Week of April 19th

Grilled Beef Kofte

Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
KOFTE
½ cup pine nuts
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ pounds 80 percent lean ground beef
½ cup grated onion, drained
⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
⅓ cup minced fresh mint
1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 large disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal)

Directions:
FOR THE YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Set aside.
FOR THE KOFTE: Process pine nuts, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in food processor until course paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add beef, onion, parsley, mint, and gelatin; knead with your hands until thoroughly combined and mixture feels slightly sticky, about 2 minutes. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into 5-inch-long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter. Using 8 (12-inch) metal skewers, thread mixture onto skewers, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer skewers to lightly greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Using skewer, poke 12 holes in bottom of disposable pan. Open bottom vent completely and place disposable pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled two-thirds with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into disposable pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place skewers on grill (directly over coals if using charcoal) at 45-degree angle to grate. Cook (covered if using gas), without moving them, until browned and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip skewers and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat register 160 degrees, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer skewers to large platter and serve, passing yogurt-garlic sauce separately.

First of all- 1.5 lbs of ground beef? Eye roll. It probably won't come from fancy free range, grass fed cows, but you can get 1.5lbs of ground beef right from the butcher in bulk. Or scale the recipe by 1 1/3 to use 2 lbs. Given the prep time, scaling up may make more sense. Same amount of time, 30% more product.

Speaking of the prep time- I'd make the koftes in the morning along with the yogurt sauce and put 'em in the fridge so the grilling process is more relaxed and social. I also pair these with yogurt flatbreads.

I don't know what they're talking about with the disposable pan for the charcoal. Maybe there are some grill nerds out there that get this? I grill these just like the complicated hamburgers that they are.

Lastly, feel free to skip the skewers. I know it won't look like authentic Persian street food without them, but who are we kidding. On your grill, the skewers are just going to make turning these things next to impossible. Put the skewers in after they are done if you must.

Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons white (or red) miso
4 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 packed cup)
Kizami nori, furikake or thinly sliced seaweed snacks, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Add the butter, miso and 1 1/4 cups pasta water to the pot and whisk over medium heat until miso breaks down and liquid is uniform, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and Parmesan and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce emulsifies. (The key word here is “vigorously.” To achieve a silky smooth pasta instead of a gloppy one, put your cacio e pepe skills to work.)
Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with nori or furikake, if using.

OK- I am going to admit a rare Jahtreats total fail on this one. This was my first attempt at a cacio e pepe style pasta, and I completely did not emulsify my sauce with tongs. Instead, the cheese formed into a congealed blob swirling around my pasta and my pasta got chopped up into little pieces. Evidently this is a very common problem. I am very much looking forward to trying this again using a blender.

Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)

Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 2 cloves)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon minced fresh bird’s-eye chile or other fresh chile (from 1 chile)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Thai seasoning sauce (such as Golden Mountain)
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves (preferably Thai basil or holy basil)
Ground white pepper, to taste
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
4 crispy fried eggs (optional)

Directions:
Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high, then swirl in the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground chicken and cook, actively breaking the chicken up into small pieces, until it is mostly cooked, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, sugar and chile until evenly distributed and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the green beans, oyster sauce, fish sauce and Thai seasoning, and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is fully cooked, the green beans are crisp-tender and the krapow is glossy, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the basil and a dash of white pepper and toss to combine. If the sauce seems to cling too tightly to the mixture, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to make it loose and glossy.
Serve over rice, and top with a crispy fried egg, if desired. Serve with additional Thai seasoning to sprinkle on top, according to taste.

And you were worried about using up that bottle of fish sauce you bought. There is honestly a method to seeming randomness of my recipes- I curate these from sources that have a similar palette, so ingredients that seem odd get used over and over. Fish sauce, miso, gochujang, hoisin, black bean paste, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, white pepper, ghee, dried arbol peppers, dried ancho peppers etc etc are things that I always have in my pantry or fridge ready to go. If I buy a weird ingredient, it's because I know it will get used before it goes bad based on the places where I get my recipes. If I think it's a waste of money I will let you know.

Speaking of which. Don't bother with the Thai seasoning sauce unless you know you want it. Just use soy sauce. Regular ole basil works great here, and don't worry about using too much. It wilts down wonderfully in the pan.

Paprika Chicken and Potatoes

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably a sweeter one, like Kewpie)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, halved
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves and tender stems

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon paprika. Scoop out 1/4 cup and place into a small bowl. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add to the large mixing bowl, stir to coat and set aside.
Add the sliced potatoes to a large sheet pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat and spread in an even layer, setting thicker potato slices near the edges where it is hotter. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes in an even layer.
Roast until the chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and squeeze the juice from one lime half into the small bowl with the reserved paprika mayonnaise; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and more lime juice and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Garnish the cooked chicken and potatoes with the parsley and serve with the paprika mayonnaise for dipping.

OK. I know boneless chicken thighs are all the rage right now, and I get it in the right circumstance (super high heat or slow cooker). In this situation, they are gonna come out greasy. If you must and want to get results similar to the picture, cut the cooking time by a few minutes and turn on the broiler at the end. Otherwise, use chicken breasts and if you want the breast meat to be super tender, get it marinating in the mayo sauce in the morning (it will properly break down the proteins in the meat) and pop it in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles with Glazed Tofu

Cook Time: 35 minutes | Servings: Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:
FOR THE NOODLES:
3 blocks instant ramen noodles (about 9 ounces), flavor packets discarded
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Kosher salt
1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces
Handful of cilantro leaves
FOR THE MARINADE:
2 tablespoons hoisin
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.
Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.
Place the noodles on a sheet pan. Add the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine, then spread the noodles out evenly.
Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the sheet pan, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the pan and doesn’t just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.
Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and toss to coat.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and around the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with cilantro leaves and serve.

For easy clean up, line your baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Years ago when I was starting my cooking journey, I used to look for the firmest tofu I could find because it seemed like a proper analog to meat. But then I learned over time that super firm tofu is really only OK in a few places- like grilling after a very lengthy marinade. Otherwise it's kind of gross. The "extra-firm" tofu I typically buy is "Melissa's" brand, which is barely firm by other brand's standards. In other words, I go as soft as possible. With my tofu.

Anyway. Melissas extra firm tofu is too delicate to dip into marinade if cut into 1/4" slices. So I brush the marinade on to both sides of the tofu with a pastry brush after I lay it on the cooking sheet.