By Nicole Hvidsten
The Minnesota Star Tribune

On these busy fall weeks, most cooks have meals they can pull out of their back pocket without much thought.

I make a chili that can go from stove to table in less than a half-hour, and quick chicken-wild rice soup and spaghetti recipes that have become family favorites. Factor in the occasional taco night and breakfast for supper, and mealtime doesn’t have to be difficult.

The problem with those tried-and-true recipes is that they frequently appear in the rotation—sometimes too often. We could use a little nudge to broaden our dinner horizons and add a boost of energy—and flavor—to our routine.

Enter “Dinner Time” from Zena Kamgaing, a popular London recipe developer who has amassed a social media following as @zenaskitchen. In her debut cookbook, Kamgaing packs global flavors into 85 recipes that take us from snacks to dessert.

What I appreciate most about this book is that chapters are divided into how much time you have, which could be as little as 15 minutes or an hour or more. From cover to cover, Kamgaing proves that quick meals don’t have to sacrifice flavor. “That’s precisely what’s inspired me to write this book,” she writes, “to show that deeply delicious food doesn’t need to be stressful, complicated or take hours to make.”

Here are three recipes from “Dinner Time” to shake up your mealtime routine.

"Dinner Time: Deeply Delicious Meals in 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes" by Zena Kamgaing. ( Bloomsbury Publishing/TNS)

Curry Butter Shrimp

Rich and buttery, this is the kind of dish that makes weeknight cooking feel effortless. Juicy shrimp are tossed in a velvety sauce spiked with curry spices, garlic, and the deep sweetness of tomato paste. It’s indulgent, easy, and perfect with rice, crusty bread, or simply on its own. For extra flavor and a showstopping presentation, use 1 1/2 pounds of head-on shrimp, peeled and deveined.

Serves 4

Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 4 tablespoons butter


• 2 tablespoons tomato paste


• 1 teaspoon curry powder, mild, medium, or hot


• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced


• 1 pound raw extra-large (26–30 count) peeled and deveined tail-on shrimp; thawed, if frozen (see Note)


• 1/4 cup boiling water


• 1 small handful of cilantro, leaves, and stems roughly chopped


• Lemon wedges for serving, optional

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to foam and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. You’ll notice the sound shift from loud bubbling to a quiet sizzle.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to darken, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the curry powder and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the shrimp and toss to coat them in the sauce. Pour in the boiling water, stir, and cover the pan. Let the shrimp steam until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Transfer the shrimp to a shallow bowl and serve immediately with some lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

’Nduja Vodka Pasta

This spicy, saucy vodka pasta is perfect for a cozy night in. The addition of ’nduja, a soft Italian sausage, brings a salty, funky twist to the classic. But if you leave it out, you’re still in for a treat. Simply add an extra splash of olive oil or a pat of butter when softening the shallots and up the tomato paste to 3/4 cup.

Serves 4

Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 large shallots, very finely chopped


• 3 ounces ’nduja, about 5 tablespoons (see Note)


• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced


• 1/2 cup tomato paste


• 5 tablespoons vodka


• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream


• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional


• 1 pound dried pasta of choice


• 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to serve


• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over a high heat.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, then reduce the heat to medium–low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the ’nduja, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. As it heats, it will begin to melt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another 1 minute.

Turn the heat up to medium, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste begins to darken and caramelize, around 5 minutes. Add the vodka and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, giving it all an occasional stir. Add the heavy cream and sugar, if using, and stir until well combined, then remove from the heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook following the package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving around 1 cup of the cooking water.

Return the sauce to the stove over a medium heat. Add the pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is well coated and glossy, loosening with a little more of the pasta water, if needed.

Divide the pasta between serving bowls, garnish with the fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano, then serve.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

These brownies are rich, fudgy, and packed with deep cocoa flavor, with a subtle cinnamon and chipotle warmth that kicks in just after the first bite. The browned butter adds a toasty, nutty depth, while the mixture of sugars brings the perfect balance of chewiness and softness. The recipe says the walnuts are optional—but they’re really a must.

Makes 16

Cook Time: 60 minutes

• 1/4 cup (50 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder


• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 1/2 teaspoon mild chipotle powder


• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 1 1/2 sticks (175 grams) salted butter


• 3 large eggs


• 1 1/3 cups (275 grams) light brown sugar


• 1/3 cup (75 grams) superfine sugar


• 1/3 cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour


• 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) walnut halves and/or 2/3 cup (125 grams) milk chocolate chips, optional but recommended

Place the cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, chipotle powder, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. It will bubble for a few minutes. As the bubbles die down, the milk solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown as they caramelize. This should take around 10 minutes.

Once the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, pour it into the bowl with the cocoa mixture, making sure to scrape in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk until the cocoa is fully dissolved, then leave the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on high speed, whisk the eggs and both sugars until light, fluffy, and pale in color.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cooled cocoa-butter mixture, then sift and fold in the flour until there are no streaks of flour left. Fold in the walnuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.

Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out with a bit of brownie batter clinging to it.

Let the brownies cool in the pan until completely cold, then slice them into 16 equal squares. They’ll keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks or in the freezer for a month.

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