Kale, Tomato and Potato Hash

As someone who very much enjoys cooking, entertaining, and feeding others, I am constantly in the market for an easy recipe that is also socially neutral.  I need dishes that are edible to my myriad of friends who have food restrictions.  I have friends who keep kosher; friends who are vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; friends who have gluten allergies or are gluten-sensitive; a friend who hates cheese; and even a friend who doesn’t like chocolate.  I know.  The last two just seem crazy, but wonderful people do exist who dislike cheese and chocolate!  That’s alright.  More for me, thank you!

This hash is a very easy dish that not only tastes good, it’s healthy, colorful, and steers clear of pretty much every dietary minefield.  It tastes delicious with parmesan sprinkled on top, but that’s optional.  This has become my latest go-to when I have guests.  My favorite way to eat it is with a side of hot buttered bread (french baguette, drizzled with melted butter, bake in the oven at 350° for 12-15 minutes, serve with your topping of choice – I love blackberry preserves).  Top that off with some fresh hot coffee, and I’m a very, very, happy, girl.

Before we go into the oven!  Such an easy recipe…. chop, layer, toss, bake.

Out of the oven, piping hot and ready for zee close-up! 

Recipe Serves 4.
1 3-lb. bag of small yellow potatoes
4 Roma tomatoes
1 small bunch of kale
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
freshly cracked pepper

Lower the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven, and pre-heat the oven to 425°.

1. Rinse off the potatoes, tomatoes, and kale.
2. Chop enough potatoes until you have one layer in your roasting pan. (You can also use a glass casserole dish – any oven safe pan is fine.) Chop the tomatoes and add them to the potatoes. Tear the kale into small shreds and add them on top until the dish is covered. See above. 3. Sprinkle with olive oil, then add salt and pepper, and toss together. (I like to use my hands.)
4. Bake for 35 minutes, and serve hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Honey Yogurt Whole Wheat Bread

For my birthday this year, a dear friend gave me a beautiful bottle of olive oil, made from his family's farm in Greece.  The olive oil is... fantastic.  Beyond fantastic.  It tastes so flavorful and fresh, you can have it on its own.  I mean, I wouldn't advise you to drink it straight from the bottle, but if some dribbles off the side of the bottle and you happen to see it and you want to catch it with your finger and then you want to suck that olive oil off your finger, then, well... who am I to judge?

What’s left of the olive oil.  That is some good ish right there.

Oftentimes when I feel unmotivated to do something, I give myself a proverbial carrot to help me along.  This morning, in order to inspire me to clean the kitchen and then work out, I promised myself hot coffee and fresh, homemade bread.  Here’s my recipe for quick, whole wheat bread.  From start to finish, it takes less than an hour.  In the batter, I use whole milk plain yogurt, whole milk, and raw local honey.  I also used a scoop of the delicious olive oil, shown above.  It turned out wonderfully.  The density is similar to other quick bake breads (like banana bread), but it’s got a bit more of a crumb.  Can’t wait to have some for dessert tonight!  One of my favorite things to do is to toast it in a pan with butter – you can get a nice, crunchy, buttery crust on the bread.  If you’re feeling extra extravagant, garnish with ice cream.  Hot damn that is some good eatin’ right there. 


Recipe
Adapted from Shelbee's recipe.

Makes one (1) loaf.

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda 
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of honey
1 cup of yogurt
1/2 c. whole millk
1/2 c. olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

1.  In one bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, yogurt, milk, and olive oil.
3.  Make a well in the bowl of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients.  Mix until just combined. 
4.  Grease a loaf pan on all sides and pour the batter in.  Bake for 40 minutes. 

Once the bread is done, flip the pan over to knock the bread out.  Put the bread right side up and, if you’re impatient and hungry like me, feel free to liberate a slice of fresh bread from that pan, and pop it in your mouth.  Perfect with jam and butter, and a cup of coffee or tea.  I didn’t even make it to the dining table – just ate it, standing in the middle of my kitchen.  Mmmm…..  Happy Sunday. 

