A Good Dish

making food simpler

Don’t Feel Like Cooking? Do It Anyway – Just Keep It Simple

Cabbage and carrot salad with cilantro and pumpkin seeds
Stoneware plate by Maishe Dickman

Cooking has finally become a choice. There is so much prepared food available that we can simply buy or order meals instead cooking. Sometimes that is fine. In fact, sometimes it is the solution. Fish sticks and potato puffs with a bag of frozen vegetables, pizza or Chinese to-go can make a busy week so much easier. But eating that way often gets tired and boring. And too much of it, with too much salt and flour and bad oil and sugar, can leave us feeling lousy both emotionally and physically.

In the New York Times this week, Sam Sifton wrote about cooking something rather than ordering in as a way to feel a little happier. I am with him. I am all for occasional take out meals and understand the need to grab and go from time to time. But, as Sifton points out, “whatever you put together will be palliative”. The smallest effort of making an omelet or sautéing some vegetables or smashing some avocado into a basic guacamole will be more meditative and healthier than anything you could pick up pre-made. You and the people you cook for will feel the love.

Easy guacamole
Porcelain bowl by Larry Bush

Historically, cooking took lots of time. It still can. But we can choose to cook more simply and efficiently and still come up with satisfying and nourishing meals. We can even use some convenience food as a base to make preparing a meal easier. Sometimes just thinking of what to make is the obstacle to cooking. It is summer and you probably don’t want to turn on your oven. Below are some of my go-to, easy to prepare hot weather suppers. You know them so this list is just meant as a reminder. If you have a grill, fire it up! If you stock a few canned (or glassed) things, eggs, seeds and nuts, you will always have meal fixings. Just add some fresh vegetables and you’ll have food on the table in minutes. Just make that small effort. You’ll feel better. 

Chiogga Beets simply boiled and sliced
Plate by Mary Barringer

EASY PEASY MEALS

  • Guacamole with carrot and celery sticks or tortilla chips (just smashed avocado with pressed garlic, lime juice and salt will suffice)
  • Sprats (smoked tiny fish like sardines but tastier) with sautéed zucchini or summer squash and crackers or toast
  • Salmon Salad with sliced red and green peppers and celery and sweet potato chips
  • Cheese and/or Chorizo or your favorite sausage or with olives, any crudités or crackers
  • Hummus with cut up raw vegetables and pita or corn chips
  • Scrambled eggs with herbs and greens (just sauté greens first and then add eggs), perhaps in a tortilla or on toast
  • Simple green salad with cut hard boiled eggs or diced rotisserie chicken. Maybe add sliced beets (you can keep aseptic packages of beets in your pantry) to add interest
  • Regular or gluten-free pasta (don’t over cook it), frozen peas and and pesto
  • A quick stir fry with onions, broccoli, carrots, leftover rice and nuts or your choice of protein
  • A shredded cabbage and carrot salad with cilantro, za’atar, toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, peanuts or baked tofu and a sesame oil or tahini dressing with potato chips
  • Sautéed scallops or shrimp with either a tossed salad or sautéed or steamed greens
  • Romaine greens with cut pear, blue cheese (or any kind you like), walnuts and your favorite vinaigrette
  • Defrosted cooked shrimp tossed with sautéed garlic and vegetables, rice if you like
  • Romaine leaves with tuna, salmon, egg or tofu salad
  • Sliced beets (those same packaged beets if you don’t want to turn on your stove) with shaved Parmesan or Manchego (or no cheese) pieces of orange, apple or pear, parsley or cilantro and toasted walnuts or pistachios with a citrus vinaigrette
  • Sliced ripe tomatoes with your choice of (any or all) cucumber, red, green, yellow or purple bell peppers, fresh mozzarella and avocado with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of a good balsamic vinegar and (optional) olive oil sprinkled with salt and pepper (takes about 10 minutes to get on the table
Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes
Plate by Bandana Pottery – Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalglish

Chimichurri – The Verdant Argentinean Sauce that Brightens Almost Any Meal

Freshly made Chimichurri
Porcelain Bowl by Rob Sutherland

When it’s too hot to do much cooking, Chimichurri, the deep green Argentinean sauce will brighten even the most boring rotisserie chicken. Typically served as an accompaniment to grilled steaks, Chimichurri can enliven not only beef and chicken but also fish, pork, eggs and vegetables. It is quick and easy to make and so delicious that in our home we consider it more of a side dish than a condiment. My husband, usually quite moderate in his eating habits, has been known to empty entire jars in restaurants spoonful by spoonful! I secretly fear it was this consumption that caused the demise of our beloved local Argentinean cafe some years ago.

