It’s only the first week of December, but it already feels like the height of the big eating season. Latke nights, 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 will be on the menu this week:
Spicy Tofu with Cabbage and Yummy Sauce
This meal takes advantage of two easy store-bought saviors: pre-cooked tofu, which cooks up quickly and you can find in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets (Trader Joe’s sells two kinds: sesame and ginger and sriracha); and Mama O’s Kimchili sauce, a slightly tangy hot sauce that’s not too sweet with garlic, and I’d drink it by the gallon if I could. This meal started out as a quick lunch, but I’ve continued to refine it, and now it’s the meal that my daughter’s dad requests more than anything 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 pan set over medium heat. Once softened slightly, 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 caramelized and wilted (about 10 minutes), then push it to the side of the pan to expose the middle surface. Add a little oil then fry sliced tofu (one package is enough to serve two in my house) for about 2 minutes on each side until golden. Toss everything with a splash of soy sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve with: toasted sesame seeds and Kimchili sauce (or sriracha or your favorite hot sauce).
Butter Fried Salmon
Salmon is my go-to quick dinner fish because it’s so delicious, which means cooks don’t need to do much to make it melt-in-your-mouth. For an easy upgrade to pan-fried salmon, I serve it with spicy mayonnaise.
Recipe: Add two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a large heavy-bottomed skillet (I prefer cast iron) and set it over medium-high heat. Add skin-on salmon fillets (one fillet weighing about 1/3 pound per person) skin side down and cook until the cooked side is about a third of the way up the fillet. Flip the fillet and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes (it will splatter quite a bit since the skin is fatty) until the top flesh feels firm to the touch but isn’t too firm. Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with spicy mayonnaise (ratio of mayonnaise to sriracha, 3:1) on the side. Serve with: crusty bread and arugula salad dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, topped with avocado slices.
Vegetable Chili in One Pot
The main ingredients (beans, tomatoes, and chili powder) come from a can or are pantry staples that are always on hand (onions and garlic), which means this can be made on any night of any week. You can find the exact ingredient amounts in my favorite recipe if you want, but you can also experiment.
Recipe: Heat neutral oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add one small diced onion, one minced garlic clove, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and stir, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste and stir 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, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir until spices are heated through, about another 3 minutes. Add a can of diced tomatoes, a piece of dark chocolate (optional), a sprinkle of cinnamon (my husband’s secret), and some healthy shakes of thyme, and let it boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors deepen and meld together, about 30 minutes. Serve with: tortilla chips, sour cream, and avocado slices.
What
Are you cooking these days?
Note: Five ways to turn rotisserie chicken into a meal and cabbage: A love story.
Source: https://cupofjo.com/2023/12/06/easy-dinner-recipes-for-holidays/#comments
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