Recipes By Ali Slagle
490 recipes found
Green Bean Salad With Dill Pickles And Feta
Green beans, feta and dill are old friends, but using dill pickles instead of dill contributes acid, crunch and verve to the classic combination. For maximum flavor, use pickles that are brined with fresh dill or dill seeds, and chill the salad for at least 30 minutes for refreshing, snappy bites. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days to dole out alongside roast chicken or hot dogs, or on top of salad greens or grain bowls.
One-Pot White Beans With Prosciutto and Dates
Humble in process but fancy in feel, this single-skillet recipe dresses up white beans with crisp, salty prosciutto and caramelized, squidgy dates. The combination is reminiscent of bacon-wrapped dates, but prosciutto is more delicate in flavor and more easily shatters into chips for topping bowls. Topping with raw celery gives the rich beans some freshness, but if straight comfort is what you seek, skip the celery and just add the vinegar to the beans. Or for more plushness, add Parmesan, goat cheese, ricotta or blue cheese to servings. Eat alongside a green vegetable, like roasted broccoli or an arugula salad.
Slow Cooker Sausages, Peppers and Onions
The sure-fire combination of sausages, peppers and onions is ready-when-you-are when you make them in the slow cooker. (Once the sausages are cooked through and the peppers and onions are tender, they can hold on “warm” for up to 2 hours.) Searing the sausages in a skillet is the only cooking you’ll have to do, but it’s an important step that fortifies the sauce with the sausage’s brawny, spiced juices. The sweet peppers and onions will tangle in the light, tangy tomato sauce. (Save extra sauce for tomorrow’s pasta, or if you want a thicker sauce, strain and reduce in a saucepan on the stovetop.) Pile everything into a sub — perhaps with some mozzarella broiled on top — or over pasta, roasted potatoes or gnocchi.
Baked Wild Salmon
This two-step method allows you to enjoy the robust flavor of wild salmon without fear of dry fish. Because it has more collagen and less fat than farmed salmon, wild salmon has firmer flesh and is easier to overcook. This method works for all sizes and types of wild salmon, including those long, gorgeous, red sides of sockeye, which can be tricky to maneuver in a skillet or over grill grates. Wild salmon can stand up to punchy accouterments or be adorned more simply; add juiciness with a squeeze of lemon, dollop of Greek yogurt or another sauce.
Lemon-Garlic Linguine
This bright and creamy pasta is a weeknight go-to that can be embellished with seared scallops, shrimp or mushrooms to make it something special. Grated garlic, lemon zest and black pepper sizzle and bloom in melted butter to which starchy pasta water is added to create a thick sauce. A hit of lemon juice at the very end keeps it punchy. Linguine, which is not as thin as spaghetti or as thick as fettuccine, works well here, but if you have another pasta shape on-hand, feel free to swap it in.
Grilled Asparagus
Charred, sweet, crisp and tender, grilled asparagus is a goes-with-everything side dish. The only trick, really, is to buy spears that are at least 1/2-inch thick at the base to ensure they can grill long enough to blister and caramelize without completely turning to mush. While best hot off the grill — perhaps alongside grilled chicken, shrimp or cheese — you can refrigerate grilled asparagus for up to four days; chop the spears up and use them to bolster grain or green salads.
Cucumber Salad
This quick salad makes a refreshing side for rich, crispy or spicy dishes that are in need of cooling relief, like ribs, Cajun shrimp boils, tonkatsu or poached salmon. To take your cucumber salad from good to great, do two things: 1. Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips so that the cucumbers soak up the vinegary dressing but also hold their shape, and 2. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and allow them to drain for a less watery, more flavorful salad. You can make the salad up to 2 days ahead, but the cucumbers will lose some of their crispness.
Horseradish-Cheddar Tuna Melts
These no-frills, open-faced tuna melts pack a punch because horseradish and Cheddar make a rowdy pair. Jarred horseradish is a nose-tingling combination of grated horseradish, vinegar and salt, so the tuna only needs a couple tablespoons and a little mayo, garlic and black pepper to make it zesty and creamy. If you’re only serving two, the recipe halves easily, and you can broil it in a toaster oven. Eat for lunch or dinner alongside an iceberg salad, pickle spears or potato chips.
Spicy Shrimp and Mushroom Stir-Fry
This assertively spicy and savory stir-fry comes together quickly because each ingredient brings so much to the skillet. (And if you use pre-sliced mushrooms, you won’t even need a knife and cutting board.) Meaty mushrooms provide an earthy base, while the shrimp offers a sweet, saline snap. But the key ingredient is a considerable amount of kimchi: The fermented cabbage is cooked until just warm so it stays effervescent, spicy, crunchy and juicy. Kimchi’s heat varies jar by jar, so if you find the dish a bit too punchy, stir in a tablespoon of butter at the end. If you want a green vegetable, toss in a handful of spinach. Serve with rice, lettuce cups, rice cakes or ramen noodles.
