Tag: Year-Round

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 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.

Dukkah-ish and Chocolate Ice Cream Topping

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This is the easiest and most delicious topping to take your vanilla ice cream to the next level. I hesitate to call this sprinkle dukkah (dukkah adjacent, maybe?), since dukkah is an Egyptian blend of seeds, nuts, and spices and this sprinkle is a blend of seeds, nuts, and chocolate. Two out of three ain’t bad I guess.

This topping would be just as satisfying on yogurt too, if you want to keep things healthier.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 3 tablespoons tahini, warmed
  1. Lightly toast peanuts and, sesame seeds in a small skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small plate; let cool, about 5 minutes. Stir together cooled peanut mixture, chocolate, and salt in a small bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream into each of 6 bowls. Drizzle each with 1/2 tablespoon tahini. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons dukkah.

Coconut Curry Beef Meatballs

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Here’s your new favorite curry recipe. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these curried meatballs can be made well ahead of time and reheated and served with rice, yogurt, and pickles for a perfect meal. Don’t want to use beef? Substitute with lamb. Just don’t skimp on the alliums and spices.

Ingredients:
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek, Indian, or Iranian yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 13-ounce can coconut milk
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice and lime wedges, for serving
  1. Puree onion, garlic, ginger, chile, and yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup onion puree to a large bowl. Add curry powder, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to remaining puree in blender and blend to combine; set aside. Add ground beef, panko, pepper, baking soda, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 water to 1/4 cup puree in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs (you should have about 20).
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs and oil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion puree to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until puree thickens and beads of oil form on the surface, about 6 minutes. Add coconut milk and ½ cup water; stir to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through about 10 minutes.
  4. Transfer curry to a serving bowl; top with green onions. Serve with rice and lime wedges.