Here in the northeast, the weather has been all over the place: sunny and summery one day, chilly and bleak the next. This makes a couple of things difficult. First, convincing my tween that she needs a jacket on a 50-degree day when she wore shorts the day before, and second, planning meals in advance.
This explains how I ended up feeding my poor, sweaty family steaming bowls of white chicken chili on an 84-degree day, when we all would have preferred something like grilled huli huli chicken tucked alongside a cool cucumber salad. (We happily ate chili leftovers over rice the next day, when the temperature dipped yet again.) Since the weather shows no signs of stabilizing any time soon, here’s a handful of recipes that you can shop for now and cook come rain, sun or (please no) snow.
Shrimp Pasta
Consider this the shrimp version of vongole rosso, the classic Italian dish of clams tossed with pasta, tomatoes, garlic and white wine. Swapping the shellfish makes for an easy weeknight dinner. The shrimp’s briny sweetness is the star here, and cherry or grape tomatoes add a burst of acidity as well as a pop of color. Any long pasta shape will work well — just be sure to cook the noodles to al dente to give the dish great texture. Serve with the rest of the white wine and a simple green salad.
By Lidey Heuck
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 pound long pasta, such as linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (18 to 20 count), tails on or off
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic (about 7 cloves)
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
Lemon zest, for serving
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Scoop out ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the wine and reserved pasta water, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir in the shrimp and cook until they are just starting to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce and the shrimp over the pasta and toss well. Add the parsley and toss again.
4. Transfer the pasta to bowls. Top with the lemon zest and more parsley. Sprinkle on more crushed red pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
Potato Soup
Luxurious, warm and filling, this classic soup checks all of the comfort food boxes. As the creamy Yukon gold potatoes cook, they release starches and thicken the broth. Half of the soup is blended for a contrast of textures, while the smoked paprika adds warmth, complementing the flavors of the bacon. Use as much cream as you like, but don’t be shy with it — it’s a welcome companion that doesn’t weigh down the soup, but rather lightens it. To serve, set up a toppings bar as you would for baked potatoes.
By Naz Deravian
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 slices bacon (about 10 ounces), diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder, optional
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese and finely chopped chives, for serving
Preparation:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon; set aside to use later as a topping.
2. Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot. Over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, stir in the celery, onion, carrot and garlic; season with a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the thyme, smoked paprika and chile powder (if using). Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. As the soup simmers, taste the broth and add salt if needed. Stir in as much heavy cream as you like and remove from the heat.
4. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and cook on medium-low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend about half the soup in the pot.) Add more heavy cream, salt and pepper, if desired, and serve in bowls topped with bacon, cheese and chives.
Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews
Here’s a hack I performed on a recipe for an appetizer portion of skewered chunked chicken thighs that the great live-fire cooks and cookbook writers Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby wrote many years ago, and that I have slowly altered into a main-course grilled dinner. The skinless chicken browns nicely over a medium flame, and the sugary soy basting sauce lacquers it beautifully in the final few minutes of cooking. It’s terrific with rice, or as a topping for a salad of sturdy greens. You may wish to double the recipe for Sriracha-roasted cashews. Those are addictive, and for them you will find many delicious uses.
By Sam Sifton
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste
2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark) or molasses
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
4 scallions, sliced thin
5 or 6 springs cilantro, tough stems removed and roughly chopped (approximately 2 tablespoons)
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cashews and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and stir until nuts are coated. Line a small baking pan with foil and spread the coated cashews out on it, then place in the oven and bake until nuts are dry, approximately 20 minutes. Carefully remove the nuts from the foil and let cool, then chop roughly and set aside in a small bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, the hoisin sauce and the black pepper, and hot sauce if using. Add chicken thighs and stir to coat. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. For the basting sauce, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the brown sugar and the ginger in a small bowl, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
4. When you are ready to cook the chicken, build a fire in a charcoal grill, leaving about 1/3 of the cooking space free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn one burner to high, leaving the others off, then lower cover and heat for 15 minutes.)
