Author: lukephillaryh

Summer Vegetable Soup

On By lukephillaryhIn VeggieLeave a comment
Vegetable soup Mimi Thorisson recipe
summa summa sixteen

It is finally officially summer! The farmers’ market is overflowing with luscious fruits and vegetables begging to be turned into a delicious seasonal feast. And there is no more archetypal summer meal than soup. Oh-kaaaay…so that’s a completely sarcastic statement, but Luke and I both feel this soup deserves serious summer status! 1) It requires no oven use whatsoever 2) It includes many of summer’s best bounty aaand 3) This soup manages to be light and healthy (entirely veggie!!) but also extremely flavorful and nuanced (especially when parm broth is used). Luke and I strongly advise that you blast “Summer Sixteen” while chopping up all of these veggies. Making this delicious soup is an ideal way to celebrate summer.

This recipe is adapted from Mimi Thorisson’s soupe au pistou, which can be found in her cookbook A Kitchen in France.

Ingredients – Soup:

  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 medium carrots, minced
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
  • 2 zucchini, minced
  • 8 oz green beans, cut in half lengthwise
  • 4-5 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and chopped (or 1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes, with juices partially drained)
  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch basil, roughly chopped
  • 1 TBS herbs de provence
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5-6 cups water or preferred broth (chicken, vegetable, parm)
  • 8 oz kidney beans (pre-soaked or from a can)
  • 8 oz white beans (pre-soaked or from a can)
  • 1 cup elbow macaroni

Luke and I topped our bowls with a simple mix of basil, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of salt, mashed with a mortal & pestle:

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, leek, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes,  and garlic. Saute for 5-8 minutes, stirring to make sure the vegetables cook evenly. Add the basil, herbs de provence, and salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes more.
  2. Add your chosen liquid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
  3. Add the uncooked macaroni and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes, and then stir in the beans.

Serve immediately! If you like, top with basil mix and shaved parm.

Details: Makes lots of soup! Six hearty servings.

Recipe Revisiting – Chickpea + Spinach Curry

On By lukephillaryhIn Exotic3 Comments
chickpea spinach indian curry bon appetit recipe
Revisiting a favorite

In our short cooking careers, Luke and I have shuffled through some go-to meals – recipes we can whip up whenever and they’ll always leave us satiated. In college, I used to make a chicken breast in a skillet dinner with a surprisingly delicious marinade of ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. I probably made it on a weekly basis. And yet, since graduating I haven’t whipped up my “Simple Tasty Chicken” recipe even once. Blame cooking fatigue. Some meals you can only make so many times. But all recipes do deserve a second chance. We’ve made a similar version of this chickpea, spinach, tomato curry before and it could definitely be categorized as a “go-to meal.” So when I came across a similar recipe on BA’s Instagram I was inspired to revisit one of our favorite weekday dinners. The result is a bit stewier, perhaps more “curry” like. Will it replace our original? Who knows! All part of the process. The delicious and simple combination of chickpeas, spinach, and tomato is getting some love again and that’s all that matters.

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1-2 jalapeños, coarsely chopped
  • 1 TBS chopped ginger
  • 1 pound spinach
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp curry powder (our mix includes a lil’ bit of everything – turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 24-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 4 TBS plain yogurt

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 TBS oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, jalapeños, and ginger and cook until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Working in batches (1 handful at a time) add the spinach. Toss to wilt and then add more. Cook until fully wilted, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor (blender, hand blender, even a mortar and pestle works) and pulse until coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Wipe skillet.
  2. Heat another TBS of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the spices and stir so that they evenly coat the onions. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add chickpeas and tomatoes with juices. Squeeze the whole tomatoes with your hands to break down. If the mixture seems in need of extra liquid, add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Turn off heat and stir back in spinach puree then add yogurt, a TBS spoon at a time. Fully mix the TBS of yogurt before adding another. This will prevent curdling.

Serve with naan, samosas, basmati rice and garnish with cilantro – whatever you prefer!

Details: Serves 4

Eggplant Bruschetta

On By lukephillaryhIn VeggieLeave a comment
Eggplant Bruschetta Deb Perelman recipe
Explore beyond the classic bruschetta

In the summer months, when our lil’ AC window unit is bumping, Luke and I love making bruschetta. Nothing tastes better on a hot summer’s day, especially when we use farmer’s market heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. And most importantly, bruschetta requires no oven use. Which is a requirement for almost all of our summer meals. Our tiny apartment can’t handle any oven heat! Disclaimer: this bruschetta recipe does require oven use. But, it’s an excellent and simple way to use summer’s eggplant bounty. Luke and I are enjoying these eggplant toasts a little early in the season because they are so delicious. And because I’m already dreading NYC’s looming heat and humidity.

