Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Well the week is upon us. Christmas is almost here. I am spending the week, wrapping presents, addressing Christmas cards, packing and finishing up a couple homemade gifts. I am enjoying listening to endless hours of Christmas music, so much so that I reached my 40 hour monthly Pandora limit before the 15th hit. Yeah, I’ve gotta problem.

In other news, Isaac & I have been attending doctor appointments, seeing our little one bouncing all around the ultrasound screen is just the sweetest thing. We found out last week we’re having a girl, which we could not be more thrilled about. We have a dozen or so ultrasound photos that we stare at a couple times a day. We love her so much already!

Wish each and every one of you a wonderful joy filled Christmas and look forward to 2011!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. 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 flour mixture into the butter sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.  Scoop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.

Images: sammyw

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The other day I was watching America’s Test Kitchen on PBS and on air was their recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t know if I can blame it on a pregnancy craving or not but I tell you within 5 minutes of this show ending, I was lacing up my shoes, making a list and walking to the store for meatball ingredients. Isaac was out with a friend that morning, so I thought I’d surprise him with a hearty lunch when he returned.

I surprisingly had just about everything I needed in my kitchen with the exception of white bread, ground beef, ground pork and crushed tomatoes. A quick walk to our local grocery store, I was back and had this meal on the table in about an hour. I’ve only made spaghetti and meatballs a handful of times since we’ve been married and while scooping up the last of my meatball and twirling spaghetti on my fork I wondered why I don’t make it more often. It’s incredibly simple although does require a couple tedious steps (ie: rolling the meatballs one by one) but even that took about 5 minutes. To me this is comfort food. And oh my did it ever comfort us on the cool weekend.

I still am not sure if I’m ready to give the baby credit for this one, but if he/she did, they are a kid after my own heart already.

Spaghetti & Meatballs
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

Meatballs:

• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crust removed
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 pound (80% lean) ground beef
• 1/4 pound ground pork (spicy Italian pork sausage would be wonderful as well)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 T fresh parsley, minced
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Tomato Sauce:

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes with basil
• 3 T fresh basil, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the meatballs:

Combine bread and buttermilk in small bowl and let stand, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. Place ground meat, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Add bread-milk mixture and combine until evenly mixed. Shape 3 tablespoons of mixture into 1 1/2-inch-round meatball. You should be able to form about 12 – 14 meatballs. Pour olive oil into a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Regulate heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

For the sauce:

Meanwhile, discard oil in pan but leave behind any browned bits. Add olive oil for tomato sauce along with garlic and sauté over medium heat, scraping up browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.

In a separate pot, add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Serve immediately with grated cheese on top and minced parsley.

Images: sammyw

Cinnamon Rolls and Other News

We have had quite an eventful past couple of weeks. Isaac has been busy like crazy on a work deadline. To help the team at work celebrate meeting the accomplished deadline, I showed up Monday with these warm homemade cinnamon rolls to help begin the celebration. This is a tried and true recipe that has never failed me. Here’s the recipe.

Also, I had a midwife appointment where we heard our little one’s heartbeat for the first time. Best. Sound. Ever. We are both beyond thrilled and at 16 weeks along I am feeling great. Last week, I decorated our mantle and couldn’t help but think next Christmas there will be three stockings hanging from our fireplace. Can’t wait!

Images: sammyw

Restaurant Style Salsa

Most salsa recipes require spending a good 30 minutes chopping, mincing, measuring and mixing. Something so simple takes so much time. My mom has a wonderful recipe that I make often. But this time I was looking for something simple. Something that wouldn’t leave my hands jalapeno ridden. Leave it up to good ol’ Pioneer Woman to win me over.

I don’t have a ton of photos for you because seriously the recipe is that simple. Literally pull the ingredients from the fridge, reach into the cabinets for the rest, dump into the food processor, whirl it a few times and you’re good.

See, this…

To this in seconds…

Restaurant Style Salsa
Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

• 1 can (28 Ounce) whole tomatoes, drained
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
• ¼ cups chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
• ¼ t sugar
• ¼ t salt
• ¼ t ground cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
• ½ lime, juiced

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour before serving.

