Fall Harvest Soup

The leaves are an autumn rainbow of reds, oranges, yellows and greens. Farmers markets are abounding with squash, pumpkins, apples, and colorful mums. A carton of fresh Massachusetts apple cider sits in the fridge and I just finished the last of the pumpkin muffins we baked this week. It’s official- the prime of New England fall has arrived. 

Mary and I have made this Fall Harvest soup two times so far this season, and are excited to share this recipe that showcases the best of fall’s flavors. Packed with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, and tomatoes, it is loaded with flavor and very nutrient dense. The addition of quinoa and chickpeas is a great way to add in some protein, making this soup a great choice for vegetarians or vegans!

Fall Harvest Soup with Quinoa

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chopped butternut squash
• 4 cans (14 1/2oz. each) low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 cups chopped kale, ribs and stems removed
• 3 bay leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sweet potato, bay leaves and butternut squash. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
2.  Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, and chickpeas. Stir in the quinoa and season with fresh rosemary and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is soft. Stir in the kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm. (Additional note: this soup freezes well. To freeze, cool completely and pour into a freezer container. When ready to eat, defrost and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.)

Enjoy!

Orecchiette with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Caramelized Onions

With the first day of fall shortly approaching, we have been anticipating our favorite season and all of the culinary delights it brings- pumpkin everything, apple cider, butternut squash, kale, just to name a few of our fall favorites! Here in New England, apple orchards are open and ready for picking, and we cannot wait to bring home a peck or two sometime soon! 

Our "Mise en place"

One of our favorite fall combinations is sweet potatoes and kale, as featured in our Black Bean Sweet Potato Kale Quesadillas recipe! We found a new recipe combining these two ingredients in a simple and delicious dinner, Orecchiette with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Caramelized Onions. The combination of sweet and savory made for an excellent flavor. 

Sweet potatoes roasting in the oven!

To season the dish, we included some freshly chopped rosemary from one of the little herb pots growing on our dorm windowsill. We are currently growing dill, basil and rosemary, and have been trying to incorporate them into any recipe we can think of! To add protein into the dish, we also mixed in some cannellini beans. 

Our miniature "herb garden"

As the weather cools down, we are excited to warm up with homemade soups and other comforting dishes such as this one. Stay tuned for many more fall recipes, featuring our farmers market finds of the season's freshest produce! 

Orecchiette with Fall Vegetables

Recipe by The DeLallo Blog

Ingredients

•     1 1lb package whole-wheat orecchiette
•     3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•     1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
•     1 onion, diced
•     2 cloves garlic, minced
•     1 small bunch kale, leaves blanched
•     chopped rosemary, for garnish
•     grated parmesan, for garnish
•     salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions          

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and rosemary. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions begin to brown. 
4. Toss hot pasta, blanched kale leaves, and cooked sweet potatoes with onions in saucepan. Add pasta water, if desired, for sauce consistency. Cook together on medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. Serve with grated parmesan. 

Enjoy!

Cooking Fiesta

Ever since we were in elementary school, we have both loved being in the kitchen. From watching our dad throw spices into a steaming pot of soup without using a recipe, to helping our mom sprinkle sea salt on her famous chocolate chip cookies, to taking cooking camps and classes. There is something so special about following your first recipe and preparing your first family dinner, with the guidance of a few trusted cooks. We have both been fortunate enough to work alongside several talented chefs and bakers after working as culinary assistants at Marcel’s Culinary Experience in Glen Ellyn. From learning to perfect French macarons to a week of exploring cuisines around the world, we have learned many tips and tricks from helping with a few of the many classes Marcel’s offers. Inspired by the chef’s at Marcel’s to share our love of cooking and learning with others, we were beyond excited when a family friend asked us to host a cooking class for a group of 8-11 year old girls. 

Our fiesta tablescape!

When the girls suggested a Mexican theme, Mary and I were so excited to select some great recipes for one of our favorite cuisines. We both love Hispanic food and culture, and had a hard time picking out menu items from the many great options. An authentic Mexican meal wouldn't be complete without chips, salsa, and guacamole, so we decided to make a homemade pico de gallo salsa and homemade guacamole to start. It was so fun for the girls to practice their knife skills chopping up all the necessary ingredients. After finishing the salsa and guacamole, we prepared crock-pot chicken tacos with all the proper taco fix-ins. Cooking the chicken the night before allowed the chicken to soak up the flavor and created the perfect tenderness for the chicken to shred easily.

Excellent knife skills!

For a fun and festive "dessert," we made homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with a strawberry, kiwi, and mango salsa. To make the chips, we simply cut flour tortillas into small chip-sized wedges, coated them in butter and cinnamon sugar, and baked the chips at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. 

