raisin pecan oatmeal cookies

A very dear friend of mine is going through a rough spot, and despite being the pickiest eater I have ever encountered, he loves desserts. Especially cookies. So, because I love baking, and because what nourishes the body nourishes the soul, I decided to make him cookies last night. I flipped through a few new cookbooks, and came upon this one in the newest Barefoot Contessa book, a classic with a twist. I also need to take a moment to mention how much I love the Barefoot Contessa (aka Ina Garten). I love her show. I love the melodiously soothing tone of her voice. And I love love love her kitchen. Basically, I want to be her new best friend, and be invited over for dinner every weekend.

Now that I have expressed my super-fanatacism, I must say these cookies are DELICIOUS! They are both chewy and crunchy and bake beautifully. For most of my life, I harbored an intense dislike of raisins, and only in the past few years have I come to terms with them. I still cannot eat them straight out of the box, but enjoy them in things, like these cookies. So if you have a friend who needs some comforting, or need a little yourself, these are just perfect!



Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
from The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

makes 30 to 35 cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed (I used light brown sugar)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, add eggs one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix until just combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon), drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper (ed. note: the parchment is not necessary, but makes clean up easier). Flatten dough mounds slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

*before baking, I sprinkled the cookies with granulated sugar for a little extra crunch!

e

chocolate hazelnut rugelach

over thanksgiving i found cookbook at my mom's called the cookie jar that marjorie and i bought a long long time ago during a cookie-baking obsession phase. i brought it back home with me to give the recipes another go...and because i saw a rugelach recipe that i really wanted to make. i don't remember the last time i ate rugelach but i remember loving it whenever those long ago times were.

so now here we are and my mamoo's* birthday is fast approaching. i wanted to make her a birthday treat but what would it be? rugelach i thought! until word came through my mom that mamoo is not a fan of delicious little crescent roll shaped cookies filled with yumminess. crazy if you ask me but afterall she's the birthday girl. so i came up with another cookie for her but still had rugelach on the brain. i made them anyway and mailed them along. i bet she tries one and i bet she likes it too.

so here's the recipe. i veganized the dough from the book and did my own thing for the filling.

chocolate hazelnut rugelach
dough ingredients:
8 ounces tofutti cream cheese
3/4 cup margarine, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
filling ingredients:
3/4 cups chopped dark chocolate (we had part of a fancy chocolate bar laying around, i used that)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts**
3 tablespoons softened margarine

to make the dough, beat tofutti, margarine, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. add flour and stir until a soft dough forms. divide dough into 3 balls and wrap in plastic and chill overnight.

to make the filling, coarsely chop the chocolate and nuts (either by hand or in a food processor). place in a bowl with the granulated sugar, dark sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine.

preheat oven to 350. on a heavily floured surface*** use a floured rolling pin to roll 1 ball of dough at a time into a 12 inch circle. carefully****spread 1 tablespoon margarine over dough circle. sprinkle about 9 tablespoons of filling over the buttered dough and press lightly into the dough.



using a pizza cutter, cut dough into quarters and then cut each quarter into three wedges. beginning at the wide end, roll up each wedge. transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 15-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. transfer to a wire rack to cool.

i'm really pleased with the way these turned out. i love them and i hope maybe, just maybe, they can convert mamoo into a rugelach lover! and if not, i know my mom will step up and eat them.

*that would be grandma to those not in the know
**to toast hazelnuts, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 300 for about 15 minutes. keep an eye on them so they don't burn. take them out and place them in the middle of a coarsely textured kitchen towel. ball it up, roll them around, open it up and the skins (or most of them anyway) are off!
***if you're like me you might think "i'll just roll it out between two sheets of parchment. less to clean." don't do it, it doesn't work. it sticks to the paper and then you have to flour it, scrape it off, ball it, roll it blah blah blah. it really is much easier to just start with the floured surface.
****very carefully. i'm glad i had three balls of dough to work with. by the third one i finally had it all figured out. i found the easiest way to do the margarine was to hold it in my hand (to soften it a bit more) and just spread the tiniest little amount at a time. it took longer but i didn't mangle the delicate dough circle like i did the first time.

