With Two Spoons

Good (Food) Reads

By Leave a Comment

 

DSC_0304

It’s a good week in the internet, folks. Especially, when it comes to good food reads. Here are my favorite recipes, links, and articles for the week. Happy reading!

Alexandra’s Kitchen has long been a favorite read in the blog world. I was first introduced to the blog by wonderful sister-in-law, who loves to make her fingerling potatoes with rosemary and thyme (try them – you won’t regret it!). I’m aching to make this white bean and orange salsa. Sounds like the perfect winter treat.

Since I’ve got salsa on the brain, I’ve been looking at tons of Mexican recipes. These Mexican Molletes are next up on my to-try list! Avocados are great right now and I’ve never met a recipe with cheese and homemade refried beans I didn’t love. Bring. It. On.

Danielle Walker and her Against All Grain books are go-to sources for healthier, but still hearty recipes my whole family loves. I just made these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese Dressing and they were a hit. If you leave out the cheese, these are paleo and Whole30 friendly, but honestly, I say leave it in. We could all use a little more blue cheese in our lives.

Avocado tzatziki. Yes, you read that right. I will be making these 30 Minute Greek Chicken Lettuce Cups with Avocado Tzatziki ASAP.

Michael Pollan has a new series on Netflix, “Cooked.” It starts February 19. I know I’ll be watching. Here’s the trailer. And if you haven’t yet read Cooked, you can buy it here.

Boozy olives. My kind of recipe. Thanks, Sweet Paul.  He suggests that they’ll make great gifts, but let’s be real, these aren’t going anywhere but in my fridge.

And for a good morning, Coconut Mango Muffins from The Clever Carrot. Yes, please.  They’ll be the perfect breakfast treat to accompany a chai latte.

Good (Food) Reads

By 1 Comment

Sorbet

Good (Food) Reads for your week:

A strange, but very useful kitchen tip: If your dishwasher needs a good cleaning, try Tang! I was noticing my dishes weren’t as sparkling recently and saw this technique and gave it a try. I’m happy to report it worked and with very minimal effort. Do you have any great kitchen hacks you love?

When I lived in Boston, there was the best little Cuban restaurant just up the block from my apartment called El Oriental de Cuba. I still have dreams about their cuban sandwiches and tamales, especially on a cold day. I’ve been on a quest to find something comparable for a few years now. I’m hoping this recipe for Cubano Sheet Pan Sliders from The Kitchn might keep my cravings at bay until I can get back to Boston/JP.

Lately I’ve had the worst luck with bananas – they seem to go from green straight to brown! So, we’ve been doing a lot of banana bread around here. While I usually love the basic recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, I think I’m going to try this Maple Olive Oil Banana Bread version by Shutterbean.

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday here in the United States (did you make a King Cake?).  IFormally known as Shrove Tuesday, for Christians it is the last day before the traditional fasting period of Lent. In the U.K. this is often known colloquially as “Pancake Day” and is celebrated by eating pancakes! That is definitely a holiday I could get on board with, especially if these Lemon Cardamom Pancakes with Honey Drizzle were involved.

Sometimes you just need Frito Pie and Not Without Salt does it right. Again. I can’t wait to make this recipe!

And for balance, this simple Sesame Ginger Salmon en Papillote from Kelsay Nixon. I’ve never tried the en papillote technique, but it seems perfect for a busy weekday night. It might even work for a sweet, at home Valentine’s Day dinner when paired with some bubbles (I’ve been loving Italian proseccos for casual dinners) and a crisp, crunchy slaw-type salad.

Happy reading – and cooking!

 

Lime Curd with A Hint of Vanilla

By 4 Comments

The winter months are not known for their abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. After the heavy meals of the holiday season, the arrival of the mid-winter citrus crop is always a welcome addition to my kitchen. A few weeks ago I bought a giant bag of fresh limes at Costco, and while a few wound up in gin and tonics, I was left with pounds of limes and a little inspiration. Enter: Lime Curd with a Hint of Vanilla. It’s an easy, creamy, bright and versatile treat that can be added to baked goods like tarts, cupcakes or scones, or simply eaten with a spoon (my preferred method!).

Lime curd is the perfect topping to a bowl of yogurt, the perfect way to start a pie, or the perfect spread for a flaky croissant. #limecurd #homemade #WithTwoSpoons #desserts #yogurt #bars #pie #citrus #condiment

…

Read More »

Good (Food) Reads

By 2 Comments

DSC_0797Well, it’s Wednesday, and time for another batch of good (food) reads. Here in the blustery midwest, we are digging out after our first real snowstorm of the year. The blizzard conditions made travel a bit anxiety provoking, but also made cozying up inside with a good book and comfort foods (give me all the carbs!) even more appealing than usual. On days like this, I love a piping hot cup of Aveda’s Comforting Tea and a slice of earthy, slightly spiced pumpkin bread (recipe coming soon to the blog!). What are your snow day favorites?

