Category Archives: Main Dish

Tomato Risotto

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Originally published in the New York Times, it was a perfect dish to take care of too many tomatoes, and an overabundance of arborio packages in the cupboard. My changes are incorporated below. Note: This does not freeze well, so eat it all up, or share it.

(boiling broth on back burner)

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
Salt and pepper
1½ cups arborio rice
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves (I left them whole)
½ cup apple juice
Large splash of rice wine vinegar
2 cups diced ripe red tomatoes (about 5-6 medium)
3 cups boiling chicken broth
½ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan, plus more for serving
4 medium tomatoes, in different colors, sliced
Snipped basil, for garnish

Preparation

  • Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the chopped onion, generously seasoning with salt. Add a few grinds of pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the onions are barely brown, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, garlic, white wine and diced tomatoes, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.
  • Pour in 2 cups boiling broth and adjust the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon every minute or so.
  • When the liquid is absorbed, add remaining 1 cup broth and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked, but the grains are still firm. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding another splash of water if necessary to loosen the mixture. Turn off the heat, stir in the pecorino and 2 more tablespoons olive oil.
  • Serve in a low, wide serving bowl. Surround the rice with tomato slices and season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil.

We served ours with some lightly tossed greens and rotisserie chicken.

Shrimp, Potatoes, Corn and Leeks

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I was hunting for a recipe that contained everything in the title, but the search kept delivering the New England shrimp-potato-corn boil stuff. No, I wasn’t interested in that. I wanted a dish that featured those, but with no “boil.” So, here it is.

3 leeks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. small white new potatoes, scrubbed and larger ones cut in half
4 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off the cobs
20-25 shrimp, shells and tails removed, decent size
5 Tablespoons butter, divided
swirls of olive oil
shake of smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Cut the root ends of the leeks, then lay on your cutting board. Slice in half lengthwise, leaving the greens at the top intact, if possible. Under running water, separate the layers to wash out the dirt. Pat dry. Slice into 1/8″ slices, removing the outer layers as you go up the leek, but stopping before the dark green.

Place 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet, and a swirl of olive oil. Place the leeks in the pan, and over medium heat, cook about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Turn the heat to low and stir occasionally for another 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and slice the larger ones in half, so they all end up about the size of a golf ball. Cook in boiling, salted water until nearly tender; drain. Place back on the unit and shake to dry them, then add 1 Tablespoon butter, tossing to coat. Lightly add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Back to the leeks: push them to the sides of the pan. Slide 1 Tablespoon butter into pan. After the butter melts, add the kernels of corn to the pan, tossing them with the butter. Sprinkle with salt, and a wave of smoked paprika. Toss, then incorporate the leeks and garlic. Let cook at low heat until kernels are cooked, but still have a some texture.

Meanwhile (again), melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a skillet, and add a swirl of olive oil. Place the shrimp around the pan in one layer; add salt and pepper. Flip shrimp over when you see white around the edges. Turn the heat up to give a slight coating to the shrimp, evaporating any moisture, but don’t burn them.

To serve, place a layer of the corn/leek mixture into a low, flat bowl or plate, then a few potatoes, and then top with shrimp.

If you are really fancy, finely chop some parsley and use that to garnish the dish.

Coconut Rice with Shrimp and Corn

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Inspired by a recipe from the New York Times, it’s easy to make the rice in a rice cooker, cook the aromatics and corn together, adding the shrimp at the end. Some say to cut down on the amount of rice, so you’ve been warned. (Or up the amount of vegetables and corn?)

Rinse 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice until water runs clear. Drain well then place in rice cooker. Add 1 can (14 oz) low salt chicken broth and 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk. Stir, then set up to cook the rice.

Rinse 14 ounces shrimp (tails and shells off), cut in half and set aside.

Cut the kernels off 4 small ears of corn. I do this by standing it in a large bowl, letting the kernels be caught by the bowl. Set aside.

In a large flat pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 small yellow onion, chopped along with 1 finely chopped Thai red pepper (they are mild) OR 1 jalapeño, making sure to remove seeds and membranes. (Red pepper flakes can be substituted; add near the end)

Sauté over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, then add 2 grated garlic cloves. Stir.

