TAKE ITTAKE IT EASYEASY RECIPES FOR ZERO STRESS DELICIOUSNESS aby Dalkin C- WWhhaat't'ss CC a ba byy Cook Cookiingng GABY DALKIN TAK E IT E A SY TAK E IT E A SY CookCook iingng WWhhaa t't'ss CCa ba byy No-stress, crazy-good recipes for delicious food! Gaby Dalkin is here to simplify cooking with more than 100 recipes that don’t require a lot of time, ingredients, or experience but deliver big on flavor. Whether you are having twelve friends over for dinner or just spending a quality night solo in sweatpants, Take It Easy has you totally covered and ready for a (mostly) healthy, always epic meal. GABY DALKINGABY DALKIN is a cookbook author, chef, entrepreneur, and food and lifestyle writer. Her website, What’s Gaby Cooking, founded in 2009, has established her as the go-to girl for all things California. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Poppy. And she’s never met a chocolate chip cookie she didn’t like. Cover design by Claudia WuCover design by Claudia Wu Cover photographs by Matt ArmendarizCover photographs by Matt Armendariz ISBN 978-1419758867 9 7 8 1 4 1 9 7 5 8 8 6 7 5 3 5 0 0 U.S. $35.00 Can. $44.00 ISBN: 978-1-4197-5886-7Take It Easy 4849 I Need Dinner + I Need It Now Everyone’s favorite recipe from my website felt like it needed a moment in print. These meatballs are everything you love about chicken Parm but in smaller bite-size form. They’re moist, flavorful, quick to come together, and delicious whether you’re tossing them with pasta or tucking them into a sub. You can stretch them all week as multi-purpose leftovers, and they even freeze well. What can I say? It’s truly one of my favorite recipes of all time. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Carefully combine every- thing with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Form the ground chicken mixture into small meatballs, each the size of a golf ball. Insert a small bocconcini ball into the center of each meatball, taking care to reform the meatball around the cheese once it’s been inserted. The mozzarella should be completely hidden from sight. Dredge each meatball in the flour to lightly coat and gently tap off any excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, turning every so often to brown the outside. Once the meatballs are browned, remove them to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat the process with the remaining meatballs. Once all meatballs are browned, drain off any excess oil, add the tomato sauce to the skillet, and place the browned meatballs on top of the sauce. Transfer the skillet, meatballs and all, into the oven and let the meatballs continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the skillet from the oven and season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of basil vinaigrette, and finish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately. Meatballs Serves 4 1 pound (455 g) ground chicken ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional) ⅓ cup (25 g) panko bread crumbs 1 large egg ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more as needed ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon dried parsley ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 12 to 16 bocconcini mozzarella balls ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 (24-ounce/680 g) jar marinara sauce Basil Vinaigrette (page 235) Handful of fresh basil, leaves torn, for garnish Chicken ParmTake It Easy 50 Welcome to the vegetarian dinner of your dreams. It’s like the bar food classic got all cleaned up, with tender, crispy cauliflower shellacked in sauce and drizzled with garlicky yogurt dressing. This is a particularly great recipe if you’re into meal prepping ahead of time or like to take the same thing to work for lunch all week. TO MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Transfer the cauliflower florets to a large bowl and toss with the oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer over a lined sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, gently tossing the cauliflower approximately halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven when the florets are golden brown and slightly crispy on the edges. In a small bowl whisk together the hot sauce and melted butter. Turn the oven to broil. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower florets and toss well to coat. Transfer the sheet pan back into the oven and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until extra crispy. Adjust seasoning as needed. TO ASSEMBLE THE BOWLS: Toss the white rice with the lime zest and juice, and place equal portions of the mixture into four bowls. Top each serving with about 1 cup (135 g) of the buffalo cauliflower, equal parts of the shredded cabbage, black beans, and avocado, then drizzle with the garlic labneh. Serves 4 FOR THE CAULIFLOWER: 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into medium size florets 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper ½ cup (120 ml) Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, plus more for serving 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted FOR THE BOWLS: 4 cups (790 g) cooked white rice Zest and juice of 1 lime 2 cups (190 g) shredded purple cabbage 2 cups (480 g) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 avocado, diced or sliced Garlic Labneh (page 234) Cauliflower Bowls Bu ffalo51 I Need Dinner + I Need It NowTake It Easy 114115 The Ultimates I’m a big believer that you are perfectly capable of making restaurant-quality food without needing a culinary degree. This recipe is proof of that— yes, you can make the PERFECT steak. And I do mean perfect. Cooking it doesn’t require more than searing the meat in a pan, but what really puts it over the top is basting it with butter, rosemary, and garlic cloves. Bring the steak to room temperature. Dry off the steak with paper towels and liberally season with salt and pepper. Warm the oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, place the steak in the pan. Cook, without moving, until a deep crust forms, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until a crust forms on the other side. Use tongs to hold the steak upright, searing the sides, including the fat cap, until nice and browned. Lay the steak down in the skillet and add the butter, garlic cloves, and rosemary. While tilting the pan, begin basting the steak with the butter, garlic, and rosemary, placing the garlic and rosemary on the top of the steak if they begin to burn. Baste for 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and sprinkle with flake salt. Serve immediately. Steak Serves 1 to 2, depending on how hungry you are 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 (8-ounce/225 g) bone-in rib eye steak Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 cloves garlic, crushed with skins on 4 sprigs rosemary Flaky salt, for serving The Perfect NOTE: I call for bone-in rib eye here, but boneless would work just as well. You just don’t have the visual wow factor of the bone.Take It Easy 134135 Pizza, Pasta + a Few Other Carbs You’d be hard-pressed to find a recipe that yields such big results from such easy prep. It honestly puts all other orzo recipes to shame and is my new favorite go-to for all things side dish, potluck, and picnic. Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer the pasta into a serving bowl. Reserve ¼ cup (40 g) of the feta. Crumble the remaining feta cheese directly into the orzo, add the basil vinaigrette and lemon juice, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add in fresh mint, basil, and chives and stir to combine. Garnish with extra feta and herbs on top. Herby Orzo Serves 4 to 6 1 pound (455 g) orzo pasta 1 cup (150 g) feta cheese 1 cup (240 ml) Basil Vinaigrette (page 235) Juice of 1 lemon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup (8 g) fresh mint, torn ¼ cup (8 g) fresh basil, torn ¼ cup (8 g) fresh chives, finely chopped Lemon FetaNext >