It may be a few days beyond meatless monday, but these Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco sauce look CRAZY good. Using chickpeas instead of bread to thicken the romesco is genius!

Speaking of bread, this Panzanella with Winter Squash and Sage, is next on my list. I had always thought panzanella was a summer-time only dish, with it’s heavy reliance on bright and fresh tomatoes, but this recipe uses roasted squash instead. Bring on the carbs!

Mardi Gras kicks off in one week! Do any of you make King Cake? NPR has a great article on the history of the king cake and all of it’s pop-culture permutations.

And because winter is the season for roasted everything, do yourself a favor and check out this piece from The Splendid Table featuring Michael Ruhlman talking about roasting. I particularly love the bit about testing your oven with Pillsbury biscuits! LOVE. Mostly because it’s an excuse to eat those totally-processed-but-oh-so-delicious weird little dough balls…

Take advantage of all the amazing winter citrus right now and make these Crunchy Chicken Spring Rolls with Blood Orange Dipping Sauce. Please. Thank me later.

Speaking of citrus, Heartbeet Kitchen featured Roasted Citrus Bowls with Honey Mascarpone and I almost drooled on my computer. Please go check it out. And while you’re there, someone convince me to get over my beet aversion and make these Fermented Beets. They are so pretty! (And I love pickles and they’re just like pickles, right? Right)

Finally, if you’re itching for some of the Avedea tea I mentioned and you want to try a DIY version, here’s a recipe from Wisdom and Honey. I think my next trip to the co-op will be in search of licorice root.

 

Until next week….

 

 

 

Cookbooks We Love: Classic Baking Recipes

By 2 Comments

Cookbook-Photo-Collage-copy

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a complete addiction to cookbooks. I blame my habit on my grandmother (hei hei, Bestemor!), whose home is always filled with the smells of something wonderful baking and whose pantry is overflowing with cooking tomes. She tends to favor old, local, home-style cookbooks, often bought at church fundraisers or garage sales – ones that over the years have been peppered with priceless notes and anecdotes. My mother has a similar love of cookbooks, though with a slightly more modern, photo heavy bent to her collection. Personally, I love them all.

With the rise of cooking blogs, Pinterest, and digital food magazines, we are surrounded by recipes and beautiful photos of food with just the swipe of a finger. It is a wonderful thing and the ease of web-based resources is something I really appreciate in the midst of the  every day life hustle and bustle. There is something so wonderful though, about a slow afternoon with a cup of coffee and an actual book. One that you can hold in your hand, and read cover to cover, savoring the recipes and stories their authors have put down.  Over the years, I’ve managed to collect a respectable assortment of wonderful cookbooks and in the process, compiled a list of favorite recipes that I return to again and again. It is a few of those recipes (and their books!) that I want to share with you today.

Since we have been talking a lot about breakfast and baking the past week, I’ve put together five of my favorite cookbooks for baking bread and sweet treats:

  1. The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois). The title of the book talks about the “discovery that revolutionized home baking” and it’s not just hyperbole. Their basic boule or bread recipe contains only four ingredients and is so simple but wonderful. I like to eat it straight from the oven with some honey butter and salt but it’s also wonderful served along side pasta or stews, to soak up all those sauces.
  2. The New Best Recipe. This book is an update of the original Best Recipe, first published in 1999. From the genius editors at Cooks Illustrated, you really can’t go wrong with any of the recipes in it. My personal favorite are the lemon bars and the molasses spice cookies.
  3. How To Be A Domestic Goddess (Nigella Lawson). Also an older book, this is essentially a collection of decadent treats. Make the chocolate loaf cake and you won’t regret it.
  4. Date Night In (Ashley Rodriguez). A newer addition to my shelf, I can’t stop making the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies. It’s a problem.
  5. The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The version I have is slightly different, but I’m assuming the recipe for blueberry muffins (with lemon!) hasn’t changed. With it’s thick, buttery dough with yogurt and lemon, it’s almost more of a cake than a muffin. And that’s just the way I like it.

What are your go-to books when it comes to baking? Are there recipes your family asks for again and again? Let us know!

