Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Night chopping is a welcome interlude
To me, cooked alliums like shallots, garlic and onions of all sorts are the perfect weeknight ingredient for winter. In terms of flavor, they bring a skein of warmth and a lightly savory base note without necessarily adding heft. Satisfying and hearty, but not too rich.
More important to me, though, is the act of chopping. For many, this can be tedious, but I find it a welcome little interlude between work and dinner. You can chop with as much focus, artistry, satisfaction or ire as the preceding hours might dictate. But, mostly, I just like to zone out a bit — though not enough to lose a fingertip — and run the knife through its paces. Is this mindfulness? Who knows? But these five dishes will give you a chance to feel that out.
Doenjang salmon rice bowl
This speedy meal is for seekers of the sweetsalty, known as dan-jjan in Korean. Doenjang, a glorious Korean fermented soybean paste, anchors the sauce with funk and umami. This sauce, balanced with sweet mirin and tangy rice vinegar, both marinates and lacquers salmon, which is quick-roasted. Cutting the fish into cubes allows more surface area for the salmon fat to render quickly, while the centers cook to a medium-rare, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, a satisfying contrast to the stillcrunchy, just-charred onions. This soul-warming breakfast, lunch or dinner tastes best with white rice, kimchi and whatever other accompaniments you might enjoy.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp doenjang (see tip)
• 6 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lb salmon fillets (preferably skinless and center-cut), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Steamed rice, for serving
• Kimchi, for serving (optional) Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil, doenjang, mirin and vinegar until the sugar and doenjang dissolve. Season with salt and pepper. Add the salmon to the marinade and turn with your fingers to evenly coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and up to 8 hours.
2. When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Add the onion slices to a sheet pan or shallow baking dish. Dump the salmon and its marinade over the onion and toss to combine. Arrange the salmon and onion in a single layer.
3. Roast until the doenjang glaze bubbles like hot lava along the edges of the pan and the salmon is opaque but still slightly pink in the center, rotating the pan halfway through, 9 to 12 minutes. Divide the rice then the salmon among bowls and serve with kimchi, if desired.
Tip: You can find doenjang, often labeled “soybean paste,” in Korean or Asian supermarkets and online, either in jars or in plastic rectangular tubs. Funkily pungent and packed with savoriness, doenjang is a magical flavor booster that is sometimes compared to Japanese miso but has a saltier, more assertive kick. Full of fermented sourness and deep Parmesan-like umami, it can enliven all manner of soups, stews and salad dressings with unparalleled brio.
Creamy chickpea pasta with spinach and rosemary
Luxurious and hearty, cheap and easy, this vegetarian pasta uses mostly pantry staples, requiring just a few fresh ingredients, like baby spinach, rosemary and heavy cream. Canned chickpeas form the foundation of the dish: They’re cooked until crisp and caramelized. Half are then saved as a garnish, while the rest are simmered until they break down and thicken the sauce. You can swap out your greens or beans, and if you want to experiment with flavor, raid your spice cabinet: Ground coriander, toasted fennel seeds, coarsely crumbled pink peppercorns or a sprinkle of smoked paprika perk up the dish.
By Alexa Weibel Yield: 4 servings Total time: 30 minutes Ingredients:
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (14-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes (optional)
• Black pepper
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (6-oz) bag baby spinach
• 12 oz spaghetti or bucatini
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Lemon wedges, for serving Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
2. In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start
to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmesan, and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed.
5. Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on top.
Farro and lentils with jammy onions
Simmering chopped onions in a generous amount of olive oil is a two-for-one deal: The onions go soft and sweet while the oil gets infused with deep flavor. While the onions sizzle and simmer, the lentils and farro boil together until al dente, keeping the dish a speedy weeknight option. This makes a great warm side dish or a satisfying make-ahead grain salad. (Leftovers keep for up to three days.) Red-pepper flakes add heat, and lemon peel provides floral sweetness; you could also add whole spices, capers or other additions, if you like. Accessorize with hearty greens, soft herbs, eggs, smoked fish or leftover roasted vegetables.
By Ali Slagle Yield: 4 servings Total time: 35 minutes Ingredients:
• 1 lemon
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped • 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 1 cup farro
Preparation: 1.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1-inchwide strips of zest from the lemon. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat the olive oil, onions, lemon peel and red-pepper flakes over medium. Season with salt and pepper, and cover. When you hear sizzling, uncover, reduce heat, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. If at any point the onions risk burning, reduce heat and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water. Remove from heat.
