Take a ton of kale and cook it slow and low with olive oil and garlic. The velvety result is nothing short of alchemy. This makes a perfect (and healthy) side to any wintry meal.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 quart chicken stock or bone broth
4 pounds Tuscan kale
Salt and pepper
Heat oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic, and anchovies; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add stock; bring to a boil. Add Tuscan kale and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are somewhat wilted, 4–5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, covered, until very tender, 40–45 minutes more.
This is one of my favorite things I made this summer, hands down. Think poke bowl vibes but with the flavor amped up to 1000%. A spicy, garlicy sauce brings everything together, from the bracing perilla leaves to the crunchy tobiko. Don’t let the long ingredient list put you off — this is unequivocally worth it.
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/3 cup gochujang
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
For the mixed rice:
4 cups mixed salad greens
2 green Korean chili peppers (or similar), chopped
10-12 perilla (shiso) leaves, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
2 cups peeled Persian or English cucumber matchsticks
1 cup radish sprouts
1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups freshly cooked white rice
1 1/2 pounds sushi grade fish, such as tuna, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1/2 cup flying fish roe (tobiko)
Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
2 sheets nori, sliced into thin strips
Toasted sesame oil, for serving
Make the sauce: combine all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Assemble the mixed rice: Arrange the greens, chili peppers, perilla leaves, onion, cucumber, sprouts, and avocado in the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Spoon the rice on top. Arrange the fish and roe on top of the rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and seaweed. Serve with the sauce and sesame oil on the side.
Have a rice cooker? This easy summer dish couldn’t possibly be easier. Adapted from Donabe, a little bit of quinoa adds extra nutrition to this sweet and savory side.
Ingredients:
2 rice cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
7 ounces firm tofu, drained and pressed
Kernels from 1 ear of corn
1/2 cup rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, sliced into small pieces
Place the rice, quinoa, and water in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sake, chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan and saute the garlic for 1 minute over medium heat. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir, continuing to break up the tofu with a wooden spoon and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the tofu is lightly browned. Add the corn and wood ear mushrooms and saute for 3 more minutes, until cooked through.
Add the sauce to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the rice has finished cooking, uncover and gently fold in the corn and tofu mixture. Serve warm.
The first time I made this dish I accidentally fooled everyone into thinking they were eating ground meat. I didn’t mean to — I love tofu, for what it’s worth. It’s just that’s how inconspicuous the tofu is here. It absorbs all the umami-laden flavor of the seasonings, including the chili crisp, which does a lot of heavy lifting. (No such thing as too much chili crisp, amirite?) Fragrant, slightly sweet coconut rice and crunchy cucumbers round out this heavy hitter of a one-dish meal.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and drained well
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chili crisp (I recommend Big Spoon Chili Crisp)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Torn basil leaves, for serving
Whisk coconut milk, salt, and 1 cup water in a cold medium saucepan to combine. Add rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan and reduce heat to low; cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let sit covered 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.
Toss cucumbers, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to combine and let sit until ready to serve.
Crumble tofu into small pieces (about the size of a pea). Heat avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add tofu, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tofu is crisped, 11–13 minutes. Add chili crisp, soy sauce, and sesame oil and cook, stirring often, until well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in peanuts.
Divide coconut rice and tofu among plates and top with marinated cucumbers and basil.
I’m always finding ways to sneak in nori into my meals. Avocado toast? Sprinkle some nori. Dumpling soup? Stir in some nori. Summery noodles? Nori, of course.
Ingredients:
4 packages dried ramen (about 12 ounces total)
4 Persian cucumbers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried nori seaweed, torn into small 1-inch pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Slice cucumbers into thin rounds, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then drain and gently squeeze out water.
Soak nori in cold water until reconstituted, about 5 minutes, then drain. Gently combine the cucumber and nori in a medium bowl and set aside.
Boil noodles according to package directions until al dente. In a colander, drain and rinse under cold water. Gently toss noodles with sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar to achieve the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. If it’s too thick, whisk in a few tablespoons of water.
To serve, place the noodles in a large serving bowl and top with the cucumber nori mixture, green onions, roasted sesame seeds, lemon zest, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Gently mix and serve.
