Chewy, Spicy, Ginger Cookies - Perfect for the Holidays!

In my opinion, these are the best ever ginger cookies. The original recipe can be found here, but I made a few alterations, because I wanted to give them a bit more kick.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Recipe from Bon Appétit

+ 2 cups all purpose flour

+ 3 teaspoons ground ginger

+ 2 teaspoons baking soda

+ 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

+ 1 teaspoon ground cloves

+ 3/4 teaspoon salt

+ 3/4 cup crystallized ginger (chopped small)

+ 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

+ 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature

+ 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

+ 1 large egg

+ 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

+ Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. 

+ Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. 

+ Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

+ Preheat oven to 350°F. . Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. (Make sure to cover the baking sheets with parchment paper.)

+ Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Pumpkin Spice Soup

The cold weather has finally arrived. Yup. It's here in full force. Below 0C every night.

Although this means that summer is finally over (sigh), it also means that I can legitimately start making soups for dinner every night. Yum. Here is a recipe for a new-found favorite: pumpkin spice soup. Inspired by the good folks at the Moosewood Restaurant, I have made a few alterations to their Tunisian Pumpkin Soup recipe. 

Pumpkin Spice Soup (with fresh spice topping, for good measure):

Inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant 

+ 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

+ 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

+ 2 medium onions (about 2 cups), chopped

+ 2 cups canned pumpkin

+ 2 tbsp olive oil

+ 3 cups water 

+ 1/2 cup tomato juice

+ 1 cup real unsweetened apple juice

+ 1 tsp salt

+ 1/2 tsp paprika 

+ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

+ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

+ 1 tsp ground cumin

In a soup pot, saute the onions until they are translucent (8-10 minutes). Add the parsnips, carrots and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the water, tomato juice, apple juice. Let this simmer until the vegetables are cooked (about 15 minutes). Add the pumpkin, make sure it is properly mixed in and then blend (I used an immersion blender, but a regular blender would work fine, as well).

Fresh spice topping:
Inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant

+ 2 tbsp olive oil

+ 1 tsp crushed garlic

+ 2 tsp ground corriander

+ 1/4 tsp cayenne

+ 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

+ 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

+ 1/8 tsp salt

Saute the crushed garlic in oil for about 1 minute. Add the coriander and cayenne. Stir constantly until it bubbles (about another minute). With the mixture off the heat, add the fresh lemon juice, cilantro and salt. Drop a heaping teaspoon into the pumpkin spice soup for a flavor overload (in a good way)

No-cook tomato sauce.

I love making pizza from scratch. Sauce included. However, sometime I just don't have that much time (or foresight) to get things done. Not to mention trying to motivate myself to make a sauce AND a pizza on the same night. Enter easy no-cook tomato sauce. Adapted from this recipe, it is perfect for making a quick but totally homemade pizza.

No-cook pizza sauce


+ 1 can of tomato paste (about 5.5 ounces or 156 ml)
+ 1 cup water
+ 1/3 cup olive oil
+ 2 - 3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
+ 10 basil leaves, chopped fine
+ 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped fine (about 1 tsp)
+ 1/2 tbsp dried oregano (fresh would work too)
+ 1/2 tsp dried chili peppers
+ salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and set aside for a few hours to let the flavors blend. That's it. That's all.


* I have let this sauce rest for both 1 hour, or overnight. It is equally delicious both ways, so don't worry if you forget to make it the night before. I just let it rest at the same time as the dough is rising. Easy-peasy.

Semi-Improvised Wheatberry Salad

As I was browsing in the bulk food store the other day (yes, browsing) I came across wheatberries. Having previously read about this grain on Daily Nibbles I decided to pick some up. Also, I had a feeling that a wheat berry salad would make a perfect lunch. Boy was I right.

After I brought the said grain home, though, I had no idea what I was getting into. According to Wiki:

"The term wheatberry or wheat berry refers to the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture; as a whole grain, they also provide nutritional benefits since they are an excellent source of dietary fiber." (Wikipedia) 

So, they are healthy. Good. I also discovered that they are delicious. Seriously good. And, keeping with a previous post, they make a perfect hearty salad.

Semi- Improvised Wheatberry Salad
Inspired by the recipe posted on Daily Nibbles.

+ 1 cup wheatberries
+ 1/3 cup nuts (I used almonds)
+ 1/3 cup raisins 

+ 1 apple (I used granny smith)

+ 1/3 cup almonds, slivered
+ 2 cups vegetables (I used bell peppers, corn, peas, and carrots)
+ 1/2 a small onion
+ 1/4 cup vinegar (I used apple cider, but you could probably use any kind)
+ 1/4 cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
+ Salt and pepper to taste
+ 1/2 a small lemon

First, cook the wheatberries. Make sure you set aside enough time, as they take quite a long time to be ready. I cooked a cup of wheatberries in about 5 cups of water, and drained them once they were cooked (about 1 hour). You could probably use less water, or even make them in a slow cooker, but the-cook-and-drain method suited me fine. When they are cooked, wheatberries are chewy and have a bit of nutty flavor. Pretty tasty.