2. Once the water’s boiling, add the lentils and farro and simmer, uncovered, until al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water until cool, shake very dry, and season with salt.
3. Pluck out the lemon peel from the onions and coarsely chop. Add the chopped peel, farro and lentils to the onions. Stir to combine, then add lemon juice, to taste, about 2 to 4 tablespoons. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toum grilled cheese
Cheese manousheh, a topped flatbread found throughout the Levant, is often served with wild cucumber pickles and a side of fluffy toum, a sauce made by combining garlic, lemon juice, salt and oil, for dipping. This grilled cheese hits those notes, skipping a trip to a Lebanese bakery. Slathering the bread with toum instead of butter instantly gives it garlic bread vibes. Though you can purchase toum at many supermarkets and Middle Eastern specialty stores, making it at home gives it a more vibrant punch. It lasts for months and can be used anywhere a tangy, garlicky wallop is needed. Use in salad dressings, as a rub on roasted meats, as a sandwich condiment, or even as a dip for crudités.
By Ham El-waylly
Yield: 1 sandwich, plus 1 3/4 cups toum Total time: 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes for the toum (optional)
Ingredients for the homemade toum (optional):
• 1 medium head of garlic, peeled (about 12 cloves)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus more to taste
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups neutral oil, like grapeseed oil
Ingredients for the sandwich:
• 2 slices bread, preferably from a rustic loaf, no more than 1/2-inch thick
• 3 slices Muenster cheese
• 4 cornichons, thinly sliced lengthwise • 2 tbsp toum (prepared or homemade), plus more for dipping
• Kosher salt
Preparation: 1.
Prepare the toum (or proceed to Step 4, if using store-bought toum): Place garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt and 1 tablespoon water in a tall, narrow container; blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to mellow out some of the raw garlic’s bite.
2. Dump the neutral oil on top, then lower the immersion blender to the bottom of the container. Turn the blender on, but don’t yet move it. Once the mixture starts emulsifying and thickening, slowly tilt the blender to introduce more oil to the mixture and very slowly pull the blender to the top of the mix. Plunge the blender up and down until the toum is fully emulsified and thick. (This streamlined toum recipe sacrifices fluffiness for ease by using a stick blender. If you want to make perfectly fluffy toum, prepare this recipe using a food processor.) 3. Stir well and adjust the toum with more salt and lemon juice as needed. (The toum recipe makes about 1 3/4 cups.) Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate, if not using immediately.
4. Prepare the sandwich: Divide the cheese evenly between the two slices of bread, tearing one piece in half to split it. Shingle the cornichons in one even layer on one side. Carefully close the sandwich. Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of toum on one side of the sandwich.
5. In a medium nonstick skillet, place the sandwich, toum-side down. Press the sandwich firmly with a spatula to compress. Cook over medium-low until lightly golden underneath, 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Spread 1 tablespoon of toum on the top side of the bread, then flip the sandwich over and press firmly. Cook until bread is lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip back over. Since toum is made of mostly garlic, it burns easily. Take your time, reducing the heat to low, flipping and pressing the sandwich often to ensure that the cheese melts evenly and the bread doesn’t burn, about 3 more minutes. Lightly season both sides with salt and serve immediately, with a side of toum for dipping.
Garlic-ginger chicken breasts with cilantro and mint
This chicken, which is the brainchild of my aunt Sonia, is legendary among our cousins. Until recently, though, no one knew what, exactly, went into it. Whenever my aunt would make it on a family vacation, she’d disappear for a half-hour and reemerge with a Ziploc bag filled with the marinade and the chicken breasts. No one (not even her only daughter, Isha) was allowed to know the contents. The marinating chicken would smell so good, I’d legitimately have thoughts about eating it raw, carpaccio-style (which is disgusting, I know!). Well, folks, I am here to tell you that, after much negotiation, I have finally pried that chicken recipe out of Sonia’s hands. Both the marinade and the cooking method (low and sort of slow) feel ingenious to me, and the payoff is huge: Charred, spicy, slightly funky, juicy chicken that is equally wonderful by itself or rolled up in a roti, taco-style, and served with various salads and chutneys.
Recipe from Priya Krishna and Ritu Krishna, adapted by Priya Krishna Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes, plus marinating Ingredients:
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder), optional
• 1/2 tsp red chile powder, like ground cayenne
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1/2 to 3/4 lb each)
Preparation:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. 4. 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.
5. 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.