It’s been a while since I shared with you recipes that are super simple but tasty enough to justify being featured on a blog post.
INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #1
EGGS WITH ZA’ATAR AND LEMON
This very simple “recipe” is from a wonderful cookbook called “Falastin.” Gently boil as many eggs as you want, but just for 6 minutes. The idea is to get the yolk still pretty creamy. Now in a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and za’tar. Peel the eggs, and chop them coarsely, drizzle your little sauce and sprinkle salt on top. Amounts are totally flexible, I usually go with 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon olive oil and then improvise. I don’t know how many times I’ve called this lunch, with Ak-Mak crackers or a slice of sourdough bread. So good!
INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #2
SMOKY CHICKPEAS
Inspiration for this recipe came from Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea (I adore it). You will need some smoked tea (Lapsang Souchong), but it is totally worth it to get some and keep in your pantry, even if you don’t enjoy it as a regular tea. I use it in chocolate ganache and quite often in cooking. It gives the food a very nice, subtle smoky flavor.
Slice open one bag of smoked tea, mix its contents with some cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Open a can of chickpeas, drain and rinse well. Add into a bowl, drizzle some grape seed oil all over it, add the dry spice mixture and mix. Spread on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and roast in a 400F oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Once again, amounts can be totally eye-balled, no need for precision here. Relax and have fun with it.
INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #3
AROMATIC BASMATI RICE
I found this gem of a recipe at Spice House website and made it four times in a row. That tells you how much we enjoyed it. It just turns a regular batch of rice into something special. I made some adjustments to their recipe as I felt that the rice was turning out a bit too underdone for our taste.
AROMATIC BASMATI RICE
(adapted from Spice House)
1 cup Basmati rice, rinsed
1 Tablespoon grape seed oil (or another mild-flavored oil)
5 whole cardamom pods
2-3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
salt to taste
2 cups cold water
Add oil to a non-stick saucepan and place the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cardamon (you can lightly crush them if you want more flavor), cloves and cinnamon stick to saute briefly. When fragrant, add rice and salt. Saute a minute or so to coat the grains of rice with the flavored oil. Add water, but don’t put the lid on yet.
Once the water boils, turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 7 minutes. Cover the pan, and let it cook on very gently heat for 7 more minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice sit in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the spices and fluffing the rice for serving.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
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INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #4
BAKED SALMON WITH SOY-GINGER GLAZE
BAKED SALMON WITH SOY-GINGER GLAZE
(inspired by At Home with Natalie)
3 salmon filets
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil (do not add more, it is powerful stuff)
salt to taste
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Place the salmon filets (skin side down) over a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil leave at room temperature while you heat the oven to 350F and reduce the sauce for glazing.
Mix the soy sauce and mirin in a small non-stick saucepan, add the ginger, brown sugar and sesame oil. Simmer gently for a few minutes, until it starts to get a little thicker. Brush the top of the filets with some of the glaze, season very lightly with salt, and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Reserve the rest of the glaze.
Remove the pan from the oven, brush with more glaze and sprinkle sesame seeds. Return to the oven, and cook until done to your liking. Serve immediately.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
We eat salmon every week, but usually the husband is the seafood cook in our house. I rarely venture into his department, but was tempted to try this very simple preparation. I know I’ll be making it regularly, the only key thing is to get the fish cooked to the exact point you want (which is easier to do with sous-vide, but sometimes it’s nice to simplify things further). Probe the filet with a paring knife, and remove from the oven when it reaches your personal Nirvana level.
ONE YEAR AGO: Halloween Entremet Cake
TWO YEAR AGO: Pork with Prunes, Olives and Capers
THREE YEARS AGO: Kansas Corn Chowder
FOUR YEARS AGO: Impossibly Cute Bacon and Egg Cups
FIVE YEARS AGO: Pulling Under Pressure
SIX YEARS AGO: Cooking Sous-vide: Two takes on Chicken Thighs
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Miso Soup: A Japanese Classic
EIGHT YEARS AGO: On my desk
NINE YEARS AGO: A must-make veggie puree
TEN YEARS AGO: Vegetarian Lasagna
ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Brazilian Pão de Queijo
Yum! All easy and delicious.
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Thank you. The basmati rice recipe sounds like a great start to a delicious biryani.
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Thanks so much for these! LOVE your baking posts, but something like this has just solved dinner for me for tonight, and perhaps later in the week as well. Really easy and innovative, and leaves me wondering what my brain is doing that is so much more important, while truly clever people are coming up with recipes like this. Thanks again, and love this post!
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I absolutely LOVE chickpeas and rice together, lovely post! Please check out mine if you would like: https://madebybernadine.wordpress.com/2020/10/18/whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/
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That salmon is calling my name….
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These are all delicious. I am looking forward to making them all, especially the eggs (I love eggs, particularly soft boiled).
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Well, please let us have more of your very useful ‘quick’ and practical ideas ! All four appeal. My salmon is already oft being made in the same-thus manner but can surely make both rice and chickpeas more interesting. Always have za’atar in my spice cupboard . . . no, have not used it with eggs – guess what !!!
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