Winning Winter: Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

I know that many others have said it already, but I am so over the rainy weather. Here in Seattle, we are blessed with more sunshine than people think, but this winter has lived up to the stereotype of a very rainy city. And when it’s not rainy, we have clouds.  Lots. Still want to move here, Silicon Valley techies?

Since I’m saving my money for other upcoming adventures, I have to devise strategies other than taking a vacation to a warm locale. Cooking helps, especially when I crave simple, warm meals that soothe me when I return home from another rainy walk. There’s something about delicious smells and tastes that makes snow-rain mixes a little more tolerable. Winter is a good time to take old standbys and turn them into something more luxurious, more special, to brighten up dark evenings.

That’s why adding goat cheese to these quesadillas is so brilliant. I know cheddar cheese is the standard, and for good reason, but adding creamy goat cheese to a quesadilla intrigued me. I will warn you, though, that this filling doesn’t have the appealing appearance of bright orange or yellow cheddar oozing in delicious meltiness. When you stir the goat cheese into the mashed black beans, the filling turns a light gray color that even vibrant green cilantro can’t save, looks-wise. Luckily it’s folded up inside a quesadilla, where no one will examine it too closely.

It’s worth getting past this appearance issue, because the filling tastes fantastic—it’s an appealing mix of textures, creamy with bits of bean and cilantro. You might worry, as I did (as I always do), that there isn’t enough filling. You might have thoughts of doubling it next time. But you don’t need to. You need just two, at most three tablespoons of filling per quesadilla, which you have to spread thinly so it’s easy to flip.

These quesadillas are best eaten right after they are made, when they are crisp on the outside and warm from the skillet. But it’s easy to enhance the leftovers with mashed avocado or salsa. If making food like this is how we’re going to cope with blah rainy weather, then I can be (at least a little more) patient for spring.

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Adapted from Amy’s

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 ounces goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
8 tortillas
Olive oil, for the pan
1 avocado
A little lime juice, to stir in with the mashed avocado

1. In a large bowl, mash the black beans until a chunky puree forms. Mash in the goat cheese until well combined. Stir in the cilantro leaves.
2. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of filling on one half of a tortilla (you should spread it thinly). Fold the side with no filling over and press gently to make sure the tortilla sticks to the filling and stays in place. Set on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Place as many quesadillas as you can fit in the skillet or pan and cook until browned on the underside, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding a little more oil between batches.
4. While the quesadillas cook, peel and mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add lime juice to taste (taste test as needed). Serve the quesadillas with the mashed avocado for spreading on top or dipping.

When a Shortcut Pays Off: Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Here is the easiest way I’ve ever found to prepare shrimp. And, even better, it’s a delicious dinner, just as good for serving to guests as it is for a quiet meal alone. Yes, it’s true that cooking shortcuts can sometimes lead to disaster, but in this case (and many others), it’s the tasty path to success.

One way to streamline a recipe is to skip the first two steps (but always use your best judgment when doing so). The original recipe, from Cooking Light, suggested serving the shrimp with orzo. Orzo can get pretty expensive, which I don’t understand—can someone explain why this pasta-rice hybrid costs so much more than pasta or rice? Anyways, the thought crossed my mind that I could just serve it on rice, but I wasn’t in the mood. Maybe we’d already had a lot of other rice dishes lately. So I skipped that step.

Next up in the recipe was cooking the shrimp. You can get around this by buying the shrimp pre-cooked. Then it’s just as simple as defrosting the shrimp, removing the tails (I know some people leave them on—for flavor, I guess?—but I always remove them because it’s easier to do that in prep than when you’re trying to eat your dinner), and adding them to a pan of melted butter. If you have raw shrimp, then it’s not much more of a step to cook them; it just adds a bit more time to the recipe. I bought cooked shrimp at the local grocery, so I skipped that step, too.

What was left of the recipe at this point was melting a tablespoon of butter, adding garlic, then shrimp, lemon juice, and black pepper. In case you were not aware, a lemon-butter sauce does wonders for shrimp, just like it does with other seafood (lobster and clams come to mind first). The pepper adds a bit of bite, balancing out the silky butter; the pepper spice and citrus zing don’t overwhelm, they just contribute the best flavors of ingredients that seem made to liven up the humble shrimp.

