H is for Haystacks

The class hamster is lost.  It is completely my fault.  I arranged for his summer vacation at a student's house, but 24 hours into his time share, I got a phone call that it wasn't going to work.  So Meatloaf, the third grade hamster, is at my house for the summer.  At least he was!  I took him out of his cage for a little ball-rolling time the other night while Peter and I watched a movie.  Then I put him back in his cage but evidently I forgot to securely latch the door.  I must admit, I didn't realize he was gone for about 24 hours.  Now we're dealing with a missing hamster who's had plenty of time to find alternative lodging somewhere in this house.  Peter's been a great sport, even waking up early to don a headlamp and lift up all the furniture and inspect for hamster holes.  No evidence of him anywhere yet.

In honor of Meatloaf, our needle in a haystack, I made chocolate haystacks today.  They're very simple to make, but they'll satisfy any chocolate craving with the greatest of ease.  

Chocolate Haystacks
from Ellie Krieger's cookbook: So Easy

3 large shredded wheat biscuits
6 oz. dark chocolate (60% to 70& cocoa), chopped  

Line a baking sheet with wax paper.  Using your hands, crush the shredded wheat biscuits into thread-like pieces in a bowl.  Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water.  Melt the chocolate in the double boiler, stirring constantly, until it is smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Add the crushed shredded wheat to the chocolate and stir until it is well coated.  Using a cookie scoop, place tablespoon-size stacks of the mixture onto the wax paper.  Place in the refrigerator to cool for about 20 minutes.  Store and serve at room temperature.        

C is for Compost Cookies

This recipe is so creative and fun that I have to recommend it.  Ever heard of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York?  Momofuku is a well-recognized restaurant group, but the Milk Bar is a restaurant specializing in milk and cookies.  Genius.  They serve a variety of over-sized cookies, candy bar pies, bagels, coffee, and flavored milks like "cereal milk."  I don't even have to explain what that means because I think you'll know what it is.  You just never knew you could order it at a bar!

One of Momofuku's specialties is their compost cookies, which are packed with pretzels, oats, butterscotch bits, potato chips, coffee grounds, rice krispies, and anything else that's in the pantry.  I love this!  I didn't include coffee grounds in my batch of cookies, but I've heard a tablespoon makes all the difference in the cookies sold in the milk bar.  Maybe I'll try that next time.  I have made these before with Pringles, graham crackers, Hershey's kisses, green M&M's, white chocolate chips, and Kix cereal.  Use whatever you have in your pantry for a delightful sweet and salty contrast.      

The most difficult aspect of this recipe is the wait time.  I whipped the eggs for about 10 minutes in the hard-working Kitchenaid mixer.  That's a long time.  I scooped out the cookies on parchment and let them chill in the fridge for a few hours.  That's a long time [to not eat the cookie dough].  Finally, after you bake them you have to let these guys cool on the cookie sheet so they won't crumble into a mess.  That's a long time too!  Basically, you shouldn't attempt this recipe if you're impatient, keep a very crowded refrigerator, or if you don't have a stand mixer.  Go with Nestle instead.

Compost Cookies

recipe by Christina Tosi

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 c. your favorite baking ingredients (like chocolate chips, oats, Raisinettes, Rollos, butterscotch bits, rice krispies, M&Ms, etc.)

1 1/2 c. your favorite crunchy snack foods (chips, graham crackers, pretzels, etc.)

In a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugars, and corn syrup for a few minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color.  On a low speed, add the eggs and vanilla.  Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes.  The creamed mixture should nearly double in size during this time.  

When the timer goes off, lower the speed and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Once this is incorporated, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and then your favorite snack foods only allowing it to mix until incorporated.  You do not want to over mix the batter.  

Using an ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to a week.  If you bake the cookie dough at room temperature, it will not hold its shape.  

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 400 F.  Take the plastic off the cookies and bake for 9-11 minutes.  The cookies should be brown around the edges and just beginning to brown in the center.  If they seem too doughy, give them a little more time in the oven.  Cool the cookies completely on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a container for storage.  

