Monday, August 29, 2011

claire's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

2 cups oil
1.5 cup brown sugar
1.5 cup white sugar
4 eggs
4 cups oatmeal
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
3 cups flower
1 bag chocolate chips

bake 375 for 9-10 minutes

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mini Black Bean Cakes with Green Onion Cream and Avocado Salsa


These adorable black bean cakes make a great holiday party appetizer!

Ingredients:
For the cakes:
  • 1/2 cup bottled salsa
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 38 ounces canned spicy black beans (such as Whole Foods), rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup dry breadcrumbs, divided
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the toppings:
  • 1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
  • 1/4 cup chopped plum tomato
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
1. To make the cakes, combine the salsa, cumin, and black beans in a food processor, and process until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup green onions, and the salt.

2. Divide the mixture into 24 portions, and shape into 1/2-inch-thick patties.  Place the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and dredge the patties in the breadcrumbs.  (Note: the patties will be sticky before you dredge them in the breadcrumbs, and I found it easier to shape into proper patties after doing so).  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes, turning over halfway through.

3. For the toppings, mix together the sour cream and 1/4 cup green onions in one small bowl.  Mix together the avocado, tomato, and lime juice in a second small bowl.  Top each black bean cake with 1 teaspoon green onion cream and 1 teaspoon avocado salsa.

Nutrition Info:
12 servings (2 cakes), Calories 99, Fat 2.8, Protein 3.8, Carb 16.3

Tasting Notes:
Perfectly dainty and tasty, and visually adorable, but I was surprised that the flavor was a little bland.  I imagined more spice would come through from the already 'spicy' black beans, but if you want extra kick, I recommend adding a fresh minced jalapeno pepper, or some extra cumin or ground red pepper.  I might have added a dash of spice to the sour cream mixture as well!

Rating:

zucchini fritters

impromptu zucchini fritters


Zucchini Fritters
Adapted a bit from Simply Recipes

Yield: About 10 2 1/2 inch fritters

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying

To serve (optional)
1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinches of salt
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready.

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor. The latter is my favorite as I'm convinced it creates the coarsest and most rope-like strands and frankly, I like my fritters to look like mops.

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. You'll be shocked (I was!) by the amount of liquid you'll lose, but this is a good thing as it will save the fritters from sogginess.

Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and if you think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses down the drain), add a little bit more; we found 1/4 teaspoon more just right. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet — cast iron is dreamy here — heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don't become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. I like to make sure that the fritters have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.

For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. These fritters are also delicious with a poached or fried egg on top, trust me.

Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. When you're ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they're hot and crisp again.



Thursday, August 25, 2011

village salad

Roasted chicken, dates, avocado, tomatoes, corn, goat cheese and almonds with champagne vinaigrette

  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and puré until smooth.


Monday, August 01, 2011

spicy tomato arugula angel hair

Ingredients:
2 yellow tomatoes, diced
3 red tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 pound dried angel hair pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup chopped arugula
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Anaheim chiles, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
Salt
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place the yellow tomatoes and red tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the sea salt and let sit for 40 minutes.

2. Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes.  Strain and rinse.  Set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until the shallots are softened, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Toss the sauce with the pasta, the salted tomatoes, the arugula, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chiles and heat until warmed through.  Season with salt and sprinkle with the Parmesan.  Serve immediately.

Fiery Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 1/2 cup Chili Oil, recipe follows
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Dried crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, optional
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Stir the oil, parsley, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and toss with enough reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and red pepper flakes, to taste. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over pasta for extra flavor and texture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Chili Oil:

  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes

Combine the oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a heavy small saucepan. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the oil and pepper flakes to a 4-ounce bottle. Seal the lid. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Basil

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
  2. Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
  3. Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

garlic angel hair pasta

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon snipped fresh or dried chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding garlic to the water. Drain; discard garlic.
  2. Place pasta in a serving bowl; add butter. Toss gently until butter is melted. Add Parmesan cheese, chives and garlic salt if desired; toss to coat.