Some nights require speedy cooking. Other nights call for long, slow preparations. What kind of night is tonight?
FAST
Prep: 15 minutes Cooking time: 6 minutes
Crisped Chicken With Chimichurri & Avocado
From “Radically Simple,” by Rozanne Gold (Rodale). Serves 4.
Photo by Quentin Bacon, Rodale Books
Ingredients
1 cup finely minced cilantro
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon good-quality dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 8 ounces each
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs; find these in the International section of the grocery store)
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, quartered and sliced lengthwise.
Directions
Make the chimichurri: Stir together the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, cider vinegar, oregano and pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons water, and salt to taste.
Put the chicken in a shallow dish with 2/3 cup of the chimichurri sauce, turning to coat. Marinate 10 minutes.
Heat the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until hot. Dredge the chicken in the panko to coat both sides. Cook the chicken 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy on the bottom. Transfer to 4 plates, top with the avocado and remaining chimichurri, and serve.
SLOW
Prep: 30 minutes Cooking time: 5-6 hours
Fruited Chicken Tagine
From “Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever,” by Diane Phillips (Chronicle). Serve this over cooked couscous. Makes enough for 6.
Photo by James Baigrie, Chronicle Books
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters
1/2 cup dried plums (prunes)
1/2 cup orange juice
Grated zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
Sprinkle chicken with the salt and cayenne. Heat the oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides.
Transfer the browned chicken to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, turmeric, garlic, cumin, ginger and brown sugar to the same skillet, and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert. Add the apricots, plums, orange juice, broth and orange zest to the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours until the chicken is tender and the fruit is plump.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Serve the chicken, fruit and sauce over a bed of couscous.
FAST
Prep: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
From “Five Ingredient Fix,” by Claire Robinson (Grand Central). Serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as a side dish.
Photo by Stephen Murello, Grand Central
Ingredients
2 pints Brussels sprouts (about 1 1/2pounds), trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, at room temperature
5 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup grated)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until bright green and beginning to soften; drop into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Make the sauce by melting the butter and flour together in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbling, about 1 minute; slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3/4 of the cheese, and stir until melted and smooth. Season the sauce well with salt and heavily with pepper.
Halve the Brussels sprouts through the core, and put them in an even layer in a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the sauce over the sprouts, and evenly top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the center of the oven 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling on top.
SLOW
Prep: 30 minutes Cooking time: 4 hours
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
From “Slow Cooker Revolution,” by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated (America’s Test Kitchen). Do not use no-boil noodles, they will turn too soft. And do not use homemade cream sauce, or it will curdle. Store-bought Alfredo sauce will stay intact. Serves 6 to 8.
Photo by Keller + Keller, America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
8 curly-edged lasagna noodles (7 ounces), broken in half
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse
1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese (15 ounces)
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1 large egg
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (1 pound)
Directions
Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar: Layer and fold sheets of heavy-duty foil until you have a six-layered rectangle that measures 16 by 4 inches. Press the collar into the back side of the slow cooker insert. Fit two more large sheets of foil into the slow cooker, perpendicular to each other, with the extra hanging over the edges of the cooker for a sling to help remove the lasagna later.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add broken lasagna noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water until cool, then spread out in single layer over clean kitchen towels and let dry. (Do not use paper towels; they will stick to noodles.)
Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until mushrooms are dry and browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in spinach and Alfredo sauce, scraping up any browned bits, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. Spread 1/2 cup mushroom-spinach sauce into prepared slow cooker.
Arrange 4 lasagna noodle pieces in slow cooker, overlapping if necessary, then dollop 9 rounded tablespoons of ricotta mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella, then spoon 1 cup more mushroom-spinach sauce over top. Repeat layering of lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and mushroom-spinach sauce twice more.
For final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles in slow cooker, then top with remaining mushroom-spinach sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Cover and cook until lasagna is heated through, about 4 hours on low.
Let lasagna cool for 20 minutes. Using sling, transfer lasagna to serving platter and serve.
FAST
Prep: 5 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes
Toasted Cumin and Rosemary-Rubbed Lamb Chops
From “High Flavor, Low Labor,” by J.M. Hirsch (Ballantine). Serves 4.
