A Giant Cookie

An all-time favorite, and very kid-friendly recipe. A great weekend treat. Takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes in the oven. And you probably already have all these ingredients at home. Simple but Wonderful.

You will thank me.

Here's the Recipe:
Giant Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

1/2 cup butter or margarine (unsalted)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips (I mix regular and mini)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven 375. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and salt until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour, oats, chocolate chips and nuts just until combined. Do not over-mix. Grease an 11-inch tart pan (with removable bottom). Use your fingers to spread the batter evenly into the tart pan. It might seem like there isn't enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, but wet your hands with some cold water, and use your fingers to stretch the dough out. You will have more than enough. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the edges are golden. Cool, remove from pan. Slice like a pizza and serve with ice cream, fresh fruit, coffee, milk- or any way they want it!

Cooking for Good Weather

It's really something that I do. I try to cook certain foods that will trick myself into thinking that the seasons are changing, and Spring is actually here (even though it doesn't feel like it outside). Today, the sun was shining into my apartment and even though I knew it was freezing outside, I pretended it wasn't and I cooked one of my spring favorites:

Chicken & Sweet Corn Croquettes with Roasted Pepper Dipping Sauce

Chicken & Sweet Corn Croquettes with Roasted Pepper Dipping Sauce

(recipe adapted from "Ottolenghi, The Cookbook" by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi) 

Yield: about 20 croquettes

For the croquettes:

2 pounds ground chicken/turkey

1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen (not canned)

1 large onion, sliced thin and sautéed OR 1/3 cup sautéed onions

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

1 teaspoon + ½ cup olive oil

Heat a frying pan on the stovetop over high heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the corn, and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. You should smell a burnt-like pop-corny smell…really good. Set aside and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg. Use your hands to smush all together. Mix in the cooled corn.

Cover the chicken mixture with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven 400.

Place a drop of olive oil in the palm of your hands, and rub in….Use a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture to form into a ball, flatten slightly. Keep moistening your hands with olive oil or water to form smooth croquettes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Meanwhile, heat a ¼ cup of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken croquettes in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for an additional 7 minutes.

Who doesn't love brunch?

I love having friends over for brunch because it's one of those meals that you can part-buy, part-make (order the bagels and lox, prepare a few salads). Also, by the time everyone leaves you are not exhausted the way you would be after a late-night dinner party. I usually set up a simple buffet table and lay out bagels, lox, a few spreads, a couple of fresh salads, and 1 or 2 homemade quiches. Nothing is easier to prepare than quiche...dress it any way you like, and always a crowd-pleaser. Prepared pie crusts are readily available to purchase which really makes this recipe a cinch. See recipe below.

asparagus & goat's cheese quiche

spinach, ricotta & feta quiche with heirloom tomatoes

fattoush salad (I used toasted tortilla wraps for crunch)

marinated grilled eggplant, sundried tomatoes and bocconcini with fresh basil

Quiche

1- prepared frozen pie shell

5 eggs

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 cup vegetables of your choice (ie, chopped spinach, grilled peppers, sliced sauteed mushrooms)

3/4 cup feta cheese, goats cheese or ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional)

Vegetables for decorating (asparagus stalks, heirloom tomatoes, exotic mushrooms...etc.)

Preheat oven 425. Thaw the pie shell for 5 minutes. (Keep the pie shell in its original tin but place it on a baking sheet in case of any leaks while baking.) Using a fork, poke some holes into the bottom of the pie crust. Place the pie shell in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the vegetables, cheese and spices. Remove the pie shell from the oven, and pour the egg mixture into the shell. Bake for about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the quiche from the oven. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and/or garnish decoratively with reserved vegetables. Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the center is firm. Cool completely and transfer to a serving dish- looks great served on a cake plate. Can be frozen.

