Melissa Archives - Food And Recipe

The pandemic reignited a lot of people’s love for cooking. And it was easy to maintain our sourdough starters and take on days-long culinary projects as our social calendars sat empty and we worked from home. While the love for cooking has remained, commuting, travel and social engagements have returned, meaning we have less time and energy to whip up that homemade meal — and tackle the cleanup that comes with it — than we did two years ago.

As someone who cooks for a living, Melissa Clark feels our pain, which is why she was inspired to write Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals. Each recipe in the book can be made in less than one hour, and they’ve been streamlined to require only one pan, pot or skillet during the cooking process. “[During the pandemic], I went from cooking dinner four or five times a week to cooking three meals a day, every day,” Clark says. “The dishes piled up, and I started to resent them. So cooking became a puzzle — how to make the most delicious food to sooth and satisfy, but how not to make myself crazy with dishes at the end of the meal.”

I myself have always loved cooking, but it became the daily habit I wanted it to be during the pandemic. Exchanging recipes with family and friends became a weekly ritual to keep things exciting and fresh. One particular friend told me I had to read Clark’s Dinner in French and sent me a copy. That’s when I became a devotee to Clark’s recipes, cooking through her ode to France and as many of her NYT dishes as humanly possible. And after making an abundance of her meals, I can say that her recipes are about as foolproof and delicious as they come.

Dinner in One has tons of options for modification, whether you want to substitute a different ingredient or even make certain recipes vegan. Many even have a note on how to “Veg It Up,” which gives you a chance to pack the dish with vegetables. “Baby spinach!,” Clark said when asked about her personal favorite way to add more veggies. “I add it everywhere, pre-washed, straight from the box into the soup-stew-chili pot. And I’ll roast any veggie that will let me. Having a side of roasted veggies goes with everything, especially if you’re turning the oven on anyway — might as well stick a pan of cut-up, oiled vegetables in there, too.”

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Clark is an expert in one-pot cooking, so we asked her about the other multi-purpose kitchen tools she can’t live without.

Microplane

“A microplane for garlic, ginger and citrus zest is such a great way to add flavor quickly, and then you can toss it into the dishwasher.”

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester Grater ($16.99)

Cuisinart 5-Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan With Lid — Cuisinart

Deep Pan With Cover

“I also love a deep, 10-inch sauté pan with a cover, which I can use for sautéing and also for making pasta sauces (and pastas!), stews, braises and even small batches of soup. The high sides make it more practical and multifunctional than a slope-sided skillet.”

Cuisinart 5-Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan With Lid ($89.95)

orange Escali Primo Digital Food Scale — Escali

Digital Kitchen Scale

“Once you start weighing things instead of measuring, your life gets easier and your dish load gets lighter. You don’t need cup measures for baking anymore, just add ingredients directly to the bowl. It’s so much more exact and leaves you a lot less to clean up.”

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale ($25.11)

If you’re looking for a little dinner inspiration tonight, this roasted tuna recipe from Melissa Clark’s Dinner in One is a quick, delicious meal that only requires the work of your Dutch oven.

Roasted Tuna with Brown Butter Corn, Tomatoes and Chile

Ingredients

1½ lbs. tuna, cut into steaks about 1-inch thick
½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (or substitute another chile powder)
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
5 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from about 2 ears) or frozen and thawed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving
Flaky sea salt, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF. Season the tuna all over with kosher salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and chile powder. Rub the mixture on the tuna and set aside while prepping the other ingredients.
2. In a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden brown, and it smells nutty and toasty, 2 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it doesn’t burn.)
3. Stir in the scallion whites and jalapeños and cook until tender and golden, 2 minutes. Add the corn, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, the ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Nestle the tuna steaks into the pot and drizzle with the oil. Cover and bake until the vegetables are tender and the tuna is cooked to the desired doneness, 10 to 13 minutes for rare, 15 to 20 minutes for medium.
4. Taste the corn and add more kosher salt and a squeeze of lime, if needed. Serve topped with the scallion greens and flaky sea salt and the lime wedges on the side.
5. SWAP IT OUT: Thick salmon filets will work well here in place of the tuna.
6. VEG IT UP: You can add tender greens to the corn and tomatoes. Before serving, remove the tuna steaks from the pot and tent with foil to keep them warm. Add 4 to 5 ounces (4 to 5 cups) of baby greens and stir over low heat until they wilt.

