S'more Cookies

Hello, old friends. It has been far too long since I have posted any goodies. It could be because I was on a mission to Mars. Or curing cancer. Or completing an Ironman. Or maybe it's just because I've been out and about in the excitement and busy-ness that is DC living. Regardless of the reason, it's time to share a new sweet treat.

This recipe seemed like the perfect thing to bring to a "Southern BBQ" themed office holiday party. They were fun to make and ultimately turned out very well. With modification.

Here's the thing-the graham crackers on these were just all wrong. They made the cookies seem dry and a little bit like cardboard. BUT, after painstakingly removing every graham cracker from every cookie, there was quite the transformation. The cookies were chewy and flavorful, packing a perfectly balanced cinnamon punch to accompany the sweetness of the chocolate and marshmallows. The flavor of the graham cracker remained, without the overwhelming texture it made originally.

Interesting variations would be to crumble graham crackers into the dough or to substitute graham cracker crumbs for some of the flour. If you try it, let me know!

S'more Cookes
Adapted from Eat, Run, Read


Ingredients:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into square **See note in text**

Directions:
Cream together the butter and both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla.
Gradually mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda,  salt and cinnamon.
Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper or tin foil. I used one 11x17 pan and one 9x13 pan but you can really use any sized pans you want.
Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). For thicker cookies, use less graham crackers and more dough.
Place rounded tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. Use your fingertips to slightly press down.
Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top.
Bake for an additional 6-8 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. The foil should make it easy to lift the cookies out of the pan and break them apart.

Sausage and Mushroom-Stuffed Acorn Squash

In my quest to find a CSA that provided a nice variety of produce via delivery for an affordable price in the DC area, I happened upon Washington's Green Grocer. So far, my review is mixed. I like the variety and the convenience, but they are less of a CSA-style provider than I had originally thought, with some of their produce coming from as far as Chile and South Africa. Not exactly the most sustainable, local option! I feel torn - has anybody else encountered this?

Some of the goodies from my most recent box were beautiful portobello mushrooms and a precious acorn squash. Happy autumn!

Sausage and Mushroom-Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 links spicy chicken sausage, sliced
3 medium portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush or spray squash with olive oil and bake for one hour, until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add sausage and cook until browned. Mix in mushrooms, and continue cooking until mushrooms have released their liquid.

Remove the mixture from heat, and add in cilantro, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper.

When squash is done cooking, fill the centers with the mixed filling, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is browned. Any extra filling that does not fit in the squash can be baked at the bottom of the dish.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting...in a jar!

This past Friday was Sister's birthday. Not just any birthday, mind you. Her very last birthday that begins with a "2." As the younger sister, I waste no opportunity to remind Sister that she is aging before I am! And since I am enjoying being back in closer proximity to the family, I had to take the opportunity to do my gloating in person.

As September shifts from summer to fall, so did our meal. Mama B and I whipped up a summery dinner of cajun-spiced red snapper tacos accompanied with balsamic-roasted squash and zucchini. Dessert, however,  ushered us right into fall with pumpkin spice cupcakes. And since I needed dessert to be easily transportable, this baking project turned into a craft project, as well!

Cupcake jars are adorable, making an easy and attractive gift when you're low on creativity. Alternate layering cupcakes with frosting inside of an 8oz. jelly jar, wrap them up with a sweet ribbon, add a pretty label, and ta-da! So cute, it's ridiculous.

Can you believe I forgot to take a picture of the finished jars?? Fail.

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple–Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Cupcakes:1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Do NOT line the cupcake pan!
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — about 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Frosting:In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Spoon frosting into a ziploc baggie and cut off the tip of the bag to make a makeshift frosting piper. This will make the addition of the frosting to the jars infinitely easier. Trust me on this one.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Some people think about football season, and they think of sitting in stands cheering at the top of your lungs. Other people think about football season, and they think of an excuse to cook up a storm. Can you guess which type of person I am?

For the Redskins season opener, Lindsey had the perfect idea of cooking up some appetizers and having a ladies football day. This was our fearless leader for the afternoon - she makes me kvell:

In addition to a delicious corn salsa, and some, ahem, home-cooked pizzas (oops), we made these little gems. It was doubly exciting that Lindsey broke out her fancy-pants camera to photo-document. Thanks, Lindsey!

