Brooke Williamson’s new cookbook delivers fresh, high-protein dishes: Our fave recipes

With summer in full gear and energy levels on the rise, you might be like us and throwing your apron back on. The hibernation days are over, so it’s time to swap the takeout for home-cooked goodness. And with the right recipes, you can even impress a crowd and engage in some al fresco dining in the backyard.

Brooke Williamson serves up plenty of inspiration in her latest cookbook, Sun-Kissed Cooking: Vegetables Front and Center. As the name suggests, the focus here is produce, served up in exciting, eye-catching ways. It’s just the spark we need as we hunger for meals that are fresh, healthy, and nourishing.

Williamson is behind co-founded Playa Provisions in southern California and most famously won Top Chef season 14. She’s a luminous culinary mind, to say the least. Her cuisine is certainly west coast-centric, but influenced by all corners of the international food map.

We worked the new book into our meal-making routine for about a week and came away with some great recipes. These are high-protein dishes that celebrate the season and will have you meeting your diet goals. It’s a satisfying way to spend the growing season as we’re inundated with great produce at our local farmer’s markets.

Read on for a few choice recipes from Sun-Kissed Cooking.

Raw Asparagus Salad with Pancetta, Walnuts, and Pecorino

This one works on so many levels, from the complementary flavors to the crunchy snap of texture afforded by the asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces pancetta
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1 pound asparagus
• 1/2 cup coarsely-grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 small shallot, minced
• Handful of parsley
• Handful of basil leaves

Method:

1. Put the pancetta and a splash of oil in a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders out of the pancetta and is crisp, about 5-to-7 minutes.
2. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Pour out the tasty fat, reserving it for another purpose.
3. Add the walnuts to the skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Give them a rough chop and transfer to the bowl with pancetta.
4. Snap off a discard the tough bottoms of the asparagus. Slight the asparagus thinly (shoot for 1/8″) on an angle. Add the asparagus to the bowl, then add the walnuts, Pecorino, pepper, flaky salt, red chile flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot, parsley, and basil. Toss to combine and serve on a platter.

Grilled Artichokes with Chili, Capers, and Lemony, Garlicky Shrimp Butter

Artichokes can be a lot of work but reward is the style points on the plate and unique flavor. Grilling is best, but you can also just boil them if in a pinch.

Ingredients:

For artichokes

• 4 medium-to-large artichokes
• 2 lemons, halved
• Kosher salt

For garlic butter

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 4 ounces shrimp shells
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chile
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Small handful of parsley, chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablspoons EVOO
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Squeeze the lemons into the water (throw the rinds in, too) and salt it heavily so it tastes like the sea.
3. Trim the artichokes my lopping off the top third. Use scissors to cut off any sharp leaf tips. Trim all but 2 inches of the stem, then peel the stem with a peeler of pairing knife.
4. Add the artichokes and a plate to weigh them down, then cover and cook at an aggressive simmer until you can easily pierce the stems with a small knife, 30-to-40 minutes.
5. Stand the artichokes stem-side up on kitchen towels to drain. Let them cool to room temperature. At this point, you can stick them in the fridge overnight before serving, if you like.
6. Put the butter and shrimp shells in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes to extract the flavor from the shells.
7. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the garlic, and stir for 5 minutes to extract its flavor.

Smashed Pea Fritters with Garlic Yogurt

Maybe our favorite dish on the bunch, this one blends vibrant color and gives restaurant-level quality to something oft-overlooked in frozen peas. As Williamson suggests, go luxe and add a little caviar on top.

Ingredients:

For yogurt sauce

• 20 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• Fully grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Big pinch of chopped fresh dill

For fritters

• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• Big pinch of chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 medium leek, white and pale parts only
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tasblespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (like canola)
• Flaky sea salt

Method:

1. Bring about 4 inches of water to a gently boil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook just until it’s smooshable soft, about 20 minutes. Drain the garlic and let cool completely.
2. Put the garlic in a medium bowl and mash and stir until smooth. Add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and dill and mix well. Season to taste. Refrigerate until chilled (it can keep in airtight container for 1 day).
3. Preheat oven to 200 F. Put the garlic, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup of the peas in a food processor, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the lemon zest, dill, turmeric, and leeks, and stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the vegetable mixture and mix well just until there are no more spots of the flour. Stir in the remaining 1 cup peas.
5. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the neutral oil, and heat until it shimmers.
6. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, spoon 4 dollops of batter (about 1/4 cup each) into the pan, leaving a little space between each one.
7. Cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the fritters, give them each a light press to flatten them slightly, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the other side, about 2-3 minutes more.
8. Transfer the fritters to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle with flaky salt, and pop them in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
9. Serve the fritters on a platter, garnished with dill sprigs, yogurt sauce, and maybe caviar.

Triple Threat Pea Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing and Feta

Fresh peas are about to be in season so the timing for this recipe is ideal. It’s a great one you can throw together after a trip to the farmer’s market, tote in hand. And go with a quality olive oil, the produce deserves as much.

Ingredients:

For the dressing

• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

For the salad

• 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh English peas
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup baby sorrel (optional)
• Small handful mint leaves, sliced at last minute
• Small handful of dill
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 handfuls pea tendrils, any thick stems removed
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, thinly sliced on an angle
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in large bowl.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and generously salt. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until no longer starchy, 1 1/2-2 minutes.
3. Drain the peas and plunge them in the ice water. Let cool, then drain them really well.
4. Add the peas, sorrel (optional), mint, dill, half the feta, half the hazelnuts, pea tendrils, and sugar snap peas to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat.
5. Transfer the salad to a serving platter and sprinkle on the remaining feta and hazelnuts along with some flaky sea salt and a generous amount of pepper and serve.

Let the above function as a vibrant taste of this stellar cookbook. We highly recommend it, from the heartfelt intro we read and re-read over and over again to the more than 100 thoughtful recipes that show seasonal produce in new light. There’s a lot get excited about, like Al Pastor Maitake Tacos with Cabbage Slaw or Corn Pancakes with Bacon, Cotija, and Chili-Scallion Syrup. There’s even the occasional cocktail recipe, like one for a Blood Orange Negroni.