Friday, June 24, 2016

French Breakfast Radish with Baguette and Honey

Click HERE to order our new cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table (Susan Schadt Press, November 2016). The recipe below is featured in the book!

In our first cookbook, Chef John Currence closed his foreword by saying, "Radishes with softened butter are WAY underappreciated." We think about his quote every time we try that beautiful combo!

So we've been looking back at the first book since we've been busy proofreading this week. We're about to be heading toward the finishing-it-all-up stage of our new cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table (November 2016, Susan Schadt Press). We began working on it earlier this year, and haven't stopped for a second because we're both just that crazy and determined. And we're so excited for you to see it this fall.

Early next week, we'll ask for a little help testing some of the recipes that made the cut, so check back here if you're willing to cook something and report back. We'd love to hear how the dishes go for you. Let's eat!

Here, we've switched out softened butter for a buttery soft brie and paired the whole thing with honey to balance out the bite of the spicy radishes. We really did make this for breakfast one day, no joke. It seemed weird at first but ended up being so good. Want to maybe grab some radishes for this at the farmers market this weekend and try it?

French Breakfast Radish with Baguette and Honey

1/2 large gluten-free baguette (sliced into 12 rounds)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 medium French Breakfast radishes (sliced)
1 7-ounce wheel or wedge of double-cream brie
2 tablespoons honey

In a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat, grill baguette slices on one side for 3 minutes or until well-marked by the grill grates. Set aside. In a small bowl mix the salt and pepper. Arrange the bowl of salt and pepper, radishes, baguette, brie, and honey on a cutting board or large plate. To eat, place a slice of brie and a few slices of radish on a baguette round. Drizzle the top with honey and sprinkle with salt the salt and pepper mixture. (Serves 2.)

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

4th of July Backyard Party Ideas from Us & IHA

Thank you to the International Housewares Association for partnering with us on this blog post! We were compensated for our time and were thrilled to be able to keep the products we used in creating new recipes for the accompanying article. As usual, all opinions expressed are our own. 

Here's all you need to cook and set up a sweet lunch on July 4: make-ahead naan sandwiches with grilled vegetables, a hearty salad that's really easy to put together, and a basil-goat cheese spread that doubles as a dip, you know, for those red, white, and blue chips you impulse-bought at the store. Click here to check out the details of the dishes and the stuff we got to try out to make it all happen in our new post for IHA.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Patatas Bravas in the Air Fryer for IHA Inspired Home

Thank you to the International Housewares Association for partnering with us on this blog post! We were compensated for our time and were thrilled to be able to keep the products we used in creating new recipes for the accompanying article. As usual, all opinions expressed are our own. 


So we've discovered our new favorite appliance: the air fryer. We used it to make a  vegan patatas bravas dish, and it's even better than the regular version and waaaaay better for you. Read more HERE on the IHA Inspired Home Blog about our experience with the fryer and a few other things that helped us create a tapas spread just like we were hanging out in Spain, y'all! Air-fried doughnuts really should be what's coming up next if there's anything that's right and fair in this world

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Click HERE to order our new cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table (Susan Schadt Press, November 2016). The recipe below is featured in the book!

Yeah, we make this all the time. Crazy that we're just now sharing the recipe with you! It's really cool to use spaghetti squash as a stand-in for pasta in this dish. We figured out that you need a chunky sauce since the 'noodles' are thin, white beans are a really good, nutritious addition, and whole heads of roasted garlic make for an excellent pseudo-side dish. Oh, and the method we've figured out in the recipe below ensures that you're not going to end up with a watery squash.

Sometimes we add some greens to go on the side. Sometimes we just decide to have regular old pasta because it's quicker. But this, if you have a little extra time to cook one night this weekend, is really worth making.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash 

1 large spaghetti squash

2 large heads garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 large shallot (diced) 
1 medium red pepper (diced)
2 medium carrots (sliced)
2 medium ribs celery (sliced)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (like Penzey's)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (drained)
1 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted diced tomato

2 1-ounce slices provolone cheese
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Using a large knife and an abundance of caution, slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds by scraping them out with a spoon. Discard the seeds. 

Cut the top 1/3 off of each head of garlic. Drizzle the inside of the two halves of the squash and the cut side of the heads of garlic with 1 tablespoon of  the olive oil. Season squash with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the heads of garlic in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet. Place the spaghetti squash cut-side-up next to the foil-wrapped garlic and place it all into the oven. Bake for 3o minutes or until the squash begins to turn golden brown at the edges. While the squash cooks, assemble and cook the sauce. 

Into a large frying pan over hight heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the shallot, red pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and wine. Cook until vegetable have softened and wine has reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to a simmer. The sauce should chunky. This gives the dish some great texture. 


Remove the squash from the oven and scrape the spaghetti squash up with a fork. This is easily done with a cooked squash. You'll notice that as you scrape, the squash comes up in tiny ribbons like pasta, hence the name! Season the squash with salt and pepper. Divide the sauce between the two halves and cover each with a slice of provolone. The heat from the sauce will melt the cheese, but feel free to place it under a broiler for a minute or two on high to get it melty and bubbly. Garnish squash with chopped parsley and serve alongside the roasted garlic. We love to add a few cloves of roasted garlic for extra flavor as we enjoy the dish. (Serves 2.)