Mushroom Smash Burgers
Instead of mixing together a bunch of ingredients to make a just-okay veggie burger, smash portobello mushroom caps with a heavy skillet while cooking until they’re thin but dense with savoriness, then dress them with melted cheese, tuck them into a bun and top them with classic fixings. Cooking mushrooms this way forces the water out of their spongy bodies, turning them into something meaty and satisfying. Because they’re so thin, you’ll want to stack two mushrooms per bun. You can also use other large mushrooms, like oyster or maitake.
Jalapeño-Orange Pork Tenderloin With Snap Peas
This lively sheet-pan dinner is inspired by the punchy and bright flavors of mojo and ceviche. First, pork tenderloin is coated in a combination of brown sugar, garlic, jalapeños and orange zest before it’s baked. (To save time, use a mini food processor to chop, and marinate the pork, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 day.) While the pork’s resting, snap peas cook on the sheet pan until crisp-tender. To finish, top the surprisingly juicy pork and snap peas with orange segments that have been dressed in more of the jalapeño-garlic mixture, then serve with roasted potatoes or rice to soak up all of the citrusy sauce. (Jalapeños lose a lot of their kick when cooked, but if you have especially spicy peppers or are sensitive to heat, remove the seeds before chopping.)
Sausage, Egg and Cheese Sandwich
A sausage, egg and cheese is the ideal belly-filling, on-the-go breakfast popular at bodegas, food carts and coffee shops. It’s impossible to replicate the deliciousness that comes from making it on a well-seasoned griddle — and by a cook who’s made thousands — but making an SEC (or a BEC) at home has its own perks. For starters, instead of pre-made sausage pucks, smashing patties of fresh sausage creates juicier meat with caramelized, crisp edges. You can also fry the egg just right, until the broken yolk is barely set (or for scrambled eggs, follow the directions here). The best part is, you can have an SEC anytime you want, even if there isn’t a deli on your corner.
Roasted Spring Vegetables
Come spring, there are a number of long, slender, green vegetables that happen to cook at the same rate, so roast a variety together on a single sheet pan for a special side dish that takes as much effort as your default green beans. The scallions add a bittersweet onion-y flavor, although you could use green garlic, ramps or spring onions instead. Serve anytime you need a side of green vegetables — like with baked fish or a creamy pasta — or turn the combination into a big salad with lettuces and a mustard vinaigrette.
Sheet-Pan Herby Roast Chicken With Peas and Carrots
By using a bag of frozen peas and carrots and a couple of dried herbs, this easy and affordable sheet-pan meal delivers springy flavors even when the tulips aren’t in bloom. The yogurt sauce, which is seasoned with dried mint, dried dill and garlic powder, is reminiscent of tzatziki and ranch, and it is used two ways: spread on the chicken before roasting to ensure crackly skin and juicy meat, and as a cooling sauce for the finished dish. (You can also marinate the chicken in the yogurt for up to 24 hours ahead.) Partway through the chicken roasting, add some frozen vegetables and a little butter to the sheet pan for a sweet, tender and easy-peasy side.
One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas
Luxurious in the end result but not in process, this quick, one-pot pasta features crisp shards of salty prosciutto, soft pillows of tortellini and bright pops of sweet peas in a silky lemon cream sauce. The dish is inspired by pasta alla papalina, a more delicate carbonara that uses prosciutto instead of guanciale and Parmesan instead of Pecorino. While pasta alla papalina often uses long noodles, this dish uses tortellini and cooks them right in the broth and heavy cream: No waiting for a pot of water to boil, and the starch from the pasta helps the half-and-half thicken into a sauce. Serve alongside an arugula salad or seared asparagus. You can use bacon instead of prosciutto, which will add some smokiness.
Miso Broiled Tofu
For tofu with crisp edges and custardy middles, give it just 15 minutes under the broiler. The technique is inspired by Nobu Matsuhisa’s miso-broiled black cod, which combines miso and sugar to create a charred crust that also insulates the protein, preventing it from toughening. Tearing the tofu into jagged pieces — as opposed to sliced cubes or rectangles — creates more nooks and crannies for the broiler to singe, creating yet more texture. Eat any way you would enjoy baked tofu, perhaps with steamed rice and a green vegetable (broil green beans or asparagus for 5 to 8 minutes), or over salad greens (in which case you’ll want to make a double batch of the miso marinade to dress your lettuces).