“Maybe you’re trying a twist on a recipe that you love but have never tried before. Or maybe you’re being introduced to flavor combinations that are new. My goal is to help you do it pretty easily. But this is the easiest one yet. I’ve streamlined my recipes and gotten them down to one-pot meals.”

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The biggest challenge for Clark was getting as much flavor as possible into each dish, while paring down the ingredients and the techniques. But with that, the bonus was less mess.

“I love the idea of less cleanup,” she said. “Everyone who likes to cook, likes to cook, but I don’t know anyone who likes to do the dishes. So the fewer pots and pans you use, the easier your cleanup is going to be. This book is geared toward people who want really delicious food, quickly, with the least cleanup possible.”

Another thing that Clark really likes about “Dinner in One” is that many of the recipes are vegetable-focused.

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“It’s not a vegetarian cookbook, by any means, but I’ve tried to create dishes that use more vegetables than you might normally see,” she said. “Also, wherever possible, I’ve given vegetarian swap-outs. So dishes that weren’t vegetarian, I’ve given options to make them vegetarian. And dishes that are vegetarian, I’ve given swap-outs to make them vegan.”

One of the most intriguing recipes in the book is simply called Sheet Pan Thanksgiving.

“I love that one,” Clark said. “It’s a turkey breast, and it’s marinated with garlic, so it has this great flavor. Then you’ve got your sweet potatoes, and your Brussels sprouts, and you can do this whole thing on a sheet pan, with all the flavors of Thanksgiving. But you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving. You can do it any time of the year.”

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Maybe the biggest surprise in the book is the chapter on One-Bowl Cakes.

“Here’s the dirty little secret about any cake that you make that uses a liquid fat, like melted butter or olive oil,” Clark said. “Any of those cakes can be made in one bowl. You don’t need to break out your mixer, and you don’t need to dirty up another bowl for your dry ingredients. You just mix it all in the same bowl. It takes under 10 minutes to come together. Then you just put it in a pan and bake it.”

BOOK EVENT

Melissa Clark, “Dinner in One”

7:30-9 p.m. Sept. 21. Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. 678-812-4000, atlantajcc.org. $15 for members; $20 for nonmembers.

RECIPES

These easy and delicious recipes from “Dinner in One” (Clarkson Potter, $29.99) by New York Times food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark can be made with minimum mess, in one pan, pot or dish.

Shiitake, Sweet Potato, and Tofu Soup with Miso. Reprinted from “Dinner in One.” Copyright © 2022 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.

Credit: Linda Xiao

Kombu, a type of dried seaweed, adds umami depth to this flavorful one-pot soup. Take it out of the package but don’t rinse it or wipe it — that white powdery substance on the surface contains natural salts and minerals that contribute to its flavor. If you can’t find kombu, stir in a little soy sauce instead.

Slivered napa or green cabbage can be substituted for the spinach. Add it along with the sweet potatoes in the first step in the recipe so it has a chance to cook down until very tender.

You can double the mushrooms and the spinach to turn this light soup into more of a vegetable-focused stew.

Shiitake, Sweet Potato, and Tofu Soup with Miso

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
5 cups vegetable stock
1 (4-by-5-inch) piece kombu (optional), or substitute with soy sauce to taste
6 tablespoons white or yellow miso, plus more as needed
4 ounces (about 4 cups) baby spinach, torn
1 (12- to 14-ounce) package silken or soft tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, scallion whites and most of the greens (reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish), mushrooms, ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened but not browning, 5 to 7 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the stock, 2 cups water, and the 1 teaspoon salt. Place the kombu (if using) on top of everything. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Remove the kombu with tongs or a fork and, once it’s cool enough to handle, chop it into pieces and set aside. Ladle about 1/2 cup soup into a medium bowl and whisk in the miso. Stir the miso mixture back into the pot. Add the spinach, tofu, and reserved chopped kombu, and stir until the spinach wilts. Taste, stirring in more miso and salt, if needed. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with the remaining scallion greens and a drizzle of oil.
Serves 4 to 6.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 307 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 14 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 13 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 891 milligrams sodium.

