Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?  We certainly do around here.  Honestly, we are not very fancy chocolate chip cookie fans here.  We don't use cake flour, nor do we use specialty chocolate chips.  Indeed, Ghiradelli chocolate chips usually do the trick for us, since we usually have leftovers which we can later pop into our mouths ....
But we do like our chocolate chip cookies gooey and soft.  Studded with plenty of chocolate chips as an added bonus.  No nuts for us because I don't like them in my cookies.  Actually, I'm quite picky about nuts, since I only like to eat cashews and peanuts, as they are.

These cookies did not disappoint.  They were chewy and gooey.  Full of chocolaty goodness and sweetness.  They were plain and simple.  Good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies.

Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (we used semi-sweet)
2/3 cup vegan spread, such as Earth Balance
2 tsps vanilla
2 TBSP dark molasses
1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Then mix the sugar, milk, molasses, vegan spread, and vanilla.  Then fold the wet into the dry, and finally fold in the chocolate chips.  Refrigerate the dough for about 2 hours.  We use an ice cream scoop for the cookies since we like them large.  Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Gingersnap Cookies

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Ginger Cookies

We love gingersnaps around here.  Any time, any season.  Of course, we always have them in the winter, right before Christmas.  But what's to prevent us from having them in the fall?

These cookies have a real spicy ginger kick.  I think that came from the use of fresh ginger, but that was also what made these cookies special.  They were gooey and full of gingery richness!  

And healthy too.  Since we mixed in whole wheat flour as well!  Well ... perhaps we were deluding ourselves, but they do have healthy grains mixed in somewhere!  We try we try.

We had a rainy and dreary day, so we decided to brighten up our kitchen with the nice smell of ginger baking in the oven ....  On a rainy day gingery cookies provided a nice kicker to brighten up the day.

Recipe
Gingersnap Cookies
Adapted from Good to the Grain
1/2 cup vegan butter (like Earth Balance spreads)*
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
2 TBSPS fresh grated ginger
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp clove (we omitted)
1/2 tsp sea salt

*you can also use real butter, of course, but as I don't like the taste of butter, we never bake anything with it*
In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugars, molasses, fresh ginger, and egg.  Sift the dry ingredients over the bowl until well combined, then wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.

Preheat over to 350 F.  Layer 2 baking sheets with wax paper.  Scoop balls of the dough using an ice cream scoop (of course, you can also make smaller cookies with a tablespoon or teaspoon, but we like them big).  Be sure to leave ample space between the balls of dough if you don't want cookies that run into one another.  Bake for about 12 - 17 minutes.
Enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of posts; I started a new job and so life has been very busy these days. But blogging will return!

Tuna with Olives and Capers

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Tuna with Olives and Capers

Olives and capers are among our favorite ingredients around here.  We love them in our pasta and use them liberally.  This was a very simple recipe, just a few ingredients rounded out this delectably tasting and refreshing pasta.

We made this on a weekend, after hiking in a nearby park.  This time of the year is perfect for hikes, as the air is crisp and autumnal.  Not hot but not too cold yet.  The leaves haven't yet changed color, and we can still hear the birds chirp away.
We were rather famished by the time and just wanted something simple that we can whip up, using the ingredients we had on hand.  The results were really pleasing; not very much was left!  I personally had 3 heaping servings!!!

Recipe
Tuna with Olives and Capers
3/4 cups olive oil
15 oz. tuna in water (or olive oil if you prefer)
1 lb pasta, preferably penne (we used shells because we had no penne on hand)
1 jar capers
1 can olives
9 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the olive oil.  Add in garlic cloves, let it brown for about 2 minutes.  Add in the lemon juice, capers, and olives, and cook for about another 2 minutes.  Then turn the heat to low and add in the tuna, breaking up the large chunks.  Add in the salt and pepper and mix well.  In a large pot, heat water and prepare the pasta.  When pasta is done, toss the tuna in with the pasta.  Mix well.

Enjoy!

Madras Chicken

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Madras Chicken

Madras Chicken.  It has been quite busy around here these days, so the number of posts has gone by the wayside.  Well, we have also gotten quite lazy lately.  We have been eating, no doubt, but we have not been eating anything special.  Usually smoked salmon plus buttermilk biscuits rounded up a meal, paired with peanut butter crackers.  And actually A LOT of peanut butter crackers ... like half a box!!!  But of course you would not want to see pictures of peanut butter crackers, would you?
But one of the dishes that we have recently made and enjoyed was this Madras Chicken.  The ingredients are kind of complicated, but it had quite a nice flavor.

