Greek, Thai and Turkish dishes with a salsa verde chicken soup running through the week

Greek beefsteaks are biftekia under another name. This dish is ground beef worked with feta until the cheese disappears into the mix, shaped thick and baked rather than fried, so they hold their round shape instead of spreading flat. The cilantro chutney beside them is not traditional and I would not claim it is; it cuts the fat better than a yogurt sauce.

Blackberries are at the end of their season and will be gone in a fortnight, which is why they are on the arugula with goat cheese and pecans rather than in a dessert. The fig dressing goes in its own cup, because dressed arugula is finished inside an hour. I toast the pecans dry for four minutes so they keep their snap against the fruit.

The salsa verde and avocado chicken soup goes out with the avocado already sliced on top, so lift it off, reheat the soup 5 minutes in a pan on medium, and lay it back on. Thai shrimp cakes want 400°F for 9 minutes on a rack and nothing to do with a microwave. Turkish bulgur pilaf needs 2 minutes covered with a spoonful of water stirred through first. Everything reaches Houston, TX 77008 cold and should go straight into the fridge.