Good morning! Today we have for you:
Give me a vegetable, a grain and a potMinestrone is made for improv. It’s all “yes, and …” Those vegetables lingering in the fridge? Yes, and some beans and pasta? Definitely. Toss it all in a broth, aaaand scene, you have a meal that somehow always kills it. It’s a soup that makes clever use of anything the seasons throw at you, the mood you bring to it and whatever tricks your nonna taught you. Zaynab Issa takes the minestrone riff to the next level. Not satisfied to stay classically Italian, her curried red bean soup with kale begins with the premise of two different red bean curries, rajma (a Hindi word for kidney beans) and maharage nu shaak (maharage is Swahili for beans). Yes! And both of them work beautifully with heady spices like cumin, coriander and turmeric, and ground chiles for heat, and black mustard seeds for a musky, earthy scent. Put that together with a rich tomato base, ditalini or another small pasta shape and leafy greens like baby kale or spinach. It all comes together in a perfect blend of the familiar, the surprising and, of course, the thoroughly delicious. Featured Recipe Curried Red Bean Soup With Kale
More food for thoughtSkillet chicken thighs with broccoli and orzo: So many excellent meals are rooted in a combination of white wine, butter and lemon, and Aaron Hutcherson builds this hearty weeknight banger on that unshakable foundation. Cut down on prep time, if you like, by using pre-cut or frozen broccoli florets, or sub in other quick-cooking vegetables like green beans. They give a jolt of color and brightness to this simple, savory meal. Spicy green curry steak: Store-bought green curry paste does the heavy lifting in Samantha Seneviratne’s easy, deeply flavored dish. Just rub it on the steak and let it sit in the fridge if you have time — or don’t if not. Then sear it quickly in a heavy skillet to char the outside while the inside stays juicy and done to taste. (I’ll take mine rare, please.) Sam takes it up one more notch by making a garlic-lime butter to smear on top of the hot steak, letting the butter melt into the meaty juices to create an instant and irresistible sauce. Sesame-soy tofu bowls: Pairing slabs of silken tofu with chunks of velvety avocado creates a brilliant symphony of softness, to which Cybelle Tondu adds contrast with a crisp cucumber salad seasoned with soy sauce and cider vinegar. She serves it all over seaweed-spiked rice for a burst of umami. It’s comforting and light, but different enough to keep you coming back for more. In short, it does everything a good grain bowl should do. Spicy slow-roasted salmon with cucumbers and feta: Snappy and a little spicy, too, Ali Slagle’s salmon fillets are gently cooked in an aromatic oil spiked with red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. This lends them a brick-red hue as well as a mild heat that’s perfumed with fennel and coriander. Toss some cucumber and feta on top as a cool and saline counterpart to the silky, seductive fish. Skillet brownie with chocolate ganache frosting: Erin Jeanne McDowell’s speedy dessert has become my go-to recipe for bittersweet bliss. Even without the creamy ganache frosting, its squidgy, deeply flavored crumb is my brownie ideal. It freezes well, too, in case future you needs a fudge fix. That’s all for now. If you’re hit by some kind of technical snafu, 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 Monday.
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