Chimichurri even moistens and flavors a bland rotisserie chicken

Chimichurri recipes vary by type and amount of greens but the constant ingredients in all of them are parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil and salt. Some call for cilantro while others prefer mint. Most list red wine or white vinegar but you might see lemon or lime juice or zest in others. I’ve read recipes that call for red onion, crushed red pepper, regular or smoked paprika, roasted garlic, scallions or onion powder. They are probably all delicious.

The simple recipe I follow most often is based on the one in Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by the grill master Francis Mallmann. He doesn’t use cilantro but I add some because we love it. Use a flavorful green olive oil and you will notice the difference. If you like it spicy, add 1-2 teaspoons of red chili flakes. Mallmann’s recipe calls for an entire head of garlic so if you find that shocking, try using less. If you don’t have fresh oregano (it is plentiful in farmers’ markets right now), you can use a smaller amount of dried. The amounts are flexible and the Chimichurri lasts a few weeks in the refrigerator. You can use a blender or food processor but I like to chop the herbs with a knife to keep them from getting mushy. It is best made a day or so ahead for the flavors to merge but it will be delicious on the day you make it, as well. Just make sure to prepare a large enough batch so you have some left to refrigerate!

Chimichurri
Bowl by Rob Sutherland

CHIMICHURRI

1 cup boiling water
1 T kosher or sea salt
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 heaping cup fresh flat leaf parsley, mostly leaves with some tender stems included
1 cup fresh oregano, leaves only (or 1/4 cup dried), or substitute half with fresh cilantro, leaves and fine stems
Big pinch of black pepper or 1-2 t crushed red chili flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Dissolve the salt in the boiling water and let cool.
Put the minced garlic in a quart jar.
Chop finely the green herbs and add to the garlic.
Add black pepper or red pepper flakes.
Pour in the vinegar, oil and cooled salted water.
Screw on the lid tightly and shake well.
Let sit at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight, before using.
Store in the refrigerator.

Cooking Cool During the Summer – Just Bean the Heat!

Summer Bean Salad
Porcelain Terrine by Andrew Martin

It is officially summer now and that means different things to different people. Summer can be a slower, more casual time of year when you take time off to lounge by a pool, walk in the park or seek out a beach. Food wise, it can be a time for barbecues and picnics. For me, summer means finding ways to beat the heat and that includes the food and drink I consume as well as the way I prepare it for my family.

Because we live in New York, charcoal grilling is out but I might pull out the electric grill (the old George Forman still works) or a cast iron grill pan and toss on some marinated chicken or shrimp to get the flavor of summer bbq. No long roasting for me in the summer, either. In fact, I rarely turn on my oven, opting instead for a quick stir fry, pasta or a completely cold meal. I don’t even use my toaster oven much since if I turn it on while the air conditioner is on, I will blow a fuse – literally! Meat tends to make me feel even warmer so I concentrate on lots of salads, including light grain, bean and cut vegetable salads, and, naturally, just salad greens. The farmers markets are bursting with gorgeous early summer produce that is easily turned into simple, cooling meals (like sugar snap peas, asparagus, garlic scrapes and basil, for pesto). I try to concentrate on foods, mostly vegetables but also beans and fish and seafood, with lower calorie density – they are less warming so they help keep us cooler. And the things that heat you up might not be what you would suspect. For example, you might think that iced coffee is refreshing but the caffeine in it is thermogenic and will make you warmer. If you want to keep cool, make your second one a decaf or stick with water!

