Latest news with #NargisseBenkabbou
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
The Fast and the Filling
For the last couple of weeks, I've been averaging a dinner time of around 9:58 p.m. It's not that I prefer to eat late. I'd love nothing more than to sit down to a meal at 6 p.m. on the dot, to not immediately go to bed with a stuffed stomach. But after a day in an office, a stint at the gym, a shower and a 45-minute commute, I'm lucky if I even make it home in time for 'Love Island USA.' At this rate, I'll rarely consider something that takes more than 30 minutes to get from the kitchen to the couch. But on the next day I squeak home before, say, 8:30, I'm making Kristina Felix's crispy potato quesadillas, coming in at, OK, 35 minutes. A hearty filling of shredded cheese and smashed potato and peas, along with a zippy slaw topping of seasoned cabbage, carrots, red onion and jalapeño, mean I won't need to eat two quesadillas to feel something. View this recipe. They're baked rather than heated in a skillet, so I can at least start the latest 'Love Island' episode and not worry about supervising my tortillas. 'They may puff up, which is great,' Kristina writes. Who doesn't love a puffy quesadilla? A very quick pasta is also on the table (or rather, in my lap). Nargisse Benkabbou's newish creamy tomato spaghetti with preserved lemon is already racking up five-star reviews, and for good reason: It requires fewer than 10 ingredients, consists almost entirely of pantry staples and takes a cool 25 minutes to make. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
12 Delightfully Chewy, Salty Halloumi Recipes for Cheese Lovers
Whether you cook it until melty or leave it gorgeously firm, it's always delicious. Nargisse Benkabbou's crispy halloumi with cherry tomatoes and white beans. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim. Published July 7, 2025 Updated July 7, 2025 There's a reason halloumi is the secret star of any dish it's in. Unlike other cheeses, this sheep-and-goat's milk cheese is a bit of chameleon. It's salty and easily grated like Parmesan. It can be sharp and crumbly, like feta, but when grilled or seared, its insides turn pliable and chewy, with a cheesy curdlike squeak. Here are 12 recipes, including vegetarian weeknight mains and barbecue sides, that showcase halloumi's range. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. This recipe from Yossy Arefi uses small pieces of pan-fried halloumi as croutons for a chewy, salty bite that's more texturally satisfying than bread. Once tossed with orecchiette and juicy marinated tomatoes, they complete a dish that might forever change how you view pasta salads. Recipe: Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Hear us out: Broccoli, halloumi and grapes don't sound like they would go together. Pop them on the grill and finish with a shower of lime juice, though, and they transform. Southern broccoli salads inspired Ali Slagle to create this recipe, and she swapped the raisins for grapes, adding an exciting sweet-and-sour pop. Recipe: Grilled Broccoli and Halloumi Salad Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim. A quick read-through of the comments, or Reddit, will tell you that this is one of those rare recipes that racks up win after win: It's supremely easy, packed with plant-based protein and takes 30 minutes (or even less). Our suggestion is to listen to the commenters who recommend doubling up on everything — this dish is sure to go fast. Recipe: Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans Linda Xiao for The New York Times If you're craving chicken or pork katsu, consider this vegetarian recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon, which swaps in halloumi for the meat. Cornstarch in the flour and a dash of oil in the egg help the breadcrumbs adhere, giving the final product a wonderful crunch. Recipe: Breaded Halloumi With Cabbage Slaw Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. In this weeknight recipe, Yotam Ottolenghi ingeniously suggests grating the halloumi over your pasta, like traditional Parmesan but tangier. And, after you've liberally dolloped the simple arugula pesto the pasta, you'll want to spoon it onto everything. Recipe: Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. This hearty salad, from Lidey Heuck's 'Cooking in Real Life,' has quickly become a reader favorite, with more than 6,300 five-star ratings. It takes inspiration from classic Greek salad (also known as horiatiki) and Lebanese fattoush. The fried pita and halloumi add the perfect warm crunch to complement