coffee amaretto ice cream sammiches

this weekend i converted my favorite boozey coffee drink into ice cream sandwich form. coffee with amaretto makes me feel warm and cozy and reminds me of hanging out post-dinner in the north end in boston. for this creation, i sandwiched coffee ice cream between two delicate amaretto florentines. i was a little concerned that the cookies wouldn't hold up but i think they did ok. yes, these are messy but aren't ice cream sandwiches supposed to be messy? i know it's still winter and those on the east coast might opt for the traditional warm beverage for another month or two but luckily the san francisco weather provides a little bit of leniency and lets me fulfill my ice cream sandwich making craving in february without feeling too silly about it.

first make the cookies.
amaretto florentines
(vegan version adapted from the cookie jar)
ingredients:
3 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy creamer
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons amaretto

preheat oven to 350.
in a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar and creamer over medium-high heat. stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
add almonds, flour and amaretto and stir until blended.

drop tablespoons full of dough several inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. spread dough into a cookie shape, careful not to spread them too thin as they will spread a bit more during baking.

bake 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. leaving cookies on parchment paper, remove paper from baking sheet. let cool 3 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

once cookies are cool, move them to a plate (arrange single layers separated by wax paper) and place in the freezer while you make the ice cream (or about 30 minutes).
coffee ice cream
ingredients:
1 cup soy milk, well chilled
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder
2 cups soy creamer, well chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

in a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk by hand to combine the soy milk, sugar and coffee/espresso powder until the sugar and coffee are dissolved. stir in creamer and vanilla. pour into ice cream maker and let mix until thickened, about 30 minutes (or according to your ice cream maker instructions).

to assemble sandwiches:
remove cookies from the freezer. matching up pairs of cookies that are about the same size, scoop ice cream directly from ice cream maker (so it's still soft) onto one cookie and top with second cookie. carefully wrap individual sammiches in wax paper and store in the freezer. try to work quickly so the ice cream doesn't melt.

i got six sammiches and a bonus cookie out of this recipe.

-d

moroccan tagine

A friend of mine described me the other day as a "part-time vegetarian" which is an accurate description of my approach to food and eating. And I feel that this tagine, in some way, encapsulates that idea. It is a take on the Moroccan classic, well spiced and flavorful without being fussy. We opted to add chicken, as I was cooking with my more carnivorous family, but the recipe actually comes from a vegetarian cookbook (we very loosely interpreted it from New Vegetarian Entertaining by Jane Noraika. Ironic, I know. And honestly, it was perfect. And would have been perfect sans chicken. It makes a lot, and the leftovers are just as tasty. I can't wait to make it again. And again.

I am including a recipe for homemade harissa as well, but we used a canned harissa I had on hand. A warning - it is hot stuff!! Use sparingly.


Moroccan Tagine

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric (I found the best ever bargain on turmeric - 50 cents an ounce - at Polcari's, in Boston's North End)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 red serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups canned diced tomatoes, about 28 ounces
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup black olives (we used kalamata) pitted and chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 can chickpeas
parsely, chopped
cilantro, chopped

2 chicken breasts, optional

1. if using chicken, slice in strips, and brown in 4 quart saute pan. remove from pan.
2. add more oil to the pan, and onions and spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon) and the chile, and cook until the onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes. And the currants, olives, potato and carrots. Continue cooking slowly over low heat for about 45 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
3. return the chicken to pan (if using) along with chickpeas, and bring to a boil. Sauce should reduce slightly.
4. Stir in parsley and cilantro, season with salt and pepper. Serve over couscous, and drizzle with harissa.

Harissa Sauce
3 large fresh red chilis
1 garlic clove
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste
pinch of salt

1. Put the chilis in a dry skillet and cook over gentle heat until the skins begin to blacken and blister. Remove from heat, let cool, and remove the seeds.
2. Put the chilis and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Sauce will keep, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 weeks.

potato salad

this is the dinner that we were going to make yesterday until tacos came into the picture. it's a potato salad recipe that my mom gave me, though i have no idea where she got it. it's coated with an oil based dressing that gets a hint of creaminess from the mustard, and it's tangy with a bit of spice from the garlic and shallots. you can serve it warm or chill it in the fridge for a bit. my mom wrote a note on the recipe that it's also good with green beans...i haven't tried it, but it sounds like it would be delicious and simple to throw the green beans in with the potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking to blanche them just a tad.

new potato salad
ingredients:
3 pounds fingerling or other thin skinned potatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tb apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tb dijon mustard
3 tb olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tb dill minced (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

boil potatoes until just tender (15-20 min.), drain.
in a large bowl whisk together sugar, vinegar, mustard, oil, shallot and garlic until blended.
when potatoes are cooled a bit add to dressing and toss to coat. add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.



-d

talula's mac and cheese

Sometimes a single ingredient can really lift a dish, and such is the case with this mac and cheese. I am an unabashed lover of cheese, and if I ever found out I was lactose intolerant, I would probably die. Or just eat through the pain. And as an off-shoot of my love of cheese, I am equally obsessed with noodle and cheese dishes. I still think my mother makes the best mac and cheese - she uses ziti noodles and a fantastically creamy cheddar that is nearly impossible to find, and tops the whole shebang with wheat germ for a nicely nutty crust.

This recipe comes from a delightful little shop in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Talula's Table. The recipe ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and as my mother happened to be in Kennett one recent weekend, she stopped in to pick up the key ingredient in this mac and cheese - a subtley spicy pepperoncino penne pasta - and subsequently transported it to Boston for my pre-birthday festivities. The particular brand Talula's sells is Dalla Costa, but I am sure you could substitute another peppery noodle (but if you can get your hands on a bag, I recommend the Dalla Costa brand!)