The shrimp need an accompaniment to be a full meal, so I served them with a spinach, chickpea, and mozzarella salad. You could also serve them on rice (or orzo, if that’s in your budget), pasta, roasted veggies…whatever you do, it will be one of the best shortcuts you’ve ever taken.

Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until it just starts to brown, stirring often.
2. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and black pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are heated through.

Then and Now, the Best Tortilla Soup

In high school, I had a bit of an obsession with tortilla soup. It was a very focused obsession: one tortilla soup, one restaurant (which is kind of a feat considering the place I grew up, a small island near Seattle, has three Mexican restaurants). This tortilla soup, at Casa Rojas, with its chicken, strings of melted cheese, avocado slices, and flavorful broth, had me in its grasp for a while.

But then I moved out and went to college, graduated, moved back home, then out again to Seattle, and tortilla soup never came up. The last time I went to Casa Rojas, which was something like five years ago, my friends and I got burritos that were inexplicably filled with peas. I probably don’t have to tell you that peas did not go down well in these burritos. It occurs to me now that, even though it was a hot summer day, I should have ordered the tortilla soup. But like I said, it had fallen off the radar.

And then, when tortilla soup was as far from my mind as it could be, it returned to my life. As I flipped through one of my notebooks of recipes clipped from here and there, I saw one for tortilla soup. Suddenly, the memory for the soup flooded back, followed by the craving to have it as soon as I could. But I didn’t want to get on the ferry and go to Casa Rojas; goodness knows they’ve started putting peas in the soup, too. Instead, I wanted to make it myself. I know it’s a gamble to try to replicate a favorite restaurant dish in a home kitchen, especially when you haven’t had it in many years, allowing plenty of time for its deliciousness to build up in your memory.

Obviously, that didn’t stop me, and what I ended up with is, I think, even better than what I started with. I could easily replicate everything I loved about the restaurant’s soup. And this is one of the easiest soups I have ever made. There’s really nothing stopping me from making this as often as I please, and especially now, with winter’s end still a ways off, it’s absolutely necessary. I made only a few slight changes to the recipe, including keeping the tortilla chips whole instead of crushing them. I like the whole chips poking out of the broth and soaking it up, delicious even when they’re a little soggy. Somehow, that still works.

One reason I think this soup tastes even better to me than the version from the past is that I’m in a better, happier place. Life’s just more fun now, and after all, those past times are only going to get further away. Best to find new ways to enjoy the present.

Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

A little olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
About 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
Tortilla chips
Grated cheddar cheese, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Avocado wedges, for garnish

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth, chicken pieces, water, chili powder, cumin, and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer 15 minutes.
2. Ladle the soup into bowls (make sure to leave room for all the garnishes!). Place a large handful of tortilla chips in the soup (adjust the amount to fit your preference and the size of the bowls). Garnish with cheese, chopped cilantro, and avocado wedges.

No Flipping Required: Caprese Frittata

More than five years ago, I posted a recipe for a pesto-potato frittata that requires you to flip it onto a plate and then return it to the skillet, a moment I would call a nail-biter if my hands weren’t so busy trying not to mess up the flip. It’s a delicious frittata, but it’s something you might not want to attempt alone. A spotter is always good when attempting such feats.

This frittata is a welcome opposite, in terms of effort required, for the times you want something simpler but no less delicious. It takes that classic combo—basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes—and adds it to my other favorite ingredient, eggs. I’m crazy about fresh basil (as I mentioned here) and when combined with the scent of a freshly sliced tomato (alas, not from any nearby garden, but shipped to Seattle from Canada—we use what we can get, not having time to stop by a farmer’s market), the kitchen smelled heavenly.

I took an already simple recipe and simplified it further by chopping all of the tomatoes, instead of cutting one of them into thin slices (I believe chopping all of the tomatoes allows for a more uniform texture, and less work for you and me). I scattered the mozzarella on top of the frittata before baking instead of adding it near the end. These little fixes streamline the hands-on time, while still producing a quality frittata.

The frittata bakes for a mere 12 minutes, with no flipping required. Sautéing the shallot and tomatoes beforehand means they’re cooked before you even add the eggs, and the frittata is thin enough to cook through on all sides and the middle. The tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella work their expected magic, mingling with eggs perfectly browned on the bottom and encasing bits of chewy mozzarella. A scattering of browned shallots adds a subtle flavor, something anyone who’s caramelized an onion knows well.