the fresh ingredients, and the result is a salad hearty enough to eat for a meal (or several). Recipe: Taverna Salad Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. This super-easy appetizer from Melissa Clark is just what it sounds like: roasted, garlicky mini peppers baked with halloumi inside, and served on crostini. Consider it the perfect finger food for any gathering if you're short on time. Recipe: Halloumi-Stuffed Sweet Peppers David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Good mangoes are one of life's greatest joys. So are recipes that make use of their juicy sweetness. Two other summer gems, corn and cucumbers, adorn this recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon. And, of course, lightly pan-fried halloumi adds balance and a savory bite. Recipe: Corn Salad With Mango and Halloumi Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Don't fear: You won't need to make your own phyllo pastry for Yotam Ottolenghi's version of this classic dessert. Halloumi is the perfect savory backdrop for the rose water syrup and sweet, spiced walnut filling in this baklava, staying soft if you serve the baklava warm. Recipe: Walnut, Cinnamon and Halloumi Baklava Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Andie McMahon. Halloumi steps in for mozzarella in this classic Italian American dish with a distinctly Yotam Ottolenghi twist. Cumin and allspice jazz up a can of diced tomatoes, and za'atar is used in both the panko crumb coating and the earthy oil drizzled on top, making this familiar comfort feel new. Recipe: Halloumi Chicken Parmesan With Za'atar Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Yewande Komolafe's skillet chicken is simple enough to make on a weekday, but the additions of toasted walnuts, shallots, oregano and torn, marinated halloumi make this dish dinner-party elegant. Recipe: Skillet Chicken With Couscous, Lemon and Halloumi Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. This Martha Rose Shulman recipe is extremely simple, and that's just where its charms begin: The halloumi is brushed with olive oil, and grilled alongside vegetables before receiving a shower of herbs and sumac, if you're feeling fancy. The ideal weekend-by-the-grill main. Recipe: Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Five Quick, Kid-Friendly Vegetarian Dinners
My 13-year-old daughter has been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian since she was about 3, which is when she asked me where the hamburger on her plate came from. (You don't think about how weird that conversation is until you have to have it.) I was born in the meat-and-potatoes Midwest and raised in the meat-and-three South. But I have happily supported her experimentation with vegetarianism, not only because I am a Very Cool Mom but also because it is hard to deny the research that points to a mostly vegetarian diet as better for us and the earth. That said, it can be difficult to make my teen see beyond salad, pasta and plain cheese, but I continue to try. And so, I present to you a handful of exciting vegetarian recipes that your kid (or your inner kid) just might love. Halloumi is a near-perfect food: You can grill it, roast it or pan-fry it, and it gets melty soft in the center while retaining its shape and wonderfully squidgy texture. In this recipe from Nargisse Benkabbou, it's used to top off a saucy jumble of cherry tomatoes and white beans that begs for good bread. View this recipe. My 10-year-old is a big fan of bibimbap, so I am eager to try this reader-favorite sheet-pan version from Eric Kim, with cucumber salad on the side. View this recipe. As a 20-something starving artist, I ate a lot of sad, unseasoned, steamed tempeh, but this recipe from Ali Slagle is decidedly delightful. The tempeh is first crumbled and crisped on the stovetop and then doused in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chile sauce. Serve it over rice with a green vegetable. View this recipe. I don't know who started this gnocchi-on-a-sheet-pan trend, but I am here for it. In this recipe, Ali Slagle pairs the potato dumplings with bell peppers, tomatoes and canned chipotles for a spicy-sweet sauce. (I'm going to add a can of drained chickpeas for extra protein.) View this recipe. One reader called this smart recipe from Alexa Weibel 'life changing.' For optimal crunch and flavor, she calls for grating blocks of tofu down to little nubbles, then seasoning and roasting until crisp. View this recipe. Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@ if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
