Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Winter has arrive in NC. We had snow and cold temperatures this weekend, so what better weather for baking cookies? 

Notes: These came out great. I have been loyal to a different cookie recipe for a long time and these may just be my new favorite!

I adapted these from this recipe. I'm a fan of chewy chocolate chip cookies, but these were supposed to be a mix of chewy and crispy. I replaced the shortening in this recipe with butter, in part because I don't have shortening and in part because shortening makes cookies crispier. 

If you use salted butter, just omit the salt from this recipe.

Don't like nuts? Just sub out another cup of chocolate chips. 

The dough was dry after I chilled it, so I ended up balling it up in my hands before putting it on the trays.

The original recipe calls for baking them at 375, but my oven runs hot. I knocked the temperature back for the second batch and that worked better.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

Directions: In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together until the mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. 

With the mixer on low, add the flour and mix until it's about halfway incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and the pecan pieces and mix until everything is incorporated.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour and up to 24. 

Heat the oven to 350. Drop the cookies onto two sheet trays, about 2 inches apart. Bake for between 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the trays and cool the rest of the way on a rack. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ramen

I have been wanting to try ramen for a good long while. Despite the fact that the calendar says September, it's not exactly chilly fall weather. Ramen is a cold-weather comfort food, for sure, but I decided I couldn't wait any longer to make it.

Notes: Ramen is all about the broth. The time you take to build the flavor and pay attention to it is 100% worth it. 

Remember those chicken wings I made? I saved the bones after we ate them and used them in the broth. In all the recipes I read, bones were considered essential to getting the right depth and texture. If you want your ramen to be properly vegetarian, leave them out. You might need to supplement and add more soy sauce to make up for the flavor loss. 

When you put all the ingredients in the broth, don't bother chopping or peeling. You'll fish out all the big pieces so you can strain the broth later, so all the solids will end up in a strainer.

Is this traditional ramen broth? Hardly. I'm not a fan of buying speciality ingredients that I'm not sure I will like or use. So, when I do recipe research, I usually try to replace the specialty stuff with similar things I use. For example, I don't have fish sauce or miso, both of which are traditional for ramen. But, I do have anchovy paste, which has some of the same flavor notes. Also, I left out the traditional soft boiled egg because Scott doesn't eat eggs.

Speaking of specialty ingredients, ramen noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store are kind of expensive. Ramen noodles in the pre-packaged food section are cheap. So, I bought a six-pack of those. You follow the directions on the package, but you skip the step where you add the little flavor packet (holy moly, that thing is chocked full of salt). 

This recipe makes enough noodles for two bowls. If you're feeding four people, I'd use two packages of noodles. 

Haven't used bok choy before? It's in the cabbage family and is often in Asian dishes. The green tops and the white lower parts are both edible. It had a nice mild flavor and the white parts have a great crunch.

Ingredients:

For broth:

4 cups (32 oz) beef stock

4 cups water (preferably filtered)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 dozen bones from chicken wings (approx)

2 carrots

2 spring onions

1 stalk rosemary

5 garlic cloves

1-inch piece if ginger (or 2 tablespoons grated ginger)

2 tablespoons anchovy paste (or 4 anchovy filets)

For serving:

1 package of shitake mushrooms

1 bunch bok choy (or 2 bunches baby bok choy)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 small bunch cilantro

2 spring onions

1 carrot

1 package of ramen noodles + 2 cups of water (see notes)

Sesame seeds

Red pepper flakes

Olive oil

Directions: In the slow cooker, combine all the broth ingredients and set on low for 8 hours. When time is up, remove the large ingredients with a spider or tongs and discard.

Put a stock pot in the sink. Take a strainer, line it with cheese cloth, and place it inside the stock pot. Pour the broth through the strainer. Put the broth on the stove and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the ramen.

For the base, slice the mushrooms and boy choy. Add a bit of olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to brown (about 7 minutes). Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the bok choy is wilted and tender. Sprinkle in some sesame seeds toward the end of cooking.

For the noodles, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles from the ramen package (do not use the seasoning packet). Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.

For the toppings, use a peeler to make ribbons with the carrot. Rough chop the cilantro and finely slice the spring onions.

To assemble, place a little pile of noodles in the bottom of soup bowl. Ladle in the broth, filling the bowl about 3/4 full. Spoon in some of the mushroom and bok choy. Top with carrot ribbons, cilantro, and spring onions. Serve, slurp, and enjoy!

Pear Pie

Why do people not use pears in dessert more often? I think they're one of the forgotten fall flavors. Apples and pumpkins get all the glory, but pears are right there waiting for their moment! I saw a magazine article about pear desserts and saw a pear and apple pie. But why let apples hog the spotlight? I re-tooled it to be a pear pie. 

Notes: I adapted this recipe from one I found in Southern Living magazine. 

