Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries

Valentine's Day is coming and that means it's time for me to decide exactly what type of sweet treat I'll be giving to Jason as part of his gift. I haven't quite made up my mind (and certainly wouldn't spoil it here before the big day!) but thought I would share a wonderful cookie recipe I made last weekend in case others out there are looking for similar inspiration.

While oatmeal cookies in and of themselves may not seem all that exciting, you can spice them up with a variety of add-ins. From the very traditional raisins to chocolate chips to nuts, oatmeal cookies can be a very versatile cookie indeed. As I mentioned on my last post, I volunteered to bring something sweet to a friend's house last weekend to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl (yay Giants!). I had been thinking about oatmeal cookies for weeks and decided to go in that direction. Rather than the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie I've made in the past, I decided to throw in chocolate chips and some dried cherries-- a combination that is delicious and special enough for your Valentine.

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries
Adapted generously from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients: 
1 stick of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup dried cherries, chopped (next time I might add in a few more)
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.   Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add the regular and brown sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed. Once incorporated, add the rest of the flour mixture.
4. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and dried cherries until everything is well-mixed.
5. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then move to a cooling rack. Cook completely.

Making Up for Lost Time

I don't remember if I mentioned it here on the ol' blog, but several months ago I was given additional responsibilities at work which meant that my already hectic work life got even more hectic. As a result, I've been working later and coming home more tired and that has (as you can probably tell) greatly impacted the time I spend in the kitchen during the week.

About a week ago I got some good news--a promotion for a job well done! The flip side of this is that my level of effort at work shows no signs of letting up. This week was particularly rough--I'm not sure whether it was because I felt like I was behind for most of it (trying to get caught up from being on travel for 4 days the previous week) or the two days I drove back and forth to Baltimore, but work really kicked my butt this week. Which meant I only ended up cooking dinner once. The other nights we ate out, ordered in or Jason made eggs for dinner (twice in fact).

 Check out this awesome bagel sandwich Jason made for dinner Friday night-- with bagels I brought home from work of course. Made me feel like a failure in the kitchen but it sure did taste good!

So I've been trying to make up for lost time this weekend by cooking up a storm. Last night I made an eggplant and polenta casserole which turned out really well (see below) as well as a batch of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies (stay tuned for more on that) to take to a friend's to watch the Super Bowl this evening. And I as I write this, a pot of winter minestrone is simmering away for tomorrow's dinner.

I'm definitely still trying to find a better work/home balance (particularly when it comes to making yummy, nutritious dinners during the week) but am hoping that a little extra time in the kitchen on the weekends will help me get through the week with a little less stress.

I'm anxious to hear if anyone out there has suggestions for getting dinner on the table during the work week??

Layered Eggplant and Polenta Casserole
Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 TBL olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used the garlic and onion variety for more flavor)
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 (16 ounce) log precooked polenta, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place rack on highest position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggplant rounds in a single layer on baking sheet and roast in oven for about 10 minutes or until just starting to soften. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and slightly golden, about 5-8 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juices). Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the juices have evaporated and the sauce is thickened--about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer (overlapping so that they all fit). Spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the top and top with shredded mozzerella.
4. Cover with foil. Move oven rack down one position. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly and serve.

Farro and Roasted Pepper Salad

Lately it seems like I am constantly in search of one-pot meals; soups, stews, casseroles--anything to avoid having to make multiple dishes. I guess that is just a product of having limited time to spend in the kitchen these days. Today, however, I found myself with the opposite objective-- Jason volunteered to make his famous salmon for dinner tonight which meant that I needed to come up with some type of side dish. Side dishes! I'd almost forgotten they even existed. Or how wonderfully delicious they can be. Take this recipe for farro with roasted red peppers. Simple, healthy, and good....so much so that it almost upstaged the entree (sorry Jason).