New York Times
16-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
A Weeknight Spaghetti With Extra Oomph
When we moved in together 20 years ago, my husband brought with him boxes of books, crates of vinyl and a lone preserved lemon in a jar. Back then, preserved lemons were specialty items that were hard to find even in New York City. So he had made his own, and carefully ferried it from his bachelor fridge in Hell's Kitchen to our place in Brooklyn. I knew from the moment he unpacked it that he was definitely The One. These days you can find preserved lemons in large supermarkets and online. Nargisse Benkabbou puts the salty, fermented citrus to good use in her creamy tomato spaghetti. Seasoned with garlic and tomato paste and enriched with cream, it's a 25-minute crowd-pleaser with bright umami flavors. Could this dish be The One? There's only one way to find out. Featured Recipe View Recipe → Ginger chicken and rice soup with zucchini: The first zucchinis are hitting farmers' markets around the country. Early adopters can use them in Yossy Arefi's light and brothy soup, which is stained yellow by ground turmeric and infused with loads of fresh, zingy ginger. Yossy calls for brown rice, but white rice or even orzo will work just as well; just reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes. Fideo verde seco (garlic shrimp and cilantro noodles): In this Mexican comfort food classic, thin noodles are toasted in olive oil until golden and nutty, then simmered in a jalapeño, cilantro and spinach salsa until they soften, absorbing all those herby, fresh flavors. Paola Briseño-González adds garlicky shrimp, avocado and crumbled cotija cheese to her version, making for a satisfying meal in shades of pink and green. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Crispy Cheese, Yes Please
On the evenings when my dairy-avoidant husband is out and my teenager and I are on our own for dinner, we go big on cheese. Whether it's a Parmesan-proud Caesar salad, mozzarella-loaded garlic bread or some version of baked pasta, oozing with ricotta, we rejoice in the opportunity to trip the lactic fantastic. The latest entry in our cheesy repertoire is Nargisse Benkabbou's crispy halloumi with tomatoes and white beans. It's got everything we crave in a cheese-centric dinner — blistered cherry tomatoes, velvety white beans and melty, brown-speckled slabs of halloumi that stay a little chewy in the center, all of it drizzled with lemon, olive oil and a touch of honey. And since we can whip it up in just half an hour, there'll even be time for a 'Pride and Prejudice' rewatch, depending on the homework load. Featured Recipe View Recipe → Egg and cheese toasts with salsa: Although the stars of Rick Martínez's vibrant new cheese toast recipe are runny-centered eggs and bracing, chile-spiked salsa, there's enough gooey queso Chihuahua on the bolillo rolls to qualify this dish for mother-daughter cheese night. Onto the list it goes. Sheet-pan salmon and broccoli with sesame and ginger: Sporting a pretty, springtime palette of pinks and greens, Lidey Heuck's healthful sheet-pan supper features bright, pungent flavors from a glaze of fresh ginger, rice vinegar and soy sauce, with a gentle crunch from a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Avgolemono chicken soup with gnocchi: Most avgolemono soup recipes call for rice to help thicken the eggy, lemon-spiked chicken broth. But Carolina Gelen's speedy version of the Greek classic uses shelf-stable gnocchi and the torn-up meat from a rotisserie chicken to give it a heartier, stewlike texture. It stays beautifully silky, though, from egg yolks whisked into the broth. Coconut curry with potatoes and greens: Perfumed with lime and Thai curry paste, sweetened with coconut milk and swirled with leafy greens and soft cubes of potato, Hetty Lui McKinnon's light-bodied curry is the stuff of one-pot dreams. Serving it with rice noodles may be overindulgent, but that's precisely why it earns my highest endorsement. Made-in-the-pan chocolate cake: Cocoa powder gives this super easy cake a deep, bittersweet flavor, balanced with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top in lieu of icing. Cut it into squares and serve it straight from the pan. Utensils are optional, and they'd only slow you down anyway. To get these and all the other thousands of well-tested recipes at New York Times Cooking, you'll want to subscribe. If you're hit by a technical snafu, email the smart people at cookingcare@ for help. And I'm at hellomelissa@ if you want to say hi. That's all for now. See you on Wednesday.
