chocolate peanut butter coconut shortbread bars

for the crust:

1 cup plus 5 tbs unsalter butter, melted and cooled to just warm

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. table salt

2 large egg yolks

3 cups plus 3 tbs flour

line a straight sided 13x9 inch metal baking pan with foil, letting the ends create an overhanging edge for easy removal. in a medium bowl, stir together the butter, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt. whisk in the egg yolks. stir in the flour to make a stiff dough. transfer about two cups of the dough to the prepared pan, and press the mixture evenly into the bottom. prick the dough all over with a fork. refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes (or freeze for 5 to 7 minutes), until the dough is firm.

meanwhile, position a rack near the center of the oven and another near the top. heat the oven to 325.

bake the dough until the crust begins to set but does not brown at all on the edges (the center will not be firm yet), about 20 minutes. while the crust bakes, prepare the streusel and the topping.

make the streusel: with your fingers, combine the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar with the reserved dough until crumbly. the mixture should hold together when pressed, but readily break into smaller pieces. chocolate chips and/or coconut flakes can be added at this point if desired.

make the chocolate peanut butter middle:

in a medium saucepan, heat 3/4 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter on low, stirring until completely melted. spread the chocolate peanut butter evenly over the hot crust. scatter the streusel over the chocolate peanut butter (don't crumble the streusel too much or the texture will be sandy.) Increase the oven temperature to 350 and bake the bars near the top of the oven until the streusel is golden and set, about 25 minutes.

place the pan on a metal rack to cool until the crust is completely firm, at least 1 hour. when the bottom of the pan is cool, carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sides and transfer them to a cutting board. separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them.

they will keep at room temperature for 1 week. enjoy!

heart‐shaped garlic & onion roti

roti: mix 2 cups of flour with ½ tsp salt. add 4 tsps oil and mix until lumps smooth out. add ¾ cup warm water ¼ cup at a time. form a dough ball; careful not to over-knead the dough. coat the ball with a few drops of oil, and then let it rest for 15 minutes. divide the dough into 12 balls., dip the balls in flour to coat them, and roll them out into flat rounds. use cookie cutters for shapes. cook in a skillet on high heat for 10-15 seconds each.

because why not

my banana crumble snack cake with custard from matt's vanilla pots de crème, & a basic strawberry, raspberry, blackberry sauce.

vanilla pots de crème

another remarkable mark bittman recipe

heat oven to 300. pour 2 cups heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat until steam rises. cover pan, turn off heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. beat yolks of 6 eggs with 1/2 cup sugar until light. pour about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar/egg mixture into cream and stir. add 1 tsp vanilla extract. pour mixture into four 6 oz ramekins and place in a baking dish; fill dish with water halfway up the side of dishes. cover with foil and bake 45 minutes to an hour until center is barely set. chill before serving.

chicken & vegetable cobbler

amazing recipe by mark bittman

heat oven to 400 degrees. heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. add a sliced leek, with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes. add two cups quartered button mushrooms and cook 10 minutes. add 1½ cups chicken stock and some rosemary in a tea ball. bring to a boil for a few minutes, then add three chopped chicken thighs and two chopped carrots, and reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for ten minutes. add 1 cup peas and cook until vegetables are tender.

whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of broth to make a slurry. add slurry to pot and stir until liquid thickens slightly. transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and set aside.

put 1 cup flour in a food processor with ¾ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp soda and ¼ tsp salt salt. add 3 tbsps chopped butter and process 30 seconds. transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in ½ cup buttermilk and 1 egg until it just comes together; it should be sticky.

drop spoonfuls of batter on top of vegetables and chicken and smooth with a knife, covering as much surface area as possible but leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly underneath. scoop into bowls and serve immediately.

baba ganoush, tomato feta spread, & roti

tomato feta spread: made this one up on the fly. slice cherry tomatoes in half. toss in olive oil, sea salt, & fresh pepper. roast in toaster oven at 425 for ten minutes. combine in food processor with crumbled feta, to taste. super tasty.

baba ganoush: prick a large eggplant with a fork, then roast at 425 for about an hour until it is soft. let it cool, then purée in a blender with garlic, peanut butter (or tahini), some olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt, to taste.

roti: mix 2 cups of flour with ½ tsp salt. add 4 tsps oil and mix until lumps smooth out. add ¾ cup warm water ¼ cup at a time. form a dough ball; careful not to over-knead the dough. coat the ball with a few drops of oil, and then let it rest for 15 minutes. divide the dough into 12 balls., dip the balls in flour to coat them, and roll them out into flat rounds. cook in a skillet on high heat for 10-15 seconds each.

