Soba Noodle Salad with Carrot–Apple Miso Dressing

Soba Noodle Salad with Carrot–Apple Miso Dressing

Soba Noodle Salad
🍜 🥕 🍏 🥢
Carrot–Apple Miso Dressing

A colorful vegan soba noodle salad makes a refreshing lunch, but the punchy carrot–apple miso dressing is the star. Fresh ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar balance the sweetness of carrot and apple, while miso adds savory depth.

Chilled soba noodles tossed with toasted sesame oil are surrounded by crisp cucumber, carrot ribbons, grape tomatoes, edamame, and firm tofu. Pour the dressing over the bowl, add sliced scallions and black sesame seeds, and toss it all together for a satisfying lunch with plenty of flavor and texture.

Carrot–Apple Miso Dressing

🥕 🍎 Recipe 🍎 🥕

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Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Toasted Orzo, Capers & Feta

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Toasted Orzo, Capers & Feta

One-Pan Lemon-Garlic Shrimp
🍤 🍋 🧄 🍤
Toasted Orzo, Capers & Feta

The secret to this delicious lemon-garlic shrimp and orzo is deeply toasting the orzo in olive oil before adding the garlic, seasonings, and chicken broth. This simple step gives the pasta a beautiful golden-brown color and a wonderful nutty flavor. Everything comes together in one pan in about 30 minutes, and there’s no need to defrost the shrimp ahead of time.

As the orzo simmers in the seasoned broth, frozen shrimp are added directly to the skillet to cook gently alongside the pasta. Briny capers and fresh lemon juice complement the shrimp, while a finishing sprinkle of crumbled feta and Italian parsley brings everything together.

It’s a quick, satisfying Mediterranean-inspired dinner with very little preparation, just one pan, and plenty of flavor.

Shrimp with Toasted Orzo Recipe

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Rigatoni with Chorizo, Zucchini & Ricotta

Rigatoni with Chorizo, Zucchini & Ricotta

Rigatoni with Mexican Chorizo
🍁 🌿 🍁
Shaved Zucchini & Carrots & Chives
Ricotta & Pistachios

Rusty-red chorizo, green zucchini, and orange carrot give this rigatoni beautiful fall color. The Mexican chorizo brings a little heat, while the vegetables make the dish especially satisfying. Barilla Protein+ rigatoni adds an extra boost of protein to this hearty autumn pasta.

Finished with a scoop of creamy ricotta and a scattering of roasted pistachios, each bowl offers a pleasing mix of textures. The ricotta softens the spice of the chorizo, and the pistachios add a nutty crunch.

Rigatoni with Chorizo, Zucchini & Ricotta🍁 Autumn Pasta Recipe 🍁

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Steamed Sea Bass with Beans in Lemon-Leek Broth

Sea Bass with Brothy Lemon-Leek Beans

🐟 Steamed Chilean Sea Bass 🐟
Cannellini Beans, Edamame, and Arugula
Lemon-Leek Broth
Tomato-Caper-Parsley Topping
Toasted Breadcrumbs

Chilean sea bass has a naturally buttery texture, so steaming lets it cook gently without adding oil or weighing down the dish. The fish stays moist and tender, ready to be served over arugula, cannellini beans, and edamame in a lemon-leek broth. A spoonful of chopped tomato, capers, and parsley goes on top, followed by toasted breadcrumbs for a little crunch.

Serve it in a shallow bowl with toasted baguette to soak up the broth. It’s a colorful, inviting meal, full of flavor, with melt-in-your-mouth fish, two kinds of beans, and a crisp, savory topping.

Sea Bass and Beans Recipe

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Cantina Contramar Las Vegas

Pescado a la Talla (Contramar's Red and Green Grilled Snapper)

Cantina Contramar Las Vegas

At Cantina Contramar Las Vegas,  Chef Gabriela Cámara brings a taste of her celebrated Mexico City restaurant to a beautiful space with a lively atmosphere and attentive service at the Fontainebleau.

My opening photograph shows the dish most closely associated with the Chef: Pescado a la Talla Contramar. A whole snapper is butterflied and grilled, with smoky red chile adobo on one side and a fragrant green parsley and garlic rub on the other. The two colors reflect Cámara’s Mexican and Italian heritage. It was the first dish she put on the original Contramar’s menu when it opened in 1998.

We shared the delicious fish with warm, handmade corn tortillas, refried black beans, and rajas con crema—charred poblano chiles and white corn in crème fraîche. But the menu reaches beyond seafood, and our dinner also included fabulous chicken enmoladas, wagyu beef tacos, queso fundido with chorizo and more.

Cantina Contramar Las Vegas

Preparing a whole fish with two separate sauces is a project I was happy to leave to Cantina Contramar’s kitchen. The Tuna Tostada, though, seemed just right to make at home. I made my own version inspired by theirs, with tuna, chipotle mayonnaise, fried leeks, and avocado. It turned out very well—and brought a little of that dinner back to our table. I share my recipe below.

Dinner at Cantina Contramar

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