Friends, the time has come for another Good Food Reads. When this post publishes, I’ll be deep in the throes of newborn life and not sure how much cooking and baking I’ll be doing but I don’t want to be without inspiration for the fall so here are is another set of recipes I can’t wait to try (when I get back to the kitchen!). As always, we love to hear your suggestions for Good Food Reads and the blog in general. Email, tweet, FB message us or say hi on Instagram! …
Oh man, if I thought the need for comfort food was high last week, this week takes the cake. The weather is finally starting to feel like fall, with warm days and cool nights and I am ready to tuck in to some cozy slippers, cardigans, and carbs. Yup, it’s a bit of a carb fest here on Good Food Reads way this week and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’m writing this post in advance, expecting that our newest family addition will be here by the time this post publishes and therefore featuring a bunch of slow cooker recipes…because slaving over the stove with a newborn is no fun, not even for this girl. What do you crave when the weather starts to cool? Do you have any go to meals that are easy to make when your hands are full and you are sleep deprived? Send us your Good Food Reads!
Whole Grain Spaghetti with Veggi-fied Meat Sauce (Cooking Light) is the perfect compromise. Extra veggies and whole grains pepper this classic dish that is perfect for the whole family.
Baked Chicken Chimichangas (The Girl Who Ate Everything). Because who doesn’t love chimichangas? I’ve never actually tried to make them, mostly because I don’t do a lot of deep frying. This recipe is a great baked alternative.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup (Like Mother Like Daughter). There is little that warms my heart more in the fall and winter than a hearty soup. And one that can be made in the slow cooker? Even better. We will definitely be trying this in our house ASAP.
Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu Polenta (A Pinch of Yum). Another crockpot/slow cooker recipe that I’ve been saving for a while – and the time has come to make this one happen. The polenta does NOT go in the slow cooker, so you will need to whip that up just before serving, but seriously…are you not drooling over the gorgeous ragu?
Slow Cooker Barbacoa (Paleomg). One more slow cooker recipe, just because. I l.o.v.e. the barbacoa bowls at Chipotle. I think this recipe might be the perfect thing to try and replicate that at home!
Broccoli, Lemon, and Parmesan Soup (Food52). I can’t wait to try this soup. Such simple ingredients that should give amazing flavor!
Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Simply Scratch via Girl vs Dough). My love affair with brussels sprouts is ongoing and these sound amazing. My go to preparation is to roast them with pancetta and some balsamic, but I am going to have to give the dijon a try.
Potato Leek Pizza (Pioneer Woman). A nice change up from my typical mozzarella and prosciutto pizza.
Orzo Salad with Broccoli Pesto from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day. I love the idea of broccoli pesto! How fun. And full of great nutrients.
Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars (Recipe by Oh She Glows, featured on A Pinch of Yum). Because this list seriously needed some dessert.
Well friends, that’s the list. I hope you found some kitchen inspiration.
Until next week…
You might notice that this week’s collection of Good Food Reads is filled with comfort foods and desserts. Since I’m currently nearing the end of my pregnancy, I make absolutely no apologies for that! I’m still trying to balance these treat meals and desserts with healthy helpings of fruits and vegetables and lots of walking, but let’s face it, sometimes you just need comfort food. In that spirit, here are this week’s Good Food Reads. I hope you enjoy!…
Happy Wednesday, Friends! I am so excited to share this week’s Good Food Reads with you. One of the best parts of writing this blog is getting to read and share the fun things that others in this great community are doing in their kitchens. I don’t know about you, but they always inspire me to get up and get cooking! Right now, I’m feeling inspired by the changing season and a transition back to comfort foods. What are you loving right now? Send us your thoughts, recipes, and blogs to share! And now, here are this week’s Good Food Reads:…
Another week, another batch of Good Food Reads for ya’ll. This week’s picks are focused on fall salads, comfort foods, and sweet treats for all. I’m particularly excited to get back into soup season and plan to make the 5 ingredient Sweet Potato Chili later this week – that is, if it’s not still 80 degrees. Otherwise, I’ll be sticking with salads. And apples, apples, apples! (PS: If you haven’t yet gotten your first taste of honeycrisps this fall, run to your nearest grocery store! They are fantastic this year.)
First on my list of must make recipes is this gorgeous Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Stilton (Cooking Light). I am always looking for ways to up my salad game and I love that this one takes advantage of the beautiful bounty of apples we have right now.
Another fall favorite, this recipe for Cinnamon Apple Cake (Cooking Light), was first published in 1997 but continues to be a favorite.
Cooking Light really hit it out of the park this week – I want to make so many things right now! I’m loving this article on Everything You Need To Know About Quick Pickling (Cooking Light). Do you do any pickling? I’ve never really tried but can’t wait to get it a shot.
Salted Caramel Pots de Creme (Goodhousekeeping). Because sometimes you just really need dessert. And not the healthy kind, either.
Easy Chicken Nuggets via Weelicious, for the kiddos in your life. Fancy them up with a little honey mustard and everyone can enjoy in this easy, family friendly recipe!
Speaking of dessert, these Espresso Brownie Sandwich Cookies (Broma Bakery) look amazing and would be a great weekend dessert.
One of my favorite things about cooler temps is that I can really up my soup and chili intake. In my house, we probably have chili once a week in the fall and winter. I’m anxious to see if this 5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Turkey Chili (Pinch of Yum) makes it into the husband and kid approved rotation.