When the wheatberries are cooking, get your other ingredients chopped and ready. I roughly chopped mine, but you could make them smaller or larger, if you are so inclined. Just cut them, and drop them in a big bowl along with the slivered almonds and the raisins (other dried fruits and nuts would probably also be quite good, too). If you don't want your apple to brown, make sure to toss them in a bit of lemon juice first. My salad lasted two days, and the apple didn't brown one bit.

In a small bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. If you have any fresh herbs, you could also include those.

When the wheatberries are ready, toss everything together. You'll have one delicious salad.

Orange, Almond, and Coconut Granola

Every Sunday -- especially the cold and rainy Sundays that we have been having lately -- I like to cook. Or bake. Sometimes both. Extra points if what I am making will last over the course of the week without spoiling. Enter granola (in this case: orange, almond and unsweetened coconut granola). Good, crunchy goodness that lasts all week long (if it isn't eaten immediately). Bonus: as it bakes, granola makes your home smell amazing; so fragrant. Delicious.

Orange, Almond, and Coconut Granola

+ 2 cups oats (use quick oats, not instant)

+ 1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds

+ 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

+ 2 tsp cinnamon

+ the zest of 1 orange

+ 1/4 cup honey

+ 1/8 cup molasses

+ 2 tbsp vegetable oil

+ a pinch of salt

+ 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used dates, but this recipe is great with raisins or dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 300F. 

Mix the oats, almonds, coconut, and salt in a big bowl and then set aside. In a small pot, add the cinnamon, orange zest, honey, molasses and vegetable oil. Heat until it combines and a more fluid consistency is reached (about 1 minute on low heat). This will also allow the orange and cinnamon flavors to infuse the honey and molasses. Once combined, add to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended. 

Bake the granola mixture for 10 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Take out the tray, still well, and then continue baking for 8 to 10 minutes. The granola should brown but remain chewy so I suggest taking it out at this point and let it cool. It should firm up to be an ideal granola consistency.

This granola is perfect paired with some yogurt (I love Greek style yogurts) and some honey.

A Simple Salad

I love to cook. Don't get me wrong. However, I don't have endless hours to create spectacular meals during the week. Enter simple salads. Easy, healthy, and if done right, filling. Here is my favorite recipe for tabbouleh, modified from The Joy of Cooking.

Tabbouleh

Cook one cup of bulgur in 2 cups water. I don't usually bother cooking the bulgur over the stove and instead put it into a pot filled with 2 cups boiling water and let it sit. By the time I have all the other ingredients ready, the bulgur is appropriately chewy (read: not soggy). Once it is ready, put it in a strainer to remove any remaining water.

While the bulgur is steeping, mix together: 

+ 2 cups parsley, finely chopped

+ 3/4 cup mint, finely chopped

+ 1 medium onion, finely chopped

+ a handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped (any tomatoes will do, but I love the flavor of smaller tomatoes)

In a small bowl, whisk together:

+ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

+ 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

+ 1 tsp ground pepper

+ 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Once everything is chopped and ready, combine well. Makes a very hardy salad. The leftovers are particularly delicious.

Cold Weather Breakfast: Oatmeal with Egg

Here is a recipe for oatmeal. Yup, oatmeal. Although it is one of the simplest breakfasts to make, oftentimes it is bland and uninspired. This recipe is amazing: rich, smooth, full of flavor, protein, all that good stuff.

Oatmeal with Egg (yes, EGG)

+ Make oats per the directions on the package (usually it is something to the effect of 1 cup of water to 1/2 cup of oats, with a pinch of salt. Those are the directions on mine, anyways. *note: use quick oats, not instant.
+ Once they are almost done, add a splash of vanilla extract (I didn't measure, but you probably need 1/2 tsp. make it to taste: if you like vanilla add more, if you don't, you could add cinnamon or another spice of your choice) and 1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (I only add one tbsp, but I don't love sugary breakfasts. If you like it sweet, add more).
+ Once everything is incorporated and the oats are fully cooked, crack an egg into the mixture and stir. Fast. I usually stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute - at this point the egg will be totally incorporated. Delicious.

Confessions of a recent graduate:

1. I find inspiration in all things arts, crafts, and design. 

2. I need a creative outlet now that I am not currently immersed in an academic setting that encourages imagination and originality of all kinds.

3. I cook. A lot. And, I enjoy nothing more than sharing the food that I have prepared. This includes recipes, both appropriated and invented.

I hope that this blog, if nothing else, will function as an avenue of escape from my (newly) pent up artistic anxiety. A narrative, a release and an exploration of the self, both real and imaginary.