This is one of those any-time-of-day meals that has a home at the brunch table, the lunchbox, and the breakfast-for-dinner I love so well. It’s easy enough to make by yourself, and I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether to share or keep this frittata for solo meals only. No judgment.

Caprese Frittata
Adapted from Modern Jewish Cooking

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and diced
3 tomatoes, cored and chopped
8 eggs
Pinch of dried thyme (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons sliced basil leaves (slice leaves into thin ribbons)
4 ounces mozzarella, cut into small pieces

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (no plastic). Add the diced shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until just turning golden, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook an additional 3 minutes.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, thyme, salt, pepper, and basil. Pour this mixture over the tomatoes/shallots when ready, gently stirring to combine. Scatter the mozzarella on top.
3. Bake frittata for 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Run a knife around the edge of the frittata, then cut into slices and remove from the pan with a spatula.

Beyond Caprese: Basil and Lemon Chickpea Salad

While I’ve made it clear here that I love chickpeas, it was the basil in this dish that got me. The moment I started slicing the leaves, its fragrance danced in the air, tempting visions of tomatoes and mozzarella, basil’s best friends. But this time, the basil was branching out into a new crowd.

First, there’s the other green thing in the mix: leeks. Their season is, according to Serious Eats, from October to May, so now is a good time to use them before they take off for the summer (I’ve always associated leeks with winter, so that new information is a bit of a revelation for me). In non-leek season, I would use spinach, kale, chard, or another green. Some bell peppers, sautéed until crisp-tender, could get the job done.

Next there’s the artichoke hearts and lemon juice, two bold flavors working their individual magic without competing with each other. I halved the canned artichoke hearts, so they’re well-distributed throughout the salad. There’s just enough lemon juice to be interesting, the flavor just barely on this side of perceptible. You can add more, of course, but I like how in this salad lemon is used with a light hand. It keeps me interested in the next bite, satisfying in its own way.

Finally, there are the beloved chickpeas and grated parmesan. The amount of chickpeas relative to everything else is high; I used two cans the second time I made this (pro tip: more chickpeas will stretch your salad further, meaning more delicious leftovers for you). If you’re not that into chickpeas (I guess we can still be friends), use one can and add uncooked spinach leaves or other greens for a substantial salad. You could use other cheeses, too, but I like how the bits of parmesan weave their way through the salad, with a little cheese in every bite. That’s definitely something I can get behind.

But like I said, it was the basil that got me. The smell is transporting; it takes me somewhere else. Somewhere sunny. I have a new salad to love and make many times over, but come summer I’m sure I’ll have some basil meet up with mozzarella and tomato. Make new friends and keep the old, right?

Lemony Chickpea Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, rinsed well and diced
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
0.6 ounces fresh basil, leaves chopped, stems discarded
1 13.75-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced leek and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened.
2. While the leeks cook, combine the chickpeas, basil, artichokes, and parmesan in a large bowl. When the leeks are done, add them in too. Stir in lemon juice.

Inspiration from the Food Court: Baked Falafel

When I think of falafel, I think of the food court at the Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle. There, on shopping trips with my friend Laura, we would stop for lunch (she would get Indian, I always opted for the gyro place). We haven’t been to the food court in a while (though we still go shopping), but the memory is still there, of watching the man behind the counter fresh-fry falafel and serve them in a gyro with tzatziki.

Inevitably, the question arose: What about making falafel at home? I knew I’d rather bake the falafel, in the interest of health and minimal kitchen messes. So I turned to a recipe from one of my college notebooks and got to it. Things were off to a good start when I saw that the falafel contain many of my favorite ingredients, like chickpeas, bulger, cilantro, and cumin. When I’m using such delicious, basic foods, it’s hard to imagine that much could go wrong.

Then it came time to mash the ingredients into a mixture I could shape into patties. The recipe said to “mash until well blended” after combining the chickpeas, cilantro, green onions, and other seasonings. This proved difficult, especially as the chickpeas don’t take well to being mashed and instead break apart or slide out from under the masher. I made it through that frustrating bit, but the second time around I put the whole mixture in the food processor to save myself the trouble. Can we stop for a moment and acknowledge the greatness of the food processor?

So I wasn’t going to mash my chickpeas by hand, but I think the resulting texture after a whirl in the food processor strikes that perfect balance between smooth and chunky, a puree with bits of chickpea still visible. This translated well to the final product, thick patties with a crunchy exterior and soft, slightly crumbly interior. The bread I bought said it was pita but was actually flatbread without a pocket, so I wrapped the bread around the patties with tahini spread on top (incidentally the tahini assisted in keeping the bread in place when wrapped around the patties).

