Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies do not meet any of the specifications of this blog, but they are amazing. I have lifted the recipe straight from pages 776-777 of The New Best Recipe by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated (2003, America's Test Kitchens), with the addition of sea salt.

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yoke
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 semisweet chocolate chips (or m&ms)
sprinkle of sea salt, for tops (optional)

Instructions
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Following the illustrations on page 776, hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at the base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spaying them 2 1/2 inches apart (note: this spacing is important!)

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and the centers are still soft and puffy, 13 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each cookie. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Steamed mussels

Steamed Mussels

I found a version of this recipe on-line. One mid-November evening on the coast of Maine, I prepared them alongside slow cooker black beans and the pairing, along with a glass of white wine and a roaring fire, was nothing short of sublime. 

Ingredients:

3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 tablespoons butter

1/2-1 teaspoon celery salt (or a bit of garlic, shallots,  or onions)

3/4 cup white wine

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium soup pot. Add celery salt or other flavoring. Add white wine and mussels. Steam for about 5 minutes. Pour into bowl with the juice.

Lentils du Puy, cassoulet style

Lentils du Puy, cassoulet style

This comes from my sister Sarah and was delightful on a foggy fall afternoon in Maine. I found it nice with an accompaniment of plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
1 pounds Lentils du puy
sauteed onions or celery
sauteed garlic (optional)
prosciutto, ham, sausage, or chicken
chicken or turkey broth
chopped tomatoes
fresh thyme
fresh parsley
bay leaves


Directions:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Blanch lentils for 15-30 minutes, till slightly tender but firm. Drain them. Put them in a casserole dish and add sautéed onions, celery, garlic, and/or tomatoes for flavoring.  Add enough broth to moisten up to two thirds of the height of the lentils, maybe 2-3 cups. Tuck the meat into the lentils. Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes, then uncovered for 15-20 minutes more.

quinoa

Slow cooker black beans

This one is super healthy and super yummy. Tonight we served it with roasted potatoes, raw bell peppers, chopped heirloom tomatoes fresh from the garden, cilantro and salsa. Maudemarie loved the beans and devoured them con gusto!  The recipe is easily doubled for a huge slow cooker.

Ingredients
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
a goodly bunch of cilantro, chopped with stems
2 cups black beans (I like to soak them overnight first)
1-2 chopped peppers, such as jalapeño, poblano, etc. (optional)

Instructions
Cook in slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours, or until beans are soft.

Variation:
Substitute one can of pumpkin puree for 2 cups of the chicken broth. I made this version, along with two jalapeños, at Martini Mist (my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bruce's place in Winter Harbor, Maine). It made an amazing accompaniment to freshly harvested steamed mussels!

gluten free macaroni and cheese

Gluten Free "Macaroni" and Cheese

This recipe adds the wisdom of Karina Albright's gluten-free macaroni and cheese with the ole fashioned recipe in the Fanny Farmer cookbook given to me by my Mother years ago. I've enriched it a bit with double whipping cream, inspired by my sojourn in England. It does not meet my low fat criteria because of the cheese and cream, but it's such great comfort food on a fall or winter afternoon, especially with a healthy counterpoint of steamed broccoli and a glass of white wine. I think the recipe would be great with a cup or two of lightly steamed kale tossed in, but my family won't let me go there...

Ingredients:
12-16 oz. gluten-free pasta (rotini and butterflies are popular with Maudemarie, though I've been unable to find the butterflies in a gluten-free iteration).
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 cup skim milk
1 cup double whipping cream (in the UK) or heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 generous tablespoons white wine
1 cup grated parmesan (for the topping)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain in colander and rinse under cold awarer.
3. Whisk together and slowly heat the milk, cream, and yogurt in a medium saucepan. Make sure it doesn't steam, just get it warm!
4. While the milk mixture is heating, heat the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and slowly whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for a minute or so. Slowly adding in the milk, beating all the while, to form a roux. Bring the mixture to a bubble, allowing it to thicken, then reduce to low heat. Add the cheddar cheese, salt, mustard, nutmeg and white wine. Continue stirring until cheese melts, maybe 3-5 minutes. With any luck, the sauce will be nice and thick.
5. Pour into a into a 9X13 or 8X12 inch baking pan (8X8 works as well), thoroughly coating the pasta with sauce.
6. Sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned on top.

