Masala Chickpeas With Tofu and Blistered Tomatoes

Masala Chickpeas With Tofu and Blistered Tomatoes

Like a warm and gentle nudge, masala spice gives onions and chickpeas a distinctively comforting heartiness. Glimmering with droplets of ghee, they become rich in this any-season dish. Tearing the tofu allows for ample crooks and crannies that cradle and accentuate the aromatic goodness of the spice. Cherry tomatoes, slightly and delicately blistered, are welcome as juicy bursts of acidity in every bite. Serve this over rice, or with a gently poached egg, along with a few slices of lime for squeezing.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

1 (14-ounce) block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

3 ½ tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

Salt and black pepper

1 large red onion, finely chopped, some saved for garnish

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 teaspoon ground tandoori or garam masala (homemade or store-bought)

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes

¼ cup fresh mint or dill leaves, chopped, plus more leaves for garnish

Lime wedges, for serving

Slice the tofu in half horizontally and place on a clean kitchen or paper towel to dry.

Set a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon ghee. Once the ghee begins to shimmer, season both sides of the tofu with salt and pepper, place in the pan and sear without moving until the tofu is browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the pieces over and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the tofu to a plate.

Add 2 tablespoons ghee to the same skillet and heat over medium until shimmering. Add the onion (saving some for garnish) and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes, or until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and masala spice and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Stir in the chickpeas and cook for 3 minutes, or until the chickpeas begin to sizzle.

Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the remaining ½ tablespoon ghee, then add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook without stirring until the tomatoes are just beginning to pop open and the chickpeas are warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the mint.

Break the tofu into 1-inch pieces and toss in the skillet to coat with chickpea-tomato mix. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Garnish with remaining chopped raw onions and a few leaves of fresh mint. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

TIP: I made this as a sheet pan, tossing chickpeas, onions, pressed tofu pieces and some bell pepper slices with the spice mix, ginger garlic and some oil. Then baked at 450 for 15 minutes . After agitating the contents of the pan and tossing in the tomatoes I put it all back in for another 10 minutes. Finished with lime and dill. It was very easy and delicious.

Under seasoned as written—I ~doubled the masala, ginger, and garlic, plus added chili flakes and turmeric, after which it was much better!

In answer to Maria, who hates cooking tofu, I'm a fan of using my air fryer. We use our air fryer to cook tofu more than anything else. Cube one package of firm tofu after minimally drying it off. Mix 1 T corn starch, 1 T soy sauce, 1 T olive oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Stir in the tofu until everything is coated. Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. The cubes come out pillowy soft and browned on all six sides. You'll want to eat them straight out of the pan.

Homemade Tandoori Spice Mix: 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander 1 teaspoon Paprika ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin ½ teaspoon Turmeric ½ teaspoon Salt ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves

Oven roast it! Preheat to 425. Squeeze as much water out of the tofu as you can, cube it up into 1” pieces, and toss in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. (You can also add a bit of corn starch, garlic powder and/or or paprika.) cover a baking sheet in parchment paper, spread tofu evenly across the paper. Cook, checking after about 10 to 15 minutes, and flip the cubes over with a spatula if necessary. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown.

Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins

Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins

In 1985, The Times published a recipe for the blueberry muffins served at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston, which Marian Burros, who adapted the recipe, judged among her favorite muffins in the city. A few years later, a reader wrote Marian to say that the best blueberry muffins in Boston were in fact from the now-closed Jordan Marsh department store. Marian tracked down and adapted that recipe so you can judge for yourself. But the origins of the Jordan Marsh recipe were unclear until 2023, when Mara Richmond of Burlington, Vt., wrote The Times to say that the developer of the recipe was her father, Arnold Gitlin, then the executive food consultant for Allied Stores, which owned Jordan Marsh at the time. His recipe, Richmond said, was an adaptation from one in Esther Howland’s 1847 cookbook, “The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book.” Everything old is new again. This version has a lot more sugar and butter and fewer eggs than the Ritz-Carlton muffins. It also calls for mashing a half cup of berries and adding them to the batter. This produces a very moist muffin, one that will stay fresh longer.

Yield: 12 muffins

½ cup softened butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk

2 cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over

3 teaspoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cream the butter and sugar until light.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

Crush ½ cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.

Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.

TIP: Toss the berries in flour before adding, to keep them from sinking to the base of the muffin.