Shout out to one of our favorite ladies Deb Perelman for the original recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 TBS olive oil + additional for oiling baking sheet
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
  • 2 TBS parsley *optional
  • 8 slices of bread, 1/2-1 inch thick (a baguette works nicely, we go for a more rustic bread for slices with more surface area)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425º F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
  2. Toss eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread on baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for about 25 minutes. Check the eggplant a couple times while it roasts and give em a good shake to prevent sticking. This will also ensure even browning.
  3. Remove eggplant from the oven and let cool slightly.* In a small bowl, mix the eggplant cubes with red wine vinegar, feta, scallions, and parsley. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  4. To make toasts, raise oven temperature to 450ºF. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and place in oven. Let bake for about 5 minutes, or until just brown around the edges. We find, for this dish, it’s best to not let the toast get too toasty. Makes bruschetta eating a bit more difficult.
  5. Assemble the toasts! Spoon the eggplant bruschetta onto the toasts. You can rub the toasts with a garlic clove before piling on the eggplant if you like.

Details: Makes about 8 toasts

*Note 1: This salad is also very delicious at room temp or even cold! So you can let the eggplant cool longer if you like before mixing with the other ingredients.

Stocking Up at Sahadi’s

On By lukephillaryhIn AdventuresLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 4.54.23 PM

Sahadi grocery shopping in Brooklyn
Hillary with her arms full at Sahadi’s

NYT beat us to the punch last week when they posted a short feature on one  of our favorite places in Brooklyn. Ever since we started to explore all foods Indian and Middle-Eastern, Sahadi’s has been been our go-to place for ingredients. This Atlantic Avenue landmark has been around for ages and continues to prosper despite the TJ’s across the street. We come to Sahadi’s whenever Ottolenghi asks for 1 TBS of some obscure ingredient or to buy staples like oregano and cumin in bulk. While we might have enough cinnamon sticks and cardamon pods to last a 100 curries, there’s always something else we can pick up at Sahadi’s.

Adobo Chicken Tacos

On By lukephillaryhIn Ode to NYTLeave a comment
Chicken adobo tacos New York Times food recipe
Taco with all  the fixings

Cinco de Mayo came a little early for Luke and I this year. Up until recently (currently, the NY forecast is rain rain rain), spring had been treating us very well. For two weekends in a row we enjoyed clear skies and 70 degrees weather -ahhhmazing! When the weather is nice, I drink margaritas (and Luke by default). Always on the rocks, with salt. And nothing goes better with margs than tacos. So last Saturday night for dinner, we made these simple and delicious chicken tacos. The chiles in adobo are critical – their amazing smoky, spicy flavor makes the meal. It took a little bit of searching the supermarket aisles to find them, but besides that it was smooth sailing! Enjoy these tacos for Cinco de Mayo and all summer long.

Ingredients:

  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 3 scallions, left whole
  • 1 thyme branch
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 3 allspice berry
  • 2 cloves
  • salt
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
  • 3 TBS adobo sauce, from the can
  • 1/2 cup broth (use broth from simmered chicken)
  • corn tortillas

Onion, thinly sliced radishes, avocado, queso fresco or feta cheese, cilantro – all excellent garnishing options!

Directions:

  1. Put chicken thighs in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and let cool. Shred chicken with your fingers or with a fork, discarding the skin and bones. Strain broth and reserve.
  2. Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, season with salt, and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat in sauce. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.
  3. Heat the tortillas however you like, we find that cooking them in a dry skillet, about 1 minute on each side, works well.
  4. Build your tacos while the chicken is still warm! Garnish however you like. This time, we chose avocado (nicely balances the spice), feta, cilantro, radishes, and a spritz of lime.

Details: Makes 4 servings, about 2 tacos per person.

Ottolenghi Inspired Sweet Potatoes

On By lukephillaryhIn Veggie1 Comment
Sweet Potatoes Ottolenghi recipe
Happiness on a plate

I’m on team sweet potato. But, I haven’t always been a sweet potato enthusiast. In fact, growing up I was a serious potato fanatic, strictly of the yukon and russet variety. Potato chips, mashed potatoes, french fries – these were some of my favorite foods. In 8th grade, for my birthday my friends gave me a cookbook with entirely potato recipes. I used to preach my love of potatoes to others, telling people that “potatoes make you happy,” though my scientific backing on this point was shaky. Alas, tastebuds change. I still salivate over salty potato chips and buttery mashed potatoes, these are eternally beloved foods. And though I often order sweet potato fries, they can never match the crunchy fried goodness of classic french fries. But, all and all, I much prefer the nuance a sweet potato adds to a meal.