Hamentashen, my way

Hamentashen have always frustrated me. I have tried countless recipes, and I can't tell you how many ugly, leaky, fat hamentashen I've thrown in the garbage. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but I do think that pastries should look extremely appetizing, and dainty. I am not one to put out a plate of ugly hamentashen- but my hamantashen always end up really ugly.

Another thing, there are some foods that I truly believe you can purchase far better tasting than you can make yourself, and hamentashen definitely fall into that category. I am never gonna make hamentashen as flaky, and oozingly sweet as an old-school bakery will. (Sushi is also a category I would never attempt because I'm never gonna come close to Nobu).

After much thought and experimentation, I came up with a hamentashen that actually works. Now, I am by no means trying to replace the original, traditional hamentashen, I'm just making my life a little easier...

THE WONTON HAMENTASHEN!
I love working with wonton wrappers, because they are readily available, and easy to manage. These "hamentashen" are crispy and perfect served warm with a little scoop of something or other! A great dessert to serve around Purim time, or any time of the year. As for hamentashen filling, I suggest using your favorite preserves (I love sour cherry!) Or my ultimate favorite, Nutella with chopped toasted hazelnuts!
Here's how to do it:

1 package of prepared wonton wrappers- use 2 wontons (2 layers) for each hamentashen

use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut the wontons into round shape

place a teaspoon of your favorite filling in the center of each wonton round

use your finger tip to dab water along the edges of the wonton round

pinch the top edges together to make a point

pinch the corners together to form a triangle

use additional water on your fingertips for the edges to adhere to each other as you pinch

brush with eggwash 

sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

place on parchment-lined baking sheet

bake in 400-degree preheated oven for 8- 10 minutes until golden

(can be reheated later at 350 to serve warm)

sprinkle with confectioner's sugar & enjoy!!

A glimpse into last night...

So many of you have been asking me to post pictures of what Shabbat looks like at my place...so here they are! We had our friends over last night for delicious food, great wine, and lots of laughs. Please let me know what calls out to you.

my table

a bunch of salads

wild arugula salad with nectarines and crunchy honey dressing

red & white cabbage salad with sunflower seeds and dried cherries 

asparagus, edamame, hearts of palm & fava salad 

lemongrass artic char with cilantro

medjool dates stuffed with walnuts

sivan's plum cake with star anise

Cooking for Shabbat

Thursday is usually when I start. Shopping, organizing, chopping, sauteing, prepping, dressings, marinades etc... I like to do as much as I could beforehand- preparing ahead so that when I really have to get cooking, many of the steps are already complete. I always make all of my marinades and salad dressings in advance, and of course, I usually bake a cake on Thursday night. I got a lot done for my dinner party tomorrow night... Have a look.  Another a do-ahead must: setting the table! 

5 Minute Hummus (recipe below)

Roasted Pepper Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

5 Minute Chummus

1-100 ounce container

I found myself buying 2-3 containers of prepared chummus every time I went to the supermarket. And one day I decided to read the ingredients….It literally takes 5 minutes to make amazing, fresh, lemony, garlicky –any way you like it- chummus!

4- 15.5 ounce cans chickpeas, drained

juice from 2 lemons

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 heaping tablespoon store-bought Tahini

4 tablespoons good olive oil

water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Za’atar, optional

Rinse the chickpeas under cold running water. Place the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and olive oil into the base of a food processor, and process until combined. Add water slowly through the feed tube until thick and creamy. Use on/off pulse motions to avoid over-processing.. If you like it chunky, make it chunky! If you prefer smooth, make it smooth… Season well with salt and pepper - don’t be afraid, it needs a lot of s&p. Transfer into a serving dish or a storage container, drizzle with a little additional olive oil, and sprinkle za’atar over. This chummus can keep in your fridge for up to 3 weeks!

Roasted Pepper Dipping Sauce

For the Dipping Sauce:

½ cup roasted & marinated peppers- any variation

1 garlic clove

¼ cup cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil OR use the marinade that the peppers come in

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce OR honey

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in a mini food processor and combine. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Spicy? Sweet? Tangy?