Today I decided to finally try a cookie recipe from "The Gourmet Cookie Book". Ever since I came across this book at work I've been so excited to try out all the recipes in it. It features "the single best recipe from each year 1941-2009" as originally published in Gourmet Magazine. When making my resolutions for the year I was tempted to resolve to make one recipe from this book each week, but then I realized it was a really bad idea to make cookies every single week. Even if I gave them away and brought them to work, I'd still gain a million pounds. So instead I decided to just try one new recipe of any sort each week, knowing that now and then I'd try a new cookie recipe. These came out really well. They feel like Christmas. And I learned something new! If you sprinkle 2 or 3 drops of water on the cookies right before you bake them (as the recipe says you should) they get that perfect crackled look on top. I'll have to try that next time I make snickerdoodles. I couldn't tell if more or less water led to more crackling... oh well, some water made some crackles and they looked nice and were delicious. They remind me of the molasses cookies I ate when I was a kid, but with a little bit more of a ginger kick. The recipe says it makes 11 dozen, but that can't possibly be right. I think mine were bigger than they were supposed to be and I made 5 dozen. Recipe #5, another cookie success!
Ingredients:
3/4 cups butter or shortening, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses (mild, not robust)
2 and 1/4 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
sugar
water
Instructions:
Cream butter and then gradually beat in dark brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and blend thoroughly. Sift flour and combine with baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Gradually blend dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Chill dough, covered, for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Dip the tops in sugar and place 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with 2 or 3 drops of water (this gives the cookies a distinctive crackled look). Bake for 7-8 minutes. If you take them out early, when they've just set, they'll be soft and slightly chewy. Leave them in a little longer and they'll get crisp.
Makes about 5 dozen.
New skills: dropping water on cookies
New ingredients: molasses, cloves
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
#4 - Pesto Tortellini
I attempted to make Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans and Tomatoes, another recipe from "Cook This Not That!", but the grocery store didn't have any gnocchi and I was too tired to make it from scratch, so I improvised and made Pesto Tortellini instead. It was sooooooooooo good! Cheesy pasta with pesto, can't really go wrong there. Recipe #4, done and I can't wait to make it again!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh green beans
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 packages of premade cheese tortellini (or ravioli or gnocchi) (about 18 ounces total)
1/2 cup of pesto
1 cup bite-size cubes of fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions:
Wash the tomatoes and green beans. Snap the ends off the green beans and break into bite-size lengths. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and green beans and cook for 3 minutes, then toss in the tomatoes and continue cooking until they're browned on the outside (about 5 more minutes, don't let the green beans get too soft).
Cook and drain the tortellini according to the package. Combine the veggies with the pasta, pesto, and mozzarella cubes in the big pot. Mix in a little parmesan cheese if desired, or grate fresh parmesan on top of each serving after scooping into bowls.
Makes 4 servings.
New skills: cleaning fresh green beans I guess?
New ingredients: nothing
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh green beans
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 packages of premade cheese tortellini (or ravioli or gnocchi) (about 18 ounces total)
1/2 cup of pesto
1 cup bite-size cubes of fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions:
Wash the tomatoes and green beans. Snap the ends off the green beans and break into bite-size lengths. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and green beans and cook for 3 minutes, then toss in the tomatoes and continue cooking until they're browned on the outside (about 5 more minutes, don't let the green beans get too soft).
Cook and drain the tortellini according to the package. Combine the veggies with the pasta, pesto, and mozzarella cubes in the big pot. Mix in a little parmesan cheese if desired, or grate fresh parmesan on top of each serving after scooping into bowls.
Makes 4 servings.
New skills: cleaning fresh green beans I guess?
New ingredients: nothing
Sunday, January 23, 2011
#3 - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Decided to make cookies for a friend's birthday, so I found a recipe that had 4.5 stars on allrecipes.com and they were aaaaaaamazing. Easy, quick, delicious. What more can you ask for in a cookie recipe? I barely changed this one. Cooking is an art, baking is a science, right? Recipe #3, check!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (I used 1/2 cup salted, 1/2 cup unsalted)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats ***I had looked at a recipe that called for regular rolled oats and bought those, but then used this recipe, so I decided to use up the last 1.5 cups of quick oats in my cupboard and then use 1.5 cups of regular oats. I think I'd do it the same next time because the texture of these cookies was completely perfect.***
1 and 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 3-4 dozen. Keep well for at least a few days... if they're not all eaten within the first 24 hours.