The original John Pupek recipe, which I have used for years, calls for 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp.salt, and he includes 1 tsp. vanilla as well. I don't know why the recipe above makes the salt optional. Salt is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer, and if it is left out of baked goods, the final product will not taste right.

I would recommend adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and, MOST important, a tablespoon of lemon zest (thanks to Mark Bittman). Also I would use much less sugar -- I find that half a cup is enough, or three-quarters tops.

Bowen Yang’s Mapo Tofu

Bowen Yang’s Mapo Tofu

Traditionally made Sichuan mapo tofu usually calls for ground beef and silken tofu bathed in a vibrant, tingly sauce. Bowen Yang, a comedian and podcaster, shared this version made by his mother, which opts instead for pork and firm tofu in a slightly drier mixture. It still calls for Sichuan peppercorns and the fermented chile paste called doubanjiang, to evoke the signature complex depth and spice of this surprisingly quick-to-make dish.

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

1 (14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu

Salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces ground pork (or beef)

2 tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented chile bean sauce or paste)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Sichuan coarse chile powder

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Chinkiang (black) vinegar

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water (to form a slurry)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

Steamed rice, for serving

Heat the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry small frying pan over medium-high until just starting to smoke, tossing or stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, let cool slightly, then use a mortar and pestle to grind to a fine powder. Set aside for later.

Heat a medium saucepan of water over high. Meanwhile, drain tofu and cut into bite-sized cubes. When the water is at a gentle simmer (a rapid boil would make the tofu crumble), add a generous pinch of salt. Carefully add the tofu pieces. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the heat off and allow the tofu to steep.

To a wok or large frying pan over high heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink. Add the doubanjiang and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chile powder. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat down to medium and cook, until the liquid has reduced by about one-fourth and is starting to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and the ground Sichuan peppercorns  and let simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Use a slotted spoon to drain the tofu and gently stir it into the pork mixture. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes more. Taste and season with salt or soy sauce if needed. Remove from heat, drizzle with the sesame oil and gently toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with steamed rice.

Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad

Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad

There are two essential steps to a stellar farro salad. The first is cooking the farro with enough salt and aromatics so that it delicious before you combine it with the rest of the ingredients. The second is to use very good olive oil in the dressing. This farro salad, from the restaurant Charlie Bird in SoHo, hits both these marks. The chef Ryan Hardy cooks the farro in apple cider seasoned with bay leaves and plenty of salt, which renders it good enough to eat on its own. But it’s even better after he adds loads of olive oil, plus pistachio nuts and Parmesan cheese to make it even richer. Then, before serving, he folds in fresh vegetables to brighten it up: juicy tomatoes, radishes, arugula and plenty of herbs. There are many farro salads of this ilk out there. This is one of the best.

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup farro

1 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed

2 bay leaves

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

70 grams Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler (½ cup)

70 grams chopped pistachio nuts (½ cup)

2 cups arugula leaves

1 cup parsley or basil leaves, torn

1 cup mint leaves

¾ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

⅓ cup thinly sliced radish

Maldon or other flaky sea salt, for finishing

In a medium saucepan, bring farro, apple cider, salt, bay leaves and 2 cups water to a simmer. Simmer until farro is tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. If all the liquid evaporates before the farro is done, add a little more water. Let farro cool, then discard bay leaves.

In a salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Add farro, cheese and pistachio nuts and mix well. This salad base will keep for up to 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before serving). Just before serving, fold in arugula, herbs, tomatoes, radish and flaky salt to taste.

TIP: When discussing these notes and peoples' tribulations with farro cooking time my wife - something of a farro aficionado - pointed out that there are pearled and non-pearled versions available. Apparently the non-pearled takes twice as long to cook. Perhaps this is the source of confusion over cooking times?

I used pearled (without knowing the difference at the time) and it was perfect - a little nutty with a very slight crunch but perfectly edible - in 30 minutes using hard cider as liquid.

This was good but with some adjustments: Made this with Trader Joe's 10-minute farro so I used 1C apple cider and 1C water and only simmered for 15 minutes. I cut down on the olive oil and did NOT add salt. (The first time I made this the 2 tsp of salt overpowered everything and I had to throw the farro out.)

This is such a fantastic recipe, although as others noted, the salt added in to the farro is too much, especially once you put the salty parmesan on top. I roasted some sweet potato in chunks to add instead of the tomatoes to make a more autumn-y salad, I thought it was delicious and wished I had made more of the farro to make it last longer! The base easily lasted 5 days in my fridge and made for delicious lunches at the office.