A Make It Your Own Breakfast Bake

By 2 Comments

DSC_0226

As much as I love to bake sweet treats, my own particular eating preferences lean heavily toward the savory. Give me a plate of salty carbohydrates any day over pastries and pies. This sentiment is most true at breakfast time. I can easily pass up the donuts and pancakes, but put a plate of bacon, eggs, and potato in front of me and I don’t stand a chance. Enter: the egg bake. The nemesis of my skinny jeans and my favorite breakfast indulgence. It’s a make ahead, one pan wonder with salty and cheesy carbs. When I got married, my mother and mother-in-law gave me a handwritten book filled with treasured family recipes. Included in that wonderful book is her basic egg bake, which I have made a thousand times and love, for it’s simple goodness and ease of adaptability to all tastes.

DSC_0228

The specific recipe below is her classic combination, a tried and true standby, with only a minor decrease in the amount of butter used in the hash brown crust. It requires minimal chopping and mixing, though I do recommend shredding your own cheese if you have the time.  The dish can be made ahead (fully baked) and gently reheated in a 200 degree oven in the morning, but truthfully it comes together so quickly that it’s not much of a chore to toss it together while sipping on some coffee in the quiet moments before your hungry crowd gathers. Try it as written, or mix it up with chicken sausage and sliced jalapeño, bacon and roasted red peppers with melty gobs of goat cheese mixed in, or leave out the meat and add in some onions, broccoli, and peppers for a vegetarian options. The possibilities really are endless.

Serve it with some good coffee and fresh fruit and you have a hearty breakfast that will feed a crowd!

More Breakfast Egg Bake Inspiration from around the web: 

A leek, ham, and cheese bake from Smitten Kitchen.

Naturally Ella‘s herb and grain filled version.

Giada gives us an Italian twist on the breakfast staple.

And for the more adventurous, Saveur’s Persian Herbed Frittatas.

What family breakfast traditions do you have? Leave us a comment on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and let us know!

Print

Basic Breakfast Egg Bake

A classic egg bake with cheese, hash browns, and diced ham.
Course Breakfast
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Author With Two Spoons (adapted from a family recipe!)

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces frozen hash browns
  • 1/4 cup of butter melted
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded pepper jack or swiss cheese
  • 5 Eggs beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 1 Cup milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the frozen hash browns in a 9x13 pan and pour the melted butter over the potatoes.
  2. Bake until lightly browned.
  3. Decrease the oven heat to 350 degrees.
  4. Sprinkle the ham and cheese over the has browns.
  5. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and milk until just combined.
  6. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and hash browns.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. (Note: I like a crispy, slightly burned cheese layer so tend to bake mine on the longer side of 30 minutes.)

 

Good (Food) Reads: All About Balance

By Leave a Comment

Brownies

Bittersweet Brownies

Good (food) Reads for your Wednesday:

It’s another cold winter day here in the midwest and I don’t know about you, but weather like this calls for cozy sweaters, multiple cups of tea, and a few really decadent treats. Lately, I’ve been enamored by these brownies from the genius cookbook Date Night In. With rich bittersweet chocolate and an amazing salted peanut butter frosting, they’re perfect with a latte or a glass of red wine. I wasn’t sure I’d love a peanut butter frosting (it sounds almost too rich!) but I can’t get enough! It’s light, creamy, and a great contrast to the dense brownie. The entire cookbook (and the blog, Not Without Salt) are amazing and worth checking out. It’s got a permanent place on my kitchen shelf.

Salted Pretzel Nutella Fudge. Yes, you read that right. I think this sounds like a great treat for a bookclub or ladies night! Featured on the genius blog, Broma Bakery.

Everything in moderation is my goal for 2016. Since I’ve now posted two links in a row to not-exactly-light chocolate recipes, I’ll share something I’m excited to try tomorrow: Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins from Love and Lemons. Her food photography is out of this world! I love the color pop of the apple peels in the muffins.

Marcella Hazan, genius behind many of my favorite recipes (her tomato sauce is legendary), has a namesake bean! #goals. And if you haven’t made her famous sauce, the recipe is in another of my favorite cookbooks, Food52 Genius Recipes.

Is this why we all love food posts on social media? Food for (food) thought (via The Atlantic).

How Sweet Eats posted a recipe for Palomas With Salty Chili Sugar. Has anyone tried these? They look amazing. And the colors! I’m a sucker for pretty drinks.

 

We’d love to know what you’re reading around the web, recipes you’re itching to make, and things you’d love to read about here on the blog!

Email, tweet, or message us on Facebook or Instagram!

 

 

 

 

Rustic Onion Focaccia

By Leave a Comment

DSC_0817

In my mind, there is very little better than a slice of homemade bread, just out of the oven. This focaccia, studded with bits of sweet yellow onion and topped with crunchy sea salt, is a carb lover’s dream. Sweet and salty with a hint of crispness in the crust, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a rich winter stew or soup.