Recipe
Adapted from All Recipes
Madras Chicken
1 whole chicken (or about 8 chicken legs and thighs)
1 tsp chili powder
5 TBSPs olive oil
1 tsp cardamon
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 in piece of ginger, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp garam marsala

Preheat oven to 400 F.  In a dutch oven, heat the oil and add in the cloves and cardamon.  Brown the onions in the oil.  Add chili, garlic, and ginger.  Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam marsala, and salt and stir frequently.  Add chicken and brown the chicken.  Add nutmeg and a tiny amount of chicken stock.  Then place pot into the oven for about 30 minutes.  Then turn down to heat to 350 F for another 10 - 15 minutes.
Pair it with roasted cauliflower or something.
Enjoy!

Lebanese Taverna

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Sauteed Shrimp

We went to Lebanese Taverna the other day.  While we usually like to make our own food, sometimes we get lazy.
We've been to Lebanese Taverna on numerous occasions before, and we always get the same dishes.  (Yes, we were even lazy about blogging too ... heh heh.)

Fresh Pita Bread

We started with some pita bread, freshly baked from the oven.  Yes, it was piping hot and slightly salty.  A very good way to begin the meal.  I never try the dipping sauce, so I can't comment on it.
We had sautéed shrimp (above) for appetizer.  It was very delicious!  The shrimp was really fresh and the marinade/spices added a nice tangy touch.  Very well executed.

Braised Lamb Shank

The braised lamb shank was really succulent and fragrant.  It was buried in a mound of tomato sauce, which added a nice flavor to the meat.  I particularly loved the vegetables, especially the mushroom (unfortunately there was only one).  I don't know what they did to the grilled vegetables, but they were very fresh and sweet.  The meat was tender and flavorful too.  I am not a fan of grains usually, but the bulgar pilaf was said to be very good.

Grilled Whole Mediterranean Sea Bass

Ahhh ... Mediterranean Sea Bass ... or was it branzino?  We love branzino around here and this execution was near perfect.  Really light and simply prepared with a touch of salt.  The meat was very flaky, flavorful, and silky.  The grilled vegetables were of course very fresh and sweet.  There was also freshly fried pita chips.  I didn't try the dipping sauce so I can't comment on it.
And finally ... because we loved the sautéed shrimp so much, we just had to get another order!

Sauteed Shrimp x 2

So flavorful and succulent!  We left very satisfied.  It is a very nice neighborhood restaurant and it has never failed us.

Lebanese Taverna
Multiple Locations
Arlington | Washington, D.C. | Bethesda | Baltimore | Tysons Galleria | Pentagon Row

Buttermilk Biscuits

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Who doesn't like biscuits?  They are slightly salty and tinged with the tanginess of buttermilk.  I do think that buttermilk is the key that imparts the special flavor to these flaky biscuits.
They are so versatile.  You can pair them with really about anything.  We like to slice them in half and slather berry jam (or even better, fruit butter) on them, or pair them with a poached egg and smoked salmon or ham.  They make a decadent weekend breakfast or an easy afternoon snack for anytime of the day.

Somebody could not wait ....

These were really very simple to make.  Just a few ingredients that we usually have on hand plus buttermilk.  Bake for a short while in the oven and voila!  They are ready to be spread with jams or stuffed with eggs and ham.  Or simply paired as a side with a nice salad or soup.

Recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
4 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsps sugar
3/4 cups vegan butter, chilled*
1 cup buttermilk (use full fat)

*Of course, you can use real butter.  But we (or I) don't like the taste of butter around here.
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Rub the chilled butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened.  Use 1/3 cup dough for each biscuit, place them on a greased baking sheet and spread them apart.  Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.  Cool slightly, keep warm.
Enjoy!

Lovely Lovely Biscuits!

Braised Spiced Lamb

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Braised Lamb

We like lamb around here.  We like them stewed and tender, or rather in this version, braised and tender.  Although the weather has been hot, for some reason we felt like having lamb.  Perhaps because it just has that very special taste that distinguishes it from all other kinds of meats, and make it more palatable.  Anyway, we weren't sure.  But on one hot summer evening lamb it was.

We wanted to experiment with different spices besides the usual rosemary and thyme.  Hence we decided on some more exotic ingredients such as cumin and coriander, which we don't use all that often (especially coriander; sometimes the cumin finds itself into chili spices).  The result was delicious!  The lamb was tender and had a very nice flavor.  The spices were not overwhelming either, though, look at all those spices in there!  We paired the lamb with some leftover potato wedges, and the combined mix of flavors worked extremely well and left us completely satisfied.

Recipe
Braised Spiced Lamb
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP ground coriander
2 TSPS dried thyme
2 TSPS dried rosemary
2 TBSP curry powder
1/2 TSP coarse salt
1 CUP + 1 TBSP olive oil
4 1/2 pound of lamb stew chunks
6 cups chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Mix 1 cup of oil with the spices and rub the mixture all over the lamb chunks.  Place the lamb chunks in a baking dish and cover overnight.

Add 1 TBSP oil to a dutch oven and brown the lamb, about 10 minutes.  Add stock and garlic, bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Check to see if the lamb is falling off the bone tender before serving.

Enjoy!