By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
Everyone has comfort food. Here’s mine: juicy meatballs done Italian American style, served with homemade tomato sauce or piled on top of a spaghetti heap.
I used to make a pot of meatballs when friends came over for dinner because it was cozy but not frumpy and everyone loved it. It was also very easy. I’d usually skip the pasta — one less thing to maneuver in my slight strip of a kitchen — and put out good bread instead to dunk in that tomato sauce pool. (Itap even better if itap garlic bread.) That, plus a big salad: dinner!
Now I make meatballs and sauce just because, and in big batches, so I can put some away in the freezer for later. (Never, ever make a single batch of meatballs!) I’ve played the field with different recipes: versions that use only beef (as with Kay Chun’s recipe below), or pork and ricotta. I like great turkey meatballs, too, and I’ve dabbled in meatless meatballs as well.
1. Meatballs
By Kay Chun
A mix of garlic and herbs pack these homemade meatballs full of flavor, while milk and egg keep them super tender during cooking. They can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, then simply popped into the oven. The meatballs are extremely versatile — enjoy them over saucy spaghetti, roasted with a dipping sauce or tucked in between bread with mozzarella cheese. Add some freshness and color by mixing a couple tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley into the ground beef.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram or oregano)
- 1 pound ground beef, at least 20% fat, or a combination of beef and pork
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Warm marinara sauce, for dipping (optional)
Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, beat egg and add breadcrumbs and milk; mix well and let stand until the breadcrumbs soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt and Italian seasoning, and mix until well combined. Add beef and gently mix (hands work best here) until well blended. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, arrange the meatballs in a single layer and drizzle with oil; toss to evenly coat. Roast until golden and cooked through, turning meatballs halfway, about 20 minutes.
3. To serve over pasta, cook meatballs using this method (or see Tips for cooking on the stovetop or in sauce), then distribute over bowls of sauce-covered noodles. (For 4 to 6 servings, toss 1 pound of spaghetti with 3 cups of warm marinara.)
Tips
Stovetop Method: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are tender and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes longer.
Simmered in Sauce: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 cups of tomato sauce or marinara (be careful of sputtering) and stir to evenly coat the meatballs. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes longer.
2. Mushroom Galbi
By Kay Chun
This vegan twist on traditional galbi swaps meaty mixed mushrooms in place of the meat. The garlicky soy-and-sesame-oil sauce deepens the flavor of earthy mushrooms, which get roasted alongside scallions and green bell pepper until tender and golden. A final broil imparts a nice char and smoky flavor that mimics the grill. Leftovers turn into a fantastic fried rice the next day, topped with a fried egg.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced 1/2-inch-thick
- 5 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as cremini (halved), shiitake caps (sliced 1/2-inch-thick) and portobello caps (sliced 1/4-inch-thick)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- Toasted white sesame seeds (optional), for garnish
- Steamed short-grain rice and kimchi (optional), for serving
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees with racks in upper and lower third of oven. On a large rimmed sheet pan, combine scallions, bell pepper and 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss the mixture to evenly coat, then spread in an even layer.
2. On a second large rimmed sheet pan, combine mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then spread in an even layer.
3. Add both sheet pans to the oven and roast until vegetables are tender and mushrooms are golden, rotating pans halfway through cooking, 20 minutes. Combine all of the mushrooms and vegetables on one sheet pan.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil with the garlic and ginger over medium-low. Heat until the mixture starts to sizzle, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.
5. Heat broiler on high with rack 6 inches from the heat. Drizzle half of the sauce (about 1/4 cup) all over the mushroom mixture and toss to evenly coat. Broil until lightly charred in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide mushroom mixture among plates. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
6. Serve with rice, kimchi (if using) and the remaining sauce.
3. One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Ginger
By Yasmin Fahr
This one-pot dish was inspired by a dinner of ginger fried rice and garlicky stir-fried greens served at Uncle Lou, a Cantonese restaurant in New York. Itap both mild and full of flavor, which might sound contradictory at first, but it delivers subtle notes of fresh ginger, soy sauce and lime, rather than bold hits in each bite. Serve with extra soy sauce and lime on the side, so that everyone can adjust the seasoning as they would like. Fish out the ginger slices at the end or let everyone know they’re there.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral or olive oil
- 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Kosher salt
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed with cold water
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water, at room temperature
- 3/4 pound quick-cooking greens, such as chard, kale or spinach, leaves removed from thick stems, if needed, and cut or torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 packed cups)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed
- 2 limes, 1 juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice) and 1 cut into wedges
- 2 scallions (optional), sliced
- 1/4 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems (optional), roughly torn or chopped
Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid, heat the oil and ginger slices over medium-high until the oil around the ginger starts to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the chicken with salt, then push the ginger to the side. Add the chicken to the pan and let cook, undisturbed, until the chicken starts to brown and easily releases from the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. (Itap OK if the pieces of chicken don’t all have color, as it will be crowded.) Stir in the garlic and rice, flipping over the chicken, and cook until the rice is coated with oil and starts to sizzle, about 1 minute.
2. Add the stock or water, then raise the heat to high to bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up anything on the bottom of the pot. Cover and immediately lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until most of the water has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. During the last 8 minutes, stir to make sure nothing is sticking on the bottom, then layer the greens on top, cover and finish cooking.
3. Remove from the heat, stir in the soy sauce and juice of 1 lime. Fluff the rice and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Serve as is, or pull the chicken apart into bite-size pieces. Season to taste with salt, the lime wedges and more soy as needed or serve at the table. Top with the scallions and cilantro, if using.
4. Sheet-Pan Cod and Scallions With Cucumber Yogurt
By Melissa Clark
You can use any mild, flaky fish for this quick, weeknight-friendly recipe. The scallions add sweetness and crunch to the delicate fish, flavored with soy sauce and fish sauce for an extra salty depth. Then itap all dolloped with a tart, creamy yogurt sauce thatap both pungent from the garlic and cool and crisp from the chopped cucumber. Serve this dish with more sliced cucumber on the side and some pita bread or a baguette to soak up any remaining sauce. You won’t want to waste even a drop.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 bunch scallions, green and white parts separated
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless cod fillets
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2/3 cup finely chopped Persian or English (hothouse) cucumber
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or mint
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste
- Red-pepper flakes, preferably Urfa or Espelette
- Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mince enough of the scallion greens to equal 2 tablespoons and reserve. Halve remaining scallion whites and greens lengthwise to make ribbons. Place scallion ribbons in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt; set aside.
2. Season cod with salt and pepper, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle cod with a little oil, soy sauce and fish sauce. Transfer to the oven and roast, 2 minutes. Add scallion ribbons to the baking sheet, spreading them out in one layer around the fish, and roast until the fish is opaque in the center and golden at the edges, and scallions are browned in spots, 6 to 10 minutes.
3. While fish roasts, make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon minced scallion greens, the yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
4. To serve, arrange cod and scallions on serving plates and squeeze lemon over the top. Dollop yogurt sauce over with cod and garnish with remaining scallion greens, red-pepper flakes, more black pepper, and sea salt, if you like.