Lunar New Year & Chinese Almond Cookies

The lunar new year is possibly the biggest Chinese holiday of the year.  It is a huge family holiday, and families travel far and wide to be together during this happy, auspicious time.  My mom told me that, traditionally, the new year was observed for two weeks and people went home to be with their families.  Nowadays, overseas Chinese typically take anywhere from 2-7 days to celebrate the new year.

While there is a lot of overlap in how the new year is observed, each province and village celebrates the holiday in its own way.  Because my father’s family is from Guang Dong (southern China), and my mother’s family is from Taiwan by the way of An Hui (northern China), I was raised with a mix of traditions.

My mom told my sisters and me that everything you do for the first week of the new year sets the tone for the rest of the year. The Chinese culture is chock full of superstitions, and most traditions have a reason, story, or symbolism behind them. Avoid fighting and stress, which includes no working and no major cleaning – everyone eats, relaxes, socializes, and plays games. You aren't supposed to use a broom, because you might sweep out the good luck. You aren't supposed to use a knife or scissors, because you might cut your good luck. Before the first day of the new year, everything in the house is cleaned top to bottom to chase out any ill-fortune that might be lying around and give the new year a clean start. We all wear something new that is red, because red symbolizes good luck.

In many homes, the word fortune is hung upside-down, outside on the front door.  This is to symbolize good fortune pouring down on you.

This is fortune, right side up.

While most people take the word down after awhile (just like any holiday decoration), I keep 福 (fú) on my door all year-round.  I don’t think you can ever have enough good fortune!

We also give hong bao, which are little red envelopes decorated in gold and filled with money.  Traditionally, adults give hong bao to children.  Interestingly enough, you are a “child” until you are married.  Once you are married your parents no longer have to give you hong bao and the giving is reversed (you give hong bao to your parents and grandparents, and to children).  In my family, on new year’s day morning, my sisters and I used to go to my parents’ bedroom and bow three times to them, wishing them good health, prosperity, and a happy new year.  Then, they would bless us with good wishes and give each of us a hong bao.  To properly receive hong bao, you accept it with both hands as you bow to the giver in thanks.  After receiving our hong bao, we'd bow and say, "gong xi, gong xi" which means congratulations.  My grandparents also gave us hong bao, and all the grandchildren would line up in front of them to bow, and give and receive blessings.  

Hong bao. There are tons of variations though; you can even find hong bao with Mickey Mouse on them! 

The Chinese culture is very superstitious about numbers.  For this type of thing, I’d look to a place like Wikipedia for all the number combinations that are good or bad.  There are so many, it takes real effort to memorize them all.  The worst number is 4, which is a homonym of death.  You want to avoid giving money beginning or ending in 4.  Generally, the other odd numbers are good, while 2, 8, and 9 are particularly auspicious: 2 because good luck comes in pairs, or the desire to double your fortune; 8 because it is a homonym for prosperity; 9 because it is a homonym for long, thereby symbolizing longevity and a long life.  Some provinces celebrate the birthdays ending in 9 the way Americans emphasize the celebration of decade birthdays.  Some provinces believe celebrating on the decade birthday ending in zero is not fortunate, because zero symbolizes emptiness.  When giving money, it's okay to give whole numbers ending in zero because it's the first number that counts.  Don't ask me why.  My mom’s favorite number is 168, which is one of the luckiest number combinations: 168 (yi liu ba) sounds like 一路发(yi lu fa), which roughly means long-lasting prosperity, or prosperity all the way.  The cash given in hong bao is traditionally nice, new and crisp, fresh from the bank.  Fresh money, fresh fortune.

Good gifts to give during the new year?  Food!  Oranges and other citrus fruits symbolize good luck, wealth, and a sweet life.  They are similar to the color gold, which is a good luck color.  You also can’t go wrong with chocolates and candy, to wish someone sweetness in his or her life. Plants are also good gifts, but make sure you do your homework and get the right type!  This year a good friend gave me a jade plant, which I’m thrilled about.  Jade symbolizes friendship, wealth/prosperity, and good fortune.

