3garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cupsYukon Gold potatoes, peeled, medium dice
2 1/2 cupsbroccoli florets, no stems
3 1/2 cupsstock, chicken or vegetable
6 smallish fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cupParmesan, grated
In a 3 1/2-quart heavy-bottomed pot, combine the olive oil and half the butter. Place the pot over medium heat. Once the butter begins to melt, add the onions. Season them with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Saute the onions until they become golden. Don’t rush this step and adjust the heat as necessary to keep them from browning too fast. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the potatoes. Stir them to coat with oil and let them sizzle away for a minute or two. Add the broccoli and do the same as you did with the potatoes. Add the stock.
Bring the stock to a boil. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning. Go easy on the salt though because the Parmesan has lots and will act as seasoning as well.
Simmer the soup until the broccoli and potatoes are tender. The broccoli is not going to remain vibrant green, but if it is good broccoli it won’t be olive drab either.
Once the potatoes have cooked through, add the parmesan, the remaining butter, and the basil. Stir to combine and serve with more black pepper.
½ cup chopped fresh mint (or use parsley, basil or dill), for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
As the pasta boils, slice asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, peas, scallions and red-pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are bright green and just tender (but not soft or mushy), 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with the salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; pour mixture into a large serving bowl.
To the same skillet, add the heavy cream, ½ cup grated Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until reduced and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Return vegetables to the skillet and toss with the sauce to reheat.
When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain well.
Immediately put the hot pasta in the same bowl you used for the vegetables and toss with remaining ¼ cup grated Parmesan, lemon zest and mint. Add vegetable-cream mixture and the juice of half a lemon, and toss well. If the mixture looks thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it; it should be saucy. Taste and season generously with salt, pepper and more lemon juice as needed; it should taste bright and lively. Serve, topping each bowl with more Parmesan, mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
2 Alaskan, organic or ASC-certified Scottish salmon fillets
2 spring onions (trimmed)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes
FOR THE SALAD
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
100 grams watercress
1 teaspoon organic cloudy apple cider vinegar
1 small ripe avocado
1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes or to taste
Put the salmon fillets in a small frying pan (I use one with a 20cm / 8in diameter) and cover with cold water from the tap. Add the whole spring onions and peppercorns, squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle in the salt, then bring to the boil, uncovered. When the pan is bubbling, turn the fillets over, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 7 minutes. Then take the fillets out of the liquid and leave to cool completely, which could take up to 1 hour. Once cool, the salmon will be cooked through, with its flesh desirably tender and coral inside.
While the salmon’s cooling, make a start on the salad. Toast the pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a dry, heavy-based frying pan on the hob. They will start jumping a little, and will darken and get a smokier taste. It doesn’t take long to toast them, so don’t leave the pan and, indeed, keep giving it a quick swirl. Then transfer to a cold plate.
When you’re ready to unite salmon with salad, put the watercress into a large shallow bowl (or split between 2 bowls), sprinkle with the vinegar, and toss. Now add the salmon, removing the skin and tearing the fish into bite-sized pieces or shreddy bits, as you wish.
Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then spoon the flesh out onto the salmon and watercress, or cut it into slices if you prefer. Drizzle the oil over the salad, sprinkle with the salt and half of the toasted pumpkin seeds, and toss gently to mix. Scatter the remaining pumpkin seeds on top, and eat.
1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil 1 medium russet potato, diced into ½-inch pieces ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton) 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved ½ tablespoon ground coriander ½ tablespoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, minced 1½ tablespoons unsweetened almond butter Lime juice, to taste Chaat masala (optional), for garnish Rice or roti (optional), for serving
Step 1 In a large (lidded) nonstick skillet over high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the potato and half the salt and let cook, undisturbed, until the cubes develop a golden-brown crust on the bottoms, 3 to 5 minutes. Step 2 Lower the heat to medium, give the potatoes a toss and add the green beans, the remaining salt and ¼ cup of water. Cover and let cook for about 3 more minutes, until the beans are starting to soften but still a little crunchy, and the potatoes have a little firmness but can be pierced with a fork. Step 3 Add the coriander, cumin, pepper, garlic and ginger. Toss to coat the potatoes and green beans, then let cook until you can smell the strong fragrance of the spices, ginger and garlic, about another minute. Step 4 Turn the heat down to low, stir in the almond butter, and as it melts, toss it with the vegetables to coat. Cook the sabzi for another minute or two, just to let the almond butter dry out a little and form a crust on the vegetables. Step 5 Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle the top with lime juice and a light dusting of chaat masala, if using. Serve by itself, or with rice or roti alongside.
Clean and pat dry the shrimp. Cut shrimp into smaller pieces, if desired. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch and coat the shrimp.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ingredients for the egg mixture until well combined. Set aside.
Heat a large cast iron, wok or non-stick pan on medium high and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add shrimp and cook until 80-90% done.