Here are the salsa and guacamole recipes!

Homemade Salsa

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 6 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 2 green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1 sliced jalapeno pepper with seeds removed (can use less if you prefer more mild salsa)
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Finely chop veggies and pour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add canned tomatos, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste and stir. Serve with tortilla chips. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.   *Remove seeds for less heat or omit pepper if you don't like spicy foods

Homemade Guacamole

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy 

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Hass avocados, seeded and scooped from peel
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
• 1 large Roma tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1-3 pinches cayenne pepper, optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Partially mash avocados with a fork in a large bowl, pour lime juice over top and continue to mash to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
2. Run chopped red onions under cold water (to remove harsh bite from onion), drain well and add onions to avocado mixture, along with diced tomato, garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine.

A Taste of Italy

Ciao from Italy! Its been too long since we last made a blog post, so after a busy week, we are excited to share a few snapshots and recipes from our culinary adventure last night! Our friend just returned from a ten day vacation to Venice and Florence with some amazing photos, adorable shopping finds and a taste for some fresh Italian food! She wanted to re-create some of her favorite dishes and share them with us, so we embarked upon a trip to Italy with a delicious Italian meal. 

We prepared a three-course Italian menu filled with fresh, authentic ingredients. To start off the meal, we enjoyed one of our friend’s favorite Italian appetizers, Prosciutto e Melone, made with balls of cantaloupe, basil leaves and prosciutto stacked on toothpicks for a fancy presentation. The sweetness of the cantaloupe paired with the salty cured meat and fresh herbs had an incredible flavor. 

Prosciutto e Melone 

Margherita pizza ready for the oven!

For our main course, we prepared Margherita pizza made with lots of Roma tomatoes and a delicious Buffalo Mozzarella, topped with fresh Basil and Oregano from our garden! We tried to make it as authentic as possible by drizzling olive oil on the top and brushing it on the edges, as well as topping the pizza with garden-fresh arugula. We served it alongside a fresh arugula salad (our garden is overflowing with arugula!) topped with sliced parmesan cheese, Roma tomatoes, and a balsamic drizzle. Our friend's family gave the meal excellent reviews and thought we did a great job capturing the true Italian flavor they savored on their trip! 

Finished Margherita pizza with fresh arugula!

Fresh arugula salad with roma tomatoes, parmesan, and balsamic drizzle 

We couldn’t have an authentic Italian meal without ending it with some homemade gelato. Our friend tried many different flavors on her trip, from Watermelon and Almond to Yogurt, Nutella and of course her favorite, Pistachio. We prepared a Pistachio gelato made with pistachios, vanilla bean and a base of heavy cream and whole milk. The creaminess combined with the bits of pistachio pieces combined for an amazing texture. Everyone went back for seconds! 

Homemade gelato, so delicious!

Pizza Margherita

Recipe by Mario Batali

Ingredients

•     1/4 cup tomato paste
•     4 roma tomatoes
•     8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 12 equal pieces
•     1 teaspoon fresh oregano
•     1 clove fresh garlic, sliced thinly
•     1 ball Trader Joe's Pizza Dough

Cooking Directions    

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Flour dough and roll out thin on a floured surface, leaving a thicker rim around the edges. 
3. Spread tomato paste over dough, leaving 1/4 inch of dough for the edge of pizza.
4. Thinly slice tomatoes and place on dough.                 
5. Scatter sliced mozzarella over tomatoes and sprinkle with garlic and oregano.                  
6. Slide pizza directly onto pizza stone and bake 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.       

Gelato di Crema

Recipe by Food Network- Aunt Lena's Creamery

Ingredients

•     5 large egg yolks
•     3/4 cup sugar
•     2 1/4 cups whole milk
•     1 cup heavy cream
•     1 vanilla bean
•     6 ounces shelled pistachios

Cooking Directions            

1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until mixture is pale yellow and thickens up. 
2. In a blender, combine shelled pistachios with heavy cream until pureed.           
3. Combine the whole milk, pistachio cream mixture and vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise in a saucepan. Heat the mixture just until it starts to bubble around the edges, making sure it does not boil. Remove from heat.            
4. Remove vanilla bean and scrape out seeds with tip of a small knife and add seeds to cream mixture. Discard vanilla bean shell.              
5. While whisking egg mixture, add in 1 cup of warm cream mixture and combine together. Then add in rest of egg mixture to milk. Heat mixture slowly to 175-180 degrees F. Custard should be thickened and coat the back of a wooden spoon.             
6. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.          
7. Transfer mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.         

Though we wish we could have made an actual trip to Italy (and we are definitely planning to visit sometime!), we had such a great time enjoying a taste of the fresh Italian flavors our friend misses so much. We hope you can dream about floating on a gondola as you are transported to Italy with these recipes, enjoy! 