This year, I made my first lunar new year dinner by myself.  It was exciting on one hand, but it also filled me with longing for my mom and sisters.  When we all lived in the same city, we gathered together to make food, talk, and laugh together.  My mom’s egg rolls are to die for, and she made everything taste delicious.  Every dish symbolizes some kind of good fortune or blessing for the new year.  The six basic types I’m familiar with are good fortune, wealth and prosperity, good health, longevity, happiness, and abundance.  For more, you can check out this site for a brief, though not complete list.  I’m only one person, and a novice new year’s cook, so I went with a soup, three entrees, one side dish, and a dessert.  In this post, I share how to make the dessert: almond cookies! 

Also, I got a really lucky surprise new year's eve: I got to see both my sisters!!  Their flight was delayed and they ended up with an overnight layover in Chicago!  I was so, so happy.  We hung out for eight hours eating cookies, laughing, and talking the night away.  It was the best.

The Year of the Dragon New Year Menu! 

Chicken Soup
chicken, ginger, shitake mushrooms

Roast Chicken
brined whole chicken, bacon fat, olive oil, cracked salt and pepper

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
bacon fat, chicken fat, cracked salt and pepper

Steamed Salmon
soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic, scallions

Shrimp Fried Rice
rice, green peas, eggs, shrimp, scallions, garlic

Almond Cookies
recipe below!

Besides being delicious, almond cookies symbolize wealth and prosperity.  So eat up, eat up!!

Recipe 

This recipes makes about 36-46 cookies. 

1 c. whole wheat flour
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
Whole almonds (36-46)

1 egg (for the wash)  

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

1.  Mix together the flours, baking soda and salt.
2.  Cream together the butter, sugar, almond extract, and one egg. 
3.  Combine the flour and butter mixture together until it looks all pebbly. 
4.  Form 1 tablespoon balls of dough.  Gently flatten the top with your fingers and press a whole almond into the center.  Alternatively, place an almond inside the tablespoon and pack it with dough.  Then, flip it over so that the cookie looks like a little dome.
5.  Beat the second egg and brush it over the top of the cookies.  Bake for 15 minutes. 

新年快樂!  恭禧發財!

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Vegetarian Chili

As a card-carrying omnivore, this is the only vegetarian chili I’ve made that’s been worthy of a post.  Even my dad – who “has to have” his meat – enjoyed this chili.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m an avid omnivore.  While meat represents a small percentage of my food pyramid, I love meat and appreciate it deeply.  A perfectly cooked steak, strips of bacon, the crackly skin of a just-out-of-the-oven broiled chicken – all make me close my eyes and smile with quiet joy.  Knowing all that, you might be shocked that I’m posting a vegetarian recipe for chili.  Well, with all the above being said, I also love my veggies.  A coarsely salted roasted brussel sprout, the juicy leaves of garlicky stir fried kale, and the often overlooked baked potato are a few of my favorites.  Eating a huge bowl of vegetables is wonderful for your mind and body, so what better way to do that than in a chili. 

While I don't claim this to be a “legit” chili recipe (I can hear hollering from the South that no self-respecting chili has beans), it is a form of chili.  If this country is allowed to bastardize Chinese food and call it “Chinese" food, then I have the right to call this chili.  Your turn, Counsel.

In addition to the health benefits of eating lots of vegetables, my lazy cooking brain loves how easy it is to make.  After washing the vegetables, all you do is dice, turn up the heat, and then eat.  It really is as simple as that. 