Pizza

Pizza

I decided to make pizza after a long day in downtown Birmingham, despite being exhausted (I'd also done an early morning swim). Not only was it a huge hit , but it was among the best pizzas I've ever made and enormously satisfying after the long day. Also, it was fun catching up in the kitchen as we assembled the pizzas, waited for them to cook, then devoured them. I followed Karina Aldrich, aka Gluten Free Goddess, for the crust with a few tweaks (and I inadvertently left out the baking powder Aldrich uses, but I liked the results):

For Crust:

1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup oatmeal flour (coarsely ground old fashioned oats is fine)
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup GF millet flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey - for proofing yeast
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup beaten egg whites
1/4 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

Suggestions for Toppings
Here was our pizza-making bar last night:

sugar-free pizza sauce from a jar 

sliced tomatoes

sliced black olives

cut up grilled red peppers

cut up grilled jalapeños 

grilled mushrooms

grated fresh mozzerella

grated parmesan 

grated feta

Italian salami, cut into one inch squares

marbled bacon, fried and cut up into small pieces

Instructions:
Grease pizza pans or baking sheets. I used three -- one for each member of the family. Dust lightly with gluten-free rice flour. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the GF flours and dry ingredients. 

Proof the yeast in 1 cup warm water with a small teaspoon scoop of honey.

Add the proofed yeast and water to the dry ingredients. Add the oil, eggs and vinegar. 

Beat the dough until smooth and sticky. Add a bit more water if you need to. The pizza dough should be creamy smooth and not too thick- it's not sturdy like typical bread dough. It almost borders on batter. 

Divide the dough into as many pizzas as you'd like to make (3, in our case). Scoop each onto the center of a prepared pizza pan. Using clean, wet hands press down lightly and flatten the dough to create a thin, even pizza shell. Smooth out the dough with wet palms.  Crust can be thick or thin, as you fancy.

Set the pizza shells in a warm cozy spot to rest and rise a bit- about 15 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400ºF or so.

When the oven is hot, place pizza pans in the oven (may need to go in shifts or use both racks (switch spots midway through) if pans are too large).

Bake for ten minutes till golden. Remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler.

Flip the pizza, so that the down side is now up. Brush the top of pizza shells with olive oil, if you like. Season with sea salt and whatever else you fancy. Sprinkle with Italian herbs, if you like. 

Each person who is partaking tops with preferred fresh vegetables, herbs, sauce, cheese, cooked meat, etc. (My to-die-for combination last night: sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, red peppers, jalapeños and a goodly amount of bacon, baby, with mozzarella and feta sprinkled atop).  

Broil briefly to melt the cheese, 4-5 minutes.

How many pizzas made depends on the size and thickness of the crusts!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe is adapted from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickentikkamasala_73305. My first effort was not brilliant, although it was edible, but I want to work with it further so am posting it here.   Note: Maudemarie likes just the chicken, without the sauce. I did not sauté the celery in the chile oil and I found it much too bland -- I believe this step is critical. The rice, developed from Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking, is amazing. 

Ingredients

         4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cubed

         2 in piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped

         1 tsp chili powder

         sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

         2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra to garnish (optional: MM prefers none)
         juice of one lime

         2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

         3 stalks celery, finely chopped 

         1 red chili, seeds removed and finely chopped (optional)

         1 tsp ground turmeric

         200ml/7fl oz double cream (or yogurt, for lighter version)

         juice of ½ lemon

Serve with

basmati rice with cumin seeds (see below)
vegetables -- we served with sautéed spinach (which was lovely) and steamed broccoli (which was okay)

        

Preparation:

        

1. Place chicken in a large bowl. Mix ginger, chili, salt, pepper, coriander, lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Marinate the chicken for several hours in this sauce. Heat a heavy-bottomed shallow pan and, when hot, add the chicken. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is browned on all sides.

        

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and flavor the oil with the chili. Cook celery for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Add the turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cream and cook gently for a couple of minutes.

        

3. Add the chicken to the creamy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Check for seasoning, and add lemon juice to taste. 

                 

4.  Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately with rice.

