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!

A Trip to Boston Public Market

 Zucchini and eggplant and squash, oh my! While there may be just a few more weeks left of summer, there is plenty of late summer produce left to be enjoyed before September ends! Before we left for Boston two weeks ago, our family garden was abounding with squash and tomatoes, and while it is unfortunately not practical for our dad to ship us garden fresh produce each week, New England happens to be full of fresh summer crops as well!

After a long first week of sophomore year, Hannah and I were very excited to venture into the city for a trip to one of Boston’s newest culinary destinations, Boston Public Market. BPM, which opened at the end of July, is a one of a kind spot for foodies of all types, from sustainability-supporters to chocoholics to pasta lovers. It is an indoor farmers market, operating year round, where over 35 local vendors showcase their locally-produced items ranging from handmade cheeses, organic produce, artisan donuts, local honey, Mexican stone-ground chocolate, spiced nuts and so much more.  

Produce from Siena Farms, Sudbury, MA

As we pulled open the door to the market, a whiff of homemade apple cider donuts lured us inside, where a local orchard was selling several varieties of apples along with homemade spiced cider. The warm scent of fall excited us for the months to come, though we are enjoying summer while it’s still here!

We sampled these "ground cherries," little tomatoes with a surprisingly sweet taste!

Browsing through the different aisles of the market, each lined with vendors offering samples of their unique creations, we couldn’t believe what amazing items the market had to offer. We visited several farm stands, where long tables teemed with rich purple Black Beauty eggplants, vibrant red tomatoes and bright orange carrots. Though it was all so tempting, Hannah and I decided to pick up a pint of fresh blueberries, lettuce from a local greenhouse farm, plenty of eggplant and summer squash, and a few ripe peaches (which we sampled and were incredibly sweet and juicy). Our friend, who had invited us along to the market, bought a pint of raspberries, a dozen eggs from an organic farm, and a grilled cheese for lunch made with a blend of cheeses from Jasper Hill Farm, which she noted was the best grilled cheese she had ever tasted. 

Fresh pasta from Nella Pasta

Though it has only been a little over a month since its opening, Boston Public Market has already become a favorite spot for locals and tourists of all ages. We are excited to watch it continue to grow, as well as to check out some of the programs it offers, which include free cooking classes and seminars, cookbook exchanges and other monthly events.  

Beautiful Fairy Tale eggplants!

While we miss our friends, family, and fresh produce back at home, selecting some local New England fruits and vegetables from the market was almost like picking them from our own backyard! Take advantage of the last few weeks of summer, and make sure to stock up on the last of summer’s produce while you can! I will be testing out a new Eggplant Parmesan recipe using the eggplant we picked up at the market, and I am excited to share it with you soon!

Enjoy,

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

After moving in to our apartment style dorm Monday night and living in the space for a few days, Mary and I now feel like we are settled in. We are really enjoying our new space, especially the "state-of-the-art" kitchen complete with trendy avocado colored laminate countertops– who needs granite! Mostly, we are so glad that we came equipped with all the kitchen supplies we could possibly need (and some extras!), as we have already begun making some delicious meals and trying some of our favorite recipes. It is so exciting to think of how many wonderful meals we will have cooked in our tiny kitchen by the end of the school year!

With our sophomore year classes starting up on Monday, I wanted to make a homemade treat to include in our lunches. Not being on the college meal plan this year means packing lunches to eat between classes, so I love sprucing up packed lunches with a homemade treat. I wanted to try a new recipe using simple ingredients we had on hand, and was intrigued by this recipe for Peanut Butter Banana cookies– how could you go wrong with the peanut butter banana combination! 

These cookies were so easy to whip up, and don't call for much sweetener as most of the sweetness comes from the bananas. They have a very interesting and tasty flavor combination– almost like combining the flavor of banana bread with a peanut butter cookie! While I love my classic chocolate chip cookies, I also really enjoy trying new cookie varieties and this is a new favorite to add to my list. The sweet and salty combination is definitely a winner, and the recipe is fairly healthy and can easily be made healthier with some simple ingredient swaps (like wheat flour in place of white flour and honey instead of sugar!). 

We are so excited for the "college chapter" of Two Spoonfuls and will definitely miss our readers at home while we are here at school! In the meantime, if you're looking for a new cookie recipe, try this one! It won't disappoint. 

Here's a picture of our "beautiful" dorm kitchen, just for kicks! (Notice the spice jars) 

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Recipe by Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium banana)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
3. In the (separate) bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add peanut butter, egg, banana, and vanilla, and continue mixing on medium speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once if needed. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Measure out a rounded tablespoon-full of dough, roll it into a ball, then place on the baking sheet. Use a fork to press down the top of the ball and make a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle with a pinch of cane sugar, if desired. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

Showing off your Spices! (a DIY post)

Aside from being 16 hours away from home, one of the things Mary and I missed most during our freshman year of college was not having access to a kitchen. Instead of weekly baking and homemade family meals, being stuck with a college dining hall meal plan was a change we both had trouble adjusting to. We are both beyond excited that this year we will be living in a four person apartment-style dorm outfitted with a kitchen! 

We were also surprisingly thrilled to find out that the kitchen comes with no supplies. Instead of using old pots and pans shared by students even before we were born and covered in who-knows-what, having an unstocked kitchen meant taking on some fun projects to make the kitchen our own! While some may call us crazy bringing everything from our baking tips, cupcake liners, knife block and ice blue hand mixer and food processor, we are excited to continue our blogging adventures while at school. One of our latest kitchen projects we just had to share is our DIY (do-it-yourself) glass spice jars with chalkboard labels. 

If you have some occasional OCD design tendencies like I do, you might be unsatisfied with the wide assortment of spice jars of all shapes and sizes shoved inside your spice cabinet at home (at least, thats how the spices are "organized" at our house). Though our dad is a fabulous cook and loves his spices, his spice cabinet is a hodge podge of countless mismatched jars and shakers.