Bánh Bò Nướng (Honeycomb Cake)

Bánh Bò Nướng (Honeycomb Cake)

Known in English as honeycomb cake for its interior pattern of holes stretched long like yawns, bánh bò nướng is tinted jade from pandan paste, which flavors the coconut milk batter. Glossy green pandan leaves, from which the paste is extracted, impart a scent that hovers like jasmine and vanilla with a grounding of soft herbs and toasted rice. The mix of tapioca starch and rice flour yields a texture that’s stretchy, sticky and soft. Hannah Pham’s take on this Vietnamese classic includes a crisp outer crust. She uses a Bundt pan so there’s more of the browned shell in each bite and, to make the exterior even more caramelized, cut down on the amount of butter brushed over the heated pan. For a foolproof cake, she calls for double-acting baking powder, avoids over whisking the eggs and passes the batter through a sieve. —Genevieve Ko

Yield: One Bundt cake; about 12 servings

2 cups/254 grams tapioca starch (see Tips)

¼ cup/38 grams rice flour (see Tips)

1½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder

6 large eggs

1 ⅓ cups/283 grams granulated sugar

1 (14-ounce) can/390 grams full-fat coconut milk, well-shaken

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ½ teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon pandan paste (see Tips)

¾ tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and put a 9½-inch nonstick Bundt pan on it. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Set a sieve over a large bowl and add the tapioca starch, rice flour and baking powder to it. Whisk the dry ingredients until they’re all sifted through.

Set the same sieve over another large bowl. Crack the eggs into it and break the yolks with a whisk, then slowly whisk the eggs clockwise until they all run through the sieve. Add the sugar, coconut milk, oil, salt and pandan paste to the sieved eggs and stir slowly with the whisk until smooth. Whisk gently throughout so as to not create too many air bubbles, which can cause the cake to sink.

Set the sieve over the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, whisking them through the sieve as needed to help the mixture pass through. Using the whisk, gently stir together the dry and wet ingredients until combined. Pour the batter through the sieve into the other bowl, whisking if needed to help it go through. Repeat the sieving two more times, going from one bowl to the other.

Pull the rack with the hot Bundt pan out of the oven and drop the butter into the pan. Use a pastry or silicone brush to spread the butter over the inside of the pan, then immediately pour in the batter. Lay a sheet of foil on top of the pan without crimping the edges.

Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then use a rubber spatula to nudge the edges away from the pan. Carefully flip the cake onto a rack.

Cool completely, then slice into ½-inch-thick wedges to serve. The cake tastes best when served the same day, but keeps for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tips: Tapioca starch is commonly used in Asian desserts. The Erawan brand works especially well here. Other brands available outside Asian groceries will not result in a successful cake.

Rice flour comes in many different grinds and varieties. For this cake, you want very finely ground white rice flour, ideally the Erawan brand in the packaging with the red print. You should not use brands of rice flour available outside Asian groceries or glutinous rice flour, sticky rice flour or mochiko.

Pandan paste is extracted from pandan leaves, which have a floral flavor similar to vanilla with a heady aroma like jasmine. The paste is a concentrated version of the flavoring, which also provides an intense green color to this cake.

TIP: As a Vietnamese person I want to reassure everyone in the comments that pandan paste is welcome but certainly not mandatory. If you image search bánh bò you'll see that if we don't have pandan paste/extract we'll just use food coloring. We eat bánh bò primarily for the springy, chewy, fun texture; it's not as good on the 2nd or 3rd day, and it changes for the worse when refrigerated, so I'd worry more about finding enough people to eat this cake on the day it's made than finding pandan paste :)

Pandan paste is really hard to find, even in NYC, but you can try an Asian grocery store. The popular brand seems to be Koepoe Koepoe. I tried this cake and I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 TBLSP of matcha tea powder (to give a warm vanilla floral essence) and it came out pretty good

I tried to make this cake to impress my Vietnamese mother in law. First time it was a flop. Second time I made the following adjustments and it was a success!

1) Eggs at room temp and used a rubber spatula to push them through the sieve instead of whisk

2) Baked at 350 for 45 min

3) More baking powder - I used about 2 3/4 tsp.

4) Slightly less sugar - 1 1/4 cups

5) Mixed coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan over the stove until sugar dissolved, then cooled it and added to sieved eggs

Salmon Gyro Bowls

Salmon Gyro Bowls 

These rice bowls apply the flavor of classic gyros to tender, buttery salmon. The bowl is piled with a spiced roasted onion and tomato mixture and a simple cucumber salad; a lemony, dill and feta–flavored yogurt and mayonnaise sauce completes the dish. Rice is the base for these bowls, but you could opt out of it entirely and nestle the toppings in pita bread, serve them over a bed of salad greens, or enjoy with a side of Greek-style lemon potatoes. 