I suggest experimenting with different sauces for the falafel patties. Tahini by itself was a little too bland, and next time I’m going to stir in some lemon juice for extra flavor. You could spread hummus on top, and enjoy chickpeas on top of more chickpeas. I won’t dissuade you.

Baked Falafel
Adapted from Cooking Light

¼ cup uncooked bulgur
2 15-ounce cans cooked chickpeas
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup finely diced green onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil for greasing the baking sheet
Pita breads or flatbreads
Potential garnishes: Tahini, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, hummus, hot sauce

1. In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup water to boil. Add bulgur, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit off the heat until all of the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the chickpeas, cilantro, green onions, flour, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Blend in batches in a food processor until you have a smooth mixture with bits of chickpea pieces throughout. Place blended chickpea mixture in a large bowl and stir in the cooked bulgur.
3. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Scoop ¼ cup of the mixture out of the bowl. Shape it into a ball and flatten the ball slightly to form a patty. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chickpea mixture, placing the patties about 1/2 inch apart.
4. Bake falafel patties for 12 minutes. Flip each patty and bake for an additional 12 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
5. Place one patty in the pocket of a pita (or wrap a flatbread around it) and garnish with the accompaniments of your choice.

Dinner Discovery: Arancini with Pesto and Mozzarella

I’d never heard of arancini until I found this recipe back in college, probably from a vegetarian cooking magazine. That’s one of the best things about consistently trying new dishes: I learn about all sorts of foods that, while commonplace for some, are unknown to me until I find them in a book or on a blog. Yes, I feel slightly left out when I realize that many other people have enjoyed this deliciousness all along, so let’s make up for lost time, shall we?

While I think you could serve these as an appetizer, it’s possible to make them into a main dish, with the addition of tomato sauce. This makes the arancini into a kind of vegetarian meatball, although serving this with pasta would be a tad too much starch for my taste. But a generous pour of tomato sauce is all these arancini need; their appeal is really what’s on the inside: rice combined with pesto, green onions, and grated mozzarella.

I added mozzarella during my second attempt at making these. The first time, I just sprinkled a little grated parmesan on top of each arancini. I’m never one to say that a sprinkling of parmesan doesn’t do any good, but the arancini needed a little more than a sprinkle of cheese. Thomas suggested adding mozzarella in the rice mixture. Just the thought of slicing into an arancini and seeing gooey strands of mozzarella was more than enough motivation to follow through.

Traditionally, arancini are fried, but I opted for baking them for reasons of health and less mess. The baked arancini are still satisfyingly crunchy and chewy on the outside, encasing a delicious sphere of rice, cheese, and pesto. I made mine fairly large, larger than I would for a meatball, and found that three or four arancini were enough for a meal. If you choose to make a bunch of mini arancini, remember to reduce the baking time (Side note: I love the idea of mini arancini. I’m definitely not above making cute foods).

One of the best parts about these arancini—besides the strands of melty cheese and the crunchy exterior—is that they make great leftovers.  I’m sure they last beyond the next day, but I haven’t tested that theory.

Arancini with Pesto and Mozzarella

1 cup brown rice
Olive oil, for greasing the baking sheet
2 eggs
1/3 cup prepared pesto
1 ¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 bunch green onions, diced
8 ounces mozzarella, grated
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce

1. Bring 3 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and lower heat to medium. Let simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and pesto. Stir this mixture into the cooked rice, followed by ½ cup breadcrumbs, the green onions, and the grated cheese.
3. Pour the remaining ¾ cup breadcrumbs in a bowl. Take a large spoonful of the rice mixture and roll it in a ball. Roll the ball in breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the rice mixture is used up.
4. Bake arancini 30 minutes or until browned. When there’s about 10 minutes left on the baking time, pour the pasta sauce into a saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat. Serve arancini with warmed pasta sauce poured on top.

Revising the Recipe: Swiss Chard, Black Bean, and Feta Tostadas

Lately, in search of food inspiration, I’ve turned to my college recipe notebooks, and as you can imagine, it’s not only produced some good meals, but also brought back a lot of memories. There are the cookies I made late one night after hours of writing papers. There are the calzones Thomas and I made, just one year into our relationship, before we saw the new Indiana Jones movie (the movie was terrible, but we’re still making the calzones, nearly eight years later).

