Recipes from the book Simply Julia by Julia Turshen
It may seem like an oxymoron: comfort food that is also healthy. (Imagine!) This is exactly what led us to Simply Julia: 110 Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food (Harper Wave, 2021). The idea that foods that we associate with enjoyment, such as pot cakes and coffee cakes, could possibly be part of a lifestyle characterized by mindful nutrition is ingenious – and perfectly aligned with the focus of this issue. It’s so much easier for healthy habits to become routine when they work for the senses too.
Julia Turshen is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and an advocate of nostalgic, no-frills home cooking. So these recipes are not long lists of fancy ingredients, but many things that we have on hand or can easily get without having to visit different stores several times. You go easy on cream, butter and sugar, but – we love that! – don’t avoid these ingredients either because I mean come on! You have to live a little.
We’ve selected three recipes from Turshen’s accessible compendium that we believe make simple, light summer dishes possible – pizza-style white cabbage, steamed chickpeas with peppers and zucchini, and ricotta and potato chip fish cakes with peas. These dishes will not keep you tied to the kitchen for hours either, which enables the mindful occupation that you will find lavishly scattered throughout this issue.
Photos by Melina Hammer
Turshen uses canned salmon here for its convenience and reliability. The fish cakes are served on a bed of creamy peas, but as a sandwich alternative, she suggests serving them on toasted potato rolls topped with mayo and topped with grated lettuce and sliced cucumber.
FOR 4
ingredients
A 2-ounce bag of potato chips (preferably sour cream and onion-flavored)
Two 6-ounce cans of wild pink salmon wrapped in water, drained well
1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning (or 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and garlic powder)
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
A 10-ounce pack of frozen peas
½ cup half and half
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
Directions
1. Let some air out of the potato chip bag, then use a rolling pin or a wine bottle to crush the bag into fine crumbs. Place the potato chip crumbs in a large bowl and add the salmon, ricotta, and Old Bay. Finely grate the lemon peel and place in the bowl (keep the lemon peel). Stir the mixture well to really break up the salmon as you mix.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form a patty with your hands. It helps to split the mixture in half, then back in half, etc. to make sure the patties are the same size.
3. Put the butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once it melts and starts bubbling, add the fish cakes to the pan and cook without disturbing them until their bottoms are nicely browned (what a set!), 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to gently flip each one over and cook until nicely browned on the second side, another 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to cook the fish cakes in 2 batches depending on the size of your pan (you don’t want to overfill the pan and you definitely want to give yourself space to turn – think about the spacing like with pancakes). Transfer the fish cakes to a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.
4th Turn up the heat and put the peas, half and salt in the same pan. Cook, stirring, until the peas are light green and tender and half and half are slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Place the saucy peas on a platter and place the fish cakes on top. Cut the grated lemon into wedges and serve with the fish cakes for pressing. Serve immediately.
Photos by Melina Hammer
The recipe calls for this stew to be served with couscous, but you can also use rice, pasta, or quinoa. It is adaptable to other vegetables as well. Try adding chopped tomatoes or pieces of roasted eggplant. You can even replace the chickpeas with canned beans.
FOR 4
For the sauce
1 large handful of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (a little stalk is fine)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup regular or vegan mayonnaise
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
For the stew
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized red onion, thinly cut into crescents
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 peppers (red, yellow and / or orange), pitted, pitted and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
Kosher salt
2 medium zucchini (about ½ pound), ends cut off, cut into bite-sized pieces
Two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup of water
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Serve
Cooked couscous, pasta, rice, quinoa, or any other cereal
Directions
1. First make the sauce. Put the parsley, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Reserve the mix.
2. Next, prepare the stew. Put the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once warm, add onion, garlic, paprika, tomato paste, oregano, and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini, chickpeas, water and another large pinch of salt. Turn the heat up on high and when that tiny bit of water starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the saucepan and cook, stirring from time to time, until the zucchini is very soft and the mixture is simmering for about 25 minutes. Turn off the stove, stir in the vinegar and season the mixture with salt. Serve the stew warm over the couscous (or whatever you’re serving with it). Cover each serving with a large spoon of the sauce.
Photos by Melina Hammer
Garnishing kale with her favorite pizza toppings is one of the best ways to “take the boredom out of eating your greens,” says Turshen.
FOR 4
ingredients
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pound kale (preferably lacinato or dinosaur kale), rinsed, hard stalks discarded, roughly chopped (2 standard bundles)
3 tablespoons of water
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried paprika flakes (optional)
Directions
1. Position your oven rack 15 cm from the grill element and turn the grill on.
2. Put the olive oil in a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it starts to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add the kale and water and sprinkle with salt. Cook the kale, stirring occasionally, until tender and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly on the kale and sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella.
4th Grill until the cheese has melted and bubbled, about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on the skillet, as broilers will vary and yours may take a little less or more of your time.
5. Sprinkle the kale with parmesan, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika flakes (if used). Serve immediately, straight from the pan.
Remarks
Remarks
