Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

Creamy French onion dip

Belinda

Think of this crowd-pleaser as the love child of French onion soup and French onion dip: an ooey-gooey, salty, tangy Gruyère-filled dip with jammy caramelized onions. Gruyère is classic for that French onion soup flavor, but any fairly firm cheese like cheddar or Gouda will work—you can even mix and match if you’d like.

Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine

Serves 6-8
3 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 sprig thyme, plus more for serving
1¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
8 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
1 lb. Gruyère, coarsely grated, divided (about 4 cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 baguette, sliced
2 pears, sliced
2 red endive, leaves separated

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 thyme sprig, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and jammy, 15–20 minutes.

Step 2
Meanwhile, stir cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a large bowl to combine well. No lumps!

Step 3
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprig from onions; discard. Transfer onions to cream cheese mixture. Add 3 cups Gruyère and season with pepper; stir to combine. Transfer dip to an 8″ cast-iron skillet or 2-qt. ovenproof baking dish and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula.

Step 4
Toss panko, remaining Gruyère, remaining 1½ tsp. oil, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt in a medium bowl to combine, then sprinkle over dip. Bake until heated through and top is lightly browned, 25–30 minutes.

Step 5
Heat broiler. Broil dip until bubbling and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

Step 6
Scatter more thyme over dip and serve with baguette, pears, and endive alongside for dipping.

Do ahead: Dip (without panko mixture) can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Top with panko mixture just before baking.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad

Antipasto Grain Salad

Belinda

Recipe from food blog, The Kitchn

SERVES 12 and leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

1lb farro (about 2 1/2 cups)
12 cups water or broth to give the farro more flavor
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz Castelvetrano olives (1 1/2 cups), or 10 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives
4 oz peppadew peppers (1 cup); use multi-colored if you can find them
8 large pickled pepperoncinis
12 oz multi-colored cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
12 oz bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), drained (2 cups)
1 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cook the farro (yields 6 to 7 cups cooked farro): Place 2 1/2 cups farro in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under cool running water, and set aside to drain. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 6-quart or larger pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the farro and toast, stirring often, until golden and nutty-smelling, about 4 minutes. Pour in 12 cups water or a broth and 1 tablespoon kosher salt and stir to combine.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered until the the farro is tender but has a slight chew in the center, 10 to 15 minutes for pearled and 25 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled. (This is a good time to make the dressing.) Drain and spread onto a large baking sheet to cool.

Make the dressing: Mince 2 garlic cloves and place in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds black pepper, and whisk to combine. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and continue whisking until emulsified.

Make the salad: Prepare the following ingredients, adding each one to the bowl of vinaigrette as you complete it: Using the side of a chef’s knife, crush 8 ounces Castelvetrano olives to release the pits; discard pits. Tear the pitted olives into large pieces (if you bought pitted olives, simply tear them into the bowl). Coarsely chop 1 cup peppadew peppers. De-stem and thinly slice 8 pepperoncinis. Halve 12 ounces cherry tomatoes. Tear 12 oz drained bocconcini in half. Toss to coat all the ingredients in the dressing. Add the cooled farro and toss again. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Chop basil leaves until you have 1 loosely-packed cup. Chop parsley leaves until you get 1/2 loosely-packed cup.
Just before serving, stir the herbs into the salad.

Salad

No-Brainer Corn Salad

Belinda

Consider this delicious salad a road map where you get to choose your own adventure. To play off the sweetness of the corn, you’ll want a splash of acid, like citrus juice or vinegar (rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar all work here); a hit of heat from a serrano pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or black pepper; and salty bite from feta cheese, Cotija, or Parmesan. Plus, soft herbs like cilantro, mint, or fresh basil.

Toasted nuts add extra texture, so start by roasting some to bring out their flavor. Once they’re in the oven, prepare your grill. You want to leave the husks on when grilling the corn so the kernels retain moisture but still take on some char. To avoid burning your fingers, let the ears cool slightly before slicing off the sweet corn kernels. (Reserve the shucked corncobs to make a summery broth).
There’s no need to refrigerate this grilled corn salad; it’s best at room temperature or still warm.

Serves 6–8
½ cup nuts (such as peanuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios)
6 ears of corn, in husk
1 serrano chili, thinly sliced, or 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper or mild red pepper flakes
1 cup herb leaves (such as cilantro, basil, or mint), torn if large
⅓ cup fresh citrus juice or vinegar
3 oz. cheese (such as Cotija, Parmesan, or feta)
⅓ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
Kosher salt

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 6–10 minutes, depending on the nut you choose. Let cool; coarsely chop.

Step 2
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until husks are charred in most spots, 16–20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let sit until cool enough to handle. Shuck corn and remove kernels (you should have about 6 cups).

