Recipes By David Tanis
759 recipes found
Summer Chowder With Cod and Clams
Based on East Coast white chowder, made with milk and potatoes, but more of a dinner stew than a soup. Lemon zest and slivers of serrano chile add spark to the mild creamy base. Prepare the chowder up to two hours in advance and reheat it gently just before serving, to avoid any last-minute rushing.
Mango Crumble
Fruity desserts are the way to go all year round, but especially in summer, when produce is in great abundance, and a crumble is both simple and delicious. Here, tangy mangoes bake until jammy under a crisp crust spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger for an unforgettable contrast in textures.
Spicy Lamb Burgers With Tahini
This dish, inspired by the warm flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, is a breeze to put together. Hot pepper, spices, garlic and olive oil are blended into a pound of lamb before being formed into small, thin, quick-cooking patties. They’re then cooked quickly in a hot cast-iron skillet and served with a garlicky tahini sauce. Tuck it into a toasted pita, or go with a bun. Either way, it’ll be delicious.
Zucchini Salad With Basil, Mint and Feta
For an utterly summery first course, consider this shaved zucchini salad. The idea is very thinly sliced, very fresh zucchini or other summer squash, lightly dressed with salt, lime juice and olive oil, with lots of basil and mint and crumbly creamy feta on top. It’s extremely refreshing and takes no time to make. Adding some strips of squash blossom for a colorful garnish is nice.
French Potato Salad
In this straightforward, old-fashioned French potato salad with chives and tarragon, medium waxy potatoes are boiled and peeled while still warm, so they best absorb the flavors. They’re then thickly sliced and splashed with an easy vinaigrette. A generous dribble of fruity extra-virgin olive oil is customary – don’t skimp on it.
Raspberry-Almond Clafoutis
A traditional clafoutis is made with cherries, replaced here with raspberries, which have a slight tartness. The batter is made with almond flour and a little almond extract for a gluten-free version. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Pepper-Crusted Flank Steak
Coarse crushed black peppercorns coat this flank steak for a zesty burst of flavor, complementing the rare grilled meat. It’s best to crush your own, in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
This colorful, full-flavored salad is finished with a black olive dressing, made with Niçoise olives, capers, anchovy and garlic, and similar to a Provençal tapenade. For the best result, choose the smallest green beans and sweetest cherry tomatoes. Add arugula or other salad greens just before serving, if you wish.
Asparagus and Golden Beet Salad
The season’s first asparagus pairs with tender butter lettuce and sweet golden beets in this springy salad, which comes together quickly, with a little bit of prep. Red beets are a bit wintry for this particular dish, but fortunately, golden beets are relatively easy to find at most supermarkets and simple to cook (see Tip). Just do so a day in advance, to save yourself some time. Similarly, you can prepare the eggs a day in advance, peeling and quartering them just before serving. A little bit of savvy planning goes a long way here.
Spring Chicken With Mushroom and Lemon
For a main course, chicken-noodle anything is always an attractive option, and here, boneless, skinless chicken thighs come together with button mushrooms and a sauce of chicken broth, white wine and crème fraîche for a bright, filling stew. To make it sparkle, it’s all finished with a generous handful of tender sweet herbs and lots — lots! — of lemon zest. Egg noodles, or fresh pasta, such as pappardelle, are a good choice.
Citrus and Coconut Ambrosia
Many know the kind of ambrosia with marshmallows and whipped topping, called ambrosia salad. This, on the other hand, is an elegant, simplified (and perhaps closer to the 19th-century original) version of dessert-style ambrosia. It can and should be prepared up to several hours before serving. The main thing is to let the citrus fruit sit in its juices for a while. It’s worth the wait.
Walnut Sponge Cake
This tender walnut sponge cake is gluten-free, risen with egg whites and containing no wheat flour. You can substitute other nuts, like almond or hazelnut, with no problem. Served with soft whipped cream and seasonal fruit — it never fails to please.
