Hot and Sour Sautéed Greens with Salted Almonds

Here’s to your health (and taste buds) in a bowl. It doesn’t get much simpler or tastier than mixed greens sautéed with a few Asian-inspired ingredients and topped with nuts for a little crunchy texture. (Substitute unsalted almonds or the nut of your choice, if you prefer.)

Note: I used a mixture of rainbow chard, baby bok choy, and spinach for this recipe. Kale, collards, or mustard greens would be good too—choose what you like and enjoy.

Spinach, Bok Choy, and Chard

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb mixed greens (such as chard, bok choy, and spinach)
• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped salted almonds

Preparation

1. Wash and spin-dry the greens. Trim thick stems and coarsely chop the leaves.
2. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Add the garlic, mustard, and chile flakes and stir-fry 1 minute.
4. Add the greens and vinegar mixture to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, 5-6 minutes.

Chopped Greens 

Stir-Fried Garlic Mixture

Greens Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Greens

Transfer the greens to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve hot.

Hot and Sour Sautéed Greens with Salted Almonds

Pasta with Braised Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Springtime is lamb time—even if the preparation is more reminiscent of cold-weather cooking. Lamb shanks just beg to be braised, and papparadelle (pa-par-DAY-lay) begs for a rich, meaty sauce to cling to it. No matter the season, some dishes never go out of favor. I think this is one of them.

Note: I found small lamb shanks—only one-and-a-half pounds total for two shanks. If yours are larger, simply increase the braising time until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Many recipes call for three to four pounds of lamb shanks for four servings, but I think only two smallish shanks provided a very satisfying amount, adding to the very rich wine-based sauce.

Also note: I used traditional Italian-style egg-noodle pappardelle, but you can substitute wheat-based pappardelle, or use fettuccini if you can’t find pappardelle at all.

Egg Pappardelle

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs lamb shanks (2 small shanks)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped, peeled carrot
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups dry red wine, plus more if needed
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 6 oz pappardelle (or fettuccine)

Lamb Shanks

Prepared Vegetables and Garlic

Egg-Noodle Pappardelle

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 275° F.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and sear, turning a few times, until browned all over, 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the celery, onion, and carrot to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 6-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
5. Return the lamb shanks to the pan and add the wine, broth, and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a simmer.

Lamb Shanks Beginning to Sear 

Seared Lamb Shanks

Vegetables Beginning to Cook

Garlic and Tomato Paste Added 

Ready to Braise

1. Cover the pan tightly and braise in the oven until the lamb is very tender, 2 to 2-1/2 hours, depending on size. (Turn after about 1 hour and check the liquid level. If the shanks are not covered at least 1/2 of the way up, add a little more broth or wine.)
2. Remove the rosemary sprigs from the sauce and transfer the lamb shanks to a clean plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone and shred it.
3. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly reduced, 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded lamb to the sauce.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente, 4 minutes (depending on type).
5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine.

Halfway Through

Braised Lamb Shanks

Shredded Lamb in the Sauce 

Cooked Pasta

Divide among 4 bowls and serve.

Pasta with Braised Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Chicken Panini with Brie and Fig Jam

Sweet, creamy, savory, earthy, you name it—and all in a simple sandwich, pan-grilled to golden-goodness in about 20 minutes. Panini sandwiches are wonderfully versatile, combining flavors and textures between two slices of hearty, crusty bread.

Here, I used slices cut from a loaf of sourdough, but you can use any bread you like—just be sure it’s firm enough to stand up to the heat (and the press).

Sourdough Bread Slices

Note: You can substitute a large boneless, skinless chicken breast-half in place of 3-ounce chicken tenders. Simply cut the breast lengthwise into about 3-ounce strips.

Panini fans, check out Mediterranean Tuna Panini with Feta, Olives, and Garlicky Yogurt Sauce, Pancetta Panini with Grilled Bell Pepper, and Prosciutto with Panini and Roasted-Garlic Spread.

Serves 3

Ingredients

• olive oil, for brushing
• 3 3-oz chicken breast tenders
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped chard
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 6 slices crusty sourdough bread, about 1/3-inch thick and 6 inches long
• 3 oz brie, room temperature
• 6 tbsp fig jam
• 2 large radishes, very thinly sliced

Chicken Tenders

Chopped Chard 

Brie and Fig Jam

Preparation

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and grill until golden on both sides and just cooked through, about 10 minutes total.
2. Transfer to a cutting board. (Do not wipe out the pan.) When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices.