Step 3
Toss nuts, corn, chili or pepper, herb, citrus juice or vinegar, and cheese in a large bowl to combine. Drizzle oil over and season with salt; toss again.

Appetizers · Fish

Shrimp With Feta and Tomatoes

Belinda


Recipe by Malabar Hornblower

This recipe is a riff on the Greek classic shrimp saganaki, adapted from Do-Ahead Dining by Malabar Hornblower. It features shrimp folded into a fresh tomato sauce brightened with white wine, then topped with feta and broiled for a bold finish. The unexpected additions of Dijon mustard, sugar, and lemon juice highlight the sweetness of the tomatoes—no matter how imperfect your market haul may be.
Hornblower’s 1986 cookbook was ahead of its time in featuring dishes that could come together in just minutes of active kitchen time.

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
2 lb. fresh plum tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped basil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
3-4 oz. feta, crumbled
Toasted country-style bread (for serving)

Step 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry, in a single layer; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until shrimp are bright pink and nearly cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate.

Step 2
Reduce heat to medium and melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in same skillet. Cook 1 medium onion, finely chopped, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add 2 lb. plum tomatoes, chopped, ¼ cup finely chopped basil, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp. sugar; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are beginning to fall apart and juices have thickened, 12–15 minutes.

Step 3
Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Return shrimp along with any accumulated juices to skillet; stir in ¼ cup finely chopped parsley. Remove from heat and scatter 2 oz. feta, crumbled, over.

Step 4
Heat broiler. Transfer skillet to oven; broil until cheese is browned in spots and shrimp is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Step 5
Divide among shallow bowls; top with more parsley. Serve with toasted country-style bread.

Appetizers · Fish

Gorgeous Green Shrimp

Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine

Takes about 20 minutes

This is a blazing-fast one-pan dish that will have you sopping up the sauce long after the last juicy shrimp have gone.
Bright, herbaceous, and just spicy enough, the sauce comes together entirely in a blender and cooks in the residual heat from the pan, leaving its verdant color and bold flavors intact.
A drizzle of cooling yogurt moderates the spice levels, though you could temper the heat further by removing the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño. And if you only have Greek yogurt around, just thin it with a little water or milk.
I like using a toasted baguette for the sop job—the crustiness adds a nice crunch—but rice, couscous, or farro would be just as welcome.
Another personal preference: tail-on shrimp, because I love eating with my hands. If you’d rather a utensils-only dinner, pinch off the tails before adding the shrimp to the pan.

4 servings
1 baguette, sliced 1″ thick on a diagonal
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined
¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground pepper
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
8 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed if desired
4 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Preheat broiler. Arrange 1 baguette, sliced 1″ thick on a diagonal, in a single layer on a baking sheet; drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Broil bread until toasted and charred in spots, about 2 minutes.

Pat 1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, dry with paper towels; season lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.

Purée 1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups), 8 scallions, coarsely chopped, 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed if desired, 4 garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp. water in a blender until green sauce is very smooth.

Heat 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter and remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook reserved shrimp, undisturbed, until lightly browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and cook, tossing often, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour green sauce over; stir to combine.

Whisk ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt and a drizzle of water in a small bowl to loosen; season with salt.

Drizzle yogurt sauce over shrimp in pan. Season with more black pepper. Serve with toasts.

Breakfast

Çılbır: Turkish Poached Eggs

Belinda

A simple savory breakfast, Cilbir (Turkish Eggs), is made of perfectly poached eggs that are served over garlicky yogurt and finished with a spicy olive oil with Aleppo pepper flakes. Enjoy with rustic toast for a complete, flavorful breakfast or brunch.

Serves 2
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (made with whole milk, at room temperature)
1-2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Fresh dill and/or mint for sprinkling over the top

In a bowl, mix the yogurt, dill, garlic, black pepper and salt. Divide between two shallow serving bowls and set aside for now.
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Lower the heat and let the water simmer.
Meanwhile, crack an egg into a small fine mesh sieve over a small bowl. Gently swirl the eggs in the sieve to drain the liquidy part of the egg whites (this gives you a neater-looking poached egg). Transfer the egg to a ramekin.
When the water is ready, using a wooden spoon, stir the water to create a vortex. Quickly add the egg to the middle of vortex and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, using a slotted spoon, transfer the egg to a plate that’s been lined with parchment paper.
Prepare and cook the second egg exactly as you did the first.
While the second egg is cooking, quickly make the olive oil sauce. In a small skillet, warm the olive oil and Aleppo pepper over medium heat.
Immediately transfer the poached eggs to the prepared yogurt bowls (simply place each egg on top of the yogurt mixture) and drizzle with the heated oil and sprinkle herbs over.