Farro and Roasted Pepper Salad
Adapted slightly from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
3 TBL olive oil
1 TBL honey
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup farro
2 red pepper
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 ounces crumbled feta

1. To make the dressing, whisk the first 7 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) together. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 475. Place red peppers on a baking tray and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the skin is blistered and peppers are soft. Carefully transfer peppers to a bowl and cover in plastic wrap. Let steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove skin and cut into thin strips.
3. Cook farro according to package directions. When done, rinse under cold water and set aside in a strainer to drain.
4. In a large bowl, combine cooked farro, roasted red peppers, olives, scallions, feta, and dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

A Lazy Sunday Morning and French Toast

I love lazy mornings-- the kind where it is approaching noon and I am still in my pajamas. These don't happen all that often but the cold, wintery weather we are currently experiencing and the fact that we did our grocery shopping yesterday afternoon have created the perfect conditions. And to top it all off, Jason made French toast for breakfast this morning!

I think I've mentioned before that Jason is a big proponent of weekend breakfasts that go beyond our weekday cereal routine and is, as a a result, the MC of these events. His weekend breakfast repertoire consists primarily of eggs (scrambled, in breakfast sandwich or omelet form and occasionally poached), pancakes, and waffles...mainly because we usually have all the required ingredients on hand. But occasionally he will mix things up and make French toast-- which happens to be my favorite. Usually this occurs when we've gone to the grocery store early in the weekend since, believe it or not, we don't usually have much bread on hand or for special occasions (my birthday, Valentine's Day, etc.). So our well timed trip to the grocery store yesterday meant that I got both a lazy morning and French toast-- what a great way to end the weekend and prepare myself for the busy week ahead.

Jason's French Toast
Adapted slightly from Alton Brown

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup milk or half-and-half
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Cinnamon to taste
6-8 slices of bread (we like to use challah or brioche for added flavor)

1. Heat electric griddle or pan over medium heat, and melt butter or coat with cooking spray.
2. Mix first six ingredients together  and pour into a flat plate or dish (we like to use a small baking dish). Dip both sides of bread in egg mixture and place on hot pan.
3. Cook until golden brown and cooked through about 3 minutes or so per side.* Serve with maple syrup.

* Tips for making sure your French toast is cooked all the way through: 1) make sure your pan is not too hot (this can lead to the outside getting brown before the inside is cooked); 2) resist the urge to cut Texas toast size slices of bread; 3) don't leave  the bread soaking in the egg mixture for too long; and 4) if all else fails, you can finish the toast off in an 350 degree oven for about 3-4 minutes to ensure golden exterior and cooked interior.

I'm Back

Now that Christmas is long since past, I thought it was about time I got back to blogging. I'll be honest-- this Fall really kicked my butt; between long work hours, the holidays, and a general sense of fatigue I did not have much time for writing or cooking. But I'm going to try and be better in the new year and at least keep the five or so of you still reading this thing up to date on what's going on in our lives....with a few recipes here and there to boot.

So what have we been up to lately? Mostly catching up on rest and trying to get a few new things done around the house. Over the last couple of weeks we've tried to make our entryway more appealing (it's my least favorite space in the entire house) and have begun plans for completing our living room area on the main level. More details on both of those to come.

And with the three-day weekend, I actually spent some time in the kitchen-- something that is becoming more and more of a rarity these days. With the cold weather we've been having I decided to give my BFF's chicken pot pie recipe a try. While a bit time consuming, it was not terribly difficult-- especially given I decided to forego the homemade pie dough and opted instead for the pre-made refrigerated variety. My one quibble is the proportions-- the original recipe said it made 4 individual pot pies. I decided to halve it so that it would be just enough for Jason and me to eat for dinner last night. Uh....yeah. I don't know what size of individual pot pie Ina likes to serve, but the halved recipe seemed like plenty for four. It was so much that I had to skip the individual sizes and put it in an 8 inch square baking dish instead. And while still tasty, The crust to pie ratio wasn't quite the same. Oh well-- live and learn. Next time I will quarter the recipe :)

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Ina Garten

Note: This recipe is half of the original; I would say it serves 4

Ingredients:
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, diced
6 TBL butter
1/4 cup plus 2 TBL flour
5 cups chicken stock
2 TBL heavy cream
1 cup baby carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
2 TBL minced parsley
1 piece of refrigerated pie dough (or you can make your own)
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Place chicken breasts on foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, shred or cube meat and set aside.