Quick Lamb Ragù With Artichokes
While many meat ragùs are hearty and long-simmered, this 30-minute riff has a little spring in its step. Ground lamb, cherry tomatoes and canned artichokes quickly bubble into a pasta sauce that’s brawny, sweet and pleasantly bitter. This trio of ingredients, often stewed with herbs and white wine, is a common springtime combination throughout the Mediterranean. Fresh mint or basil add lightness, and if you have a bottle of wine open, add a generous splash. For additional richness, top portions with ricotta or grated Pecorino.
One-Pot Tofu and Broccoli Rice
One pot is all you need to make custardy tofu, fluffy rice, crisp vegetables and a spicy sauce for dinner tonight. Toast rice with ginger and garlic for a fragrant base, then partway through steaming the rice, add broccoli florets. Once the rice is tender and the broccoli bright green, use the rice’s resting time to warm the tofu on top. The tofu’s marinade of peanut butter, soy sauce and chile crisp adds a punchy, creamy complement that completes the meal. If you want to use another vegetable instead of broccoli, you may need to adjust when it’s added to the pot: add sturdier vegetables like sliced carrots and winter squash with the rice, as they take longer to cook, and more delicate asparagus or spinach with the tofu.
Yogurt-Marinated Roast Chicken
Marinating chicken in yogurt, much like buttermilk, creates juicy meat and caramelized skin, but yogurt’s additional fat and lactic acid contributes extra richness and tang. The practice of marinating meat in yogurt likely dates as far back as 13th century Central Asia and has stood the test of time for good reasons. While you don’t need to add anything to the yogurt besides salt for it to work its magic, yogurt carries flavors well. For even more depth, consider fresh aromatics like chopped chiles, garlic, ginger, and herbs, as well as dried spices like turmeric, cumin, za’atar and garam masala. As yet another bonus, you could serve more yogurt alongside to sauce the chicken. If marinating with Greek yogurt, thin it with a little olive oil until pourable — otherwise, its weight could keep the skin from crisping.
Mortadella Carbonara
This pasta celebrates mortadella, the soft Italian cold cut made of pork seasoned with black pepper and nutmeg, and often dotted with pistachios. As ribbons of the tender, delicately spiced meat tangle with long noodles, its milky fat melts into the sauce of egg and cheese for an incredibly silky dish. By using mortadella instead of guanciale, as is traditional in carbonara, you don’t need to cook the meat first, so this dish can be made in one pot. Green peas add pops of freshness, but skip a pistachio, basil or mint garnish (tempting as it may be) to avoid detracting from the main attraction. Top the finished dish with more black pepper and Parmesan and savor all the richness mortadella has to offer.
Chopped Wedge Salad
About three-quarters of the way through eating a wedge salad, the toppings are gone and you’re often left with unseasoned, watery lettuce that you have little interest in finishing. If this sounds familiar, consider messing with tradition by skipping the wedge and chopping all of the ingredients. When the salad’s elements are the same size and tossed together in a bowl, the lettuce is thoroughly dressed, and every bite is an ideal one with a perfect mix of juicy tomatoes, smoky bacon, crunchy lettuce and creamy blue cheese. A chopped wedge salad can be a meal unto itself, or serve it alongside burgers, steak or garlic bread.
Easy Boneless Chicken Thighs
For boneless, skinless chicken as crisp and juicy as its bone-in, skin-on counterparts, start with chicken thighs, pat them dry and sear them in a hot skillet. Thighs have enough fat that in a very dry, hot environment, they can develop a bronze crust without getting tough. Compare them to seared breasts or rotisserie chicken and you’ll notice a considerable improvement in succulence and richness of flavor. Serve these thighs with a side dish or two — say Southern fried corn, mixed sabzi or refried beans — or use them anywhere you’d use cooked chicken, like in salads, soups and enchiladas.
Skillet Pasta With Bacon and Eggs
Emulsifying creamy carbonara sauce can feel trickier than treading a tightrope, but this skillet pasta recipe fulfills those cravings with ease, and all in one pan. Start by searing some sliced bacon until crisp, toasting orzo in the rendered bacon fat, then simmering with stock until pasta is al dente. Next, you’ll stir in a few handfuls of Parmesan, then crack eggs right into the nearly cooked pasta. The whites will cook until creamy, but the yolks should remain runny, so that as you eat, the yolk mingles with the pasta for silky spoonfuls.
Kielbasa-Barley Soup
When the beef in beef and barley soup gets replaced with kielbasa, the soup becomes speedy enough for a weeknight. Full of smoke and spice, kielbasa sausage is wonderful in stews (just look at bigos, a national dish of Poland) and its bounciness is especially fun when contrasting with chewy barley. The barley thickens the broth into something velvety, while a substantial amount of dill brightens the cozy mix. If you’d like to incorporate a green vegetable, add thinly sliced collard greens or cabbage along with the broth in Step 2.