Week of May 24th

Go-To Grilled Chicken Kebabs

Cook Time: 1 hour | Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:
Gather Your Ingredients
¼ cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced to paste
1½ teaspoons sugar
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, untrimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 (12-inch) metal skewers

Directions:

1. Whisk tomato paste, oil, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until smooth. Add chicken and, using your hands or silicone spatula, mix until chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
2. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4½ quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. 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 primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
3. While grill heats, thread chicken onto skewers, rolling or folding pieces as necessary to form 1-inch pieces and alternating leaner pieces with fattier pieces (fold any excess fat onto skewers as needed to keep it from hanging loose).
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place kebabs directly over coals (over primary burner if using gas) and cook (covered if using gas) until grilled side is well browned and slightly charred, 2 to 2½ minutes. Turn one-quarter turn. Continue to cook and turn until all sides are browned and charred and meat registers 175 degrees, about 12 minutes in total, rearranging skewers halfway through cooking so those farthest from heat source are now closer and vice versa. (If large flare-ups occur, slide kebabs to cool side of grill until fire dies down.) Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
   FOR HARISSA, ALEPPO PEPPER, AND MINT MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons harissa, 2 teaspoons ground dried Aleppo pepper, and 2 teaspoons dried mint to marinade in step 1.
   FOR RED CURRY PASTE AND LIME MARINADE: Reduce tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste and 2 teaspoons grated lime zest to marinade in step 1. Serve kebabs with lime wedges.

I know chicken thighs are a big deal right now and this is a fine high-heat use for them, but this past week I went old school with chicken breasts and got them in the marinade a few hours before grilling. I could see a world where you might use a mix of thighs and breasts, too. If you have been along from the beginning, I think our fish sauce journey is now complete. It's time to go all in with 2 tbs.

I also matched these with yogurt flatbreads baked on the grill.

Crispy Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
1 large head broccoli (about 1 pound), florets cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces, stems thinly sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Salt
Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
½ lemon

Directions:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss together the gnocchi, broccoli, olive oil and garlic until well coated. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, if using. Spread into an even layer. Pinch off pieces of the sausage that are roughly the size of the gnocchi and place them on top of the gnocchi and vegetables. Roast until the sausage and broccoli are golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Squeeze the lemon half over the top (about 1½ tablespoons juice) and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Stir until the cheese has melted. Serve topped with more Parmesan and crushed red pepper as you like.

My problem with recipes that use 1lb of gnocchi is that it never seems like a lot of gnocchi. Like way less than a lb of regular pasta. So this week I went rogue and used two lbs of gnocchi. And you know what? I'd do it again. This maybe my new approach to all future sheet pan/skillet/crispy gnocchi recipes. I believe this is the kind of inspired recipe interpretation my subscribers love and expect from me.

Now, I have come to understand that some of my beloved Jah Readers have fallen on harder times, and an extravagance like 2 boxes of gnocchi may mean the difference between having enough money for the XTR component group or settling for just Deore XT on your new XC whip. If this is this case, I suggest doing what NYT cooking did here in the pic, which is to prepare this on a smaller sheet pan and make 1 box look like 2! Problem solved.

Lemony Chicken-Feta Meatball Soup with Spinach

Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken or turkey, preferably dark meat
1/2 cup crumbled feta
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 small red onion, halved (1/2 diced, and 1/2 grated, then squeezed with a paper towel to remove excess liquid)
1/3 packed cup fresh dill leaves and fine stems, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
4 packed cups baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
2 lemons (1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, add the chicken, feta, 1/4 cup oats, the grated onion, most of the dill (reserve about 2 tablespoons for garnish), the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Gently combine without squeezing too hard or overworking the meat. Lightly wet your palms and shape the meat into small balls, a little smaller than the size of a golf ball, about 1 1/2 inches. (You will have approximately 25 balls.)
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium until shimmering. Add the diced onion, season with salt, and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon turmeric and the red-pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push the onions to the sides as best you can, then add the meatballs. (They will be close together, and that’s OK.) Cook until browned on two sides, 5 to 7 minutes total.
Pour in the broth and remaining ½ cup oats, then gently tilt the pot to the right and left to distribute the oats and broth without disturbing the meatballs. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Season with salt. Cook, gently stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until the oats have softened and the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 minutes more.
Stir in the spinach and lemon juice until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon into bowls, top with pepper and the remaining dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

This soup is really hearty enough to stand on its own as an entree. I push it a little bit by adding a full cup of oats into the broth.

Tempeh Tacos

Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed or sunflower), plus more as needed
2 (8-ounce) packages tempeh, crumbled into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red hot sauce, plus more to taste (optional)
12 hard taco shells, warmed
Desired toppings, see Tip

Directions:
In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the tempeh and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, undisturbed, until deep brown, 2 minutes. Stir and cook until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Add more oil as needed if the pan looks dry.
Add the tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, nutritional yeast and smoked paprika. Season with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until brick red and beginning to stick to the skillet, 5 to 7 minutes. Try not to rush this step; if it begins to burn, deglaze with a bit of water and reduce the heat.
Add 1 cup water and the hot sauce, if using. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until thickened and the mixture is sizzling, 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce.
Divide the filling between the taco shells, then top with chosen toppings.

Kind of a non-recipe. Tacos, except with tempeh. If you have never cooked with tempeh before, this is a good place to start. It's very common to steam tempeh for about 10 minutes before you cook it- that step removes some of tempeh's natural bitterness, and makes it a little softer.

Tempeh is also very thirsty and will absorb a lot of moisture, so get ready with that cup+ of water. I actually hold off on adding the salt, and use vegetable broth instead of water. I then taste at the end to see if it still needs a little salt. I don't bother with the nutritional yeast- I'm not sure what its bringing to the table here.

Hariyali Paneer (Green Masala Paneer)

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1½ cups fresh mint leaves
1 cup water, divided, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil, divided
1 pound paneer, cubed into ½-inch pieces (see Tip)
1 small Spanish or white onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated garlic or garlic paste
4 Thai green chiles, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¾ teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons cashew or other nut butter
½ cup water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Greek or coconut yogurt (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
Basmati rice or naan, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Blend the cilantro, mint and ½ cup of water in a blender on medium for 10 to 45 seconds, until it forms a smooth, loose paste similar to a green chutney.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee on medium heat in a frying pan or pot large enough to hold the paneer in a single layer. Once the ghee has thinned out, about 30 seconds, add the paneer in a single layer and let it cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until the surface in contact with the frying pan turns golden brown. Remove the paneer from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining ghee to the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green chiles, cumin seeds, chile powder and salt. Add the cashew butter and blended herb mixture and stir until everything is evenly mixed together. Add ½ cup water to thin out the sauce.
Add the seared paneer and stir until the paneer is coated. If a looser sauce is desired, gradually add up to another ½ cup water until the desired thickness is reached. Stir in the yogurt if using, along with the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt if desired. Serve the saucy paneer with rice or roti.

I'm a sucker for a good paneer recipe because our local store carries it and its delicious, but you can also use extra firm tofu also. I would not use the super firm tofu (the pressed kind that is not in a box of liquid) because it would be nasty here. We also have a ton of cilantro and mint in our garden right now, so this is a no brainer for us.

I make rotis with this when I have the time.