2. Heat chicken stock. Meanwhile, chop the yellow onion and carrots.

3. Turn oven up to 375. Heat butter in a large pot or dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the warm chicken stock and simmer on low for about 1-2 minutes until thick. Add cream, salt and pepper.

4. Add chicken, carrots, peas, pearl onions and parsley. Turn off the heat. Spoon pot pie filling into either 4 individual ovenproof bowls or an 8 inch square casserole/baking dish.

5. Beat egg with 2 TBL water to make an egg wash. Brush sides of baking dish(es) with egg wash and top with pie dough (if using individual bowls, you'll want to cut the dough so there is about an inch hanging over the bowls). Press the dough around the edges of the baking dish(es) to seal. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and cut 2-3 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

6. Place dish(es) on a baking sheet and place into oven. Bake for about 45-60 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas (2011 Edition)

I know I owe details on our first Thanksgiving in the new house...I'm going to recap that later in the weekend. But I couldn't help sharing a few pics of our new house all Christmas-y.

We, of course, went with a real tree again this year (another balsam fir, but this year's is a bit taller and a bit wider).

And from another angle....

But we also added some outdoor decorations into the mix! Check out my shiny new wreath (artificial so it will be a staple holiday decoration for years to come) and fun lit trees (courtesy of my parents' basement):

We also have some lit garland across the railing of our roof top terrace (I don't have a good picture of that yet).

I love Christmas decorations! And they've definitely been a bright spot in an otherwise long and dreary week.

Thanksgiving: Menu and Prep

Yeah, yeah, yeah....I know what you are going to say-- it's been awhile. I could type 200 words on why I haven't been posting much lately but I won't. Let's just let bygones be bygones and get on with the good stuff. Sound good?

Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING!

How did that happen?

Y'all know how much I love Thanksgiving-- it is my favorite holiday. And this year I am hosting for the first time! I've been dreaming of this day for awhile now...when I would be able to plan my menu, cook the meal, and enjoy time with family in my own house.

In my mind, I thought this would be a leisurely process that I would begin in early October as the holiday food magazines arrived (you'll be happy to know I did not buy a single one this year-- only read the ones I already subscribe to!), that I would have so many things prepped the weekend before that it would be a breeze to get everything together in time for Thanksgiving Dinner.

In reality, I didn't even put my menu together until last weekend and only because I knew I needed to go to the grocery store before all the turkeys were gone. Sigh. At least I had enough foresight to request today off of work well in advance! In order to help me get organized, I've put together the following plan for getting everything done in time for tomorrow...but first my menu.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011
Roasted turkey with herb butter
Cornbread dressing (which my mom will be bringing)
Mashed potatoes (which my mother-in-law will be bringing)
Gravy
Onion pudding
Carmelized brussel sprouts with butternut squash and bacon
Cranberry-apple salad (which my mom will be bringing)
Sweet potato biscuits
Parker house rolls
Apple-brandy cheesecake (which my mother-in-law will be bringing)
Sweet potato pie (from the awesome Linvilla Orchards in PA--brought by my mom)

And here's the game plan:

Today:
1. Clean the house
2. Prep dough for the parker house rolls (yep-- I'm doing it from scratch!)
3. Get my haircut (what...it's impossible to get Saturday appointments when you don't remember to call ahead more than a few days in advance! I gotta take advantage of not working when I can)
4. Prep biscuit dough
5. Finish getting roll dough together and bake rolls and biscuits
6. Make compound herb butter for turkey
7. Blanch brussel sprouts and butternut squash for tomorrow
8. Make onion pudding (assuming I have room in the fridge to keep until tomorrow--otherwise make tomorrow morning when I pull the turkey out)
9. Wash and iron table cloth
10. Make sure china (which has been sitting in my china cabinet since we got married two years ago) is clean.
11. Set the table

Tomorrow:
1. Cook frozen quiche which I will be serving to my parents and grandmother when they arrive for lunch.
2. Cook onion pudding and cornbread dressing and wrap in foil.
3. Prep appetizers/afternoon snacks (baked brie and store-bought spinach dip)
4. Prep turkey and put in oven.
5. While turkey is resting, reheat sides in oven, warm bread, cook brussel sprouts, and heat gravy.
6. Carve turkey and get everything out
7. Eat!

Stay tuned for the details :)