Week of March 1

Mattar Paneer (Peas and Paneer in Spiced Tomato Gravy)

Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup ghee or neutral oil
1/2 pound paneer or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes and patted very dry
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp ground guajillo pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons cashew butter
8 ounces frozen (no need to thaw) or fresh green peas (about 1¾ cups)
3 tablespoons heavy cream or cashew cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Rice or roti, for serving

Directions:
Heat ghee in a large frying pan or medium wok on high for 30 seconds, or until it is melted. Lower heat to medium and lightly fry paneer or tofu cubes, turning frequently, until they are golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.
In the same frying pan or wok, add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add cumin seeds, chile powder and turmeric, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Add 3/4 cup water. Simmer on medium until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium-low, and stir in cashew butter. Add peas and paneer. Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness. Top with heavy cream in a swirl, if you like. Sprinkle with garam masala. Serve with rice or roti.

The recipe as posted by NYT is basically 2 servings. If you're making this for 4, you can comfortably double it (pro tip: use Paprika's scale feature). When I double it, I swap the peas with a 10 or 12 oz bag of edamame.

This recipe floats around the NYT cooking universe in various forms, but long story short you can swap chicken for the paneer or tofu for a non vegetarian option.

I am living life to its fullest extent, so I usually have a bag of dried guajillo peppers in my pantry, and I de-seed one and grind it up in my spice grinder for this, but you can use regular ole chile powder, too.

Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ small onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced
⅓ cup heavy cream
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Directions:
1 Roast the chile over a gas burner or under the broiler, until charred all over. Wrap in a paper towel; steam for 5 minutes. Rub off the skin; remove the seeds and ribs. Chop coarsely.
2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and garlic; cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chile and cream.
3 Purée in a blender; add water if too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
4 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until it is golden and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.

I fully appreciate that cooking a chicken breast isn't that complicated, but I find this Epicurious video helpful.

The recipe seems like it's a little finicky, with charring and steaming the pepper and everything, but it's totally worth it. This sauce is top notch. If you're going big with 2 lbs of chicken you can easily double the sauce.

Skillet Meatballs with Juicy Blackberries

Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
12 ounces blackberries, halved if large (about 2 ½ cups)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (any type)
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 pound ground lamb or pork
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon coriander, fennel or caraway seeds, lightly crushed, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or dried mint, plus more for serving

Directions:
Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and set the oven to broil.
Set a handful of the blackberries aside for Step 4. In a large (12-inch) cast-iron or other broiler-proof skillet, stir together the remaining blackberries with the sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ground meat, panko, egg, seeds, thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Roll into 12 meatballs (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each) and nestle them among the blackberries in the skillet. (The blackberries may not be in a single layer and that’s OK.) Broil until the blackberries are soft and the meatballs are golden and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the remaining blackberries to the skillet and mash some of the blackberries with a fork or spoon to release their juices. If the sauce seems more watery than juicy, simmer on the stovetop over medium-high to thicken (no need to remove the meatballs). Serve the meatballs garnished with more seeds, thyme leaves and black pepper.

I use frozen blackberries for this, and more often than not I use 100% ground beef for the meatballs.

As usual, I dont know what kind of broiler they're using, but 8 minutes in my broiler would make the meatballs dark on top and raw on the bottom. I broil for about 7 minutes, pull the pan out, flip the meatballs and broil for another 5 or so. Your milage may vary.

Roasted Salmon with Lemon Relish

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raisins
Slivered zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ to ¾ cup boiling water
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces baby spinach

Directions:
1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toastin the oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the sheet, and reserve.
2 Meanwhile, place the raisins and lemon zest in a small heat-proof bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside.
3 Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet used in step 1; season with salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, drain and discard the liquid from the raisins and lemon zest. Return the raisins and zest to the bowl; add the lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley, and oil. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine.
5 Dividing evenly, make a bed of spinach on each of 4 plates. Place a salmon fillet on the spinach; spoon lemon relish over the top.

This recipe crushes on all fronts. It's quick, delicious and presents like something in a fancy restaurant.

The lemon "zest" here is made by using a regular vegetable peeler to peel off strips of lemon rind and then slicing them into slivers lengthwise. If the strips of rind have white pithy stuff on the backside, take a sec and scrape that off with your knife blade. That pith just adds unwanted bitterness.

I dont bother with the spinach and serve this with brown rice. But whateves.

Spicy Red Pesto Pasta

Cook Time: 30 minutes | Servings: Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:
⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup drained jarred, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 1/2 ounces), roughly chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (a scant 2 1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste (or 1/3 cup tomato paste)
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup drained chopped, jarred roasted red peppers (about 4 ounces)
1 ½ ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 1 packed cup), plus more for serving
1 pound rigatoni, orecchiette or other shaped pasta
Sliced fresh basil leaves, for serving
Fresh lemon zest, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare the pesto: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, tomato paste, garlic and red-pepper flakes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until mixture is toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to let cool for a few minutes.
Add the roasted red peppers and Parmesan to a food processor. Top with the cooled tomato mixture and the remaining 2/3 cup olive oil, and pulse the mixture until you form a paste. (It makes 2 cups.)
Season the boiling water generously with salt, then add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Return the pasta to the pot, along with about 1 1/2 cups of the red pesto and 1 cup of the pasta water, and stir vigorously until the sauce is glossy and the pasta is evenly coated. Stir in additional pesto or pasta water to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide among bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and top with torn basil. Shave some fresh lemon zest on top, if using. Serve immediately.