6 D THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020TIME: 20 MINUTES
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS14 ounces dried udon noodles
¼ cup chile oil with crunchy
garlic
2 tablespoons pure sesame oil
2 teaspoons Sichuan chile oil,
or to taste (use only the oil
for a milder sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ cup finely sliced garlic
chives or scallions, plus
more for garnish
2 tablespoons store-bought
fried shallots, crumbled by
hand (optional)
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
(see Note), plus a few sprigs
for garnish- Bring a large pot of water to boil
and cook noodles according to
package instructions, stirring from
time to time to prevent them from
sticking. Drain well in a colander,
then run noodles under cold water
until cooled. - Meanwhile, in a large bowl,
combine all three oils with the soy
sauce and ½ cup garlic chives. - Toss cooled noodles into the chile
oil mixture. Gently fold in the
crumbled fried shallots and chopped
cilantro. Divide among four bowls,
and top with more garlic chives and
cilantro sprigs.
Note: For crisp cilantro, place leaves
and stems in an ice water bath until
the leaves are firm. Drain and spin in
a salad spinner. Store cilantro in the
spinner and refrigerate until ready to
use.Chile-Oil Noodles With Cilantro
TIME: 45 MINUTES
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS
3 large zucchini (about 1½
pounds)
Kosher salt and black
pepper
1 large shallot, halved
½ cup panko
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound ground chicken or
turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
mint, basil, parsley or dill,
plus more for serving
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more for greasing and
drizzling
3 tablespoons lemon juice
(from 1 large lemon)
4 ounces feta- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut
2 of the zucchini into ½-inch-thick
slices. Transfer to a plate, season
with salt, and set aside. - Working over a large bowl, using
the large holes of a box grater, grate
the remaining zucchini. Grate 1
shallot half into the bowl as well. Add
the panko, cumin, ½ teaspoon
red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon
salt, and use your hands to toss until
combined. Add the chicken and
herbs and toss gently until
combined. - Lightly grease a baking sheet.
With wet hands, form the chicken
mixture into 16 meatballs (around 2
to 3 tablespoons each) and place
them on one side of the baking
sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast
for 10 minutes. - Meanwhile, pat the sliced zucchini
dry, then lightly coat with about 1
tablespoon olive oil. Season with
pepper. - Coarsely chop the remaining
shallot half and transfer to a small
bowl. Add the lemon juice, season
with salt, and stir to combine. - Add the sliced zucchini to the
other half of the baking sheet,
moving the meatballs over, if
necessary. Bake until the meatballs
are cooked through and the zucchini
is golden on the underside, another
15 to 20 minutes. For more browned
meatballs, broil for a few minutes, if
desired. - Meanwhile, crumble the feta into
the shallot mixture. Add the ¼ cup
extra-virgin olive oil and the
remaining ½ teaspoon red-pepper
flakes. Stir, breaking up the feta a
bit, and season to taste with salt and
pepper. - Eat the meatballs and zucchini
with a drizzle of the feta sauce and
more fresh herbs.
Chicken-Zucchini
Meatballs With Feta
TIME: 5 TO 6 HOURS
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS1½ pounds boneless, skinless
chicken thighs
1½ cups jarred salsa verde
1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild
green chiles
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded
and diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 scallions (green and white
parts), thinly sliced
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves
and tender stems finely
chopped (about 1 heaping
cup)
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh lime juice, to taste
Any combination of rice,
tortillas, pepitas, queso
fresco, diced avocado and
crushed tortilla chips, for
serving- Combine the chicken thighs, salsa
verde, green chiles, chopped garlic,
jalapeño, garlic powder, onion
powder and cumin in a 6- to 8-quart
slow cooker. Stir to evenly combine.
