Bonus column: Martha Stewart
With weeks of celebrations ahead (read: lots of eating and drinking), you’ll crave some lighter meals for balance. These nourishing dishes — including a chicken-bulgur bowl with shredded beets and carrots, and a Spanish-inflected salmon stew — will perk up your plate without weighing you down.
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ROAST-CHICKEN GRAIN BOWL
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
10 lemon slices (from 1 1⁄2 lemons), plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken-breast halves (2 1⁄4 pounds total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup medium-grind bulgur
1 small bunch beets, bulbs peeled and grated, tops shredded
2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced (a heaping 1⁄2 cup)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated (2 cups)
Greek yogurt, for serving
1. Heat oven to 450 F. Place lemon slices on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil. Top with chicken; season with salt and pepper. Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest parts of chicken (avoiding bones) registers 160 F, 30 minutes. Whisk 1 tablespoon water into pan juices; reserve. Meanwhile, place bulgur and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl; add boiling water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and let stand until tender, 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add beet tops, shallots and a pinch of salt; cook 3 minutes. Stir in bulgur. In a bowl, combine lemon juice and Dijon; whisk in reserved pan juices. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from bones; slice. Divide bulgur mixture among bowls; top with carrots, grated beets, yogurt and chicken. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
SMOKY SALMON-AND-POTATO STEW
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1⁄2 head fennel, chopped (1 cup), plus fronds for serving
2 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
16 ounces clam juice (two 8-ounce bottles)
10 small yellow potatoes, cut into 1⁄4-inch slices (2 1⁄2 cups)
1 1⁄2 pounds salmon fillet (preferably wild), skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1. Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add fennel, celery and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic and paprika; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, 5 minutes. Add clam juice and potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are fork-tender, 30 minutes.
2. Season fish with salt; gently fold into stew. Return to a simmer, cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Serve, topped with fennel fronds, a drizzle of oil and more pepper, if desired.
LOADED BAKED SWEET POTATOES
Roasting sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack allows their skins to become extra-crisp. For a variation, try pale-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes, which have a richer flavor and are in season now.
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
4 medium sweet potatoes (each 8 to 10 ounces), scrubbed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces broccoli rabe, tough ends trimmed
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1⁄4 cup sliced pepperoncini, plus brine for drizzling (from a 16-ounce jar)
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
1. Heat oven to 400 F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Rub with 2 tablespoons oil; season with kosher salt. Place directly on top rack, with a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet on rack below. Roast 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toss broccoli rabe with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with kosher salt and pepper. Carefully remove parchment from lower baking sheet; add broccoli rabe in a single layer. Roast, tossing once, until tender and bright green and potatoes are soft and oozing, 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then chop broccoli rabe into bite-size pieces. Split sweet potatoes open; mash lightly with a fork. Top with broccoli rabe, beans and pepperoncini. Serve, drizzled with oil and brine and sprinkled with flaky salt.
THAI PORK SALAD
Active/Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
4 boneless pork chops, each 1⁄2 inch thick, patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head napa cabbage (about 1 1⁄2 pounds), halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (2⁄3 cup)
1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce, such as nam pla
1 serrano or red finger chile, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped
Fresh mint leaves and chopped peanuts, for serving
1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high 5 minutes. Add half of cabbage, cut-side down; cook, flipping once, until charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, then pork; cook, flipping once, until a thermometer inserted into thickest parts registers 140 F, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate; let cool slightly, then thinly slice.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together onion, lime juice, fish sauce, chile, sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Chop raw and charred cabbage into bite-size pieces; add to bowl along with cucumber and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates. Top with pork, mint and peanuts; serve.
(For more recipes and additional tips, visit www.marthastewart.com. Questions or comments should be sent to: askmartha@marthastewart.com.)