Week of August 23rd

Carne Asada

Servings: 6–8 servings

Ingredients:
2 lb. skirt or flank steak
2 Tbsp. plus ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp. chipotle chile powder
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grill
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Flaky sea salt

Directions:
Trim excess fat and silver skin from 2 lb. skirt or flank steak. Cut meat into 3–4 pieces for skirt steak or 2 pieces for flank steak; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
Mix 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, 2 tsp. chipotle chile powder, 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, 2 tsp. garlic powder, and 2 tsp. ground cumin in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle rub all over meat, patting to adhere. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and (preferably) up to 4 hours.
Prepare a grill for high heat; oil grate. Mix 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, and remaining ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine. Set dressing aside.
Rub steak all over with 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil and grill, turning every 2 minutes or so, until medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 130°), 5–9 minutes (skirt steak is generally thinner and will have a shorter cook time; flank steak is thicker and will take longer). Transfer to a cutting board and immediately brush on all sides with reserved dressing. Let rest 10–15 minutes.
If pieces are very wide, cut steak with the grain in half lengthwise. Thinly slice meat against the grain. Arrange on a rimmed platter and drizzle juices from cutting board and any remaining dressing over. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

IMO the way to do this is get the rub on the steak in the morning and let it do its thing all day in the fridge. If you have the time, letting meat get to room temp before cooking is pretty standard advice. An instant thermometer makes cooking meat much easier.

Cumin Tomato Salad with Jammy Eggs

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bird’s-eye chile (or other small chile), thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, large enough to fit the eggs. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes and red onion with the lemon juice, salt and a dusting of pepper. Set aside.
Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Fill a medium bowl with ice and just enough water to cover. When the eggs are done cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer them immediately to the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggs, quarter them lengthwise and arrange them on a platter. Season the eggs with salt.
Make the dressing: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and chile and sizzle them for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully stir in the cilantro, which may sputter. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the warm dressing with the tomatoes and pour over the eggs. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I made this because Giant Eagle had a special on 3 dozen eggs for $.99 (!), and I had a bushel of cherry tomatoes sitting around. Given the circumstances, I'd say it was pretty good. It was quick, thats for sure. 3.5 stars. I paired it with farro. Don't stress about the cumin seeds. A sprinkle of ground cumin is just fine.

Also, you may have noticed we are in the middle of a national "jammy eggs" recipe frenzy. I'm not sure where this started, but whatever. I can ride it out. However, if we're doing this, 8 minutes in boiling water is too long for jammy eggs. The correct amount of minutes is 7. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Ricotta and Basil

Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 pounds zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces (for larger zucchini, cut in half lengthwise before slicing)
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic
1 ounce basil, about 2 cups loose leaves
1 pound ziti or other dry pasta
8 ounces ricotta, about 1 cup (see recipe)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ounces grated Parmesan, pecorino or a mixture, about 1 cup, plus more for serving

Directions:
Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

I have to confess that I didn't actually make this- due to a scheduling conflict we didn't prepare dinner this night. But I threw this in because it looked summery and involves zucchini which I know is something that becomes an inventory issue for some home gardeners.

Tomato Galette with a Flaky, Buttery Crust

Cook Time: total time 3 hours | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1½ lb. heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼" thick
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
4 oz. firm cheese (such as Asiago, cheddar, or Gouda), finely grated (about 1½ cups)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

Directions:
Crust:
Pulse 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor to combine. Add ¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup ice water over. Mix with a fork, adding more ice water by the tablespoonful as needed, just until a shaggy dough comes together. Turn out onto a surface and lightly knead until no dry spots remain (be careful not to overwork). Pat into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours.Do Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Tomatoes and assembly:
Preheat oven to 400°. Gently toss 1½ lb. heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼" thick, 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes (tomatoes will start releasing some liquid). Drain tomato mixture and transfer to paper towels.
Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to a 14" round about ⅛" thick. Transfer on parchment paper to a baking sheet. Scatter 4 oz. firm cheese (such as Asiago, cheddar, or Gouda), finely grated (about 1½ cups), over dough, leaving a 1½" border. Arrange tomatoes and garlic over cheese. Bring edges of dough up and over filling, overlapping as needed; brush dough with 1 large egg, beaten to blend. Sprinkle tomatoes and garlic with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Chill galette in freezer 10 minutes.
Bake galette, rotating halfway through, until crust is golden brown and cooked through, 55–65 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet. Finely grate zest from ½ lemon over galette; scatter 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives on top.Do Ahead: Galette can be baked 1 day ahead. Store, covered, at room temperature. Enjoy at room temperature or reheat it in a low oven (around 275°) until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

This looks like a pain in the ass, and for the first-time galette makers it might very well be. But I assure that this is a skill you can master and it's worth it.

The dough here is a pate brisee, which is a style of dough that can be used in pies and stone fruit galettes- and IMO a great recipe to have in your cooking skill set. Martha Stewart also has a cornmeal version that is worth a look. The trick is to use as little moisture as possible to make the dough- with two cups of flour you should really only need like 3/8 cup or less of ice water. I usually use a food processor for this entire process, but I tried the fork method here and it actually worked quite well.

Make sure to chill the dough all day or overnight. Rolling it out takes a little time- go slowly, using flour to reduce friction and keep healing the cracks that form along the edges of the dough as you roll it out.

After that, this recipe is super easy. Make sure to drain the tomatoes or the dough will get soggy.

Silken Tofu with Spicy Soy Dressing

Total Time: 5 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chile oil
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 scallion, green and white parts, finely sliced
2 (14-ounce) blocks silken tofu, cold
1 scallion, green and white parts, thinly sliced
Handful of cilantro leaves

Directions:
Make the dressing: Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile oil, sesame seeds, sugar and scallion in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Carefully drain the liquid from the package of tofu, and gently tip the block onto a kitchen towel. (Try to keep the block in one piece, if possible, but don’t worry if it falls apart; it will still taste great.) Pat with another clean kitchen towel, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer the blocks to one large plate or two smaller plates — leave whole or cut into 1-inch blocks — and spoon the soy dressing over the top until the tofu is completely covered. Top with scallions and cilantro leaves, and eat on its own or with rice or noodles on the side.

In my other life I travel to Asia frequently, and this is a style of dish I have had there quite often, particularly in the summer, so I thought it was worth a try at home. Its fine, I guess. The upside is that it can't get any easier. Although Mrs. Treats thought it was "quite good", I would still recommend trying this out on your family before serving it to guests.

If you get "cold feet" about a chilled dinner, I also included a verified delicious desert that uses silken tofu as well.