Whole-Wheat Za’atar Flatbreads
These herb-smeared flatbreads can be an ideal snack or appetizer with (or without) a little labneh or feta, or they can accompany a main course. The dough is easy to mix by hand, preferably several hours in advance of baking to let it hydrate and mature and allow gluten to develop. Za’atar, a lightly salted spice blend containing wild thyme, sumac and sesame, makes a delicious topping. Though you can make your own, it’s worth a trip to a Middle Eastern grocery where many different versions are sold.
Spiced Roasted Lamb and Vegetables
This fragrant stew, redolent of cumin, coriander, ginger, allspice, fennel and cinnamon, is slowly simmered to tenderness. A lamb shoulder roast makes the most succulent stew, but thick bone-in shoulder chops are sometimes easier to find and work just as well. Let the meat rest a day or two in its own broth in the refrigerator. Reheating revs up the complex spice mixture. Then, grab a warm flatbread and get to dunking.
Pistachio-Almond Cookies
Cardamom has a mysterious flavor that’s hard to describe — sweet, peppery, sharp, a hint of citrus. It’s an outstanding spice that can be put to good use in many types of baked goods. Long cherished in the Middle East and India, pistachios are having a moment in the United States: Many bakeries are now featuring pistachio-filled croissants, for instance. These cookies have a slightly soft center, with a crisp exterior.
Double Celery Salad
This dish employs two kinds of celery: the tender hearts of branch celery and so-called knob celery, also known as celery root or celeriac. It’s a nice salad in winter, for a change of pace. A bed of spicy watercress, arugula or mizuna lends even more of a green hue to this dish.
Mussels in Spicy Green Broth
Steaming a pot of mussels couldn’t be easier for a quick, satisfying meal. Cooked simply with garlic, shallots and white wine, they produce a delicious broth. For a version with more oomph, stir in this spicy butter and a squeeze of lime.
Cauliflower Cheese
Cauliflower cheese is classic British comfort food. In its simplest form, the vegetable is cloaked with white sauce (béchamel) and Cheddar, then baked until bubbly. It may be served as a side dish but is often the main course for a frugal lunch or supper.
Citrus Salad With Radish and Watercress
This easy, refreshing salad is best made in winter, when citrus fruit is at its best. You may prep all ingredients in advance, but build the salad just before serving.
Pistachio Chocolate Bark
Not so much a dessert as a little something sweet to nibble on, chocolate bark is easy to make and always popular. This one calls for just two ingredients and a little time for something everyone will talk about. Serve on a platter at the center of a dinner party table, or pack some up for everyone to take home.
Avocado, Radish and Iceberg Lettuce Salad
I’ve always liked this very simple salad that was served at La Taza de Oro, a now-defunct Puerto Rican diner in New York City.
Braised Chicken With Tomato and Potatoes
Long-simmered to a tender, falling-off the-bone state, this braised chicken is fragrant with smoky paprika and cumin. This dish aims to be Spanish chicken in salsa brava, but the addition of ancho chiles, traditionally used in Mexican cooking, lends a bit more heat. Along with a splash of wine and chopped tomato, it is hearty and warming, with a ruddy red sauce. Make the dish a day in advance, if you can; the longer it sits in the sauce, the deeper the flavor will be.
Arroz con Leche With Roasted Pineapple
With a touch of coconut, broiled pineapple and bright-red pomegranate seeds, this is a festive dessert. Many rice pudding recipes call for a custard, but this one just calls for simmering short-grain rice in sweetened milk — it may make you think of Thai coconut sticky rice. Serve it warm to cap a meal, and keep some for the next day. Leftovers make a fine breakfast.
Roasted Halibut With Cumin, Lemon and Bay
For a main course, this easy fish dish features flavors enjoyed in many Middle Eastern dishes and meant to be together — cumin, lemon and bay, so fragrant and satisfying. Use any firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as halibut, snapper or rockfish. (Using small whole fish like branzino is another possibility.) The fish can be roasted, uncovered, in a hot oven, beneath the broiler or in a covered grill. The lemon and bay get slightly charred, and their perfume immediately infuses the fish in a beautiful way.