These lightly breaded herby shrimp are so versatile. Want an easy appetizer? Check. A main dish for a vaguely Mediterranean dinner? You got it. These broil fast, so pay attention.
Ingredients:
2 pounds shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper
Put the olive and avocado oils in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least one hour.
Thread the shrimp onto skewers, curling them as you do so that the tail is skewered in the middle. Arrange the skewered shrimp on a baking sheet fitted with a grill.
Preheat the broiler. Place the baking sheet with the shrimp about six inches from the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until shrimp are cooked through.
Looking for a super elegant and easy appetizer? I got you. Adapted from Food & Wine, this buttery salmon is tempered with crunchy pistachios and tart lemon in a dish that comes together in minutes. Serve with sourdough toasts and you’re golden.
Ingredients:
4 ounces skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or green onion
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toasted sourdough baguette slices, for serving
Stir together salmon, pistachios, oil, chives, shallot, lemon, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Serve immediately with toasted sourdough.
It’s salmon season! Kind of. Okay, so there’s no salmon season in California this year (thanks, climate change), but you can use any wild salmon in this easy and comforting dish. Chopped water chestnuts add crunch to the filling, making these patties oh-so-easy to eat.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the marinade:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1 egg, lightly beaten
Cornstarch for dry-coating
3/4 cup panko
3 tablespoons avocado oil
Place salmon in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add marinade ingredients. Process until mixture is smooth. Remove the salmon mixture to a bowl. Add water chestnuts and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
To make each patty, take 1/4 cup salmon mixture and shape into a patty. Dip patty in egg, drain briefly, then coat with panko.
Place a wide frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add patties and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
These are my OG, been-making-them-since-I-was-thirteen, classic spring rolls. Adapted from the legend himself (Martin Yan, obv), this is the spring roll recipe I still find myself going back to. They’re a bit of work but oh-so-worth it. I recommend Menlo brand spring roll wrappers for the crunchiest exterior.
Ingredients:
Filling:
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 ounces dried bean thread noodles
1 carrot, shredded
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
3 green onions, sliced
3/4 pound boneless chicken
Marinade:
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon avocado oil
20 spring roll wrappers
Avocado oil for shallow-frying
Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Trim stems and thinly slice caps. Soak bean threads in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Cut bean thread noodles into 4-inch lengths. Combine mushrooms and bean thread noodles in a large bowl and add remaining filling ingredients; mix well.
Cut chicken into thin slices, about 2 inches long. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add chicken and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken mixture and add to the bowl with the filling and mix.
To make each spring roll, place a wrapper on work surface with one side facing you. Place 3 tablespoons filling in a band along base of wrapper. Fold bottom over filling, then fold in left and right sides. Tightly roll up to completely enclose filling.
Heat oil (enough to be 1-inch deep) in a wok or frying pan to medium-high. Shallow-fry spring rolls, a few at a time, and cook, turning carefully occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
This pasta screams summertime. Tossed in a light salsa rossa made with fresh tomatoes, this garlicky spaghetti is full of buttery eggplant, piquillo peppers, and loads of basil.
Ingredients:
For the salsa rossa:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
10 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the spaghetti:
2 medium eggplants, skins on, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil, divided
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
10 canned piquillo peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese
Make the salsa rossa: Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and saute until tomatoes are soft. Stir in fresh basil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Puree or leave chunky.
Make the spaghetti: Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let rest for one hour.
Pat eggplant dry. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil on high. Add one layer of eggplant and cook until crispy on one side. Do not stir. Turn to crisp the other side. Eggplant will shrink and crisp. Repeat until all the eggplant is crispy.
In a wide pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil, add diced tomatoes and peppers, and cook on high, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Lower heat, add garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add eggplant and salsa rossa, and cook, stirring gently. Add basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.
In a large pot, bring salted water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking water. Add pasta to sauce and cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes, adding a little pasta water if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan.
