We’re releasing a new cookbook! “Veg Everything” by Tanya Sichynsky, the author and host of The Veggie newsletter and videos, is arriving in September. The book collects 100 of Cooking’s best vegetarian and vegan recipes, with dishes from Ali Slagle, Hetty Lui McKinnon (who created this week’s pole position recipe — hoisin garlic noodles — below), Eric Kim, Yewande Komolafe, Melissa Clark, Andy Baraghani and many others. You do not need to be vegetarian to love this book.
1. Hoisin Garlic Noodles
Fans of garlic noodles and soy sauce noodles rejoice: Here is a new, weeknight-friendly noodle dish for your repertoire. A staple Cantonese ingredient, thick and fragrant hoisin sauce is often used as a glaze for meat, but also serves as a robust, sweet and salty seasoning for these noodles. The garlic is bloomed briefly in oil, which tames its pungency and unlocks a rich, nutty flavor. Allow the noodles to cook undisturbed for a few minutes to crisp underneath, adding texture and a hint of smokiness. This recipe calls for dried wheat or egg noodles, but if you don’t have Asian-style noodles on hand, you could substitute with spaghetti or linguine. Bulk up the noodles with tofu, eggs or whatever vegetables you have on hand; these noodles welcome toppings.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- Salt and pepper
- 14 ounces dried wheat or egg noodles
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- Vegetable oil
- 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse until the noodles are cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup; set aside.
3. Heat a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil along with the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds (but don’t let the garlic burn!). Immediately add the sauce and then the noodles, and toss well until the noodles are evenly coated.
4. Leave the noodles to cook, undisturbed, until they start sticking to the pan and the bottom looks crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt (if needed) and pepper.
5. To serve, transfer to bowls and top with the sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions.
2. One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry Tomatoes
In this quick, elegant dinner, cherry tomatoes are roasted with garlic, shallots, sherry vinegar and a drizzle of honey, turning them into a sweet and savory condiment for simple roasted fish. This versatile, year-round recipe is delicious with juicy end-of-summer tomatoes or even with a pint from the grocery store. Thick white fish such as cod or halibut work best here. Serve with rice, couscous or your favorite grains, and a green salad.
By Lidey Heuck
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on mild white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
- Chopped fresh basil, for serving
- Chopped fresh mint, for serving
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes and toss to combine. Roast until the tomatoes have collapsed and the shallots are translucent, about 15 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes roast, pat the fish dry with paper towels, brush all over with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Toss the tomatoes, move them to the sides of the dish and place the fish fillets, evenly spaced, in the center. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the entire dish with the lemon zest, basil and mint. Serve the fish with the tomatoes, spooning any remaining juices on top.
3. Skillet Chicken With White Beans and Caramelized Lemon
One of the best parts of cooking skin-on chicken in a skillet, aside from the obvious (crispy skin), is the delicious fat left behind. To maximize the amount of fat yielded, be sure to cook the chicken on the medium side of medium-high heat, which gives the fat plenty of time to render before the skin browns. All this extra time on the stove means you won’t have to finish your chicken in the oven. (The only exception are extra-large pieces, which may need a brief stint in a 350-degree oven to completely cook through.) While just about anything is great tossed in this liquid gold, using it to caramelize thick slices of lemon and wedges of shallot takes the dish to an even more complex, savory, tangy place. You can let the seasons or your pantry dictate what gets added next: hearty leafy greens, chunks of summer squash or a simple can of chickpeas or beans are all welcome to the party.
By Alison Roman
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 1 shallot, peeled and cut into thin wedges
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts (about 4 to 6)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can small white beans (such as Great Northern, navy or cannellini) or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn into large pieces
- Flaky sea salt
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Preparation:
1. Toss lemon slices and shallots together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. (This will lightly pickle the shallot and soften the lemon while you cook the chicken.)
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken, skin-side down. Using kitchen tongs or a spatula, press the chicken evenly into the skillet so it makes good contact with the hot surface (which will promote browning). Cook, resisting the urge to check too frequently, until the skin is deeply golden brown (think of the color of a well-baked croissant), 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. At this stage, most of the fat should be rendered, and the skin should be crispy. Flip and continue to cook until pieces are cooked through, another 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Using kitchen tongs, transfer chicken to a plate to rest, leaving all the fat behind. Add lemon and shallot to the chicken fat, standing back if you need because it will sizzle. Cook, swirling the skillet, until the lemon has started to caramelize and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (It’ll smell like a mix of lemonade and caramel.)
4. Add the beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans have started to brown a bit and soak up all of that caramelized lemon chicken fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Working in batches, add kale and toss to wilt, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
5. Return the chicken to the skillet, along with any juices that have collected on the plate, and cook for a minute or two, just so everything gets to know each other in there.
6. Divide the chicken, beans and kale between plates, making sure to top each serving with a few lemon slices. Sprinkle with flaky salt and a final few turns of pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns star in this quick weeknight dish, which is built primarily from pantry staples. Don’t be shy about adding the entire tablespoon of pepper, as it balances out the richness of the beef and adds a lightly spicy bite to the dish. A quick rub of garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper and cornstarch seasons the beef; the cornstarch helps tenderize the beef and later imparts a silky texture to the sauce. Feel free to marinate the beef up to 8 hours ahead and cook when you’re ready. If leftovers remain, tuck them into a crunchy baguette or roll them into a wrap.
By Sue Li
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed with the bottom of a cup or pan
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 head small green cabbage (about 8 ounces), thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed with your fingertips
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Cooked rice, for serving
Preparation:
1. Add peppercorns, garlic, brown sugar, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add sliced steak and toss to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add steak and cook, stirring frequently, until some of the edges are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and toss beef to coat, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl or plate.
3. Add cabbage to skillet, spread in an even layer and let cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute so that some pieces caramelize in the pan. Toss and cook cabbage, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt.
4. Add steak and any juices back to the skillet, and stir until well combined with the cabbage and warmed through, about 1 minute. Top with toasted sesame seeds and scallions; serve with rice.
5. Huevos Enfrijolados (Eggs in Spicy Black Beans)
Eggs nestled in a spicy, smoky black bean sauce, huevos enfrijolados are a staple of Mexican home cooking. Itap a quick way to make a meal from whatap already in the kitchen: leftover frijoles de olla, chiles and fresh eggs. In this version, canned black beans are cooked with chipotles and garlic until rich and creamy, then eggs are gently dropped into the simmering beans to poach. Served with crunchy tostadas, queso fresco and avocado, itap a deeply comforting, pantry-friendly meal that comes together in under 45 minutes — perfect for a weeknight dinner or a quick and hearty brunch.
By Rick A. Martínez
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 to 5 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (to taste), chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
- Kosher salt
- 6 to 8 large eggs
- 3 ounces queso fresco or Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Cilantro leaves with tender stems and sliced avocado, for serving
- 8 corn tostadas
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium and add half the onion, all of the garlic and the chopped chipotles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the beans, adobo sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, use a potato masher to smash beans until no whole beans remain. Taste and season with salt.
2. Return the pan to medium-high. Use a spoon to make wells in the beans, gently crack the eggs into the simmering bean mixture and season each with salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the eggs are just set, 5 to 7 minutes. If you prefer hard-cooked eggs, cover the skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Serve huevos enfrijolados with the queso, cilantro and remaining chopped onion sprinkled over the top, with sliced avocado and tostadas alongside.
This article originally appeared in .