(Don’t add salt now; jarred salsas are
often high in sodium.) Cook on low
until the chicken is tender and the
flavors are blended, 5 to 6 hours. (If
you will be away for 8 hours or more,
set the cook time for 4 hours on low
and set the slow cooker auto-switch
to warm for the remaining time.) - Use two forks to coarsely shred
the chicken. With the heat on low,
add the scallions and cilantro, and
stir to combine. Season to taste with
salt and lime juice. Serve with rice or
in tortillas, if desired, with
accompaniments.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
TIME: 5 MINUTES
YIELD: 1 CUP4 ounces cream cheese (at
room temperature), cubed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 scallion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, more
to taste
Black pepper, to taste
(optional)
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh
orange juice, as needed
½ cup sharp Cheddar, finely
grated
1 small garlic clove, mashed
to a paste (optional)
Hot sauce to taste (optional)Place the cream cheese,
mayonnaise, scallion, salt, pepper (if
using) and paprika in a bowl and mix
and mash well with a fork or spatula
until smooth. Mix in orange juice
until smooth, and then mix in the
Cheddar. If the dip seems too thick,
add a little more juice. Taste for
seasoning. You can also mix in a food
processor if you like.Cheddar Scallion Dip
TIME: 30 MINUTES
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
and 2 tablespoons juice
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked
paprika
2 garlic cloves, grated
Kosher salt and black
pepper
1 pound peeled, deveined
large shrimp (tails removed)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
(½ stick)
2 large leeks, trimmed, then
halved lengthwise, white
and light green parts sliced
crosswise ½-inch thick (or 1
large onion, minced)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini
beans, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock or
vegetable stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh parsley (optional)
Toasted bread, for serving- Combine lemon zest, paprika,
garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾
teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
Add shrimp and toss to coat. - In a large pot, melt butter over
medium-high heat. When butter is
foaming, add shrimp and cook,
stirring occasionally, until pink and
starting to curl, 2 to 3 minutes. Using
a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a
plate; set aside. - Add leeks, season with salt and
pepper, and cook over medium until
leeks are soft and starting to brown
on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add beans and chicken
broth and bring to a boil over high.
Lower heat and simmer, 8 to 10
minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp and
any juices from the plate, parsley
and lemon juice, and season with
salt and pepper. Serve with toasted
bread.
Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew
It seems impossible, but school has already started in some parts of the country
and is gearing up to start in others. Back-to-school season might be a little dif-
ferent this year, but whatever it looks like, it’s still the beginning of the busy
time for many of us. The juggling act of work, home, family and class begins.
Take a deep breath. You’ve got this — though you might need a few meals with
very little hands-on prep. Don’t worry, the payoff is big and delicious. Here are
five dishes for the week. MARGAUX LASKEY
5 Dishes to Cook
This Week
BEATRIZ DA COSTA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FOOD STYLIST: FRANCES BOSWELL.DAVID MALOSH FOR THE NEW YORK TIMESANDREW PURCELL FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FOOD STYLIST: BARRETT WASHBURNE.LINDA XIAO FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FOOD STYLIST: MONICA PIERINI.Substitute the shrimp with
an equal amount of flaky
white fish or even seared
scallops.Zip it up with a dash or two of
Tabasco and some mashed
garlic.For an easy starch, add
chickpeas to the feta, or
toast bread or pita on a free
rack in the oven.Don’t let the word “stew” scare you. This brothy, buttery dish from Sue
Li is really more of a sauté, and it comes together in about a half-hour.
Stretch the dish into a meal for six by stirring in some extra butter and
serving over cooked spaghetti or rigatoni.Dip for dinner? You betcha. This hearty one from Melissa Clark is a
cousin to pimento cheese but without those potentially child-deflecting
red peppers. Serve alongside raw vegetables, a few different types of
crackers or chips, and little piles of salami, pepperoni and prosciutto.A lot of slow cooker recipes get billed as “fix it and forget it,” but with
prep steps like sauté, marinate and sear, they actually aren’t that sim-
ple. This one, from Sarah DiGregorio, really is. Just combine the ingre-
dients in a slow cooker, cook for five to six hours and enjoy, perhaps over
rice or tucked into enchiladas or burritos.Ground chicken (or turkey) can skew dry, but this sheet-pan recipe
from Ali Slagle adds a little shredded zucchini to the meat mixture,
which means the meatballs stay moist in the heat of the oven. The meat-
balls roast alongside slices of zucchini, then everything is served with
spoonfuls of lemon-feta sauce.
Your family members will most likely love this 20-minute spicy noodle
recipe from Judy Kim, but for the spice-averse, set aside some un-
dressed noodles. Your picky eaters could season the udon themselves,
with their choice of soy sauce, sesame oil, fried shallots and cilantro.CHRISTOPHER TESTANI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FOOD STYLIST: SIMON ANDREWS.