This recipe began as a “serves one person” kind of thing. I had half a container of mushrooms, one onion, and one kid who had to eat before a late soccer practice. Looking for something fast that would fill her up but not weigh her down, I threw the mushrooms into a hot skillet and cooked them until they got crispy, and then scanned my fridge to figure out what might add something unexpected. Let me just say that the solution to this quandary in my house is almost always miso paste. Just a spoonful, thinned out with hot water, was all I needed to add that sweet-and-salty hit and win over my unsuspecting athlete . . . and eventually the whole family. Definitely opt for red cabbage when pickling—you’ll want its texture here. Serve these tacos with white rice that’s been tossed with lime juice and chopped cilantro.
My Moroccan friend Mehdi first introduced me to chermoula as a marinade for seafood, but I love it on chicken too. It wraps the meat with the soft distinct flavor of cooked cilantro and the gentle warmth of sweet paprika. This is a great picnicky recipe to double up for a summertime crowd, since chicken thighs (or hindquarters) are very forgiving for the busy home cook. I like to use my wood-burning pizza oven outdoors, but an indoor oven works just fine.
My children call out for this as soon as they see new potatoes coming in from the garden.
I think there's something so enjoyable about eating this way, whether for dinner, snacking, or sharing plates. While I love more traditional nachos, I tend to lean more to this flavor proflle, which means it's essentially all my favorite snacking foods on one giant plate. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but please forge ahead as you're mostly piling a ton of delicious ingredients on top of each other. Pita chips can be made one of two ways: Either peel apart the two layers of the pita for thinner chips, or keep them as is for thicker ones. Here we're going for thicker chips that can hold up to the toppings.
A great way to kick off the start of barbecue season, these lively skewers pack a lot of flavor. Taking a cue (wink) from Northern Chinese barbecue, we dust the skewers in a fennel seedy spice blend when they come off the grill. The crisp asparagus-and-fennel salad is a fun contrast to the meaty, smoky skewers—perfect for a cool, late-spring evening with friends. To round out the meal, we highly recommend pairing these with the Pine Nut Pepper Schmear (page 110).
Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free
This recipe hits the spot when you're craving a pizza, but don't have one in the freezer! An ideal five-minute snack or quick lunch that doesn’t involve much cooking!
This dish is on regular rotation in my house, especially on nights when we don’t think we have much on hand to prepare and eat. It relies heavily on pantry staples, with the chard being the only fresh ingredient needed. Feel free to substitute the chard with cooked nettles, beet greens, mustard greens, turnip or kohlrabi greens, or a mixture of any and all.
Herby salsas are much loved in Catalan cooking, so, inspired by a recent trip to Barcelona, I’ve embellished this chicken and these rich, stock-cooked potatoes with a vibrant nutty number.
A hearty, warming meal, the gnocchi here are baked and topped with a crunchy breadcrumb or pangratatto topping, making for a satisfying mix of creaminess and crunch. Ready-made gnocchi have become widely available, and most types are vegan, but check the ingredients just in case.