Tag: Western

Antipasto Salad

Posted on

Whatever happened to antipasto salad? (Unfortunately) relegated to the ’90s, I think of it as a chopped salad’s long-lost relative. Italian herbs, cheese, and salami may not have made the the healthiest salad a few decades ago, but this updated version features kale, radicchio, and avocado too for a Californian take on an updated classic. Serve this as a side to pasta, as I do, or eat it as a light meal on its own. Either way, it’s delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small or medium garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces deli-sliced salami, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • Black pepper
  • 1 head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 avocado, halved, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
  1. Mince the garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and chop and scrape the garlic and salt back and forth with the flat side of a knife until it forms a mostly smooth paste.
  2. Scrape the garlic paste into a large serving bowl and whisk in the olive oil, vinegar, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the mozzarella, salami, kale, chickpeas, and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then gently stir in the radicchio and avocado. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Cheddar and Jalapeno Cast Iron Cornbread

Posted on

I’m not a baker. Despite my best attempts, I can’t seem to produce consistent results when it comes to anything doughy, with rare exception. Thankfully, this cornbread is one of those rare exceptions. Gone are the days of dry, cardboard-y cornbread. This has a moist crumb, a touch of sweetness, and a hint of heat thanks to the jalapeno.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups flour 
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal 
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 ounces aged cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) 
  • 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from 2 ears)
  • 1 small jalapeno, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Heat a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Add butter, and swirl pan until butter is melted and bottom and sides of skillet are coated. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add milk, cheddar, corn, melted butter, jalapeno, and eggs. Mix until batter is just combined. (Make sure not to overmix.) Pour batter into prepared skillet, and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven until cornbread is light brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
  3. Cut cornbread into slices and serve with softened butter, if desired.

Italian-ish Ramen

Posted on

This is the most comforting soup you’re going to have this winter. If tortellini soup and ramen had a baby, this would be it.

Ingredients:
  • 2 large chicken thighs, preferably skinless and boneless
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 cups lower-sodium chicken stock
  • 3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3 tablespoons), divided
  • 8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti 
  • 10 basil leaves, sliced, divided
  • 4 soft-cooked large eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • Calabrian chile paste, for serving
  1. Pat chicken dry using paper towels; sprinkle with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Place chicken and cook, undisturbed, until crispy and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Flip chicken, and cook until browned on other side, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of rendered chicken fat from Dutch oven, leaving chicken in Dutch oven.
  2. Add chicken stock and 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan to Dutch oven; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook about 15 minutes.
  3. While chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta, and cook 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.
  4. Remove chicken from Dutch oven, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken (discard skin and bones if using), and set aside. Reduce heat under Dutch oven to low; sprinkle stock mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Add shredded chicken and half of sliced basil (about 1 tablespoon) to stock in Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Drain pasta, and add to simmering stock mixture in Dutch oven. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 1 minute.
  5. Divide pasta, chicken, and broth among 4 bowls. Top evenly with eggs, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan; remaining basil, and a small spoonful of Calabrian chile paste, to taste.

Classic Pecan Pie

Posted on

My sister makes the best pecan pie on earth and therefore is the Officially Designated Maker of Pecan Pie for all holiday family gatherings. My pie-making attempts have been mixed, to say the least, but this recipe? It’s solid. Okay, it’s also full of shortcuts (there’s no shame in using store-bought pie crust) and it’s not the most beautiful (broken crust!) but it is reliable and delicious. And while I’m still not-so-secretly looking forward to my sister’s pecan pie at the next occasion, I’m thrilled that I too, have entered the pantheon of ~respectable pie bakers.~

Ingredients:

  • 1 store-bought pie crust
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups roughly chopped pecans, plus 1/2 cup halves
  1. Heat oven to 350F degrees. In the meantime, whisk corn syrup, butter, vanilla, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, then fold in chopped pecans. Distribute filling evenly in the prepared pie crust, then arrange pecan halves decoratively around the inside edge of crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 1 hour. Let cool completely before serving.

Charred Cabbage with Garlic and Chili Crisp

Posted on

I don’t know if it’s ye olde age or what, but I’m really into cabbage lately. And chili crisp is an absolutely goated condiment; no such thing as too much. This side dish, adapted from Food & Wine, brings a ton of flavor to an otherwise mild-mannered vegetable. Don’t be put off by the amount of garlic: it mellows out and tastes spectacularly savory-sweet.

Ingredients:
  • 15 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons coconut or granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce 
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (2 1/4-pound) head green cabbage, cut through core into 8 wedges
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk 
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chili crisp
  1. Cook garlic and oil in a small saucepan over low, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and semi-softened, about 12 minutes. Drain garlic-infused oil into a small bowl. Transfer garlic cloves to another small bowl. Mash cloves using a fork; stir in sugar, fish sauce, and pepper. Set aside garlic chutney and reserved oil.
  2. Set a steamer rack inside a large pot filled with 1 inch of water; bring to a boil over high. Place cabbage on steamer rack; cover with lid, and cook until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cabbage; pat dry.
  3. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Whisk together coconut milk and 1/4 cup reserved garlic oil in a small bowl. Brush cut sides of each cabbage wedge with 1 tablespoon coconut milk mixture; sprinkle wedges evenly with salt. Working in 2 batches, cook cabbage wedges in skillet until charred, 2 minutes per side.
  4. To serve, spread 1 1/2 teaspoons reserved garlic chutney over charred sides of each cabbage wedge; drizzle each wedge with 2 teaspoons chili crisp.