Tag Archives: quaran-feasts

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Years ago Matt and I discovered Toll House refrigerated cookie dough. We’d savor it over the course of a week, baking just four pre-made dough discs at a time and enjoying warm cookies fresh from the oven each night.

At some point we realized that we could duplicate (nay, improve upon!) this experience by making and freezing our own homemade cookie dough. No pre-made Toll House discs needed! Now I always keep a stock of frozen dough on hand and we treat ourselves to freshly baked cookies whenever we want.

These homemade cookies are in a totally different league than those old pre-made Toll House cookie dough discs. The bittersweet chocolate chips are melty and rich, the cookie is crisp and flavorful, and the coconut flakes are a pleasant surprise.

Since March I’ve probably made ten batches of these cookies. I struggled with finding some ingredients during the COVID-19 shutdown, so now I’ve accumulated a small stockpile of King Arthur flour, Crisco and Ghirardelli chocolate chips just in case. That may sound a little crazy, but try these cookies and you’ll immediately understand why I’ve become a cookie ingredient hoarder. 😁

Tips:
•  Use King Arthur Brand All Purpose Flour for the recipe. I used other brands during Quarantine and the texture of the cookies wasn’t quite right… a little too soft and wet.
•  A kitchen scale makes measuring the dry ingredients super easy. I weigh out the sugars directly into my mixing bowl and the flour into its own small bowl. No measuring cups required! I use and recommend this scale.
•  I mix in the flour, chocolate chips and coconut by hand because adding flour to my KitchenAid mixer always seems to result in a mini flour explosion and mixing by hand is not difficult. But by all means, feel free to use your stand mixer for the final mixing steps if you prefer!
•  For more information on why I refrigerate the cookie dough for 48 hours before freezing it, read this Chilling Cookie Dough article from KAF.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour; makes approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients
142g (2/3 c) Brown Sugar
131g (2/3 c) Granulated Sugar
1 stick (1/2 c) Unsalted Butter (straight from the fridge is fine)
1/2 stick (1/2 c) Crisco Vegetable Shortening Stick
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Egg
241g (2 c) King Arthur All Purpose Flour
1 bag (10 oz) Ghirardelli Bittersweet Baking Chips (60% Cacao)
Handful of Shredded Coconut Flakes, Optional

Directions
Combine Brown Sugar through Cider Vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add the egg and mix for 30 seconds or until well combined.

Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer. Using a spatula, mix in the Flour by hand until well combined. Stir in the Chocolate Chips and Coconut, if using. Transfer the dough to a sealed storage container and refrigerate for 48 hours.

To make cookies immediately or straight from the fridge, form cookies into golf-ball-sized balls and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 8 minutes before serving.

To freeze the cookie dough, leave the dough in the refrigerator for 48 hours, then form the dough into approximately 20 golf-ball-sized cookie balls. Freeze dough balls.

To make cookies directly from the freezer, bake frozen dough in a preheated 350° oven for 18 1/2 minutes. Allow to cool for 8 minutes before serving.

Southwestern Veggie Wraps

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Matt and I eat lunch together every day. We enjoy the mid-day break to recap our mornings and recharge for the afternoon. In pre-COVID (and pre-Baby!) days we used to splurge and go out to lunch one or two times a week, but since March we have made our own lunches every day. They’re not always healthy – Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese makes an appearance at least a few times a month! – but sometimes we’re really good and prepare healthy lunches in advance that will last us through the work week.

Take, for example, these southwestern veggie wraps. They require a little up front work to peel and roast sweet potatoes and simmer beans with seasonings, but once that prep is done we get to enjoy several days’ worth of delicious lunches that come together in minutes.

I roasted four sweet potatoes and simmered my beans yesterday afternoon so we’ll be having these wraps for lunch TODAY. My stomach is growling. Lunch time can’t come soon enough!!!

Southwestern Veggie Wraps

Makes 6-8 wraps; recipe adapted from Oh My Veggies

You will need…

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3-4 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin
Salt and Pepper

Smoky Black Beans
2 15 oz. cans Black Beans, not drained
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Water
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Wraps
Guacamole
Large “Burrito-Sized” Tortillas
Baby Spinach
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Smoky Black Beans

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Place the sweet potato chunks on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with cumin and a few grinds of salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and continue to toss (I use my hands) until the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring partway through, until potatoes are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  Allow to cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to eat.

To make the smoky black beans, combine the beans and their liquid with the oil, garlic, water and seasonings in a small saucepan. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain (but do not rinse!) the beans, then transfer to a container. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

To assemble the wraps, start by portioning out the sweet potatoes and beans you’ll be using into a microwave-safe bowl. Reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave until warm. Next, place a tortilla on a large plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds to soften tortilla. Remove paper towel, then spread a generous spoonful (or two, or three!) of guacamole on the tortilla. Top with a handful of spinach leaves and the sweet potato-bean mixture. Wrap up the tortilla and enjoy!

