Week of July 19th

One-Pan Salmon Niçoise with Orzo

Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup orzo
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 pint cherry or other small tomatoes, halved (8 to 10 ounces)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Handful of basil leaves or pinch of thyme leaves (optional)
4 (4- to 5-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on or off
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions:
Transfer 1 tablespoon of the chopped shallot to a medium bowl, then add the remaining shallot to a large (12-inch) skillet. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium high. When the oil is sizzling, add the orzo, season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and stir constantly until light golden, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the olives plus 2 1/4 cups water; bring to a boil, then cover the skillet with a lid, baking sheet or foil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook according to package directions until the orzo is al dente.
Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, mustard, herbs (if using) and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the reserved shallots in the bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper then set aside. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
When the orzo is al dente, add the green beans and stir to combine. If orzo looks dry, add 1/4 cup water; you want it to be wet but not soupy. Nestle the salmon in a single layer into the orzo, skin-side up if applicable. Cover and cook until the salmon and orzo are cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 2 minutes. If your salmon has skin, peel it off and discard. Top the orzo and salmon with the tomatoes and vinaigrette.

Not much to add here. Skin-on salmon works fine, just put the skin side up in the pan and it will peel off easily when it's cooked. It will also take a lot closer to 10 minutes for the salmon to cook properly, so you can toss it on the orzo after it's been cooking for 8 minutes or so, along with a generous 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water to keep the orzo from sticking to the pan. The green beans will need 8 minutes or so to cook, so plan accordingly.

If you got a whole salmon filet, make sure to cut it into 6 or 8 oz portions before you cook it.

Smoky Chicken and Avocado Kale Salad

Cook Time: total time 45 minutes | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped, plus 4 Tbsp. adobosauce
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1½ tsp. ground cumin, plus more
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
3 small limes, halved, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large red onion, halved, cut through root end into 1½"-thick strips
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 bunch kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
2 avocados, divided
Flaky sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine 1 chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped, 4 Tbsp. adobo sauce, 1 tsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tsp. ground cumin, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl. Squeeze juice from 1 small lime into bowl and stir to combine. Add 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts and turn to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
Place 1 large red onion, halved, cut through root end into 1½"-thick strips, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and season with kosher salt. Toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer, then nestle chicken among onion. Roast until chicken is cooked through and onion is tender, 22–25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice.
Meanwhile, place ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil, season with kosher salt, and sprinkle with a pinch of ground cumin. Toss to coat, then spread pumpkin seeds out into an even layer. Roast until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Place 1 bunch kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced, in a large bowl. Cut 1 avocado in half; remove pit and discard. Scoop flesh into bowl. Squeeze juice of 1½ small limes over kale and drizzle generously with oil; season with kosher salt. Using your hands, squeeze and mash avocado, massaging into kale to soften slightly. Mound salad on a platter.
Thinly slice remaining 1 avocado. Top salad with chicken, avocado, and roasted onion as desired. Scatter pumpkin seeds on top. Squeeze juice of remaining ½ small lime over entire salad; sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

This recipe sounded a little finicky to me when I first saw it, but it turned out top-notch and it was super easy to make. Mrs. Treats gave it her best rating: "I could eat this every night". I was also worried that 4tbs of adobo sauce would make this hotter than hell, but not the case- it was perfect. I also used pre cooked and salted snack-style pumpkin seeds rather than dicking around with toasting raw ones.

