Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (31 page)

FAST POTATO GRATIN

MASHED POTATOES

PAN-CRISPED POTATOES

QUICK SCALLION PANCAKES

TENDER SPINACH AND CRISP SHALLOTS

CURRIED TOFU WITH SOY SAUCE

SIMMERED TOFU WITH GROUND PORK (MA-PO TOFU)

SPANISH TORTILLA

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 25 MINUTES

THERE ARE TWO
things I love about pencil-thin asparagus: one is that it requires no peeling, because its outer sheath is far more tender than that of its thick cousin; the other is that it cooks much faster.

This is especially important when you turn to methods other than boiling or steaming—most notably roasting. What I like to do is roast thin spears until they’re just about tender, then top them with a foolproof two-ingredient topping: coarse bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Run that under the broiler, and you get roasted asparagus with a crunchy, high-impact crust. Keep your eye on the dish while it’s under the broiler—the time needed there is only a minute or two.

1.
Preheat the oven to 500°F; while it’s preheating, put the bread in there and check it frequently until it is lightly toasted and dry. Coarsely grind or grate the bread and cheese together (a small food processor is perfect for this)—if possible, keep the crumbs from becoming as fine as commercial bread crumbs.

2.
Rinse the asparagus and break off the woody ends. Lay them in a baking dish that will accommodate them in two or three layers. Toss with bits of the butter and/or oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and put in the oven.

3.
Roast for 5 minutes, then shake the pan to redistribute the butter or oil. Roast for another 5 minutes, then test the asparagus for doneness by piercing a spear with the point of a sharp knife; it is done when the knife enters the asparagus but still meets a little resistance.
You can prepare the recipe in advance up to this point up to a couple of hours before serving; allow the asparagus to sit at room temperature during that time.

4.
Turn on the broiler and put the rack as close as possible to the heating element. Sprinkle the asparagus with the crumbs and carefully brown the top—it will take only a minute or two. Serve the asparagus hot or at room temperature.

VARIATION

Roast Asparagus with Soy and Sesame

Omit the bread and cheese. Use 1 tablespoon peanut oil in place of the olive oil or butter. Halfway through the roasting, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the asparagus. Top with about 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; run under the broiler until they begin to pop, about 1 minute. Finish with a sprinkling of soy sauce, just a teaspoon or two.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THIS PREPARATION FAVORS
thick spears of asparagus, which become tender and remain moist inside while their exteriors char. Those that weigh an ounce or two each—that is, eight to sixteen per pound—are the best. The only difference between thick and pencil asparagus is that thick asparagus must be peeled before cooking to remove the relatively tough skin; use a vegetable peeler or paring knife.

1.
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus; most spears will break naturally an inch or two above the bottom. Peel the stalks up to the flower bud. Meanwhile, start a grill or preheat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it smokes.

2.
To grill the asparagus, toss them with about 1 tablespoon of the oil, mixing with your hands until they’re coated. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until tender and browned in spots, turning once or twice, a total of 5 to 10 minutes.

3.
To pan-grill the asparagus, do not oil or season them. Just toss them in the hot skillet and cook, turning the individual spears as they brown, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove as they finish and season with salt and pepper.

4.
Mix together the lemon juice and shallot, then stir in enough olive oil to add a little body and take the edge off the sharpness of the lemon; the mixture should still be quite strong. Season it with salt and plenty of black pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve the asparagus hot or at room temperature with grilled or broiled swordfish, monkfish, or other sturdy fish. Spoon the sauce over all.

VARIATION

You could serve these grilled asparagus with any
of these
in lieu of the lemon-shallot-parsley mixture here. If you were serving them as part of an Asian-themed meal, you might swap out the dressing in this recipe for Soy-Ginger Dressing: Combine ¼ cup soy sauce with ½ teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons rice or other mild vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil. Serve over the asparagus.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 10 MINUTES (WITH PRECOOKED OR CANNED BEANS)

LIKE MOST BEAN DISHES
, this puree is best if you use freshly cooked dried beans, but it is still good with canned beans. One-quarter pound of dried beans will yield about one cup, the amount needed for this recipe, although you can double the quantities if you like. If you use dried beans, cook them in unsalted water to cover (presoaking is unnecessary), with a couple of bay leaves, until very tender. If you use canned beans, you’ll need almost a full fifteen-ounce can to get one cup (there’s a lot of water in those cans).