Recipe   

Cooking oil
1 small onion
Garlic – as few or as many cloves as you like     
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 package of mushrooms 

Dried oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Dried basil (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Chili powder, a few pinches

1 small can corn (unsalted) 
2 small cans of beans (I like kidney, cannellini, butter)
2 small cans chopped tomatoes (fresh tomatoes work great, of course) 

Salt and Pepper

Dice the garlic, chop the onion, and add them to a pot on medium high heat with a little bit of oil.  As that is heating up, dice the celery, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms and stir them into the pot as you dice them up.  Mix in the spices.  Then add all of the rinsed, canned vegetables to the pot. Stir and bring the chili to a boil; simmer for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwiches are underrated.  They're often forgotten.  How many times have you wondered, what should I eat, while you had bread, butter, and cheese sitting in your kitchen?  Yup, that's what I thought.

I'm almost embarrassed to post this since it is so elementary... but I've had the unnecessary experience of eating a sad grilled cheese sandwich.  The perfect sandwich requires understanding of how to cook what, and when. Once you've got that down, you can do it in your sleep.  The way I cook this sandwich ensures a crisp and toasty exterior, with a hot, gooey, cheesy center.  I hate it when the bread is really crunchy and scrapes the roof of my mouth.  Don't you?

I wholeheartedly encourage you to get fancy with this sandwich.  What doesn't go well with melted cheese?  Add slices of tomato, bacon, caramelized onions, whatever you like.  The recipe below is the foundation for your perfect grilled cheese. I love pairing it with tomato soup, aka grilled cheese's match made in heaven!

Mmm, cheesey goodness.

Recipe  
2 slices of sandwich bread
1-2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (optional) 
2 tablespoons of butter
Cheese, sliced (amount is up to you)

(1)  Heat a pan to medium.  If you're adding mustard or any other condiment, slather it onto one side of each slice of bread.
(2)  Add butter to the pan and, once it has melted, add both slices of bread (condiment side up).  Swirl the bread around the pan until all the butter is soaked up.  
(3) Add the cheese to one or both slices.  If you're adding other ingredients (such as tomatoes, bacon, etc.), put it on top of the bread now.  Let it toast, as is, for about one minute.  Lower the heat, and then flip one slice of bread onto the other and let toast for one minute.  

.  

Apple Pie with Whole Wheat Butter Crust

I recently had the BEST pie crust I have ever tasted: it’s buttery, it’s flaky, it’s crisp, it’s perfect…. It makes me want to make more and more pies!!

Every pie crust recipe I read says that the key to flaky crust is to keep the butter and water cold, including an approximate one hour chill time after the dough’s been formed.  However, I am not the most patient cook and I don’t want to chill the dough for an hour. This is my “quick” pie crust recipe, and it’ll give you a delicious, flaky, buttery crust that will have you running back for more.  Best part is, it’s easy to make, and doesn’t require extra chilling time.  This pie is best if eaten within 24 hours of cooling. 

Recipe for the Crust 

   Makes a bottom and a top crust for one pie

2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of cold, real, unsalted butter

1 cup of ice cold water

Recipe for Filling

    Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

5 large apples, chopped (about 6 cups)

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions for the Crust and Pie Filling

(1)  Put a bowl of water into the freezer.  Stir the flour and salt together.  Dice the butter and incorporate the butter and flour together so that it looks like sandy/pebble-y crumbs.  I use my hands!  Get in there!  Don’t worry about not keeping it freezing cold, I promise, you’ll be fine.  Once the flour/salt/butter is the right texture (see below), put the bowl in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Sticks of butter, right before the final dice.  I actually looked at this and thought… “f*ck yeah.”

“Sandy/pebble-y crumbs” 

(2)  Peel and core the apples.  Chop them into 8 wedges, and then chop each wedge into 4 pieces.  Once you have six-ish cups of chopped apples, mix in the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.  Set aside to let the fruit marinate.  Now, preheat the oven to 425°.

(3)  Take the ice water and crust mixture out of the freezer.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of ice water into the mixture and use your hand or a spatula to start folding the mixture into itself.  Keep adding water until the entire mixture is sticking together (I use between 5-10 tablespoons).