You can probably use whatever pears you like in here. You want pears that are ripe, but not super mushy. I got some pretty ripe pears and was worried they'd be too soft, but they turned out fine. If you have tart pears, you might want to let them sit in the sugar for a little bit to let them macerate a little. 

Could you use a pre-made pie crust? Of course. But making your own pie crust is not as hard as it sounds. Lots of pie crust recipes call for a food processor, but you don't need one. People have been making pies before food processors were in existence. This recipe makes a top and a bottom crust.

When you're adding the water to the flour to make the pie crust, just add it slowly. You'll get impatient because it seems like the dough isn't coming together. Resist the temptation to dump more water into the bowl. It's hard to correct a wet dough, but it's easy to add water to a dry one. You just want the dough to be formed enough so that it holds together in a ball. That's all you need it to do, so don't knead it or anything once it gets to that stage. 

If you let your pie crust sit in the fridge for more than an hour, you'll want to take it out while you're preparing the pie filling so that it can take some of the chill off. It'll be easier to roll out. 

Ingredients:

1 prepared pie crust (recipe follows)

4-5 pears (I used Bartlett) 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg beaten for egg wash (optional)

Directions: Heat the oven to 375. 

Peel and cut your pears into about 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, mix them with the two sugars, flour, spices, and vanilla. Set aside while you roll out your pie crust.

Roll one disc into a 12-inch circle and line it in the bottom of the pie dish. If you want to make a lattice top, roll the other disc into a 12-inch circle and cut it into strips about an inch or inch and a half wide (I used a pizza cutter). If you just want a standard pie, leave the top as a circle. 

Pour your pie filling into the pie dish. You can either lay the dough strips across the pie and weave them into a lattice or you can just lay half the strips in one direction and the other half in the other direction (that's what I did) to create a lattice pattern. Cut off the excess dough and crimp the dough closed on the edge of the dish using a fork (you can also just pinch it closed if you like the fluted look). 

If you're not doing the lattice top, be sure to cut some slits into the top pie crust to let air escape. If you're using egg wash, brush it on the pie.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Once that time is up, loosely cover the pie with foil to prevent the edges from browning too much. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the pie is bubbly and the crust is a light golden brown. Let the pie cool for a least an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Pie crust: 

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tbs sugar

2 tsps kosher salt

1 cup (2 standard sticks) cold unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, omit the salt above)

1/4-1/3 cold water 

Directions: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and use a pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture until it's the texture of wet sand and the butter is the size of small peas. Add in the cold water a little at a time and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Divide it in half and shape into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Honey Ginger Baked Chicken Wings

When you think chicken wings, you probably think Buffalo wings. But there are so many more flavor combinations to explore! And there's no need to fry them to get a juicy, delicious wing. Baking them on a rack at a high temp will get you the same crispiness you're looking for. 

Notes:  These are so, so delicious. I could eat them all by themselves and be happy. 

I bet this would be lovely on chicken thighs as well. If you're using white meat, I would let the spice mixture sit on the chicken in the fridge for at few hours. White meat is hard to season really thoroughly. 

If you're looking for something to make for a football-watching spread, these wings would make a great appetizer. 

I haven't tried it, but I think it would be safe to double this recipe if you need to feed more people. This feeds Scott and I, but it wouldn't be enough for four.

Ingredients:

1 dozen chicken wings, approx (party wings, drumettes, etc.)

3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ginger paste

Sesame seeds garnish

Olive oil

Directions: Heat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put an oven-safe cooling rack on the baking sheet.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings with all the dry spices (salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, allspice). Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Place the wings on the rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes until they're starting to get brown and crispy. 

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, and ginger. When the wings are done, let them cool a few minutes just so you can safely handle them. Put them in a large bowl and pour the soy sauce mixture over them. Toss to coat. 

Put the wings back on the rack, pouring any excess sauce left in the bowl over the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve and and enjoy!

Almost didn't get a photo before we ate them all

Homemade cole slaw dressing

When I made veggie burgers the other night, I made cole slaw as a side dish. Now, you can buy cole slaw dressing in a jar, but (a) those jars are huge and you won't use it all and (b) it's super easy to make your own!

Notes: I make this even easier by mixing the dressing right in the bowl where I plan to put the cole slaw. 

This makes enough dressing to reasonably dress about 4 cups of cole slaw (about half of one those bagged mixes). I say "reasonably" because I don't like over-dressed slaw. It should be thoroughly coated, but not swimming in dressing. 

You can 100% make this ahead of time. Even a day ahead would be fine! But certainly the morning of. I think it's best if you make it at least an hour ahead so it has time to sit in the fridge and marinate. 

Ingredients: 

2.5 tablespoons mayo

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons honey mustard

2 teaspoons relish (sweet or dill, whichever you like)

About 10 dashes hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Directions: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Toss with about four cups of your favorite cole slaw mix.