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

So simple - take dates and slice them down the middle.

Stuff them with a little bit of blue cheese love.

Cut a slice of bacon in half, and wrap the bacon around the stuffed date. Skewer with a toothpick to hold it in place.

 Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes, flipping these little guys over after about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

I am a bit behind on my posting, but that is for one very exciting reason...I am FINALLY allowed into the building for work! No more are the days of sleeping in, sipping on coffee while doing a crossword, and having "make cookies" as a star item on the to-do list. No, now I am a productive member of society. On second thought, maybe this isn't so exciting?

This soup was my lunch for week #1. It was complex, starting with a layer of cardamom before delving into a sweetness and ending with a hint of heat. Considering how easy it was to make this soup, I can do nothing but sing its praises. And wish that there was still some leftover!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup with Cardamom

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 healthy pinch cayenne pepper
2.5 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups water
3-4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with cardamom, mustard, ginger, pepper flakes, cinnamon, cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in chicken broth and water; add sweet potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add chickpeas, and use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth. Drizzle with hot sauce, and enjoy!

Pasta with cauliflower, walnuts, and feta

This labor day post comes to you, um, a bit after labor day. Hey, after all that labor, a girl's gotta recover.

My weekend's hard work consisted of floating in a lake with five of my bestbests and one very brave bestbest's boyfriend, singlehandedly keeping Budweiser in business (ugh). This was not just any floating, mind you. It was diaper floating, to be exact. Don't know what it is?

Think of this:

Photo Credit

Now flip it over like this:

Put your legs through the holes....and ta-da! Starting to picture it now?

Luckily, you are spared from the actual photos of our diaper floating (though I hear a certain lady in Tuscaloosa has her hands on a few!). It's probably for the best. 

Between our hilarious jokes (we ARE funny--am I right, ladies?), awesome dance moves (yet another thing that we, sadly, have image proof of), and good-looking hairstyles (no showering makes for some fiiiiiine looking ladies), adding in diaper floats would be too much for any sensible person to handle.

When I came home, I needed a solid 24-hour time period to recoup. But then, it was time for cooking! Lindsey and I are now on our way to becoming home kitchen pros, and this was the recipe du jour! Smitten Kitchen raved about this recipe - Lindsey and I were skeptical at first, but with a little extra acidity from the lemons and the addition of the feta, this turned into a delicious meal! All my leftovers are already gone, and I'm excited for our next project! 

And for getting Zoe a new costume to wear, much like this one...

Photo from Party City

Our pasta!

Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts and Feta
Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound whole-wheat pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
White (or red) wine vinegar
1 lemon
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
4 ounces feta cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cut the cauliflower into small flowerets. Peel the onion and slice it very thin. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Put the pasta on to cook.

Saute the cauliflower in olive oil in a large saute pan. When the cauliflower begins to soften, season with salt and pepper and add the sliced onion and red pepper flakes. Saute over medium to high heat until the vegetables are brown and tender. The cauliflower should still be slightly crunchy and should not taste steamed. Add the garlic and remove from the heat, tossing and stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn; if it starts to brown, add a splash of water. Add a few drops of vinegar and the juice from the lemon, as well as the toasted walnuts. Taste and correct the seasoning. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the cauliflower, adding enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the pasta thoroughly, toss together and serve, with the cheese crumbled over the dish.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins

Between Mean Irene and Jake the Quake, last week was a little more exciting than most. The scheduled hike on Saturday was a wash, but it left me with a snazzy ol' rental car to spin around town. When I finally went to return it on Sunday, the weather was so beautiful, I couldn't resist soaking it up and foregoing the metro in favor of walking home. With a view like this:

You would have done the same thing! So across the Potomac River, I trotted, where I happened to see this pretty little memorial: 

Then I thought the shadow was cool. It doesn't take much to entertain, does it? (Next time I take this type of picture, I will make sure to choose non-grandma shoes and hair that flows like silk.) 

 Then, to the Washington Monument! Pretty, no?

 A little mosaic on one of the embassies on embassy row:

Honestly, I don't know who this guy is, but he seemed thoughtful, and I liked the colors behind his head.

Next time I see this building, I want to be that girl sitting on the side of sphinx, book in hand.

Turns out this little gem of a park is just a half a mile from my apartment - who knew?!

