Three Simple Recipes to Add Brightness to Your Food

Author & Photographer: Margot Young

I am sure that you or someone you know has made a sourdough starter, baked countless batches of cookies, or broken out their favorite comfort food recipes in the last few weeks. And as incredible as this comfort cooking is, eventually warm, wintry foods can start to feel stuffy and tired. As any good Bon Appétit fan will tell you, the key to making your food feel lively again is adding a touch of brightness. Recently, this advice has helped wake me up from routines I’ve slumped into— whether that be not putting on “real people” clothes for three days or only making dishes with heavy cream and roasted vegetables.

So I’ve put together three simple recipes to help you add a bit of spring quarter sunshine to your meals, even when you can’t leave the house much. These recipes are designed to be flexible and recycled, so make a big batch to use throughout the week and play around with the spices. If you don’t like one of the flavors or are missing an ingredient, substitute it for something else until you find something you love. If you need some inspiration, see the bottom of each recipe for suggestions on how to use incorporate them into fun dishes.

Whole Lemon Dressing (Four Ways)

Makes 1 C

Active time: 15-20 minutes

Total time: 15-20 minutes

Lasts 1 week in the fridge

Base Ingredients

2 Large lemons (about 2.5 medium)
1 Clove garlic
6 Tbsp olive oil (preferably with a stronger, spicy flavor)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional Ingredients

For Shallot Dressing:

1 Small shallot and 1 tsp thyme leaves (preferably fresh)

For Mustard Dressing:

2 Tsp whole grain mustard and 2 tsp dijon mustard

For Chive Dressing:

Scant 1/4 C chives and 2 anchovy fillets

For Sweet and Spicy Dressing:

5 Tsp honey and 1 1/2 tsp Calabrian chili (or at least 1 tsp red pepper flakes)

Base Instructions

Slice one lemon, remove seeds and middle spine, and chop roughly (including peel and pith).
Juice remaining lemon(s) until you have 4 tbsp of juice.
Transfer chopped lemon, juice, and olive oil to a blender.
Grate in garlic with a micro-plane and blend until lemon is in pea-sized pieces.
Transfer mixture to a jar.
If you not adding other ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste.

To make shallot dressing:

Finely chop 1 small shallot.
Stir thyme and chopped shallot into dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make mustard dressing:

Stir whole grain and Dijon mustards into dressing.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make chive dressing:

Finely chop chives and add to dressing. If you are unsure what a scant quarter cup looks like, you can estimate it as 1/4 cup minus 2 tsp.
Very finely chop anchovies and add to dressing.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Because the anchovy is fairly salty, it is important to season after adding the anchovy.

To make sweet and spicy dressing:

If your honey is very thick, quickly warm it in the microwave.
Chop the chili if in large pieces.
If using red pepper flakes, do not chop and start with only 1 tsp, adding more if desired (note that red pepper flakes may take longer to impart their flavor than the Calabrian chili).
Add honey and chili to dressing, stir to combine, and season to taste with salt.

Notes: Dressings last sealed in a jar for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. As the dressing sits in the fridge, it may become thicker or more bitter. To counteract this, add more olive oil and salt, and let it rise to room temperature before using. You can find the adapted recipe here.

Some ways to use Whole Lemon Dressing:

You can use this recipe as a salad dressing, toss it with steamed green beans or other vegetables, spoon it on top of fish, spread it across an avocado for a snack, or reduce it with cream and butter for a rustic pasta al limone sauce.

Spicy Ginger Syrup

Makes 3/4 C

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 oz ginger
1 C sugar
1/2 C water
Approx. 20 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Peel ginger and thinly slice. I find that peeling ginger is most easily done with a spoon.
Use a mortar and pestle to crush the cardamom pods and release the seeds. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, wrap pods in a kitchen towel and gently crush with a rolling pin. Do not discard the husks.
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
Lower heat and gently simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all solids.
Transfer to a jar and let cool uncovered until no longer visibly giving off steam, about 20 minutes.

Notes: Can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. You can find the adapted recipe here.

Some ways to use Spicy Ginger Syrup:

You can add this recipe to marinades, drizzle it on yogurt or ice cream, add it to whisky-based drinks, stir it into a cup of chamomile or your morning latte, or try it in your coffee (but don’t blame me if that’s gross, because I don’t drink coffee).

Quick-Pickled Onions

Active time: 20

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 red onion
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 C rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
Water

Instructions

Thinly slice onion and transfer to a bowl.
Toast cumin seeds in a small skillet, tossing frequently until slightly darkened. The cumin should give off a fragrant aroma.
Combine all ingredients except the onion and water in a medium-sized jar.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Remove 1/2 C boiling water and stir into vinegar mixture until sugar and salt have dissolved.
Pour enough boiling water over onions to cover them, let sit for 30 seconds, then drain and transfer onions to a jar.
Stir to combine, making sure the onions are covered in the vinegar mixture, and let sit at least one hour before using.

Notes: Can be stored in the fridge for two weeks. You can find the adapted recipe here.

Some ways to use Quick Pickled Onions:

You can use this recipe on top of a salad, eggs, a tuna melt, baked chicken thighs, a bowl of hummus, or a rice bowl.