Yield: 4 servings

For the salmon

¼ cup olive oil

1 lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

3 large garlic cloves, grated

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 (5- to 6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets 

1 medium red onion, sliced

3 large vine tomatoes, chopped 

Cooked white rice, for serving 

For the white sauce

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup crumbled feta

¼ cup mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated 

½ medium lemon, juiced 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Black pepper, to taste 

For the cucumber salad

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced

¼ large red onion, sliced crosswise 

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Black pepper, to taste 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and arrange racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line one large sheet pan with parchment paper and another with aluminum foil.

Prepare the salmon: In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Dip the salmon into the marinade until evenly coated. Transfer the salmon to a plate and set aside. 

Add the onions and tomatoes to the large bowl and mix until coated. Spread the onion-tomato mixture evenly on the foil-lined sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice as needed.

After the onion-tomato mixture has roasted for 20 minutes, transfer the salmon, skin side down, to the remaining sheet pan along with any leftover sauce. Add to the oven to roast until the fish is tender and flakes easily; continue roasting the onion-tomato mixture until it has softened significantly and gets slightly browned around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes.

While everything roasts, combine the ingredients for the white sauce in a medium bowl. 

Once the salmon and vegetables are done roasting, combine all the ingredients for the cucumber salad and lightly toss. 

To serve each portion, place the amount of rice you’d like into a bowl. Top with salmon, the roasted tomato-onion mixture and cucumber salad, and finish off with a generous dollop of white sauce. 

Butter Rice Cakes

Butter Rice Cakes

Also known as Shanghai butter mochi, Shanghai butter rice cakes and butter tteok in Korea, these butter mochi are individually sized, extra-crunchy and have taken the internet by storm. There are multiple theories about how the cakes originated. While some attribute them to bakeries in and outside of Shanghai, another popular belief is that the mochi were invented by an unknown baker in Nantong, China who combined nian gao with French canelé. From there, the crispy mochi became extremely popular at bakeries in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region of China before going viral, particularly in Korea. Given the similar batter,  Hawaiian butter mochi is also a likely influence—though Shanghai butter mochi use dairy milk in place of coconut.  The key to achieving their deeply browned, crackly crust and just-sweet-enough, bouncy center is to bake the cakes in a well-buttered muffin tin (or madeleine pan), frying the outside. A bit of honey in the batter further encourages browning. Though tapioca starch is often a component, different brands can produce wildly different results; for the sake of consistency, this recipe skips it, but the cakes still turn out wonderfully light and bouncy.

Yield: Makes 1 dozen

10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter 

½ cup/105 grams granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon honey

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg/50 grams, at room temperature 

1 cup/224 grams whole milk

2 ¼ cups/270 grams mochiko (sweet rice flour)

Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle. 

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium until just melted, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour 6 tablespoons/84 grams of the melted butter into a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, honey and salt. Whisk until well blended, then set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, brush the remaining 4 tablespoons/56 grams melted butter into the cups of a standard muffin tin to generously and evenly coat.

Whisk the egg into the sugar mixture until just blended, then whisk in the milk. While whisking, gradually add the rice flour and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the buttered muffin cups (about ¼ cup/60 grams per cup) and smooth the tops, if necessary. Set the muffin tin on a sheet pan. 

Bake on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake until dark golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes more. 

Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then lift each cake out with a small offset spatula or very thin paring knife and transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. (Because their crust softens overnight, these cakes are best eaten the day they are made.)

Tip: For the most even browning, use an uncoated standard muffin tin.

Just made these exactly as directed. They’re burnt at 35 minutes (after the initial 10 minutes at 400 then down to 375). So, definitely check on them before the 35-40 minutes in the instructions. My fault for not checking them. I’ll try again another day and will start checking at 20-25 minutes.

@Katarina that won’t work since mochiko is made from sticky rice grains not regular rice flour. Also mochiko is just rice, no sugar added. It’s probably just one of those simple recipes you shouldn’t make without the main ingredient. Check Japanese food stores for it.

Pasta Pesto Soup With Turkey and Spinach

Pasta Pesto Soup With Turkey and Spinach

Like its viral cousin, lasagna soup, pasta pesto soup is based on a crowd-pleasing Italian classic. Use either homemade or store-bought pesto to imbue the broth with the pungent flavors of garlic and basil. Ground turkey adds a satisfying meatiness, while baby spinach turns this into a one-pot meal. And although the ricotta is optional, a dollop or two stirred into the bowl adds a lovely creaminess that rounds everything out.

Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, more to taste 

½ teaspoon fine sea or table salt, more to taste

½ pound ground turkey

½ cup pesto, store-bought or homemade, more for serving

1 quart vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup orzo or macaroni

5 ounces baby spinach

1 lemon, halved

Whole-milk ricotta, for serving (optional)

Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onion, red pepper and a pinch of salt, and cook until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the turkey and pesto, and cook, breaking up the turkey with your spoon, until the meat is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the soup is nice and flavorful, adding more salt and red pepper, if needed, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the pasta during the last 10 to 12 minutes (check the package instructions for the pasta timing).

Add the spinach to the pot and simmer until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze some lemon juice into the pot, adding as much as you like to make the soup lively and bright. If using the ricotta, add dollops to the pot but don’t stir it in — just let it sit for a minute or two to heat up.

Serve the soup with more pesto drizzled on top.

TIP: Used homemade chicken Italian sausage (fennel is lovely with the pesto/lemon!). Browned with onion/garlic. EASILY doubled so use a pound of orzo. Recipe used, method changed. HATE pasta left in broth; it swells/absorbs ALL liquid. Cooked meat/onion/garlic, pepper, added broth; added pesto when I added baby greens, so flavor was still super-bright and fresh; turned off heat, to just melt the pesto/wilt greens. Cooked pasta separately; added to bowls, then ladled soup. Ricotta on table.

Keeper recipe! Used rotisserie chicken leftover (about 1 lb.) Added 2 extra cups broth because the orzo absorbs the liquid if you let the soup sit too long before eating. Added extra spinach and a bit more lemon. Topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Greek Goddess Dip

Greek Goddess Dip

This Greek goddess dip is stunningly verdant and has a bright herby flavor. The Greek strain in this dressing comes from using dill in place of watercress. Make it and watch it do a disappearing act on vegetables, pita chips or whatever conduit you can dream up.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

½ cup packed fresh dill

½ cup packed fresh mint

½ cup packed fresh parsley

⅓ cup packed fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch kosher salt, more to taste

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup Greek yogurt

¼ cup mayonnaise, optional

Raw chopped vegetables or pita chips, for serving

Place dill, mint, parsley, basil, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped.

With motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Add feta and process until smooth; pulse in yogurt. Taste dip and add more salt, if desired. If you like a creamier, richer dip, add mayonnaise and pulse to combine.

Serve dip immediately with vegetables or pita chips or cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Strawberry Spoon Cake

Strawberry Spoon Cake

This unfussy cake with a top layer of jammy strawberries is so gooey it’s best to serve the whole thing with a spoon. The batter comes together quickly with minimal effort, using basic pantry ingredients and a small handful of berries — frozen or fresh. If you’re using frozen, be sure to defrost them in the microwave first. Extract as much juice as possible from the fruit by macerating and mashing it, so that it lends the cake additional moisture while baking. Add a dash of freshly ground cardamom or ground ginger on top before baking it off, if you like, or some ribbons of fresh basil once it’s hot out of the oven. Whatever embellishments you decide on, burrowing warm spoonfuls of this cake beside scoops of vanilla ice cream is the most important thing.

Yield: 4 servings

½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing

5 ounces/145 grams frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)

⅔ cup/150 grams packed light brown sugar

½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.

Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in ⅓ cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.

Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.

TIP: I’ve made versions of this recipe before; it’s basically a clafouti, a French cake. The first version I made years ago was from a Jane Brody cookbook. Any fruit is good in it. I’ve used blueberries, tart cherries, peaches and strawberries, solo or mixed together.

Lemon Basque Cheesecake

Lemon Basque Cheesecake

The burnished top and soft and creamy center of a Basque-style cheesecake are the result of being baked in a hot oven as quickly as possible, unlike New York-style cheesecake, which is cooked slowly in a water bath to ensure even cooking and a uniform texture throughout. Not all ovens are the same, so the best way to determine doneness (and avoid overcooking) is to take the internal temperature with a thermometer. The top may not be evenly dark brown by the time the center is done, but turning on the broiler (and watching it like a hawk!) will do the trick in a matter of moments. This version incorporates lemon zest and juice as well as mascarpone for a citrusy profile and uses a food processor for quick and easy assembly.

