Easy dinner recipes: Charmoula, a simple herb blend, works well as dip, sauce and more

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Queen and Diva’s mac ‘n’ cheese

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Best-ever mac ‘n’ cheese.

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Recipe: Famous Dave’s mac ‘n’ cheese
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This comfort food is a one-dish meal.
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Asparagus with bread crumb-fried eggs

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Creamy scrambled eggs

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If you’re looking for easy, it doesn’t get much better than oven-steamed salmon with dill mayonnaise.
Recipe: Steamed salmon with dill mayonnaise
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We loved this pesto served over roasted salmon, though it would pair equally well with other fish, poultry or roasted vegetables.
Recipe: Roasted salmon with red pepper hazelnut pesto
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Combine cold-smoked salmon with butter-crisped Yukon gold potatoes, red onion, capers, fresh herbs and hints of horseradish and mustard, and served alongside tangy creme fraiche.
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A hearty one-dish meal -- your guests might never guess it’s vegetarian.
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Cubed pork loin is tossed with tart apple bits, potatoes, onion and bacon. A little curry powder adds a layer of richness, balancing the sweetness of the apple.
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Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula make for a quick yet flavorful dinner. Recipe: Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula

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This quick pasta dish with shrimp and artichokes comes together in less than 30 minutes!.
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Top tender chicken breasts with no less than three kinds of cheese.
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Chicken breasts are topped with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, herbs and rich pancetta. Recipe: Basque-style chicken

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This rich chicken dish comes together in under an hour.
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You’ll love the brightness and depth of flavor in this so-simple recipe.
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You probably haven’t had Brussels sprouts quite like this before.
Recipe: Cleo’s Brussels sprouts
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Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts are quickly wilted in a skillet to chewy crisp texture, then drizzled with a tangy mustard vinaigrette and tossed with walnuts.
Recipe: Wilted Brussels srpouts with walnuts
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For a classic red enchilada, look no further than this recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation for 150 years.
Recipe: Classic red enchiladas
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Assemble these enchiladas ahead of time -- perfect if you’re short on time and/or are planning for company.
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Jamaica flowers (of the hibiscus family) are typically found in vivid red teas, but these tart dried buds are an unusually delicious filling for enchiladas.
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Fresh peas add bright flavor and crunch.
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This savory take on the comfort food -- stuffed with bacon, Gruyere cheese and dandelion greens and pan-fried to ooey-gooey perfection -- works well served any time of the day. Recipe: Savory stuffed French toast

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If salad is your thing, look no further than Nancy Silverton for some great dinner ideas.
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Tender potatoes are pureed with heavy cream to form the base for this rich and satisfying soup, with roasted diced chiles folded in for subtle heat. Read the recipe » (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Leeks, apples and thyme pair wonderfully in this dish, making for a bright soup with plenty of flavor.
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It’s a wonderfully simple soup, coming together in only 30 minutes.
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Assorted mushrooms tossed with garlic-shallot butter and fresh herbs.
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Nutty quinoa, meaty shiitake mushrooms, caramelized fennel, garlic and crunchy toasted cashews.
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It’s dinner in a skillet.
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When you’re looking for a perfect one-dish meal, look no further than this recipe for Tuscan chicken stew.
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Fun finger food.
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Dungeness crab salad sandwich with Meyer lemon (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Chickpea salad with chorizo (Garbanzos alinados con chorizo) (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Wild mushroom soup is a rich purée. Recipe: Joe’s wild mushroom soup

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Grilled romaine lettuce with walnuts, Parmesan and anchovy dressing

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The shrimp will be spicier if the shells are removed before cooking. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Slow-poached shrimp is tender and flavorful. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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This fried shrimp dish couldn’t be easier to make.
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Noodles with cabbage, poppy seeds and pepitas

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Recipe: Tuscan kale salad

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Kale salad with farro, dried fruit and blue cheese (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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The kale salad from Napa Valley Grille. Recipe here. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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The combination of coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and lemon grass from the stock is sweet and fragrant.
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A rich chicken soup that comes together in minutes.
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Rich and full of flavor.
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This hearty salad comes together in only 20 minutes.
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Creamy butternut squash soup with ginger

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By Noelle Carter

Jan. 21, 2014 8 AM PT

Ever heard of charmoula? It’s a North African blend of fresh herbs and spices that typically includes garlic, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper and oil. The blend comes together in minutes, and lasts up to a week in the fridge.

And it’s a favorite go-to blend whether I’m looking for a simple dinner or an easy entertaining dish, because it can be used in so many ways.

The recipe I use is pretty basic: Grind together garlic, ginger, parsley, cilantro and lemon to a paste, then mix in ground cumin, bay leaf, saffron, cayenne pepper and Spanish paprika.

QUICK & EASY: Terrific recipes in under an hour

The paste is then mixed with olive oil. Depending on how much oil I add, the charmoula can be used for everything from a quick marinade for fish or chicken to a finishing sauce for meats or vegetables. It even works well as a dip for bread.

You can find my recipe for charmoula below. I also include a recipe for shrimp skewers with charmoula. Marinate jumbo shrimp in the blend to infuse them with flavor (the recipe calls for a couple of hours marinating time, but the flavor will infuse in as little as 30 minutes). Skewer the shrimp and grill them a couple of minutes on each side, and you’re good to go. Serve the rest of the charmoula table-side for extra flavor

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

CHARMOULA
Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: Makes scant 1 cup

Note: Store the charmoula for up to 1 week, refrigerated, in an airtight jar or plastic bag.
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika

Pinch cayenne powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 dried bay leaf, crumbled

Pinch saffron

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Using a mortar and pestle, or in the bowl of a food processor, grind the garlic and ginger to a paste. Add the chopped parsley, cilantro and lemon zest and coarsely mash. Stir in the lemon juice. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, cumin, bay leaf and saffron and grind to incorporate.

2. Slowly pour in the olive oil while blending to form an emulsion, then stir in the salt. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 day before using.

Each tablespoon: 64 calories; 0 protein; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 38 mg. sodium.
GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS WITH CHARMOULA
Total time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time

Servings: 2 to 4

Note: This recipe calls for bamboo skewers.

1 pound cleaned, tail-on jumbo shrimp (12 to 16)

Charmoula (see recipe), divided

1 large lemon, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch slices

Oil for the grill

1. Combine the shrimp and one-third cup charmoula in a large nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Ten minutes before removing the shrimp from the refrigerator, soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent the wood from burning.

2. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread with the lemon slices onto the prepared bamboo skewers.

3. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, oil the rack and place the skewers on top. Grill the skewers until the shrimp are puffy, pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with the remaining charmoula sauce.

Each of 4 servings: 172 calories; 18 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 168 mg. cholesterol; 218 mg. sodium.

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