“I have a couple of salmon recipes that are my go-to for those nights when I want to make something nourishing yet fun and delicious,” says Jodi Moreno about her recipe for Salmon Puttanesca, which appears in her newest cookbook, Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking (Gibbs-Smith). Moreno, a chef, culinary consultant, and food stylist, notes that this recipe checks off all the boxes and is quite simple to make.
“Full of all my favorite flavors—salty capers, briny olives, and anchovies—it’s no surprise that this is one of my staple recipes,” says Moreno, who is also the author of the James Beard-nominated cookbook, More with Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple.
The very elegant Moreno emphasizes simplicity when it comes to her cooking style, but that doesn’t mean plain or boring; her food is about the flavors and that’s also very apparent in her recipe for Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers.
“This super-refreshing, satisfying salad has so many layers of flavor and texture,” she says. “By individually dressing each tier of the salad and layering them in a specific order, each bite is bursting with unique flavors. While the layering is super important, you can stray from the recipe by swapping out or adding certain ingredients. If there is another veggie you want to add to the salad, julienne it and throw in it with the cabbage. And if you want to substitute tahini (for an extra sesame kick) or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise in the dressing, that would be great as well—just make sure if you’re using tahini to thin it out with about 1⁄3 cup water before mixing with the other ingredients.”
The following recipes are from Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jodie Moreno. Photography by David Alvarado. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
Salmon Puttanesca
SERVES 2
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 oil-packed anchovy filets
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed, divided
- 2 (8-ounce) skin-on salmon filets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1⁄2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
TOPPINGS + ADDITIONS
- Fresh lemon juice
- Lemon slices
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Minced fresh chives
TO PREPARE THE PASTE for the sauce, place the minced garlic and anchovies on a cutting board and mince them until you create a very smooth paste. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and mince them in as well. Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, and set aside.
PAT the salmon dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast-iron pan (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) over medium-high heat. The pan should be hot enough so that the salmon sizzles when it hits the pan. Add the salmon, skin side down, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and then cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate while you cook the tomato sauce.
USING THE SAME PAN and oil you just cooked the salmon in, lower the heat to medium low, and add the anchovy-garlic paste. Cook for approximately 1 minute while stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water and stir until everything is combined. Next, add the capers, olives, and lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Lastly, add the salmon back to the pan. Cover and cook for 4 minutes for medium rare or 8 minutes for medium well. Transfer the salmon to serving plates along with the sauce and finish with the garnishes of your choice.
Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers
SERVES 4
FOR THE CUCUMBERS
- 1 to 2 baby cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
FOR THE SALAD
- 1⁄2 roasted chicken, meat pulled from bones and shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1⁄2 head green cabbage (about 4 cups)
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
TOPPINGS + ADDITIONS
- 10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
- 10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
IN A SMALL BOWL, toss the cucumbers with the oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and let them marinate for approximately 15 minutes while you make the rest of the salad.
TO MAKE THE DRESSING, place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
ROUGHLY CHOP the shredded chicken. Transfer to a large serving bowl along with cabbage, scallions, radishes, jalapeño, and 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine.
TOP with the marinated cucumbers, mint, basil, and a heavy sprinkle of the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