(4)  Flour your surface, divide the mixture in half, and roll out the dough for the bottom crust.  The dough is large enough when it’s about 1.5 inches larger than your pie pan.  Once the bottom crust is in the pan, remove extra dough from the outside of the pan with a knife.  Then roll out the top dough.  Add the apples to the pie pan and cover with the top dough.  Use the flat part of a fork to cinch down the sides of the pie, and then remove excess dough with a knife.   

          Now, my dough never comes out in a perfect circle, but there’s a “quick and dirty” way to get it perfect.  My mom taught me to just cut off weird edges and roll them into the spaces that are needed.  To easily transport the dough to the pan, I recommend rolling it out over parchment and then flipping the parchment over the pan, dough side down.  With all-purpose flour crusts, you can fold the crust into quarters, but the whole wheat crust doesn’t seem to like that and rips.  My first crust actually ripped almost entirely in half when I folded it, and I had to do some fixing.

          I also like to use the extra dough to cut out shapes for decorating the pie.  Or, I shape them into little cookies and put them in the oven 15 minutes before the pie is done.  They’re so good by themselves, or with peanut butter, or preserves.

 

Ha… you can actually see my wine bottle/rolling pin in the corner. Wine bottles work great as rolling pins.

(5) This crust is flaky and crisp at the same time, so I suggest cutting vents into it along the shape of the pieces you want.  Otherwise, the crust will break up when you cut it.  Bake at 425° for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 375° for 30 minutes.  Allow it to cool for a few (2-4) hours.

Can you see how thick that crust is?  It’s my and my family’s favorite part of the pie.

Mmm, flaky layers of delicious whole wheat crust....

Potato Lentil Soup

  
Though I'm a summer baby, I love autumn.  Autumn means the holiday season, cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, and COMFORT FOOD!

This is a super easy, healthy, delicious soup that’ll warm your bones and have you coming back for more.  It only takes 30 minutes’ cooking time, and besides spices, you only need TWO ingredients: potatoes and lentils.  Can it get any easier than that?  I don’t think so.

Well… okay, no soup can beat egg drop soup in regards to fast, but this potato lentil soup is still pretty darn fast.  This soup is especially perfect if you have last-minute guests coming over.  Grab some butter and a baguette, and you’ll have a feast in a snap!

I prefer not to peel my potatoes since the skin houses so many awesome nutrients.  My mom also taught me to eat/use everything possible, so I’m reflexively adverse to throwing food away.  Potatoes have gotten a bad and incorrect reputation as a “filler” food – they’re actually great for your body.  If you’re not used to it yet, try keeping the peel on this one time.  The peel gets super soft in the soup and adds a nice consistency.

I used golden potatoes, but any type of potato will do.

Recipe  
8 cups of water
1 cup of lentils
4 cups of chopped potatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

(1)  Add the water and the lentils to a large pot and bring it to a boil.  While it’s heating up, chop up the potatoes and add those to the pot.  Peel and smash the garlic, and add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf to the pot.  Once the water reaches a boil, lower to a simmer.
(2)  Simmer for 30 minutes, then add salt and pepper.  If you like, mash a few potato pieces with a fork to thicken the consistency of the soup.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Almonds

I was really bored the other day and had a sudden hankering for chocolate chip cookies.  This is big news in my world.  I haven’t liked chocolate chip cookies in ten years.  I can hear your likely reaction now (how can that BE???), but it is what it is.  Most chocolate chip cookies are just gooey, sugary dough with pockets of hardened chocolate inside.  While that may sound great to some, I think it’s a sad excuse for a cookie.  The texture is all off (hard chips in goo? no thank you), and there is so much sugar that the chocolate doesn’t shine through at all. 

I went to the fridge to see what I had on hand and found a bag of chocolate and peanut butter chip morsels.  Score.  Chocolate + peanut butter = my favorite!  I'm also loving whole wheat flour and have been using it in every recipe calling for all-purpose flour.  I substitute it in a 1:1 ratio and do not increase or decrease anything else to "accommodate" the whole wheat flour.  Some sources say to increase the liquids, or only substitute up to 50% of the flour, but I haven't listened.  I've been happy with every product made this way and love the wheat flavor that comes through.  

