Suya spice has entered the chicken chatA drawer full of spice blends is a palette for the palate, an array of flavors relied on by cooks around the world to add instant verve to all kinds of dishes. I’ve recently added a new hue to my spice drawer spectrum of garam masala, baharat, ras el hanout, Cajun seasoning and the like: suya spice, also called yaji. Musky, earthy and complex, this Nigerian staple gains its heat from chiles, its pungency from onion and garlic and its distinct smoky richness from roasted ground peanuts. In Nigeria, it’s often used to season thin strips of skewered, grilled meats. But in her new recipe for suya-spiced grilled chicken thighs with nectarines, Yewande Komolafe pairs it with poultry and juicy stone fruit for an easy summer meal that’s filled with tangy-sweet flavors. Color me thrilled. Featured Recipe Suya-Spiced Grilled Chicken Thighs With NectarinesMore food for thoughtCrispy suya-spiced salmon: Another great use for your suya spice! Here, Kiano Moju sprinkles the fragrant mix over salmon fillets and adds panko for a crunchy crust. Serve it with a gingery salad made from all those lovely ripe tomatoes coming into season. Spicy green curry steak: Spice pastes, a fridge staple, can be as flavorful and convenient as spice blends. Samantha Seneviratne smears green curry paste all over quick-cooking skirt steak, which gives the meat a deeply herby, spicy character, imbued with notes of galangal, lemongrass and cilantro. And if you don’t have green curry paste on hand, red curry paste makes for a slightly milder substitute. Summer pasta with zucchini, ricotta and basil: Easy, breezy and cheesy, this vegetable-filled pasta is a 30-minute recipe all zucchini growers should put on repeat this summer. Pounding the basil and garlic together with a mortar and pestle gives it pesto-like flair, but without the oil and nuts it’s much lighter and fresher. Vegan coconut-ginger black beans: Simmering beans in coconut milk is a classic move in many African and Caribbean cuisines, with the aromatic milk adding a touch of sweetness to the earthiness of the beans. Ali Slagle’s take features black beans and a brilliant topping of lime zest and crushed plantain or toasted coconut chips, which add acidity and texture to the velvety soup. Stovetop berry crisp: Ali’s highly versatile recipe is perfect to make in summer houses and cabins where you might not find a casserole dish in the cabinet, but you do have a skillet. Filled with syrupy fruit covered with crunchy nuggets of brown sugar-oatmeal streusel, this is best served warm from the oven, with scoops of vanilla ice cream melting between crannies of topping and fruit. Of course, you’ll want to subscribe to get these and all the other thousands upon thousands of recipes we have at New York Times Cooking. If you need any technical or subscription help, send an email to the smart folks at cookingcare@nytimes.com. And if you’d like to say hi, I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. That’s all for now. See you on Wednesday.
|
