NYT Cooking: Crispy Halloumi with Tomatoes and Beans

 

See the recipe here. 

• Olive oil, as needed
• 1pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving  
• 1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1(8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (available at Trader Joe's)

1. Step 1

   Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.

2. Step 2

   In a large, ovenproof pan (I used a Le Creuset pot) over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley (which I left out), honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.

3. Step 3

4. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.

5. 

6. Step 4

   Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength. (Broiling is essential. Without it, the hallomi will just be brick-like.)

7. 

8. I served this on top of left-over white rice. Quick, sort-of-healthy May dinner.

9. 8/10

10. 
    

One-pot pasta with mushrooms and leeks

Another NYT recipe, another one-pot recipe

Time saver: I saw that Trader Joe's has now sells peeled garlic cloves, so I got those.

The lemon juice did what it was supposed to do (deglaze the pan, or rather Dutch oven), but it also added a sour note I could have done without.

4 cups of liquid was just enough to cook the pasta. 

Here's the finished dish, it looked pretty, and the ricotta made it creamy and less sour.

Alas, for once, this was a recipe that looked better than it tasted. Perhaps it was the broth I used, perhaps it was the lemon juice, but I'm not sure I tasted 'umami,' rather, it tasted a little sour (but the ricotta, once mixed with the pasta, balanced it out nicely). 

7/10