SUMMER’S BOUNTY MAKES WEEKNIGHT DINING EASY
Five weeknight dishes to make during summer heat
My quarantine diet has shifted considerably in recent weeks: I now have way more access to fresh greens, which has meant salads galore. This windfall has reminded me that a great salad is a true luxury. (I am also devouring berries, fresh and baked into desserts.) There are two salad (or saladcentric) recipes below, along with other bright, satisfying dinners for the days ahead. Here are five dishes for the week:
Garlic-Ginger Chicken Breasts With Cilantro and Mint
Priya Krishna published this once-secret family recipe in her cookbook “Indian-ish,” writing that it is legendary among her cousins. The method here produces delicious results: juicy chicken, flavored by a highly spiced and fragrant marinade. Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes, plus marinating
Ingredients
8 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
leaves, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
leaves, plus more for garnish 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder),
optional
½ teaspoon red chile powder, like ground
cayenne
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (½ to ¾
pound each)
Directions
Make the marinade:
Add the garlic, ginger, mint, cilantro, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil to a large resealable bag. Seal the bag and massage to combine the ingredients into a paste. Add the coriander, turmeric, amchur (if using), red chile powder and salt, and seal
the bag. Shake or massage to combine.
Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and seal the bag tightly. Use your hands to gently massage the marinade onto the chicken breasts until each breast is coated. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Warm a large lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is quite hot, add the oil, swirling the pan to coat the entire surface. Reduce the heat to medium, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake gently to remove any excess marinade. Add it to the pan. Working in batches if necessary, cook the breasts, undisturbed, until lightly golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip them and cook until lightly golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the chicken for 10 minutes (no peeking!). Turn off the heat (if you have an electric stove, take the pan off the heat) and let the chicken sit, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Don’t lift the lid, or you’ll release the hot steam that finishes cooking the chicken.
Check to make sure the breasts are cooked through: There shouldn’t be any pink in the middle. If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken should register at least 165 degrees. Place the chicken on a cutting board, and slice each breast into strips. Garnish with mint and cilantro.
I want to eat this salad right now, but I’d settle for dinner tonight. Sue Li’s recipe could work as a light main course, or you could try stretching it by adding grains (I’d start with farro), or put simply seasoned fish on the grill or grill pan, and have that for dinner, too.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
6 ears corn (about 3 pounds), shucked
and silk removed
1 bunch scallions (about 6), trimmed 1 jalapeño, stemmed and halved
lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup) cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
¼ cup sliced fresh chives
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley 1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn
into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups) 2 avocados, sliced
LDirections
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush corn, scallions and jalapeño with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until corn kernels are browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, and the scallions and jalapeño are charred all over and tender, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, using a whisk, mash the feta into a coarse paste. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest and juice and garlic, then stir in chives and parsley. Finely chop the charred jalapeño and stir it into the feta dressing; season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the feta dressing and arrange on a platter. Cut corn kernels off the cob and slice scallions into bite-size pieces. Arrange avocado slices, corn and scallions on top of the lettuce. Serve with remaining dressing.
Roasted Salmon With Miso Rice and Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette
There is a nice array of flavors and textures in this meal from Kay Chun, considering how very simple it is: silky, rich roasted salmon; fluffy rice cooked with miso; shredded cabbage or another crispy vegetable nestled alongside; ginger-scallion dressing to spoon over it all.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
¼ cup white or sweet miso
1½ cups basmati or other long-grain
rice
4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup chopped scallions, plus more for
garnish
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or
unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 4 cups finely shredded cabbage, such as green, Napa or savoy (about 8 ounces)
Roasted sesame oil, for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan, whisk miso with 2 ¼ cups water until dissolved. Stir in rice and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork (it will be a little sticky).
On a rimmed baking sheet, rub salmon all over with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and arrange skinside up. Roast until fish is just opaque and cooked to medium, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, scallions, vinegar and ginger, and season with salt and pepper.
Divide miso rice and cabbage among bowls. Top with salmon, ginger-scallion vinaigrette and sesame oil.
I like tossing browned zucchini into pasta in the summer for a not too heavy yet satisfying dinner. This recipe by Colu Henry adds lemon and a few big handfuls of fresh herbs for flavor, texture and overall zing.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound fusilli or other short curvy
pasta
1½ pounds zucchini or other summer squash, or a combination, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch thick pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ cup grated Pecorino or grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1½ cups roughly chopped herbs, such as mint, basil, chervil, Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini or other squash: Season chunks with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the squash in one layer (you may need to do this in two batches) and cook undisturbed until it begins to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside. Taste and season again, if necessary.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the garlic and redpepper flakes and cook until the garlic becomes translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the squash back to the pan along with the lemon juice and half the lemon zest. Toss to combine.
Add the pasta to the skillet, and toss to combine. Add ½ cup of the pasta water and the grated cheese, and toss until the cheese emulsifies and is silky. If needed, add an additional ¼ cup pasta water or more to loosen. Add the fresh herbs and toss again. Top with additional herbs and the remaining lemon zest. Serve in bowls, and pass grated cheese at 1½ pounds skirt steak
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (about 2) 2 tablespoons capers, drained and
roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2
large cloves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to
taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more
to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
2 romaine hearts
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3
ounces)
Directions
If necessary, cut the steak crosswise into large pieces that will fit into a shallow, nonreactive dish. Transfer the steaks to the dish. In a glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, scallions, capers, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pour about of the dressing (about cup) over the steak and turn to coat both sides.
Add the parsley and 1 tablespoon mint to the reserved dressing, stir, and set aside until ready to use. Cover and refrigerate the steak for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. (If marinating the steak overnight, cover and refrigerate the reserved dressing.)
In a small saute pan set over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, tossing often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Set the grill to medium-high heat, or heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side for mediumrare. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
While the steak rests, cut the romaine hearts lengthwise into quarters. Arrange the romaine hearts in one layer on a large platter, leaving room on one side for the steak. Sprinkle the feta, pine nuts and the remaining 1 tablespoon mint over the romaine. Slice the steak crosswise into 3-inch pieces, then slice against the grain to cut the steak into wide strips. Arrange the sliced steak on the platter, then drizzle the reserved dressing over the romaine and steak. Serve immediately.
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