Serve immediately with your favorite rustic bread

Dessert · Fruit

Peach, rosemary and lime galette

Belinda

A beautiful, easy recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

This makes good use of firm, not-so-ripe peaches. By macerating them in sugar and lime juice, you not only soften the fruit, but you also make a beautiful syrup to pour over the dish at the end. Rosemary, which I’ve used both in this dish and in the shrub, is a fantastic match for peach. It’s a combination I discovered only recently, and now I can’t get enough of it.

Serves 4 generously

2 limes – 1 peeled in 7 long strips, the other grated, to get 1 tsp, then both juiced, to get 1½ tbsp
80g caster sugar
2 large firm peaches, stoned and cut into 0.5cm-thick slices (300g net weight)
2 large sprigs rosemary, plus ½ tbsp picked leaves
150g creme fraiche
Plain flour, for dusting
200g all-butter puff pastry
10g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm pieces
1 large egg, beaten
¼ tsp cornstarch (cornflour)

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Mix the lime juice with 60g sugar in a large bowl, add the peaches, strips of lime skin and rosemary sprigs. Stir and set aside to macerate for at least 40 minutes, and up to a couple of hours. Strain the peaches through a sieve set over a small saucepan, and discard the rosemary and lime peel: you should end up with about 60ml peach syrup.

Mix the grated zest and a teaspoon of sugar into the creme fraiche and refrigerate until ready to serve.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry into a 26cm-wide circle just under 0.5cm thick, then transfer to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Arrange the strained peaches haphazardly in the middle of the pastry, leaving a clear 6cm border all around the edge, then fold this outer 6cm rim up and over the peaches. Dot the butter over the exposed peaches, then brush the pastry all over with beaten egg. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the pastry and bake for 20 minutes, until it’s golden and the filling is beginning to bubble.

While the galette is baking, whisk the cornflour into the reserved peach syrup. Simmer over a medium-high heat until it thickens to the consistency of honey (about two minutes), then pour over the peaches. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves on top and return the galette to the oven for 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling bubbling.

Leave to cool slightly, then serve with a bowl of the lime creme fraiche on the side.

Appetizer Vegetarian

Whipped honey ricotta with saffron tomato confit

Belinda

This whipped honey ricotta appetizer is topped with delicious saffron infused tomato confit. It’s best served with olive oil grilled bread for dipping and is a fun and flavorful way to use up all of your summer tomatoes. (or a great way to make winter tomatoes taste even better!)

Serves 4
For the Saffron Tomato Confit
1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
½ cup garlic cloves peeled
½ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pinch saffron threads
For the Whipped Honey Ricotta
1 15 oz container full fat ricotta
2-3 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finishing olive oil
1 lemon zested only

For The Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
Add cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, a hefty pinch of salt, pepper flakes and honey to a small baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes then remove from heat. Immediately add saffron threads and stir. Set aside.
For The Ricotta
While the tomatoes are cooking, whip together ricotta, honey, olive oil, one hefty pinch of salt and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Stir and set aside.
For the finished dish
Once the tomatoes are ready, add the honey whipped ricotta to a large serving bowl and evenly cover the bottom of the bowl.
Add the roasted tomato and garlic confit on top of the ricotta, gently drizzling the remaining olive oil on top.
Serve with olive oil toasted bread and enjoy!

Rice

Baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa

Belinda

“Cooking rice perfectly is one of those things that shouldn’t be complicated but can be surprisingly difficult, for some, to get right. Baking it in the oven, on the other hand, as I do here, is a completely foolproof method.
This is such a great side to all sorts of dishes: roasted root vegetables, slow-cooked lamb or pork. To get ahead, the salsa can be made a few hours in advance and kept in the fridge.

Another beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 6

400g basmati rice
50g unsalted butter, melted
800ml boiling water (I have used either chicken broth or vegetable broth for more flavor)
50g fresh mint (40g left on the sprigs; leaves shredded for the remaining 10g, to use in the salsa)
150g Greek feta, crumbled into 1–2cm pieces
salt and black pepper

Salsa:
40g pitted green olives, thinly sliced
seeds from 1 small pomegranate (90g)
50g walnut halves, lightly roasted and roughly broken
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 small garlic clove, crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 450F/230°C fan, or as high as your oven will go.

2. Place the rice in a high-sided ovenproof dish, measuring 8″ x 11″/ 20 x 30cm. Season with ¾ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, then pour over the butter and boiling water.
Top with the sprigs of mint and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil so that the rice is well sealed. Bake for 25 minutes, until the rice is light and fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed.

3. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the salsa, minus the 10g shredded mint, in a medium bowl with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside.

4. Take the rice out of the oven, and remove and discard the foil. Pull the leaves off the mint sprigs – the stalks can be discarded – then place these back on the rice and sprinkle with the feta. Just before serving, stir the shredded mint into the salsa and spoon evenly over the rice. Serve hot.