I recently moved out of my flat of six years, and I’ve been housesitting until I find the perfect place. It’s been glorious to dote on my friends’ plants and test out new areas, but I’m never quite comfortable using another person’s kitchen as intensely as I would my own. So I’ve been living a low-cook lifestyle.
I can’t recommend it enough. Outside my borrowed kitchens, there’s been fabulous onigiri from a nearby deli, gorgeous pizza and the best pasta.
Still, a woman can’t live on takeaways alone (no matter how hard she tries). The recipes below are all perfect for the weather and my energy level.
Traybake feta with chickpeas and tomatoes
In a spread of Greek appetisers, or meze, there’s often a warm feta dish like bouyiourdi (baked feta with tomato and hot peppers) or a saganaki (fried cheese). This recipe combines elements of these two classic appetisers into a traybake meal. Softened feta provides a salty, creamy counterpoint to sweet, juicy tomatoes and chickpeas that are sticky from honey and spicy from dried chilli. Try this version, then riff wildly: switch out tomatoes for mini peppers, olives, dates or cauliflower. Swap the hot honey for anchovies, harissa, smoked paprika or turmeric. Eat with pita, grains, salad greens, hummus or yoghurt.
By: Ali Slagle
Serves: 4
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
500g cooked chickpeas (homemade or two 425g cans), drained, rinsed and shaken dry
450-560g cherry or Sungold tomatoes
1 shallot, thinly sliced
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp mild chilli flakes (like gochugaru) or ½ tsp red-pepper flakes
Salt
2 (170-225g) blocks of feta (see tip), sliced 2½cm-thick
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 200C. On a baking tray, stir together the chickpeas, tomatoes, shallot, olive oil, honey and chilli flakes. Season with salt, then spread in an even layer. Arrange the feta among the chickpeas. Roast until the feta and tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes (no need to stir). Eat right away (the feta will harden as it cools; reheat leftovers).
Tip: Avoid feta made with cow’s milk, which does not have enough fat to withstand roasting.
Cheesy kimchi noodles
Instant ramen ranks highly among comfort foods because it can be quickly prepared and those little seasoning packets provide lots of flavour with minimal effort. No packets are used in this recipe, but the addition of gooey, melted cheddar and funky fermented kimchi makes the dish even more satisfying. Sautéed spring onions and garlic balance out the spicy driracha, soy and sesame sauce, while the runny yolk from a crispy fried egg adds richness and mellows the spice. The cheese becomes sticky as it cools, so these noodles are best served immediately while still warm and glossy.
By: Lara Lee
Serves: 2
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the noodles:
170g dried instant noodles (see tip)
1½ tbsp canola oil, plus more for coating cooked noodles
2 eggs
5 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (reserve 1 tbsp for garnish)
½ (packed) cup kimchi, sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp black (or white) sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
½ cup grated cheddar
For the sauce:
2 tbsp sriracha
1 to 2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Method:
1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions until tender but still springy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse in cold water until cool, then toss with a splash of canola oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set cooked noodles aside.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk the sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine; set aside.
3. Set a medium nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add ½ tbsp canola oil and, once shimmering, crack in the eggs. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the whites are done and the edges are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp canola oil over medium-high. Add the spring onions, kimchi, garlic and sesame seeds, and cook for 1 minute until just softened, stirring frequently. Add the noodles and sauce, and toss to combine for 1 minute. Stir in the grated cheese until it melts. Turn off the heat.
5. Transfer the noodles to serving plates, top with the fried eggs and garnish with extra sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve immediately.
Tip: If you can’t find plain instant ramen noodles, you can also use two individual 85g ramen packages, discarding the flavour sachets or saving them for another use.
Grilled salmon salad with lime, chillies and herbs
Made of soft, supple salmon; crisp lettuces and vegetables; and a very savoury dressing run through with chillies and lime, this light salad is tangy and full of flavour. The dressing, based on nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce, has just enough fish sauce to give it depth and pungency without overpowering the brightness of the lime. You can substitute other fish, or even chicken, for the salmon. Just adjust the grilling time as needed, and toss with the dressing while still warm. Note that if you don’t have a grill, you can roast the fish in the oven.
By: Melissa Clark
Serves: 4
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 limes
2 small fresh red or green chillies or 1 large one, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you like
1 shallot (or 2 spring onions, or 2 tbsp red onion), thinly sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt
Pinch of sugar
60ml extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, plus more for brushing
560g salmon fillet, preferably 1 large centre-cut piece
100-120g salad greens, such as little gem, iceburg or butterhead lettuce
50g mixed soft herbs (such as coriander, mint and basil), leaves and tender stems
115g thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers or both (optional)
Method:
1. Light the grill for indirect heat, or heat the oven to 230C.
2. As the grill or oven heat up, make the dressing: halve 1 lime, and squeeze its juice into a small bowl. Add the chilli slices, half of the sliced shallot (save the rest for serving), the fish sauce and a pinch each salt and sugar. Let sit for 1 minute to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil. It won’t emulsify, so mix again before using.
3. Brush the salmon with oil, and place it in a grilling basket if you have one. Cook over the indirect (unlit) side of the grill, for 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the salmon is. Note that individual fillets will cook faster than a single large piece. Check the salmon often (alternatively, roast the salmon on a baking tray in the oven, until just cooked to taste, 7 to 12 minutes; you don’t have to flip it).
4. As the salmon cooks, halve the other lime. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and grill, cut-side down, over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute. If using the oven, throw the halves, cut-side up, on the roasting pan with the salmon. They won’t char, but they will cook and mellow in flavour, which is the aim.
5. When the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate and spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
6. Place greens, remaining shallots, herbs, and radishes or cucumber, if using, in a large shallow bowl or on a platter, and add a little more of the dressing. Squeeze some of the juice from a charred lime half over it and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss and taste, adding lime juice, olive oil or salt as needed.
7. Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more (or all) of the dressing. Serve with the remaining charred lime half on the side for squeezing.
Five-minute hummus
Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of the Philadelphia restaurant Zahav found success with their hummus recipe, but in their second book, Israeli Soul, the two came up with this smart version, done in a fraction of the time of the original. It’s just as satisfying, and packed with tahini flavour, a given since it calls for a whole 450g jar. The end result is nutty and smooth, and topped with roasted vegetables, a worthy weeknight meal.
Recipe from: Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook
Adapted by:Krysten Chambrot
Makes: 4 generous cups
Total time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
¼ garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon, about 60ml
1 (450g) jar tahini
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
230-350ml ice water
2 (425g) tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Method:
1. Drop the ¼ garlic clove into a food processor and add the lemon juice. Pour the tahini on top, making sure to scrape it all out of the container, and add the salt and cumin. Process until the mixture looks peanut-buttery, about 1 minute. Stream in the ice water, a little at a time, with the motor running. Process just until the mixture is smooth and creamy and lightens to the colour of dry sand.
2. Add the chickpeas and process for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go, until the chickpeas are completely blended and the hummus is smooth and uniform in colour.
© The New York Times