Recipes adapted from “Dinner in One” by Melissa Clark (Clarkson Potter, $29.99).

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving with Roast Turkey Breast, Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts. Reprinted from “Dinner in One.” Copyright © 2022 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.

Credit: Linda Xiao

This nifty sheet pan recipe lets you enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving any time or any season. Though Clark likes to serve it with a creamy za’atar sauce on the side, your favorite cranberry sauce is welcome, too.

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving with Roast Turkey Breast, Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts

Acorn or butternut squash, cut 1 inch thick, can stand in for the sweet potatoes. Broccoli florets or broccolini can replace the Brussels sprouts.
1 boneless turkey breast (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoons za’atar
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick wedges
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
If the turkey breast comes tied, untie it. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season the turkey all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and the 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, then rub all over with the garlic.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and za’atar. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the za’atar mayo to a separate small bowl and brush that all over the turkey. Set the remaining za’atar mayo aside. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare everything else.
In a large bowl, toss together sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the red pepper flakes. Place turkey on a rimmed sheet pan and arrange the potatoes in a single layer around it. Roast for 20 minutes.
In the same bowl (no need to wash it), toss the Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the cumin seeds, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Give the potatoes a toss after roasting for 20 minutes, and push the wedges to one side of the pan to make room for the Brussels sprouts. Add the sprouts and continue to roast until the sprouts and potatoes are golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 145 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer (for a total turkey roasting time of 40 to 50 minutes). Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
While the turkey is resting, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the reserved za’atar mayo; taste and add a little more oil and salt, if needed. Season to taste with lemon juice. Serve the reserved za’atar mayo alongside the turkey and vegetables.
Serves 4.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Per serving: 687 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 56 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 34 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 150 milligrams cholesterol, 1,481 milligrams sodium.

Blueberry Lime Crunch Cake with Demerara. Reprinted from “Dinner in One.” Copyright © 2022 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.

Credit: Linda Xiao

Blueberry Lime Crunch Cake with Demerara

Clark thinks this might just be the easiest and crunchiest coffee cake you’ve ever made. It’s filled with soft, juicy blueberries that are flavored with tart bursts of lime zest and nestled into a cinnamon-scented batter.

You can substitute full-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. And other spices, like cardamom, ginger or pumpkin pie spice, can replace the cinnamon. Or leave out the spice for a more subtle cake.

Blueberry Lime Crunch Cake with Demerara

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks / 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 cups (337 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest (from 2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) fresh blueberries (or frozen, unthawed)
2/3 cup (57 grams) sliced almonds (or chopped walnuts or pecans)
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-by-9-inch metal pan. If you like, you can line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the cake out after it cools. But if you plan to serve the cake directly from the pan, you don’t need to do this.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, butter, eggs and salt until everything is well combined. Whisk in the granulated sugar and lime zest. Whisk in the dry ingredients in this order: baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Then whisk in the flour until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the almonds and Demerara sugar. Bake until the top is golden and puffed, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool still in the pan.
Serves 8.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Per serving: 596 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 10 grams protein, 72 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 31 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 160 milligrams cholesterol, 487 milligrams sodium.

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Tag: Melissa

Melissa Clark Talks “Dinner in One” and Her Favorite Kitchen Tools

Microplane

Deep Pan With Cover

Digital Kitchen Scale

Roasted Tuna with Brown Butter Corn, Tomatoes and Chile

Ingredients

Directions

Recipes from Melissa Clark’s new cookbook