Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)
I’ll tell you a story—this is one of the tapas that actually helped launch my career. I was a very young chef working at a restaurant in Roses, on the Costa Brava of Catalunya. One summer night, very late, a customer came in and tasted my gambas al ajillo, and asked me to come work with him. That customer was Ferran Adrià, the chef of one of the most incredible restaurants of all time, elBulli, where I found my voice and learned so much. And I owe it all to these garlic shrimp! To me, it’s an amazing tapa because it is so simple and fast and the reward is so great. You have these sweet, juicy shrimp swimming in a hot, garlicky sauce made withextra virgin olive oil and Spanish brandy. Be sure you have some bread on hand to soak up all that sauce.
Zucchini-Eggplant "Parm"
After eating this dish at La Copine, Natasha Lyonne said, “This place is a 10!” causing Nikki and Claire both to blush. As we are just a few hours from LA, a lot of people from the City of Angels show up at our doorstep. To accommodate diverse dietary needs, we make many dishes or components of our dishes vegan and/or gluten-free. It’s surprisingly easy when it comes to soups, salads, and sandwiches, but for a substantial vegan main dish, we had to think more outside the box.Claire grew up in New Jersey eating eggplant Parm as an after-school snack, sometimes layered and baked, other times piled on a sandwich, or simply dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar. So we came up with this eggplant Parm meets lasagna, made with thin slices of eggplant and zucchini layered like noodles with a fresh tomato sauce and cashew-based béchamel. After baking it for two hours, it’s refrigerated overnight to set, making it super easy to reheat the next day. We reserve half of the pomodoro to add to the pan when reheating so it gets extra hot and bubbly and finish it with a drizzle of basil oil, lots of garlic breadcrumbs, and fresh basil. It’s a comforting dish that both vegetarians and meat eaters find satisfying. And it’s easy to make gluten-free if you leave out the breadcrumbs or use a gluten-free option.
Oven-Baked Fish Tacos
I love eating fish tacos. I do not love the kitchen smell or extensive stove-top cleanup. They aren’t terrific as takeout either. This recipe combines the joy and flavor of a restaurant taco with the ease of an oven bake: You throw them in the oven, then prep the rest of the components while they cook.The real beauty of this recipe, though, lies in its versatility: If you are busy, you can swap out store-bought fish taco seasoning and bagged shredded cabbage mix and shredded carrots. And if you are cooking for different dietary preferences, a couple of easy swaps can make it paleo, vegetarian, or vegan (more on that below).The charred limes are a fun way to finish this dish—charring the lime is a super quick way to make it juicy, smoky, and slightly sweeter.
Lentil Cottage Pie
Warm, hearty, and packed with protein, this recipe—from the executive chef at 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh—happens to be vegan, but we’d wager it would satisfy any meat-lover, too.
A Really goop Burger Recipe
We believe a great burger doesn’t have to be indulgent to be satisfying. It just has to be made with intention. This turkey burger recipe is a celebration of texture, flavor, and clean ingredients: savory mushrooms, sweet caramelized shallots, and zucchini (yes, zucchini!) folded into lean ground turkey for moisture and depth.It’s the kind of everyday staple that feels weekend-worthy, but is simple enough to prep ahead and enjoy any night of the week
Chicken for Lemon Lovers with Tarator
This is a flavorful, tangy, super-satisfying dish. It’s great for a casual lunch or dinner but works equally well for entertaining, given how gorgeous all the colors will look at your table. Once plated, the tarator sauce will start to meld into the chicken juices, so make sure to serve it with a side of roast potatoes, rice, or couscous to slurp up all that flavor! I often add a little ground turmeric to give the chicken a pretty golden color, but you can omit it if you’d like. The sauce can be made two days in advance and kept in the fridge.