Basmati rice with cumin seeds

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

1.5 (or a bit less) cups water

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon (or more, to taste) olive or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)

chopped cilantro (optional)

Materials:

sauce pan

sieve

rack to go a couple inches over stovetop burner

Directions

1. Soak rice for at least 10 minutes in the water to be used for cooking. Then drain and reserve the water.

2. Heat oil in sauce pan. Add cumin until it becomes fragrant.

3. Add rice to the fragrant oil and sauté for a few minutes to coat.

4.  Then add the reserved water along with the salt.

5. Boil, then simmer for ten minutes.

6. Keeping burner on, elevate the pan over the heat and let the rice steam for another 10-15 minutes. We use a little stand over the burner that elevates the pan about 1.5 inches (and I am unable to locate what this wonderful tool is called). We have improvised with metal drying rack and pans, when we don’t have this tool at hand.

7. Garnish with cilantro, if you like.

Poached salmon

Poached Salmon

This simple recipe came from a kids'  cookbook called 1-2-3 Cook for Me! It's an easy and healthy choice to take to potlucks, if you want to do something ridiculously easy and very healthy.  

Ingredients
sockeye salmon fillet of any size (if large, cut in half so you have two pieces that fit into the pan)*
water (enough to mostly fill a large frying pan)
kosher salt (about 2 tablespoons per 4 cups of water)
about 10 peppercorns (per 4 cups of water)
1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar (optional, but recommended if you aren't going to eat the fish immediately)

Instructions
Cut the skin off the fish, if you like. This step is not necessary and I think it wastes a lot of fish.
Add water to the frying pan, then add the salt, peppercorns, and vinegar (if using). Bring to a boil, then lower to a low simmer (maybe one or two bubbles). Poach the fish for 20-25 minutes (longer is okay too).

*We use sockeye salmon because it seems to me the most sustainably raised and low-mercury fish choice available at present. It is getting more difficult to find in mid-Michigan supermarkets, however, and it's admittedly not cheap.

Poached chicken breasts

Poached chicken breasts

This is gentle food for those with GI issues, although the leftover chicken always gets a bit stinky somehow.  I have no idea what to do about that problem.

Ingredients
Chicken breasts (as many as you like)
chicken broth or salt water

Instructions
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook the chicken on a low simmer (maybe one or two bubbles in the water). Drain in a colander.

Corn Pancakes with Blackberries

Corn pancakes with blackberries

I developed this recipe working from the "Basic Pancake" formula in Alice Medrich's Flavor Flours (see page 23). Maudemarie loved them!

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups corn flour
2/3 cup finely ground corn meal
4 teaspoons baking powder
rounded teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
8 tablespoons butter
2 1/4 cups warmed milk
blackberries or other berries (optional) - we cut the blackberries into fourths (a good way to work on fractions with a six-year-old)

Instructions

Whisk the dry ingredients. Add butter, milk, and eggs and whisk until smooth. Add more milk if the batter gets too thick.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dollop about 1/3 cup of batter (or more or less, as you fancy) into the skillet. Add the berries, if you are using them, pushing them gently down into the pancakes. Cook until bubbles form on the sides of the pancake. We keep them in a warmed oven until we are all ready to dig in!

Greek Salad

Greek Salad

This recipe is inspired by a visit to Santorini in Chicago alongside Melissa Clark's awesome feta-brined chicken .  The key ingredient is sizzling feta cheese.  Opaa!

Ingredients 

handful of parsley (or lettuce or massaged kale)
handful of white legumes (such as cannelloni, lima beans, or chickpeas)
handful of chopped orange (or red or yellow) peppers
handful of chopped fresh fennel
a dozen or so pitted kalamata olives
2-3 teaspoons of fresh thyme or oregano (or a combination)
extra virgin olive oil (optional)


for the fried cheese
1 Tablespoon high-heat olive oil
1 to 1.5 oz. feta, cut into small cubes (I like feta-style raw goat's milk cheese sold by my local co-op)
kosher sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 drops essential lemon oil (I use Young Living, which claims to be therapeutic grade) or a bit of lemon zest


Directions
Mix the parsley, legumes, peppers, fennel, olives, and herbs in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a small cast iron skillet (or another frying pan that is not non-stick) and add in the salt, pepper, and lemon oil. When a drop of water sizzles, add the cheese. Sizzle cheese until browned on both sides.

Dump the cheese and oil onto the salad and mix it up. Drizzle on a bit of extra virgin olive oil if desired.