-d

grilled sesame bok choy & brussels sprouts

our dinner last night was inspired by a meal we had last saturday. after being on our list of places to try for probably about a year, we finally made it to eos wine bar and restaurant in cole valley. loved it! we sat in the wine salon (definitely their phrase, not mine), tried some wine flights and nibbled on a variety of small plates. two of those dishes being grilled bok choy with tofu and grape tomatoes and sesame roasted brussels sprouts. we combined the two into grilled sesame bok choy and brussels sprouts and served it over brown rice. i cooked the vegetables in our grill pan (which i love but don't use nearly as often as i should because i hate cleaning it) but if you don't have one i think it would work well in a normal old pan too.

grilled sesame bok choy & brussels sprouts with brown rice
ingredients:
1 cup short grain brown rice
bok choy (i had 3 smallish sized bunches) top leaves trimmed
brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, bottoms trimmed and cut in half
olive oil
sesame seeds
sesame oil
crushed red chili flakes
1/3 cup peanuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black

get the rice going according to package instructions

in a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and set aside. chop the cilantro but keep separate for now.

heat your grill pan. brush the bok choy with olive oil and cook on each side for a couple minutes until softened and grill lines appear. once they're cooked, transfer to a regular pan. drizzle with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chili flakes to taste. toss for a minute or two.

toss your halved brussels sprouts with olive oil to coat. cook in the grill pan the same way you did the bok choy. once cooked, move to regular pan to toss with sesame oil, sesame seeds and chili flakes.

when the rice is done cooking pour the sauce over it and mix to combine. stir in the chopped cilantro.

serve the vegetables over rice and garnish with peanuts.

-d

coffee crunch bars

when i first flipped through the february issue of bon appetit the coffee crunch bars caught my eye. i knew that i had to make them. i mean...coffee? chocolate? almonds? and crunchy? what's not to like?

yesterday i really wanted to make a pie. but all the pies that i wanted to make were fruit pies calling for fruit that is not in season now (of course). so i flipped through a few cookbooks looking for a dessert to make and nothing was tempting me (which is weird...i mean...when did i get so picky about making delicious desserty things?), just one of those days i guess. but then suddenly i remembered the coffee crunch bars and i was excited and ready to go!

only one thing...about a week ago erin and i were emailing back and forth and i mentioned this particular recipe in bon appetit that i really wanted to make. i found the online link and sent it to her. i also looked at the recipe reviews while i was there and, sadly, they were not favorable. one thing that stuck with me was that a lot of people claimed the finished product tasted of burnt butter. this wasn't enough to turn me off of the recipe completely (obviously) but the negative reviews loomed in the back of my mind i decided to tweak a few things to ensure that my finished product end up as tasty and satisfying as i knew it could be. below is the recipe as it appears in the magazine with my changes noted.

coffee crunch bars
(bon appetit, february 2009)
ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (i used vegan margarine)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (i just chopped up baking squares so mine were more chunks than chips)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

preheat oven to 325. whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended, about 2 minutes. add espresso powder and almond extract; beat 1 minute.

stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just absorbed after each addition. stir in chocolate chips and almonds (dough will be thick).

turn dough onto ungreased rimmed baking sheet. using hands, press dough into 12-inch square.* pierce all over with fork at 1-inch intervals.

bake until edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp, 45 - 50 minutes**. cool on sheet 1 minute. cut into bars and immediately transfer to rack to cool. store in airtight container.

*my largest baking sheet is 11x17 so i knew the 12 inch square wasn't going to happen. my rectangle was 11 by, maybe, 8. it was just shy of being as tall as the rim on the baking sheet.
**i set my timer for 45 minutes but kept an eye on them as they cooked. i took them out after about 30 minutes.

with my changes in size and cooking time i ended up with bars that are the texture of chewey brownies and have a lovely espresso taste. not too sweet but not bitter either. kris and i enjoyed them with a cup of coffee with a splash of amaretto for dessert. true, they might not be crunchy as the originals are meant to be, but they also do not taste of burnt butter so i think i won.