This Ottolenghi recipe originally calls for butternut squash, but Luke and I substituted squash for sweet potatoes because they are delicious, abundant, and cheaper.

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 4-5 shallots, cut into thin slices lengthwise
  • 3-4 TBS olive oil
  • 3 TBS tahini paste
  • 1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
  • 2 TBS water
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 TBS za’atar
  • salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 475ºF.
  2. Spread sweet potato wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 TBS olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix with your hands so the wedges are well coated with olive oil and then arrange on the baking sheet, skin side down. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 TBS olive oil. Once olive oil is warm, add the shallots. Sauté for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized, stirring often and lowering heat if necessary to avoid burning.
  4. Once sweet potatoes have finished cooking, combine with caramelized shallots. Let cool while making the sauce. Combine tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or lemon juice to thin (or more tahini to thicken) if necessary.
  5. To serve, spread the vegetables on a platter and drizzle over tahini sauce. Sprinkle with za’atar. You can also garnish with parsley and/or toasted pine nuts.

Details: Serves 4

Parm Broth

On By lukephillaryhIn Hillary's Dishes2 Comments
Parmesan broth for soup
Just a few ingredients yields a rich broth

The impetus for concocting this recipe was an Instagram post, and if I remember correctly, it was  post by Bon Appétit. Upon seeing the photo in my feed, I immediately thought to myself “YES, what a great way to use all those leftover Parmesan rinds Luke and I are always having to throw away.” Ingenious cooking for the WIN. I saw this post back in January, during the height of soup making season, and have been saving Parmesan rinds in our freezer since then. So finally last weekend, before we head into consistently nice Springtime weather, Luke and I spent our Sunday afternoon simmering some Parm broth. It perfumed our lil’ apartment with a cheesy fragrance…mmmmm. The result: a rich and versatile broth that can be used to enhance flavor in soup, pasta, and bean dishes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 3-5 parsley sprigs
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lb Parmesan rinds (we used around 10 rinds of varying sizes)

Directions:

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns, stirring often, until garlic has browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes, scraping up any brown bits.
  2. Add 8 cups water and Parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil and the reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. You will have to stir occasionally to prevent cheese from sticking to the bottom of your pot.
  3. After 2 hours, strain your broth through a fine-mesh sieve (we used a colander and cheese cloth) into a large bowl.

Details: Yields about 4 cups of broth.

Meatballs Part II – Lamb with Spicy Tomato Sauce

On By lukephillaryhIn ClassicoLeave a comment
Lamb meatballs spicy tomato sauce
A very delicious 1 meat meatball

In the spirit of recipe revisiting, Luke and I are adding another meatball recipe to our repertoire. I started making meatballs in college and I’ve always been pretty adamant that when making spaghetti and meatballs, your balls must have at least two kinds of meat. As a result, my recipe yielded a lot of balls, roughly 25-30. And I wasn’t being stingy with the diameter. These were some substantial meatballs. They’d last me aaaallll semester long. But, there are lots of meatball variations out there. There are meatless meatballs nowadays. There are restaurants devoted solely to meatballs. There are cookbooks only about meatballs. So one cannot discriminate. This recipe has only one meat – lamb, which is flavorful and multifaceted all on its own. It’s nicely spiced with some Spanish flavors and when paired with the spicy sweet tomato sauce you’ve got a perfect dinner meal. No need to abandon your classic meatball recipe. These lamb meatballs are just like a slightly hipper, Flamenco dancing relative.

Ingredients – Meatballs:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 2 egg yolks
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp fennel
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 cup Manchego cheese, finely grated
  • scant 1/4 cup cream (milk or half & half also work)

Ingredients – Sauce:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp fennel
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Caramelize the onions: In a large dutch oven or sauce pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the minced onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes, until just starting to turn golden, stirring often to ensure onions don’t stick to bottom of the pan. You can add a bit more olive oil if necessary to avoid sticking. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
  2. Tomato Sauce: Add additional olive oil and then the other minced onion to the same pot. Cook onions over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and spices, stirring to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, until bubbling, and then add the red wine and sugar. Bring sauce to a simmer and then lower heat, partially covering. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Mixing meatballs: Combine the lamb with the onions. Season with some salt and pepper and then add the egg yolks. Combine the breadcrumbs, spices, and cheese and a separate bowl and then add to the lamb, followed by the cream. Use your hands to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
  4. Cooking meatballs: Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat hands with a bit of oil and then roll out lamb mixture into 1 – 1 1/2 inch balls. Place evenly on the baking sheet. You should make around 20 meatballs, depending on your preferred ball size. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Your aiming for nicely browned meatballs.
  5. Meatballs + Sauce: Once finished baking, transfer meatballs to your sauce and simmer until fully cooked, for another 10-12 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately with extra Manchego! We enjoyed with fregola, but the meatballs are also delicious solo, with some spaghetti, or a nice crusty slice of bread.