DSC_0819

I first came across this recipe in the back pages of my dear Williams-Sonoma Cookbook. My copy is well loved – dog eared and splattered pages, frequently with notes scribbled in margins – and has yet to disappointment me with a recipe failure. Given my prior success, despite the fact that I am still very much a novice in the bread baking world, I decided to give it a go. I am so glad that I did as it will certainly be a new staple in my house.

The recipe makes a large amount of bread and could easily be halved for a smaller crowd. If you wind up with extras, however, the leftovers make excellent croutons when cut into cubes and slowly baked in the oven. You can add cheese (asiago is an excellent choice), sun dried tomatoes, herbs, or olives but the original recipes combination of yellow onion and sea salt is hard to beat.

What are your favorite bread recipes?

 

Print

Rustic Onion Focaccia

A rustic focaccia with onion and sea salt.
Course Bread
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 1 large focaccia
Author The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour with extra as needed
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • Coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1/2 cup of the water, the yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit at room temperature until foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add the remainder of the water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the salt, and 1 cup of the flour and beat on medium-low speed for approximately two minutes (use the paddle attachment).
  3. Add the onion.
  4. Switch to the dough hook and beat in the remaining flour in small 1/2 to 1/4 cup portions, until a shaggy dough begins to form. It should just pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  5. On low speed, knead the dough in the mixer until only slightly sticky, about 5-6 minutes.
  6. Cover the dough loosely and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
  7. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the paper with oil.
  8. Place the dough on the baking sheet and using your fingers, gently flatten the dough into an approximately 1 inch thick shape of your choice.
  9. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until the dough doubles and is around two inches thick.
  10. Make deep indentations with your fingertips over the surface of the dough.
  11. Drizzle the dough with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  12. Place a baking stone on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees.
  13. Place the pan with dough on the stone and bake until the bread is lightly browned, 20-25 minutes.
  14. The bread can be served immediately, or at room temperature.

 

 

Around the Internet: Good (Food) Reads

By Leave a Comment

Ottolenghi Vegetable Tart

Happy Wednesday! Winter has finally arrived here in the great Midwest and with the bitter cold we’re having right now, there’s no better time to curl up with a cup of tea (I’m obsessed with Aveda’s Comfort tea currently) and find some kitchen inspiration around the internet. Here are a few things I’m loving this week:

The tart in the photo above is my first attempt at Yotam Ottolenghi’s Roast Vegetable Tart. The recipe itself is a little fussy, but so very worth the effort. You can find the recipe in the link above or in his genius cookbook, Plenty.

Happy Reading!

 

Chipotle and Stout Chili

By 4 Comments

Chili2

We are squarely in that time of year when the winter chill has set in and comfort foods – soups and stews, chili, and rich pasta dishes – are what I reach for again and again. After all of the indulgence of the holidays, this chili is a great balance of healthy(-ish) and hearty.

I’ve been making a version of this chili for years. It started with a recipe from the great Ellie Krieger (find the original here), and over the years has morphed into something a little spicier and a little richer, without totally sacrificing the nutrition. My husband likes it served with generous amounts of shredded sharp cheddar and some sour cream. I think it’s great on it’s own. It freezes well and keeps, refrigerated, for 3-4 days.

Chili1

Most chili recipes are fairly flexible and can be adjusted to fit your personal and family tastes. If you’re nervous about the heat from the chipotle peppers, remove the seeds but don’t eliminate the peppers entirely. They give a beautiful, rich, and almost smoky flavor that is really worth trying. I also recommend taking the extra time to puree whole, canned tomatoes instead of using the more typical crushed tomatoes. I particularly love Muir Glen Fire Roasted San Marzano style tomatoes,   but if you’re wanting to save time and dishes, go ahead with regular crushed tomatoes.

Chipotle and Stout Chili
Print

Chipotle and Stout Chili

A hearty chili with a bit of bite!
Course Chili
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings
Author Holly (adapted from Ellie Krueger)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2-3 medium carrots peeled and roughly diced
  • 2 red bell peppers diced
  • 2 heaping teaspoons cumin
  • 16 ounces lean ground beef grassfed, organic if possible
  • 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce from canned chipotle in adobo
  • 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 16 ounces good stout beer I prefer Guinness
  • 1 28 ounce can of whole, fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven
  2. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and saute until just softened, about 10 minutes
  3. Add the cumin and stir until fragrant, about one minute.
  4. In the same pot, brown the ground beef until no longer pink.
  5. Add the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, removing the seeds if you prefer less spice.
  6. Puree the tomatoes in a blender and add to the chili mixture.
  7. Stir in the beer.
  8. Mix in the oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Allow to simmer, partly covered, approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  10. Remove the lid and stir in the beans. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
  11. Adjust seasoning and serve with your favorite toppings.

 

What are your go-to comfort foods in the winter?