1.
Put the beans in a food processor with the garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on and add half the olive oil in a
steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth.

2.
Put the mixture in a bowl and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest, and remaining olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: AT LEAST 1 HOUR, LARGELY UNATTENDED

THIS DISH OF
slow-cooked green beans yields soft and sweet beans. It is a perfect side dish for a midwinter meal because it does not depend on sun-ripened tomatoes or crisp just-picked beans for its appeal.

1.
Put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to high. Add the beans and cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown a little on the bottom. Add the tomatoes, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender. (You can cook even more slowly if you like, or cook until done, turn off the heat, and reheat gently just before serving.)

2.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining olive oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THIS THICK BEET PANCAKE
, cooked slowly on both sides until the beet sugars caramelize, sports a crunchy, sweet crust that, I swear, is reminiscent of crème brûlée. It must be cooked in a nonstick skillet, preferably a twelve-inch one (if you have only a ten-inch skillet, use only one and a half pounds of beets and the same quantity of the other ingredients), over moderate heat: too-high heat and too-quick cooking will burn the sugary exterior of the pancake while leaving the inside raw.

Remember that beets bleed, so it is wise to peel them over the sink and wash the grater or food processor as soon as you’re done with it.

1.
Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2.
Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.

3.
Put the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet and press it down with a spatula to form a round. With the heat at medium to medium-high—the pancake should be sizzling gently—cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return the cake to the pan. Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

BEURRE NOISETTE IS BROWNED
, or nut-colored, butter, a French classic that fully qualifies as a sauce yet contains only one ingredient. If you’ve never had it, beurre noisette’s complex flavor and beguiling aroma, redolent of hazelnuts, will amaze you. And if you like it over broccoli, you’ll probably find that you like it over almost any other sturdy, full-flavored vegetable.

1.
Trim the broccoli as necessary (the thick stems should be peeled with a vegetable peeler or paring knife to make them less tough). Cut into equal-size pieces.

2.
Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter stops foaming and begins to brown. Remove from the heat immediately and season lightly with salt and pepper; keep warm if necessary.

3.
Steam the broccoli over boiling water (or boil in salted water to cover) until tender and bright green, usually less than 10 minutes. Drain if necessary and sprinkle with salt. (Or run under cold water and refrigerate. To reheat, put a little olive oil or butter in a pan over medium heat and turn the broccoli in it until hot.) Swirl the lemon juice into the beurre noisette and drizzle it over the broccoli; serve immediately.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES

THIS IS MY
favorite way of making a side of carrots to go with a meal. Part of its appeal is its ease and quickness; the other is how easy it is to vary. You can add almost any flavoring you like to these carrots during their final minutes in the pan, like a healthy grating of lemon or orange zest or a tablespoon of grated ginger or a clove of minced garlic, to flavor them to your taste.

1.
Put the carrots in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and water to come about halfway up their height. Add the butter, cover the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Simmer until the carrots are nearly tender, about 20 minutes.

2.
Uncover; much of the water will have evaporated. Continue to cook until the carrots are shiny, about 5 minutes longer; if they threaten to burn, add a tablespoon or two of water. When the carrots are done, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish if you like, and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES

BUY SNOW-WHITE
cauliflower with no brown spots; use broccoli or one of the hybrids (broccoflower, romanesco broccoli, and so on) if the cauliflower does not look good. And though it is a full-flavored dish, remember that cooking will mellow the assertive flavors of the anchovies and garlic, so don’t skimp on either. This dish is just as good warm as it is hot.