Spinach and Asparagus Frittata with White Cheddar

After a busy week and being away from blogging, we couldn’t wait to start off the weekend with a new recipe post! On this rainy morning, we wanted to brighten things up with a frittata made with fresh vegetables from our backyard garden. With all the rain we have been getting lately, all the plants have had plenty to drink and are growing fast! It is incredible to see them spring up each day! Our spinach plants were getting large and ready to harvest, so this Spinach and Asparagus Frittata was the perfect way to use some of it up. 

Frittata is an egg dish similar to a crustless quiche. It is both simple to whip together (only about 25 minutes in total preparation and cooking time) and full of flavor. We cooked ours in our dad's vintage Griswold cast iron skillet, as it retains heat really well and can be used both over the stovetop and in the oven. After it was finished cooking, we used a spatula to loosen the sides of the frittata from the pan, and it flipped beautifully onto a large plate placed underneath the skillet.
To accompany our frittata, we served a Strawberry Cacao Nib Smoothie made with almond milk. It was such a refreshing treat, and the chocolate flavor of the cacao added an excellent flavor as well as an antioxidant boost.
Although we used spinach and asparagus in this recipe, frittatas can be made with many other fresh vegetables, including tomatoes and zucchini. What a better way to take advantage of fresh summer produce and an easy-to-prepare recipe than with this delicious breakfast!

Spinach and Asparagus Frittata with White Cheddar
Recipe by Farm Flavor
Ingredients 

• 1 3/4 cups asparagus, chopped
• 1 teaspoon water
• 8 large eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 5 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, optional garnish

Cooking directions
1. Preheat oven broiler.
2. Place asparagus and water in a glass bowl or pie plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes, until tender-crisp and still bright green.
3. Whisk eggs, egg whites, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl until blended; set aside.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-proof 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
5. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is slightly wilted, about 1 minute.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cooked asparagus along with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
7. Pour egg mixture in skillet and stir gently to evenly distribute ingredients. Cook until eggs are almost set, about 8-10 minutes (eggs will still be runny on top but set on sides and bottom).
8. Remove frittata from heat, sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese and place skillet in oven, about 6-7 inches from heat source. Broil until center is firm and cheese is completely melted, about 1-2 minutes.
9. Remove and sprinkle with fresh basil if desired. Slice into wedges to serve.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Four Bean Chili with Browned Butter Cornbread

While it may be the last day of May, the weather in Chicago this weekend definitely didn’t show it. We couldn’t think of a better way to end this cold, rainy weekend than by throwing together a batch of our dad’s own Vegetarian Four Bean Chili. Filled with fresh vegetables and four different types of beans, his famous recipe packs in both bold flavors and healthy ingredients. 

Not surprisingly, our dad cannot eat a bowl of chili without a warm piece of piece of homemade cornbread. Although he has mastered his favorite creamed cornbread recipe, we decided to try a new recipe made without a boxed mix or refined sugar. This Browned Butter Cornbread from A Communal Table has an incredibly deep, nutty flavor, and just the right amount of sweetness from the honey. 

Adding the butter to brown in the skillet!

What a beautiful caramel color after browning! 

After pouring the browned butter on the wet ingredients and adding them to the skillet.  

Digging in! 

Browned Butter Cornbread

Recipe adapted from A Communal Table

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal 
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup honey

Cooking Directions


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the cube of butter into a 10 inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven. Let butter melt and brown - about 7 - 8 minutes for cold butter (if your butter is at room temperature, it will take a bit less time)
3. While the butter is browning, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir.
4. Add the corn and toss with the dry ingredients (this helps the corn from sinking to the bottom of the pan)
5. In a small bowl, combine the milk, honey and egg. Stir until combined.
6. When the butter is finished browning, remove skillet from the oven. Pour all but two tablespoons of the browned butter into the wet ingredients and stir.
7. Quickly add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until just combined.
8. Pour the batter into the skillet and place back in the oven. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the cornbread is brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with small crumbs attached. 
9. Remove skillet from oven and let cool for 10 - 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.        

Vegetarian Four Bean Chili 

Our Dad's Own Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, quarter inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 vidalia onion, diced
• 2,  29oz cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1, 15.5oz can tomato sauce
• 1, 15.5oz can butter beans
• 1, 15.5oz can great northern beans
• 1, 15.5oz can pinto beans
• 1, 15.5oz can light kidney beans
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic
•  dash Sriracha
•  olive oil, for pan
•  fresh parsley/cilantro, for garnish

Cooking Directions  

1. In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender, not brown. Add carrots, bell peppers and squash and simmer for 15 minutes.            
2. Add whole crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and four cans of beans.          
3. Stir in cumin, chili powder, sea salt and dash of Sriracha.             
4. Cook chili on low to medium heat for an hour, stirring periodically.          
5. Garnish with cilantro or parsley to serve.          