Add the cooked shrimp to the egg mixture. Add another tablespoon oil to the pan and pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan and start moving the cooked egg to the centre while letting the uncooked egg cook around it. Turn the heat off and let it cook in the residual heat until the egg is cooked to your liking.
Remove onto a serving platter. Drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil and sprinkle ground white pepper.
Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger (if using) together in a medium bowl. You will use half for the marinade in step 2 and half for cooking the shrimp in step 3.
Place shrimp in a large sealable container or zipped-top bag. Pour 1/2 of the marinade/sauce mixture on top, give it all a shake or stir, then allow shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or for up to 8-12 hours. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the marinade for step 3. (Time-saving tip: while the shrimp is marinating, we usually steam broccoli and microwave some quick brown rice.)
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in the skillet. (Discard used marinade.) Cook shrimp on one side until pink, about 45 seconds, then flip shrimp over. Pour in remaining marinade/sauce and cook it all until shrimp is cooked through, about 1-2 more minutes.
Serve shrimp with cooked marinade sauce and a garnish of green onion. The sauce is excellent on brown rice and steamed vegetables on the side.
2½ pounds cauliflower (1 very large head), cut into 1-inch florets, leaves reserved
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Carrots Onion Celery Veggie stock
Cheese
Salt and pepper
garlic
Step 1 Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the cauliflower florets, lleaves and onions with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle exposed cloves with salt, then drizzle lightly with oil. Roast until the cauliflower is browned and tender and the garlic is soft and fragrant, 30 to 35 minutes.
Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 6 cups of water and veggie to a simmer over medium. Add Carrots and celery then Reserve about 1 cup cauliflower for the topping, then add the rest to the pot, including any browned bits on the sheet pan. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is very soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
Step 3 Off the heat, using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a traditional blender), purée the soup until smooth. If thick, add water to taste. If thin, simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (The soup will also thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt.
Step 4 Serve the soup topped with the reserved roasted cauliflower, a drizzle of olive oil and more black pepper.
Step 1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil, and place in a single layer on two or more baking sheets. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn and bake until other sides are lightly browned. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add onion. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and dried oregano and sauté another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juices, breaking up whole tomatoes with your hands. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3 Add vinegar, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Into a 9-by-9-inch, 10-by-5-inch or 10-by-6-inch baking pan, spoon a small amount of tomato sauce, then add a thin scattering of parmigiano, then a single layer of eggplant. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a little sauce and a sprinkling of parmigiano. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and oregano, if using, with just enough olive oil to moisten. Sprinkle on top. If desired, recipe can be made to this point and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Step 4 Bake until eggplant mixture is bubbly and center is hot, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pan and thickness of layers. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Recipe can also be reheated.
2 pounds eggplant, cut into generous 1/2-inch slices
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
8 ounces grated or thinly-sliced mozzarella
Prepare the eggplant: Arrange eggplant slices on a large (half-sheet) baking pan in one layer. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat oven: To 425°F (220°C) degrees.
Roast eggplant: Transfer eggplant slices to paper towels and blot them of as much excess water as possible. Dry the baking sheet, too, and coat it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle the oil with several grinds of black pepper. Arrange eggplant slices in one layer. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of oil and more grinds of black pepper. Roast until nicely browned underneath, 20 to 25 minutes. Use a thin spatula to turn eggplant slices over and roast until browned underneath on the second side, another 10 minutes. It’s okay if they’re not cooked through yet. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (175°C).
Meanwhile, make sauce: While eggplant roasts, open your can of tomatoes and use kitchen shears or very well-washed scissors to chop the tomatoes into small bits. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium/large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook until it softens, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook another minute. Add tomatoes (beware the splatter!), oregano, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you’d like the sauce smoother than it is now, you can mash the tomatoes further with a potato masher as it cooks, or use an immersion blender for a completely smooth sauce. Stir in basil then taste the sauce; adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble: In a 1.5- to 2-quart baking dish (holding 6 to 8 cups; I’m using this), spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Arrange about half of the eggplant slices, slightly overlapped, in one layer. Spoon another 1/2 cup sauce over and spread it evenly. Arrange remaining eggplant slices, then ladle more sauce over it so it’s as saucy as you like. [Keep unused sauce in fridge for another day; it will keep for 4 to 5 days.] Sprinkle top with mozzarella and parmesan.
Bake: For 30 minutes, until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling all over. For more color on top, you can run it briefly under your oven’s broiler.
To serve: Once baked, let the eggplant parmesan rest at room temperature, if you can bear it, for 15 minutes before digging in — this helps the ingredients settle and come together more. .
Do ahead: Eggplant parmesan keeps fantastically in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rewarm in a 350-degree oven, covered for the first half of the time, for about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also freeze it, well wrapped, for a few months.
