The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever.

I know a lot of people claim to make the best chocolate chip cookies, but I'm telling the truth. Especially if you prefer your cookies to be crisp around the edges, chewy and moist in the middle, puffy, instead of flat, and full of chocolate chips. In the past, I actually have preferred oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip, just because I never have liked the way they turn out when I bake them -- flat, greasy, and a little bit cakey.

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This recipe was passed along to me by my friend who claimed that, as a child, she was able to trade these for all sorts of things on the playground. I have tweaked it just a little bit to make it even more flavorful and to improve the texture. I replaced half of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour. I just think it has more of a taste and provides a nice structure, but you really won't even know it's there. Let me know your results if you decide to try these AMAZING cookies.

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As a note: I am really hooked on baking nearly everything on parchment paper. It makes things evenly brown on the bottom and there is absolutely no sticking. My mom bought me the Silpat liners that you see in the pictures, that work just like parchment, but you can use them over and over. Parchment is less than $3/box, however, and you can reuse it a couple of times before you need to toss it.

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever.

1 1/2 cups butter, very soft and nearly melted

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 eggs

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2 cups all-purpose flour

2 scant cups (2 cups, minus 2 tablespoons) whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

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1 3/4 cups oatmeal, ground to powder in the food processor or blender (measure BEFORE grinding)

3 cups chocolate chips

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Using your paddle attachment, in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugars for at least three minutes, until sugar is dissolved, and mixture is light in color and very fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and scrape down the sides of the bowl. In another bowl whisk together flours, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to butter mixture until just incorporated. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips. Allow dough to sit, covered, at room temperature for at least an hour before baking cookies. It is even better to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight (covered) and then allow it to come to room temperature before baking.

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees*. Bake on parchment covered cookie sheets for just under 8 minutes, until edges are brown and the middle is just set. Let cookies rest for at least two minutes before removing from the cookie sheet to cool.

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*I baked mine at 350 degrees, using the Speed Bake, or convection setting on my oven. They were perfectly baked at 7 minutes, 30 seconds.

Butternut Squash Risotto -- the Ultimate Comfort Food

I wish the picture was better so I could really demonstrate how delicious this dish is. I remember when I first made risotto, I was following a recipe out of The New Vegetarian Epicure, and I was shocked at how much more flavorful and creamy it was than just regular rice. Sure, it's a bit more work, but it is work well spent. Now, whenever I go to an Italian restaurant, I order the risotto instead of the pasta, which speaks to how yummy risotto is, considering how much I love pasta.

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Risotto is an Italian rice dish that uses pearl rice, or arborio, cooking it very slowly while adding the liquid incrementally, instead of all at once. This makes the dish very creamy, and you are able to stop cooking the rice when it is al dente, as opposed to letting it get over mushy. I prefer to cut the squash in different sized chunks -- some bigger, some smaller. This way, some of the squash melts in the rice, creating a sauce, and the larger pieces stay firm and separate from the rice. I also do not drink wine, and make my risotto using only broth, but feel free to substitute up to a cup of wine for the broth and add it as the first liquid into the risotto.

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Butternut Squash Risotto

1 large onion, diced

1 small butternut squash, cut into various chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (if you use dry, reduce to 1/2 tsp.)

2 cups arborio or pearl rice

6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)

1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1/3 cup half-and-half

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In a very large non-stick pan, melt butter into olive oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat broth to simmer in a pot. Add onion and squash to butter and olive oil. Salt and pepper well, and cook until onions are soft. Add thyme and garlic and cook for one minute and then stir in rice. Cook an additional two minutes. Using a ladle, scoop in one cup of broth (or white wine) to rice/squash mixture. Stir until liquid is absorbed and add another cup of broth. Stir occasionally, adding additional broth as it is absorbed. After about 20 minutes start checking rice to see if it is al dente. As soon as it is, turn off heat and add half-and-half, cheese and one more ladleful of broth. Stir until combined and cheese is melted. Add more broth if rice looks too thick, and taste to see if rice needs additional salt or pepper. It should be very loose. Garnish with additional cheese.

Pea Soup

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I suppose that some people find split pea soup disgusting, but to me it is so homey and comforting. It is a perfect thing to put together on a rainy, cold afternoon. Peas cook down in less than an hour, so it's nice that it doesn't take forever to cook, as opposed to a bean soup. I tend to make mine vegetarian, but you can always add ham, if that is what your family prefers. This recipe tastes even better the second day.

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Split Pea Soup

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

3 cups dried split peas

4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

4-6 cups water

3 carrots, chopped

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In a large stock pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion and celery. Add about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to vegetables to help them soften. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add peas, stock and four cups of water and turn the heat to high. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Stir soup every 10 minutes or so, and add more water if it seems too thick. After 30 minutes, add the carrots. Taste at this point and add salt and pepper to your liking. Cook another 15 minutes, until peas have totally broken down and the carrots are soft.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Since the first time I tasted a slice of Great Harvest's Honey Wheat Bread, I have wanted to try and replicate it at home. I've tried a variety of recipes using combinations of white flour, wheat flour, spelt flour, oat flour, flax meal and oat bran. I have never found one that truly was what I was looking for -- a solid, not spongy, texture with a sweet taste that moist and not dry. Using freshly ground wheat seems to have solved the problem and I was able to create loaves of bread, made with 100% whole wheat that tasted exactly like the bread I loved so much in the store (but instead of costing $4 a loaf, I made these for about 40 cents a loaf).
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I made the entire recipe by hand, instead of using my new KitchenAid, and followed my mother's instructions of keeping the dough as sticky as possible. This made it difficult to knead, so I mostly just mooshed it around on the counter. I also think that next time I will make this recipe into two loaves, rather than three, just to make them a bit bigger. I accidentally let my loaves over-rise which caused them to be a little bit flat, so definitely don't let the bread have a second rise that is more than an hour, unless you totally want to smoosh them back down and start again.
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Honey Whole Wheat Bread
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (or two scant tablespoons)
1/3 cup honey
5 cups flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
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1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
2-5 cups flour
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In a large bowl stir together water, yeast, 1/3 cup honey, 5 cups of flour and 3 tablespoons of butter. Let sit for 20 minutes until soft and bubbly.
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Knead in additional 1/3 cup honey, salt and enough flour to help the dough hold it's shape but still be sticky enough to stick to your countertops and your fingers.

