P is for Peanut Butter Cookies

Although summer seems the perfect time for desserts like ice cream, sorbet, peach pie, popsicles, and berry cobblers, I tend to make a lot of cookies.  Maybe it's because they're so portable.  I can toss a few in a bag and bring them along for a picnic or a boat ride.  No refrigeration required.  In fact, if the chocolate chips have melted a little in the summer heat, the cookies will be better!  Maybe I make a lot of cookies because they're a small dessert.  You can pop one as a snack, crumble them over ice cream, or dunk them in milk for the full experience.  

Maybe it's because everyone loves cookies.  My father-in-law adores cookies.  I would go so far as to say that cookies are his achilles heel.  He gave this recipe his stamp of approval, so I know they're good enough to recommend to you.  Enjoy!  

For this recipe, I used unsweetened peanut butter from Whole Foods- the freshly ground variety that tastes dramatically different to those expecting Jif or Peter Pan.  It made the cookies taste a little less sweet but still positively delicious.

Peanut Butter Cookies

from Williams-Sonoma Baking

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

In a mixer on medium speed, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla.  Sift together in a medium bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Once the peanut butter mixture is creamy and light, slowly add the dry ingredients, blending on low speed.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray.  Use a cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon to measure out the dough in equal quantities and then roll the dough with dampened hands into 1-inch balls.  Place the balls on prepared baking sheets.  Use a fork dipped in flour to lightly press each dough ball and flatten slightly.  Bake the cookies 12-15 minutes and let them cool briefly on the pans.  Use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. 

P is for Peanut Lime Noodles

I'm feeling guilty that my last post didn't even include a recipe; it only had a link to one of my favorite blogs.  I was being lazy and sometimes we all feel that way.  The next time you're feeling lazy and don't want to venture to the grocery store for dinner ingredients, try Ellie Krieger's aromatic noodles with lime peanut sauce.  It's a vegetarian dish, but it's simple and relatively healthy and you can use any green peas, beans, or broccoli you have in the fridge.

This recipe works for me as a "pantry meal" because I usually have all that I need for it in the pantry: soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, ginger, peanuts, brown sugar.  If you don't have fresh ginger, use ground ginger.  I like to keep a ginger root in my freezer for a few weeks at a time and just grate off what I need and slip the root back in the freezer when I'm done.  Easy.  If you don't have scallions on hand, you could use some chives instead from an herb pot, dice a quarter of a sweet onion, or just skip it.  If you don't have a lime to squeeze, check your fridge for bottled lime juice.  In desserts and salsas, I think fresh lime juice is required; for this pasta dish, it's optional.

This meal is easy, affordable, satisfying, and it's a whole lot better for you than ordering in!   

Peanut Lime Noodles
adapted from Ellie Krieger

1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
2 c. stir fry greens, like broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas, or even green beans
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 scallion
3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. shelled peanuts (optional garnish)

Cook the pasta in a large pot, drain, and rinse with cold water.  While  the pasta is cooking, steam your green vegetables for 3-8 minutes, depending on how crisp you prefer them and which vegetable you choose (broccoli will take longer than peas, etc.).

If you'd like to garnish your dish with crunchy peanut bits, then toast the 1/2 c. of peanuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes and set them aside to cool.

In your blender, make the sauce by pureeing the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Toss the 1/2 lb. of pasta with about 3/4 c. of the peanut sauce and use tongs to evenly coat the noodles.  Serve the pasta immediately with the steamed vegetables on the side.  Sprinkle the dish with the roasted peanuts.  I serve the remaining sauce at the table so people can drizzle it over their vegetables.

When it's time for cleanup, put the remaining sauce on any leftover noodles before you put it away in the fridge.  These savory noodles are great cold or warmed up again in a packed lunch, but they absorb a lot of the sauce over time, so even if it seems like a lot of liquid at first, it won't seem that way the next day.  Trust me!