Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Smitten Kitchen

As always with cookies, you can scoop, flash freeze and then freeze the cookies until you’re ready to bake them, or to bake a few off at a time. You can bake them straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to your baking time, of course, or let them thaw out on a tray for a while.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

3. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

5. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Shrimp with Butternut Squash in Coconut Sauce

ingredients

1 tablespoon light-tasting vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1 fresh hot pepper, finely sliced, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 two-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ cubes
1/2 pound small fresh green beans
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and tailed
12 fresh baby plum tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 fresh red bell pepper, cored and sliced into 1/2″ strips
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis, nam pla, etc), to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
(optional) 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
Salt, to taste

preparation

In a large wok or stock pot, saute onions and garlic in oil at medium-high heat until golden. Add ginger and fresh hot (or crushed red) pepper and saute for one more minute. Add squash and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Add beans, shrimp, tomatoes, red bell pepper, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer covered for an additional 10 minutes or until the squash is just (important!) fork tender and the shrimp cooked though. Add salt and/or additional fish sauce, to taste, and optional coriander if used. Serve with plain rice. Serves 6-8.
tips:

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Cauliflower Gratin with Manchego and Almond Sauce

Adapted from Food and Wine

¾ cup half-and-half
½ cup whole roasted almonds with skin, plus 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped almonds (3 oz)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp finely shredded Manchego or other mildly nutty semi-aged sheep’s- or cow’s-milk cheese (3½ oz), such as Gouda
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
One 2-lb head of cauliflower, cut into 1½-inch florets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp Pimentón de la Vera, dulce or picante
To roast the almonds, I like to place them on a sheet pan in a 350˚F oven for about 10 minutes. You can also shake them in a pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop, until aromatic. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them burn.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half until steaming, then transfer it to a food processor or blender. Add the ½ cup of whole almonds and process until finely ground. Let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the half-and-half through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the almonds to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the ground almonds.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour and whisk over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and the half-and-half and bring to a low simmer. Cook whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. If you skimp on this step, your gratin may come out slightly runny (though still flavorful). Remove from the heat. Add ¾ cup of the Manchego and whisk until melted. Whisk in the nutmeg (as Julia Child says, you don’t actually want to “taste” the nutmeg here… just the hint of something extra); season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

In a large skillet, bring inch of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower, cover and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander. Wipe out the skillet.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. I like to increase the heat here before adding the cauliflower, then I will let the cauliflower brown on one side without disturbing it for about one minute. Then I’ll turn and let the other side brown for about a minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to a 7-by-10-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and spread the Manchego sauce on top. The dish can be covered and refrigerated overnight at this point if you wish to make it ahead. Bring to room temperature the next day before baking.

Sprinkle the gratin with the remaining cheese, the 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds and the paprika and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and browned on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Chicken Breasts Roasted on Tomatoes and Eggplant with Oregano

4 servings

1 eggplant
3 Roma, or other ripe tomatoes
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper (coarse grind)
4 chicken breast fillets
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350* (F)

Line shallow rimmed baking pan with a silpat liner or parchment paper (for easy clean-up.)

Thickly slice eggplant (one slice for each chicken breast), place on lined baking pan, top with sliced tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper.

Arrange chicken breasts on top of each eggplant/tomato stack. (At this point I like to brush or spray lightly with olive oil.)

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle each evenly with the mozzarella and parmesan. Continue baking until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. This will depend upon thickness of the chicken breasts. The average size breasts I used required an additional 25 to 30 minutes baking time.
(Test with instant thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked through, and has reached an internal temperature of at least 165* (F) .)

Garnish with additional fresh oregano or parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Red Curry Fried Rice with Seared Pineapple

Serves 4 as a side dish

1.5 cups fresh pineapple, bite sized chunks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 - 4 tablespoons red curry paste (I like a lot, but suit youself)
4 cups cooked and cooled jasmine or basmati rice (day-old is great)
salt to taste
cilantro or green onion for garnish
lime wedges

Heat a large skillet or wok over a very high flame. Without any oil, sear the pineapple for a few minutes, until it gets at least some brown spots and the flavor intensifies. Remove from pan.

Add the oil, and a few seconds later the onion. Cook for 30 seconds. Have the rice ready to go. Add the curry paste, and fry for 10 seconds. Add the rice, and break up the chunks, stirring through the curry paste. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes. It tastes best if some of the rice is allowed to get brown and crispy.

Add back in the pineapple, stir through to reheat. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with cilantro or green onion, serve with lime wedges.

http://www.herbivoracious.com/2009/11/red-curry-fried-rice-with-seared-pineapple-recipe.html

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (Full Version)

Makes 26 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour (I used cake flour)
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.

Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

mushrooms stuffed with spinach and pancetta

what you need:

4 large field mushrooms
1 bag of spinach, forget the weight, sowwy as the princess would say!
100g pancetta cubes
1 garlic clove
30g dried or fresh breadcrumbs(fine without too)
50g grated parmesan cheese
4 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

what to do:
-pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees.
-wash and rinse your spinach and cook in a dry pan for 2-3 mins until wilted. Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible and finely chop.
-cut the stalks out of the mushrooms and finely chop.
-heat your oil and add your onions and garlic and cook over a low heat for about 10 mins until soft but not coloured.
-add your pancetta and mushroom stalks and cook for 5 minutes.
-add your spinach, breadcrumbs and 1/2 your parmesan to the pan, season and toss together.
-arrange your mushrooms rounded side down on a baking tray, season and divide your stuffing between the mushrooms. Top with parmesan cheese.
-cook for 15 mins until crisp and golden.

Moroccan Lamb Stew

From Oliver's Twist

Serves 4

ingredients
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3-4 small dried chillies
• a small bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 smallish neck fillets of lamb
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch dice
• 2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 12 ripe plum tomatoes, each cut into 8 pieces
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• a handful of dried apricots
• 285ml (½ pint) boiling water
• 350g/12oz couscous
• a little wine vinegar
• 1 large bunch of fresh coriander
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Pound up your cumin, coriander and fennel seeds with the dried chillies, rosemary, ginger and a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Smear half of this marinade over your lamb before you plait it. Rub and massage it in, then put the meat to one side while you mix the rest of the marinade in a bowl with the sweet potatoes, onions and garlic.

Brown your 4 marinaded pieces of meat on both sides in a pan with a little olive oil. Add the sweet potato mixture to the pan and remove the lamb to the empty bowl while you fry your veg for about 4 minutes until the onions are slightly soft. Add your tomatoes, give the pan a shake and place the meat on top. Add 3 wineglasses of water, the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and dried apricots, and braise in the preheated oven (I suggest you do this with the lid off to give it a little colour) for 1 hour 15 minutes. Now pour the boiling water over the couscous and allow it to be absorbed. Then fork the couscous through, season with salt, pepper, a lug of olive oil and a swig of wine vinegar, cover with tinfoil and place in the oven for 5 minutes to steam.