Yield: 10 servings

Special equipment

Food processor (preferably 14-cup capacity or greater), see Tips 

9-inch springform pan with at least 3-inch sides

Instant-read thermometer

For the cake

1⅓ cups/268 grams plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) 

1¾ pounds/794 grams cream cheese, cut into 2-inch pieces, at room temperature

8 ounces/227 grams mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup/237 milliliters heavy cream, at room temperature

7 tablespoons/100 milliliters fresh lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup/32 grams all-purpose flour

Heat the oven and prepare the pan: Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Crumple up two large pieces of parchment paper (each at least 15 inches long), then smooth flat again and arrange perpendicularly. (Crumpling the parchment helps it mold better to the pan and stay in place.) Press the two pieces into the springform pan, smoothing along the bottom to ensure it’s completely flat and up the sides to flatten all creases. Use a pair of scissors to trim away any parchment that extends more than ½ inch above the top of the pan. Set the pan aside. 

Make the batter: In the bowl of a food processor with a minimum 14-cup capacity, combine the 1⅓ cups/268 grams sugar, lemon zest and salt and process until the sugar looks like wet sand and is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stop the motor and add the cream cheese and mascarpone and process again, pausing once to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps and the sugar is dissolved (rub a dab between your fingers to check for graininess), about 30 seconds. 

With the motor running, add the eggs one at a time, processing for a few seconds between additions, then slowly stream in the cream, 6 tablespoons of lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour and process briefly. Stop the motor, scrape down the sides and process again just until the batter is completely smooth. 

Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until the top is risen, set, and starting to brown, and the batter still moves like liquid underneath the surface (like a waterbed) when jiggled, 30 to 35 minutes. Take the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer, inserting it into the center of the cake about ⅔ down. When the cake is done the temperature should register somewhere between 140 and 150 degrees (the center will be looser and creamier on the lower end of the range, more set and slightly drier on the higher end, see Tip). Continue baking, checking every few minutes, until it reaches the desired doneness, another 5 to 10 minutes, but you might need to bake for longer, depending on your oven. 

Make the lemon glaze: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar and stir with a pastry brush to dissolve the sugar. Set the glaze aside. 

Broil the top: Remove the cheesecake from the oven. If the top is dark brown and burnished all over, move on to the next step (this will depend on your oven). If it’s only partially browned, turn on your broiler and let it preheat for a few minutes while the cheesecake cools. Return the cheesecake to the oven and broil, maintaining a constant eye on it, until the entire surface turns a deep, shiny dark brown (but not blackened!), 10 to 20 seconds. Remove from the oven immediately and set aside.

Brush on the glaze and cool: While the cheesecake is still hot from the oven, brush the lemon glaze over the surface, using all of it. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan until the sides are warm but not hot, about 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator (it will settle gradually). Refrigerate until it’s cold and completely set, at least 12 hours and up to several days (if refrigerating for longer than 12 hours, cover the surface loosely). 

Serve: Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator, remove the base from the sides of the pan, and gently peel the parchment away from the cheesecake. (The cake is very solid once cold, so you should be able to flip the cake over to do so.) Cut into slices with a hot knife, cleaning the knife in between cuts. For the best texture, let the slices come to room temperature before serving.

Tips: If your full-size food processor has a capacity of less than 14 cups, you can still make the cheesecake: In step 3, add the eggs, process as directed, then transfer three-fourths of the mixture to a bowl. Whisk the cream, lemon juice and vanilla into the bowl. To the mixture remaining in the food processor, add the flour and process briefly then whisk into the rest of the batter in the bowl until smooth. Proceed with step 4. Alternatively, you could make the cheesecake using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, but the resulting batter may not be as smooth.

For a looser, creamier center on the finished, cooled cake, aim for an internal temperature of 140 degrees or a few degrees above. If you prefer the center to be more set and slightly drier, bake the cake until the center reaches closer to or just at 150 degrees.

DO AHEAD: The cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for 4 days.

Excellent cheesecake, excellent recipe! I made this in my 13 cup food processor and even though it was above the fill line, it still all came together just fine. Using my thermometer was really helpful - it was fully cooked even though my gut would have said to go longer. I needed a quick 30-second broil to get the right amount of browning in my oven. Served this with a little rhubarb compote as it's in season, and I think it will pair beautifully with different seasonal fresh fruits all summer!