Geranium (1926) by George Sheeler at the Whitney

Many summer foods require no cooking, like guacamole, hummus, all kinds of berries and melons, carrot or beet salads and an assembled mezze or cheese board. Cold soups are refreshing and can be made in a blender (think gazpacho and blueberry soup). One of my summer favorites is a bean salad, usually with a vinaigrette and as many vegetables and herbs as I can manage to incorporate. I tend to stay away from cumin and ginger based dressings as they, too, are warming. Most of the time I cook my own beans for a recipe but in summer a few cans of beans suffice; When dressed, you won’t really notice any difference. Feel free to use whatever type of bean you like, add the vegetables you enjoy, toss in leftover chicken, shrimp, rice or cooked veggies and use your favorite dressing. My recipe is just a guideline. After all, the goal is to keep cool. If its all too much effort, make a cold drink and put up your feet. Happy summer!

NO COOK BEAN SALAD

  • 3-4 cups cooked beans (kidney, cannellini, pinto or whatever you prefer)
  • 1/2-1 cup finely chopped red onion or scallions, white and green parts
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill or 1T dried dill (or cilantro, mint or basil)
  • 1/2-1 cup finely chopped celery (red or green or jalapeño pepper would also be good)
  • Big handful of chopped parsley
  • Bite-sizes pieces of leftover cooked chicken, shrimp, rice or vegetables, optional

Vinaigrette:

  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 T fresh lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
  • 2 T vinegar (could be rice, sherry, wine or balsamic)
  • 2 T umeboshi plum vinegar – optional but really adds flavor (found with Japanese products)
  • 4 T flavorful olive oil
  • Big pinch of salt
  • Big pinch of pepper

Whisk together, pour over salad ingredients and toss. The salad will benefit from a few hours in the marinade.

Can be served cold or at room temperature.

Once in a while we get a rainbow after a summer storm

Strawberry Bruschetta – A Toast to Summer

Strawberry Bruschetta
Plate by Mary Barringer

I was never in love with bruschetta (I’m always trying to avoid more bread) but Strawberry Bruschetta changed my mind. For some of you it may not be a new experience but I tasted it for the first time recently at a wine bar happy hour with a friend who was visiting from DC. We were both amazed at how something so simple could be so delicious. Since June is peak season for strawberries in the Northeast, I thought I would start off the month with an easy recipe that is suitable for an hors d’oeuvre, starter or light meal.

The strawberries can be prepared different ways but the two I found best were cutting and tossing with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or slicing and drizzling with an aged balsamic (or balsamic that has been reduced by simmering if you don’t want to spring for the expensive stuff). The spread layer can vary, the most common being goat cheese or mascarpone. I like it with plain ricotta but even cream cheese or butter work. For a lighter or vegan version, you could leave off the cheese completely, perhaps adding a smear of jam under the berries. And to make without bread altogether, try a slice of cucumber.

 

The most popular herb in recipes for strawberry bruschetta is fresh basil (going with the balsamic, cheese, etc.) but I like it with fresh mint, too, and even parsley could be good in a pinch. The toast, itself, can be almost any kind of bread but a dense sourdough or whole grain baguette is an easy size when sliced. For hors d’oeuvres, little specialty crisps (like the Trader Joe’s Fig & Olive Crisps) work perfectly with a single small berry or slice for a one bite serving. For a meal, a larger piece of bread is useful, served like an open faced sandwich. Strawberries are a delicious alternative until tomato season arrives and it is fun to use what is in season for some surprisingly tasty bites! 

Version 1 with mint on left, Version 2 with basil on right
Oiled Maple board by Edward Wohl

STRAWBERRY BRUSCHETTA

Version 1:

  • Wash, hull and cut in bite-sized pieces fresh strawberries.
  • Whisk equal parts balsamic vinegar with extra virgin olive oil.
  • Add a pinch of salt and black pepper.
  • Pour over cut berries, toss and let marinate while you prepare toasts.
  • Cut thin slices from a baguette and toast until golden brown and cool.
  • For a richer bruschetta, drizzle or brush toasts with additional olive oil.
  • Spread each toast with ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, butter or fresh goat cheese).
  • Top the cheese with a spoonful of the marinated strawberries on each toast and sprinkle with torn fresh basil or mint leaves.

