Chopped Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Avocado

Recipe from NYTimes

Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings

Optional: chicken
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 romaine heart, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 medium (or ½ large) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, roughly chopped (about 3 ounces)
⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions (about 2 scallions)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon drained capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted and diced
¾ cup diced or crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, mint or parsley, plus more for serving

Optional: 2 cups small (½-inch) diced stale bread, buns or pita (about 3 to 4 ounces)

Optional: heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the diced bread on a sheet pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well toasted. Set aside to cool.

Step 1
Place the romaine pieces in a large mixing bowl, along with the chickpeas, cucumber, olives and scallions.

Step 2
In a small bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons olive oil with the vinegar, capers, shallots, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and whisk well. Pour enough dressing over the salad to moisten; toss well. Add the avocado, feta and herbs and toss gently, adding more dressing to taste. Top with the croutons and a generous sprinkle of herbs and serve.

Optional: serve with chicken

Greek Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Oregano Dressing

Greek Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Oregano Dressing

Serves: 2–4
Prep time: 15 minutes (plus optional 30 minutes marinating)
Cook time: 5–7 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1 large cucumber, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped (divided)

• 2–3 spring onions, thinly sliced (divided)

• 1 head little gem lettuce or romaine, chopped

For the Dressing

• 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Halloumi

• 7–8 oz (200g) halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces

• 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying)

To Serve

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (plain, full-fat)

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Directions

1. Make the Dressing:
   In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.

2. Optional – Marinate the Vegetables:
   In a medium bowl, combine the diced cucumber, red bell pepper, half of the chopped parsley, and half of the sliced spring onions. Season with salt and pepper and toss with a spoonful or two of the dressing. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature to enhance the flavors.

3. Cook the Halloumi:
   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the halloumi slices and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Set aside.

4. Assemble the Salad:
   In a large bowl, combine the chopped lettuce with the marinated (or raw) cucumber and bell pepper mix. Add the remaining parsley and spring onions. Toss with about half of the dressing.

5. Plate and Serve:
   Spoon a generous dollop of Greek yogurt onto the bottom of each plate or bowl. Spread slightly with the back of the spoon. Top with the salad, then layer on the warm halloumi slices. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

6. Optional Extras:
   Garnish with a pinch of extra oregano, chili flakes, olives, or toasted pita chips if you like.

Peanut Dressing Salad with Quick Pickled Vegetables

Peanut Dressing Salad with Quick Pickled Vegetables

Serves: 2–4
Prep time: 25–30 minutes (plus optional chill time for pickles)
Cook time: None

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Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1 head little gem or romaine lettuce, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• A handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

• 2–3 green onions, thinly sliced

For the Peanut Dressing

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

• 2 tbsp lime juice (from 1–2 limes)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1–2 tsp chili sauce (such as sambal oelek or sriracha), to taste

• 1 tsp brown sugar (or granulated sugar)

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

• 2–4 tbsp warm water (to thin as needed)

For the Quick Pickled Vegetables

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced baby carrots

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1½ tsp fine sea salt

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

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Directions

1. Quick Pickle the Vegetables:
   In a colander, toss the sliced cucumber, radishes, and carrots with the sugar and salt. Let sit and drain over the sink for 20–30 minutes. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry.
   Transfer to a bowl and toss with the rice vinegar. Taste and add a little more vinegar if you like a tangier pickle. Refrigerate until ready to use (can be made ahead and stored for up to a week).

2. Make the Peanut Dressing:
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, and grated garlic until smooth. Gradually whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dressing is pourable and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

3. Assemble the Salad:
   In a large bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, red bell pepper, cilantro, and green onions. Add a bit of the peanut dressing and toss lightly to coat.

4. Top with Pickles and Serve:
   Add a generous handful of the pickled vegetables on top of the salad. Drizzle with more peanut dressing just before serving. Optional: garnish with chopped peanuts or sesame seeds for added texture and crunch.

Miso-Glazed Salmon

Miso-Glazed Salmon

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes marinating)
Cook time: 12–15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1–2 lbs salmon fillets (skin on or off)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Miso Mixture (for both marinade and dressing)

• 2 tbsp white miso paste

• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

• 1 tbsp mirin (or 1 tsp honey + 2 tsp rice vinegar)

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsp neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed)

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 tsp sugar 

• Add a little water if needed

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Directions

1. Make the Miso Mixture:
   In a small bowl, whisk together all the miso mixture ingredients until smooth and well combined. Divide the mixture in half—reserve one half for drizzling later, and use the other half to marinate the salmon.

2. Marinate the Salmon:
   Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour half of the miso mixture over the salmon, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours for deeper flavor).

3. Cook the Salmon:

   • Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is just cooked through. Broil for the last 1–2 minutes for extra caramelization, if desired.

   • Pan-Sear Method: Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil and place salmon skin-side down. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3–5 minutes, until the glaze is golden and the salmon is just cooked through.

4. Serve:
   Drizzle the reserved miso mixture over the cooked salmon. Serve with roasted broccoli and your choice of steamed rice or crispy potatoes.

Brown Soda Bread With Oats

from NYTimes

Ingredients

Yield:1 loaf, about 12 slices

Soft butter for the bread pan
125grams (approximately 1 cup) whole-wheat flour
62grams (approximately ½ cup) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
25grams (2 rounded tablespoons) steel-cut oats, either regular or quick-cooking
40grams (approximately ⅓ cup) rolled oats
8grams (approximately 2 teaspoons, tightly packed) brown sugar
3.5grams (½ teaspoon) salt
10grams (2 teaspoons) baking soda, sifted
290grams (approximately 1¼ cups) buttermilk

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Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch bread pan. (In UK oven to more like 150/160)

Step 2
In a large bowl, mix together flours, steel-cut oats, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt and sifted baking soda. Mix well with your hands.

Step 3
Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk. Working from the center of the bowl in concentric clockwise circles, with fingers outstretched, stir buttermilk into flour mixture. (You can use a rubber spatula instead if you don’t like getting dough on your hands.) This should take about a half a minute at most. Dough will be quite moist. Use a rubber spatula to scrape into bread pan and smooth out the dough to fill pan evenly ( the pan will be filled only about halfway.)

Step 4
Place in the oven and bake 40 minutes, until dark brown and a tester inserted comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.
Advance preparation: This keeps for about 4 days and can be frozen.

Asian soy bowl sauce

Soy/tamari sauce: 1/4 cup
Sesame oil: 1/2 tsp

Rice vinegar: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Ground ginger: 1/4 tsp
Minced garlic: 1/2 tsp
Chopped green onions
(Optional) Sriracha: 1 tsp

Chocolate chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl; stir into butter mixture until well blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven just until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.