During the cold months, you might look to long-cooked braises or labor-intensive stews and soups to fill bellies and ward off the chill. But here’s a full-flavored menu that doesn’t require hours of preparation.
To start, something sprightly: I always want a salad, no matter the season. And there’s no denying a salad can be a great way to begin a meal, even if it’s the dead of winter.
This time of year, my choice of salad leaves skews toward sturdy chicories (radicchio, endive, escarole), reliably crisp romaine hearts and more peppery greens like watercress or arugula.
I’d happily make a salad from any of those, but I confess a real fondness for arugula, especially the variety marketed as “wild,” with its jagged leaves.
Arugula, known elsewhere as rucola, roquette or rocket, is in the mustard family, with a bold sharp flavor, and long loved in Italy and the south of France. Some prefer it as part of a mixed green salad, but an all-arugula salad suits me fine, especially with a zippy vinaigrette.
For this colorful salad, I made a thick dressing with shallot, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice and red wine vinegar. A trick learned from French friends: Shake the dressing in a jar with a tightfitting lid. A mustard jar works well, all the better if it’s a used mustard jar that’s almost empty, with the last of the condiment still clinging to the sides, a flavorful and frugal move.
A sharp knife or mandoline helps cut fuchsia-tinged watermelon radish and fennel bulb into not-quite-paper-thin slices. Along with soft-centered boiled egg, they add brightness, and the sharp vinaigrette complements it all.
Follow with a dish that’s impressive but very easy to achieve: a well-seasoned savory shrimp dinner, which you can have on the table in less than 10 minutes. A pound and a half makes a fine main course for four.
I like to use large shrimp, preferably wild from the Gulf of Mexico or the Mid-Atlantic. (Farmed shrimp can be problematic, environmentally hazardous and often dipped in preservatives.) These are readily available, both fresh and frozen, and hefty at 16 to 20 pieces per pound.
For the best flavor, buy them with the shells on. Peeling and deveining your own might sound tedious, but it’s time well spent and guarantees the freshest-tasting specimens.
From there, a hot pan with a generous lump of butter, a spoonful of hot paprika or smoky Spanish pimentón picante, a little garlic and a splash of white wine are all that’s needed for a robust, ruddy sauce. Sizzling for only a minute or two on each side guarantees juicy shrimp. Serve them with plain polenta, little roasted potatoes or steamed rice. Or just have a crisp warm baguette for sopping all of the flavorful, richly aromatic, buttery juices.
For a fruity dessert, pears, which I’ve been enjoying in every color this year, are a good option. Red Bartlett, Comice and D’Anjou varieties have been my favorites. You may be skeptical, but pears are underrated. Though they are sold underripe and hard, letting them sit at room temperature gets them ready to eat. Press lightly on the neck of a pear to determine if it’s ripe — it should be firm but yield a bit. For an Italianate treat, try eating sliced ripe pears with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, a divine combination.
Or make this easy cake of simply sliced pears baked in an almond flour batter. Feel free to make it early in the day, or even the day before serving: It keeps well and is better slightly aged than straight out of the oven. The cake is golden and a bit crunchy on top, with a tender moist fragrant interior. A small slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes a fine dessert, but it’s equally good for breakfast or tea. Just eat it as it’s designed: with ease and conviviality in mind, meant to be enjoyed by good friends sitting elbow to elbow.
Recipe: Buttery Shrimp With Garlic and Paprika
By David Tanis
For this flavorful, richly aromatic shrimp dinner, use large shrimp if possible (preferably from the Gulf of Mexico or the Mid-Atlantic). They are hefty at 16 to 20 pieces per pound, enough for a main course for four. Use fresh or frozen shrimp, extra points for peeling and de-veining your own. They are to be sizzled in a generous amount of spicy butter sauce. If you don’t have hot paprika, use 1 tablespoon sweet paprika plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne, or more to taste. Or use Spanish pimentón picante. Serve the shrimp with plain polenta, little roasted potatoes, or steamed rice. Or just have a warm baguette for sopping.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, 16 to 20 per pound, peeled and deveined
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in chunks
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon hot paprika
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation:
1. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
2. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When oil is wavy, add rosemary and let sizzle for about 15 seconds, stirring to let them crisp a bit. Remove and set aside, leaving the pan on the heat.
3. Arrange shrimp in the skillet in an even layer without crowding. (Work in batches if necessary.) Cook for about 1 minute until the shrimp starts turning opaque, then turn shrimp over and cook for another minute. Add butter and swirl pan to distribute. Reduce heat to maintain a sizzle.
4. Add garlic and reserved rosemary, stir to coat and cook for 1 minute. Push shrimp aside to make a space in the center of the pan. Add tomato paste, paprika and wine, and stir to dissolve. Shake pan to let butter and pan juices mix, sizzling around shrimp to coat well.
5. Serve on warm plates or a large platter with all of the buttery pan juices, parsley and lemon wedges.
Tip: If shrimp is cooking too quickly, or you have smaller ones, remove from pan and finish the sauce, then return shrimp briefly to sauce, so they don’t overcook.
Recipe: Arugula Salad With Radish, Fennel and Mustard
By David Tanis
This zesty arugula salad is a bold beginning to a meal. Use a sharp knife or mandoline to cut the watermelon radish and fennel bulb so they’re just shy of paper thin. When dressing the salad, try to bring some of those bright, colorful slices to the top for an especially attractive result.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Dressing:
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons strong Dijon mustard
- 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Salad:
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 small watermelon radish, peeled, very thinly sliced
- 5 ounces sturdy or wild arugula
- 3 large eggs, boiled 7 minutes, chilled and shelled (optional)
- 6 small red radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 (1-inch) chunk of peeled horseradish, for grating (optional)
Preparation:
1. Make the dressing: Put the shallot in a small bowl or small jar with a lid, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, zest and vinegar, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add mustards and stir to dissolve. Add olive oil, and whisk (or cover and shake if making in the small jar).
2. Prepare the salad: Put sliced fennel and watermelon radish in a salad bowl or on a large platter. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dress lightly with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Add arugula and toss well, keeping some of the slices on top. Add more dressing to taste, but don’t overdress. Add a pinch of salt and toss again.
3. If using the eggs, cut them in half, give them a speck of salt and arrange over the salad. Garnish with red radishes and grate a little horseradish over the salad, if desired.
Recipe: Pear-Almond Cake
By David Tanis
This simple cake comes together with little fuss: It’s just sliced pears baked in an easy almond flour batter, but in flavor and texture, it’s so much more. Feel free to make it early in the day, or even the day before serving. It keeps well. Use firm, slightly underripe pears if possible.
Yield: 8 servings
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons/113 grams melted unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups/180 grams almond flour
- 1 cup/200 grams sugar, plus about 2 tablespoons more for sprinkling
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large pears, peeled, in 1/4-inch slices
- 1/4 cup/25 grams sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a springform cake pan or 9-1/2-inch glass pie pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Combine both mixtures, beating briefly, until smooth.
3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange pear slices over the top in a random pattern. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons sugar over pears, then scatter sliced almonds lightly over the surface. Place the dish on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for about 1 hour, or until nicely browned on top and an inserted cake tester emerges clean. Cool until you can handle the pan. Remove springform, using a butter knife to help release the cake, and let cool completely. (The cake will taste better after several hours and up to 1 day.)
5. Dust cake very lightly with powdered sugar. Cut wedges and serve directly from the base of the springform (or straight from the pie pan).
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.