INCREDIBLY SIMPLE SHRIMP AND SQUASH DINNER

Posted in Incredibly simple, Seafood, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

For a light version, pair the shrimp with spaghetti squash. To go for the kill, serve with a hearty helping of fettuccine… Two super easy recipes that we absolutely loved!

Let’s start with the main dish…

SAUTEED SHRIMP WITH LEMON-CAPER DRESSING
(adapted from The New York Times)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¼ cup lemon juice
2 very thin slices of lemon, deseeded and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill
1 tablespoon capers or more, coarsely chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt

to brine the shrimp (optional, but recommended)
1 qt water
1/4 cup Kosher salt
squeeze of lemon juice

Brine the shrimp by soaking in the solution for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, rinse lightly and pat dry with a paper towel. Reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil with the lemon juice, chopped lemon, dill, and capers; set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and lightly browned on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the lemon dressing and toss to coat. The shrimp can be served right away, over pasta, rice, or any side dish you desire.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

SUPER SIMPLE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

To get the original recipe, click here

I don’t think I will ever use another method to make it. The only tricky part is slicing it, BUT if you poke a few holes with a fork around the skin and microwave it for 5 minutes, slicing is easy.

Place crosswise slices (about 1.5 inches thick) over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle some olive oil, salt and pepper, rubbing the slices to coat slightly.

Bake at 400F for about 40 minutes, flipping the slices midway through roasting.

Use a fork to shred the squash while still warm in the pan.

Comments: The shrimp preparation is delicious, I’ve made it three times in the past month, so I highly recommend you give it a try. As to the squash, I love how each little portion is perfect for a single serving. You can do that and follow with recipes that use the squash in little muffin tins with a bit of tomato sauce, or an egg, there are countless options out there in the blogosphere and Pinterest universe. It ends up with perfect texture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Japanese Vegetarian Curry

TWO YEARS AGO: Butter Chicken Meatballs

THREE YEARS AGO: Lace-Decorated Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Carrots

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sarah Bernhardt’s Cookies

SIX YEARS AGO: A Really Big Announcement

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Stir-Fried Chicken in Sesame-Orange Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Monday Blues

NINE YEARS AGO: A New Way to Roast Veggies

TEN YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

2Aug2025

TWO INCREDIBLY SIMPLE RECIPES

Posted in Incredibly simple, Salads, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

The first one is truly simple because you actually make the potatoes a day or two before, but the recipe itself qualified to be in this folder when I first published it in 2023. Check it out here. I always make one or two extra potatoes so that I have leftovers. Because, how could you resist these?

Simply grab the leftover roasted potatoes from the fridge, and cut in slices that should not be too thin, not overly thick, as they will warm up exclusively on the skillet. Add olive oil to the pan, once it is really hot, add the slices and brown them on both sides. Add a little more salt to serve. They will be super creamy inside and get that superb crust all over. Addictive, I tell you.

The second one was featured recently in the New York Times with a lot of praise by the readers. It seemed a bit odd, very few ingredients, kind of monochromatic. But we were both quite impressed by the flavor and texture. I share with you my version, which is slightly modified from the original one. A bit of olive oil and dill were brought to play.

CUCUMBER-AVOCADO SALAD
(modified from The New York Times)

1 large English cucumber
Kosher salt
2 very ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
drizzle of olive oil
fresh or dried dill to taste
red pepper flakes for serving, to taste

Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips and trim ends. Halve lengthwise and slice thin. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle 1 to 2 tsp kosher salt all over the slices. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh from the skins, then cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and season with salt. Stir to combine.

Shake the cucumbers in the colander to get rid of any excess moisture, rinse briefly then transfer to the bowl with the avocado. Drizze olive oil, and add dill. Mix well but gently, the avocado should start getting creamy and cover all the slices of cucumber. That is a good thing. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

ONE YEAR AGO: Fitness Post, 21day Fix

TWO YEARS AGO: Going Beyond Guacamole

THREE YEARS AGO: A Trio of Superstars

FOUR YEARS AGO: Turkey Meatloaf

FIVE YEARS AGO: Prue Leith’s Smoked Salmon and Beetroot Blinis

SIX YEARS AGO: Mandioca Frita 101

SEVEN YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Raspberry Dome Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

NINE YEARS AGO: Pickled Red Onions

TEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Mini-Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Grated Tomato Sauce

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A Taste of Yellow to Honor Barbara

FOURTEN YEARS AGO: Gratin of Beefsteak Tomatoes

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tour de France Final Stage: PARIS

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Snickerdoodles with a Twist

6Jun2023

FRESH DILL AND FETA SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

A match made in heaven and materialized in the Bewitching Kitchen! We were lucky to get a huge bag of fresh dill from a departmental colleague and I had some feta cheese hanging in the fridge. One thing led to another and here we are!

FRESH DILL AND FETA SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

475g white bread flour
25g whole-wheat flour
9g salt
350g water
65g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced (or amount to taste)
50-100g feta cheese, crumbled

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the two types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 3 minutes at low-speed all the time. Add the dill, knead for another minute to incorporate. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, add the feta and gently mix it in. Don’t worry about incorporating it, it will all go into the dough as you fold it. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, rub gently tapioca flour on the surface. Score with the pattern of your choice and bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For the scoring of the surface I used a combination of razor blade and scissors. The bread had impressive oven spring, but I liked the way the design ended up. As to the flavor, I noticed that the dill came through stronger on the second day of the loaf sitting at room temperature. Usually in the evening of day #2 we slice what is left and freeze for later, so that’s what we did.