Tuna Ceviche

A few days ago we were having grilled tuna steaks. I rescued a few pieces before they hit the flames to make ceviche.

Take some tuna. I probably had roughly one normal-sized steak, about an inch thick.

Cube the tuna, about 1/2" per side.

Chop up a few green onions. I used both the white and green parts. I stopped a few inches shy of the top, because these ones were only OK, and I didn't want any woody bits.

Finely chop half an onion. I would have preferred a red one, because they're prettier, but this yellow one worked well enough, and was probably a bit milder.

Peel and finely chop some ginger. This is about two knuckles' worth, or about 4 teaspoons when chopped.

Juice some limes. I used two whole limes, and later added a whole lemon because I wanted the flavor to be a bit brighter. Also, add a teaspoon or so of soy sauce to taste.

Mix it all up in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Walk away for 2-3 hours. Return and top off with some chopped cilantro. Time for some noms.

Use Ice for Brown Rice in the Microwave

This is not a recipe, just a quick tip. The automatic rice button on most microwaves operates thusly: the more water there is in the microwave, the longer it takes to heat it up. The automatic rice setting measures how long it takes to bring the water to a boil to figure out how much rice and water there is, and how long it needs to be cooked.

This works great for most white rice, but not so well for brown rice, which takes considerably longer to cook. So, this morning, I used ice instead of room temperature water, and the rice turned out just about right. The extra heating time bought by using the ice was enough to make the difference.

banana crumble snack cake

banana crumble snack cake from my muffin thursdays blog:

ingredients: 1/2c butter, softened 3/4c brown sugar (packed) 2 eggs 2 large, ripe bananas 1 tsp vanilla heaping 1/4tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 3/4c flour 1 1/4c old-fashioned oats (not quick)

for the topping: 3/4c old-fashioned oats 1/3c brown sugar (packed) 1 tbsp flour 4 tbsp butter, softened

directions: cream butter and brown sugar for the cake. mash bananas, and add to creamed mixture. add eggs, one at a time, beating till fluffy after each addition. sift together salt, baking soda, and flour into the cake. stir in oats and mix till just combined.

pour into a sprayed 9" cake pan or springform. mix up the topping by whisking together the oats, brown sugar, and flour. cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms. sprinkle over cake.

bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. run knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the sides as it cools.

enjoy!

three reasons to love bredenbeck's

lemon curd, carrot cake, and chocolate raspberry cupcakes. om nom nom nom.

http://www.bredenbecks.com/

banana frozen custard

in a saucepan, combine 2 cups milk, 2 cups heavy cream, 2 beaten eggs, 1¼ cups sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

cook and stir over low heat until mixture thickens slightly; it should coat the back of a spoon. refrigerate until cool.

pureé two ripe bananas with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. stir together with cooled custard and pour into an ice cream maker.

enjoy!

three reasons to love hokka hokka

impromptu cookies

variation on oatmeal cookie, adding ground (in a food processor) semi sweet chocolate at the last minute instead of raisins or chocolate chips, and adding melted peanut butter after they bake.

almond cake ... time consuming, difficult, but worth it!

i am too tired after making this cake to comment, so you'll just have to fill in the blanks on your own!

improvised oatmeal raisin pie topped with peanut butter and chocolate swirls

ok, so. i decided to bake oatmeal raisin cookies last night, but i was halving the recipe because it makes so many. all was going as planned until i was adding the very last ingredient - the oats. instead of adding 1.5 cups, i added 2.5... so then i threw in another egg, a bit more brown & granulated sugar... balled it up and baked 6 cookies. they came out extremely thin and very chewy. delicious. with the leftover dough from last night, i pressed it out into a glass pie plate, pushing up on the sides to make a crust. i baked this for 20 minutes at 350. i then poured a layer of melted peanut butter, and then a layer of melted semi-sweet chocolate on top, twisted through them with a knife, and baked an additional 10 minutes. then elias whipped some heavy cream, and wah-lah, oatmeal raisin cookies knocked up several notches.

Banana-Pumpkin Bran-Flax Muffins (Chef Matt Post)

I'd never made bran muffins before (my overall muffin-making experience is quite low), and wanted to give it a go. I found a recipe that looked pretty good, but I had made so many changes to it that it really became its own thing. For one thing, I wanted extra, so I doubled the recipe. Since I had only two bananas and needed four, a can of pumpkin made up the shortfall. I also had no whole-wheat flour, so I subbed in some oats. I also prefer brown sugar in baked goods, usually. I also didn't trust a recipe without any added fat, so I threw a few tablespoons of oil in there. And last, but not least, I'd already begun when I realized I had no eggs. I remember reading that you can use flax seed and water as a substitute. I was skeptical, but it worked out just fine.