M is for Moroccan Vegetable Stew

When I hear this word "stew" I usually think of warm red meat meals in the coldest woes of winter.  I'll share with you today a stew, but this one is unlike any you're used to.  It includes fresh spring vegetables like carrots, zucchini, and onion.  It has fluffy couscous served along side and a sprinkling of toasted slivered almonds that give it a nice crunch.  It has the sweetness of cinnamon and golden raisins and the glorious kick of curry powder that I welcome in any season.  This is my Moroccan Vegetable Stew.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew
adapted from Pampered Chef

1 lb. small red potatoes or new potatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 chopped onion
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes in sauce
1/2 c. golden raisings
2 c. hot cooked couscous (original)
toasted slivered almonds as garnish

Cut the small potatoes in half using a crinkle cutter or a knife.  Use a crinkle cutter to decoratively cut carrots and zucchini in half-moon shapes.  Set aside.  Chop onion finely and add to hot oil in a dutch oven or large pot with the potatoes.  As the onions become translucent, grate the ginger root over the cooking onions and potatoes and stir in the garlic.  Stir in curry powder and cinnamon and cook for about 3 minutes.  Stir in the flour until it coats the onions and potatoes.  Add the vegetable or chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, carrots, squash, and zucchini.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the raisins and then remove from the heat.  To toast almonds, toss a handful of almonds into a saute pan over medium heat and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes.  When serving this dish, add hot cooked couscous and sprinkle with some toasted almonds.

    

C is for Chicken Salsa Bake

I'm not a casserole queen, but sometimes I need an all-in-one dish meal like "salsa chicken."  Chicken smothered in chunky salsa, beans, cheese, and tortilla chips...can you object?  In college Peter and I regularly made all-in-one dishes like creamy chicken, chicken divan, or chicken broccoli and rice.  It was a great, cheap option when we were feeding a pack of hungry undergraduate wolves boys in his apartment, but now that it's just the two of us, I stray away from condensed soup and rice meals in favor of healthier ingredients.  This one slipped through the cracks because I'm a sucker for Mexican flavors.  I never think casseroles look very good on your plate, but they sure taste good and they're nice to take to school as leftovers for my lunch.  A hot lunch is a nice break from my ordinary turkey sandwich.              

This recipe came from the magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray, and in general I'm not a Rachael Ray fan.  She doesn't offend me, but I tire of the 30-minute meal mantra and most of her recipes don't make it into my my keep file.  This one did.

I used shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken, but you could certainly cook a few pounds of boneless chicken breasts and cut up the meat to use in this dish.  I added jalapeno, corn, garlic, and cilantro.  I lessened the amount of sour cream and cheese.  You could certainly use fewer tortilla chips; just use thin layers and only crush a cup at a time to see how far it can go.  Rachael Ray didn't cook the onion before adding it to the casserole, and I think this is a mistake.  The onions lose their potency when cooked in a skillet first with a touch of oil and it's worth the time.  An overly oniony casserole doesn't go over well with anyone.  If you wanted to make this a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken and use two extra cans of beans.  I'd suggest black beans or pinto beans.

  

Chicken Salsa Bake
adapted from Rachael Ray

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 c. corn kernels 

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 lbs. shredded chicken
2 16 oz. jars salsa (try salsa verde or your favorite variety)
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. sour cream
3 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 c. shredded Mexican-style cheese
cilantro for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  In a large skillet, heat a tsp. of oil.  Add the onion until it becomes transparent.  Toss the corn, garlic, and jalapeno into the skillet for a couple minutes to gently brown on medium heat.  In a large bowl, shred your chicken meat and add salsa, kidney beans, and the onion corn mixture.  Gently stir in the sour cream.  Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray and scatter a layer of tortilla chips on the bottom.  Top with half of the chicken mixture and a layer of cheese.  Repeat the layers and then top with some chips and cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes, watching that the cheese doesn't burn.  Enjoy!

C is for Crostini

I have a new favorite appetizer for spring: strawberry basil crostini.   It is so simple and so fresh, you'll be prepping a platter of these delicious bites in no time.  I used a honey chevre which I spotted at the grocery store and wanted to try.  I would recommend this cheese for a lot of uses; Peter and I thought it was wonderful with sliced pears, fig jam, and crumbled over a salad with berries.  I took a roll of honey chevre along with me to make a cheese plate at my Grandma's birthday party too, so this might be one of my new favorite cheeses.    

Strawberry Basil Crostini

by Rachel

French baguette

honey chevre, room temperature

sliced strawberries

small basil leaves (I used boxwood basil)   

Slice and toast the French baguette.  Using a knife, spread the honey chevre on each piece of toast.  Top each toast with a slice of strawberry and a basil leaf.  Serve!