Category: Entrées

spaghetti aglio e olio

spaghetti aglio e olio

Sometimes the best recipes are also the most simple, like this rustic Italian dish that uses just eight basic ingredients that might be in your kitchen right now. We searched for years trying to get the flavor and texture right, so we were thrilled to find this delicious pasta that turned out to be better than some dishes from our favorite restaurants. In the past, our spaghetti aglio e olio (“garlic and oil” in Italian) would turn out bland and boring no matter what we did. But we learned some simple tricks that make these noodles some of the most flavorful we have ever tasted.

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burst tomato galette with corn and zucchini

burst tomato galette with corn and zucchini

We have made this burst tomato galette with corn and zucchini from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen site three times this month and have loved it every time. The first one was made using freshly-picked sungold tomatoes from our garden, and when this beautiful pastry emerged sizzling and fragrant from the oven and we tasted it, we knew it had to be featured on our blog as soon as possible. So we were happy to prepare it again, this time to take pictures. Well, the dish turned out perfectly, but a few of the photos weren’t quite up to our standards… so we made it again!

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fusilli with heirloom tomatoes

fusilli with heirloom tomatoes

This is one of our favorite summer recipes for several reasons. First of all, it’s delicious. Secondly, it is incredibly easy to make: everything for the sauce is simply combined in a blender without ever being cooked. And what really makes this dish special is that these fresh, seasonal ingredients are only available for a few weeks, making it a rare treat that we look forward to all year long!

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peanut-lime noodles with roasted broccoli

peanut-lime noodles with roasted broccoli

As the saying goes… if you don’t succeed, try, try again. Well, we did exactly that while searching for the best peanut-lime noodle dish. We tried so many recipes from different cookbooks and blogs online, but none met our expectations until finally discovering and perfecting this amazing South-Asain masterpiece. The sauce is so easy to prepare: it combines creamy peanut butter with brown sugar, fresh ginger, a clove of garlic, scallions, a generous splash of lime juice, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. This smooth and delicious sauce is then tossed with linguine and tender oven-roasted broccoli, making a simple, healthy, and flavorful dinner that you can make in about 30 minutes.

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moroccan carrot and chickpea tagine

tagine ready to serve

You don’t need a fancy tagine to make this easy and delicious Moroccan dish. Since it is vegetarian, it cooks quickly and any large covered pot in your kitchen will work! Tagines are the original slow-cookers, and these African clay pots are traditionally used to simmer stews for hours over hot coals, using the cone-shaped lid to enhance the flavors by trapping steam and returning the condensation back into the pot. If you do decide to buy one, they are widely available at kitchen stores and online. But either way you can still prepare this exotic delicacy, in which sliced carrots and tender chickpeas are simmered with onions, freshly chopped garlic, and blended with aromatic spices of turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon, creating a deliciously satisfying dish with the irresistible fragrances and distinctive tastes of Morocco.

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