Images: sammyw

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread

I get really excited about the holidays. I love pulling out my box full of orange, brown and gold for fall and Thanksgiving. I could get easily carried away. I allow myself one box of ‘seasonal decor’ and one box of ‘Christmas decor’. If I don’t give myself limits, the after holiday Target 75% off clearance will do me in every time. Our little apartment with two closets would be choked full of decorations, but I just love it all. The smells, the way the house feels fuller from now until the end of the year and of course the baking.

There is a reason why squirrels and chipmunks get a little chunkier around this time of the year, I think the same can be said for us as well. The warmth of home, the reasons to stay indoors and snuggle up with your hunny and some apple crisp, the lazy long cool mornings full of big hearty breakfasts and even bigger cups of coffee.

This is my first (of many I hope!) pumpkin recipes of the season. I am so predictable, I always start with pumpkin bread. Although the recipe is new and will definitely be coming back in my baking que again and again.

I love the addition of olive oil in the bread, it creates this uber moist almost dense but light bread. We’ve been eating slice after slice with a big ol’ schmear of cream cheese morning and morning.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread
Recipe adapted from: A Chow Life

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup lightly flavored olive oil (not extra virgin, just olive oil)
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar (original recipe called for 3 (!) cups, next time I would even go down to 1 1/2)
• 3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 t freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground cloves
• 2 t baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease loaf pans with olive oil. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the olive oil, water, pumpkin and sugar. Whisk with a fork to combine thoroughly. Add flour  with the salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda into the mixing bowl. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Divide into prepared loaf pans, nudging batter into corners. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely. The bread will keep at room temperature for more than a week if tightly wrapped in plastic. Makes 2 regular sized loaves. It would be wonderful to make in mini loaf pans and pass around to your neighbors, spreading Fall cheer to all :)

Images: sammyw

Apple Cake

Conversation over the weekend with my husband went something like this…

Him: Are you planning on making that apple cake recipe you’ve been talking about?

Me: Eh, I could but think of all the dishes…

Him: I’ll wash the dishes if you are still up for making it?

Me: Deal.

And so this weekend, I made apple cake all the while my husband slaved over a big sink and suds. To be honest this cake couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. The crisp cool feeling of fall has arrived here in San Francisco. I pondered if I would feel it, since, well San Francisco always has a chill. But friends it has come.

As we awoke this morning, I could feel it yet again. The cool breeze coming through our window as we ducked for cover in our sheets. I may or may not have had a slice of this cake for breakfast this morning just to seal the deal that Fall is officially here.

This cake is a simple one bowl cake, it takes no time at all and before you know it your house will smell of warm apples and cinnamon. Serve this with some cinnamon spiked whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream.

Apple Cake
recipe adapted from A Chow Life

• 2  1/2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith Apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, cooled
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 8x8x2-inch round baking pan. Mix diced apples, sugar, butter and egg in large bowl to blend. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt over. If using, add chopped walnuts; mix thoroughly. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake until cake is brown and crusty on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.

Images: sammyw

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Dear inventor of the dishwasher,

I don’t know how to say this but, um, frankly I love you. As I type with my shriveled up raisin-y fingers I am forever grateful to you. You see our dishwasher decided to die on us a couple weeks ago and since I have been on dish duty. Now like I told you, I have been cooking and baking up a storm here in this kitchen, but friends once your dishwasher suddenly goes all stage left on you, your cooking and baking spree suddenly dissipates.

No more are the carefree days of whipping up a tasty concoction, then to nicely pack it all away in little cubbies and slats to be washed. No, the days of pulling your prized dish out of the oven only to be left with a sink full of scraped out mixing bowls and measuring cups. If anything were to take the twinkle out of cooking for me, this would be it.

And so my once fiercely fast cooking, has turned into an all afternoon ordeal. Thankfully this madness will only last a little longer, while we await the new part to arrive in the mail. But until then, I am washing and drying the ol’ fashioned way.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe from The Food Network

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 2-1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 cup bread crumbs (make your own, toast up some bread, pulse in the food processor and ta-da: breadcrumbs!)
• 1 t paprika
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally until it is almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, 1/4 cup melted butter, the cayenne pepper, and a teaspoon of salt. Put half the macaroni into a buttered 2-quart casserole and top with half the cheddar cheese. Repeat. Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni and cheese. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the paprika, the remaining butter, and the Parmesan. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the macaroni and bake until brown and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Blueberry Cobbler

Hello, September, you sure sneaked up quickly on us all! I walked into Target last week and eyed all the fall decor perfectly stacked in it’s proper place to which my little heart skipped a beat. Most people will tell you I am a summer girl, but there is something so exciting, so magical about the changing of seasons. Fall has a special place in my heart. I have been known to squeal over pumpkin scented candles and leaf patterned dish towels. Not to mention the pumpkin patch and my favorite of all, the apple orchards. More on this to come! (swoon!)

