Christmas Cookies

This is a great sugar cookie recipe for Christmas cookies or other sugar cookies.  Pictured here are assorted Christmas cookies, Easter cookies, and cookies used as wedding favors.  They are all the same recipe, which is really simple, but it does require an investment of some equipment.  You will need:

A rolling pin

A silpat mat to roll the dough on

Cookie cutters

A piping set (tips, bags, and couplers)

Royal icing mix (or make your own)

Gel coloring 

All of these things can be purchased at a cake supply store, some art supply stores, or online at amazon.com (click on the links above).

Split Pea Soup

This is a friend's split pea soup recipe.  She eats very, very healthily but says that this is a recipe that even "regular people" like.  She encouraged me to taste it, and now it is one of my favorite soups.  I admit it doesn't sound or look as good as it tastes, but it really is an excellent soup.  It is healthy, tasty, easy to make, inexpensive, and it freezes well.

I've always made this soup with green split peas, but our grocery store was out of them so I made it with yellow split peas this time.  It tastes exactly the same, but it does change the look.  Feel free to use either kind.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash

This rigatoni has everything that I love about pasta with cheese sauce.  The thick and creamy sauce fills the pasta and bursts out when you bite into it.  It is inexpensive, comforting, and is ready quickly.  But unlike macaroni and cheese, it can be made completely dairy free and since the sauce is made mostly from pureed squash instead of cheese, it is a much more balanced, healthy meal.  I topped mine with some parmesan cheese and used 2% milk to thin the sauce, but the cheese is not needed and any kind of milk would work (soy, almond, lactaid, rice, etc.)  The sweet and salty in this dish is so comforting, and the fresh chopped basil adds some great dimension to the flavor.  PJ didn't believe me that there was no cheese in it!  Add some grilled chicken to this dish for an even heartier meal.

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

My mom's chicken soup with matzo balls is a recipe you'll want to hold onto.  She's served it every year at Passover and Rosh Hashanah for as long as I can remember, and the whole family looks forward to eating it.

As my mom says, it's a chore, but it'll be worth it!  And it's not difficult to make, it just takes time.  On day one, veggies and chicken are simmered for three hours.  Then the veggies and chicken are taken out, the soup is strained, and everything is left to cool.  Then comes the most fun part which is pulling the cooked chicken off the carcass.  My mom loves doing it, but when I was little I thought it was the grossest thing in the world to watch.  But now I realize that there's nothing like sitting down in front of the TV and dissecting some chicken soup chicken.  Finally, the broth is covered and left in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning the fat will have congealed and can be skimmed off the surface.  Matzo balls can be made and all can be served right away or frozen.

Ratatouille Tart

A slice of this ratatouille tart accompanied by some simply dressed greens makes a great brunch.  The combination of tomatoes, cheese, and crust are delicious (think pizza) and are sure to please a crowd.  When I made this i had extra filling which was delicious in an omelet the next day. 

Chilean Sea Bass with Mango Salsa

I was in Albany for my sister's Pre-Wedding Celebration this weekend so I didn't cook, but I thought I'd share this fish recipe that I made and photographed a while ago and never posted.

It was such a fun weekend with lots of friends and family, and I learned that many of them read this blog!  Thanks readers! 

My mom made a salmon dish with peach chutney this weekend (Yum!), which reminded me how much a love fish served with sweet condiments.  This recipe makes 3 cups of mango salsa which is great to eat leftover with chips, or make a smaller amount if you want just enough to eat with the fish.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Spinach

Here's a quick and easy pasta dish that you probably could have thought of yourself, but you didn't.  That's my favorite kind of weeknight dinner recipe - something that you can practically perfect on the first try and that you know you'll like, but that you didn't have to think of on your own.  It's inexpensive and only takes 30 minutes or so to prepare.

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks Dinner.  It's a small book full of quick and simple recipes that you probably could have improvised on your own.  I'm a Bittman fan so I was excited when I found this book on the Give-Away Table in our lobby!  Apparently you can also buy it for five dollars on amazon.com.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

I used a cast iron grill pan that we got for our wedding to make these delicious kabobs and served them over quick and easy cous cous.  They would probably be even better cooked outside over a real grill, but we do what we can.  It was still fun to feel like we were grilling on a summer night.

The whole meal is very quick and simple.  We had leftovers so I brought some for lunches and then we still had enough for another dinner served with corn on the cob.

For variations, try whatever veggies you like instead of peppers, swordfish instead of chicken, and rice or quinoa instead of couscous.

Simple Sides - Vegetables

I made the following list of instructions for simple vegetable sides for my husband because he's been cooking a little lately.  I absolutely love eating home-made food that I didn't cook myself so I wanted to make it easy for him to do it often!

The list is of my staple vegetable side dishes that I use if I'm making a simple chicken, fish, or all veggie meal.  Most of them just require great produce, some olive oil and salt, and and a little practice to know exactly when the vegetables are cooked just right.  They are all very quick and easy to make.  In my opinion, there's no reason to potchky with things that are already so good on their own.

Baked Halibut with Fennel and Cucumber Raita

Today I decided to ignore the heat, blast the air conditioning, and cook a nice dinner for two.

We've been eating out in air-conditioned restaurants or eating things that don't require cooking for a while now, which has been nice, but with the long weekend I really had an itch to cook.

