Good morning! Today we have for you:

• A zhuzhed-up beans and greens recipe

• A roast chicken recipe for a crowd

• And gluten-free mochi brownies

Hello, friends. We’ve hit the part of the year when I become overly attached to my weeknight meals, knowing that, as December ramps up, the weekends increasingly belong to others.

And that’s not a bad thing! I’m truly grateful for the parties and gatherings, the travel and visitors, the activities and errands that give this time of year its excitement and warmth. But I’m equally happy to have the quiet midweek nights at home, when it’s just me and the husband and the dog, and we can cook whatever we need and then kill hours rewatching previous seasons of “Taskmaster.” (Jason Mantzoukas, if you’re reading this, you have made your country so proud.)

What this means, in execution, is that my weeknight meals become a touch more festive, a little extra. The Caesar gets additional anchovies draped on top. Maybe I roll-cut my carrots for my curry. And my regular-degular beans and greens? They get alla vodka’d, per Ali Slagle’s wonderful five-star recipe.

Some red chile flakes, a scant shot of vodka and a splash of cream give a bit of spice and plushness to tomato-y beans; a bunch of greens adds the roughage necessary to counteract all those cookies. And, it being an Ali recipe, there’s lots of flexibility built in with the bean and green elements. I’m going to use the escarole that called to me at the market (though I won’t give it as much cook time, since it’s not as sturdy as kale or broccoli rabe) and some pearly, large white limas. Maybe I’ll toast some breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top — I’m feeling fancy, after all.

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Beans and Greens Alla Vodka

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