Chicken Beginning to Grill 

Grilled Chicken

Sliced Chicken

1. Meanwhile, toss the chard and vinegar in a small bowl.
2. Lay the bread slices on a work surface. Spread 3 slices with brie and the other 3 slices with fig jam. Divide the chicken on top of the brie and top with chard and radish slices. Close the sandwiches with the fig-spread slices of bread and press down gently.
3. Re-heat the grill pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Place the panini in the pan and place a grill press on top (or use a heavy skillet as a press).
4. Grill until the bread shows grill marks on the bottom, 3-4 minutes. Turn and grill, continuing to press, until the sandwiches are hot throughout and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes longer.

Bread with Brie and Fig Jam 

Chicken Added 

Chard and Radishes Added 

Panini Beginning to Grill

After Turning

To serve, place the panini on a cutting board and cut each in half. Serve right away.

Chicken Panini with Chard, Brie, and Fig Preserves

Pasta with Mushroom-Clam Sauce

Fresh clams are wonderfully delicious in pasta sauces, but fully cooked clam meat (usually sold frozen) also makes a flavorful, meaty sauce for an easy, simple pasta dinner. Look for 10-ounce bags of wild-caught, sustainable, cooked clam meat in the frozen seafood section of your market. I found this at Whole Foods.

Frozen Cooked Clams

Note: I usually recommend two ounces of pasta per serving, but when it comes to noodles as thin as angel hair a little goes a longer way. Here, only six ounces for four servings add up to a hearty bowlful.

Angel Hair Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 oz angel hair pasta
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 8 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 10-oz package frozen, wild-caught clam meat, thawed
• 1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
• 2 tsp chopped tarragon
• grated Romano cheese, for serving (optional)

Sauce Ingredients

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente, 2-3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until softened, 6-7 minutes.
3. Add the butter, stirring to melt and incorporate. Add the clams and chile flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes.
4. Add the drained pasta, pasta water, tarragon, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the sauce. Stir well to incorporate.

Mushrooms and Garlic

Softened Mushrooms and Garlic 

Butter, Clams, and Chile Flakes Added

Pasta with Sauce

Divide the pasta and sauce among 4 shallow bowls and pass Romano cheese at the table, if desired.

Pasta with Mushroom-Clam Sauce

Grilled Tuna Pitas with Mango-Avocado Salsa

These filled pita pockets are as flavorful and inviting as they are light and fresh. Ahi tuna is often sold frozen, but if you can find it fresh, go for it. Be careful not to overcook—a few minutes is all it takes to get beautifully (and tenderly) cooked tuna.

And speaking of fresh: this salsa is there. Fruit, vegetables, a splash of lime—it’s everything to feel good about.

Also check out Grilled Steak Pitas with Garlicky Raita.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Salsa

• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and small-diced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 4 tsp fresh lime juice, divided
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small, firm-ripe avocado

Salsa Ingredients

For the Pitas

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing grill pan
• 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 12-oz ahi tuna steak, 1-inch thick (or 2 6-oz steaks)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-inch pita pocket halves
• shredded lettuce, for serving

Preparation

For the Salsa

1. Place the radishes, mango, scallion, cilantro, and 2 teaspoons lime juice in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Just before serving, peel the avocado and remove the pit. Coarsely chop and stir into the radish mixture along with the remaining 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Re-season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Radish Mixture

Mango-Avocado Salsa

For the Pitas

1. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, Thai chile, and garlic clove in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Season the tuna with salt and pepper and grill until lightly charred on the bottom, about 4 minutes.
3. Turn and sear 3-4 minutes longer, until lightly charred on the other side and pinkish red in the middle for medium doneness. 
4. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 3 minutes. Use a fork or your fingers to pull into bite-sized chunks.

Oil, Chile, and Garlic 

Cooked Oil, Chile, and Garlic

Seasoned Tuna Steak 

Tuna Beginning to Sear

After Turning

Coarsely Shred the Tuna

To serve, place shredded lettuce in the bottoms of the pita halves. Fill with tuna and top with salsa. Drizzle each lightly with chile-garlic oil, passing additional at the table.

Grilled Tuna Pitas with Mango-Avocado Salsa