By Genevieve Ko, The New York Times
This change in seasons means a mix of warming meals and lighter, fresher ones. It also inspires me to start spring cleaning.
When I’m in spring cleaning mode, I like to get my kitchen in order by finishing off as many condiments as I can. (And when I’m not doing that, I make sure I keep using them so they don’t become moldy and go to waste. Some of them are pricey!) It’s amazing what big flavors little jars of sauces and condiments can bring to a dish — and how much space they take up in the refrigerator. There are few things more satisfying than scraping out the last of that harissa paste or mustard and picking out the few remaining olives or chipotle chiles.
The easy dinners below make the most of tangy, savory and spicy flavor bombs, some of which even work in dessert. Gochujang in buttery caramel cookies? Absolutely.
1. Baked Tomato Pasta With Harissa and Halloumi
Keeping a jar of store-bought pasta sauce in your pantry pays high dividends in this five-ingredient recipe. Jarred pasta sauce is ripe for enhancement; here, a confident amount of harissa injects not only spice, but also a deep smoky, savory tang. This is a versatile and adaptable weeknight baked pasta: You can experiment with different flavors of sauce to achieve a different finish; try vodka sauce for a creamier finish or arrabbiata for something spicier. Grating the halloumi allows the firm, salty cheese to melt evenly through the pasta. A hefty amount of dill brings much needed lightness to this dish, but you could substitute parsley or chives.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Salt
1 pound penne, fusilli, farfalle or other shaped pasta
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
3 tablespoons harissa paste (see Tip)
8 ounces halloumi (or feta), coarsely grated
1 cup chopped fresh dill (leaves and stalks)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
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Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the minimum cooking time stated on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
3. Add the marinara sauce, harissa and reserved pasta cooking water to the empty pot and stir to combine. Add the pasta, 2/3 of the halloumi and 3/4 of the dill; stir to coat the pasta well. Transfer to a large, 8-by-12-inch baking dish and spread in an even layer.
4. Top with the remaining halloumi and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the sides and the cheese is melted and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and top with the remaining dill.
TIP: If you don’t have harissa, use another spice paste like Sriracha, sambal oelek, or even just a pinch of crushed red pepper.
2. Muffuletta Chopped Salad
Muffuletta chopped salad. Inspired by muffuletta, the beloved New Orleans sandwich, this punchy salad is a fridge clean-out dream: Throw in all the olives, the roasted hot and sweet peppers and the last of the salami. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (Kerri Brewer, The New York Times)
This crisp, vibrant salad is inspired by muffuletta, a popular sandwich created in New Orleans and packed with cured meats, provolone cheese and a signature chunky olive relish. This salad’s pantry-driven vinaigrette comes together quickly, with briny olives, sweet roasted peppers, nutty provolone, cured deli meats and tangy pickled pepperoncini for mild heat. (To keep the salad vegetarian, simply omit the meat.) Fresh romaine lettuce and celery are combined with avocado and chickpeas to create both crunchy and creamy textures. This recipe makes a great side salad for pizza night, but it’s equally delicious served alongside rotisserie chicken or roasted salmon.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup mixed pitted olives, chopped
1 jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices provolone cheese, chopped
2 slices salami or soppressata (optional), chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped jarred pickled pepperoncini or cherry peppers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper
1 large head romaine (about 1 pound), chopped into 2-inch pieces (10 to 12 cups)
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 avocado, sliced or chopped
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, combine olives, bell pepper, oil, cheese, salami (if using), shallot, pepperoncini, vinegar and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well.
2. Add romaine, celery and chickpeas. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
3. Divide salad among 4 plates or bowls and top each with avocado. Spoon any remaining vinaigrette on top.
3. Chile Crisp Chicken Cutlets
Chile crisp chicken cutlets. Christian Reynoso marinates chicken breasts with chile crisp, then ingeniously mixes the leftover marinade in the egg coating. Food styled by Barrett Washburne. (Matt Taylor-Gross/The New York Times)
These savory, tangy, spicy chicken cutlets get their zest from an easy marinade of chile crisp, soy sauce and red wine vinegar. This recipe upgrades the standard breading procedure — flour, egg and breadcrumbs — by whisking the excess marinade and eggs together, creating another layer of flavor before the chicken is encrusted in crunchy breadcrumbs. If time permits, leave the breaded cutlets in the refrigerator for at least an hour before frying to help create a durable crust and allow the marinade to more fully season the chicken. If you like, serve with a vibrant side of lightly wilted spinach and wedges of lemon.