Roughly chop the fresh coriander and stir it through the stew just before serving. Divide between 4 plates with the couscous and spoon over a good dollop of natural yoghurt.

Mushroom soup

Ingredients:
8 whole large Portobello mushrooms
1 big onion finely chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups (around 1,5kg) chicken stock
300 ml double cream (or whipping cream)
3 whole eggs
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh parsley
salt and pepper
A few parsley leaves to garnish
3 whole button mushrooms
1tbsp butter

Method:
Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Saute the onions until soft and clear.
Chop the mushrooms (stalks included) and saute them together with the onions for another 10 minutes. Add the finely chopped parsley and thyme leaves.
Add the chicken stock and let the soup simmer until the mushrooms are really tender.
Transfer the soup in a bowl and cream it with an immersion blender, as I did, or in your food processor, to make it a really velvety cream. By the time you finish the soup will look more like mud than a proper tasty soup. But it will get better trust me!

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with the cream, and than beat in a spoon at a time of hot soup, until you used around 1 cup (250gr). Keep beating until the whole soup is mixed in ( no need to still do it a spoon at the time now). Now it should look better!

Taste it and add some salt and pepper if you think it’s necessary (the taste will vary depending on how seasoned your stock was).

To garnish: finely slice the button mushrooms and fry them in butter until golden brown. Put the soup in a bowl, add the little mushroom golden slices on top, and sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley.

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Pecans and Raisins

Adapted from Food & Wine

2 tbsp raisins
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (4 cups)
1 tsp cane sugar
1 large can diced tomatoes with their juices
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, cover the raisins with water. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil. Add the cauliflower and cane sugar and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cauliflower starts to soften, about 10 minutes.

Raise the heat to moderate and cook until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper, season with salt and black pepper and cook another 5 minutes.

Add the raisins, the pecans and the chopped garlic to the cauliflower. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve the cauliflower warm.

Serves 6.

Butternut Squash with Black Beans and Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 Cups Butternut Squash/Pumpkin peeled and cubed
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger, peeled and very finely sliced
1.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Or any cooking oil)
2 Hot Green Peppers
1.5 Cups Cooked Black Beans, drained (I had soaked the beans overnight and cooked in the pressure cooker; canned beans will work too)
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder/Cayenne (Optional)
Salt
Crushed Red Pepper
Fresh Lemon
3 Tablespoons Lightly Toasted Walnuts
Fresh Cilantro for Garnish

Preparation:

Heat oil, cumin and hot pepper in a thick bottomed pan or skillet; when the seeds sizzle, add the ginger, butternut squash/pumpkin cubes. Increase the heat to high and cook the squash/pumpkins tossing them frequently till they are light brown on the sides.

Now add the beans, salt, red chili powder and 1/4 cup of water to the pan with the squash/pumpkin and cover and cook till the squash/pumpkin cubes are fork tender but firm.

Uncover and check to see if done. If there are any remaining water, increase the heat and let the water dry off. This is a dry dish. If done, add the crushed the red pepper and walnuts; toss to combine well.

Finish it off with some fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped cilantro/coriander.

Serve warm as a side.

Macaroni and Cheese with Mushrooms

Makes 8 servings

Béchamel

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup minced onion
1 dried red chile (preferably Japanese), whole
1 small bay leaf
Kosher salt
2 cups whole milk

Macaroni

¾ pound penne
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ ounce dried morels
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped onion or shallot
Kosher salt
2 fat garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed, and minced
6 ounces fresh wild mushrooms, such as hedgehogs, maitake, or oyster mushrooms, washed and quartered or cut into thick slices
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (¾ cup, tightly packed)
1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1⁄3 cup, tightly packed)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
¼ cup fresh or dried bread crumbs

Shopping list:

Gruyère, Parmesan, mozzarella, and penne pasta: Ralphs.

Fresh wild mushrooms (hedgehog, maitake, or oyster): Han Kook Market, 124 N. Western Ave., Koreatown, 323-469-8934.

Dried morels: Surfas, 8777 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310-559-4770.

Directions

1. Place the porcini in a bowl and pour in 1 cup hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Drain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract the soaking liquid, then rinse well in several changes of water, swishing them around in the water until you no longer see any sand. Squeeze dry, chop coarsely, and set aside. Measure out ¾ cup of the soaking liquid.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the roux is just barely golden and has a popcorn aroma, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, chile, and bay leaf and continue to cook, stirring until the onion softens slightly and the raw onion smell is gone. Add ¼teaspoon salt. The popcorn smell will dissipate and the roux will thicken, then loosen up.

3. Change from the wooden spoon to a whisk and whisk in the milk and the mushroom-soaking liquid all at once. Bring slowly to a simmer, whisking constantly.

4. Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring very often with a wooden spoon or a heat-proof rubber spatula so that nothing sticks to the sides and bottom of the pot. If the flour sticks and scorches, the béchamel will be ruined and you’ll have to begin again. It helps to cook the béchamel in a wide pan you can tip to see the bottom to make sure the sauce is not sticking. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until there is no raw flour taste and the sauce is quite thick.

5. Remove from the heat and press through a sieve immediately, while hot. You can store the béchamel for a few days in the refrigerator. Place a piece of plastic directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. When you reheat it, whisk vigorously.

6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous tablespoon of salt and the penne. Cook for a minute less than usual. It should be cooked through but a little more al dente or chewy than you’d like it if you were serving it right away. Drain and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.

7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter a two-quart gratin or baking dish. Place the dried morels in a bowl and pour in 1½ cups hot water. Allow to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Agitate the mushrooms in the soaking water to release more sand, then lift them from the water and let the water sit for a few minutes. Strain into a bowl through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Rinse the mushrooms, swishing them around in several changes of water to release more sand. Slice lengthwise and set aside with the reconstituted porcini.

8. Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a wide, heavy saucepan and add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook gently until tender, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and stir in the reconstituted morels and porcini. Cook, stirring for a minute or two, until the liquid cooks out. Add the fresh mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have cooked down somewhat, about 5 minutes. Add the strained soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms and stir together. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has reduced by about three-quarters, to a thick gravy coating the mushrooms and the bottom of the pan. Rub the thyme between the palms of your hands to release its aroma and stir into the mushrooms along with 1 tablespoon of parsley; add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the béchamel and remove from the heat.

9. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked penne, the béchamel and mushrooms, the Gruyère, all but 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, and the mozzarella. Spoon into the buttered baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs, the remaining Parmesan, and the remaining tablespoon of parsley and sprinkle over the top in an even layer. Dot with the remaining butter.

10. Cover the macaroni with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover, turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the tophas browned. Remove from the heat and, once the macaroni has stopped bubbling, serve.