While this system may work for him, Mary and I wanted a more organized and cute solution to storing our herbs and spices. After some searches on Pinterest and trips to some of our favorite kitchen stores, we found the perfect solution!

After we decided on a kitchen color- a pretty robin's egg blue, we were so excited to find glass spice jars from World Market that perfectly matched our kitchen decor. For less than a dollar apiece, we grabbed a couple dozen jars to have enough for all our favorite spices. 

After some Pinterest searching, we found the cutest free hand painted printable chalkboard spice jar labels that come in a variety of shapes and colors (via WorldLabel and painted by Emily McDowell). We chose the black circle design, and printed the template on full sheet label paper so we could cut the labels perfectly to size. 

We are so happy with how the spice jars turned out and can't wait to show them off in our new kitchen! Instead of shoving our spices in a cabinet, we plan on storing them in a cute wire spice rack we found, also from World Market! 

While glass spice jars may not be for everyone– especially for those like our dad who have their own organized chaos of a kitchen, making these spice jars was a great way to show off our spices and in turn save a bit of cabinet space! 

Enjoy,

Restaurant Review: Buttermilk

It's hard to believe that summer is nearly over! Since Mary and I will be heading back to Boston this Sunday, we have tried to make the most of our remaining summer days and enjoy the time saying our "see you later's" to friends and family. Of course our favorite gatherings involve both good friends and great food, so we have also had the chance to visit some of our favorite restaurants and even try some new places! One of the restaurants we have recently heard friends rave about is Buttermilk, a breakfast and lunch spot in Geneva, so yesterday I (Hannah) took our two "little sisters" out for a fun back-to-school breakfast celebration.

Cutest coffee counter inside Buttermilk  

The decor and atmosphere inside Buttermilk is what I would call "modern farmhouse," as the classic white walls and farm inspired fixtures are complemented by modern accents, giving the place an inviting and cozy feel. We waited about ten minutes before being seated, and enjoyed taking fun pictures while we waited.

Love the fun fixtures!

Buttermilk has a large menu with something for everyone! If you enjoy a sweet breakfast, they have a wide selection of pancakes, waffles, french toast, and crepes–including lemon blueberry pancakes, banana nutella crepes, and tres leches french toast, just to name a few! If you're more of the eggs and bacon type, they also have many different types of omelets, skillets, benedicts, and breakfast sandwiches. 

Scrambled eggs, beautifully seasoned potatoes, and delicious chicken sausage!

One thing I quickly realized is how generous the portion sizes are! An order of two eggs comes with a large helping of delicious breakfast potatoes and a choice between toast, an english muffin, or a stack of two large buttermilk pancakes! For a little extra, you can even opt for one of their specialty pancakes, and I couldn't resist trying the lemon blueberry pancakes topped with a fresh blueberry 

compote. Though they were quite delicious, you also can't go wrong with their classic buttermilk cakes. Their signature buttermilk pancakes are fluffy, light, and just perfectly sweet. 

Anna, one of my "little sisters," tried the "Penelope omelet" with spinach, tomatoes, feta, and onions. From the few remains left on her plate, I could tell she really enjoyed it–she even said it was the best omelet she's ever had!  

Anna enjoying her spinach, feta, tomato omelet! 

Thanks to my other "little sis" Emme for taking most of these pictures! We've got a budding photographer on our hands! (she's only 8 years old!)

Emme and I 

 If you're looking for a great breakfast spot in the Chicago suburbs, Buttermilk is a definite place to check out! You can't beat the great food, darling decor, and prime location right near the Fox River downtown Geneva! 

Enjoy, 

Southern Peach Crisp

Greetings from the South! Mary and I have been away from the blog for a while since we are spending the week in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where our family visits every year. Relaxing on the beach with family, biking through the trails lined with sprawling live oak trees, and of course enjoying a taste of southern flavors– what could be better!

You can't visit the south in the summer without sampling some of the juicy peaches that reach their peak ripeness in the summer months. Farmers markets, grocery stores, and local fruit vendors are overflowing with cartons of these sunset colored fruits. Each year we stop at our favorite fruit stand on the way into the island from the Savannah airport. We make sure to pick up a basket (or two!) of the juiciest peaches we can find. 

If you've been following our blog, you may know we love incorporating seasonal ingredients in our savory dishes and desserts. Of course, this means a lot of fruit pies, galettes, and crisps featuring our favorite summer fruits and berries! While we have experimented with some new fruit desserts this summer (like our delicious raspberry buckle a few posts back!) for this post we decided to make a classic peach crisp. We made sure to pack some staple ingredients (sugars, flours, etc.) in our suitcases so we had the perfect amount for our peach dessert. 

This recipe uses very simple, on-hand ingredients and couldn't be easier to whip up for a family gathering, or just because! While the juicy peaches are really the star of the show, the buttery oat crumble makes for the perfect topping– some of our dinner guests remarked how they could eat the topping by itself! 

We are really looking forward to spending the week soaking up the sun and enjoying time with family before we head back to school in a few short weeks! Stay tuned for restaurant reviews of some of our favorite island eats! 

Peach Crisp:  

(Recipe adapted from Anne Burrell Food Network)

For the filling:

• 5 large, ripe peaches, cut into chunks
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt

For the crisp topping:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional, I did not have on hand but would have been a nice touch!)
• 1-2 Tbsp. cold water

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss the peaches in a large bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the filling into a buttered 9x13" pan.
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is clumpy but crumbly.
4. Sprinkle the topping over the peaches. Be sure to loosely sprinkle the topping and not pack it down. The idea is to look very crumbly.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping, golden brown and crispy.

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.