But, I had to tell you about this cobbler as soon as I could, blueberries are only in season another couple weeks.  Soon they will be replaced with crisp apples and sweet pears which bring their own brilliance, but for now we will give the blueberries the fame they still deserve.

Now scoot along, grab a couple pints of the freshest blueberries you can find. Lay them in a sweet scalloped pie plate and blanket them with a buttery, sweet circles. Bake in the oven til blueberry juice is dancing around and serve it with some vanilla ice cream. Go on…hurry! September is already here after all…

Blueberry Cobbler
Recipe from The Kitchen Sink

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 6 T butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup plus 1 T buttermilk
• 6 cups blueberries
• 2 T honey
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 t lemon zest
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T turbinado sugar
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 2/3 cup buttermilk and pulse just until a smooth dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a ball. If the ball is sticky, knead in additional flour. Flatten slightly, then roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using a small biscuit cutter (or in my case a small wine glass!) cut about 32 circles; pat the scraps together and re-roll if necessary.

In another bowl, toss the berries with the honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Pour the berries into your baking dish. Arrange the biscuit rounds over the fruit in rows so they touch but do not overlap. Brush the rounds with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and thickened and the biscuits are golden brown. Let cool slightly then serve with ice cream.

Images: sammyw

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I have been searching for a good sandwich bread for some time now. A recipe simple enough for a weekly loaf. You know the kind of bread for morning toast slathered in butter or to hold together lettuce, bacon, tomato and avocado for quick weeknight dinners. Then there is of course the chicken salad.

The majority of recipes I came across had a long ingredient list with two tablespoons of this, a teaspoon of that. It all seemed quite complicated and to be honest a little fake. Them with their powdered milk and instant potato flakes. Bleh. I was looking for something grandma would make. A recipe scribbled down on oil stained paper with a title like Eloise’s Sandwich Bread. A girl can hope right?

Well, no old timer quaint name like Eloise, but have you visited the King Arthur Flours’ website? Oh my goodness, I could spend hours pursuing my nose in the yeasted bread section or the muffins and quickbreads section will send me straight into fall. It was there I found the recipe for this bread. So simple. The recipe is meant to act as a base with endless possibilities for healthy add ins. The original recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts which I will be trying in the coming weeks (sunflower seeds!). Some ground flax seeds would be wonderful or a 1/2 cup or so of oatmeal.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (100-110 degrees)
• 3 T olive oil
• 5 T honey (or molasses, maple syrup)
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 t instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a loose dough. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till fairly smooth about 5-10 minutes. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, till it’s crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan. Bake the bread in a preheated 350 oven for 30-40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil if the crust begins to brown to quickly. Yield: 1 loaf.

*Would you believe I forgot to take a photo of the bread all nice, golden and beautiful!? To be honest I could not wait to cut a slice and slap butter on em’. 3 slices later and who knows how much butter. Ouf…

Images: sammyw

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

I finally got around to hanging curtains in our family room and the timing couldn’t have been better, forecast for today: 94 degrees. It is by far the warmest day of the summer and I have no intentions of turning on the oven. I’m experimenting with a healthy snack bar (apples, cinnamon, dates!) which I’ll show you later this week.

I made this chicken salad for a family birthday party over the weekend. The party was actually a chicken cook-off and this salad earned me a third place ribbon and a lovely pot of miniature roses.

I scoured my cookbooks, bookmarks and blogs for a worthy contender and came away with this chicken salad. The nuttiness of the toasted walnuts, the licorice flavor of the tarragon played a perfect balance with the sweet dried cranberries with just enough mayonnaise to pull it all together. Quite refreshing and perfect for summer.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Recipe from Gourmet

• 4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 3 T shallot, minced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T fresh tarragon, minced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t black pepper

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl until combined well. I like to serve mine on top a slice of buttered toasted bread. It’s also wonderful spooned inside lettuce, atop of crackers or eaten straight from the spoon. :)

Images: sammyw