Hello, America! And hello, sweltering summer kitchen! This week we celebrate independence from the oven.
First up: a spicy salmon teriyaki that cooks on the stovetop in just a few minutes. By doubling the recipe youāll barely have any cooking at all to do the next day, when you nextover the fish into inventive tostadas.
Then it's on to some simply seasoned steaks that get jazzed up with a fluffy, lemon-scented whipped ricotta and grilled vegetables. An extra steak gives you the fixings for Fridayās Korean-accented grain bowls.
And in between, a lightning-fast noodle dish uses smoked tofu as a secret, time-saving ingredient.
All the details are below. But first, the grocery list:
Pantry
- 16 oz. unseasoned rice vinegar
- Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- Hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek, optional)
- Fish sauce
- Miso paste
- Mirin
- 1 lb. soba noodles
- Toasted sesame oil
- Gochujang or Sriracha
- Kimchi, preferably daikon radish (optional)
- Honey
- Kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Brown rice
- Capers
- 8 oz. pear juice
- Light brown sugar
Produce
- 4 small heads baby bok choy (about 1 lb.)
- 3 bunches scallions
- 3 1/2ā piece ginger
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 serrano chile (optional)
- 1 Fresno chile (optional)
- 1 avocado
- 1 bunch radishes
- 2 small eggplants (about 11 oz. total)
- 1 lb. sugar snap peas
- 1 head garlic
- Small head purple cabbage
- 1 large carrot
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 3 lemons
- 1 lime
Dairy
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- 4 oz. smoked tofu
- Eggs (optional)
Butcherās Counter
- 3 (1ā to 1 1/2ā-thick) boneless strip steaks (about 2 1/4 lb. total)
Seafood
- 2 lb. skinless salmon fillet
Bakery
- 4 (4ā-6ā) tostadas
- Crusty bread
MONDAY: Spicy Salmon Teriyaki with Steamed Bok Choy
This has the word āspicyā in the name, but if your kids donāt appreciate heat, itās totally fine to dial down the hot sauce. And if you didnāt want to buy two different hot sauces this week, you can swap Sriracha for the sambal oelek. Before you start cooking the salmon, get a double-batch of brown rice going. Hold off on the fish until the rice is nearly done. Speaking of the salmon, youāre doubling that, tooārefrigerate half for tomorrow, separately from the leftover brown rice.
TUESDAY: Arctic Char Tostadas
Yesterdayās salmon replaces the char here, and since itās already cooked, tonightās dinner requires little more than assembly. Reheat the fish gently if you like, or serve it at room temperature. Slice an avocado to serve on the sideāyou should have enough of the salty-sour vinaigrette to drizzle on top.
WEDNESDAY: Cold Soba Noodles with Miso and Smoked Tofu
Smoked tofu comes already packed with flavor, so the only cooking youāll do tonight is to prepare the noodles. If youāve got reluctant eaters, let everyone assemble their own bowlsāthat usually helps.
THURSDAY: Grilled Steak with Peas and Eggplant Over Whipped Ricotta
Itās July 4th, so naturally youāre grilling. Cooking for a crowd? This recipe doubles or triples beautifully. Whether youāre making one batch or three, be sure to add an additional steak to refrigerate for tomorrow. Serve with crusty bread to scoop up every bit of that lemony whipped ricotta.
FRIDAY: Korean-Style Grain Bowls with Spicy Marinated Steak
Tonightās meal is so different from yesterdayās dinner, youāll forget youāre eating leftovers. Bonus: Thanks to that pre-cooked steak, youāre shaving an hour-plus off the recipeās prep time. But donāt skip the marinadeāuse it like a dressing instead. Use Mondayās brown rice as the base, and as with Wednesdayās noodle bowls, let everyone assemble their own combo.