Every adventure has to end with cooking, right? I mean, urban hiking works up an appetite! These little buggers taste GOOD. We all know that I love the zing of tart lemon and the sweetness of strawberries, and these muffins bring out the best of both of those things. Sadly, they weren't the best looking muffins that have ever graced my kitchen. Oh well. Incentive to try them again!

Strawberry Lemon Muffins

Adapted from Baking Bites

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 6 small lemons)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, then blend in the eggs one at a time.
Stir in about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well, then add in vanilla extract and half of the lemon juice. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining juice and the remaining flour mix. Stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Mix in finely chopped strawberries quickly, just to distribute them evenly into the batter.
Spoon batter out into prepared muffin cups. The muffin cups should be very full.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached. (FYI - mine took over 20 and were still fairly mushy!)

Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

What's a girl to do when the weather cancels her plans? Why, yes, you're right. Find an indoor activity. A crossword puzzle, some terrible reality tv (could they please stop making these shows so that I no longer have to feel guilty for giving in to temptation and watching them?), and a mystery book later, I decided to head back to the kitchen. 

Seriously, I am loving the chance to do all this cooking. I am afraid, however, that my pants are going to endorse it a little bit less. Which means that either the weather needs to improve or some of you are going to need to step up to the plate and come over for dinner!

This chicken dish came together so quickly, I felt like I had to have missed something along the way! If you want to follow in the footsteps of PF Changs, you can serve this concoction inside butter lettuce or iceberg leaves. Since I didn't have any on hand, I just put it over mixed spring greens, and I can't say that I felt like I was missing out!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 crown of broccoli, cut into small pieces

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (the thinly sliced variety), diced into small cube-sized pieces
1/2 onion, diced into small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of cremini mushrooms, sliced (or any other kind of mushroom you have on hand)
ground ginger, to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha (use more or less according to your spice preference)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped (white parts only)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add broccoli and saute until it begins to soften. Add the chicken, onions and mushrooms, and saute until chicken is cooked through. 

Sprinkle chicken evenly with ground ginger. Add garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha to the chicken mixture and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, scallions, and sesame oil and let simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture seems to thicken a bit and really come together.

Serve over lettuce leaves (or spring mix!).

Leek, spinach, and mushroom frittata

Visiting New York was a blast - the perfect combination of hanging out, sightseeing, relaxing, and even a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (hey, we needed a breeze!). Hot on the heels of such a fun trip, I got to meet Lindsey's adorable pup, Zoe (I am committed to making her a best friend, that doggie!) and to see Tracy's new Ellicott City digs. All kinds of adventures!

Now I am home, and also in need of a few more vegetables and about 12 more hours of sleep. Enter...frittata! So easy, and so many veggies for something that still feels like a yummy treat.

Leek, spinach, and mushroom frittata
Serves 4

1 small leek, thinly sliced and cleaned
1 bunch baby spinach
2 cup cremini mushrooms , sliced
3/4 cup swiss cheese low fat, shredded
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat cast iron  or other oven-proof skillet over medium heat with oil or nonstick spray, and saute leek for 5 minutes until tender.
Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Add spinach and heat until wilted. Spread vegetable mixture evenly throughout the skillet.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs with thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the swiss cheese on top of the vegetables, and then pour egg mixture on top. Put in the oven to bake for 15 minutes until egg is just set.
Remove the skillet from the oven, and add the remaining swiss cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Broil for about 5 minutes until top is golden.

Blueberry Muffins

There's a yiddish word, to kvell, that's used to express extreme elation. The best way to visualize it is as rainbows and butterflies bursting from your chest out of sheer joy. That said, I am kvelling at this very moment...because I am heading to New York tomorrow! One of the best of the best friends a girl could ask for, Ms. Gillian, is venturing up from beautiful Durham, NC to surprise her brother bear for his birthday.

Yeeeeeeahicantwaittoseeyoutomorrow,gillie!

I am skipping on up the coast to share in the birthday shenanigans, as well as to see a few faces that I miss oh-so-much. I needed a host gift for the owner (er, renter) of my roof for the next few nights, and blueberry muffins were the treat of request. I could hardly say no, right?

I sure hope these survive the trip up tomorrow - a girl cannot be responsible for her actions after a few hours on the road without supervision...!


Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 9 to 10 standard muffins

5 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup light greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Juice from half a lemon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then yogurt, zest, and lemon juice. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a sifter and sift half of dry ingredients over batter. Mix until combined. Sift remaining dry ingredients into batter and mix just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in your blueberries. The dough will be quite thick. You’re looking for them to be about 3/4 full, nothing more, so you might only need 9 instead of 10 cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (I took mine out at 24 minutes), until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool on rack.

Zucchini-Carrot Bread

You have to love the government. I have a job in our loveliest of capitols, but four weeks post-submission for my security clearance paperwork, I am still not allowed to step foot into our building! Not that I'm complaining - this time has allowed me to nest and explore to my little heart's content.

After an amazingly beautiful bike ride this morning (monuments? check. water? check. ending up where you didn't plan to? check.), I wanted to bake up a little something to keep the summer spirit alive.

This bread has a very unique flavor, due to the lemon zest that you throw in. I'm going to sum this bread up by saying that I've already had two pieces, and it came out of the oven about 10 minutes ago. Enjoy!

Zucchini-Carrot Bread
Adapted from My Recipes

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Shakes of: allspice, nutmeg, cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/6 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups sugar
1 medium shredded zucchini
1 shredded carrot
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
Combine eggs next 3 ingredients (through vanilla) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini and carrots; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
Pour batter into 9 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (I would start checking at 50 minutes - mine could have done with a few minutes less baking time). Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

KitchenAid Mixer

Settling in the new digs in Washington, DC has been exciting for a few reasons..being in a new city, being closer to friends, and of course, FINALLY being able to unpack my graduation present to myself:

 Isn't she pretty?!

First up was pizza dough, and to round things out, a little biscotti!

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup roughly chopped almonds
1 cup sweetened-dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl.
Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add dried cranberries and almonds; mix thoroughly.
On floured surface, divide batter in half and pat each half into a log approximately 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 300F. Cut biscotti into 1/2 inch slices. Place cut biscotti on a cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container.

Red Split Lentils With Cabbage

This post comes to you straight from the very hot and humid East Coast of the US of A! I've been in Maryland for almost two weeks now, and my parents have done their darndest to usher me back into this Atlantic stronghold by welcoming me with crabcakes, crab soup, frozen custard, and beach time. Let me tell you, a girl could get used to this!

After a few, er, hiccups in the apartment searching process, I lucked into finding a funky apartment with a fantastic roommate in a neighborhood that boasts a library, bakery, and Mexican restaurant all within 1/2 block of my front door! Moving day is Sunday, and I am about as excited as someone can be to get to lift lots of heavy boxes. 

This recipe is a "capital K" Keeper. It takes a good chunk of time (figure about 1.5-2 hours total), but the taste is complex and so flavorful. I substituted red pepper flakes for the original recipe's chile peppers, and if you opt to do the same, feel free to lower the heat to your liking.

I promise this tastes better than it photographs!

Red Split Lentils With Cabbage (Masoor dal aur band gobi)

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cups red split lentils (masoor dal), picked over, washed and drained
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into fine slices
1 head cored and finely shredded cabbage
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 medium tomato, diced
1 teaspoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger

Put the lentils and water into a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Remove any scum that collects at the top. Add the turmeric and stir to mix. Cover, leaving the lid very slightly ajar, turn heat down to low, and simmer gently for 1 1/4 hours. Stir a few times during the last 30 minutes.

When the lentils cook, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin. Let infuse for 3 to 4 seconds. Now put in the garlic. As soon as the garlic pieces begin to brown, put in the onion, cabbage and pepper flakes. Stir and fry the cabbage mixture for about 10 minutes or until it begins to brown. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Turn off the heat under the frying pan.

When the lentils have cooked for 1 1/4 hours, add the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, the tomato and ginger to the pot. Stir to mix. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Add the cabbage mixture and any remaining oil in the frying pan. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer.

Simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cabbage is heated through.

Thick, chewy oatmeal cookies

Moving day is fast approaching, and I find myself in a constant tug-of-war between being sad to leave my wonderful life and friends in Seattle, excited to be closer to friends and family on the east coast, ready for a new adventure, and terrified of what's to come. Rather than focusing on any of those, I have been trying to enjoy my last bit of time in the Pacific Northwest, and that includes as much outdoor time as possible. These oatmeal cookies fed many hungry mouths up at Lake Serene. Only thing I would change would be to double this recipe (since it is only a half-recipe).

