I developed this grilled salmon recipe when I got home from Cordova, Alaska bearing a few pounds of Copper River salmon. A simple salsa made with summer’s stone fruits is the perfect accompaniment.
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Category Archives: Nourishing, Fast, Fresh Recipes
Lamb Tagine with Preserved Lemon, Dates and Bulgur
North Africa meets the Middle East in this Moroccan-inspired lamb tagine. Ras-al-hanout (translation: “head of the shop”) is a fragrant Moroccan spice blend of cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, cloves and allspice. You can find it, along with preserved lemons, at gourmet stores, Middle Eastern markets and some large gourmet supermarkets (I found both at Whole Foods). In this dish, whole-grain bulgur stands in for traditional couscous.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lamb stew meat or shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ras-al-hanout
1 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/4 cup chopped preserved lemon
1/4 cup chopped pitted dried dates
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup fine- or medium-grain bulgur
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add oil to pan. Generously season lamb with salt and pepper. Add half of lamb to pan, and cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pan. Repeat with remaining lamb.
Add onion to pan, and saute 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, ras al hanout, salt and pepper; saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Return lamb to pan. Add water and oregano. Cover, place in the oven, and bake 1 hour. Add chickpeas, olives, preserved lemon and dates. Cover, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until lamb is fork-tender. If the lamb needs more time, put it back in the oven for 15 minutes or until it’s fall-apart tender.
While the lamb cooks, bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bulgur. Cover, remove from heat, and let it stand for 10-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide bulgur evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with lamb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and cilantro.
Serves 4
Chicken Stir-Fry with Sugar Snap Peas & Sticky Sweet Sauce
If sugar snap peas aren’t in season, green beans or broccoli will sub just fine in this easy chicken stir-fry. Be sure to leave enough room in the pan to let the chicken sear … this dish is all about layering flavors.
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Plum Parfaits with Bulgur and Vanilla Yogurt
Pick a few extra plums for this ultra-simple, healthy dessert. It’s got both grown-up aesthetic appeal and a healthful hit of whole grain, thanks to the bulgur.
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup bulgur, fine or medium
2 cups plums, pitted, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in bulgur, turn off heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Stir together plums, sugar, orange juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, until thickened slightly. Stir in almond extract.
In each of 4 small, tall glasses, layer a third of the yogurt, plums and almonds. Add a layer of half the bulgur, then repeat with half the remaining yogurt, plums and almonds. Finish with a final layer of bulgur, yogurt, plums and almonds.
Serves 4
Vegan Tempeh Fajitas
Tempeh is a firm, chewy cake made from fermented soybeans, and its dense texture makes it a hearty yet cholesterol-free and very low-fat stand-in for meat. It’s a staple of vegan cuisine. You can crumble into chili, or slice it and throw it on the grill. Here, we use it as a substitute for beef in fajitas. Tempeh does well marinated (it really soaks up the flavors). For this weeknight-friendly recipe, combine the tempeh with the marinade in the morning, pop it in the fridge, and then finish the recipe in the evening. We use plain old soy tempeh, but you can use other varieties, such as flax or three-grain. Serve with salsa (either End-of-Summer Pico de Gallo or Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa) and a dollop of Guatemalan Guacamole.
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End-of-Summer Pico de Gallo
This simple pico de gallo salsa recipe is a tasty way to use up late-season tomatoes, and you can pull it together in no time. Pico de gallo — also known as salsa fresca — is traditional uncooked Mexican salsa. Serve it with our Vegan Tempeh Fajitas, as a condiment with grilled chicken or fish, or simply with chips and a nice, cold beer.
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Really Easy Roasted Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a Provencal specialty that’s a classic way to use a garden’s summer bounty of eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and bell pepper. In culinary school, I was taught to saute each vegetable separately, and then simmer them all together. That’s too much work. In this ratatouille recipe, everything is tossed together in one pan and roasted until the vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized. Serve the ratatouille hot, at room temperature or cold as a side dish, tossed with pasta, atop pizza or grilled bread, or even tucked into a quesadilla.
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Hot-Smoked Sablefish (Black Cod)
Wild-caught sablefish (a k a black cod, Alaska cod, butterfish) from Alaska is a fatty, mild-flavored fish with luscious, buttery texture. It’s an ideal candidate for smoking. If your fillet is long, cut it in half so you can pull the thinner tail end, which will cook more quickly, off the grill when it’s done. If you can’t find sablefish, use wild Alaskan salmon instead. Your choice of wood will influence the taste. For more pronounced smoky flavor, use hickory. For subtle smokiness, use applewood. Serve atop crackers, flaked over a tossed green salad or with bagels and cream cheese (with capers, of course).
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Spicy Corn Chowder with Sauteed Shrimp
This corn chowder recipe is a delicious way to showcase sweet end-of-summer fresh corn. It’s also a perfect not-too-heavy soup to enjoy as the evenings start to cool off. Trim away the corn kernels with a sharp knife, propping the cob on end in a large shallow bowl to catch the kernels. Simmering a whole, pierced chile in the broth infuses the chowder with subtle heat that doesn’t overpower the sweet corn. This recipe serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as an entree. It’s ideal for summer entertaining: Make the chowder up to 3 days ahead and chill, and then warm it over gentle heat while your saute the shrimp.
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Zucchini Frittata
By the luscious, creamy texture and complex flavor of this zucchini frittata, you’d never guess it was barely more than squash, onion and eggs. Choose the freshest eggs you can find for this since they play such a prominent role. We like to pack this frittata for picnics with a fluffy bibb lettuce and herb salad and my Go-To Vinaigrette.
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