Really nice to bite into a little piece of feta cheese…..

ONE YEAR AGO: Marinated Chickpeas with Slow-Roasted Red Peppers

TWO YEARS AGO: Passionfruit Millionaire’s Shortbread

THREE YEARS AGO: Chai-Mango Rosette Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Common Table, Something New in My Life

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Daisy, a Bread with Brioche Alter-Ego

SIX YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin, Braciole Style

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Raspberry Buckle

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Seafood Gratin for a Special Dinner

NINE YEARS AGO: Cooking Sous-Vide: Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Loin

TEN YEARS AGO: Farewell to a Bewitching Kitchen

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen. June 2012

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: 7-6-5 Pork Tenderloin

25Jun2022

TWO DELICIOUSLY REFRESHING CUCUMBER SALADS

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Cucumber might be one of the most under-appreciated veggies, at least in our kitchen. I love raita, but rarely make it. At the grocery store, I grab every single veggie before inviting a cucumber into my shopping bag. But in the past couple of weeks I’ve been on a cucumber obsession, so today I share two recipes that will be part of our regular rotation from now on.

CUCUMBER & CRISPY CHICKPEAS WITH AVOCADO DRESSING

CUCUMBER AND CHICKPEA SALAD WITH AVOCADO DRESSING
(adapted from Minimalist Baker)

for crispy chickpeas:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
spray of olive oil if using air-fryer, 1 tablespoon olive oil if baking

for salad:
2 large cucumbers, peeled in strips, seeds removed, sliced thin
1 avocado, mashed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
squirt of lemon juice
1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill

Make crispy chickpeas. Best way is with air-fryer. Spray with olive oil, season with paprika, salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes in the highest temperature your fryer allows. Reserve.

When ready to make the salad, mash the avocado in a large bowl, squirt some lemon juice oven, then the olive oil, balsamic and the herbs. Season with salt. Mash it all well together. Add the slices of cucumber, toss with the creamy avocado dressing. Add the crispy chickpeas and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This salad took Phil and I into a state of awe. I have a great friend who always says that food bloggers tend to use too many superlatives to describe their food, and I agree that can be annoying. But please allow me to say, this is an outstanding little salad, in which every ingredient works perfectly. Creamy, refreshing, hearty, we had zero leftovers. A moment of silence for my lunch next day, in which this salad was just a memory.

Moving on to version #2…

CUCUMBER & SHAVED CARROT SALAD WITH YOGURT-DILL DRESSING

CUCUMBER AND SHAVED CARROT SALAD WITH YOGURT-DILL DRESSING
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 cucumbers, peeled in strips, seeds removed, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon salt
1 large carrot, shaved in a box grater
1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
fresh dill to taste, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Place the slices of cucumber in a colander, add the salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Lighty rinse the slices, and dry them on a paper towel.

Make the dressing by mixing yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, agave nectar, dill and spices. Whisk well. Add the dressing to the slices of cucumber, incorporate the grated carrot. Leave the salad in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I took two different approaches to the cucumber. In the first recipe I used them straight after slicing, whereas I salted them in the second version. As expected, in the salted version the cucumber had a slightly more tender texture. We loved them both ways, so if you are in a hurry, skip the salting in version #2, as it won’t compromise the outcome.

Both salads ended up as the star in our dinner, I highly recommend you consider increasing your consumption of cucumber, if you are also part of the team that keeps forgetting all about them…

ONE YEAR AGO: Grilled Shrimp with Parsley Oil over Black Rice Noodles

TWO YEARS AGO: Chicken Shawarma, the Easiest Way

THREE YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mango-Lime Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Sriracha Meatballs

SIX YEARS AGO: Slow-cooker Braised Lamb Shanks

SEVEN YEARS AGO: How about some coffee with your steak?

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Spiral Kick

NINE YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

TEN YEARS AGO: Granola Bars

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

8Jul2021

GINGER-DILL SALMON

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I get disappointed when pictures do not do justice to a recipe. You will have to trust me, this salmon was like an explosion of flavors and textures, even if it looks a bit “messy” on the plate. It is actually supposed to be just like that. The husband found the recipe in The New York Times, in an article highlighting favorites of their food editors. I can see why.

OVEN-ROASTED GINGER-DILL SALMON
(slightly modified from The New York Times)

1 salmon fillet, skin-on
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 tablespoons finely chopped dill
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and finely grated
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 blood orange (or additional regular orange)
2 oranges
6 small radishes, cut into thin wedges
1 avocado
Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Pat the salmon dry, then place on the tray skin-side down and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the dill, ginger and olive oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the dill-ginger mixture over the top of the salmon. (Reserve the remaining dill-ginger mixture.) Bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

As the salmon cooks, cut off the top and bottom of the two types of oranges and remove the segments. Squeeze the peels into the remaining dill-ginger mixture to get out any juice. Transfer the fruit and any juice on the cutting board to the bowl. Add the radishes, season generously with salt, and stir gently to combine.

Break the salmon into large pieces, and divide across plates with the citrus salad. Peel and pit the avocado, then quarter lengthwise and add to plates. Season with salt. Spoon the juices from the bowl over top, and season with black pepper, another drizzle of olive oil, and flaky sea salt, if using.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The husband is the seafood cook in our home, but every once in a while I venture into his domain. This was quite spectacular, even if I say so myself. We loved the contrast of the hot salmon with the cold citric salad. Perfect for a warm Summer evening. I highly, highly recommend it.