Pan-roasted Chicken in Orange Dijon Marinade

Chicken thighs, bone in (or chicken breasts)

Paul Prudhomme Poultry Seasoning
Paprika
Kosher salt and pepper

1 medium onion sliced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2/3 cups olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbs. dijon mustard
2 tbs. agave nectar (or honey)
1 tbs. guajillo puree (or you can use red pepper flakes to your liking)
1 bay leaf

Generously season chicken on both sides with kosher salt and pepper, paprika, and Prudhomme's seasoning or other seasonings that you like. Put in Ziploc bag and let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge.

In the meantime, make marinade. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Add marinade to chicken and marinate overnight or for a few hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove from marinade, pat dry. In a hot skillet over medium heat, sear chicken 5 minutes skin side, 3 minutes on other side until it's nicely browned.

If your skillet is oven proof, put directly in oven. If not, put browned chicken on a cookie sheet or roasting pan in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through (175 degrees internal temperature.)

Enjoy.

Swiss Onion Soup Recipe

Adapted from Mangrove Grill Restaurant

serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, sliced
12 ounces pale ale beer
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon table salt)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4-6 pieces day old bread, toasted
1 1/2 cups grated gruyere swiss cheese, or other cheese (or 4-6 slices)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Cook the onions 7-10 minutes, until golden brown. Check the onions often to make sure they do not burn. Pour in the pale ale, use a wooden spoon to scrape up the delicious brown bits at the bottom of the pan and let simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, paprika, celery seeds and salt. Bring the soup to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Turn off the heat and swirl in the cream. Ladle the soup into 4-6 individual soup bowls.

3. Turn the broiler to high and with the rack 8-inches below the heating element, toast the bread slices.

4. Place a piece of toasted bread in each soup bowl and then top with some of the grated cheese. Place all of the bowls on a baking sheet and carefully transfer it to the broiler. Watch the soup carefully! It should only take about 3 minutes for the cheese to melt and bubble. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Garlic Butter Noodles Recipe

7 oz dry egg noodles or spaghetti noodles
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh mint or basil, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons Maggi Sauce or soy sauce (we duplicated the amount to 3 teaspoons cause we’re Maggi sauce addicts)
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1. In Large pot, bring water to boil and cook noodles according to the package instructions. Drain noodles and wipe pot clean. Return pot (or separate pan) to medium-high heat and add the butter. Once butter sizzles, add garlic. Fry for about 1 minutes or until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn.

2. Add brown sugar, Maggi Sauce and oyster sauce and stir well. Add noodles and toss evenly with the sauce.

3. Remove from pan and plate in large bowl and toss with fresh mint.

Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado

Serves four

3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipotle plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice
Put one-third of the beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 min. Add the beef, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften, about 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the beef to the pot and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and remaining cilantro.

serving suggestions

Coarsely crumble about 3 handfuls of tortilla chips in a zip-top bag, and use them as an additional chili topping.

Salmon Chowder

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 8-oz bottle clam juice
32 oz (4 cups) chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
32 oz (4 cups) milk (I use 2%)
1 6-oz fillet salmon

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes; reduce the heat to medium. Add the oil and let it heat for 10 seconds. Add the onion, celery, and salt, and cook until the onion has started to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add the potatoes, clam juice, chicken broth, and thyme. I put my broth in straight from the freezer (I defrosted it in the microwave just long enough to be able to get it out of the zip-top bags and break the blocks in half) and let it melt in the pot. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are just barely tender, 15-20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a small pot. Add the flour, mix it into the butter, and cook the mixture for 2 minutes (it will be very thick and pasty), stirring constantly to keep it from burning.

4. Add the milk and whisk it into the flour until there aren't any lumps. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick. A drizzle should sit on top of the sauce and take a long time to melt back into the rest of the sauce (see the picture).

5. Add the salmon to the pot with the potatoes and onions. Simmer until the salmon is cooked through, 5-8 minutes, and break it up into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon (we like big, juicy pieces).
6. Add the white sauce to the big pot and stir it in to combine it well.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Honey-Ginger Chicken Breasts

Marinade:
1/3 cup of honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 an orange
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
Combine the ingredients in a large zip lock bag, seal and shake well. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat evenly. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Other ingredients:
Cooking spray
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water
Sesame seeds
Green onions

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 7-8 minutes then flip. (I wiped out the pan with a paper towel when I flipped them so the chicken wouldn't burn from the sugar in the marinade). Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear.

While the chicken is cooking, strain the marinade through a sieve, discard the solids. Place marinade into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk, cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes; slice the breasts into thin strips then drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve with more sauce on the side. Enjoy.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

For Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4" thick
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

For Breading
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (I use Progresso)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, chives, or rosemary (optional)

For Cooking
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

1. Set up three large, shallow bowls and a large plate in an assembly line. Put flour in the first bowl; eggs in the second; and mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in the third.

2. Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Dredge first chicken breast in flour, and shake off excess until just a light coating remains. Next, dip in egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, letting excess egg drip off. Finally, dredge in bread crumb and Parmesan mixture, turning a few times to coat well. Set aside on plate and repeat until all chicken breasts are breaded.

3. Heat both oils in a large saute pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until first side is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until done, about 2-3 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Pretzels

From: http://lookimadethat.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/pretzels/

Makes 8 pretzels

Dough:
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 TBSP light brown sugar
3/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, plus more as needed (I used olive oil)
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Simmering Liquid:
2 quarts water
1/4 cup amber beer
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
vegetable oil
2 TBSP coarse sea salt

Make the dough:

- In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 5 minutes, or until cloudy. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, sugar, and vegetable oil and mix well.

- Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the liquid mixture and knead until smooth.

- Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil. Scrape out the dough and place in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

- Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and brush with oil. Lightly oil your work surface and your hands. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and press into a 6-inch square. Cut into 1 1/2 by 3 inch rectangles. One at a time, shape each piece into a pretzel. (Cover the pieces you aren’t working on with plastic.) Roll each piece out into a 24-inch long rope. Shape into a U, then crisscross the ends halfway up, twist them together like a twist-tie, and pull the legs down over the bottom of the U. Place the shaped pretzels onto the lined baking sheets. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until not quite doubled.

- While the pretzels are rising, place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the parchment the pretzels are on into squares to facilitate lifting and transferring the pretzels into the water bath.

- In a 10-inch-wide stainless-steel pot, combine the water, beer, baking soda, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Two at a time, lift the parchment square with pretzel and carefully reverse the pretzel off the parchment into the simmering water. Cook for 10 seconds and flip, using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Cook for another 10 seconds, and with the skimmer, lift above the pan to drain. Then transfer back to the baking sheets, rounded sides up. Brush with vegetable oil. Dust with coarse salt.

