Holly, Author at With Two Spoons

Good (Food) Reads: Strawberry Obsession

March 30, 2016 By Holly 2 Comments

Confession: I’ve been on a bit of a strawberry bender recently. Our local Costco, in another glorious sign that spring is here (!), has had a bumper crop of perfectly sweet-tart organic strawberries in stock and I can’t. stop. eating. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, anytime. I love them on salads, in yogurt, or just by the handful. After a winter of starches and citrus, I’m so ready for spring and summer fruits! With that in mind, here are this week’s Good (F0od) Reads:

Sarah from Broma Bakery featured these Strawberry Nutella French Toast. I can’t wait to try them (the strawberry obsession continues) and actually think they’d be a great dessert topped with some crème fraîche and a little grated nutmeg….

Good (Food) Reads: It’s Finally Spring!

March 23, 2016 By Holly Leave a Comment

One week later and I’m even more excited about spring! It’s officially here (well, at least according to the calendar, if not the actual weather) and this week’s Good (Food) Reads is going to celebrate that with recipes and articles for the new season. We are forecast for some snow here in the good ole midwest, so I’m going to freshen up my kitchen with salads, bright desserts, and a few Easter goodies. Here. We. Go.

I have a longstanding obsession with Yotam Ottolenghi. His recipes can be a little involved and sometimes call for some less-than-standard pantry ingredients, but they are absolutely worth it. His Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Spring Onion and Cumin are one of my spring and summer staples and a great way to use the garden abundance of zucchini each year. The NY Times is featuring a recipe for Baby Spinach with Dates and Almonds that sounds amazing. It does call for sumac, which can be hard to find, but you can order it at Penzey’s, or I’ve also found some at Cost Plus World Market….

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad

March 21, 2016 By Holly 1 Comment

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad is an absolute staple in our house from spring until the early fall. An easy, crowd pleasing recipe, it is filled with fresh, colorful veggies and topped with tangy feta and salty kalamata olives. Shredded chicken rounds out the salad and really makes it a perfect one dish meal. The best part? It can be put together in about 40 minutes when using one or two quick short cuts and is perfect for toting along to work or school or even bringing to a neighborhood gathering. In the summer, all of the ingredients (with the exception of the barley, which I buy in bulk and keep on hand in the pantry) can be found at my local farmer’s market or in my herb garden, which makes it even more fun to make. Even my somewhat vegetable averse husband loves it and usually requests I make it at least once a week in the summer. I consider that a major win….

Good (Food) Reads

March 16, 2016 By Holly Leave a Comment

I’ve spent the better part of the last week in the beautiful Arizona desert (seriously, the desert is gorgeous – especially in spring when everything is blooming!) and it has definitely colored my picks for this week’s installment of Good (Food) Reads. I know St. Patrick’s day is just a few days away and I should probably be posting green cocktails, Guinness cupcakes, and corned beef recipes, but it is to think about other things when you’re surrounded by great tamales, prickly pear lemonade, and (just being honest) In-and-Out Burger. With that in mind, here are this week’s Good (Food) Reads. Enjoy!

Let’s get the shame out of the way first, shall we? I’m not much of a fast food gal, but when I’m in AZ, I always stop at In-and-Out Burger for a cheeseburger animal-style with extra crispy fries. Yum. If you’re not familiar with the not-so-secret-secret menu at In-and-Out, here’s a little cheat sheet to help you on your next visit….

Rhubarb Muffins

March 11, 2016 By Holly Leave a Comment

My Grandma Dotty, whom I call Bestemor (the Norwegian word for Grandma), is the most amazing cook. I consider many of her recipes to be the tastes of my childhood. Her brown bread with raisins is one of my favorite things in the world. This recipe for Rhubarb Muffins comes from her as well, adapted from the muffins served for years at the drugstore cafe (yes, that was a thing!) in the sweet little town where she lives….

Good (Food) Reads

March 9, 2016 By Holly Leave a Comment

March, to me, is somewhat of a culinary gray zone. It’s not quite spring, but the cozy comfort foods of winter are starting to feel a little old. I’m craving fresh fruits and vegetables, bright greens, and crisp outdoor dining. Thanks to el nino, we’ve had an incredibly mild winter here in the great midwest and yesterday was an absolute treasure – 70 degrees and sunny! Now we just need the produce to catch up. Bring on the asparagus, pea greens, and early strawberries! And on that (heavily optimistic) note, here are our Good (Food) Reads for your Wednesday:

Are you a radish fan? I feel like they can be a divisive vegetable. I love them – especially raw, with fresh butter and sea salt on top. My dad eats them on buttered bread. Epicurious takes on That Time a Facebook Fan Changed Our Minds About Radishes. …

Good (Food) Reads

March 2, 2016 By Holly 1 Comment

It’s hard to believe it’s already Wednesday and time for another Good (Food) Reads, a short collection of food stories we’re loving. We had a glimpse of spring this past weekend (yes!) and while the temperatures have dipped back firmly into winter, it’s got me excited about what’s to come. I’m starting to see fresh asparagus pop up at grocery stores and I’m so ready for new fruits and vegetables to join them!

With spring in mind, here are 20 Asparagus Recipes to Celebrate Spring from the genius Serious Eats. I can’t wait to try the Warm Farro Salad with Asparagus, Peas, and Feta….

Molten Chocolate Babycakes

February 29, 2016 By Holly 1 Comment

One of the very first books I got when I first started cooking was Nigella Lawson’s How To Be A Domestic Goddess. At the time, Nigella wasn’t yet a household name here in the U.S. I used to watch her first show, Nigella Bites, on Style Network (does that even exist anymore?!?). I loved the glimpses into London life and her quirky British sensibilities. She was unabashedly in love with food and it made me want to cook everything she did! One of my favorite recipes from those early days – one that I still make today – is for Molten Chocolate Babycakes. In the book, she refers to them as “the acceptable face of culinary cute” and I couldn’t agree more. They are however, also absolutely delicious….

Good (Food) Reads

February 24, 2016 By Holly 3 Comments

First things first, guys. I made this amazing Crockpot Lentil Soup from Pinch of Yum the other day and it was amazing. It’s full of flavor and easy, easy, easy to prepare. We try to stick with Meatless Mondays in our house and I’m happy to report this soup was the perfect vegetarian meal! It is filling, healthy, and hearty. I did make a few tweaks to Lindsay’s recipe – my husband hates kale (I know! He says it’s a garnish, not a food!) so I used chopped spinach in place of the kale. Also, I didn’t have any yellow split peas on hand so I made the whole thing with lentils. I highly recommend her suggestion to finish the soup with a splash of red wine vinegar and serve with crusty bread and parmesan….

Pomegranate Lime Sorbet

February 22, 2016 By Holly 15 Comments

If you’re ever in need of a crazy easy dessert, this Pomegranate Lime Sorbet is most certainly a contender. The recipe was adapted from the November 2015 issue of Bon Appétit. In the magazine, they used the sorbet to make parfaits with labneh (a Lebanese strained yogurt – similar to greek style), pistachios and a drizzle of honey. As we were using the sorbet as a palate cleanser of sort for our recent dinner party, we chose to serve it simply in Meyer lemon halves, sprinkled with a dusting of lime zest….