Good morning! Today we have for you:
These bouncy rice cakes are springyThere are few things more satisfying than opening my freezer to fish out that bag of tteok stashed behind the edamame. Those Korean rice cakes — bouncy, slippery, wonderfully chewy — have become one of my essential freezer staples. They’re as versatile and convenient as pasta, but in our house, less expected and a bit more of a thrill. Substantial without being heavy, tteok cook in minutes, readily absorbing whatever flavors you add to the pan. In her brilliant recipe for miso rice cakes with spinach and peas, Eleanore Park simmers tteok with a mix of miso and soy sauce, which coat them in a savory, glossy sauce. Then she adds frozen peas (I might use those edamame), baby spinach and a garden of fresh mint, dill and cilantro, letting the greens wilt until silky and soft. A spoonful of quick-pickled red onion brings freshness and tang right at the end. It’s the perfect dish for when you’re craving all the tender green things of spring. Featured Recipe Miso Rice Cakes With Spinach and PeasMore food for thoughtSheet-pan gnocchi with sausage and peppers: The exuberant chewiness of tteok always reminds of me gnocchi. Here, the shelf stable kind are roasted with sweet bell peppers and red onions, juicy cherry tomatoes and whatever variety of sausages you like. It makes a colorful meal that’s just rich enough. Chicken meatballs with pesto: Dan Pelosi’s brilliant hack is to use pesto (homemade or store-bought) to flavor chicken meatballs, which keeps the prep time to about five minutes. Save some of the pesto to use as a pungent, verdant dipping sauce. Lemony shrimp and bean stew: Elegant, quick and filled with lemony, garlicky flavors, Sue Li’s stew gets the most out of just a few ingredients, including leeks for sweetness and smoked paprika for depth. Serve it with toasted slices of country bread or pita to scoop up all those velvety beans. Quick turkey chili: If you haven’t made a big pot of chili yet this season, it’s high time — before spring’s really sprung! Genevieve Ko’s recipe is easy enough for a weeknight, made with an ingenious combination of ground turkey, canned lentils (instead of the usual kidney beans) and frozen chopped kale. It all simmers down into a spicy, protein- and fiber-filled meal. Traditional Irish soda bread: Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, which gives you plenty of time to throw together this simple and very classic soda bread I adapted from Darina Allen. Unlike richer styles of soda bread filled with raisins, caraway and the like, this four-ingredient loaf is elegantly spare, its buttermilk tartness taking center stage. Serve it warm, preferably thickly spread with salted Irish butter. That’s all for now, except to remind you that if you run into any technical problems, you can send an email to cookingcare@nytimes.com. And as always, I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hello. I’ll see you on Wednesday. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
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