This recipe serves one hearty salad, but can be doubled, tripled, etc. as desired.

Corn and Clam Chowder

Corn & Cod Chowder

I adapted this chowder from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/summer-corn-and-cod-chowder-51101050 when I discovered cod and corn in the freezer. It works beautifully gluten-free, although it features bacon (just a wee bit for flavor), milk, and half-and-half; therefore, its low-fat and low-acid status are questionable.  It did not meet Maudemarie's approval, alas, but I liked it with GF cornbread (recipe coming soon). I imagine this chowder would work well with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 cup (or so) celery, 
• diced2 tablespoons all-purpose GF flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 cups 2 percent milk (I will try skim milk next time)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons (or more) finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (or less) freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound cod, skin removed, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a towel to soak up the oil, then crumble. In same pan, sauté celery for a few minutes until tender. Add flour; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes, milk, broth, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes or more. Stir in fish, corn and 2/3 bacon; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; simmer 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon. 

Oatmeal pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes

This recipe has evolved from Merilee Chick, the mother of my dear friend Kris. Many years ago, the Chick family invited me to spend some time at their place on Puget Sound. Among other fond memories from that trip -- digging up sand dollars, playing a ping-pong-like sport the name of which I can't remember) -- I remember falling in love with Merilee's divine oatmeal pancakes, which I've been making ever since. Here is a gluten-free articulation - we serve them with plain yogurt or whipped cream, maple syrup, bananas, and/or pecans.

1 1/2 cups GF quick oats (or old-fashioned oats ground up a bit)
2 cup milk or buttermilk (almond, rice, or soy milk is fine)
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sorghum flour (or oat, brown rice, or whatever GF flour you fancy)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons honey
blueberries, sliced strawberries, or chocolate chips (optional)

Mix oats and milk, then set aside for 20 minutes or so. Add butter and whisk. Then add eggs. Mix in flour, salk, baking powder, and soda.

Scoop out batter on the griddle -- making smaller pancakes seems to work best with this batter, especially if you aren't using quick oats. Add berries or chocolate chips, if you like.

strawberry muffins with almond and coconut flour

Strawberry muffins with almond and coconut flour

These muffins are stolen from Karina Albrich, with some adaptions for no sugar. They were a huge hit with Maudemarie. Combining coconut flour and oil seems to make magic here.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup white sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil, melted
heaping 1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
1/2 cup, minus 3 tablespoons, fat free milk
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients, beating until the batter is smooth (2 minutes or so).
Gently stir in the strawberries.

Dollop the batter into muffin cups and bake in the center of the oven for 22minutes, until domed and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.

Cool on a wire rack of five minutes, then turn out the muffins to continue cooling on the rack.

Fudgy brownies

Fudgy brownies
This adult brownie does not appeal to Maudemarie, but Matt and I adore it slathered with maple-syrup sweetened whipped cream and berries. An inspiration from Leslie Cerier's hazelnut brownies.

2 eggs
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate bar (optional - I use a food processor to chop)*

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch round pan with coconut oil.

Whisk the eggs for 2 minutes or so. Mix in apple juice.

Melt the coconut oil and baking chocolate together on low heat in a small skillet. Add maple syrup to the coconut chocolate mixture, then add to the eggs and juice. Stir in remaining ingredients, save for 1/4 cup of the chocolate (if you are using) - do not worry about over mixing. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating.

*Unless you can find a chocolate bar without sugar, adding the dark chocolate introduces cane sugar.

Granola

Granola
This is a riff from granola a la Gluten Free Goddess.
~4 cups GF oats (I use Bob's red mill)
~1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
~1/2 cup chopped pecans (i put the hazelnuts and pecans in a food processor together)
~1/2 t sea salt (sometimes I leave it out)
6 tablespoons coconut oil (i use organic)
goodly dollop of peanut butter (maybe between 4 T to 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces(optional)
1/2 - 1 cup chopped dried cherries or apricots (optional)

Heat oven to 325. Get out large baking pan - I use 11 X 15 inches, but bigger might work even better.
Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl or baking pan. Heat coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. After melted, add peanut butter and maple syrup until incorporated. Mix wet ingredients into oat mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Stir once or twice while baking. 

If you fancy chocolate, add it and stir well until it melts onto the granola, after it bakes. If you like, add dried fruit. I cool the granola in the baking pan.