- Bake, switching the sheets from top to bottom and rotating from front to back halfway through, for 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are chestnut brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Be sure and check the bottoms, mine got a little toasty!

Fudge Puddle Cookies

Cookie Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 ts vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 ts baking soda
1/2 ts salt

In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry to the wet mixtures.
Chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Remove from fridge and form into 1" balls. Grease a mini-muffin pan and add 1 ball to each muffin cup. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball, big enough to fill the middles with the fudge filling. Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Once all of the cookies are done baking, it's time to make the fudge filling:

Filling:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips (I used milk chocolate chips)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 ts vanilla
chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional)

In a microwave safe bowl or saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts/sprinkles. Microwave for 1 minute, stir well. If there are still unmelted chips, continue to melt in microwave for 15 second increments until all smooth:
Immediately start filling the cookie cups with the filling. It will start to harden just a bit as you do it, so make sure to give it a good stir once in awhile. Sprinkle with the nuts or just leave plain. Let set for an hour or so.

Chicken Florentine

Serves 4

2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 bag baby spinach (about 4 cups)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine buttermilk with spices in a large baking dish. Pound chicken breasts flat and add to baking dish; let stand in refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Shake excess buttermilk from chicken and then coat with breadcrumbs. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and add half of the chicken. Cook until golden brown on each side, then repeat with remaining chicken. Place all chicken on a baking sheet and finish cooking in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. While chicken is in the oven, saute the shallot until slightly softened, then add spinach and cook together with the shallot until it wilts, about 2 minutes. To serve, place a piece of cooked chicken on top of rice or farro, then top with some of the sauteed spinach.

Easy Breakfast Party

From Jamie Oliver

INGREDIENTS:
For the Meat
1 x bunch tomatoes on the vine, stalks removed and the base of each scored
4 x field mushrooms, peeled and the base of each trimmed
2 x black puddings, sliced --> probably will substitute for this!
8 x sausages
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
10 x rashers dry cured, smoked back bacon
For the Eggs
12 x (large) organic eggs
1 x splash milk
110 g butter
To Assemble
good white uncut bread, for toast
HP sauce
tomato ketchup

To Assemble
Get a large roasting tray and line up the tomatoes in it, scored side up, with the mushrooms, the black pudding and the sausages. Let everything overlap so that the flavours really get in there. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper then place under a preheated medium grill.

Prepare the scrambled eggs by whisking with the milk. Melt some butter in a non-stick pan and pour in the eggs. Keep the heat low and gently stir to scramble. Remove the tray from under the grill and drape the bacon across the tomatoes and black pudding. Place back under the grill. When the eggs are just about done, season them and serve on some thick slices of toasted bread with a bit of everything else on your plate too!

Chocolate chunk muffin

Ingredients:

