Recipes: Molly Yeh's Chickpea Tot Hotdish and Chicken and Stars Soup

Chickpea Tot Hotdish

Serves 4 to 6.

Molly Yeh developed this recipe while working at an adult summer camp outside of Fargo. "After cranking out dozens of beefy, creamy Tater Tot hot dishes for the masses, I turned my focus to the vegan/gluten-free campers and made them a chickpea harissa hot dish that came out so good it should have been the main attraction," she wrote in "Home Is Where the Eggs Are" (William Morrow, 2022). "Now, while I don't think I can physically eat a harissa- covered chickpea without impulsively reaching for the feta and yogurt dollops, that obviously de-veganizes it, so feel free to leave these out or sub in dairy-free alternatives."

• 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 large carrots, trimmed and finely chopped

• 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped

• Kosher salt

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp. harissa paste or 1 1/2 tsp. dried harissa

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1/2 c. dry white wine

• 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 (28-oz.) can chopped tomatoes

• 1/2 c. water

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 2 lb. frozen Tater Tots

• A few squeezes of lemon juice

• Chopped cilantro and flat-leaf parsley, for topping

• Crumbled feta, optional, for topping

• Dollops of plain Greek yogurt, optional, for serving

Directions

Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a large, oven-safe skillet, braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil's hot, add the onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, Aleppo pepper or paprika, and a few turns of black pepper and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the harissa, tomato paste and white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, water, sugar and 2 good pinches of salt and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Cover with a layer of tots. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the tots are golden; begin checking for doneness at 35 minutes.

Top with a few squeezes of lemon juice, the herbs and feta, if using, and serve with dollops of Greek yogurt, if desired.

To make ahead: Complete the steps up through topping with tots, assembling in a 9- by 13-inch metal casserole dish. Let cool, wrap in plastic or foil, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook. It'll last 2 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. If reheating from the fridge, uncover and proceed as directed but add on a few more minutes in the oven to ensure that it's heated through. To reheat from frozen, cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for an hour, then uncover and increase the heat to 450 degrees and bake until the tots are golden brown and the innards are heated through; begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes. Top with a few squeezes of lemon juice, the herbs and feta, if using, and serve with dollops of Greek yogurt, if desired.

Chicken and Stars Soup

Serves 4 to 6.

The most gratifying requirement of being a Jewish mother is having a chicken soup practice. This soup doesn't have to be an original recipe or contain secrets that make it the best. It honestly doesn't even have to be that great — you just need to make it, because no matter what, your kids and your kids' kids will both need it and love it. Sunday afternoons are when I make my soup. It's my workout rest day, so instead of riding the exercise bike when Bernie takes her nap, I build a stock and get it simmering while I stamp out as many noodle stars as I can before she wakes up. If Bernie's earliest memory is waking up to a house that smells like chicken soup, I will feel like I have succeeded as a parent. From "Home Is Where the Eggs Are," by Molly Yeh (William Morrow, 2022).

For the soup:

• 1 (3 1/2-lb.) whole chicken

• 2 medium yellow onions, 1 quartered and 1 chopped

• 2 medium parsnips, trimmed, 1 cut into large chunks and 1 cut into ¼-in. slices

• 3 large carrots, trimmed, 1 cut into large chunks and 2 cut into ¼-in. slices

• 3 large celery stalks, 1 cut into large chunks and 2 cut into ¼-in. slices

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

• 2 thyme sprigs

• 6 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, 3 whole and 3 chopped

• 12 dill sprigs, 6 whole and 6 chopped, plus more for serving

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns, plus ground black pepper

• Kosher salt

• Zest and juice of half a lemon

• Freshly grated nutmeg

For the egg noodle stars:

• 2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 c. water

Directions:

To prepare the soup: In a large pot, combine the chicken, quartered onion, parsnip chunks, carrot chunks, celery chunks, garlic, thyme, the 3 whole parsley sprigs, the 6 whole dill sprigs, the bay leaves and the peppercorns. Add cold water to cover and come up just below the top of the pot, about 5 quarts. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer at a low bubble, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours (or longer if you have the time — up to 6 hours, topping off with more water if the stock dips below the chicken and veggies), skimming off any scum (there won't be much) and, if desired, some fat.

While the stock simmers, make the stars: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and nutmeg, add the eggs and water and mix to form a dough. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, and cut out stars with a bite-size star-shaped cookie cutter (or other small cookie cutter). Dust the stars with flour so they don't stick together and set them aside on a sheet pan. Reroll the scraps and repeat to use up the rest of the dough. (If you don't have the patience for all these cutouts, you can also just use a knife to cut long skinny noodles.) Set aside until ready to use.

Carefully strain the stock, discarding all of the solids except for the chicken. You should have 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 quarts of stock. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly while you put together the rest of the soup. Return the strained stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Add the chopped onion, sliced parsnip, sliced carrots, sliced celery, chopped parsley, chopped dill, noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and simmer, covered, until the vegetables and noodles are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, pull the chicken off the bones and chop it into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and, when the vegetables and noodles are tender, add it to the soup along with the lemon zest and juice, nutmeg and ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. This is important: The amount of salt in a chicken soup can mean the difference between unappetizing chicken tea and the elixir of bubbe love that it should be. So don't skip this step, and don't rush it, either. Taste your soup. If it doesn't make you smile reflexively, add more salt, about ½ teaspoon of it, and give it a few good stirs so it can dissolve. Taste and repeat as needed until it tastes good.

Garnish with fresh dill and serve.

As a mushy noodle fan, I store the soup all together and look forward to the next day when the soup will taste even better and the noodles will be even softer. I recognize that not everyone loves a mushy noodle, though, so if you're in this category and you expect to have leftovers, cook the noodles separately in salted boiling water to your desired doneness and store the drained leftover noodles separately as well. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.