Tag: Summer

Seven-Layer Bean Dip

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Remember the ’90s? “Ethnic” food meant Chinese chicken salad, fajitas, and various ~pizza creations~. Everyone’s so creative!

That being said, I’m nostalgic for some of the finer culinary delights the 1990s offered us. Pasta salad, imitation crab in everything, and seven-layer bean dip should have come with us to the new millennium. Even though bean dips are not as ubiquitous as they once were, there’s no reason why you can’t easily recreate it at home. Serve this with chips and you’ll wonder why we still don’t wear hypercolor and fanny packs with everything.

Ingredients:
  • 1 15-ounce can refried beans
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup chunky salsa
  • 1 cup guacamole
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 3-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • Tortilla chips, to serve
  1. Combine beans and jalapeno and spread onto a 12-inch casserole dish. Layer the salsa, guacamole and sour cream over beans. Sprinkle with olives, cheese, tomato and green onions.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken with Basil and Fish Sauce

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I finally got J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s tome The Wok a few months ago and honestly? It’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever cooked from. All hits, no misses. The first dish I cooked out of the book was this Thai-style chicken stir-fry, with an Iranian twist. Lopez-Alt calls for Thai basil this recipe, but I was gifted a bumper crop of Persian basil and used that instead. Both basils posses a strong anise and licorice-like flavor so the substitution worked perfectly. Serve this with jasmine (or basmati!) rice and think of it as a delicious Thai-ish Iranian-ish mashup.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Hot red pepper flakes to taste

For the stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed Persian or Thai basil leaves
  1. Prepare the chicken: Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain through a strainer set in the sink and press on the chicken with your hands to remove excess water. Return the chicken to the bowl and add the fish sauce, pepper, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously with your fingers for 30 seconds. Set aside while you prepare the remaining stir-fry ingredients (at least 15 minutes).
  2. Prepare the sauce: Combine the fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and chile flakes.
  3. Make the stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the smashed garlic cloves in a wok over high heat until the garlic is sizzling at starts to brown. Add the chicken, spread it into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing, and stirring frequently, until the exterior is just cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  4. Wipe out the wok and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Add the basil and toss until they’re wilted. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice.

Smashed Cucumbers with Tahini-Soy Dressing

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Cucumber season is upon us! And since I’m Iranian, cucumber snacking is baked into my DNA. This spicy and creamy cucumber salad is perfect with any kind of crisp cucumber, particularly Persian, Armenian, or Japanese. Eat it as a side dish or on its own (it’s that good).

Ingredients:
  • 6 Persian cucumbers
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Chili crisp or chili oil, for serving
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice 1/4-inch thick on a diagonal into 2 1/2-inch-long pieces. Place cucumbers in a large bowl, add salt, and toss to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Drain cucumbers.
  2. Whisk garlic, tahini, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, miso, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl to combine. Pour dressing over cucumbers and toss to coat.
  3. Transfer cucumber salad to a platter. Drizzle with chili oil and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Chicken Larb and Bean Thread Noodle Lettuce Cups

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I absolutely love larb and I absolutely love bean thread noodles in all their permutations. These lettuce cups are kind of a love child of both these dishes — not authentic by any means, but delicious nonetheless. Packed full of herbs, they make a perfect quick and easy meal when you’re craving something light but satisfying.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minceed
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Salt
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
  • 4 ounces bean thread noodles, prepared according to package instructions
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  1. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chicken and salt and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the onion, basil, cilantro, mint, peanuts, and bean thread noodles and combine with the sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  4. Spoon the chicken and noodle mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sri Lankan Egg Curry

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This mildly spiced egg curry is perfect at any meal with some flatbread, be it roti, naan, or even buttered sourdough. Top off your toasted bread and jammy eggs with a dollop of seeni sambol, and you’ve got the perfect bite.

Ingredients:

For the eggs:

  • 6 large ggs
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 4-inch piece pandan leaf (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the temper:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 8 fresh curry leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 green chili, sliced
  1. Soft boil your eggs: fill a medium saucepan with water bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully lower the eggs into the water and cook for 6 1/2 minutes, maintaining a gentle boil. Get a bowl filled with ice water ready, and when the eggs are cooked, transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the bowl of ice water. Once the eggs have cooled, peel the eggs and set aside.
  2. Make the curry: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium frying pan and add the onions. Fry for 4 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and pandan leaf, if using. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the onion begins to brown, then add the water, curry powder, and turmeric. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and glossy. Season with salt and remove from heat.
  3. Make the temper: Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and green chili. Fry for 1-2 minutes until everything is fragrant. Remove from heat.
  4. Before serving, gently reheat the curry and add the eggs, stirring carefully to coat them in the curry for about 2 minutes. Pour the temper on top of the curry and serve.