3 cups (390 grams) plain flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
200 grams (8 rows) dark cooking chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) milk
3/4 cup (170 grams) butter, softened
2 eggs

~~~

1. Preheat an oven to 356 F (180 C).
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl.
Stir to combine.
3. Add the chocolate chunks and stir again.
4. Whisk the eggs, butter and milk.
5. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the two mixtures together until everything is moistened. Yes, there will be lumps but small lumps are fine.
6. Spoon the mixture into muffin pans…
7. … and bake for 20-25 minutes. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before removing.

Vegetable Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

serves 4 as main dish

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups low-sodium, low-fat beef stock
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 pound good quality beef steak (sirloin strip is good)
1 14 to 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup medium egg noodles
2 medium fresh carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, strings removed, halved and diced
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Several grates black peppercorn
Kosher salt to taste


How to make the Vegetable Beef Noodle soup:

Begin the soup by searing the steak in a very heavy, hot skillet (cast iron is ideal) on both sides. Cook to no more than medium rare - it will finish cooking later- and set the steak aside to rest for at least ten minutes before slicing for the soup. When slicing for the soup, cut thinly across the grain into bite sized strips.
De-glaze the pan used to cook the steak by adding 1/2 cup of the water to the pan while still hot, being careful of the steam, and scrape up the bits left from searing the steak. Add this to a large soup kettle, along with the rest of the water and the beef stock.

Add the diced onion, celery, sliced carrots, garlic, bay leaf and thyme to the soup pot. Simmer this for 20 minutes, until the celery and carrots are very tender.
Add the tomatoes, bring back to a simmer and continue to cook for another ten minutes.

Stir in the cup of medium egg noodles, cook for seven minutes then add the sliced steak and the frozen peas. Taste for salt and pepper and season accordingly.
Continue cooking at a bare simmer for three minutes more or until the noodles and peas are tender.

Soup is done - enjoy!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 12-18

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Garlic-Lover's Vegetable Stir Fry with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash

Makes about 4 servings

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, yellow squash, and/or eggplant, cut into same size pieces (use any combination of these vegetables)
2 T peanut oil or canola oil (or possibly a little more if you don't have a non-stick pan)
2 T finely minced garlic (or less)
1 onion, sliced top to bottom in strips about 1/2 inch wide
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T Oyster Sauce (look for it by the Asian foods in any supermarket)

Cut vegetables into pieces that are the same size and same shape, cutting away the inner seeds from squash and larger eggplants before you cut them into short strips about 1/2 inch wide. Get oil, oyster sauce, salt, and measuring spoons out and have ready on the counter near the stove.

Put wok or frying pan on the stove and heat 1-2 minutes, until it's too hot to hold your hand over it. (You should be able to almost see the heat shimmering up from the wok.) Add the oil and heat about 30 seconds, then add minced garlic and sliced onion and cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the rest of the vegetables all at once, add salt, and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring every 20-30 seconds, or until vegetables are barely starting to soften.

Add oyster sauce, stirring gently so all the vegetables are coated with sauce. Cook about 2 minutes more, stirring a few times. Serve hot.

Principles of Chinese Cooking
Preheat the wok (before you put the oil in).
Season the oil (with whole pieces of garlic and sometimes ginger root, which you often remove when you add the food to be cooked).
Symmetry of cut (all pieces must be cut the same size and shape).
Have all ingredients cut and sauces mixed before you cook.
Use very high heat and cook fast.

Classic Mashed Potatoes

6 cups yukon gold poatoes, peeled and cubed (about 8 medium potatoes)
4 x cloves garlic
1/2 cup milk, approximately
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes and garlic in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
Using a masher, mash the potatoes and garlic with the butter. Then, using an electric mixer, purée the mixture with the milk. Adjust the seasoning.

Potato and Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp butter (45 ml)
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups leeks, white part and a little green, sliced thinly (325 ml)
3 Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups chicken stock (1.5 L)
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onions and leeks and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes, season and stir, coating well with melted butter. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme and cook until potatoes are very soft. Puree soup in a blender or food processor, adding lemon juice and seasoning to taste.

Maple Apple Muffins

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 cups apple chopped & peeled into 1/2″ pieces
12 pecan halves

glaze (optional):
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1 Grease 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
2 In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (through cinnamon)
3 In a small bowl, mix milk, butter, syrup and egg; stir into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.
4 Fold in apples.
5 Fill prepared muffin cups to the top. Top each with a pecan half. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies

makes 16 bars

Brownie Batter
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder - I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter
6 oz cream cheese, softened - I used 8oz
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar - I used 1/2 cup
2 tbsp flour - I used 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp
1/2 cup pumpkin puree - I used 2/3 cup
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract - I used 1/3 tsp
1/2 tsp cinnamon - I used 2/3 tsp
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves - I used 1/3 tsp

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.

Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Sweet Potato Salad

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Kosher salt & freshly grated black pepper
2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans
2 tablespoons dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar free or regular honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced sweet potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes or just until fork tender. (Over cooking will cause them to be mushy when you stir them into the remaining ingredients.) Allow to cool slightly.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, and chipotle pepper. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Stir in onions, pecans, cranberries, and parsley. Drizzle with dressing and gently stir until coated. Serve either warm, room temp or cold. Makes 5 side-dish servings.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

(From: Martha Stewart’s Cookies, pg 170)

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted, room temperature butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into ¼-inch chucks
(I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces), toasted
(I did NOT toast the walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together both flours, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.

Put butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

Using a 1 ½ inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parachment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack; let cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Cacciatore Stoup

From Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 portobello mushroom caps, cut into bite-size pieces
3 large potatoes thinly sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
2 chicken breasts diced
1 large onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of red wine
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and black pepper
3 slices white bread, torn
One 28-ounce can tomatoes, preferably San Marzano (one can diced and one crushed)
One 32-ounce container (2-4 cups) chicken broth (less if you want thicker liquid)
Crusty whole grain bread, to pass around the table
Handfuls of arugula

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken but do not fully cook through. Then add the potatoes to brown and soften. Add the mushrooms, peppers and onion and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with the crushed red pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Deglaze the pot with the red wine.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes to the pot and break up with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer the stoup for 10 minutes.

Serve the stoup in shallow bowls with extra parmesan cheese and plenty of bread for mopping. Top with arugula.

Szechuan Eggplant Stirfry

INGREDIENTS

3 Asian eggplants, about 2 pounds
1/2 package extra firm tofu, drained, and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Thai holy basil leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant and tofu, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant and tofu to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant and tofu in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.

After all the eggplant and tofu are out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant and tofu back in the pan, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with Thai basil, and serve.

Mud Cake

1 1/2 cup black coffee
1/4 cup brandy
150 g dark chocolate
250 g butter
2 cup sugar
2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache:
1 cup whipping cream
200 g dark chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon butter

Preheat owen to 135°. In a saucepan over low heat, heat coffee, chocolate, butter and brandy. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Sift flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk gradually sugar and flour into chocolate mixture, continue beating until smooth and well blended. Add eggs and vanilla and stir well. Pour mixture into cake pan 23-24 cm. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer cake onto wire rack to cool.

Ganache: In a saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate and cream, stirring frequently until melted and smooth, add butter and keep stirring until melted. Let it cool, and decorate cake.

Asian Noodle Salad

Salad Ingredients
1 16oz package linguine noodles
½ small head purple cabbage, very finely sliced
1 ½ cups bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup grated carrot (1-2 carrots)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup grapeseed or peanut oil
