Best 3 Crispy Grains And Halloumi With Smashed Cucumbers Recipes
CRISPY GRAINS AND HALLOUMI WITH SMASHED CUCUMBERS
This vegetarian sheet-pan meal is inspired by crispy rice dishes like tahdig, fried rice and pegao, but, instead of white rice, this recipe calls for whole grains like brown rice, wheat berries or farro. For best results, spread the grains and chickpeas on a sheet pan and pat lightly with a paper towel to remove moisture before cooking - the drier they are, the more they'll crisp up. Then top everything with smashed cucumbers that have been combined with citrus and fresh herbs. As the whole grains cook, the cucumbers marinate, releasing sweet, grassy juices that are then used as a dressing. (You can also use the liquid on a simple panzanella or a baby-green salad.)
Provided by Ali Slagle
Categories dinner, lunch, weekday, grains and rice, salads and dressings, main course, side dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat the broiler on high with a rack six or fewer inches from the heat source. Put the grains, halloumi and chickpeas on a sheet pan to air dry while you prepare the other ingredients. (You can do this up to a day ahead and refrigerate the sheet pan.)
- Meanwhile, smash the cucumbers with the side of your knife until they're craggy and split. Coarsely chop into irregular 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the cucumbers and any liquid on the cutting board to a small bowl and season with salt. Finely grate about 1 teaspoon of the citrus zest over the cucumbers, then squeeze in 3 tablespoons juice. Cut any remaining citrus into wedges for serving. Add the herbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil, stir to combine and set aside. (Cucumbers can be prepared up to 3 hours in advance.)
- Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cumin to the sheet pan. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, spread in an even layer, and broil, shaking the pan occasionally or tossing with a fork, until the chickpeas start to pop and everything is crisped and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Serve the grain-bean mixture topped with the cucumbers and the dressing in the bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, citrus juice and olive oil.
SPICY SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH LIME, HONEY AND CROUTONS
Smashing cucumbers instead of slicing them gives the flesh an appealing rough surface, the better to bond with any dressings you dream up. In this salad, from the Manhattan restaurant Superiority Burger, the cold crunchy cucumbers are bound in a creamy lime-spiked yogurt that the chef who invented it, Julia Goldberg, calls "fiercely acidic." It's a great combination, and the sweet heat of chile honey and crunch of breadsticks make each mouthful interesting. At Superiority Burger, nutty brown rice is added to the salad for yet another dimension of flavor and texture; the effect is like a rich chicken salad or egg salad, but this is vegetarian and more nutritious over all.
Provided by Julia Moskin
Categories salads and dressings, side dish
Time 45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
- On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
- Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, mix yogurt, lime zest and juice, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. This mixture should taste fiercely acidic and quite salty; add salt and vinegar as needed. Keep refrigerated.
- If making the spicy honey, combine hot sauce and honey in a small bowl and stir well until smooth.
- If making the croutons, toast the breadstick pieces in a toaster oven or skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and stir occasionally, until golden and crunchy.
- When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Add scallions and half of the dressing and toss gently. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned.
- Serve immediately. For each serving, scoop a large spoonful of cucumbers into a bowl, drizzle with spicy honey and sprinkle with a handful of croutons.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 90, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 2 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 485 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams
CHINESE SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH SESAME OIL AND GARLIC
In China, cucumbers are considered the ideal foil for hot weather and hot food. Versions of this salad, pai huang gua, are served all over the country, sometimes spiked with dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns for more dimensions of flavor. In Beijing, people buy whole chilled cucumbers from street vendors and munch them on the go, much as Americans become attached to their cups of iced coffee in summer. The smashing process, a classic Chinese technique, cracks the skin, helps release the seeds and splits the flesh into appealing craggy pieces. Salting and chilling the cracked cucumbers give them the perfect cool, crunchy, watery mouth feel.
Provided by Julia Moskin
Categories salads and dressings, side dish
Time 40m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
- On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
- Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.
- When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
