It’s only the first week of December, but it already feels like the big eating season is in full swing. Latke nights and cookie exchanges and holiday parties – they’re the best but also… a lot! That’s why on the nights we’re home cooking for ourselves, I do my best to keep things simple. Here’s what’s on the menu this week:
Spicy Tofu with Cabbage and a Delicious Sauce
This meal benefits from two store-bought saviors: pre-cooked tofu, which cooks quickly and can be found in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets (Trader Joe’s sells two varieties: sesame ginger and sriracha); and Mama O’s kimchi sauce, a hot, funky sauce that’s not too sweet with garlic that I’d drink by the gallon if I could. This meal started as a quick lunch, but I kept developing it, and now it’s a dish my daughter requests frequently when she comes home from college.
Recipe: Add half a sliced onion, an inch of fresh ginger (minced), and a clove of garlic (minced) to neutral oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once slightly softened, add a small head of shredded cabbage (I used half a head of red cabbage and half a head of green cabbage here but you can use any combination you like). Stir the cabbage until it caramelizes and wilts (about 10 minutes), then push it to the side of the pan to expose the center surface. Add a bit more oil, then pan-fry sliced tofu (one package is enough to serve two in my house) for about 2 minutes on each side until golden. Toss everything together with a splash of soy sauce and fresh lemon juice. Serve with: toasted sesame seeds and kimchi sauce (or sriracha or your favorite hot sauce).
Butter-Pan Fried Salmon
Salmon is my go-to quick dinner fish because it’s so tasty, meaning cooks don’t need to do much to make it taste good. For an easy upgrade to pan-fried salmon, I serve it with a hot sauce.
Recipe: Add two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (I love cast iron) and set it over medium-high heat. Add skin-on salmon fillets (one fillet weighing 1/3 pound per person) skin-side down and fry until the flesh is cooked about a third of the way up the side of the fillet. Flip the fillet and fry for another 2-3 minutes (it will splatter a lot since the skin is fatty) until the top of the flesh is set to the touch but not too firm. Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with a hot sauce (ratio of sauce to sriracha is 3:1) on the side. Serve with: crunchy bread and arugula salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, garnished with avocado slices.
One-Pot Veggie Chili
The main ingredients (beans, tomatoes, and chili powder) come from a can or are pantry staples that are always on hand (onion and garlic), meaning it can be whipped up any night of the week. You can find the exact amounts of ingredients in my favorite recipe if you like, but feel free to modify as you wish.
Recipe: Heat neutral oil in a medium pot set over medium-low heat. Add one small chopped onion, one minced garlic clove, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and stir, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for another minute, until the tomato paste darkens slightly. Add 3 cans of beans (any combination of white, pinto, and black beans) and 4 tablespoons of chili powder, crank the heat up to medium-high, and cook until the spices are hot, about another 3 minutes. Add a can of diced tomatoes, a piece of dark chocolate (optional), a pinch of cinnamon (my husband’s secret), and some healthy shakes of thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to deepen and meld together, about 30 minutes. Serve with: fried plantain chips and sour cream and avocado slices.
What
Are you cooking these days?
Note: Five ways to turn roasted chicken into a main dish and cabbage: a love story.
Source: https://cupofjo.com/2023/12/06/easy-dinner-recipes-for-holidays/
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