By Christian Reynoso
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons chile crisp (store-bought or homemade), plus more for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), see Tip
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Canola, grapeseed or other high-heat-friendly oil, for frying
2 large eggs
Wilted spinach and lemon wedges (both optional), for serving
Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chile crisp, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt to dissolve sugar and salt. Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat. (Chicken can sit refrigerated, covered, in the marinade for up to 8 hours.)
2. Meanwhile, place panko in a wide, shallow bowl or plate; place flour in another shallow dish. One at a time, lift a cutlet out of the bowl, let excess marinade drip back in, then dip in flour to coat all over.
3. Whisk eggs into remaining marinade. Working with one cutlet at a time, shake off excess flour then dip it in the eggy marinade to coat. Shake off excess, then dip both sides in panko and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
4. In a 10-inch skillet, heat about 1/4 inch of oil over medium. Line a plate with paper towels. Once oil is hot (a piece of panko dropped into the pan should sizzle immediately), fry two cutlets at a time until golden-brown underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn cutlets over and continue frying until golden-brown with an orange tint all over. Transfer to prepared plate and sprinkle lightly with salt all over. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
5. Serve the cutlets hot, with wilted greens, lemon wedges and more chile crisp and soy, if desired.
TIP: If you can’t find thin-sliced chicken cutlets, you can use regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts and either cut them in half then pound them to about 1/4-inch thickness, or lay the chicken flat on a cutting board and slice each breast in half horizontally so you end up with thin cutlets.
4. Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon
The simplicity of this soup’s technique belies its depth of flavor, which is both vivid and complex. The soup is made bright with lemon and fresh with cilantro, but the secret ingredient is tahini, which is layered into the soup to thicken it, and then drizzled generously on top in the form of a gently spiced sauce. The result is a soup that’s both vegetal and creamy, tangy and rich. You’ll find it so tasty that you’ll forget you’re drinking your vegetables.
By Samin Nosrat
Yield: 2 quarts
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the sauce:
1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, finely grated or pounded to a smooth paste
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
For the soup:
7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 packed cups)
4 cups roughly chopped cilantro (from 2 large bunches)
1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Preparation
1. First, make the sauce: Combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes with 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed to achieve a drizzle-able consistency, and set aside.
2. Next, make the soup: Add stock to a Dutch oven or heavy pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in spinach, cilantro, tahini and salt, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, and stir in lemon juice.
3. Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and lemon, if desired.
4. Serve soup immediately, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Cover and refrigerate remaining soup and sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze soup for up to 1 month.
TIP: Because this soup is so simple, the quality of the stock really makes a difference, so use homemade or purchase some from a butcher. Avoid canned and boxed stocks if possible.
5. Baked Fish With Olives and Ginger
Baked fish with olives and ginger. Ginger adds warm spiciness to the salty, meaty olives and juicy capers, and, all together, they make mild white fish bold and flavorful. Food styled by Barrett Washburne. (Matt Taylor-Gross, The New York Times)
Set in a shallow pool of briny, gingery oil, mild fish fillets cook effortlessly on a sheet pan, layered with bold lemon, olives and capers, similar to a deconstructed tapenade. The mixture is brightened even further with the addition of grated ginger, which provides a zingy contrast to the salty, meaty olives. (But this recipe is flexible: Sliced garlic or anchovies would also work nicely, taking a more savory turn.) Nestling the delicate fish in oil helps it stay moist in the oven, and creates a no-effort pan sauce that is best served with bread, to soak up every delicious drop.
By Yasmin Fahr
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted green olives (preferably Castelvetrano), roughly chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 lemon, halved, 1/2 thinly sliced
4 (6-ounce) skinless mild white fish fillets (such as cod, hake or halibut), each about 1-inch thick
Salt and black pepper
1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh (unpeeled) ginger, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 packed tablespoons torn or chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves and tender stems
Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish, combine the olive oil, olives, capers and lemon slices. Turn the fish fillets in the oil to coat and space them evenly apart. Season the exposed parts with salt, then the grated ginger, rubbing it in. Top each fillet with a grind or two of black pepper and the crushed red pepper.
2. Cover with foil and bake until the center of each fish fillet is opaque and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets will cook more quickly.)
3. Carefully remove the foil, then squeeze the remaining lemon half over everything. Spoon the olive and olive oil mixture over the fish. Garnish with the parsley and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.