Recipes By Christian Reynoso
53 recipes found
Winter Squash and Rice Soup with Pancetta
Hearty, comforting, sweet and savory, this soup has a brothy rice base that’s great for any season. Inspired by the asparagus, rice and pancetta soup from San Francisco’s Zuni Café, where the late Judy Rodgers first put it on the menu in the springtime, this soup takes equal advantage of seasonal and pantry ingredients. This adaptation turns jasmine rice into a warming, brothy foundation for squash that’s been roasted until caramelized, and bits of salty pancetta. Winter's glut of squash makes this soup ideal for the cooler months of the year, but in the spring, try this with asparagus (and maybe some dill, too) like the original, or in the summer with chopped tomatoes and basil.
Fall Salad With Apples, Cheddar and Crispy Sage
Bubbling sage leaves in olive oil until sizzling provides crisp thrills in this simple, flavorful combination of salty cheese and sweet apples, while the resulting sage-scented oil melds with honey and lemon to create a herbaceous dressing. Mild, leafy butter lettuce helps tie it all together, but slightly bitter chicories like frisée, escarole or endive would work well, too. This salad makes a fun sidekick for main proteins like Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken, Porchetta Pork Chops or store-bought sausages or rotisserie chicken.
Brussels Sprouts Amatriciana
Brussels sprouts have a special relationship with pork. Sturdy and lean with just a hint of bitterness, they thrive with a contrasting yet complementary flavor partner, like salty, fatty bacon. Simmered together in an amatriciana-style sauce of tomato, olive oil and red-pepper flakes, the sprouts become tender and smoky in this bright and simple enriched sauce that soaks into freshly toasted thick-cut bread. If you want a more traditional amatriciana, seek out guanciale instead of bacon. (Pancetta works too, though it will be leaner and smokeless.) Reserved crispy pork bits are used as a topping, accenting the luscious sauce.
Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta
Rotisserie chicken, with its browned, crisp skin and juicy meat, provides a great leg up when there’s no time to roast one yourself. Add some pre-cut greens and it becomes the base for this rich, nourishing pasta sauce, which comes together while the noodles cook. Although convenient, rotisserie chicken meat can be underseasoned, so this recipe calls for seasoning it more. Look for baby cooking greens or chopped greens, like kale, spinach, chard or escarole, which will melt easily into the jammy onions and garlic. Fresh lemon juice rounds out this pasta, making it bright; cream is optional but highly endorsed. A sprinkle of Parmesan finishes this dish with even more depth and umami.
Juicy Tomatoes With Parmesan-Olive Bread Crumbs
This mouthwatering salad of ripe, juicy tomatoes is dressed with a quick, vinegary dressing and finished with cheesy, garlicky bread crumbs, which bring pizza flavors to this summery dish. The tomatoes are salted for seasoning, but also to make their sweet juices pool out, creating a saucy base. Made with a combination of Parmesan, olives, garlic, spices and citrus zest, the bread crumbs can be prepared one week in advance. (Store in an airtight container and “refresh” them by warming them in the oven or on a stove-top until crisp and fragrant. Make extra to go on caramelized zucchini pasta or even lemony shrimp and white bean stew) Serve the tomatoes as a grand appetizer, or as a light supper with grilled chicken or steak.