Good morning! Today we have for you:
Cooking my way out of a rutThere are certain ingredient combinations that I fall back on so often that they begin to feel like ruts. Sautéing kale in olive oil, sliced garlic and crushed red pepper, for example, or flavoring meatballs with cumin, red onion and cilantro. And every time I stir-fry, I instinctively whisk together a little soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger to splash in the pan. So when I saw Ashley Lonsdale’s new recipe for stir-fried honey ginger chicken and carrots, I knew it was just what I needed to get me out of my comfort (er, lazy) zone. I rarely think to put carrots in a stir-fry, but Ashley slices hers so thinly that they cook in a flash, retaining enough of a bite to contrast with the softer bits of chicken thigh and scallions. Then she tosses it all with honey, coconut oil and sliced fresh chiles for a sweetness with a kick. If you like, add the optional fermented black beans to give this a deep salty funk. But even without them, this lovely dish was just the thing to pull me out of my stir-frying rut. Featured Recipe Honey Ginger Chicken and CarrotsMore food for thoughtAnchovy-caper salsa verde: Anything with anchovies calls to me, and Dan Pelosi’s punchy, emerald sauce is no exception. He suggests using it as a topping for grilled or roasted vegetables, meat or fish or as a condiment for sandwiches. But I recently mixed some into ground beef to make meatballs, served the remaining salsa verde as a dipping sauce and bid farewell to Rut No. 2. Salmon patties: Made with canned salmon, these economical fish cakes are crisp on the outside, and soft and savory within. Lidey Heuck seasons them simply yet thoroughly with the classic combination of mustard, lemon and paprika. Serve them with tartar sauce (homemade or not) on the side for a satisfying seafood supper. San Francisco-style Vietnamese American garlic noodles: One of the speediest pantry pastas in all of New York Times Cooking, this heady dish from Kenji López-Alt can be on the table in about 15 minutes. Made from a compelling mix of oyster sauce, soy sauce, Parmesan and butter, its umami deliciousness wins me over every time. Dutch baby: I love a souffléed pancake, the kind that puffs up gloriously as you pull it from the oven. Florence Fabricant’s recipe is meant to be sweet, topped with syrup or jam. But if you spike the batter with herbs and sprinkle it liberally with grated Parmesan before baking, you’ll get a piquant iteration to serve as a light meal or a satisfying cocktail nibble (tear it apart with your hands and eat it from the pan). Kale salad with pickled raisin vinaigrette: As my final rut buster, here’s a vibrant, punchy kale salad from Sheela Prakash. She uses the tart dressing to pickle golden raisins and shallots, which turn sweet and sour next to the earthy toasted walnuts and crinkly greens. Add some fried eggs to turn it into a meal. That’s all for now, except to mention that if you have any technical problems, you can email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. I’ll see you on Wednesday. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Want to see more of our recipes in your Google search results?
|
