Recipes for when it was Thanksgiving two days ago and you're out of leftovers, grocery budget, and f***s.
Also: hi! I'm writing a newsletter.
Hello, chefs.
It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and rather than helping my boyfriend move out of his place and into mine (holy hell!), I’m sitting in my kitchen writing this newsletter. I know I chose the right Mr. Faith because he’s not even a little salty about this. Probably because before he left, I made him a loaf of chocolate chip banana bread (see below for your ticket out of manual labor), but also because he doesn’t want me to make fun of the millions of packets of takeout soy sauce and ketchup that he’s meticulously saved over the last decade (men: why????????).
So why is this newsletter worth missing an opportunity to laugh at the artifacts of my SO’s previous life? I’ve been cooking for crowds for over half of my years earthside (cooking well for maybe the last two), and one day I’d like to compile my findings—which dishes are best for picky eaters? For advance prep? To go with a roast chicken? To freeze and re-heat? To serve on a budget?—into a book, if books still exist when I’m old and wrinkly.
For now, though, we’ll start with this: a once-weekly recipe for when [literally any scenario].
This week:
I just updated my budget spreadsheet for the month and I’m 28% over budget on groceries (ugh). I’m also 100% over being in my kitchen, which is nursing its wounds from Thanksgiving prep and barely accessible through the mess of a renovation.
I want to cook something that is cheap, fast, light, and requires relatively few brain cells. Enter:
I never said we’d be getting pretty recipes here…that’s what Instagram is for. But I promise she’s tasty!
I hope you find a little joy in your kitchen this week. See ya next Saturday.
-Faith
Tomato-poached fish
This was surely adapted from someone somewhere who taught me that simply covering your pan to steam fish in a sauce is a totally ok, and perhaps even great, way to cook it. Thank you, whoever you are.
I recommend you serve with a piece of crusty bread (my fav), over pasta (also delicious), or with some sautéd broccolini, kale, or other leafy green.
Olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
2 fish filets, thawed (Cod is my favorite here, but any white fish will do you. Get the big frozen bag when it’s on sale and keep it in your freezer for moments such as these. Thaw it for ~20 minutes in a bowl of water in its packaging.)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Garlic (Whispers: I keep a huge jar of minced garlic in my fridge and use that instead of fresh 95% of the time. Sue me, Ina.)
~1.5 cups chicken or veg broth (or a 50/50 combo of water and wine if you don’t have broth)
Heat a good glug or two of olive oil and your tomatoes in a large sauté pan (make sure it has a lid, but you don’t need it yet) on med-high heat until your tomatoes start to burst, about 5-10 minutes.
Season with about 1 tbsp minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if you like them. Cook for about 1 minute longer.
Add your broth and bring to a simmer. Season your fish with salt and pepper.
When your tomato mixture has the consistency you want (a thinner broth or a thicker sauce are both delicious here…feel free to add more liquid to achieve!), top the tomatoes with your fish filets, cover with a tight lid, and simmer on low for ~5-10 minutes until the fish flakes away with a fork.
Bonus: chocolate chip banana bread
Somewhere there simply must be a definitive list of the best banana breads based on individual preferences (soft top? hard top? nuts? chocolate? light and kinda gooey? listen, I won’t yuck your yum). This is not it. This is just one banana bread recipe that
Keeps well
Requires one bowl only (if you cheat on the dry ingredients mix, which yes, you can totally skip the dry ingredients mix)
Has a slightly crisp top (surprising and delightful)
Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread on NYTCooking.com.
Yay!