The following recipe is adapted from the Nestle’s bag, and I’m thrilled with the results.  THRILLED.  These might very well be my new favorite cookie.  This recipe makes 50 cookies.  Have a tall glass of cold milk on hand! I enjoyed these cookies while nestled in with a good book and a cup of hot coffee. 

Recipe  
2 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of combined chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
1 cup of chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375°.

(1)  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
(2)  Beat together butter (room temperature is best), brown sugar, and vanilla extract.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well until creamy.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Stir in morsels and nuts.
(3)  To make each cookie, roll 1 tablespoon of batter onto a ball and place each the ball an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten each cookie before putting them into the oven (I like to use the bottom of a glass).  They will barely spread, so don’t worry about crowding.  Bake for 9-11 minutes and then allow to cool.  Or enjoy a treat and sneak one in while they’re warm – they’re oh so good that way!

*Tip from my sister: if you want a less crisp/crumbly cookie, you can try experimenting with the batter and adding one to two egg yolks.

Potato Pancakes

Not sure what to do with those leftover mashed potatoes?  Potato pancakes, baby.  They're fast, easy to make, and a yummy way to eat those leftovers.  K loves making these for breakfast.  

Recipe  

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup of flour
salt and pepper to taste
butter for the pan


(1) Beat the egg and combine it with the mashed potatoes.  Add the flour and salt and pepper to your taste, and mix until just incorporated. 
(2) Heat the frying pan to medium-high.  When the pan is hot, add butter.
(3) Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, slightly flattening it with your spatula.  Cook each side about 1 minute until golden brown.


You can keep the cakes hot in the oven (atop a cookie sheet or whatever you have handy) at 200°.


Feel like adding a another flavor dimension to your potato pancakes?  Consider adding:

• Cheese (grated; add to the batter before frying) 
• Scallions (chopped, then sauteed; add to the batter before frying) 
• Shallots (diced, then sauteed or caramelized; add to the batter before frying) 
• Onions (diced, then sauteed or caramelized; add to the batter before frying) 
• Garlic (diced, add to the butter in the pan)

Homemade Granola

 
It turns out, granola is really easy to make.  After you try making it once, you’ll be hooked.  No more shelling out ridiculous dollars for a wee bag of granola.  You’ve got the best thing: homemade! 

I’ve wanted to make my own granola for awhile now.  I finally decided to give it a go, but only using ingredients I had on hand.  This would prove to be an interesting adventure, since I didn’t have all of the ingredients of any one recipe.  I ended up reading at least eight recipes and going through four cookbooks, and then going through my cupboards to see what I could use to make do.  Here is my crazy, I’m-not-making-a-trip-to-the-grocery-store granola.  And if you ask me… it’s freaking delicious.  Lesson of the day?  Granola is very forgiving.  Add or subtract what you like, and feel free to substitute honey with maple syrup, or oil with butter.  I didn’t have sliced almonds on hand, but I did have whole, raw almonds.  So, I stuck a cup of almonds into a large freezer bag and smashed them to bits with my wine bottle (how versatile that wonderful things is!).  





I’m a raisin-lover, so if I have raisins chilling in my kitchen next time, they’re definitely going into the mix.  Several recipes advised adding dried fruit to the granola after it’s done baking though, so take heed.  America’s Test Kitchen noted that dried fruit (like raisins, specifically) get burned and hard as a brick if you put bake them into the granola.  In my next batch, I’m going to eliminate the sugar altogether to see how it tastes.  I try to avoid refined white sugar because it’s processed, not a real food, and has zero nutritional value.  That being said, I don’t avoid it like the plague.  I certainly have a bag of refined white sugar in my kitchen, and I’m not going to feel guilty about it! 