Photo by Matthew Mead, Ballantine Books
Ingredients
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely minced
8 lamb chops
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Directions
In a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine the cumin seeds, salt and peppercorns. Toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the spice mix to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Pound or grind into a coarse powder.
In a small bowl, combine cumin mixture and minced rosemary.
Use paper towels to pat the lamb chops dry. Rub a bit of the cumin-rosemary mixture over both sides of each chop.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the lamb chops and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the meat and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
SLOW
Prep: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3 hours
Lamb Baked With Orzo
Adapted from “Vefa’s Kitchen,” by Vefa Alexiadou (Phaidon). Serves 6.
Photo by Edward Park, Phaidon
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 1/4 pounds stewing lamb, trimmed and cut into chunks
3 cups pureed peeled fresh tomatoes or pureed canned tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound orzo pasta
3 cups hot water
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Greek kefalotiri cheese or Parmesan cheese, plus extra to garnish
Salt and pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the meat and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned all over. Add the pureed tomatoes, garlic and sugar, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the orzo and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer orzo to a large oven-proof dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the lamb pieces on top of orzo, and pour tomato sauce over them. Carefully add the water and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, and put the tomato slices on top of the lamb, sprinkle with the cheese and season with pepper. Return to the oven and bake, adding a little more water if necessary, for 30 minutes more, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and pasta is al dente. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese.
FAST
Prep: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
Flat Iron Steaks With Roasted Red Pepper Butter
For instructions on roasting peppers, see recipe on Page 3D for “Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip.” You will have extra butter; it will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for a week. From “Lobel’s Meat Bible,” by Stanley, Evan, Mark and David Lobel (Chronicle). Serves 2.
Ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2sticks), 8 of the tablespoons well- chilled and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 roasted red bell peppers (or 1 small jar)
1 1/4 teaspoons smoked sweet Spanish paprika or regular sweet paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chuck blade steaks (flat iron steaks), about 4 ounces each, cut 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter (not chilled) in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme, remove from heat, and let cook 3 or 4 minutes.
Put the 8 tablespoons chilled butter, the roasted peppers, paprika and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Scrape the contents of the skillet with the shallot-garlic butter into the processor, and blend, pulsing at first, until smooth and well-incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pack the flavored butter in a ramekin and set aside.
Generously salt and pepper the steaks. Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the oil, swirling to coat the skillet. Add the steaks and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 3 1/2-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to warmed plates. Top with flavored butter and serve.
SLOW
Prep: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3 3/4 minutes
Korean Beef Stew With Napa Cabbage and Pickles
Recipe by Marcia Kiesel, from “Food & Wine: Reinventing the Classics,” edited by Dana Cowin (Food & Wine Books). Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 3-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 quart beef stock or low-sodium broth
2 medium red onions, quartered through the core
6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 large jalapeños — halved, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups coarsely chopped Napa cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced sour pickles
Steamed short-grain rice, toasted sesame oil and 3 thinly sliced scallions, for serving
Directions
In a very large skillet, heat the oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear the pieces over moderately high heat until richly browned all over. Transfer the meat to a large slow cooker, turn it to high and cover.
Wipe out the skillet and return it to the burner. Add the soy sauce, sugar, wine and stock, and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the onions, cover and cook for 2 hours. Add the garlic and jalapeños to the stew, cover and cook for 1 hour longer, until the meat is very tender.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the bean sprouts and blanch for 30 seconds; drain. Put the cornstarch in a bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of the liquid from the cooker.
With a slotted spoon, pick out and discard the onions. Transfer the meat to a large bowl. Whisk the cornstarch mixture, then whisk it into the stew, cover, and let simmer for 2 minutes. With 2 forks, very coarsely shred the meat. Return the meat to the cooker. Add the Napa cabbage and pickles to the cooker, cover and cook until the cabbage is just wilted, about 5 minutes. Turn the cooker off.
Spoon steamed rice into bowls. Ladle stew over and around rice. Top with bean sprouts, a drizzle of sesame oil and sliced scallions, and serve.
