Soy-free teriyaki and Middle Eastern shawerma beside coffee crusted filet mignon and a gingered peanut stew

Coffee crusted filet mignon is a searing job, not a roasting one. The grind has to be coarse or it scorches before a crust forms, and the meat comes off the pan at 128°F to rest, which is why the slices are still pink from edge to edge. The Mid East shawerma thighs are the opposite instruction: low heat, long time, skin side up, so the fat renders down through the parsley and garlic sitting underneath.

Shawerma is traditionally shaved off a vertical spit, and no home kitchen has one of those. Baking the thighs whole in the same spice mix and pulling them apart afterwards gets closer than any pan version I have tried, and the naan and garlic yogurt dip do the rest of the work. The gingered sweet potato, spinach and peanut stew is not from anywhere near the same place — West African in origin, and the dish on this list I cook most often. Both hold their texture for days, which is why they end up on the same menu.

Reheating, shortest to longest. The balsamic asparagus wants 4 minutes at 400°F and not a second more; the dill roasted baby potatoes take 12 minutes at 425°F uncovered so the cut faces crisp again; the soy free teriyaki chicken thighs want 12 minutes at 350°F covered. The coffee crusted filet mignon should not be reheated at all — slice it cold over the grape, celery and mixed greens salad.

The gingered sweet potato, spinach and peanut stew is the only dish here carrying nuts, and it is packed on its own so it lifts straight out for anyone with a peanut allergy. Gluten is in the naan beside the shawerma thighs and nowhere else on the list. The garlic yogurt dip is the single source of dairy, so a dairy free plate this week means setting one tub aside.