Posts in Ali's Recipes
Tonight's Dinner is Orzo with Chicken and Olive Sprinkle

Some ingredients are just back-pocket game changers that you should always have around. Dehydrated olives may not sound like a necessity, but they can add a punch of flavor to almost anything. Don't be concerned with people who claim they don't like olives, it's not the same flavor. In the way that miso paste or soy sauce can add a depth of umami to a dish, so too can a bit of dehydrated olives just sprinkled on top. On pasta, on meat, even on a salad this little dust can do wonders.

And it's not a difficult task - it's really just about sticking them in an oven and remembering to take them out. You can make a giant batch and then seal them in a jar, always at the ready for an infusion of oomph. 

This recipe takes something lovable but basic - chicken and pasta - and makes it feel like a sophisticated dish. It takes the ordinary and makes it addictive. But with the combination of the olives and the flavor of the chicken skin, you're basically unstoppable. 

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Turn Your Notions Upside-down With This Smoked Salmon Tart

I grew up with smoked salmon on a bagel. In Charleston there was always one place that served a decent bagel. And since moving to New York a decade ago it's been a staple no matter what. There's something about the combination of bread, cream cheese and the fatty perfection of lox. 

But it is also somewhat of a cooking cop out. When I want to ignore actually doing anything I will buy some good smoked salmon from Russ and Daughters, order a dozen bagels from my favorite spot (Bagels on the Square in my neighborhood) and stick out a brunch that requires pretty minimal effort. It is so delicious but feels a little bit cheap. 

I was in Austin recently at the Lake Austin spa teaching a class about Bring It! and they had this poached egg dish with salmon and cumin. It was such a delight to see smoked salmon with a bit of spice to it. And it immediately made me want to change up my own lox routine.

So the smoked salmon tart was born. It has all the ingredients of a typical bagel but with little twists- the light puff pastry replaces the bagel; a dash of that cumin gives it a little bit of depth; and some time in the oven makes it a warming treat. And the truth is that it is almost as easy as a regular bagel would be. 

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Get Your Hands on Some Palm Pesto

I'm a little giddy around this spring weather. It makes me want to have light, bright and healthy every single day. But salads and rice bowls can get exceptionally boring.

I recently went to a restaurant that had a chopped hearts of palm salsa on top of a fish. It was tart and refreshing - and everything I want in my springtime meals. So I took the idea and made it into a lunchtime-friendly all purpose pesto kind of sauce. It's basically just throwing a bunch of deliciousness in a blender and then making sure you keep some on hand for anything you want to brighten up.

I made it for a rice bowl and then literally ate it for lunch every single day for a week. I started pouring it on eggs in the morning and salads at night. It's the very definition of cheap and cheerful. 

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The Shoulder Season Stunner is Zucchini Parm

It is sunny here in New York today but this will-it-or-won't-it spring still has me hankering for something comforting. So what do you do think this shoulder weather?

Enter the zucchini parm. It's the lightened up version, a lot of vegetables, a lot of freshness with basil and lemon an still a bit of cheese to bring it together. It can be prepped ahead, which for me is usually half the battle.

So if you need an easy, warming meal, I can't think of anything better

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This Cucumber Salad Wins the Trifecta of Being Beautiful, Easy and a Little Kooky

I was recently in LA doing some book promo for Bring It! and every kept telling me to go to Kismet. So we went early enough where we could take my son (and...to be honest... when they would let us in without making a reservation weeks in advance). The style and service was very LA - interpret that how you will - but I was really delighted by a lot of the fun and ease of a lot of the dishes. 

One dish in particular was a cucumber and orange salad sitting on a little bed of labneh with a lot of surrounding spices. It struck me as such a cool presentation for a salad - leaving the dressing as part of the image, rather than tossed together or drizzled on top.

I got home and decided to make a slightly more home-cook friendly version using a fruit that is coming back into season - grapes! And I also figured that I would char them because why not and I love my broiler. 

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Strawberry Vinegar Glazed Fish

Stawberries are no exception. Those tiny, perfect summer strawberries seem to be needed in everything this time of year. But I am always looking for the savory option. I want to take the summer fruit out of its typical sweet context. So when I had an abundance of strawberries recently I decided to do more than just add them to my spinach salad.

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