The Best Things Our Team Made in the Kitchen in March
We spend a lot of time in our kitchens, and our team even has a Slack channel dedicated to sharing the best recipes we've tried and loved. So it only felt right to put the top contenders from March together – hopefully at a bare minimum, they inspire you to try out something new this month.
Four Standouts From Ottolenghi Simple
I can take zero credit for the incredible spread G put together the last time my parents were in town, but I haven't stopped thinking about it, nearly a month later. Most of the recipes come from "Ottolenghi Simple," cookbook, including the cauliflower "tabbouleh", hot, charred cherry tomatoes with cold yogurt, roasted asparagus with almonds, capers, and dill as well as roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds, and couscous with a green goddess dressing. It's exactly the way I want to eat during the summer - lots of small plates of fresh food, bursting with flavor, but without feeling too heavy.
Sourdough Salmon Toast
The second "recipe" isn't even what you'd call a dish, but it is something I've been making on repeat for lunch since it's simple and delicious. It's my mom's take on salmon toast, which she insists "has to be on sourdough" bread to make the flavors sing. I toast the bread, add some whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill, cucumber and avocado and it's one of the best things to make when you only have a few minutes.
NYTimes' Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread
I've been in a very long-term, committed relationship with this banana bread recipe, but after I started my five-star New York Times recipe journey on Instagram, I decided to stray for this one (it has over 3,700 reviews!). The extra banana really does add to the flavor, and it felt just sweet enough to justify having a slice or two for breakfast...or an tasty afternoon snack. Justin enjoyed the darker, crisp edges, while I on the other hand, will never make a loaf of any kind without a sprinkling of turbinado sugar that added such a welcome touch of texture to the bites from the top.
NYTimes' Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad With Pear and Halloumi
I'm currently eating this salad as I type – I've made it (no exaggeration)...seven times in the past month. The saltiness of the halloumi paired with the sweetness of the pear and the punch of the lemon is phenomenal, and I love that it also allows me to get in a healthy dose of greens.
NYTimes' Dutch Baby
An oldie but goodies. I baked dozens of these Dutch Babies at the beginning of quarantine because I typically had all the ingredients and for breakfast, it was far less active than flipping pancakes. The process is super simple but the end product looks really impressive – if you're hosting anytime soon, I highly recommend it.
Gourmet Magazine's Baked Overnight French Toast via @alexandracooks
One of the perks of a sister who's a professional baker and a partner who travels for work is the baked goods hand-off that happens when they're in the same city. Justin left his last trip to New York with a brown butter brioche, which flew cross-country to be delivered to our kitchen. I made toasts, ate it plain, and used it for this custardy, rich, buttery French toast that I can't wait to make again.
Baker By Nature's The Best Cowboy Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are a kryptonite of mine, especially when I feel a craving coming on after dinner. I tried out this recipe for the first time since my husband loves pecans and I wanted something a little bit more substantial than a traditional chocolate chip cookie (aka something with nuts and oats). We both LOVED these cookies and ate the entire batch between the two of us. While making these cookies I was expecting half of them to go bad and get hard by the time we made our way through (the recipe yields 24 cookies the size of your hand!), but sure enough we were up for the task. Will be making them again!
Celebrating Sweets' Best Hot Cocoa
Best and easiest homemade hot cocoa recipe. I have been trying to mix up my usual hot coffee in the morning because ever since getting pregnant, it hasn’t sat the same with me. I have been loving hot chai tea, matcha, and now this homemade hot chocolate. Takes only minutes to whip up and uses ingredients that are always in the cupboard or fridge. If you are in need of a comfort drink, highly recommend giving this one a try!
Homemade on a Weeknight's Thai Lobster Bowl
Do you ever come home and crave something fresh and fancy like a poke bowl or sushi? I found this recipe for a lobster bowl and just had to try it! It was incredibly filling and the lobster came out perfectly for it being my first time cooking it. I also decided to go a little step further and add avocados, seaweed paper and drizzle some homemade spicy mayo on top; what can I say, I was definitely feeling a little extra! This was a smash hit and I would 100 percent make this again!
