 I was perusing the recipes on the NYT Cooking App, and I saw this one. Besides it looks so delicious, it said “Total Time 15 minutes.” OK – for that alone I had to give it a go in the Delaney Test Kitchen. This absolutely delicious. My only mistake was the heat. And depending on who you talk to, maybe it wasn't a mistake. I could not find Thai or serrano chiles at Trader Joe’s, so I went with a jalapeno. I do not know how to tell if a jalapeno will be hot or not. Some are scorching and others quite bland. This one was kicking. My lips were tingling - it was a bit much for my taste, but my husband loved it. On the Times site, they mention that you can use the ground chicken, but can easily replace it with ground pork, sliced beef or chicken, or even sliced mushrooms. We loved it with the ground chicken, so I think I sill stick to that. And as for the 15 minutes as suggested? I was done cooking before my rice cooker was even done. That is a total win for me, especially on a night busy with soccer practices. Kua Kling (Southern Thai-Style Red Curry) INGREDIENTS 2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed ¼ Cup Thai red curry paste (ideally one with makrut lime, lemongrass and shrimp paste) 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced, or to taste 1 lb ground chicken ½ tsp dark brown sugar 2 tsp fish sauce ¼ tsp freshly grated lime zest For serving: Rice, sliced cabbage, chopped herbs, sliced avocado, chopped cucumber, and optional fried egg PREPARATION Step 1: In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil and toast the curry paste, turmeric and chiles (if using) until extremely fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and lower heat as needed to prevent sticking. Step 2: Add the chicken and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon. Stir to coat the meat in the curry paste and to prevent sticking, and cook until the chicken is opaque, 7 to 10 minutes. If everything is sticking, don’t panic — just add a little water or neutral oil. Step 3: Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce and lime zest, and cook just until the liquid’s been absorbed, about 1 minute. Season to taste with more brown sugar and fish sauce. (The chicken should be spicy first, salty second.) Serve at once with desired toppings.  When I saw this recipe on the NYT Cooking app, I knew I needed to give it a go in the Delaney Test Kitchen. Turns out I was absolutely right. This dinner was awesome! SO yummy. No leftovers. My son even went back for seconds before I was done eating. And this is absolutely a 30 minute meal – the catch is that the chicken needs to marinate a bit. You could prep it a day before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. I prepped it (which did not take long at all) when we got home from our soccer game, and let it marinate for an hour before cooking (vs the 2 hours recommended in the recipe) and it was still great. I also know that my family doesn’t love chicken thighs (which the recipe calls for), so I used thin chicken breasts and they cooked perfectly and in the same amount of time on the grill. I served them with a nice salad of everything from the farmers’ market – fresh arugula, radishes, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes with a light oil and vinegar dressing. It was perfect – and so easy. Alternatively, I'd also suggest a quick pickled cucumber and tomato salad as a great side dish for this. Enjoy! Grilled Za’atar Chicken with Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, ⅓ cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Step 2: When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through. Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, place remaining ⅔ cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use). Step 4 : To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce. TIP
 With a lightly crisp exterior and pillowy center, these ricotta gnocchi are finished in sage-infused brown butter for a bit of nutty richness. Yum! I saw this on the cover of the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine and had to make it. So I want to be clear: the Delaney Test Kitchen is focused on easy, 30 minute meals you make after a long day at work. This one takes a bit longer to prepare - but hear me out. You can meal prep this over the weekend in about 30 minutes hands on, plus 30 minutes for the dough to rest, and it will make TWO meals. You can make one of those meals that day or the next, or you can freeze them all for later. So in the end when you do cook this recipe with your pre-made ricotta gnocchi, then it IS a 30 minute meal to make. This recipe also makes an enormous amount of food: 100 gnocchi! So my recommendation is this: Make the gnocchi, but cook half and freeze the other half after slicing them. By freezing the other 50 gnocchi, you can keep an impressive yet easy last-minute dinner option at the ready. Additionally, these gnocchi can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated, covered, for up to one day, or frozen for up to two weeks. Freeze gnocchi on the baking sheet until hardened, about two hours. Transfer frozen gnocchi to a large ziplock bag, and store in the freezer. Boil frozen gnocchi until they float to the surface, three to four minutes. Once the gnocchi floats to the surface, continue boiling for two minutes more. Proceed with the recipe as directed. Crispy Ricotta Gnocchi INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Place ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, egg yolk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; beat on medium speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. Decrease speed to low; gradually add flour, beating until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat until a soft and tacky dough forms, about 1 minute. Step 2: Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work surface, and shape into a disk using floured hands. Dust top of dough disk with flour, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is pliable and soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. Step 3: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and dust with flour. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and cut into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 3/4-inch-thick rope, about 22 inches long. (Note: for ultra-tender gnocchi, avoid overworking the dough or incorporating too much flour when rolling the dough into ropes.) Cut each rope into 3/4-inch-long pieces (about 25 to 28 pieces per rope); transfer gnocchi to baking sheet. Step 4: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium. Meanwhile, grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Once gnocchi float to the surface, continue boiling for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to greased baking sheet using a slotted spoon. Step 5: Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add half of the pancetta; cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and pancetta is starting to brown but not crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter; cook, stirring occasionally, until butter smells nutty and begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 10 sage leaves; cook, stirring constantly, until leaves crisp, about 20 seconds. Step 6: Add half of the gnocchi to skillet; cook, undisturbed, until bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip; cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice; season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer gnocchi mixture to a large ovenproof platter using a slotted spoon; drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter mixture. Transfer to oven to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean. Step 7: Repeat with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining half of pancetta, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 10 sage leaves, remaining half of gnocchi, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano; serve warm. |