And a little note - we skipped the garlic bread crumbs, and just sprinkled the top with the regular kind. The cheeses and pasta are quite flavorful and the garlic bread crumb addition seemed unnecessary. And if you wanted to veganize this, you could make this sauce, and use it with the peppery noodles!

Also, if you don't feel like buying loads of herbs that will languish in your refrigerator, Trader Joe's sells a "poultry mix" of fresh herbs that include the perfect amounts of parsley, oregano and thyme for this recipe!

Talula’s Slightly Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

5 cups milk

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed, skin left on

4 springs each parsley, oregano, thyme

2 to 3 fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

½ lb peperoncino penne

2 cups aged white cheddar and Gruyere cheese mix (Cabot, Grafton, Roth Kase), grated

2/3 cup Parmesan, grated

1 cup garlic breadcrumbs

1. Combine milk, onion, garlic and herb sprigs and leaves in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Set aside to steep for 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer and return to the pan.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk in the flour to make the roux, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk 2 cups of the seasoned milk into the roux to make a paste. Add the remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, until all the milk has been incorporated. Continue to cool, still whisking, over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. The sauce will be just slightly thickened. Season with the Dijon, ¼ tsp salt and a pinch of pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt lightly. Drop in the penne and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the penne and place in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over and toss in the cheeses, reserving a handful of Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, making sure to include all of the sauce. Sprinkle with the garlic bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan and bake until golden and bubbling, about 40 minutes.
6. To make the bread crumbs, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut day-old bread into thin slices and place on a baking sheet; brush with garlic infused oil. Bake until golden and very crisp, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Break up the bread with your hands and pulse in a food processor, leaving the texture a little coarse.

- e

crispy tempeh tacos

i have a thing for tacos. i love them. and i'm always in the mood for them. kris likes them but, for some reason, does not want to eat them EVERY day. weird. so yesterday as i was on the fence about whether to meet him for drinks after work or go straight home and cook something for dinner he convinced me to go out simply by telling me he would buy me a taco for dinner if i went. that's all it took.

in the end i decided that i still wanted to cook dinner thus leaving leftovers to bring for lunch. kris, being the brilliant and taco accommodating guy that he is, suggested we make quick tacos at home. these were indeed super quick to prepare and even tastier than i predicted they would be. i didn't start off planning to write about this spur of the moment meal but after my first taco i decided they were really yummy and need to be shared. hence the quick half-eaten dinner photo above.

since it was a little late when we got home and we were trying to make this as quickly as possible, there was not one bit of measuring that went into this (but eyeballing it should work just fine). we ate these with an equally quick and simple red cabbage slaw.

crispy tempeh tacos
ingredients:
1 package tempeh
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
soy sauce
liquid smoke
hot sauce
cumin
olive oil
green leaf lettuce, thinly chopped
1/2 tomato, diced
1 avocado
crispy corn taco shells

turn oven to warm and put the taco shells in to heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. cook a few minutes until fragrant. add the onion and tempeh. add a splash of soy sauce, a few drops of liquid smoke, a drizzle of hot sauce and a sprinkle of cumin. cook until the onions are soft and the tempeh is heated through.
serve in taco shells with lettuce, tomato and avocado.
-d

hot and cold sesame noodles

here's a little snippet of a conversation i had with my mom as i walked home from work yesterday:
mom: so what are you guys making for dinner?
me: oh just those spicy sesame peanut noodles, i had to work a bit late and they're easy.
mom: oooo the ones kris made for me? those are yummy! you should yumcoast them so then i'll have the recipe.

this is a recipe that kris and i found years and years ago and it's still in our regular dinner rotation. yes, it's a rachael ray recipe, but it's so quick, easy and delicious and it doesn't require the purchase of a bunch of ingredients. it's also great leftover the next day. over the years we've taken some things out and added a little twist of our own. you can easily adjust the spice level to your taste or throw in other vegetables that you have hanging around. we used to make it with spagetti noodles but now prefer shapes (shells may be our favorite...they trap the sauce just right!). anyway, here ya go mom!

hot and cold sesame noodles
(adapted from rachael ray's recipe)
ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta of your choice
1/4 cup tamari dark soy
1/4 rounded cup all-natural unsalted smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons hot sauce (we like to play around with the hot sauce...try different kinds!)
2 cups thinly chopped cabbage (we usually do red but green works too)
3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1-2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped

Cook pasta to al dente then cold shock it to stop the cooking process by running it under cold water in colander. Drain the pasta very well.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, chopped ginger and hot sauce. Add noodles, cabbage and scallions and toss to coat them evenly with sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.
-d

a little lovin'

As you all know, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And while I personally do not buy into the saccharine, Hallmark-fueled, chocolate heart love fest, I do believe in romance. And baked goods. And while candy is dandy, cookies are the way to my heart (flowers don't hurt either). So in honor of the holiday, I made a batch of these delightfully light, nicely ginger-y cookies. When mixing up the dough, I was a little worried, as it seemed a tad crumbly, but I persevered, and everything worked out! So I recommend you make these for your sweetie, or for yourself! And Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo.



Ginger Sugar Cookies
from Martha Stewart, February 2009

makes 24 heart-shaped cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 ounces (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 large egg yolk
sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in ginger, then yolk.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn out dough onto lightly floured parchment. Roll out until 1/4 inch thick, and cut out cookies using 2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets. Brush each cookie with a damp pastry brush, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies are set and light gold around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and let cool. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

- e