Place dough in a well greased large bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and place it in a warmish spot in your kitchen. If it's cool, a good spot is in your oven with the light turned on.

Let dough rise for at least one hour, until it is double in volume.

Punch the dough down, careful to remove all air bubbles, and shape dough into 2 or 3 loaves or rounds. Place dough in greased loaf pans and allow to rise again.

After an hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let sit for five minutes before turning onto a cooling rack. Butter loaf tops to keep bread soft.

Enjoy!

The Ugly Omelet

Does anyone else have a hard time coming up with something to eat for lunch that isn't a peanut butter sandwich or a slice of cheese? I always aim to have a salad for lunch, but sometimes I am just not in the mood for the slicing and chopping just for me. I usually have cereal for breakfast, so an omelet is a nice way to get some protein and veggies in a meal that will carry me through until dinner. The best part is that it takes about five minutes to make.

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I'm showing you a picture of a typical omelette that I like to make, based on a favorite crepe I used to get in downtown Portland out of a crepe truck (kind of like a taco truck, but this one sold crepes instead of tacos). As you can see it isn't very pretty -- my non-stick pan has been sticking lately -- but it tastes very good just the same.

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The Ugly Omelet

2-3 eggs

2 T. milk

2 slices Swiss cheese (or any cheese you like, shredded)

Handful of baby spinach leaves

1 tomato, sliced

Salt and pepper

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Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray it generously with cooking spray and let it sit over heat until your hand feels warm when held over the top of the pan. In a small bowl whisk eggs and milk. Add a sprinkling of salt and stir again. Pour into skillet and whirl eggs around until the entire bottom of the pan is coated. Turn heat to low and cover for three minutes, until egg is set. On one half of the egg circle lay out your cheese, spinach and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Using a long, thin spatula, fold half of the egg circle over to cover vegetables and cheese. Turn off heat (keep the pan there) and cover until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted.

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Obviously, you can make this omelet with any combo of cheese and veggies that you like.

Peanut Butter Noodles and a Kitchen Tip

Sometimes I decide what to cook for dinner based on how many dishes I will have to clean up when it's all over. Peanut Butter Noodles is one that I enjoyed eating, but hated cleaning up afterwards because it seemed that so many pots and pans were dirtied in the process. After making it so many times, though, I've figured out a way to make clean up a little bit easier. Start your pasta water boiling earlier and throw in your raw chicken breasts to poach instead of cutting up ahead of time and frying in a pan. Boil the breasts for 15 minutes, transfer to a plate, cover it with foil, and then shred it when you are ready for it. You don't need to switch out the water, just put your pasta in the same pot to boil. Just make sure that the water is very well seasoned -- add about a tablespoon of salt to your boiling water before adding anything to it. Add any vegetables you like to this dish. It's good way to clean out the crisper in your refrigerator.

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Peanut Butter Noodles with Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti noodles

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2 cups broccoli florets

1 red pepper cut into strips

1 cup snow peas

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 zucchini cut into slices

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

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3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

2 T. honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. minced ginger (fresh)

1 cup water

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Start your water boiling in a large pot, and add at least a tablespoon of salt to the water. When it comes to full rolling boil, add chicken and cover pot with a lid. Boil for fifteen minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove with tongs and let rest on a dish covered in aluminum foil. Add pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain and set aside.

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While chicken is cooking, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a very large non-stick skillet. When the oil shimmers, add broccoli and red pepper to the pan. Stir for two minutes. Add snow peas and zucchini and stir for one minute. Add about 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover for two minutes. Remove lid and transfer vegetable to a plate, using a slotted spoon. Put shredded carrots over the top of the steam vegetables so that they can cook slightly.

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To the same skillet you used with the vegetables (there should be some water in there), add peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Stir until combined and cook over medium low heat. Keep adding water until the sauce is thinned to desired consistency (you don't want it too thick or it won't coat the noodles and vegetables). Shred chicken and add it to the sauce. Stir to coat. Add pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat. Finally add all of the vegetables, the green onion and chopped cilantro. Toss with tongs or two forks.

Healthy Cookies?

I read about this cookie two weeks ago on my favorite food blog. I couldn't wait to try them, but it took a while to get my bananas ripe enough to mash. These cookies are wheat free, sugar free (if you don't count the chocolate chips, which are optional), and dairy free. I won't write out the recipe, and will just link to it, but trust me they are so good you'll think twice before you make you're regular favorite cookie recipe

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The only changes I made to the recipe was to add more coconut (about twice what the original recipe called for), which I ground up finer in the food processor before adding it to the batter. I also recommend that you store these in the refrigerator.