2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp chili oil
2 tbsp lime juice (about the juice of 1 lime)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced

Cook the linguini according to the package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Allow to drain completely. Put all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust for heat with the chili oil according to your taste. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Serve at room temperature.

Banana-walnut muffins

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups mashed bananas (overripe is best)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with Pam.

In a large bowl, cream butter with sugars. Add eggs & mashed banana. Stir until well blended. Add flour, soda, salt, allspice, vanilla & cinnamon. Stir just enough to moisten. Fold in chopped walnuts.

Scoop into mini muffin pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then flip out onto a cooling rack.

Makes 48 mini muffins

Chicken Soup

Ingredients

(serves 6-8)

2 Tbl olive oil
250gm bacon or any cured pork product (smoked pork belly, speck, pancetta etc) - diced
3 brown onions - diced
1 carrot- peeled and diced
2 celery stalks - diced
4 chicken thigh fillets - diced into 2cm pieces
4 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 C dry white wine
4 C chicken stock
400g tinned crushed tomatoes
2 zucchinis - diced
400g tin of cannellini beans - rinsed and drained
1 C of small pasta - risoni, tempesta or soup pasta
50g baby spinach leaves - large stems removed
1-2 Tbl of chopped parsley or basil (whichever you fancy)

Method

Over medium high heat, heat the oil and sauté the bacon for a couple of minutes until slightly coloured.

Add onions, carrots and celery and fry for about 10 minutes or until the veges have softened.

Add chicken and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is opaque.

Add the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce. Add the chicken stock and tinned tomatoes, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, stick on the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and season to taste with salt, cracked black pepper and sugar (if you wish to counter the acidity of the tomatoes). Add the zucchinis, beans and pasta, mix and simmer with the lid on for about 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is al-dente.

Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and herbs until wilted. Serve immediately with a hot crusty bread roll and a soul-friendly glass of wine.

Chicken with Red Pepper

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken thigh meat
1 eggplant, cut into medium-sized cubes
1 cup of shredded carrots
10 dry red pepper (seeded and rinse)
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 green onion, cut into 2" length
3.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1.5 tablespoon sugar
1.5 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1.5 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped cashew

Directions:

Cut the chicken meat into 1" cubes and marinate with 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, cornstarch and oil for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a wok, stir fry the chicken meat for a couple of minutes or so over high heat and then set aside.

Saute dry pepper in the wok over medium heat with 2 tablespoon of oil until fragrant.
Add in ginger, garlic and green onion; continue to stir fry for another minute.
Add the chicken meat back to the wok, along with eggplants and shredded carrots; cook for another 5 minutes or so and then add the rest of the seasoning sauce.
Stir until thicken and heated thoroughly.

Remove, add some chopped cashew and serve hot over rice.

Simple One Hour Homemade Bread

From http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/09/simple-one-hour-homemade-bread.html

Makes 2 loaves

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 - 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Hoisin Pork Chops

From Emeril Lagasse (Food Network, 2002)

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops
1/4 cup honey
Vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Add the pork chops and turn to coat. Remove the chops from the marinade.

Reserve the marinade and combine with the honey in a medium saucepan. Bring the honey marinade mixture to a boil, and cook at a low boil for at least 10 minutes.

Add chops to a large saute pan coated with vegetable oil and sear on until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Pour the reduced marinade over the chops and bake for 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F.

Remove the chops from the oven and set aside to rest for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with Yellow Bell Pepper

Serve 4

4 x Pork Chops
1 medium onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper (yellow capsicum), cut into long strips
2 tbsp green peas
4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup (I use Heinz)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Corn starch water (mix 1 tbsp water with 1 1/2 tsp corn starch in a bowl)

Method

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and pan fry pork chops until brown on both sides and cooked through (approximately 3 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of your chops).

Remove and place them on a serving plate.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or a sauce pan, stir fry the onion until soft, add yellow bell pepper and green peas and stir fry for a further minute.

Add water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, ketchup, salt, Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil.

Add corn starch water to thicken the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Melissa d'Arabian's Crispy Skinned Chicken a l'Orange

Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 skin-on bone-in chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Liberally salt and pepper the chicken breast halves. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken, skin side only, until brown and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice concentrate, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste, over medium heat, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Turn the chicken over and brush each piece with the glaze. Turn the chicken skin side up and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, brushing on more glaze halfway through, about 15 minutes in total. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove the chicken breast from the bone and slice the meat on the bias. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

Very Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Makes 4 mini-sized loaves plus several muffins.

2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely broken walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease four mini loaf pans or muffin cups, if preferred.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and cocoa powder. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts . Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean (trying not to hit a melted chocolate chip for a false reading). Muffins will be done in about 20 minutes.

Brie, Bacon & Chicken Sandwich

Serves 2

2 ounces brie cheese
2-3 ounces chicken breast or tenders
3 slices smoked bacon
1/2 onion
baguette, halved and sliced into 2 sandwich portions

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Slice bacon into approximately 2-inch pieces and cook in skillet until crispy.
3. Meanwhile, slice onions and cut chicken breast/tenders into small bite-size pieces.
4. When the bacon is crispy, place them on a towel-lined plate and set aside.
5. Remove excess bacon fat in skillet. Lower heat to medium and sauté onions.
6. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink and the onions have softened. Set-aside.
Now you’re ready to assemble the sandwich!
7. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.
8. Place brie pieces, bacon, chicken and onions on bottom half of each baguette. Put the top half on and set both sandwiches on griddle.
9. With an oven mitt, take the cast-iron skillet (careful, it’s hot!) and place it on top of sandwiches.
10. Once the cheese is melting and the bottom is toasted, remove skillet and gently flip the sandwiches over to toast the other side. Again, place skillet on top.
11. The sandwich is ready when both sides are hot and toasty.

Hot and Sweet Glazed Pork Chops

2 lbs bone-in pork loin chops, about ½ inch think
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Combine all the ingredients except the pork in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Simmer until the glaze is reduced by half. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let cool completely. Reserve half of the glaze for a dipping sauce.

Preheat grill to medium high. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Brush the glaze on one side of the chop and place glaze side down on the grill. Brush more glaze on the top side. Cook for 4 minutes, then turn. Add more glaze to the top, and cook for another 4 minutes. Continue glazing and turning the chops frequently, for a total cooking time of 15-20 minutes. The chops should read about 145°F to 150°F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with the reserved glaze for dipping.

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter*, cut into pieces, room temp
1 cup sugar*
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
12 small chocolate covered peppermint patties, such as York Peppermint Patties
*Healthy Swaps: use light butter (will change consistency), reduce sugar to 3/4 cup sugar, and fat free egg substitute

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in double boiler and stir occasionally just until melted, 4-5 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat, whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth. Whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (do not overmix).
Spoon 1 heaping tbsp of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 2 tbsp batter, covering patty completely. Bake, rotating tin halfway through , about 35 minutes (start checking at 30). Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Salad with Lemon & Feta

Serves 4

4 cups shredded zucchini
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine zucchini with lemon zest, juice, mint, dill, feta cheese and olive oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.

Honey-Soy glazed Drumsticks

adapted by Martha Stewart
12 drumsticks
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic cloves, minced
Sesame seeds
salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season drumsticks with salt and pepper, both sides.
2 Mix honey, soy sauce, garlic cloves, and some sesame seeds in a bowl.
3 Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil and lay the drumsticks in alternating directions in a row. Pour honey mixture over all the chicken and bake about 30-40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.
4 Once chicken is done, transfer the remaining sauce in the pan to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Serve chicken with sauce.

Brownie Krispies

Adapted from One Ordinary Day

1 box brownie mix + additional ingredients to bake brownies according to package directions
