Itap always nice planning meals for the week ahead when you get to kick it off with a summer holiday. If you live in a place where fresh sweet corn is already available, then I’m jealous.
Grilled Salmon Salad With Lime, Chiles and Herbs
Made of soft, supple salmon; crisp lettuces and vegetables; and a very savory dressing run through with chiles and lime, this light salad is tangy and full of flavor. The dressing, based on nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce, has just enough fish sauce to give it depth and pungency without overpowering the brightness of the lime. You can substitute other fish, or even chicken, for the salmon. Just adjust the grilling time as needed, and toss with the dressing while still warm. Note that if you don’t have a grill, you can roast the fish in the oven.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 limes
- 2 small fresh red or green chiles or 1 large one, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you like
- 1 shallot (or 2 scallions, or 2 tablespoons red onion), thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Kosher salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 1/4 pounds salmon fillet, preferably 1 large center-cut piece
- 8 cups salad greens, such as Little Gem, bibb or Boston lettuce
- 1 cup mixed soft herbs (such as cilantro, mint and basil), leaves and tender stems
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers or both (optional)
Preparation:
1. Light the grill for indirect heat, or heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. As the grill or oven heat up, make the dressing: Halve 1 lime, and squeeze its juice into a small bowl. Add the chile slices, half of the sliced shallot (save the rest for serving), the fish sauce and a pinch each salt and sugar. Let sit for 1 minute to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil. It won’t emulsify, so mix again before using.
3. Brush the salmon with oil, and place it in a grilling basket if you have one. Cook over the indirect (unlit) side of the grill, for 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the salmon is. Note that individual fillets will cook faster than a single large piece. Check the salmon often. (Alternatively, roast the salmon on a baking sheet in the oven, until just cooked to taste, 7 to 12 minutes; you don’t have to flip it.)
4. As the salmon cooks, halve the other lime. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and grill, cut-side down, over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute. If using the oven, throw the halves, cut-side up, on the roasting pan with the salmon. They won’t char, but they will cook and mellow in flavor, which is the aim.
5. When the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate and spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
6. Place greens, remaining shallots, herbs, and radishes or cucumber, if using, in a large shallow bowl or on a platter, and add a little more of the dressing. Squeeze some of the juice from a charred lime half over it and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss and taste, adding lime juice, olive oil or salt as needed.
7. Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more (or all) of the dressing. Serve with the remaining charred lime half on the side for squeezing.
Pan-Seared Ranch Chicken
In this recipe, America’s favorite salad dressing serves double-duty: as a creamy, herbaceous sauce and as a marinade. But don’t reach for bottled ranch. Instead, make your own brighter, tangier version using Greek yogurt. Unlike lemon or vinegar-based marinades, which can toughen meat, yogurt tenderizes even the leanest of chicken breasts. When the chicken is seared in a hot pan, the yogurt-mayo coating forms a flavorful, caramelized crust. (It also makes an excellent marinade for fish, pork, shrimp or sturdy vegetables.)
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: About 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), plus more for serving
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparations:
1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, dill and garlic powder; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer half the ranch to a medium bowl.
2. Pat the chicken dry. If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then transfer the chicken to the medium bowl with the ranch and toss to coat. Let sit at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. (Let it come to room temperature before cooking.)
3. Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken (with the marinade still on it) until deeply caramelized on the outside, the chicken releases from the pan and its juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Turn down the heat if the chicken is browning too quickly.
4. If the ranch in the measuring cup is too thick, add a little bit of water to loosen it. (You should be able to drizzle it easily.) Serve chicken with the ranch passed at the table and more herbs as desired.
Toasted Coconut Rice Salad
Fluffy toasted rice meets crunchy slaw in this gingery, tofu-topped salad. Jasmine rice gets toasted until fragrant and lightly golden, then itap cooked with coconut milk to yield a supremely nutty base for the salad. Lacing the rice with fresh ginger ensures that gingery warmth is carried through each bite. Toasting the rice deepens the flavor and helps the grains stay separate once cooked. The toasted grains also absorb the punchy dressing while maintaining their texture, meaning no soggy salad here. Crunchy cabbage and a hefty helping of scallions, cilantro and buttery cashews bring welcome texture while quickly seared tofu transforms the salad into a full meal.
By Kayla Hoang
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients:
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, from a 2- to 3-inch piece, divided
- Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk, divided
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons ponzu, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic, from 1 large clove
- 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced or shredded purple cabbage (about 7 1/2 ounces)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2/3 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2/3 cup roasted cashews (optional)
Preparation:
1. Cut the drained tofu into 1-inch cubes and arrange in an even layer over a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet with a lid over medium-high until hot, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, until dry, fragrant and light golden (some golden brown spots are OK), about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Carefully pour 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1 1/4 cups water down the side of the skillet and give the pan a shake to submerge the rice. If not already boiling, bring to a boil. Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steam, covered, 5 minutes more. Transfer the rice to a large bowl.
4. While the rice cooks, in a medium bowl, toss the tofu with 2 tablespoons ponzu.
5. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the tofu in an even layer and cook until golden brown on the top and bottom, flipping halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes total. Add to the bowl with the rice.
6. In the bowl that you used to toss the tofu, stir together the honey, Sriracha, grated garlic and the remaining tablespoon ginger, 2 tablespoons coconut milk and 1/3 cup ponzu.
7. Add the dressing, cabbage and half of the scallions, cilantro and cashews (if using) to the bowl with the rice and toss until everything is well coated in the dressing. Top with the remaining scallions, cilantro and cashews.
Ricotta Pasta Alla Vodka
In a 1974 cookbook, Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi published a recipe for pasta all’infuriata, “furious pasta,” a chile-vodka-spiked tomato number. Itap one of the first written accounts of vodka in pasta. The alcohol is said to help fat disperse more evenly, keeping the sauce emulsion glossy and creamy, and to help you smell, and in turn taste, the sauce’s flavors in a heightened way. The ricotta serving suggestion draws inspiration from the creamy tomato soup with three dollops of cool, sweet ricotta on top from the now-closed Caffe Falai in New York. The ricotta lends coolness both in temperature and in flavor, offering relief between bites of spicy booziness.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon (6 ounces), coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed but left whole
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste, preferably double-concentrated
- 3/4 to 1 cup vodka, depending on how boozy you want it
- 1 pound fusilli, penne or rigatoni
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, finely grated (1 cup)
- 1 cup/8 ounces whole-milk ricotta
- Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil, for serving
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy at the edges, about 5 minutes. Carefully drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat, reserving any excess for later.
3. Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the red-pepper flakes, oregano and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the onion, season generously with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add more bacon fat if the pan dries out. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vodka.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until 2 minutes shy of al dente.
5. While the pasta cooks, turn the heat under the sauce to high and cook, stirring constantly, until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat.
6. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, along with 1 cup pasta water and most of the pecorino. Cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with one hand while moving the pan back and forth with the other, until the sauce glossily drapes the noodles, 5 to 7 minutes. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks dry. Fish out the garlic cloves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as desired.
7. Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkling with any remaining pecorino and dolloping each serving with three spoonfuls of ricotta. Top with the parsley, which adds necessary freshness to counter the richness.
This article originally appeared in .
