Grilled feta with nuts and more recipes to make this week

By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times

In the past when I’ve eaten dip for dinner, it’s because we had leftovers from a party. That, plus leftover crudités, can anchor a good meal. It can skew fabulous for adults, with after-party vibes (wine, leftover cheese, bread, charcuterie, Christmas ham or shrimp cocktail). Or it can go kid-friendly, with the leftover cheese and bread, hummus, salami and carrots dunked in that creamy dip. (A lot of little-kid meals are just assemblages of finger food anyway.)

But why not just make the dip for dinner? Add a salad and some bread to Ali Slagle’s grilled (or oven-roasted) feta with nuts, and you have a gorgeously simple dinner.

1. Grilled Feta With Nuts

This skillet of warmed feta and nuts can tide guests over before dinner or embellish a meal of grilled lamb kebabs, mixed vegetables, pork or chicken. Inspired by saganaki, a fried-cheese appetizer from Greece, the feta here is surrounded by nuts, olive oil, honey and herbs. Thyme, oregano or za’atar adds earthiness to the salty feta and sweet honey, but you could incorporate orange or lemon peel, fresh or dried chile, or any other aromatics you like on spiced nuts. You could also trade the nuts for tomatoes, dates, salami or olives. Whatever you do, be sure to drizzle the herbed honey and oil over each spoonful of feta.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
• 8 ounce block of feta, patted dry
• 1/3 cup raw almonds, walnut pieces or hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or oregano leaves or za’atar
• Black pepper
• Grilled bread (or pita) or stone fruit, or both, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat the grill to medium-high, or heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a small or medium cast-iron skillet with extra-virgin olive oil.

2. Place the block of feta in the center of the skillet, then scatter the nuts around the feta. Drizzle the feta and nuts with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus the honey and thyme. Season generously with black pepper.

3. Place the skillet on the grates, then cover the grill — or slide the skillet into the oven — and cook until the feta is soft to the touch and nuts are warm, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve right away with bread or stone fruit, or both.

2. Arroz con Pollo Verde

Peruvian arroz con pollo stands apart from other versions of chicken and rice across Latin America thanks to the addition of a bright green cilantro purée and aji amarillo, a fruity yellow hot pepper that’s similar in flavor to habaneros or scotch bonnets. Traditionally, the dish contains choclo, very large and chewy Peruvian corn kernels with earthy flavor. Cooked canned hominy makes a great substitute that offers a similar taste and texture. This one-pot homestyle dish is commonly served with salsa criolla, a tangy and spicy red onion relish, but a Louisiana-style hot sauce is a good alternative.

By Kay Chun

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh halved lengthwise
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons jarred ají amarillo paste
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
• Salsa criolla or hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

1. In a blender, combine cilantro and 6 tablespoons of water, and purée until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add half the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning halfway, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, and repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the empty pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and hominy, season with salt and pepper, and stir until well combined, 30 seconds. Add broth, aji amarillo paste, bell pepper and reserved cilantro purée, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.

4. Nestle the chicken with any accumulated juices into the pot, and bring to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with peas, then cover and steam for 3 minutes. Turn off heat, and fluff rice with a fork. Divide arroz con pollo in bowls and serve with salsa criolla or hot sauce.

3. Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs

Julia Turshen, author of the cookbook “Small Victories” (Chronicle Books, 2016), cracked the code on turkey meatballs: Ricotta adds milky creaminess and acts as a binder. Taking her lead, the first two steps of this recipe produce all-purpose turkey meatballs that are light in texture and rich in flavor, and the final step of basting the meatballs with an herb-and-garlic-infused butter turns them into a weekday luxury. Eat with mashed or roasted potatoes or other root vegetables, polenta, whole grains, or a mustardy salad. (For oven instructions, see tip.)

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes or black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed), plus more for your hands

For the herb-butter sauce:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
• 2 sage sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the turkey, ricotta, Parmesan, red-pepper flakes, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using oiled hands, roll into 12 meatballs, a heaping 2 tablespoons each.

2. In a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, heat the oil over medium. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on two sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side, lowering the heat as necessary if the meatballs are getting too dark.

3. Add the butter, sage and garlic. As the butter melts, tilt the skillet and baste the meatballs by spooning the butter over them. Flip the meatballs every so often and continue to baste until the butter is browned and nutty and the meatballs are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Eat the meatballs with the butter spooned over top.

TIP: You can also broil the meatballs in a greased, oven-safe skillet for 8 to 12 minutes, or roast at 425 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, until browned on one side and nearly cooked through. Continue with step 3 on the stovetop.

4. Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka With Spinach

Tikka marinade imbues meats and veggies with extreme flavor: Complex, layered heat comes from garam masala and red chiles, garlic adds a delicate depth and ginger a mellow freshness, while yogurt cools, tenderizes and extends flavors from the spices. Though traditionally anything with tikka marinade is cooked on coals for smokiness (see tip), the flavors come together well in a home oven. This recipe calls for any fleshy white fish that can stand this mix of heady spices and maintain its structural integrity for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven. Lay the fish on a bed of spinach, and the marinade will flavor both. The preparation is simple for this recipe, but the flavorful results are anything but.

By Zainab Shah

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds firm, white-fleshed fish (such as cod, basa or halibut, cut into chunks)
• 1/4 cup olive oil or any neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Fine sea salt
• 1 pound baby spinach (about 14 packed cups)
• Rice or roti, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the fish dry and set aside.

2. Combine the oil, yogurt, garam masala, chile powder, ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir until the marinade is smooth. Add the fish and coat evenly.

3. Arrange the spinach in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Place the fish on the spinach, dispersing it evenly. Bake on the top rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish starts to turn golden.

4. Set the oven to broil and broil on high just until the fish turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve with rice or roti, if desired.

TIP: If the smokiness of tikka is nonnegotiable, heat a hot coal on the stove top for 3 to 5 minutes using tongs, loosely wrap it in foil and stick in the oven either on a separate rack or on the sheet pan alongside the fish and spinach. Though hookah charcoal works best for this, you can use a 1-inch cube of any charcoal.

5. Tofu and Bok Choy With Ginger-Tahini Sauce

This simple dish showcases the uniquely silky texture of soft tofu. The tofu is steamed on top of a layer of bok choy, eliminating the need for a formal steamer and making this meal a cinch to prepare. (Napa or savoy cabbage leaves would also make a nice bed for the tofu.) Once steamed, the warm, mild tofu soaks in all of the bright flavors of a tangy and creamy tahini sauce that’s spiked with aromatic ginger and fragrant herbs. For a heftier meal, either double the tofu or serve with a side of rice.

By Kay Chun

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise through the core
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package soft (not silken) tofu, drained and cut into 4 equal squares
• 6 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions (from about 1 scallion), plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
• Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large skillet with a lid, arrange bok choy in an even layer to cover the bottom of the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the tofu pieces on top of or in between the bok choy, depending on the depth of your pan. Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover securely to prevent steam from escaping, reduce heat to medium and steam until bok choy is tender and tofu is warm throughout, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, scallions, cilantro and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk until well blended, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Using a spatula or large slotted spoon, transfer bok choy and tofu to 4 serving plates. (Discard any remaining water in the skillet.) Spoon some of the sauce over the tofu and garnish with scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve warm.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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