5. Using tongs, remove chicken thighs from marinade and cook, directly over the coals, turning every few minutes, until they are well-browned but not crusty, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Then, using a pastry brush, begin to baste them with the soy, ginger and sugar mixture, until they develop a lacquer, an additional 8 to 10 minutes, again turning every few minutes. (If chicken threatens to burn, place it over the part of the grill without coals.)
6. Transfer chicken to a warmed platter, sprinkle with the chopped cashews, the scallions and the cilantro, and serve.
Dumpling Tomato Salad With Chile-Crisp Vinaigrette
Harness the crowd-pleasing power of dumplings in this hearty yet light main course salad. The base is simple and summery: Ripe tomatoes are lightly touched with salt, garlic and basil, providing a perfectly fragrant canvas for pan-fried potsticker dumplings. Salting intensifies the tanginess and fruitiness of tomatoes, while also coaxing out some of the juice, which becomes a light sauce for the dumplings. (Salting also works wonders for out-of-season tomatoes, meaning you could eat this salad all year round.) Use your favorite chile crisp as it is the dominant flavor in the dressing and will greatly impact the final dish; all brands of crisp will have different levels of saltiness and spice, so season accordingly.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the salad:
2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), cut into roughly 1- to 2-inch pieces (at room temperature)
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal brand) and black pepper
1 pound frozen potsticker dumplings (not thawed)
Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
1 to 2 tablespoons store-bought crispy fried shallots (optional)
For the chile crisp vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons chile crisp (or chile oil)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
Preparation:
1. Place the tomatoes on a large serving plate or in a bowl. Add the garlic, half the basil leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
2. To make the vinaigrette, combine the chile crisp, rice vinegar and soy sauce and whisk to combine. Taste and if it needs more saltiness, add ½ teaspoon more soy sauce.
3. Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium high for 1 to 2 minutes until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and, working in batches, add the dumplings, flat-side down, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your dumplings contain meat, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes, or according to packet instructions). Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and continue cooking the remaining dumplings. (If you prefer to steam the dumplings, see Tip.)
4. To serve, place the warm dumplings over the tomato salad and drizzle with the chile crisp vinaigrette. Toss very gently. Top with the crispy fried shallots (if using) and the remaining basil leaves. Serve either while the dumplings are still warm or at room temperature.
Tip: To steam, arrange the dumplings in a steaming basket lined with baking paper or cabbage leaves, place over a pan of boiling water and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Spring Onions, Potatoes and Mustard
Fresh spring onions make this effortless sausage and potato sheet-pan supper feel elegant, but you could just as easily use scallions, leeks or nearly any other member of the allium family. The spring onions and potatoes make the perfect bed for roasting: They prop up the sausages so they brown instead of steam, and they absorb the sausage drippings while doing so. A spicy, tangy mustard relish cuts the richness of the sausage and offsets the sweetness of the spring onions. Should you have leftovers, they are excellent tucked between slices of toasted bread smeared with plenty of mayonnaise and more mustard.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound spring onions, small leeks or scallions, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes (or russet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes)
1 1/2 cups drained jarred or refrigerated sauerkraut (9 ounces)
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds sausage, fully cooked or uncooked (such as bratwurst, kielbasa, sweet or hot Italian)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish (optional)
2 tablespoons coarse or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine spring onions, potatoes, sauerkraut, garlic and 1/4 cup oil; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer and roast for 10 minutes.
2. Arrange sausages on top and roast until spring onions and potatoes are tender and sausages are heated through, about 30 minutes longer.
3. While the sausages roast, in a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons parsley, if using, with the mustard, shallot and lemon juice, plus the remaining 1/4 cup oil and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide sausages and vegetables among plates. Sprinkle with additional parsley, if using, and drizzle with mustard relish to taste.