Add corn, continue to cook on medium-low heat, tossing the corn with the aromatics. Add the shrimp, tossing, but not overcooking. Correct the seasoning by adding:

  • salt and pepper
  • splash of fish sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • lime zest, if you have it
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

After tossing together, taste. Add more of whatever seasoning you think is missing: salt or tangy.

Because the ratio of rice to the vegetable mixture may vary, I’d spoon the cooked rice into a serving bowl, then add the vegetables over the top.

Garnish with fresh, torn basil leaves.

Fennel, Shallots, Farro and Chickpeas Bowl

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Sauté in 4 Tbls EVOO strips of:
1 red bell pepper
2 fennel bulbs
10 baby shallots
2 grated garlic cloves, added later
2 carrots (thin strips)

Cook 1 cup farro in 2 1/2 cups water, drain.

Pile into large bowl:
1 can chickpeas, drained
Farro Vegetables

Toss/Stir. Season with S&P, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar. Serve with pitted olives, sliced in half (Kalamata and Castelvetrano), a dollop of really good hummus, and capers.

Done in 30 mins and soooo good. Inspired by justinesnacks—but I had fennel, carrots and shallots that needed to be used. 

Crispy Grains and Halloumi With Smashed Cucumbers

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Since I cook a lot from the New York Times Cooking website, I get to know writers who make recipes that we’ll like. One of those is Ali Slagle, who introduced us to halloumi, a low-lactose cheese that kind of squeaks in your mouth. We’ve grown to really like this meatless recipe.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups cooked grains (such as brown rice, wheat berries, farro or a mix), shaken or patted dry (we use brown rice)
8 to 9 ounces halloumi or feta, torn into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and shaken dry
4 Persian or mini seedless cucumbers
Kosher salt
2 limes or lemons or 1 grapefruit
1⁄2 cup finely chopped cilantro, dill or parsley leaves and stems, or a mix
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground cumin or coriander
Black pepper
Sliced radishes (optional)

PREPARATION
Step 1 • Heat the broiler on high with a rack six or fewer inches from the heat source. Put the grains, halloumi and chickpeas on a sheet pan to air dry while you prepare the other ingredients. (You can do this up to a day ahead and refrigerate the sheet pan.)

Step 2 • Meanwhile, smash the cucumbers with the side of your knife until they’re craggy and split. Coarsely chop into irregular 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the cucumbers and any liquid on the cutting board to a small bowl and season with salt. Finely grate about 1 teaspoon of the citrus zest over the cucumbers, then squeeze in 3 tablespoons juice. Cut any remaining citrus into wedges for serving. Add the herbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil, stir to combine and set aside. (Cucumbers can be prepared up to 3 hours in advance.)

Step 3 • Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cumin to the sheet pan. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, spread in an even layer, and broil, shaking the pan occasionally or tossing with a fork, until the chickpeas start to pop and everything is crisped and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Step 4 • Serve the grain-bean mixture topped with the cucumbers and the dressing in the bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, citrus juice and olive oil.

Note: We have also served it with some sliced avocados.

Salmon-Rice Bowl

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This is my favorite one-pot meal, although there is some chopping of toppings. It comes together quickly, and is also good the next day.

Ingredients:

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 ½ cups sushi rice (short-grain white rice), rinsed until water runs clear
1 ½ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from one 2-inch piece)
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
8 ounces green coleslaw mix (about 3 packed cups) OPTIONAL
1 avocado, halved, pitted and thinly sliced or cut into chunks
Nori Komi Furikake seasoning

Prepare:

  1. In a large saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the rice and 1 3/4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, toss salmon with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and season with salt. Once rice is tender (after about 20 minutes), arrange salmon in an even layer on top of rice. Cover and steam over low heat until fish is cooked to medium, about 12 minutes longer.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, safflower oil, scallions, ginger and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well, and season with salt.
  4. Scoop salmon and rice into bowls. Top each with some cucumbers, coleslaw mix (if using) and avocado. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with seasoning.