We hope you enjoy these two recipes, perfect for cold winters or rainy days! 

Sweet Potato Black Bean & Kale Quesadillas (Vegan)

One of our favorite vegetable combinations for fall, or really any season, is sweet potatoes and kale! Whether they are combined in a soup, salad, fritatta, or really any dish, the textures and flavors combine so nicely to create the perfect balance between sweet and savory. When we saw a recipe for vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Kale Quesadillas from Oh My Veggies, we both knew we had to give it a try! Using our comal tortilla pan (an authentic cast-iron flat circular pan perfect for making quesadillas!),  we were able to whip these up very quickly and the recipe was so easy and delicious! We will definitely be making these again in the near future and can't wait to share this new recipe with you.

We sautéed the chopped kale with onion and olive oil.

We seasoned the boiled sweet potatoes with salt and pepper.

All the best quesadilla fix-ins!

Our dad's plate with the addition of Spanish rice!

The final result!

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Kale Quesadillas

Recipe by Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

•     1 large sweet potato, sliced
•     1 tablespoon olive oil
•     1/2 large onion, diced
•     1 1/2 cup kale, chopped
•     1/2 cup black beans, cooked or canned
•     1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
•     4 corn or whole wheat tortillas
•      salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions        

1. Placed sliced sweet potato into a large saucepan and add enough water to cover.               
2. With heat on high, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain and season with salt and pepper.  
3. While potato is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until just starting to caramelize. Stir in kale and continue to cook until wilted.                  
4. Combine black beans and paprika in a small bowl.               
5. Divide sweet potato, caramelized onion/kale mixture and black beans into 1/2 of each tortilla, leaving 1/2 inch of space around the edges. Fold empty half onto half with filling.           
6. Place tortilla onto a comal tortilla pan over high heat or a skillet drizzled with a olive oil over medium-high. Flip quesadillas as tortilla begins to brown.           
7. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with salsa, guacamole and other desired toppings.       

Enjoy,

How Does your Garden Grow?

After a year of eating three meals a day in the college cafeteria (not the freshest foods to say the least!),  Mary and I were so excited to come home for the summer to some local produce and home- cooked meals! What better way to take advantage of our large backyard and our love for fresh, in-season foods than building a backyard garden filled with a wide variety of our favorite vegetables! Mary and I began planning for our summer garden months in advance, and our dad helped us out by starting several types of seeds while we were still away at school. 

After hours of working in the yard, our dad finished creating a raised bed for our garden filled with a mixture of soil and mushroom compost. We planted over 15 vegetables, including lettuce, radishes, beets, cauliflower, eggplants, green beans, carrots, kale, and of course tomatoes! While the plants are still in their early stages, we can't wait to harvest our home grown veggies and herbs throughout the summer and make some great, fresh recipes!

After many trips to various garden stores, we couldn't resist purchasing this beautiful salad bowl starter plant filled with many different types of greens including spinach, green leaf and red leaf lettuce. Lately the bowl has been growing pretty fast and getting rather full, so we thought it would be perfect to have home grown salads for dinner! 

Shoutout to our mom for finding these adorable chalkboard slate garden stakes from the Target dollar section! We wrote on them using a white paint pen so that the writing would not erase with the rain! 

To top off our salads, we prepared a simply grilled lemon dill salmon and added in some kale, avocado, and chopped veggies. We can't wait until we can make some tasty salads filled with more of our garden-fresh produce! 

Here's the recipe we used for grilled lemon dill salmon! 

Grilled Lemon Dill Salmon in Foil

Recipe by Cooking Classy

Ingredients

•     4, 6oz wild caught salmon fillets
•     2 cloves garlic, minced
•     8 fresh dill sprigs
•     1 lemon, thinly sliced
•     2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•     sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1.  Heat grill to 400 degrees F.           
2.  Cut four sheets of aluminum foil into pieces about 14 inches long.           
3.  Rinse and dry salmon with paper towel.                  
4.  In a small bowl, stir together olive oil and minced garlic.                  
5.  Place salmon fillets in aluminum foil and fold over edges over to create a foil packet.                  
6.  Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each fillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
7.  Top each fillet with about 2 springs dill and 2 lemon slices.                  
8.  Wrap sides of foil inward over salmon then fold in top and bottom to enclose completely.          
9.  Place foil pouches in a single layer on the grill and cook 15-20 minutes until salmon is cooked   through.                 
10.  Unwrap foil packets and serve warm.          

Be sure to stay tuned for updates on how our garden grows and some delicious recipes along the way!