Tamale Pie (One-Pan Chili & Cornbread)

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A few years ago my mom gave us a massive Le Creuset cast iron skillet for Christmas. This 9 1/2 pound behemoth is over 13 inches in diameter and takes up an entire kitchen cabinet shelf all by itself.

This pic actually makes the skillet look small, but believe, me, it’s big.

In addition to being the largest pan we own, our enameled cast iron skillet is also incredibly versatile. Some of our favorite foods to make in it are a melt-in-your mouth bacon and cheddar breakfast strata and a creamy chicken pot pie with flaky crust. Those are good, but our absolute favorite cast iron skillet dish is Tamale Pie, a hearty, cheesy, bean-y baked chili with scallion-studded cornbread on top.

Tamale Pie in our massive skillet yields one dinner for two plus three hearty leftover lunches (for two). This could easily serve eight adults for dinner if paired with a salad.  That being said, note that the volume of ingredients below is scaled for a giant skillet. If you have a more reasonably sized 10” cast iron skillet I recommend halving everything except the 1 lb. of ground pork.

Lastly, in the past we’ve used Trader Joe’s cornbread mix for this recipe which has been absolutely delicious. We haven’t gone to TJ’s in months thanks to the pandemic so lately I’ve been making my cornbread from scratch using the below recipe. That being said, if you have a favorite cornbread mix feel free to use that in place of the scratch version here!

Tamale Pie

Serves 6-8. Adapted from Cook It In Cast Iron.

Ingredients
For the cornbread topping…
213g* All Purpose Flour
156g* Cornmeal (I’ve been using P.A.N. White Cornmeal during quarantine)
50g* Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Salt
6-10 Scallions, green tops thinly sliced (reserve the white parts for the chili)
2 – 2 ½ cups milk
1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted then cooled
1 egg

For the chili…
Vegetable Oil
1 pound Ground Pork
Whites from 6-10 Scallions, sliced thin (reserved from cornbread)
4 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Dried Mexican Oregano or 2 tablespoons minced fresh
Salt and Pepper
2 – 15 oz. cans Black Beans, drained
1 – 15 oz. can Kidney Beans, drained
2 cups Frozen Corn
1 – 28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes and their juice
1 cup Chicken Broth
8 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

*I use a kitchen scale to measure out my dry ingredients. For an approximate conversion to cups, use 1 ¾ cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal and ¼ cup sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry cornbread ingredients (flour through salt). Stir in the scallion greens.  In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, 1 cup of the milk and the egg.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Add more milk until batter reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. (Later you will be spreading this cornbread batter on top of the chili before baking the complete dish.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. On the stove, heat a large (13.5″) cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons oil and heat until just smoking. Add ground pork and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the scallion whites, chili powder, oregano and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the beans, corn, tomatoes and broth.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly.  Remove pan from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a spatula, spread the cornbread batter on top of the chili mixture until the chili is completely covered. Transfer the skillet to the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread is starting to brown on top.  Remove skillet from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

Rosemary’s Banana Bread

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I saw a meme on Facebook joking about how everyone is baking banana bread during Quarantine.  But you know what? It’s no joking matter… banana bread is a DELICIOUS way to start the day and a VERY practical way to use up those three sad-looking bananas that have been sitting on the counter all week!

(I really thought I was going to eat a banana as a snack but it turns out I prefer oreos.)

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, Rosemary, who gave us a cute little box filled with copies of her favorite recipes several years ago. This box is also the source of Aunt Eileen’s Curry and many other delicious breads, sides and desserts that haven’t made their way onto the blog yet.

Rosemary’s Banana Bread comes together in about 10 minutes.  I’ll stop typing this intro now before it takes more time to read the recipe than it does to make it!

Rosemary’s Banana Bread

You will need…
3 overripe Bananas
2 Eggs
2 cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour
¾ cup (149g) Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoons Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the eggs and beat. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine until a thick batter forms. Transfer batter to a greased loaf pan and bake for 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan on a rack until cool enough to handle, then remove from pan and allow the bread to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy banana bread for breakfast or in place of an oreo when you’re looking for a mid-afternoon snack.  😊

Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower

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Matt first made Ina Garten’s Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower in February and we knew immediately that this would become one of our go-to dinners. Now, during Quarantine, we’ve made this at least six times and, guess what? It’s what’s for dinner TONIGHT!! Yum.

This dish is SO different from the average “baked pasta.” The panko-encrusted shells are flavored with lemon, garlic and Fontina cheese. The insides of the shells harbor pockets of creamy ricotta and the occasional salty zing of a caper. Tender cauliflower florets melt into the space between shells and make this meal feel lighter and healthier (or at least less unhealthy!). The entire dish is completed with a topping of panko, parsley and pecorino and baked in the oven until golden brown.