Another salad that would be perfect for bringing to work: Kale & Quinoa Salad with Dates, Almonds, and Citrus Dressing (The Kitchn). Yum.
Turkey Vegetable Ragu (The Baker Chick). I love that this ragu seems so versatile. I’m thinking it will be great with pasta, zoodles, or maybe even with stuffed peppers!
Grilled Blue Cheese with Honey and Walnut Pesto (Molly Yeh). I just can’t even describe how much I want one of these sandwiches right now. I’ve been sticking to pasteurized cheeses this pregnancy and am excited about some gorgeous, double cream, raw blue cheese in my future!
Well friends, that’s it for this week’s Good Food Reads. I hope you found some kitchen inspiration. As always, we love to hear from you, so send us your links, things you want to try, or your kitchen successes!
Cookie dough.
A staple treat of my 90s childhood, recently vilified by both my pregnancy (raw eggs!) and the FDA (salmonella in raw flour!). Thankfully, to fulfill my craving for a sweet/salty, studded with chocolate treat, there are these Healthy Cookie Dough Balls, slightly modified from a genius recipe by Angela from Oh She Glows. Thrown together in under 10 minutes in a food processor or high speed blender, these little balls of goodness are the perfect substitute for traditional cookie dough and are safe for everyone having no raw eggs or traditional flour. If you buy gluten free oats and use carob chips instead of chocolate chips, they are also vegan and gluten free, if you’re into that sort of thing….
The exploding popularity of traditional and ancient grains in recent years has brought with it an abundance of new options for delicious (and hearty!) salads. I love adding barley or quinoa to just about anything and recently discovered the fantastic nuttiness of farro. Once a mainstay of health food stores, this ancient relative of wheat is now widely available in grocery stores (I love Bob’s Red Mill) and is a fun addition to soups, stews, or salads. I’ve really been loving it lately in salads, and this Farro Salad with Arugula in particular.
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Ryan Hardy and the Charlie Bird Restaurant in New York, this salad is easy to make and full of great flavor. I love it for a hearty lunch but it is even great for a light dinner. The farro is best when made a little ahead and chilled and then mixed with fresh arugula, tomatoes, salty shaved parmesan, radishes and vinaigrette. It is studded with pistachios for a great little crunch. If you keep the arugula and dressing out until you’re ready to serve, the recipe is a perfect prepare ahead lunch option for the whole week!
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the weeks go by these days. Once again, Wednesday is here and along with it are some Good Food Reads for your kitchen inspiration. I love the mish-mash of links this week. We’ve got amazing comfort foods, filled with cheese and bacon, some healthy dips and salads, and a simple banana cake that will be a great alternative to banana bread (though I personally think you can never go wrong with banana bread!) the next time you have too ripe bananas sitting on your counter. Putting together Good Food Reads is something we love to do – mostly to share all of the great foodie goodness out there on the internet so if you have a blog or a great recipe you want to share, let us know! We’d love to feature it. Send us an email at withtwospoons@gmail.com and we’ll chat! Until next week, loves…
Starting out nutritionally strong (just kidding) with these Cheesy Bacon Smashed Potatoes (Cafe Delites). I can’t even tell you how much my super pregnant self is craving these right now. Cheesy carbs, FTW.
The New York Times featured this recipe for Eleven Madison Park Granola and I’m hoping to make a batch this week. I’ve been on a major yogurt kick and I think this will be perfect with some peaches and greek yogurt.
Also from the New York Times comes this Baked Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta. It’s a little lighter but completely full of flavor. Such a great weeknight dinner.
Anyone else obsessed with olives? I love everything about them. I particularly love the deep salty, earthiness of Kalamata Olives and I think this Kalamata Olive Dip (a True Food copycat) via The Fitnessista will be a perfect alternative to the party favorite hummus.
Now, before you think that I’m trying to fatten us all up, I’ve got a salad for you: Chicken, Bacon, Date and Brussels Sprout Quinoa Power Salad (Iowa Girl Eats). Ok, I know there’s still bacon in it, but the rest is full of good for your power foods. Should be a great packable lunch option!
The Best Banana Cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction. About a year ago, a friend sent me a text asking for a banana bar/cake recipe. She totally stumped me. I had never had banana cake! I’ve been looking at recipes since then and I’m really excited to try this one. Now…to let some bananas ripen up a little.
I’m always looking for kid friendly recipes and I usually love anything by Weelicious. Can’t wait to try these Fig Bars!
Sriracha and Honey Grilled Shrimp from Camille Styles.
Usually I make French 75s with gin but these French 75 Popsicles (another gem from Camille Styles) uses cognac or brandy. Can’t wait to try them in a few weeks!
Despite my frequently dessert heavy focus on the blog, I actually don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Give me a plate of hot, salty fries or crunchy chips any day over a donut or pastry. That being said, one sweet treat that I usually can’t pass up is a good Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. I am, however, very particular about the cookies: they need to be chewy, slightly salty, and with a good dose of chocolate. I absolutely adore the mini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies found at Potbelly and recently set out to create a similar cookie at home. You know, so I don’t have to drive anywhere to get them when the craving really strikes!…
It’s hard to believe that Labor Day has come and gone and for most of us, summer is (unofficially) over. I don’t know about you, but this time of year is a little like foodie limbo. I’m still loving all of the fresh flavors of summer but I’m also really starting to crave soups and stews and the comfort foods of fall and cooler weather. This week’s Good (Food) Reads is a mix of summer and fall recipe inspiration. We hope you find something to love and perhaps even a new family favorite! Until next week……