But there are also meals I don’t recall making at all. I know I did, because only recipes I tried made it into my notebooks. These tostadas are one of those meals that draws a blank: when, where, and most importantly, did I like them? I wrote down every recipe I made, and except for a select truly awful few, I didn’t make any notes (or warnings) for my future self. So  all I knew about these tostadas was that they weren’t so horrible that they deserved a negative note. Well, it’s something!

I adopted a method from my other, more recent tostadas recipe, and broiled the corn tortillas before flipping them over, putting on the toppings, and broiling for a minute more. I streamlined the steps to increase efficiency, something I’m always looking out for on weeknights especially (my college self cooked large meals on the weekends, froze them, and chipped off portions to take to campus during the week. Cooking something nearly every night didn’t come until post-graduation). I ended up with an even better recipe than the original, as if my older self had stepped in as editor and recipe tester.

The combination of chard and feta, the bitter greens and sharp cheese, makes me savor every bite. It’s not something I think most people would immediately think of as a tostada topping, but it works. Although it doesn’t shrink as much as spinach when added to a hot pan, chard does cook down, so don’t remove any or scale it back, even if it looks like it will overflow from the skillet. Just keep stirring, and it will wilt down. You could use spinach instead, but you’ll need to increase the amount, and you could use the same amount of kale. Use beet greens if you have them. Just use the greens you like.

Looking through those notebooks, that time feels like another life—or at least, another, very different stage of life. At 28, I’m already turning to Thomas and saying “Remember when?” although, predictably, those questions usually involve food (“Remember our chili nights? Remember that awesome pizza we made?”) and it’s likely that as the years go by, that’s something that won’t change.

Swiss Chard, Black Bean, and Feta Tostadas

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs discarded, leaves torn into smaller pieces
8 corn tortillas
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1. Heat oven broiler. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the paprika and cumin. Add the black beans, and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the chard, adding in batches if it won’t initially all fit in your skillet. As it wilts, add more of the chard until it’s all in the pan. When the chard is all wilted, reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
3. Arrange 4 tortillas each on 2 baking sheets. Spread a little of the remaining olive oil on each tortilla. When the broiler is ready, put one of the baking sheets in the oven and broil the tortillas for 2 minutes. Repeat with second sheet of tortillas.
4. Turn the tortillas over and top each one with the chard mixture, followed by a sprinkling of feta. Broil one sheet of tortillas at a time for 1 minute each (2 minutes for extra-crisp edges).

A Squash Sendoff: Tomatoes, Squash, and Mozzarella with Naan

Winter has a way of wrapping me up in cold and rain, and filling my mind with thoughts of heavy coats and hearty foods. Just when it seems like it will not end, I notice things: the robins are out more and singing louder; there are little plants pushing up out of the soil, and tiny flowers on the ends of trees. Suddenly the chill in the air is less bracing. Everything is starting to awaken, shaking off the sleepiness of wintertime slumber.

My cooking starts to change, too, or at least I start to think freshly. Suddenly, rhubarb and asparagus are on my mind; strawberries seem possible soon when just a month ago they seemed impossibly far away. I plan and make little notes to follow up on these ideas when their season officially arrives. Getting closer to springtime opens my eyes wider—there’s more on the horizon than potatoes. And squash. I do love squash. I love all those winter vegetables and greens; this post isn’t about hating on kale.

Instead, as I turn my focus to spring, I feel that this recipe is the best way to end another season of winter cooking. First and foremost, this is a delicious and quick dinner, consisting mainly of canned tomatoes, cubed and cooked squash, and grated mozzarella. The acidic sharpness of the tomatoes is soothed by the gentle sweet earthiness of the acorn squash. Plus, mozzarella and tomatoes go together fantastically, and this is a way to enjoy them together outside of the usual caprese salad setup.

Second, this dish was highly improvisatory, which seems fitting for the way I cook most of the time—trying a little bit of this, changing that, reveling in discovery and crafting something perfectly suited to my taste. This recipe was supposed to be pita pizzas (make the squash/tomato topping, put it on pitas, sprinkle with cheese). But a casserole-like baked dish with bread on the side for dipping seemed easier, more practical, and less messy. The store was out of pita bread, so we ended up with thick pieces of naan, and better off for it; they absorb the tomatoes much better than thin pitas.