Cold Noodles with Tomatoes

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It had been a hot week, with all daytime temperatures approaching — or over — 100 degrees. I saw this on the New York Times Cooking website, and we decided to try it. That first time we garnished it with a soft-boiled egg. Wrong. The “broth” was barely there, so this week we made it again, with the revisions shown below. Much better, and perfect for a really hot day. We like the addition of the shrimp, but you could leave them off.

Last note: I usually toast my sesame seeds in a small non-stick skillet, swirling and tossing until they look a slightly darker color. But on our last trip to the Ranch 99 Market near us they had a large container of Toasted Sesame Seeds. We brought it home with us and used it this go-round.

Gather Ingredients:

  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 12 to 14 ounces somyeon, somen, capellini or other thin wheat noodle
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cups cold filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 to 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
  • 1/2 cup crushed ice
  • 1/2 pound raw shrimp, tails off, deveined, cut in half

Prepare:

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes and salt. Let sit until juicy, at least 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, poach the shrimp briefly in boiling salted water. Remove promptly and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  4. In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and sesame oil. Add to the tomatoes, and toss with a spoon until well combined. Stir the filtered water into the tomatoes and sprinkle the surface of the broth with the sesame seeds, radishes and scallions.
  5. Right before serving, add the ice to the broth. Divide the noodles among bowls, and ladle in the broth and any unmelted ice, making sure each serving gets a nice sprinkling of tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, scallions and sesame seeds.

Cacio e Pepe

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I first had this dish when my husband and I went to Eataly in Los Angeles. The first entreé was way too salty, so even though I never do this, I alerted the wait staff to bring something else (the waiter confided in me that they have a new chef and a lot of food was salty). So I chose this, and loved it.

We saw it in Trader Joe’s in the frozen food aisle and that was delicious, too. Then pandemic-supply-side problems hit, and we couldn’t get it. So I found three recipes, combined and came up with this. Enjoy!

Cacio e Pepe | 2-4 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 8 ounces dry pasta–we used Linguine Fini, from Barilla
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4- 1 cup of Pecino Romano or other hard cheese
  1. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a pot; add salt, then bend in your pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s about two minutes before it’s tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup water (I saved about 1 1/2cups).
  2. In the meantime, in a large skillet or cookware, melt 2 Tbls. butter over medium heat. Add pepper and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula until toasted, about 1 minute.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta to the skillet and using tongs, swirl the pasta mixture together. Add more pasta water if it looks dry.
  4. Grate the cheese finely, and add to pasta mixture a handful at a time, stirring with a set of tongs so you can lift the pasta to help it incorporate the ingredients. Add about 1/4 cup more pasta water. Cook and swirl it with tongs until cheese melts, sauce coats the pasta and the pasta is al dente. (Again, if it looks dry, add more pasta water, about 2-3 Tablespoons at a time.)

This is the process photo of what it looks like in the pan.

Persian Rice-Stuffed Onions

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I read about this one in the New York Times, but then went wandering onto the internet to see others. This version of riced-stuffed onions is adapted from a couple of different recipes.

Once you get the large onion boiled up and slightly cooled, the recipe is not a hard one. Leftovers are good, too. This makes about 4-6 servings.

NOTE: Two large onions are recommended, unless you are cooking for a small group. I also used a mixture of brown and white basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large white or yellow onions.
  • 1/4 sliced almonds (I used chopped almonds as it was all I had)
  • 1/2 teaspoon loosely packed saffron, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or one 3″ stick of cinnamon
  • 1/2 pound ground pork (can be left out, if you want a vegetarian version)
  • 1/4 cup shelled salted pistachios, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons dried tart cherries, chopped (if you don’t have, increase the amount of golden raisins)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar

PREPARATION

  1. Bring a large deep pot of salted water to a boil. Cut off a sliver of the root end and top of an onion, then peel. Cut a lengthwise cut into each onion from the top to the root end of the onion (which will make it easier to separate the layers). Submerge it into the boiling water, reduce heat to let it simmer until the onions are softened through the middle and the layers separate easily, about 20 minutes. Sometimes mine liked to pop up, so I sometimes use a spatula at an angle or a smaller pot lid, also at an angle to keep it submerged. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. Also meanwhile, brown the ground pork, adding some salt and pepper as it cooks. Drain if too greasy and set aside.
  3. In a dry saucepan, toast the almonds, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn. Let cool.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the saffron and lemon juice and let it sit.
  5. Separate the onion into layers; if they are stubborn, you may have to slice off a bit of the top and the bottom. On the larger outside layers, cut in half. Try to get a total of 24 layers.
  6. Finely chop any extra layers to make 1 cup. If you don’t have any extras (like me), cut up a raw onion.
  7. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a high-sided, 12″ ovenproof skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add chopped onion (raw or cooked) and cook, stirring occasionally until tender (approx. 3-8 minutes).
  8. Stir in rinsed rice, 2 tablespoons butter and stir until evenly coated. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, saffron-lemon juice, cinnamon, cumin, cardamon, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over high, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the liquid is just absorbed — about 3 minutes (rice will still be undercooked).
  9. Stir in toasted almonds, pistachios, raisins, cherries and parsley. If the rice mixture isn’t golden-looking enough, add 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric. Transfer rice mixture to a bowl, and wipe out pan. Coat the skillet with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil.
  10. Spoon two tablespoons of rice mixture in the center of each onion layer piece, wrap. Set aside. Repeat until all layers have been filled, or you’ve run out of rice. If you have extra rice mixture you can save it to spoon around the stuffed onions.
  11. Heat pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, place the onions seam-side down. Let cook for 2 minutes until the bottoms have browned slightly. Add vinegar to 1 cup water and pour around the onions. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
  12. Cover the pan with the lid, and transfer to the oven to bake until all liquid has been absorbed, rice is cooked through, and onions are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Garnish with parsley and drizzle with oil (opt.) Serve warm.
two, side by side

Bibimbap with Bulgogi

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I had a hankering for some of the bimimbap I had while I was in Berlin. I walked up to the free-standing kiosk, in the middle of an empty lot. I had just been to do our laundry, so I was dragging my suitcase of clean clothes, which I parked by a chair, and went to order. It was some of the best I’ve had, matched only by the bowl in Incheon, South Korea.

Berlin Bibimbap stand

So I found this recipe and went to making. I first froze the steak so it was quite firm (but not solid) so it was easy to slice it thinly. I then made up the marinade, happy to see that it needed pear, which is just what the man at the Berlin booth said he included in his recipe. (He also grated it into the gochujang sauce, too, which made it a touch sweet and a bit milder than usual).

Bulgogi
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup finely grated Asian pear with juices
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
1 pound thinly sliced (1/8-inch) boneless beef rib-eye steak or short ribs
Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover; chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Rice, freshly cooked short grain brown rice, or crisp rice (recipe below)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 8 cups steamed sushi rice or mixed grain rice (from 2 1/2 cups dry rice)
Bibimbap Mix-Ins:
• bean sprouts
• julienned carrots (can use *this* tool, or just cut in matchstick pieces)
cooked spinach (can sautée the cooked spinach with garlic, if desired)
• sauteéd zucchini
• green onions–ribboned or thinly cross-cut (can be tossed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper)
• sliced cucumbers, (tossed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper)
gochujang sauce
• 8 fried eggs (while fried is traditional, I usually use a poached egg)

While the original recipe called for crisp rice, I didn’t do this–we just served it over warm brown rice from the rice cooker. I’m including it here in case it’s something you want to do. In addition, I halved the sliced steak and the marinade, freezing one-half. I also cut down on the additions.

Bibimbap in Berlin

Optional: To Crisp the Rice:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice; pat out in an even layer. Cook, rotating skillet for even browning (do not stir), until rice is golden and crisp on bottom, about 15 minutes.
    Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add one-quarter of beef and cook, turning once, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 3 batches with remaining oil and beef.
    Divide rice among bowls. Top with beef, bibimbap mix-ins, and eggs. Serve kimchi alongside.