I asked my sister, a professional cook with a degree in culinary arts and a background in molecular gastronomy, what the shredded coconut did to the baking goods.  She said it adds some texture and sweetness.  Also, if you toast it, it adds a caramelized note.  Yummy.  You had me at “caramel.”  Shredded coconut, she said, also adds moisture to baked goods and you can't taste the coconut flavor.  She doesn't like coconut, but adds it to her cookies and no one - including her - can taste it.  It adds some behind-the-scenes oomph, so try it!

I added cinnamon and nutmeg because I’d recently baked a pie, and I love the way those spices mingle together.  I also learned, through taste testing, why every single recipe recommends regular, good old-fashioned oats rather than, say, quick 1-minute oats.  The 1-minute oats still taste delicious, but they aren’t as chewy as regular oats since they’re already chopped up.  If you are also in a I’m-not-making-a-trip-to-the-grocery-store mood, feel free to make a batch with the 1-minute oats.  You’ll be fine. 

All in all, I’d guess that a bare bones granola only needs oats, vegetable oil, and honey (if you like it sweet).  Try mine, or make your own batch!  I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.  

I burned my first batch (oops, 375° is too high!), but the second batch came out perfectly!  I baked them at 300° for 30 minutes.  

Recipe  
3 cups of oats (regular is best, but 1-minute oats are okay in a pinch) 
1 cup of smashed almonds
1 cup of chopped pecans
3/4 cup dried, shredded coconut 
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 300°.


(1)  Mix the oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in one bowl.  In another bowl, mix together honey, oil, and salt.  Thoroughly combine the contents of both bowls and spread the granola evenly onto two baking sheets.
(2)  Bake for 15 minutes.  Take the baking sheets out of the oven and stir the granola.  Switch the top sheet to the bottom rack, and vice versa.  Bake for another 15 minutes. 
(3)  Once the granola is done, do a final stir while it’s still warm.  This ensures that the granola doesn’t adhere to the pan.  Allow it to cool.

Before…

…and after.
GET ME SOME MILK!

Tahini Soy Salad Dressing

My mom "Chinese-izes" almost everything she makes, which means somehow or another, soy sauce finds its way into the recipe.  One thing she likes to do is use soy sauce as a salad dressing base, so I took a cue from her and ventured out to make my own salad dressing.  My desire to cut more and more non-real/non-whole foods out of my life is growing stronger.  And, making your own food can save a lot of money!  I toss this dressing with my current favorite salad: kale leaves, cucumber, carrots, and grape tomatoes.

Recipe
4 tbsp tahini  

2 tbsp soy sauce  

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice  

2 medium garlic cloves  

6 tbsp cold water

(1) Shake together all of the above ingredients.  Refrigerate to chill prior to use if desired.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Nest Cookies with Chocolate Eggs

This is a late night munchy inspired by my special Maine family; the recipe is modified from Fondly Optimistic.  K got the ball rolling because he's always hungry; S's genius was adding chocolate eggs; J's formation of the dough made us think of nests!

This is the first version of this cookie - it was kind of a haphazard throwing together of this and that, I didn't really follow the directions and was actually certain that the cookies I made would taste really gross.  I was seriously about to throw all the batter away until my Maine Mom said I should just make them anyway.  Next time, I might adjust the next batch to 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and see how that works.  

The cookies don't have any sugar in them, but you can add them if you'd prefer a cookie with some sweet.  As is, these taste pretty wholesome/granola-y and are yummy with a cup of coffee or cocoa.

Recipe

4 Tbsp butter (real butter)

2 cups oats

2 bananas (mashed)

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1.5 cups of whole wheat flour

Chocolate of your choice, about half a chocolate bar (chopped small or use your fingers to break into little pieces)

Turn the oven on to 350°.

1) Melt butter in a pan on medium heat and add oats.  Stir to coat the oats and let "toast" for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and let the oats hang out.

2) In a bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda.

