Five Weeknight Dishes: Simple recipes that are short on budget, big on flavor

By Krysten Chambrot, The New York Times

Affordable meals don’t have to come at the expense of deliciousness. These five dishes feel rich, fresh and sustaining but won’t break the bank.

1. Shrimp Fried Rice

Inspired by the fire-kissed flavor of Japanese steakhouse and hibachi fare, especially at the Kani House restaurants in Georgia, this quick fried rice dish is a veritable comfort. Frying the shrimp first in oil, just until they’re cooked, and reserving them to add back at the end means they stay tender. Plus, you’re left with the most aromatic shrimp oil in which to fry the rice and vegetables. The shortcut of bagged frozen mixed vegetables comes in handy here, not least because they need only to be thawed by the skillet’s high heat. The yum yum sauce, a mayo-ketchup dipping sauce that is ordinarily reserved for grilled hibachi meats, tastes fabulous splattered over the finished rice — not unlike how artist Jackson Pollock flung ...