Gochujang Turkey Sweet Potatoes

Cook Time: 1 hour | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes (1¼–1½ lb.), scrubbed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
¼ cup double-concentrated tomato paste
2 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp. honey
4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Lime wedges (for serving)

Directions:
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Arrange 4 medium sweet potatoes (1¼–1½ lb.), scrubbed, on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and turn to coat; season with kosher salt. Roast sweet potatoes until very tender, 50–60 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 medium green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped, 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring often, until onion is golden around edges and softened, 8–10 minutes.
Add 1 lb. ground turkey to pan. Mix into vegetables, then spread out in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup double-concentrated tomato paste, 2 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, and 1 tsp. honey; cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is deepened in color, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cook, stirring often, until liquid is reduced by about half and mixture looks saucy.
Transfer sweet potatoes to a platter, split lengthwise with a small knife (don’t cut all the way through), and open up like a book. Using a fork, lightly mash flesh, making sure to keep skins intact; season lightly with salt.
Spoon turkey mixture over sweet potato halves. Top with 4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, and ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro. Drizzle lightly with more sesame oil. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.Do Ahead: Sweet potatoes can be roasted 4 days ahead; transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill. Turkey mixture can be made 4 days ahead; transfer to a separate airtight container. Cover and chill.

The headline here is the hour you need to cook the potatoes. If you have the time, no prob, but you could easily cook the potatoes the night before and warm them up in the microwave later.

Also- don't sweat the double concentrated tomato paste here. There are times where you need it, but this is not one. The gochujang is going to plow right past whatever put there, so regular tomato paste is fine. FYI, this is my go-to gochjang, and you can find it most chain grocery stores.

Crispy Gnocchi Caprese

Cook Time: total time 20 minutes | Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. (or more) sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. (or more) Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 17.6-oz. package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn
1 cup (lightly packed) coarsely chopped basil
¼ cup (lightly packed) coarsely chopped parsley

Directions:
Combine 1 large garlic clove, finely grated, one 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, coarsely chopped, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups), 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl and generously season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss until red peppers and tomatoes are well coated.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook gnocchi, stirring occasionally, until golden brown all over, 8–10 minutes.
Add gnocchi to bowl with red pepper mixture along with 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn, 1 cup (lightly packed) coarsely chopped basil, and ¼ cup (lightly packed) coarsely chopped parsley and stir gently to combine. Taste and add more vinegar and/or season with more salt if needed. Spoon onto a platter to serve.

If you're making this for 4, I'd fry two bags of 16 or 12 oz of gnocchi and slightly increase the amount of tomatoes. You can then eyeball the amount of gnocchi you want to add the red pepper mixture, and put any reminder in the fridge for a snack later. I just dont think one bag of gnocchi is quite enough for four.

Peruvian-Style Tofu with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Cook Time: total time 40 minutes | Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. paprika
Freshly ground pepper
2 14-oz. blocks firm tofu, drained
1 bunch cilantro, bottom 1" of stems removed, cut into2" pieces
6 scallions, cut into 2" pieces
½ avocado, pit removed, peeled, halved
1 serrano chile, stem removed
1 small garlic clove
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. ground cumin
Vegetable oil (for grill)

Directions:
Tofu:
Mix 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. paprika in a 13x9" baking dish to combine; season generously with freshly ground pepper. Cut each of two 14-oz. blocks firm tofu, drained, into 4–6 planks; transfer to dish and turn to coat each side evenly in marinade. Arrange tofu in a single layer; cover with plastic wrap and let sit at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours (chill if marinating longer than 30 minutes; no need to bring to room temperature before grilling).
Sauce and assembly:
While the tofu is marinating, blend 1 bunch cilantro, bottom 1" of stems removed, cut into 2" pieces, 6 scallions, cut into 2" pieces, ½ avocado, pit removed, peeled, halved, 1 serrano chile, stem removed, 1 small garlic clove, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ½ tsp. ground cumin, and ¼ cup water in a blender until mostly smooth (some flecks of cilantro are okay). Transfer cilantro sauce to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly against surface (this will slow down oxidation). Chill until ready to serve.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; generously oil grate with vegetable oil. Remove tofu from marinade, letting excess drip back into dish, and grill until deep brown marks appear underneath, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn over (using a fish or stiff metal spatula to coax it off the grate will make it easier); grill until deep brown marks appear underneath, about 5 minutes.
Transfer tofu to a platter and serve with cilantro sauce alongside.Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

I was called away to an emergency social occasion this week, and did not get a chance to make this- my plan is to make this tonight. So we'll see how it goes.