Good morning! Today we have for you:
A vibrant one-pot dinnerI don’t often cook from recipes. I like to wing it in the kitchen. But when I do follow instructions, it’s to try something I wouldn’t come up with on my own. And this is why I make so many of Yewande Komolafe’s dishes. Yewande always surprises me with her creative flavor combinations, like adding basil and black pepper to coconut limeade, or puréeing avocado with miso and honey into a fluffy, savory dressing. But it’s the method that fascinates me in her new recipe for fish and lentils in sauce rof. Instead of cooking lentils and fish separately, as I’d automatically do, she layers them together into a smart one-pot meal laced with the herbal, lemony flavors of Senegalese sauce rof. While the lentils simmer, she marinates the fish in the sauce, letting the fillets absorb the vibrancy of scallions, fresh chiles, garlic and parsley. She adds the fish to the lentils when they’re nearly done, so it gently steams without overcooking. Then she finishes everything with a handful of baby spinach wilted on top. It’s brilliant, colorful and richly seasoned, and exactly how Yewande’s recipes roll. Featured Recipe Fish and Lentils With Sauce RofMore food for thoughtCrispy chicken thighs with melty leeks and peas: Crackling chicken skin; soft, schmaltz-imbued vegetables; a bright squeeze of lemon. Andy Baraghani’s skillet chicken is a crowd-pleasing dinner that’s fuss-free and sophisticated. Chile tofu: From Hetty Lui McKinnon, this is a fiery, forthright and vegan riff on chile paneer, the classic Indo-Chinese stir-fry from Kolkata. Coating the tofu in cornstarch before pan-frying it creates a pronounced crunch, and helps it stand up to the punchy, gingery sauce. Serve it with rice to help tame the flames. Za’atar chickpea and tuna salad: Instead of using a creamy mix of mayo and celery, Ifrah F. Ahmed dresses tuna and chickpeas with olives, za’atar and plenty of fresh dill. It makes a bright, light and speedy lunch or relaxed dinner. Gochujang buttered noodles: One of our most popular five-star pantry pastas, this full-flavored dish from Eric Kim can be on the table in under half an hour. Made from a mix of gochujang, honey, garlic and butter, its umami exuberance wins me over every time. German chocolate cookies. Almost magically, Samantha Seneviratne shrinks a beloved cake into adorable, fudgy cookies. Dotted with chunks of bittersweet chocolate, pecans and toasted coconut, they’re at their best eaten warm from the oven when the chocolate is still a little gooey. That’s all for now. If you’re impeded by a technical issue, email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. 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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