Version 2:

  • Cut thin slices from a baguette and toast until golden brown. Drizzle lightly or brush with a good olive oil and let cool. For an hors d’oeuvre, use small crisps on their own.
  • Spread each toast (or crisp) with ricotta, mascarpone. butter, cream cheese or fresh goat cheese and sprinkle with a bit of salt (salt optional).
  • Top with thinly sliced strawberries (for crisps just use one slice).
  • Drizzle with aged or reduced balsamic vinegar (or a vinaigrette made from equal parts vinegar and oil) and sprinkle on chopped fresh basil or mint leaves.
Bite sized version on crisps with cream cheese

This Easy Celebratory Recipe is a Piece of (Ice Cream) Cake

3 layer ice-cream cake
Plate by Cristina Salusti

Our son was never much of a cake eater growing up. Now, of course, he eats it occasionally but for a long time, his favorite sweets were ice cream and cookies. Thus, when birthdays rolled around, I had to be creative. For years I made elaborate iced cookies or stacks of colorful Rice Krispie treats. When he was in high school, I started making layered ice cream “cakes” and they have become his birthday desert of choice. I don’t make a lot of sugary deserts anymore but birthdays still seem to demand something sweet. I could be satisfied with a big bowl of berries but this wasn’t for me.

Ice cream cake is a bit of a misnomer. This desert is essential layers of different flavors of ice cream on top of a crust of crumbled cookies with some sprinkles or chocolate chips on top. It’s almost too easy to even call it a recipe. You could use any kind of cookie (I imagine ginger would be delicious) and if you don’t want to crumble them, simply lay them in the bottom of the cake pan – the ice cream will soften them. The only essential item is a spring form pan. I bought my big rectangular spring form at a restaurant supply store but got the smaller square one at Home Goods for almost nothing. You could make this “cake” in a regular pan but it would be hard to get out. You would have to serve it more like pie, which might not be so bad!

Ice Cream “Cake”

Place one container of ice cream in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to soften. The flavors of ice cream are up to you – chocolate, coffee and mint chocolate chip is the favorite combo in our home but fruit flavors layered with vanilla could be good or go wild and experiment – if you would like them in a bowl together, you will like them in cake form. The amounts you use depend on the size of your pan. For an 8″ round pan, I would probably use pints. For half sheet size, go for half gallons. In between, I’d use quarts.

Pulse cookies in a food processor to make crumbs
Spread cookie crumbs in the bottom of a springform pan

Make cookie crumbs by pulsing your chosen cookie in a food processor. I used half a box of Oreos (actually the Trader Joe version) but almost any cookie should work. (In past years, I’ve used a bag of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies with good results). Lay the crumbs in an even layer in the bottom of a springform pan. If you like, sprinkle with chocolate chips or pieces. When the ice cream is soft, pour it on the crumbs and spread as evenly as you can with a spatula without disturbing the crumbs. Place the whole pan in the freezer and put another quart of ice cream in the fridge.

Spread softened ice cream over crumbs to form the first layer

When the ice cream you spread in the pan is firm (about 2 hours), take the spring form out of the freezer and spread another layer of softened ice cream over the first. Continue in this way until there are 3 or 4 layers or your pan is full. You can add chocolate chips, crushed peppermints, nuts or whatever you prefer in between layers, ending with a layer of ice cream. Top with sprinkles, chocolate chips, melted chocolate or more crumbled cookies.. If you don’t want more chocolate or sugar, you could top with berries when unmolded. Keep in the freezer until ready to use.

You could put berries or greens around the base of the bare springform to decorate

Just before serving, take the cake out of the freezer, dip a knife in hot water and run it around the inside of the pan before releasing the springform. Dip the knife in hot water to make cutting slices easier. If you want to gild the lily, you can dollop some whipped cream on each slice and top with chopped nuts. Whichever way you choose, the cake will disappear rapidly!

4 layer ice-cream cake with chocolate chips
Plate by Cristina Salusti