frittata for a quick dinner. Partial proceeds from the book will go to patient care, education, and research initiatives at the cancer center.


Makes 12 servings

12 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1 pound fresh or smoked mozzarella, diced
2 tablespoons slivered basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a very large ovenproof skillet, or use 2 skillets with half the ingredients in each. Place over medium heat on the stovetop and pour in the egg mixture.
4. Scatter the tomatoes, cheese, and basil over the eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. When the bottom just begins to brown, place the skillet under the broiler just until the top is set, a minute or less.
6. Remove it from the oven and use a large spatula to transfer the frittata to a serving platter. 7. Cool about 10 minutes, cut into wedges, and serve.

 Compliments of The Kitchn.

Ron and Colleen Suhanosky, parents of three and owners of NYC's acclaimed Sfoglia restaurant swear by this cheesy, savory, kid-pleasing pasta recipe: They even put it in their new cookbook, Pasta Sfoglia, due out this month.

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound good-quality fusilli
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 1-pound-12-ounce cans peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes
15 large fresh basil leaves, julienned
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound whole milk mozzarella di bufala, cut into ¿-inch pieces
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.

2. Add the grapeseed oil and garlic to a 10-inch skillet. Turn on the heat to high. When the edges of the garlic have turned golden, about 1 minute, use your hands to break up and squeeze the tomatoes directly into the skillet. Immediately add the basil, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to medium.

3. When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat under the sauce. Evenly distribute the mozzarella into the sauce. Use a wire-mesh skimmer to remove the pasta from the pot and place it directly into the skillet. Fold the fusilli into the sauce. Continue to fold until the mozzarella has melted and attached itself to the fusilli.

4. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sweet crab makes a perfect centerpiece for a summer meal, and any kid loves a little fried nugget with dipping sauce on the side. Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Summer Winter in Burlington, Massachusetts, recommend these easy crab cakes.

 
For the crab cakes:
 
4 ounces crab meat 
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus flour for dredging
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs 
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1. Mix the crab meat, lemon juice, sour cream, and flour to combine in medium bowl.
2. Melt the butter in saute pan and cook onions over medium heat until soft. Add the bread crumbs and continue to cook for one minute. Set aside and cool.
3. Combine the onion mixture with the crab mixture. Season with salt and mix thoroughly.
4. Portion the mixture into two cakes and dredge them in flour.
5. Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry the cakes for three minutes on each side until golden brown.


For the remoulade:

1/4 cup sweet gherkin pickles
1/4 cup red onion
1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 3/4 teaspoon sambal
1 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Finely chop the pickles and onion.
2.  In a bowl, combine the pickles and onion with the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (If you're in a hurry, mayo mixed with the grainy mustard is delicious on its own!)
 
 

A couple of weeks ago, during that all-too-brief patch of glorious summer weather, some friends invited us to their place for dinner alfresco. We'd been to the fish shop and brought along our catch: a dozen jumbo Mexican shrimp. The barbecue was already going, so we mixed up some minced garlic and chopped parsley, split each of the colossal crustaceans and stuffed them with the mix, squirted the lot with lemon juice, and gave them a turn on the grill. The result: summer perfection.

Serious Eats won us over today, not only for their Labor Day weekend menu ideas--jalapeno-cheddar corn muffins and watermelon feta salad; Yes, please--but with their earnest discussion on how and why to store leftover bacon fat. (Says one commenter, "Bacon fat is GOLD, woman! Never throw it out!" Amen.)