Dinner inspirations

With almost all our meals now being cooked and consumed at home, many of us are looking for inspiration on new dishes, so we don’t get bored of cooking and eating the same things over and over again.

In planning our supper club menus, both of us tend to read a lot of food- and cooking-related posts, and often stumble upon some really great recipes and dishes. Some of these provide inspiration for our menu, some find their way into our recipe binder and others make their way into our everyday meals.

So we thought we would share 4 recipes that have stood out for us, are easy to make and also easy to adapt with other ingredients & flavours if you feel like experimenting 🙂

1. Crispy Tofu Salad

I discovered this recipe many years ago and we used to make it quite often. But then forgot about it, till I rediscovered it in my recipe binder.

I’m not sure what the original source of the recipe was, but now when I search it seems to be this site called 1-2 Simple Cooking. I haven’t changed anything in the original recipe because it works just fine, and the salad is absolutely delicious. The combination of the lightly fried tofu, with carrots and crunchy snow peas is lovely, but the dressing just takes it to another level! Its healthy and quite filling on its own, but can also make a nice accompaniment or first course to another dish.

2. Mirin Glazed Salmon

Found ages ago on Nigella.com, this recipe for Mirin glazed salmon is probably one of the most often used recipes for dinners at home. First of all, it is truly simple to make and has never ever failed us.

Secondly the combination of the Mirin dressing + Salmon is a match made in heaven. It is absolutely delicious! Again, I have not needed to adjust this recipe at all, but we do play around with the accompaniments.

We usually have it with rice, as the original recipe recommends, but end up adding different vegetables on the side. Most common has been a purple cabbage and carrot slaw (thinly sliced veggies + mayonnaise + salt/spices), sometimes we serve it with braised brussel sprouts or sometimes with a green salad of baby spinach, snow peas and green peas. We like having the veggies on the side, but you could just as well omit them if you want.

3. Fish Tacos

This is our own creation, and although inspired by Mexican tacos, it is not based on any original recipe. This started with me trying to use up things we had in the fridge and because it tasted so good, we continued to adapt and make these. There are 4 things that go into the tacos we make:

Corn flatbread: this is a cross between a makke di roti and corn tortilla and made by taking a cup of yellow corn flour or even better if you can find it, Masa harina. Add a little salt and then slowly add a cup or just under of water. Knead gently till it comes together into a soft dough, and keep aside for 15-20 mins. Then make individual portions and roll it out on a board. You’ll need to ensure the board and rolling pin are dusted with enough flour to prevent the flatbreads from sticking. Heat a flat non-stick pan, and cook the flatbreads on both sides for about 1-2 mins, till you see bubbles and light brown spots starting to appear.

Fish with semolina: I have adapted a typical Marathi fried fish recipe to make the fish filling for our tacos. I use a firm white fish (typically bocourti), which I cut into 1.5 inch cubes (about 7-8 pieces). I make a marinade with 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, a pinch of turmeric, salt, 1/4 tsp of cumin powder, 1/4 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp red chilli powder. Adjust the salt and spices as per taste and make sure the fish pieces are coated well with the marinade. Keep it covered and refrigerated for 30 mins. Then remove the fish, and coat each piece in fine semolina till the piece is completely covered. Heat oil and then on a medium-high heat, deep fry the fish. It should take about 2-3 mins for smaller pieces to get cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Fresh vegetables: You can use any variety of fresh veggies to go into the tacos. I generally use some combination of cabbage, carrots and/or cucumber, as I like a more crunchy texture.

Sauce or dressing: My go-to combination is Sriracha Aioli – this always goes well with the semolina fish. In addition I have also added toppings like sun-dried tomatoes and a mango chutney. You can add a green chilli/pepper sauce as an option or even sour cream if you prefer.

Assembly – lay out the corn flatbreads on a plate, top with the fresh vegetables, then the fish, then drizzle the dressing or sauce and add the topping. Wrap it up and enjoy!

4. Cauliflower steak with Carrot Miso Puree

Another genius recipe I came across when browsing a link from the NYT food section to a site called Vegetarian Ventures. This is a real treat and even though the recipe looks long, it is actually quite simple to make. The idea of combining carrots with miso, gives them a richness and umami flavour that is just wonderful. And this combined with the roasted flavour of cauliflower and the freshness of the pesto, really makes for a wonderful dinner option.

It’s difficult to find carrots with tops, so I’ve either used a homemade basil or rocket pesto. Really, any herby pesto would work just as well.

So there you have it. 4 simple and great recipe ideas for your next meal!

Priya