By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times
Today has me thinking about the color green, and not just because itap St. Patrick’s Day (though a happy one to all who celebrate). Maybe itap because I just saw the new Pixar movie, “Hoppers,” which is in part a rallying call on nature’s behalf: Large chunks of the film have a drab gray and brown palette, unless you’re in the sparkling green glade the protagonist is trying to protect. I left the theater chatting with my kid about why the color is so potent, emotionally and symbolically.
Of course, if you’re at the tail end of a long winter, green is the thrilling promise of spring. Scroll down for a classic New York Times Cooking green pasta thatap especially enticing right now. (On that note, I’ve gotten emails lately from readers in Arizona and California reminding me that they have not been deluged with snow, and they already need some recipes that use asparagus. I hear you!)
1. Kale Sauce Pasta
This recipe for a vivid, vegetarian pasta sauce, made from blanched kale leaves and loaded with good olive oil and grated cheese, comes from Joshua McFadden, the chef at Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon, and was inspired by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of The River Café in London. The technique is absurdly simple and quick from start to finish, but the result is luxurious and nearly creamy. Feel free to play with the pasta shape, but no matter what you choose, be sure to let the blender run for a while at a powerful setting: You want the kale to completely break down into a smooth, bright, airy green puree.
Recipe from Joshua McFadden
Adapted by Tejal Rao
Yield: 2 servings as a main course or 4 as a side
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed flat and peeled
- 1 pound lacinato kale, thick ribs removed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound pasta, like pappardelle or rigatoni
- 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Preparation
1. Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. When water is boiling, add kale leaves and cook until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
3. Add the pasta to the still-boiling water and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.
2. Crispy Suya-Spiced Salmon
Traditionally used to season grilled meat skewers in Nigeria, suya spice (also called yaji) is a spicy peanut-based blend that brings a bold, layered flavor to anything you are throwing on the grill — and it has plenty of other uses, too. Here, the coarsely ground peanuts in the suya meld with panko to give the crunchiest crust to roasted salmon while adding a Nigerian spin. Using a bit of oil helps the panko mixture cling to the fillets, creating a crispy, flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with rice and a fresh cucumber and tomato salad.
By Kiano Moju
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the suya spice coating:
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or softened butter
For the salmon:
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (skin-on or skinless)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the suya spice coating: Combine the peanuts, ginger, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne and salt in a mini food processor or blender, pulsing until the peanut bits are the size of panko breadcrumbs. Tip into a small bowl. Add the panko, breaking up any large chunks with your fingertips, then stir in the minced garlic and olive oil.
3. Prep the salmon: Place the salmon, skin side down, on the baking sheet, leaving space between each fillet. Season on top with salt and pepper. Spoon the suya spice coating over the top of each salmon fillet, lightly pressing to adhere. (Don’t worry about the sides.)
4. Roast until the coating is golden brown and salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes. Serve with your desired side dishes.
3. Honey-Garlic Chicken
These sweet and salty honey-garlic chicken breasts are perfect for when you want big flavor, but you’re short on time. To ensure golden-brown chicken breasts that stay plump and moist, start with a hot pan and pat the chicken dry to avoid adding extra moisture, then allow the chicken to sear properly. Once your chicken has taken on color, set it aside and create a simple pan sauce of honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and butter. When the sauce is glossy, return the chicken to the pan and turn it until coated in the satiny honey-garlic sauce. Serve with roasted potatoes, rice or bread to soak it all up.
By Yasmin Fahr
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, halved lengthwise, or 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider, rice wine or white wine vinegar
- 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
1. Pat the chicken dry. Season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes until hot and shimmering. Add the chicken and cook without moving until itap golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
3. Use tongs to flip the chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
4. While the chicken cooks on the second side, mix together 3 tablespoons of water, the honey and soy sauce in a measuring cup.
5. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
6. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and let cook until the liquid reduces, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, garlic and butter, stirring to melt, and incorporate until thick and glossy, about 2 minutes more.
7. Return the chicken to the pan, leaving behind any accumulated juices on the plate, and turn to coat in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add the accumulated juices, then serve immediately, garnishing with the parsley, if desired.
4. Roasted Sausages With Grapes and Onions
You can use any kind of sausages in this cozy, autumnal dish, filled with roasted sweet grapes and vinegar-spiked onions. Spicy Italian sausages made from pork, chicken or turkey, fresh chorizo or merguez will give the dish a kick, while milder sausages like chicken and apple, bratwurst or Weisswurst make for a gentler meal. Serve this on a bed of polenta or mashed potatoes, or with some crusty bread to sop up the vinegary, sausage-rich pan juices, and a green salad on the side. If you want to halve this recipe, reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees; otherwise, the smaller amount of food in the pan might get too brown.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups seedless red grapes (1 1/4 pounds), de-stemmed
- 1 teaspoon fennel, coriander, cumin or caraway seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 pound any sausages, poked all over with a fork
- 1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a large (13-by-18-inch) rimmed baking sheet, toss together onion slices, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper, and spread in an even layer. Roast for 8 to 12 minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the thinnest pieces take on a pale gold color at the edges.
2. After 10 minutes, add grapes, seeds and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan with onions and toss well. Spread in an even layer and nestle sausage into the mixture.
3. Roast until sausage has browned, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping sausage and tossing grapes and onions halfway through.
4. Transfer sausages to a platter or to individual plates. Add parsley and chives to pan with grapes and onions and gently toss (this warms up and wilts the herbs). Use a slotted spoon to transfer grapes and onions to plates with the sausages.
5. Add vinegar to rimmed baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits on the tray. Drizzle pan juices over the grapes and sausages, taste and sprinkle more salt or vinegar on top, if desired.
5. Bean and Vegetable Japanese Curry
In this lovely, warming curry, canned beans give you protein and a soft, starchy bite. Japanese curry is essentially a stew, so add to it what you like: Here, eggplant and spinach melt into the sauce, giving you roughage, then canned beans are stirred through for appearances and chew. Served over rice or noodles, this dish is a veritable weeknight meal with restaurant appeal, and freezes beautifully (see Tips).
By Eric Kim
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- Salt
- 1 medium globe eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (3- to 4-ounce) brick Japanese curry, such as Golden Curry (see Tips)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, butter beans or other large, sturdy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-ounce) package baby spinach
- Basic white rice or cooked fresh udon, for serving
Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add 3 cups of water, scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up any stuck-on bits. Add the eggplant and carrots, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Ladle some of the hot liquid from the pot into a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, then add the curry brick. Let it melt, about a minute, before whisking to blend. Stir the curry mixture into the stew.
4. Add the chickpeas and spinach, bring back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted and the curry has thickened but is still brothy, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.
5. Serve over rice or noodles. (See Tip for make-ahead freezing instructions.)
Tips
Japanese curry bricks are sold in boxes at many grocery stores these days, though you’ll have the best luck finding them at Asian supermarkets. They come in various sizes and heat levels. For this recipe, hot and extra hot are especially enticing (and not all that hot).
Make ahead: Leftovers of this curry keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you won’t eat it all in that time frame, freeze the stew in individual containers so you can have curry whenever you want. When ready to eat, just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and microwave until warmed through.
This article originally appeared in .