New skills: nothing
New ingredients: nothing
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (I used 1/2 cup salted, 1/2 cup unsalted)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats ***I had looked at a recipe that called for regular rolled oats and bought those, but then used this recipe, so I decided to use up the last 1.5 cups of quick oats in my cupboard and then use 1.5 cups of regular oats. I think I'd do it the same next time because the texture of these cookies was completely perfect.***
1 and 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 3-4 dozen. Keep well for at least a few days... if they're not all eaten within the first 24 hours.
New skills: nothing
New ingredients: nothing
#2 - Black Bean Soup
I've been in a soup mood... and excited about using my new hand blender... so I tried a recipe for black bean soup with salsa cream that I found in my sister's "Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup" cookbook. It was pretty good, not great, but I added more spices to the leftovers and that significantly improved the flavor, making it a great soup that I will definitely make again in the future. I only used one jalapeno, but it would definitely be better with two. I altered the original recipe a bit by adding chili powder and increasing the spice measurements (all reflected in the recipe below). I paired it with quesadillas (roasted red and green peppers and pepper jack cheese) that were good with the extra salsa cream. Made for a great meal. Recipe #2, done!
Ingredients:
For soup:
2 cans black beans
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried coriander (cilantro)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
8 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
For salsa cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons purchased fresh salsa
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Ingredients:
For soup:
2 cans black beans
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried coriander (cilantro)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
8 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
For salsa cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons purchased fresh salsa
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chile to taste along with the garlic, bell pepper, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and the mixture is very aromatic, 7-10 minutes.
Add the beans and water, cover partially, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree the soup, leaving some texture. Add the lime juice, minced cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently over medium heat.
Just before serving, make the salsa cream. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, salsa, and salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each bowl with the salsa cream and a cilantro sprig.
Makes about 8 servings.
New skills: figuring out recipes... cilantro vs. coriander!
New ingredients: cilantro and coriander!
Add the beans and water, cover partially, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree the soup, leaving some texture. Add the lime juice, minced cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently over medium heat.
Just before serving, make the salsa cream. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, salsa, and salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each bowl with the salsa cream and a cilantro sprig.
Makes about 8 servings.
New skills: figuring out recipes... cilantro vs. coriander!
New ingredients: cilantro and coriander!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
#1 - Butternut Squash Soup
The whole family was in DC for a day of sightseeing and we had lunch at my apartment, so I made green bean casserole, ham, and butternut squash soup. I adapted a recipe from "Cook This Not That!" to make it vegetarian (veggie broth instead of chicken, no bacon). Everyone seemed to enjoy it, but it wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping for and the texture was too much like applesauce for my liking. Maybe the squash wasn't ripe enough? Too ripe? I think if it cooks longer and the whole thing is mixed more with the hand blender the texture might improve. More nutmeg and more pepper might perk up the flavor too. I don't think I'll be trying this one again anytime soon, but still, one recipe attempted!
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
olive oil
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub the halves with a touch of oil and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place open side up on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is very soft, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool. When it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh. ***I did this two nights in advance and then just kept it in the refrigerator until it was time to make the soup.***
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent (but not browned), about 3 minutes. Add the apple and cook until soft, another 3 minutes or so. Add the squash pieces and broth. Remove from the heat and use a hand blender to mix until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return to the heat, bring to a simmer. Serve hot. ***My sister peeled and minced the ginger root, so if I use fresh ginger again someday it will really be my first time working with that particular ingredient.***
Makes 4-6 servings.
New skills: baking butternut squash, using ginger root
New ingredients: fresh ginger
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
olive oil
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub the halves with a touch of oil and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place open side up on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is very soft, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool. When it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh. ***I did this two nights in advance and then just kept it in the refrigerator until it was time to make the soup.***
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent (but not browned), about 3 minutes. Add the apple and cook until soft, another 3 minutes or so. Add the squash pieces and broth. Remove from the heat and use a hand blender to mix until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return to the heat, bring to a simmer. Serve hot. ***My sister peeled and minced the ginger root, so if I use fresh ginger again someday it will really be my first time working with that particular ingredient.***
Makes 4-6 servings.
New skills: baking butternut squash, using ginger root
New ingredients: fresh ginger
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Resolution
I'm going to try 52 new recipes this year! It seems to me that the best way to learn to cook and bake all sorts of different things is to just go ahead and try to make them, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll aim for one new recipe per week, but some weeks I might try two and others none at all. By working with new ingredients and trying out new methods and/or cooking tools as I go I'm hoping to end up with a well stocked, comprehensive spice rack and a kitchen holding everything I need to cook any great meal or bake any amazing dessert I want to make in the future.
So here goes :)
So here goes :)
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