3) Add the oats to the banana batter and mix thoroughly.  Then add the flour and mix thoroughly. 

4) Use a big spoon to roll small balls of batter (about 2 Tbsp each) and place them onto a cookie sheet.  They don't need to be spaced far apart because they will barely spread.  Flatten the center of each ball with your thumb to form a "nest."  Place chocolate pieces into each nest.

5) Bake for 15 minutes and let cool.

Lesson of the Day

 A lesson from Commercial Paper.

You Know You're Studying For The Bar If...

A break from our regularly scheduled program….

You Know You’re Studying For The Bar If…

1.      Things that normally wouldn’t piss you off now seem like personal affronts.

2.      “Freaking out” is in the standard rotation of your daily emotions.

3.      You think this would actually be a very convenient time for the world to end. 

4.      You are definitely, totally, unequivocally addicted to caffeine, your barista knows your drink by heart, and you don’t care if you need to drink two 5-Hour Energy drinks back-to-back, because you’ll do whatever it takes.

5.      You get Tourette’s and curse-out inanimate things like your non-working cell phone or model answers that include ridiculous, obscure nuances and exceptions that weren’t covered in the lecture.

6.      Days have blurred together – you can’t distinguish yesterday from the day before and you have absolutely no idea what day of the week it is.   

7.      You can’t remember what a “gym” looks like.

8.      You Google things like “how to pass the bar” and actually look to see if there is advice that might help.

9.      Making interesting or vulgar acronyms for legal tests is the highlight of your day.

10.    You feel incredulous when non-bar takers invite you to fun events, or say things like “you deserve a break” – do they not understand what you are going through?? 

11.    You want to scream when answer choices include any one of larceny and/or/but not if/unless burglary/robbery.  WHY DOES IT MATTER – that shit got JACKED.  PERIOD.

12.    You can’t have meaningful conversations with anyone not preparing for the bar.

13.    People say things like, “You can take the bar again” or “It’s just a test” or “You’re really smart, you’ll be fine,” and you want to stab them with a fork.

14.    You question whether you really want to be a lawyer and fantasize about all the other jobs you could have pursued that don’t require taking the bar exam.

15.    You want to punch anyone who conveys Blackacre beyond his or her grandchild. 

16.    You read fact patterns and wonder if you can tie all these idiots together and push them out to the middle of the ocean.

17.    Your inner circle now consists of all those idiots: lazy painters and shady owners, non-complying merchants and breaching buyers, incompetent criminals, thrill-seeking minors, unreasonable manufacturers, stupid tortfeasors, overeager cops, people who NEVER follow the speed limit, and that fucking asshole who won’t record his fucking deed!!

18.    The hottest action you’ve gotten lately involves “touch and concern,” “firm offers,” piercing veils, commingling, and fertile octogenarians. 

19.    Routine conversation starters like “what’s up” and “how are you” leave you tongue-tied.  Should you tell them about your aching joints, sore muscles, eye twitches, muscle spasms, nightmares, and general inability to do normal everyday things because those brain cells are now reserved for memorizing rules like how to perfect a security attachment on an oven (which you will now, always and forever see as a “fixture”)…?  Or just say “fine.”

20.    A friend tells you about an upcoming vacation/party/anything else a normal person would look forward to and all you can think is: I hate you. 

21.    Shaving isn’t a priority anymore, and for that matter, neither is changing clothes or trying to look good at all. 

22.    You have trouble sleeping or have developed a drinking problem.

23.    You’ve cried at any point because you bombed a practice test.

24.    You’ve cried.

25.    You dream of revenge and want to intentionally inflict emotional distress upon the bar exam, until you realize you can’t because your tort would fail the IIED test.  And then you want to shoot yourself for actually running your fantasy through the proper legal test.

26.    Any inhibition you might have had about categorizing your “doctorate” as a true doctorate as opposed to a master’s degree has evaporated – you've totally earned this shit.

NOW GO OUT THERE AND KICK SOME BAR EXAM ASS!!