For the past 12 weeks Matt and I have been dependent on online grocery availability and we’ve had to get creative with some ingredient substitutions. Can’t find Fontina? Try Gruyère, Emmental or Gouda.  No shells available in the pasta aisle? Cavatappi and Pipe Rigate work well, too. And that time our online shopper delivered PURPLE cauliflower instead of the normal white stuff? No problem… the dish was just a little more colorful that time around!

We typically get one dinner plus three servings of lunch out of each recipe. This is great as a leftover and, according to Ina’s note in the original recipe, can also be made ahead by assembling the dish, refrigerating, and baking just before serving.

Ina Garten’s Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower

From Cooking for Jeffrey, adapted slightly

You will need…
Salt and Pepper
1 lb. Pasta Shells
Olive Oil
1 head Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
3 tablespoons Sage, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Capers, drained
3 cloves Garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Lemon Zest
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
10 oz. Fontina Val d’Aosta Cheese, grated
1 cup Ricotta
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
6 tablespoons Pecorino Cheese, grated
2 tablespoons minced Parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.  Drain the pasta and transfer it to a very large mixing bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan, then add half the cauliflower in a single layer. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and starting to brown. Place the cooked cauliflower in the bowl with the pasta before sautéing the remaining cauliflower and adding to the pasta.

Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the bowl with the pasta and cauliflower. Stir gently, then add the grated Fontina cheese and stir again.

Transfer half the pasta mixture to a large casserole dish. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta over top of the pasta, then cover with the remaining pasta mixture.

Combine the panko, parsley, grated Pecorino and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over the pasta. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is browned and the edges of the pasta are beginning to get crusty. Serve immediately and enjoy!

OMG BLT Pizza

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Iron Hill Brewery has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since Matt and I moved within walking distance to the micro-brewery’s Media location twelve years ago.  I have happy memories of sitting in Iron Hill’s outdoor dining area in June 2008 and sipping fresh beer (a wheat beer at that time, I’m sure) while watching hundreds of runners pass by on State Street in the Media 5 Mile race.

Back then I felt sorry for the runners (why run when you can sit outside drinking at Iron Hill??), but in recent years I’ve become one of those runners! Now I always make a point of looking at the happy spectators in Iron Hill’s outdoor dining area when I race by and Matt and I always have dinner at Iron Hill when the race is over.

One of my go-to entrees is the OMG BLT sandwich, a flavorful, drippy, wonderful combination of bacon, pepperoni, balsamic-dressed arugula, tomato, mozzarella and pesto mayo on a warm and crusty ciabatta.  After I became pregnant last summer I was no longer able to partake in the OMG BLT (though I did consider ordering it without pepperoni on more than one occasion!) and it was one of the dinners I was most looking forward to after the baby was born.

It’s even on Iron Hill’s temporary takeout menu during the COVID-19 shutdown. But we’re super cautious and haven’t ordered any takeout. Good thing we can make our own!

Matt, baby K and I have still not visited Iron Hill since her birth in early March, but that hasn’t stopped me from craving an OMG BLT.  I contemplated trying to make a copycat version of the sandwich at home, but we’ve only been doing online grocery shopping and good ciabatta is hard to come by.  (With my luck our Whole Foods shopper would helpfully substitute in a rock-hard gluten free, vegan, fair trade dinner roll!) Matt and I make our own pizza all the time so I happily agreed when Matt suggested that we turn my craving into a pizza.

I bet Kenzie wishes she could eat this.

OMG BLT Pizza

Our pizza version of Iron Hill Brewery’s OMG BLT sandwich.

You will need…
6-8 oz. bacon, cut into small pieces
2.5 oz. pepperoni, quartered if it’s the big 3-4 in. diameter slices from Whole Foods
2 Roma Tomatoes
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese
2-3 spoonfuls Basil Pesto
1-2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
3-4 handfuls Arugula
1 lb. Pizza Dough

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 550°F. Cook the bacon bits over medium heat until brown and crispy, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Thinly slice the tomatoes and place them on a paper towel to remove the excess liquid. Shred the mozzarella cheese.

Make the pesto mayo by combining the pesto and mayo in a small bowl.  If you want to get fancy and use a squeeze bottle, add a little olive oil to the pesto mayo until it is thin enough to funnel into a squeeze bottle. (If you’re using the squeeze bottle, make sure your pesto is very well blended otherwise chunks of nuts and garlic will jam up the nozzle!)

Whisk together 1 teaspoon each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a medium-sized bowl. Add the arugula and toss well to coat.

Stretch the pizza dough into a 14-16” disc (whatever size fits your stone). Remove the stone from the oven and place the dough on the hot stone. Working quickly, cover the dough with the mozzarella, then the bacon, pepperoni and tomato slices. Bake the pizza until the crust is starting to brown on the edges, approximately 8-12 minutes.

Remove the cooked pizza from the oven and transfer from the stone to a peel. (We do this outside the oven rather than trying to peel it off the stone IN the oven.)  Spoon or squeeze the pesto mayo over top of the pizza, then top with the dressed arugula.  Slice and serve!