• 2 c all-bran cereal
  
• 1 c rolled oats
  
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  
• 4 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 c milk
  
• 1 c brown sugar
  
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed whisked with 6 tbsp of water
  
• 2 tbsp water
  
• 1c mashed banana (approx 2 bananas)
  
• 1 can (the normal-sized one) pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients and add the flax mixture, water, milk, banana, and pumpkin.

Mix until well combined.

Grease the muffin tins, paying extra attention to the bottom. Fill tins 2/3 of the way, and bake for about 30-50 minutes.

I used both small and large muffin tins, with and without paper cupcake wrappers, so there was considerable variation in doneness. Use a toothpick to test. If it comes out clean, you're good to go. If it doesn't, put them back in for another 3-5 minutes and test again.

You want to get muffins out of the tin right when you take them out of the oven, so they don't get soggy and stuck, so pop 'em out after you take them out. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

almond encrusted oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

a fun twist on a classic cookie. oatmeal cookie recipe from the target brand quick oats box. add a teaspoon of cinnamon, a ton of chocolate chips, and roll the cookies in crushed almonds. i used a food processor to crush the almonds.

matt's roasted veggies

roasted broccoli, turnips, beets, potatos

Scrambled Eggs with Collared Greens and Sriracha (Chef Matt Post)

Take one package of frozen collared greens, combine with two cups of vegetable broth, one teaspoon of garlic, and a few dashes of crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for thirty minutes.

To make the eggs, I used the microwave. Simply put the beaten eggs into a bowl coated with a thin layer of olive oil, cover, and microwave on high for approximately 60-90 seconds per egg. By only barely beating the eggs, you get a very pretty yellow/white mottled effect.

I then drizzled with Sriracha. Mmm.

In true food slut fashion, right after I finished the photo shoot, I mixed everything together and devoured it.

(everything but the) kitchen sink cookies

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups of everything but the kitchen sink! i used the archer farms "monster mix," minus the peanuts. (see photo.) includes m&m's, raisins, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.

preheat oven to 375. stir flour with baking soda and salt in a bowl. cream butter with sugar and brown sugar. add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. blend dry mix into creamed mix. stir in everything but the kitchen sink. drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheets. bake 9-11 minutes. enjoy!

peace out, girl scout

i love this time of year. "lemonades" are my new favorite cookie.

finished product: homemade lasagna with spinach, zucchini, and pepperoni

note that we're all reflected in the teapot...

homemade lasagna with spinach, zucchini, and pepperoni

click on the photos to see them full-sized. matt made the sauce from scratch, as well. i'm very excited for dinner... 375 for 50 minutes. tick, tock, tick, tock.

Vegetarian Baked Beans and Roasted Rutabaga (Chef Matt Post)

I still had some soaked beans leftover from before, and had to come up with a way to use them, so I made some baked beans in the crock pot.

Here's the rundown:

• Pre-soaked pinto beans
• Chopped onions
• Chopped carrots
• Chopped celery
• Minced garlic
• Ketchup
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce (omit if you want to be vegan, it contains anchovies)
• Two tablespoons of margarine

All of this I cooked on low for about twelve hours, adding water occasionally to make sure it didn't dry out. It turned out pretty well, although if I'd saved the soaking water for the beans it would have been better and produced a thicker sauce.

Recently in the NYT food section there was a piece about rutabagas. I've never had them before, and my interest was piqued so I had to try them. They're one of those odd vegetables you usually ignore while browsing the produce section, which is a shame, because they're actually pretty tasty.

I bought two decently-sized rutabagas, which the cashier at first rang up as turnips. When I told her that they were rutabagas, she corrected the error and the price dropped by half; be attentive when you're at the register (this is always a good idea).

I peeled off the waxy skin with a sharp knife. Don't bother trying to use a peeler, it is way too hard and thick. I cut them up into one centimeter cubes, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted at 400 degrees for about forty minutes. The taste was pretty similar to turnips, which I also like, but perhaps a bit starchier. Delish!

Here are both finished products, served together for lunch today:

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Chef Matt Post)

Chef MDL here.

I've been trying to use up things in my pantry and refrigerator, which gave rise to these tasty peppers.

I sauteed an onion in some olive oil and garlic, added some chopped celery and carrots, a finely chopped dried ancho chile. Once things were starting to get translucent, I added a can of chopped tomatoes and some pre-soaked and washed pinto beans, along with some vegetable broth.

After about twenty-five minutes, it was still a bit too wet for the peppers, so I added some quinoa, and simmered for another fifteen minutes.

I then spooned the hot beany business into some peppers, topped with a generous helping of fresh parmigiano-reggiano and baked for twenty minutes at 425.

Mmm.