One of the smartest approaches to feeding a group of opinionated people with different preferences — say, your family — is to make something that’s easy to construct or deconstruct as you like. (Tacos are the reigning champions in this arena.)
Last week, I got an email from a reader saying that she makes Niçoise salad all summer for her family, which is a great pick-and-choose meal; let everyone take what they want from the platter of canned tuna, green beans, boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives and so on. Smart!
You’ll find a roasted salmon-centered take on Niçoise salad below, as well as a dumpling salad that can be separated into parts for anyone who won’t go for the full package. The tajín chicken, BBQ tofu and creamy lemon pasta are just plain delicious.
1. Tajín Grilled Chicken
This easy recipe from Rick Martínez harnesses the electric flavors of tajín, the beloved chile-lime spice, and uses them to bring chicken to life. You can serve this as is or sandwiched on a bun.
2. Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon Niçoise Salad
This recipe comes from Lidey Heuck, who essentially makes a sheet-pan meal of salmon, potatoes, tomatoes, olives and string beans and then serves it with lettuce and dressing for a riff on Niçoise salad. You can skip the hard-boiled eggs on a weeknight; the dish will still feel like a homage to one of the salad greats.
4. Creamy, Lemony Pasta
Pasta with lemon sauce is among the most delicious simple dinners you can make. This recipe by Yasmin Fahr is both creamy and tangy from the yogurt she uses in the sauce.
5. Folami’s BBQ Tofu
This richly red tofu recipe, which Nicole Taylor adapted from Folami Prescott-Adams, a community psychologist, is perfect for celebrating Juneteenth with a crowd. But it’s also great for any weeknight when you want a helping of crisp, flavorful tofu.