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. crispy rice cereal

Bake brownies according to package directions in a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Two minutes before they are supposed to be baked, pull brownies from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows across top. Return to oven for 2 minutes to soften marshmallows. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows across top of brownies. Let cool completely.

Prepare crispy topping: combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at a time until mixture is melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Pour over marshmallow layer and spread evenly. Place brownies in the refrigerator for at least an hour until chilled. This helps make them easy to cut and makes them a little less messy to eat.

Fondant au chocolat

for a 24cm-wide cake pan or sixteen 6cm-wide cercles

200g dark chocolate, slightly bitter works well (I love Valrhona’s Guanaja here)
240g butter
8 eggs (400g if, unlike me, you’re super accurate)
400g sugar
130g flour

Preheat the oven to 170°C, and generously butter a 24cm-wide cake pan.

In a bowl, melt the chocolate and butter.

In a heatproof bowl, mix the eggs and sugar, and place over medium heat (or as said above, on a water bath). Keep on mixing until not cold anymore. It shouldn’t be hot either. Just at room temperature. This step is done, as we say in French, to casser le froid [break the coldness].

Pour the chocolate over the egg mixture, and homogenise. Sprinkle the flour over and using a rubber spatula, gently incoporate it iuntil just smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until just set.

Biscuits with salmon and cream cheese

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
250 gr strong white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
115 gr cold butter grated
3 tbs chopped dill
245 gr buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk mix 2/3 yogurt with 1/3 milk and you’ll get a good replacement)
2 tbs butter melted

For the filling:
100 gr smoked salmon
1 box Philadelphia cream chesse with chives
juice from 1/2 lemon
some capers around 15 I think I used
1 tbs chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
rocket salad

Method:

For the biscuits:
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add the grated butter and mix until coated in flour.
Add the dill and the butemilk until you get a sticky dough. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and preheat your oven to 200 grades C.
Form your biscuits in medium sized spheres and brush them with the melted butter.
Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the filling:
Mix the cream cheese with the lemon juice, capers and dill, add salt and pepper to taste.
If you find the filling to be too thick add some sour cream in it. I didn’t because we like it as it is.
Cut your biscuits in 2 put some of the cream cheese on each side of the biscuit (on the inside of course), put some salmon on top of the cream cheese on the bottom half of the biscuit, add some rocket salad and then put the top of the biscuit over it.

Tomato and Onion Salad with Tahini Dressing

Yield 4 servings
Time 30 minutes

By: Mark Bittman

Ingredients
1 medium red or white onion, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and minced, or to taste
1/3 cup tahini paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
4 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Method
1. Soak onion in salted cold water while preparing other ingredients, about 30 minutes. Whisk or blend together garlic, tahini and cumin, and add lemon juice; the mixture will become very thick. Thin with hot water, a tablespoon at a time, just so the mixture can be spooned. (It will thin further when tossed with tomatoes.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Toss onion, tomatoes and parsley with dressing. Taste, adjust the seasonings and serve.

Hummus Recipe

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

Method
1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

2 Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.

Makes about 3 cups.

Yam, Zucchini, and Chickpea Salad

2 yams, cut into a medium dice
1 zucchini, medium dice
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves
3 sprigs or more parsley, leaves finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped

Dressing:
1 Tbsp tahini
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, smashed into a paste with some salt
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sweet potato and zucchini pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 1 hour, until soft and caramelized in spots. If vegetables get soft before they darken, pop them under the broiler for 3 minutes, and they'll get plenty brown. Remove, and set aside.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, saute chickpeas and whole garlic cloves in 1 tsp of olive oil (just enough to moisten) for about 3 minutes, until the chickpeas dry out a bit.

In a medium-large bowl, mix the chickpeas with the yams and zucchini. Salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Add the parsley.

Combine all ingredients in the dressing; if too clumpy, add water by the teaspoon until the dressing is smooth and runny. Pour over vegetables, toss to coat, and serve warm or room temperature, or hell, even cold. This stuff is good any which way.

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Ingredients
6-8 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot chili sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups grated zucchini (from 2-3 fresh zucchinis)
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (from 4-5 fresh tomatoes),
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil (from about 20 leaves)*
4 cups cubed day-old bread (from about 4 slices)
Olive oil
*Chiffonade basil by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, slice thin, starting at one end of the cigar and working your way down.

Method
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, Tabasco, salt and pepper.

2 Prepare the vegetables and bread. Once you chop the tomatoes, squeeze excess moisture out of them by pressing them in a sieve, or wrapping in paper towels and squeezing. Add the tomatoes, basil, and zucchini to the egg mixture. Moisten the bread cubes with a little water then squeeze out any excess moisture using paper towels. Mix the bread cubes into the egg mixture.

3 Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish generously with olive oil. Pour the egg vegetable mixture into the baking pan and even it out in the pan. Place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. The casserole should puff up and brown lightly. If it hasn't after 30 minutes at 350, increase the heat to 425° and cook for 5-10 minutes further. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Makes 6-8 portions.

Red Pesto Ravioli Recipe

1 pound fresh cheese raviolis
12 plump, chewy sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces)
2 medium cloves garlic
a couple big pinches of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 handfuls of baby spinach tossed with a glug of olive oil and a big pinch of salt.
2/3 cup oven-roasted cherry tomatoes (optional)*
a bit of crumbled goat cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and cook the raviolis per package instructions. Drain, but reserve about one cup of the hot pasta water (important!).

In the meantime, make the sun-dried tomato pesto by pulsing the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil, thyme, and salt in a food processor until it comes together into a textured crumble. Add the walnuts, and pulse a few more times - see photo. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water in a large mixing bowl along with two-thirds of the sun-dried tomato pesto. Add the cooked raviolis and gently toss. Add more of the hot pasta water if needed to thin the pesto out - it should make a nice chunky sauce. Taste and add more of the pesto if you like - it's really a matter of personal preference at this point.

Arrange the baby spinach on a large platter and top with everything from the ravioli mixing bowl. Top with the cherry tomatoes and a bit of crumbled goat cheese.
Serves 2 - 4.

*To oven-roast cherry tomatoes: Heat oven to 350F degrees. Cut each tomato in half and arrange in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together a big splash of olive oil, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a few pinches of salt. Pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated. Arrange tomatoes cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mintutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.

Fried Tofu with Spicy Scallion Soy Sauce

serves 4

1 block of firm tofu
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, more if needed

Sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (I prefer low sodium for almost all of my cooking)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (Kadoya brand is my preference)
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
1-2 teaspoons of red chili powder (고추가루 gochu gahloo) - optional if you do not want spice
2 teaspoons sesame seed

Directions
Carefully slice tofu. Make one cut down the center and then cut into even 3/4 inch thick pieces. You should get about 16 pieces of tofu. On a plate, lay down a piece of paper towel. You will drain the tofu on here AFTER cooking.

In a heavy fry pan over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Carefully lay down tofu pieces. CAREFUL! It can begin to splatter. Use caution. Cook until golden and crisp on one side (about 3 minutes) and carefully turn over so that it gets golden and crisp on the other side (another 3 minutes). Remove from pan and place on plate with the paper towel. (It collects the excess oil.) Repeat until all tofu is cooked.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce together.

Plate the tofu on your serving dish. Carefully spoon a small amount of sauce on top of each slice of tofu. Can be served hot or warm.

Braised Tofu

1 pack of firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use canola or safflower)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (gochugahloo - less or more depending on your spice tolerance.)
1 teaspoon crushed toasted sesame seed

In a heavy fry pan, heat over medium heat and add oil. Carefully add tofu slices (it can splatter so watch out!) and do not overcrowd the pan. Carefully fry tofu until it is crisp and golden brown on one side, and then flip it over to cook the other side. About 2-3 minutes per side. When they are golden, remove them from the fry pan and put on a plate. Continue until all the tofu is cooked. (This photograph is not the BEST representation of my fried tofu, but I was dealing with a sick child when I took this, so I "overcooked" some...you want golden brown not crunchy brown)

In a medium sized pot, add soy sauce, water, sesame oil, green onions, chopped garlic and chili powder. Give a quick mix. Carefully lay tofu slices into the pot.
Continue until you have added all the tofu. I try and place the tofu in a circular fashion. Do NOT worry that the braising liquid is not covering the tofu - during the cooking process it will eventually cover all of it. (Tofu releases some liquid and boiling causes the tofu to get covered.)