Details: Serves 4-6

A Chili Collaboration

On By lukephillaryhIn ClassicoLeave a comment
Chili cornbread cast iron beer
Beer, cornbread, cheddar cheese, chili perfection

Chili is one of our ideal meals – a long cooking time, a variety of ingredients yielding subtle complexity, and just enough spice to start a sweat. Our original recipe came from a postcard that my parents both bought, separately, at the Dallas Airport before they met. When they moved into their first apartment together they realized they both had the same postcard. In addition to being a sign of fate, the postcard recipe also made a perfect bowl of chili. Sometimes, when it comes to our recipes, Hillary and I can be sticklers to tradition. We find a recipe for a classic and essential dish, like roast chicken or banana bread, successfully make it on our first attempt and it becomes our go-to. Lately, Hillary’s been challenging our conventions, particularly the recipes that come from my family…hmmmm. Admittedly, trying out these new (aka “Hillary”) recipes have had great results. And I’m not just saying that for brownie points. The recipe below is a combination of the postcard recipe and Bon Appétit’s “Best Beef Chili.”

Ingredients:

  • 4 dried chiles (a mixture of ancho, guajillo, morita, and/or pasilla)
  • 4-5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 2 lb stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 2 jalapeños, finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 TBS cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 12 oz bottle of lager
  • 2 TBS tomato paste
  • 1-2 tsp brown sugar
  • 16 oz can pinto beans

Directions:

  1. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning and pressing occasionally, until darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes to soften. Drain and discard stems and seeds. Working in batches if needed, purée the chiles and 4 cups broth in a blender or with a hand blender until smooth.
  2. While chiles are soaking, heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the meat until brown all over, for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Continue cooking the meat juices in the pot until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  3. Add another 1 TBS olive oil to the pot then add the onions, jalapeño, garlic. Season with a little salt. Cook the onions and garlic until soft, for 6-8 minutes, stirring often to ensure they don’t stick. You can add a bit of water to the pot as well to prevent sticking. Then add the cumin, oregano, and chili powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring to incorporate.
  4. Return the beef to the pot and add the lager. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is almost completely reduced. Add the chile purée, season with salt and pepper, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 – 1 1/4 hours. You want the liquid to be slightly thickened and the meat very tender.
  5. With thirty cooking minutes remaining, add the pinto beans, sugar, and tomato paste. You may want to first mix the tomato paste with a bit of water to dilute it.
  6. Serve with cornbread, fritos, sour cream, cheese, red onion – whatever you floats your boat!

Details: Serves 6

Pasta alla Gricia

On By lukephillaryhIn Ode to NYT2 Comments
Pasta alla gricia with guanciale
Guanciale, better than bacon

Like most, we are big fans of bacon and pasta, respectively and combined. Two of our favorite dishes come from Cal Peternell’s Twelve Recipes. His carbonara and amatriciana recipes are always smashing successes. Admittedly, we typically opt for regular old grocery store bacon instead of pancetta or the even more authentic option of guanciale. Feeling a bit adventurous, but also wanting to keep it simple for our Saturday night dinner, we decided to try Mark Bittman’s version of a Roman classic, pasta alla Gricia. Marky B stresses the importance of using guanciale, so we finally committed, trekking into Manhattan to buy a nice hunk of pig jowl at Eataly (we’ll visit our favorite butcher Los Paisano’s in Cobble Hill next time). The guanciale elevated this pasta from a simple weekday dinner to a delicious Saturday night feast. And now we feel like slightly more legit gourmands.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound guanciale (cured pig jowl), cut into 1/4 inch pieces*
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
  • 3/4 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan

Directions:

  1. Cook the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat until deeply golden. You may need to adjust the heat to not cook too quickly. You want the fat to render without burning the meat. The meaty parts should be brown and the fatty parts should be cooked but still slightly transparent. This should take 10-15 minutes. When done, add the black pepper and turn off heat.
  2. While cooking the guanciale, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, add the the pasta. Cook till al dente and drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
  3. You want the pasta to still be wet and hot, so while it is cooking add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the cooled guanciale. Turn heat to high and reduce liquid by half.
  4. Once reduced, transfer pasta to the skillet. Mix vigorously and stir in more pasta water if necessary to create a creamy sauce. Add the cheese and extra cracked pepper.

Garnish with additional cheese! Enjoy with a glass of red wine.

Details: Serves 4

*Note 1: If you can’t find gaunciale, pancetta or bacon will also work. But guanciale is a game changer in this recipe!!