White Bean and Roasted Carrot Burgers

Veggie burgers: when they are terrible, they are really terrible. Dense, dry, and flavorless. I think they're hard to do well. Partly it's because people tend to think of them as mere meat replacements rather than allowing them to speak for themselves. 

Notes: There are plenty of things you can do ahead of time for this recipe. I made the carrots the day before. If you're putting sliced tomato or onion on your burgers, slice those up as early as the morning you plan to serve them. Just put them in separate plastic containers in the fridge.

If you have a grill pan, you can use that to cook the burgers. I wouldn't put them on the actual grill. They're soft, so they'll fall apart far too easily.

You could season these burgers a number of different ways. Some lemon zest and fresh oregano would be delicious, if you wanted a Greek-inspired flavor. You could also do a Moroccan-style combo with some ginger and some allspice. I think next time I make them I'll use some chipotle.

Have fun with your burger fixin's, too. I had some leftover sun-dried tomato pesto, so I made some pesto mayo. 

Ingredients:

2 15oz cans of cannelini beans (or Great Northern beans)

2 cups baby carrots (or "adult" carrots cut into 1-inch pieces)

1 cup bread crumbs (not Panko)

1 egg

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh parlsey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Hot sauce to taste

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

You favorite burger fixin's

Directions: Heat the oven to 400. Toss the baby carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them for about 40 minutes until they're brown and can be pierced easily with a fork. 

Let the carrots cool for a few minutes. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to buzz them into a paste. Set aside (or put in the fridge if you do this ahead of time). 

Drain (but don't rinse) the beans. In a large bowl, mash the beans with a potato masher (don't break them up completely, you want some whole beans for texture). Add in the carrots, egg, the spices, and hot sauce and combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the bread crumbs and herbs until everything is mixed together. Form the mixture into four patties and set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add in your burger patties. Cook for about 7 minutes per side or until each side is crispy and brown. Put them on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain slightly. 

Dress up your burger buns with your favorite stuff and enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Lasagna

I'm trying to up my vegetarian meals game. I make lasagna fairly regularly, and the vegetarian version is usually spinach. I decided I needed a refresh. 

Notes: If you're in a hurry, just use your favorite jarred sauce. But if you have the time, the homemade version is easy to do!

Maybe you're surprised by the appearance of mint on the herbs list? You shouldn't be! Mint is under-used in savory dishes and it goes great with eggplant.

I used to think that you had boil lasagna noodles like you boiled other pasta, but really there's no need. You just need them to be pliable. If you cook them all the way, you lose the texture when you put them in the oven. It's also way harder to layer them when you need to assemble everything---they just fall apart. 

I know those no-boil lasagna noodles are all the rage, but honestly? They aren't very good. They don't stand up to a hearty lasagna. And they have a weird taste.

Lasagna is a great make-ahead dish. You can roast the veggies and put the ricotta mixture together earlier in the day and just keep them in the fridge until dinner time. I'd take them out while your pasta water is coming to a boil so that they're closer to room temperature. You can also assemble the whole lasagna and put the baking dish in the fridge! Make sure you let it sit out for 30 minutes before you put it in the hot oven.  

Ingredients: 

1 normal-sized eggplant

1 package of mushrooms (white or baby bella)

1 small onion

1 15 oz. package of ricotta

1 mozzarella ball

Approx. 28 oz of marinara sauce (homemade recipe to follow)

1 egg

1 box of lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, fresh mint

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Directions: Heat the oven to 400. 

Start with your marina sauce if you're making your own (recipe follows). If not, roast your vegetables. De-stem the mushrooms and slice them. Dice the eggplant in 1-inch pieces. Slice the onion thick. Put everything on a sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast them for 15-20 minutes until soft and starting to brown. Set aside and drop the oven temperature down to 375.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and then add the ricotta and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined. Put the bowl in the fridge while you do other things. 

In a large pot, bring water to just below a boil. Add salt and then put in your lasagna noodles. Let them cook until they're pliable, use tongs to gently separate them in the pot. Slice your mozzarella ball (keep the slices kind of thin).

When the noodles are done, ladle about a cup of marinara sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Put four noodles in the dish. Top them with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Top that with 1/3 of the eggplant mixture. Top with another cup of sauce. Repeat the layers until the veggies and ricotta are used up. Put four noodles on top and pour the remaining sauce over them. Put slices of mozzarella on top. 

Cover with foil and bake for between 30-40 minutes until it's all bubbly and the noodles have expanded. Take the foil off and bake for 5-10 more minutes until the mozzarella starts to brown. Remove from the oven and wait about 7-10 minutes before you cut into it. Serve and enjoy!

Easy marina sauce

Ingredients: 

1 small onion

5-6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, fresh oregano, fresh parsley

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Directions: In a skillet or sauce pan on medium, sauté the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil until it's tender and starting to brown (about 10-15 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook 5 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add in the herbs and pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir everything together. If it looks a little thick, add just a bit of water. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for as long as you have--the longer the better.