Place the pot over medium heat. Cover. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Serve hot!

BLAT Sandwich

Avocado spread:
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon (or more, if avocado is less ripe) mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, depending on how lemony you like it
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Sandwich

Seven strips of bacon per sandwich (which serves two)
1 large, thick slice of focaccia, sliced in half
Butter lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
Mayonnaise
Mix together all avocado spread ingredients -- if avocado is less ripe, grind/chop it up in a food processor and mix in other ingredients.

Weave together uncooked bacon in a lattice-pattern (pictured above), place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Lightly spread one slice of bread with mayonnaise (I prefer Japanese mayonnaise, which typically contains a small amount of rice or apple cider vinegar) and the other, thickly, with the avocado spread.

Lay the bacon patty on the bread, top with lettuce and tomato and a generous sprinkling of freshly ground pepper (if you desire) and then close the sandwich.

Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Crust:

1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. margarine, melted
1 tbsp. egg white
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sized crackers)
Cheesecake:

3 tbsp. dark rum (I omitted this)
3 (1 oz.) squares of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 (8oz.) package of nonfat cream cheese, softened (I had low-fat cream cheese, so I used that instead. It increased the calories/fat a bit, but it was also a bit creamier and denser than the nonfat version would have been.)
1 (8 oz.) package of Neufchatel cheese, softened (I had never heard of this before, but I found it right by the cream cheese at the grocery store)
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
Chocolate curls/shavings (optional)
Raspberries (optional)
Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Beat sugar, margarine and egg in a small bowl until blended. Add crumbs and stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom (and 1 inch up sides if you want to attempt it) of an 8-inch or 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool. Turn oven down to 300 degrees (F).

2. Combine rum (if using) and chocolate squares in the top of a double boiler or over low heat. Cook until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add chocolate syrup, stirring until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, beat cheeses with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Pour into the crust and bake for 40 minutes or until almost set (it should giggle just a little if you tap the pan). Combine sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons cocoa and stir well. Turn oven off and take out the cheesecake. Spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake and put back in the still warm (but turned off) oven. Let stand for 45 minutes in the oven with door closed. Remove cheesecake and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Remove from springform pan and garnish with chocolate curls and raspberries.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes

From E-Curry

Ingredients: (makes 4-5 pancakes)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup finely chopped Green Onions/Spring Onions/Scallions
1 Teaspoon minced Fresh Ginger
2 tablespoon oil - to brush on the rolled dough
1/2 cup canola oil or any cooking oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Ginger Dipping Sauce :

1/4 cup thin soy sauce
2 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup sliced scallion/green onion - the green part finely chopped
1.5 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes OR Finely Chopped Green Hot peppers
1 teaspoon sugar



Preparation:

Preparing the Pancakes:
In a bowl, sift flour. Slowly add water in a steady stream while mixing with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Keep adding water until a ball is formed. Knead to make an smooth & soft dough. Let ball of dough rest for about 30 minutes and cover with damp cloth.

Mix the scallions, ginger Salt & black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out dough into a thin round/rectangle. Brush on oil, cover with scallion mix. Carefully roll dough like a tube.

Squeeze with your finger tips & close both ends. Twist a few times & make a spiral out of this like a snail.

Flatten the snails with the palm & carefully roll them out to achieve a 5 to 6 inch pancake.

In a hot non-stick pan, coat with canola oil and pan sear both sides until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Preparing the Dipping Sauce:
Combine all ingredients of the Dipping Sauce & mix them well.

Serve the warm pancake wedges with the dipping sauce.

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

Makes 12 cupcake-sized snack cakes

7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners or lightly butter the pan.

2. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat. (Alternately, you can do this in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then in 15 second increments, stirring well between each until smooth.)

3. In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yougurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth.

5. Divide the batter among the muffin or springform cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (less for mini-springforms, more for muffins, though your oven may vary) or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving with coffee and a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and any berries you can scrounge up in your fridge. Or, you know, as is.

Do ahead: These cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for four days.

Blueberry Boy Bait

Serves 12, generously

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (though buttermilk, which was all I had on hand, worked just great)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)

Topping1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

Apple & Blueberry Shortcake

from Bill's Food, by Bill Granger*

4 large Granny Smith apples
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
2 tbsp sugar
125g (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
125g (1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1 egg
185g (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp baking powder
155g (1 cup) blueberries
demerara or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Peel and core the apples, then cut into about 16 slices. Put the apples, lemon zest, the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water into a medium saucepan, then cover and stew over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apples are soft but not mushy. Allow to cool.

Cream the butter and caster sugar together in a bowl until fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Sift the flour and baking baking powder into the mixture and stir until combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide into two and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4. Roll each half of cake dough into a circle approximately 22cm (8 1/2 inch) across. Press one circle into a 24cm (9 inch) non-stick springform cake tin. Spread the apples over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge. Sprinkle with blueberries. Place the other round of dough on top and press the edges together. Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, then allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing. Serve with cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 8 to 10.

French Garlic Prawns Recipe

(Adapted from The Food of France)

Serves 4

Ingredients
24 large prawns
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 small red chillies, very finely chopped
250 ml olive oil
60 g butter
2 tbps chopped parsley

Method
Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails intact.
Preheat the oven to 220C (425F). Sprinkle the garlic and chilli into four cast iron or gratin dishes. Divide the oil and butter among the dishes.

Put the dishes on a baking tray in the oven and heat for about 6 minutes, or until the butter has melted.

Divide the prawns among the dishes (put them in carefully, without splashing yourself with hot oil) and bake for about 7 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and tender.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Scallops with corn salsa and cilantro pesto

Seared Scallops
1 pound sea scallops, about 12 large
2 teaspoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Remove the small side muscle from each scallop. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.Warm oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Add scallops to very hot pan at least an inch apart from one another. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes per side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Corn Salsa
2 ears sweet corn, sliced from the cob
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a pot of simmering water, blanch the corn for 2 minutes. Alternatively, in a heat-proof bowl, cook the corn for 2 minutes in the microwave on high.Combine corn, onion, peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 4 servings.

Cilantro Pesto
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
coarse sea salt

Add cilantro and pine nuts to a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. Drizzle in oil and process until smooth. Season with salt. Leftover pesto can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or frozen in a resealable plastic bag. Yield: 1 cup.

Faux Red Lobster Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
2/3 cup (butter) milk
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp oregano

Optional: 4 sun-dried tomatoes (on oil)

Directions:
I started by grating about 1 1/2 cup of cheese. The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar, but well, that would make it pretty expensive biscuits for me so I opted for sharp Gouda in stead. Go with your cheese of choice.

Next, dump 2 cups of Bisquick into a big bowl, add 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 a tsp onion powder and the grated cheese and stir to combine.

(Tip: No Bisquick? Simply cut 1/3 cup Crisco (or 1/2 a cup butter) in with 2 cups of flour and add 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.)

Here’s my own addition. The biscuits are great with just cheese, but oh boy, this raises them to a whole new level. I’ve finely chopped 4 sun-dried tomatoes and added them to the mix.

Pour in 2/3 cup of butter milk or regular milk; I prefer butter milk. Mix until you end up with a firm dough, but don’t over-mix.

Drop spoonsful of dough on a baking sheet you’ve lined with grease-proof baking paper. Shape them up with your fingers a bit. My dough was enough for 12 large biscuits.

Melt about 2 oz of butter and whisk in 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt (I like a salty outer layer) and 2 tsp oregano.

Lightly brush the biscuits with 50% of the butter mix.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 400F (200C) for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuits. Until they’re golden brown.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush them with the remaining butter.