Sesame salmon bowls, pizza chicken and more recipes to try this week

By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times

Last week I got an email from a reader named Rachel that really spoke to me, and will probably speak to anyone who’s ever had to feed children or another phalanx of picky eaters:

Could you also please share a recipe that all three of my kids will eat? One eats most things but not peanut sauce, one eats only cucumbers and pizza, one eats only dino nuggets and whatever I am currently eating, especially if I’m very hungry and not in the mood to share.

The stringent randomness of kid preferences, the irritating puzzle of how to feed everyone with one meal, the cannibalization of your own dinner — it’s all here.

I picked two recipes below that may work in that scenario, and a few others that I’m making for dinner myself.

1. Sesame Salmon Bowls

This one-pot meal, which is inspired by chirashi, or Japanese rice and raw fish bowls, features a savory vinegared rice that’s typically served with sushi. Traditionally, the rice is cooked first, then mixed with vinegar, but here, the rice is cooked in vinegar-seasoned water to eliminate a step. The result is sticky rice that’s tangy and sweet, and a perfect bed for fatty salmon. The salmon is added toward the end to steam directly on top of the rice for an easy one-pan meal. Packaged coleslaw is a time saver, eliminating extra knife work. Make a double batch of the zesty dressing for drizzling over roasted vegetables or green leafy salads the next day.

By Kay Chun

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups sushi rice (short-grain white rice), rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from one 2-inch piece)
• 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces green coleslaw mix (about 3 packed cups)
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
• Torn toasted nori sheets, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the rice and 1 3/4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, toss salmon with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and season with salt. Once rice is tender (after about 20 minutes), arrange salmon in an even layer on top of rice. Cover and steam over low heat until fish is cooked to medium, about 12 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, safflower oil, scallions, ginger and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well, and season with salt.

4. Scoop salmon and rice into bowls. Top each with some cucumbers, coleslaw mix and avocado. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with nori, if using.

2. Pizza Chicken

With a topping of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, it’s no wonder that I always think of this easy skillet dish as “pizza chicken.” It’s a tangy, milky, gooey, lovable meal that’s somewhat reminiscent of chicken Parmesan, but with succulent bone-in chicken pieces instead of breaded and fried cutlets. Even better, it has pancetta and anchovies for complexity of flavor, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (or use a 3 1/2 pound chicken cut into 8 pieces)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 ounces pancetta, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
• 1 large basil sprig, plus more chopped basil for serving
• 8 ounces bocconcini, halved (or use mozzarella cut into 3/4-inch pieces)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large ovenproof skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate.

3. Add chicken to skillet. Sear, turning only occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil.

4. Add garlic, anchovy and red pepper flakes to skillet; fry 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spatula, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.

5. Return chicken to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.

6. Scatter bocconcini or mozzarella pieces over skillet. Adjust oven temperature to broil. Return skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with pancetta and chopped basil before serving.

3. Tofu With Sizzling Scallion Oil

This refreshing weeknight meal comes together in less than 15 minutes and barely requires turning on the stove. Aromatic garlic, ginger and scallions are gently heated in oil until they sizzle and infuse it, turning into a fragrant, lively sauce for mild silken tofu. Peppery arugula and a final drizzle of tangy cilantro sauce brighten the dish. Enjoy with steamed rice for a heftier meal, or top with fried eggs. Leftover tofu can be stored in the scallion oil and refrigerated; it will have absorbed even more flavor the next day.

By Kay Chun

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package silken tofu
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced, peeled ginger
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 cups baby arugula