-d

flatbread and falafel feast

friday night we wanted to do something fun, cheap and, of course, delicious for dinner. kris had the brilliant idea to buy a bunch of falafel that we could build our meal around. the original plan was to go to our favorite falafel place - the sunrise deli. rain got in the way of that one so kris came through with a big paper bag stuffed with warm fresh falafel from ali baba down the street and some tabouleh. the meal was halfway done!

kris is the designated dip maker in this household so he worked his magic and threw a bunch of stuff in the food processor. one minute it looked like this:

but what came out was a deliciously creamy sundried tomato hummus.

i decided to make flatbread cause....well....i love making bread products and always want to try out something new. it was really quick and easy to make and had a nice soft texture. i found a basic recipe to start with but wanted to spice it up a bit. so back to the internet to investigate za'atar. za'atar is a middle eastern spice blend and i was pretty sure we had most of the ingredients in our arsenal of spices. we did have most....all except sumac which apparently makes up the largest percentage of the blend. so it wasn't za'atar but it was close and it was good.

flatbread
ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup ice water
3 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of baking soda

combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture. add the water and stir to form a dough.

divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. roll each piece into a thin circle (about 8 inches).

prick the surface of the dough with a fork*

cook on a hot, lightly oiled pan. these cook fast so keep an eye on them. it only takes a minute or less on each side.

(almost) za'atar
ingredients:
thyme
sesame seeds
marjoram
oregano
coarse salt

mix together equal parts (i did a 1/2 teaspoon) thyme, marjoram and oregano. add a little less sesame seeds and even a little bit less salt.

brush the cooked flatbreads with olive oil, sprinkle on spice mixture and rub it in.

*i actually forgot this step. they still turned out really well but maybe they're even better if you prick 'em.

-d

curried squash and red lentil soup

When it is cold and dreary outside, I find few things more comforting than a bowl of soup. And the truly fantastic thing about soup, satisfaction aside, is that most recipes require very little hands on time and yield delicious leftovers! So, again browsing my February Gourmet (you know I love my cooking mags!) I decided on the Curried Squash and Red Lentil soup. It's something a little different, Eastern-inspired, with a nice kick from the curry and a subtle sweetness from the squash. I served it over rice, as recommended, and was pleased with the result! oh, and if you are wavering about making the cilantro oil, please disregard your inner dialogue. it is a perfect accompaniment to the soup, and a brightness of both color and flavor!


Curried Squash and Red Lentil Soup
Gourmet, February 2009

For soup:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter (i actually omitted this, so my soup really was vegan!)
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp minced peeled ginger
1 tbsp curry powder ( i used Muchi, but any would work!)
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 qt water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

for cilantro oil:

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then cook squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in curry powder and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.

Add lentils and water (bring to a boil) and simmer covered, until lentils are tender, 25 to 40 minutes (ed. note: my lentils took fully 40 minutes to cook. slow cooking lentils!). Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

While the lentils are cooking, make the cilantro oil by pureeing the cilantro and vegetable oil in a blender (I used a hand blender; you could also finely mince the cilantro and whisk together with oil. This is not an exact science!)

To serve, I scooped some rice into a soup bowl, ladled the soup over, and drizzled with cilantro oil. Yum!

your leftovers = hash!

did you happen to make an indian feast earlier this week? do you have a container full of leftover samosa filling in your fridge? a ton of extra spinach? a few leftover whole canned tomatoes? maybe you also have a spare carrot hanging out with a lone little red potato. a half onion just begging to be put to work. and perhaps you have a hankering for tofutti brats. what more could anyone ask for? the stars are perfectly aligned...throw it all in a pan and call it a hash!

one of our favorite ways to use up all those leftovers that collect over the week is to make hashes and tofu/tempeh/whathaveyou scrambles. i know there are tons of recipes out there for these things claiming to be the tried and true best (and i'm sure they're delicious), but i prefer to just let the leftovers do the thinking i suppose. i honestly don't think we've ever made the same one twice (i mean really....you see how it comes about) but they never fail to deliver. always intensly flavorful, sometimes with flavor combinations that might make you wonder....but don't question it, just go with it.* the other wonderful part is that these are a snap to whip up because everything is already made. maybe just a little chopping here and there but it should come together quite painlessly.

*ok, maybe there are times to question but i have yet to encounter that time. i trust you to use your judgement. obviously you should just eat your leftover slice of pizza (cold) and not chop it up and throw it in a pan with curried vegetables. or should you?

-d