The other day, before pouring my morning coffee, I took 3 minutes to make a shaggy dough and set it aside for fermentation…
Lest you think this is normal behavior, let me remind you that I shuddered when you mentioned the word “yeast” in a recipe. But recently something interesting happened.My father, who is a supreme bread lover, is currently on a low-salt diet and finds it very difficult to find low-salt versions of his beloved baguettes and boules, so I gave him the unsalted version. Jim Lahey’s Famous Easy No Knead Bread every time i visit him. I live very close to my father, so I have a lot of visits and a lot of bread. I sometimes make bread (with salt) for it. Economies of scale and all that.
I’m saying this as a reminder that cooking (and baking) is a lot easier and a lot more fun when you don’t have to create a cookbook or launch a website. because it will give It’s the happiest cycle. If building something is second nature, you are more likely to build it. Especially true.
Along with that bread, here are five recipes I recommend starting with.
chicken breast
We’re talking bone-in chicken breast here. It can be chopped and tossed with dressings to make chicken salads, or added to green salads, soups and noodles. Even though it’s roasted, the point isn’t to make the skin glazed and crispy, but to create tender, perfectly cooked chicken shreds.
recipe: Place 4 pieces of bone-in chicken breast on a rimmed parchment paper and add 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and spread loosely with foil. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Remove chicken, allow to cool, and shred with 2 forks. You should have about 4 cups of chicken.
Versatile salad dressing
You probably already remember it from the first time we spoke two years ago.Tossing a good dressing on your salad will help your whole Dinner somehow becomes fresher, tastier, and more homemade.
recipe: In a small jar or measuring cup, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup vinegar (red, white, white balsamic, sherry), 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt, pepper Herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, dill, basil). Once mixed, add 1/2 cup oil (1/3 cup if you like a more “aggressive” dressing) to the jar and shake or whisk in a steady stream until emulsified.
This salad goes well with dressing on top and tofu on the bottom.
basic grilled tofu
Recommended for those who are not good at making tofu. Once I learned this technique, which relies on a toss of cornstarch for easy crunching, I found myself adding tofu cubes to so many dishes that previously added meat. Especially in salads like the one above, along with grapes, feta cheese, and wheat berries, along with pistachios, leeks, arugula, carrots, and the salad dressing you already remember.
recipe: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, toss 15 oz tofu block (drained, pressed, and diced) with 3 tbsp neutral oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and parchment-lined sheet Place on pan. Bake until tofu is golden brown and corners are crisp, 15-20 minutes.
hard boiled egg
Undercooked egg whites, overcooked egg whites, greenish-grey rims around yolks… A lot of things can go wrong with something that seems so simple at first glance. As I put it to memory, it was nothing but soft white and sun-yellow yellow yolks. . Or diced and added to roasted asparagus dishes. Or grate mustard and mayonnaise and chopped red onion, then scoop it up with a good loaf of bread. (Additional credit: 7 minute eggEgg yolks are undercooked and jam-rich, making them a good choice for grain bowls and Caesar-style salads.
recipe: Place eggs in a medium pot over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover and set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Alternatively, he can cool down by running ten seconds in cold water.
early pickled onions
This is worth remembering for two reasons. First, right out of the jar, pickled onions amazingly upgrade everything: sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and more. is all — Cabbage, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.
recipe: In a medium-thick pot, bring 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar (any kind, I usually use red wine), 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil over high heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add 1 red onion (thinly sliced), reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Do not rinse or drain. Ready to use. Store leftovers in pickling liquid.
10 years How to memorize recipes.
What is your favorite recipe to memorize?
PS 5 ingredient dinners and 9 family meals we loved to death.
(Salad photo courtesy Christine Han for weekday vegetarian.)