Funny aside - the day I made these, so did my friend, Lakshmi. Great minds think alike! (Except hers had ice cream in the middle. Lucky!)

Thick, chewy oatmeal cookies
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

Chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Strawberry Upside-Down Cake with Cardamom

Have you ever celebrated Midsommar, the Swedish summer solstice festival? Me neither. Until this year, that is.  

Turns out that Midsommar is a pagan tradition that involves pickled herring, potatoes, beer, and strawberry desserts. Since I happen to think that Joy the Baker is a genius, her recipe for a strawberry cake that involved cardamom seemed to be just the ticket.

Go make this, and make it now. Maybe make two. And hide one from everyone else. And keep your windows shut, while you’re at it, because it tastes (and smells) that good!

Fun side note for the single ladies: Midsommar tradition says that unmarried women should pick seven types of flowers before bedtime, and then jump over seven fences. Put the flowers under your pillow, and POOF, you will dream of your future hubby. Brad Pitt, here I come.


Happy July 4th, friends!

Strawberry Upside-down Cake
Recipe from Joy the Baker

Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sliced strawberries

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

I used a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Joy says you can also use an 8-inch cake pan with 3-inch tall sides, or a 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides.

Place butter in the pan and place in the oven.  When butter is melted, remove pan from the oven.  Using two pot holders, tilt the pan around and around, coating the sides of the pan with butter. Once sides are coated, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed.  Cream until slightly pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Stop mixer, scrape down the bowl with a spatula, and add egg and vanilla extract.  Beat for 1 minute.

Turn the mixer off, scrape the bowl, and add the dry ingredients.  Beat on low speed while adding the sour cream. Beat until the batter just comes together.  Batter will be pretty thick.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into the melted butter in the cake pan.  Sprinkle strawberry slices over the butter and sugar in a single layer.  Spoon batter over the strawberries and spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake rest for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake and inverting the cake onto a cake plate.  Serve warm with sweetened sour or whipped cream.

Homemade Whipped Cream
½ pint heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup sugar
splash of vanilla
pinch of salt

Add ingredients to a large mixing bowl. With a beater or whisk, whip mixture until it stiffens and forms peaks. And if you don’t have an electric beater or mixer, fear not. My own were packed, and a cheapie wire whisk worked just fine (spin the handle between your palms for fast whisking with minimal effort). Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Have I mentioned how much I love kale chips? They manage to make a seemingly “boring” food (sorry, kale-loving friends) into something you can’t stop inhaling. If you can manage to keep yourself from eating the entire batch in one sititng, you’re a stronger person than I am!

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, cut into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F. Toss the cut greens in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking pan (or two, if your pans are small), and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Chips are done when they are crispy to the touch. Enjoy!

Ruffled Lemon Cake

I think I need a partner. A kitchen partner. You know, one of those creative types. Because, man oh man, I am not skilled in the “make it look pretty” department.

Let me introduce you to my newest victim: the ruffled lemon cake.

I have been itching to make this cake for weeks, wanting to save it for a special occasion. Mainly because I hear eating a whole cake by yourself makes people look at you funny. Anywho. If dear Angela’s baby shower wasn’t the perfect occasion to make a frilly, pastel-colored treat, I don’t know what would be.

Each individual component (cake, filling, icing) came out great, and they tasted oh-so yummy in my tummy. To the point where, after a day of biking many miles to and from the wineries in Woodinville, I opted to eat frosting for dinner instead of a real meal. It’s calcium, right?

At this point, I was feeling good. Like this cake might actually be impressive. And then, I started to decorate.
The ruffle tip was not working well for me, the frosting was too warm and didn’t hold shape, and the filling kept oozing out the sides. I finally gave up on ruffling the sides, learned to cool the frosting, and tried to salvage our little friend.

The result was a lopsided, heap of a dessert that surprised you with a delicious tang and its smart little wit. Recipe is a keeper, but I’ll be accepting applications for a decorator! 

Just for laughs, here is what the cake was supposed to look like verses what it actually looked like. Can you tell which is which?