Now we get to take a break from winter vegetables, though I know that when summer turns to fall my mind will go to new recipes for squash, potatoes, and kale; that’s the beauty of the seasons and cooking along with them as much as possible. But until then, trust that I’ll be dreaming of strawberries.

Tomatoes, Squash, and Mozzarella with Naan

1 acorn squash, seeds removed, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra for the baking sheet
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
8 ounces mozzarella, grated
Naan breads, for serving

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. In a large bowl, toss together the cubed squash, chopped sage, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes or until the squash is tender and lightly browned. (There is no need to stir the squash while it bakes.)
2. While the squash bakes, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oregano and garlic, and let cook 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid, and bring to a boil. After boiling for 30 seconds, reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often so the tomatoes don’t stick to the skillet. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar and baked squash.
3. Turn on the oven broiler and let it heat up. When ready, sprinkle the top of the tomato/squash mixture with the grated mozzarella. Broil for up to 2 minutes (the cheese should be melted and lightly browned on top), checking every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn’t burn. Serve with naan.

Out of the Recipe Rut: Chickpeas and Tomatoes with Spinach and Fried Eggs

One of my favorite things to eat is shakshuka, a Middle-Eastern dish with chickpeas, tomatoes, eggs, and feta cheese. Naturally, I’ll look for other ways to eat a similar combination of ingredients—especially chickpeas and eggs—so I’m not just making shakshuka every single week (but if you are, I want to hang out).

Initially, though, I wasn’t looking for an alternative shakshuka. I was just looking for something to eat. Every so often I hit an inspiration rut, when the recipes in my books, magazines, and on my computer don’t interest me. This might surprise you, given the number of recipes online, but it happens. Of course I manage to guide myself out of the rut. This time, I was looking through an issue of Bon Appetit and came across a chickpea, spinach, and tomato dish with fried eggs. Perfect. I could feel myself stepping out of the rut.

I thought it was a salad, but a closer look at the ingredients and instructions revealed it was actually a stew. I started to slide back into the rut. I didn’t want a stew, my only reason being that I just wasn’t in the mood for something soupy (in winter, I’m well aware that’s strange). But I quickly realized I could simply eliminate the chicken broth from the recipe; the liquid from the diced tomatoes would be enough. Goodbye, rut! (For now.)

I was even happier when I saw that this meal would be similar to shakshuka, minus cheese but with garlicky spinach added. That probably sounds like an unsatisfying trade-off, but I enjoyed this lighter version as a balance to a more indulgent one. The garlic in this dish adds vibrancy and makes it supremely addictive. The eggs, fried in a pan instead of poached in the tomatoes and chickpeas, were lightly browned with crisp edges, encasing a runny yolk—just the way I like them. When I make shakshuka I cook it until the eggs are almost set so there isn’t a slimy-textured egg yolk running through the tomatoes and chickpeas, but here I could have it all.

I wondered what to call this recipe: Alt shakshuka? That delicious dinner with eggs on top (oh wait, that describes a lot of the things I make)? In the end, I decided to just call it what it is: Chickpeas and tomatoes with spinach and fried eggs. It may be a mouthful, but this is a delicious one indeed.

Chickpeas and Tomatoes with Spinach and Fried Eggs
Adapted from Bon Appetit

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers (set aside 1 garlic clove, sliced; you can combine the remaining sliced cloves)
5 ounces fresh spinach
1 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain liquid)
4 eggs

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add 1 sliced garlic clove and cook for 30 seconds, or until it is just turning golden brown. Stir in the spinach and sauté for 1 minute or until it is just starting to wilt. Transfer spinach-garlic mixture to a small bowl.
2. In the same skillet you cooked the garlic and spinach in, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When heated, add the diced onion and 3 remaining sliced garlic cloves. Let cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally; the onion should be softened. Add the cumin and paprika. Stir in the chickpeas and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While the chickpeas and tomatoes simmer, prepare the eggs. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Crack 2 eggs into the pan. Cook until both eggs are lightly browned on the bottom, then flip the eggs and cook the other side until lightly browned (ideally, the yolk will still be a little runny on the inside). Repeat with remaining 2 eggs (no need to add more olive oil).
4. Remove the skillet with the chickpeas and tomatoes from heat and stir in the spinach-garlic mixture. Top each serving with a fried egg.