oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

From here.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed - a bit less
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant or quick cook) - 120 g
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour - 98 g whole wheat ground
• scant 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup nuts 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, nuts, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Chill at least 2 hours before baking (or don't).  
6. Bake for about 11 minutes (for super soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack. 

Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

salad dressing

Not sure how I keep forgetting that homemade salad dressings are way better than what I can buy in the store, and super easy.

But I do.

So here's a good one from here.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Pour the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, and garlic clove in a jar. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

chocolate oatmeal bars

These are a pretty good substitute for the chocolate oatmeal cookies with a ton of butter and sugar.  I wonder how they would be all mixed together instead of layered?  From here.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cup oats (regular are fine)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
• 1/4 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly sub
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 oz chocolate chips
  
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly sub

Instructions

*If you want a thicker chocolate layer than the bars in the pictures, feel free to increase the amount of chocolate chips. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper, and set aside. Stir together the maple syrup, 1/4 cup peanut butter, water, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the oats and salt. Transfer about 2/3 of the mixture to the pan, and press down very well, using a second sheet of parchment to press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. In a separate bowl, carefully melt the chocolate and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour this evenly on top of the crust in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining oat crumbles on top of the chocolate layer, then press down. Refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to cut squares.

kale and pasta

I'm not a fan of kale, but I do sort of like lacinato.  I had a soup that I would make regularly with it that was quite good, but I'm not really in a soup mood.  So I made dinner based on this.  I think it also might work nicely with some marmite in it, for that umami. Leftovers would be great in this frittata.

• kale (I used 1 bunch equivalent)
• garlic (I used 5 small cloves)
• pasta (I used elbows as that's what I have, but linguini or thick spaghetti would be better)
• salt, pepper, red chile flakes
• Romano or Parmesan cheese

Boil water, boil kale for 2 minutes, then pull it out and put in a colander and run cold water over.  Use same pot/water to cook the pasta.

In another pot, heat oil.  Add garlic cloves and crush them up a bit as they soften and darken.  Then add the kale and cook a few minutes.  Add salt, pepper, chile flakes.  Then add the pasta with up to a cup of pasta water, let it cook down, and then sprinkle with cheese and enjoy.

dandelion quick bread

Go out and harvest a couple cups worth of dandelion heads.  Pull the petals away from the green stuff.  Wash (if necessary) and strain and let them dry a bit.  Then make this recipe from here.

(Note: I tried it and it was a total mess, wouldn't bake through at all.  I may have halved the flour accidentally, and my oven may not be working. It will be worth trying again next year.)

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals (or more)
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey (or less)
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk (and/or yogurt)

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together milk, honey, oil, and beat in egg. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered bread tin or muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees. A dozen muffins will take 20-25 minutes. Bread will take 25-30 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes.

(ground beef) stroganoff

Growing up, ground beef and cream of mushroom soup on egg noodles is what we called stroganoff.  Imagine my surprise as a young adult when I moved to Europe and ordered stroganoff.  Well, they're both good, in different ways.

Here's the recipe I base mine on.

1 lb lean ground beef 
1 small onion diced

1 clove garlic minced

3/4 lb fresh mushrooms sliced

3 tablespoons flour

(less than) 2 cups beef broth

salt & pepper to taste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

 

• Brown ground beef, onion and garlic (trying not to break it up too much) in a pan until no pink remains. Drain fat.
• Add sliced mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 more minute.
• Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low 10 minutes. Cook egg noodles according to package directions.
• Remove beef mixture from the heat, stir in sour cream and parsley.
• Serve over egg noodles.

 

super easy rhubarb dal to share

Basically from here.

Chop up 3-4 stalk of rhubarb and put in pot.
Clean 1 c. of red lentils, add to pot.
Then add:
1 T mustard seeds
1/2 T cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
2" chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic

Cover with broth or water to about 1" above the surface.

Bring to a boil, then simmer about 20 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with homemade yogurt.

Share with gardening neighbors who will be so delighted to have a not dessert recipe for rhubarb.