Ruffled Lemon Cake
Recipe from Kitchen Magpie

Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of milk
4 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. 
3. Beat together your butter and sugar…then add in your eggs and vanilla. 
4. Whisk together your dry ingredients… 
5. Grate your lemon zest. 
6. Then beat the lemon zest into the butter/sugar mixture. 
7. Squeeze the lemon out until you get 1/4 of a cup. 
8. Fill the remainder of the measuring cup to an entire cup. 
9. Combine the butter/sugar mix with the milk/lemon thoroughly, mixing it on medium speed to get it as airy as possible. 
10. Slowly mix in your flour, by hand, very gently. You don’t want to over-mix the batter. Lift it and fold it over gently, trying not to lose the air you whipped into it the last step. 
11. When it’s just combined, pour into the two prepared cake pans, evenly dividing the batter. 
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the middle springs back when touched or a knife inserted comes out clean. 
13. While the cakes are cooling ,whip up some Lemon Cake Filling. 
14. When the filling and cakes are cooled, layer together. 
15. Whip up some Lemon Buttercream Icing. Grab a Wilton icing tip #103 and fill an icing bag full of the icing. Now, you want to start icing the cake holding the small part of the tip towards the top angled up. Keep on creating ruffles around the cake, throwing the buttercream into the freezer for quick cooling bursts if you sense it’s not holding it’s shape due to the warmth of your hands.

Lemon Cake Filling
Ingredients:
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
2/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of white sugar
5 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Whisk the cornstarch into the lemon juice completely while it’s cold (thus no lumps) and add in the grated lemon zest as well. 
2. Put the butter and sugar in now as well and heat on a medium burner.Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and let boil for a minute. Remove from the heat. 
3. Take the egg yolks and whisk them until they are light yellow. 
4. You now need to temper the eggs, which means you take some of the hot liquid from the pot and whisk it into the egg yolks completely. 
5. Then you can whisk the yolks into the pot of hot liquid safely, without lumps forming. 
6. Cool for an hour or so until it’s set and thick, ready to be used between cake layers.

Lemon Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
1 cup of salted butter
4 cups of icing sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons milk

Directions:

1. Whip your butter with the paddle attachment if you have one, or just a general beater with your mixer. 
2. Add in your icing sugar, one cup at a time, beating continously. Now 2 tablespoons lemon zest worked wonderfully for me. Zested peel should not be done on a regular grater, by the way, you need a smaller size, a zester grater, in fact. The size is perfect without being overwhelming chunks in your cooking. 
3. The 3 tablespoons of lemon juice was just perfect for my tastes, zingy and zippy with a sweet background of pure sugar and butter. I then added the 2 teaspoons of cream to thin it out.

Summer Vegetable Stew with Cilantro-Spinach Pistou

June has been the month of visitors and bucketlist-checking! My mom and cousin each spent a week in Seattle, allowing me to focus on the most wonderful aspects of our fair city and to indulge in a little bit of (classy) tourism along the way.

Climbing Mount St. Helen’s was incredible - it was tough climbing thanks to many feet of snow, but you can climb right up to the crater’s edge. We lucked into a crisp, clear day that gave magnificent views from Mount Rainier all the way down to the Sisters! As the climb became more and more steep, I became more and more terrified to glissade down. Little did I know that it would be the highlight of the trip! Want to know what it was like? Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFviGEQfCV4

Some other smart climber made the sign, but I begged for a photo-op!

Solstice Parade with naked bike riders, a brewers’ festival, and our own (clothed) bike tour of Seattle rounded out Anna’s visit. However, once she left, I found myself loaded up with some neglected veggies that were kindly waiting for a loving home.

Solution: stew. I had to make several changes to the original recipe based on what I had lying around. Turned out delicious, but I think it could benefit from a few more herbs somewhere in the mix.

Summer Vegetable Stew with Cilantro-Spinach Pistou
Adapted from MyRecipes

Ingredients
Pistou

• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• ½ cup spinach leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Vegetables:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3 (2-inch-thick) sliced carrots
• 1 pound small potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cubed yellow squash
• 2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 3 roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
To prepare pistou, combine cilantro, spinach and 1 garlic clove in a blender; process until smooth. Add water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; process until blended. Set aside.

To prepare vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add bay leaves; cook 1 minute. Add onion, 6 garlic cloves, and thyme; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; cover and cook 20 minutes. Add squash, broccoli, and beans; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Spoon stew into individual bowls; drizzle with the pistou, and sprinkle with Parmesan.