Husbands That Cook

09
Feb
2016

peanut butter cookies with caramelized bananas

categories: Desserts

Peanut butter and banana is one of the best combinations. We both grew up enjoying it on sandwiches, and it’s still one of our go-to lunches when we go hiking. It is delicious on pancakes and waffles, and makes a healthy and indulgent smoothie. Recently, we even made an incredibly rich banana chocolate chip cake with peanut butter frosting for a friend’s birthday. We just can’t get enough! So when we were brainstorming simple dessert ideas for Valentine’s Day, we decided to take this classic combination and turn them into cookies! We took our favorite four-ingredient, one-bowl peanut butter cookie recipe, indented the middles like thumbprints, placed a thick slice of banana in each one, and sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar so they caramelize in the oven and come out glistening like sweet amber-colored jewels. These chewy, moist cookies are full of rich, creamy peanut butter flavor and the sweet glazed bananas are the perfect addition. You can whip up this easy-to-follow recipe in less than 30 minutes, leaving you a long romantic evening to spend with your Valentine.

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04
Feb
2016

blood orange caramels with cardamom and sea salt

categories: Desserts

Little did we know that starting this blog just eight months ago would completely change our lives in so many ways. Last year around this time, if someone were to predict that in 2016 we would be spending our days taking pictures of peanut butter banana smoothies and key lime pies, we would have thought they were completely crazy. But here we are, loving every second of this new adventure exploring the infinite nature of food from all around the world, discovering new recipes, cooking with exotic spices that we have never used before, and broadening our knowledge in the kitchen. We love the spontaneity of every day, like waking up to find out it’s National Chocolate Cake Day and changing our plans from making a vegetarian soup to a decadent cake topped with a rich caramel whiskey sauce, or being invited to participate in making fancy avocado toast or a chia pudding party! The constant variety keeps the process fun and exciting, and each day brings something different, like this momentous dessert we are thrilled to be sharing today! We had been dreaming about trying the mouthwatering apple cider caramels from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for our next post, but at four thirty in the morning, fate was kind enough to wake up Adam with the idea to replace the apple cider with blood oranges. He was considerate, and waited for the sun to rise before waking up Ryan with his early morning suggestion. With a well-rested mind, and building on Adam’s unexpected citrus concept, Ryan added some tasty suggestions and these extraordinary treats were born. Before we knew it, we were in the kitchen making something entirely different than originally planned. These rich and chewy seasonal caramels are soft, sweet and buttery, bursting with fresh blood orange flavor, and so addictively delicious that you might wake up at 4:30am thinking about them too.

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01
Feb
2016

vegetarian matzo ball soup

categories: Entrées, Sides

It was raining and windy this weekend in Los Angeles. The rugged San Gabriel mountains are visible in the distance, white and glowing with freshly-fallen snow. The birds are quiet, and the lizards that normally transform our yard into a mini-Jurrasic Park during the summertime are asleep for the winter. Heavy clouds may prevent the sun from shining, but there is a variety of beautiful flowers in bloom whose colors actually appear most vivid on these gloomy days. Deciduous trees scatter fallen leaves throughout the neighborhood while others like the citrus are producing an abundance of fruit that illuminate the landscape and decorate the last few chilly days of January with their vibrant colors and sunny flavors. This cold weather demands comforting things like hot cups of ginger tea, and after-dinner mugs of hot nutella spiked with frangelico. But there is absolutely nothing that says “warm and comforting” like a relaxing bowl of matzo ball soup, and today we are thrilled to be sharing a vegetarian version of this classic that boasts perfectly cooked matzo balls—light, fluffy and buttery—which are simmered in a flavorful broth with chopped carrots, celery, onions, minced garlic, and topped with aromatic sprigs of fresh dill. Brace yourself winter, matzo ball soup is coming.

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23
Jan
2016

spinach bites

categories: Sides

What is a typical Friday night for Husbands That Cook, you ask? Welcome to our comfy home and let us show you around! As we walk through the candlelit house together, you will hear the soothing sounds of Rachmaninoff playing softly in the background. Let us first take you through the kitchen where you will notice the countertops are filled with plates, bowls, food, and drinks. Please excuse the mess as we’ve been cooking the entire day. Would you care for a lemon-thyme drop? Over here, you will find freshly squeezed lemons, bottles of vodka and triple sec, and thyme simple syrup (leftover from our thyme gimlets), for a refreshing new drink we just invented tonight. And if you take a step over here, you will see all the ingredients for our festive burrito night: sautéed green peppers, onions, and mushrooms, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh salsa, diced avocado, spicy refried beans, Mexican rice, and Greek yogurt. And as we make our way down the long narrow kitchen, we come to the final section, where you find a glorious treat: freshly baked spinach bites, hot out of the oven, chock-full of spinach with savory melted pecorino cheese, minced green onions, and spices. Please try one! You’ll notice how delicious they are on their own, but feel free to dip them in the freshly squeezed lemon juice we have here, and notice how perfectly they complement each other. With just six simple ingredients plus a few spices, let us show you how fun and easy they are to make!

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20
Jan
2016

moutabal

categories: Sides

Mediterranean restaurants are a vegetarian’s best friend. From tangy cabbage salads and fresh tabbouleh, to stuffed grape leaves, deeply spiced falafels, and smooth hummus and muhammara, you will find far more meatless items on middle-eastern menus than in most restaurants, making them a popular choice for vegetarians and vegans. The cuisine is light and healthy, and since it is often served family-style with a selection of small dishes, you can order a variety of plates, and sample a little of everything. The recipe we are sharing today is fun to make, and involves roasting a whole eggplant on the stove, directly on the flame, until it is charred, blistered, and blackened, resulting in an irresistibly smoky flavor and creamy texture. Combined with fresh lemon juice, raw garlic, chopped parsley, creamy tahini, and a few pinches of cumin and cayenne pepper, this tangy, smoky, garlicky dip makes a deliciously healthy snack and is the perfect dish to serve with some warm pita at your next party. Let us introduce you to the Levantine delicacy known as Moutabal.

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