Spinach Saag with Coconut Milk, and the Other Best Things I Cooked this Week

Spinach Saag with chickpeas, roast chicken, double chocolate hazelnut cloud cookies and

This week’s newsletter starts with a recipe for a DELICIOUS coconut milk spinach saag, a simplified version of a NY Times recipe from Priya Krishna recipe I loved. You can add chickpeas or tofu or classic paneer, but really any protein. Try nestling in bite size cubes of salmon or bite sized pieces of chicken breast to suit what your family is into. I added chickpeas - you can do one can or two cans depending on how many you’re feeding. Frozen spinach or fresh…its very adaptable. I don’t make mine spicy at home, but I do for some of my clients. This meal is easily on the table in under 30 minutes.

If you’re itching to get your holiday baking on—or need some show-stopping cookies to gift—I just posted my favorite cookie recipe of all time. Yes, of all time. Sorry, Jacques Torres salted chocolate chip cookies, but it’s time to step aside. These are the ones. Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cloud Cookies, although it’s slightly a misnomer since you can use any nut you want (or no nuts.)

If you’ve experimented with my viral skilled roast chicken recipe and want to take a deeper dive (or don’t yet know how glorious it is) I published an entire post dedicated to it yesterday. This is our family dinner probably two Sundays a month.

Sunday roast chicken

Lastly, I’ve been deep in my winter chicory salad era. Made with hearty lettuces like radicchio, endive, escarole, frisée, or Castelfranco, they’re perfect for turning into a full-on dinner with the simple addition of (this chicken breast recipe, minus the tomatoes). This endive, radicchio and green salad; and this one with fennel and persimmon especially shine in this role—crisp, bitter greens balanced by savory, nutty, and cheesy goodness. Winter dinner perfection!

chicken + pan seared chicken breast = dinner

Simple Spinach Saag with Coconut Milk

This easy, flavor-packed spinach saag ditches the cream for coconut milk, making it lighter, dairy-free, and just as delicious. Serve it with fragrant coconut rice (or plain steamed rice if you’re feeling low-key) and your choice of protein to turn it into a complete, satisfying meal.

left saag with chickpeas (mine); center saag with paneer (photo Kris Kirkham); right saag with tofu (Priya Krishna recipe - Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks)