The abundance of recipes at our fingertips can make it difficult to weed out the intricate, advanced dishes that take hours to construct. Let’s face it – there are not enough hours in the day to prepare a Julia Child recipe. The New York Times Cooking recipes always catch my eye, and I’ve started to notice that my favorites are all written by Alison Roman. When I stumbled upon her cookbook, Dining In, at my local bookstore, I purchased a copy and ran to the closest grocery store.
Samin Nosrat, bestselling author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat describes it well. “This is not a cookbook. It’s a treasure map. Alison Roman joyously leads you to the promised land of extraordinary home cooking.” And, I could not agree more. Inexperienced and Get a taste of Roman’s vision by trying one of my top 3 favorite Dining In recipes!
Blistered Green Beans with Creamy Tahini and Fresh Hot Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- ½ red or green jalapeño pepper or habanero chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Kosher salt
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ cup labne, full-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 1 pound green beans or Romano beans, ends trimmed if you like
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Toast the hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet pretty frequently, until they’re golden brown and starting to smell like browned butter, about 5 minutes; set aside.
- Combine the distilled vinegar, jalapeño, and garlic in a large bowl; season with salt and sugar, and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the labne, tahini, and lemon juice, and season with salt. (I like this sauce on the thicker side – better for dipping – but if you like, you can thin it out with a bit of water to get a more drizzly consistency.)
- Heat a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over high (yes – high!) heat. Toss the green beans with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Throw them into the hot skillet and cook, tossing frequently, until the green beans are lightly charred on all sides but still bright green and with some snap to them (army green = soft beans), about 4 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and using tongs, add the beans to the bowl with the jalapeño mixture, tossing to coat. Let them sit in this for a minute or two to absorb some of that vinegary heat.
- Spoon some of the creamy tahini onto the bottom of a serving platter and top with green beans and hazelnuts.
Note: This creamy tahini sauce is great underneath just about any vegetable – charred, roasted, grilled, or even raw. Make extra!
Do ahead: Creamy tahini can be made 5 days ahead and refrigerated.
Grilled Eggplant Dressed with Garlicky Walnuts and Lots of Basil
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Fairy Tale eggplant, halved lengthwise, or the smallest globe eggplant you can find, sliced into 1-inch-thick rounds
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted and crushed
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus 1 cup whole leaves
- Ricotta, for serving (optional)
Instruction:
- Heat a grill to medium high.
- Toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant, turning occasionally, until it’s lightly charred and totally tender, about 5 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, combine the walnuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped basil, and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spoon some ricotta, if using, onto the bottom of a serving plate and top with the grilled eggplant, the walnut mixture, and the whole basil leaves.
Note: You can also do this in an oven. No, they won’t be grilled, but the dish will be delicious. Roast them in a preheated 450 degrees Fahrenheit oven until deeply browned and totally tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Proceed!
Do ahead: The garlicky walnut mixture can be made 5 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Slow Salmon with Citrus and Herb Salad
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1 (1 ½-pound) piece of skinless salmon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, Meyer or regular, thinly sliced
- 1 blood orange, mandarin, or regular orange, thinly sliced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, or marjoram (optional)
- 1 ½ cups olive oil
- 2 cups fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, and tarragon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Season the salmon with kosher salt and pepper on both sides and place it in a large baking dish (a rimmed baking sheet will also work in a pinch, although the salmon will not quite be submerged) with the sliced lemons, oranges, and herb sprigs, if using.
- Drizzle the olive oil over everything and place the baking dish in the oven. Cook the salmon until it is just turning opaque around the edges and is nearly cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Toss the herbs with the lemon juice and flaky sea salt, and serve with your perfect salmon.
Note: Other ingredients can be added to the baking dish to cook alongside. Try thinly sliced fennel or chiles or sprigs of herbs like rosemary and thyme.