Breadcrumbs [Home](/) > [Ottolenghi Has Made Midweek Dinners Exciting Again](/markdownify/node/4546) ![Ottolenghi Has Made Midweek Dinners Exciting Again](https://media.slman.com/xYuWWLpi1o6Vz22KQ2VqoCn0yN8=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-160926-site-assets-ottolenghi-recipe-focus-hero-mobile-hero.jpg) ![Ottolenghi Has Made Midweek Dinners Exciting Again](https://media.slman.com/zFzk0EVJuMWrQtNvOC1p7ZZIpCA=/400x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-160926-site-assets-ottolenghi-recipe-focus-thumb.jpg) Images: Ottolenghi; Chris Floyd [Recipes](/life/food-drink/recipes) / 16 September 2026 # Ottolenghi Has Made Midweek Dinners Exciting Again Yotam Ottolenghi is back with Simple Too – the follow-up to the cookbook that made midweek cooking feel considerably more exciting. It’s the same deal here: bold flavours, smart shortcuts and dishes that will look and taste like you’ve made far more effort than you actually have. Here are three recipes to get you excited to get in the kitchen… Images: Ottolenghi; Chris Floyd All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/WgVy724rAW6nYU_O3PeLhrbl7lo=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-ottolenghi-recipes-160926-breakfast-potatoes.jpg) ](https://amzn.to/4cERT7o) ## Breakfast Potatoes This is a combination of two great Spanish potato dishes: patatas a lo pobre (poor man’s potatoes) and huevos rotos (broken eggs). Traditionally both fried, here we bake: not to be virtuous, it’s just easy. One tray, one mandoline (if you have one, it makes light work of slicing the potatoes and shallots), and you have easily fed a crowd. Serves 6 Total Time 1 Hour 15 Minutes Ingredients 1kg of Yukon Gold, Maris Piper (or other floury) potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced 2 red peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced (300g) 4 oregano sprigs 3 large banana shallots, thinly sliced (200g) 1 head of garlic, top 1cm removed 1 tsp of sweet smoked paprika 150ml of olive oil 6 eggs Fine sea salt and black pepper Method Step 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C fan. Step 2 Put everything apart from the eggs on a large baking tray (about 28cm x 40cm x 4cm), along with 11⁄4 teaspoons of salt and plenty of pepper. Mix together well and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn everything over and bake for another 30 minutes (turning the vegetables over again halfway through), until the potatoes are soft and jammy and the peppers and shallots are frazzled. Remove from the oven, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and fold them through. Step 3 Crack the eggs into a jug, season with a pinch of salt and some pepper, then lightly break with a fork: just enough to burst the yolks. Create a few small pockets in the potato mixture, then pour in the eggs. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are just cooked through. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/dw36Epxgwm6ODuShxegAB1PCeCk=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-ottolenghi-recipes-160926-chicekn-meatballs-with-pistachio-spinach.jpg) ](https://amzn.to/4hpuv06) ## Chicken Meatballs With Pistachios And Spinach These Iranian-inspired meatballs don’t sit quietly on the plate. They’re super bright with plenty of herbs and pistachios, and lightly sweetened with dried fruit. The food processor does much of the work for you and the result is a whole meal in itself, served in a shallow bowl, with some flatbreads if you like. Make ahead: The whole dish can be made the day before, ready to warm through before serving. Serves 4-6 Total Time 35 Minutes Ingredients 100g of pistachio kernels 8–10 spring onions, roughly chopped (125g) 50g of coriander, roughly chopped 20g of dill, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 tsp of ground turmeric 21⁄2 tsp of ground cumin 25g of panko breadcrumbs 1 egg 400g of chicken or turkey mince 105ml of olive oil 200g of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped 650ml of chicken stock 100g of orzo 75g of dried sour cherries (or cranberries), roughly chopped 2 tsp of cherry molasses (or pomegranate molasses) Lemon wedges, to serve Fine sea salt and black pepper Method Step 1 Combine the first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Transfer 175g of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Keep the remainder in the food processor and add the breadcrumbs, egg, mince, 3⁄4 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Blitz to combine, then shape into 14 meatballs. Step 2 Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Step 3 Add the remaining 75ml of oil to the pan along with the reserved blitzed mixture and the spinach. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring until wilted, then add the stock, orzo, sour cherries, molasses and 3⁄4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer, add the meatballs and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, covered, until the meatballs and orzo are cooked through. Leave to stand, covered, for 5–10 minutes, until the orzo has plumped up and thickened the sauce. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/I18zkg-lFXICS_t9CDCQxes-SgE=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-ottolenghi-recipes-160926-braisedhalloumitomatoesbeans.jpg) ](https://amzn.to/3UReWpp) ## Braised Halloumi With Tomatoes And Beans This is either a simple speedy supper for two, with rice or bread, or part of a spread to serve more. It works really well with the green beans with miso and grapefruit (p. 182), or any seasonal green veg. It’s also great as it is for a late breakfast, with a couple of fried eggs sitting on top. Serves 2 Total Time 45 Minutes Ingredients 350g of cherry tomatoes (a mix of colours looks great), half cut in half and the remainder left whole 400g tin of black- eyed beans (or butter beans), drained (240g) 5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 crushed 5–6 thyme sprigs, plus 1 tsp finely chopped leaves 1 lemon, zest thinly shaved to get 4 strips, the remainder finely grated, 1 tbsp juice 90ml of olive oil 250g of halloumi, cut into 6 slices 250g of halloumi, cut into 6 slices 1 tsp of za’atar fine sea salt and black pepper Method Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Step 2 Put all the tomatoes into a 26cm round (or similar) shallow ovenproof dish along with the beans, sliced garlic, thyme sprigs, lemon zest strips, lemon juice and 75ml olive oil. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix together and nestle the halloumi slices among the beans, making sure the cheese remains exposed. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the cheese and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed, released their juices and the halloumi is golden. Step 3 Mix together the crushed garlic, thyme leaves, grated lemon zest and za’atar. Once the dish is out of the oven, swirl this through and serve. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/HkFU5wqjAimX0etY-B7zBDDPGlE=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F09%2Fsl-man-ottolenghi-recipes-160926-simple-too.jpg) ](https://amzn.to/3UMEJiw) Extracted from [*Ottolenghi Simple Too*](https://amzn.to/3UHNpGX) by Yotam Ottolenghi and Verena Lochmuller (Ebury Press, £30). All photography by Jonathan Lovekin. *Simple Too* available to buy [here](https://amzn.to/3UHNpGX). All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products. DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at .