Pear Ginger Muffins

I had a good amount of crystallized ginger left over from the apricot-ginger mini scones I made last month, so I decided to try this recipe.  I like the options it gives for varying a lot of the ingredients: fresh or canned pears, whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour, canola oil or butter (or both), and varying the amount of sugar.

I used fresh pears, whole wheat pastry flour, organic canola oil, and just 1/3 cup sugar so they are on the healthier side and not too sweet.  They are just right for breakfast or a snack with tea.

Lentil and Spinach Soup

I love lentil soup but when I stop to buy it for lunch at a grocery or sandwich place I am usually disappointed about half the time.  There is nothing worse than being starving for lunch all morning and then finally getting a few minutes eat and realizing that the lunch you bought is just gross.

So I finally had time today to make a big batch of my own - and this is an incredibly delicious and simple version of lentil soup so I'll be sure to have  satisfying and tasty lunches all week!

The soup is started by frying some chopped bacon in the bottom of a soup pot.  The fat that comes out of the bacon is used to saute some vegetables and then the lentils are added and simmer for about a half an hour.  Throw in a bunch of spinach and you're done!

Salmon with Mixed Greens and Crumbled Bacon

If I'd been served this dish a year ago I probably wouldn't have touched it.  I decided to stop keeping kosher years ago, but changing eating habits takes some effort.  I finally tasted bacon about a year ago and just didn't really care for it, but I gradually started to love it while we were on our honeymoon in Greece where we had bacon and eggs (the "English breakfast" at most hostels) many mornings. 

I had an even greater aversion to fish growing up.  As I remember it, I stopped eating fish because my sister stopped eating it, and I think that was because we had a pet fish who passed away while we were on vacation and was wrapped up and put in the freezer by our pet-sitters.  My sister got over this years before I did and reintroduced fish into her diet but it took me some time to change my habits.

Classic Cobb Salad

The Classic Cobb is my newest solution for a satisfying and fresh meal that I can throw together quickly on a night when I get home late from work.  I can have all of the components of the salad chopped and ready to go in the refrigerator for easy and quick lunches or dinners.

If you're only going to use part of an avocado for the salad, leave the part you aren't using in the skin with the pit intact in the refrigerator.  The surface may discolor but it can be scraped off with a knife when ready to use.

Pan-Roasted Salmon in Mango Nectar

Let me introduce you to one of the easiest yet most elegant salmon recipes I've come across.  The only ingredients are salmon, mango juice, chives, and olive oil for the pan!  I put this meal together on Saturday in the amount of time it took PJ to watch the Kentucky Derby and then we packed it up for a sunset picnic in the park along with some haricots verts and watermelon for dessert.

Most fish recipes depend on some sort of acidic element like citrus, vinegar, or tomatoes, all of which PJ is avoiding.  So I was really excited to find one without any acid that still tastes great!  Even better, I read that mangoes are supposed to be soothing for the stomach and intestines.

Pumpkin Date Bread

Pumpkin date bread leaves pumpkin chocolate chip bread in the dust.  When dates are at their best they are super sweet and mushy like candy, but it's not always easy to find great dates even though they are available year round.  Look for medjool dates with pits.  They should be soft and plump, with very thin skins that are not overly shriveled or wrinkly.  If you find good ones, buy extra to have around for snacking!  Dates will keep in the pantry for a couple of months or in the refrigerator for up to a year.

This bread can be made in mini loaves and wrapped up for the perfect end-of-the-year gift for teachers, or include them in hospitality bags for a spring wedding.  Loaves can be made well in advance and frozen.

Spring Pasta with Artichokes, Mushrooms, and Peas

Although this pasta is great with fresh spring produce, it can easily be made year round using jarred artichokes and frozen peas.  I was inspired to make it because I wanted to try the fresh English peas that have been appearing in our market lately.  They are available in pea pods or already shelled.  It was nice to eat fresh peas and they were pretty tender and flavorful, but peas lose their freshness so quickly that frozen peas are also a good way to go.

If you chop and saute the vegetables while the water is coming to a boil for the pasta, everything should come together in just about the time it takes to cook pasta!

Chicken Peanut Curry with Banana

If you think this dish sounds a little strange, imagine eating just the curry sauce and bananas as a soup, which is what the original recipe from Mollie Katzen's The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest called for.  I ate only half of a bowl of the soup before feeling completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the flavors and the thickness of the broth.  The flavors were so amazing, but it just didn't feel like soup.  Disappointed, I put the leftovers in the refrigerator and went to bed.

The next day I had an idea to try to salvage my strange soup by cooking up some chicken and serving the soup as a curry sauce over it.  The results were absolutely delicious!

Pecan-Oat Whole Wheat Muffins

A small, healthy muffin is the perfect snack for a busy day.  I like to make them in large batches once or twice a month to store individually wrapped in the freezer.  Then they can be defrosted in ten seconds in the microwave for a quick breakfast or a snack with tea, or take one out in the morning and it will be defrosted in time for a snack with lunch or a quick bite in the afternoon.

These pecan-oat whole wheat muffins are great because they are not too sweet so you can really enjoy the flavors of the roasted oats and pecans.  Give yourself about 20-30 minutes to prepare the batter and then 15 minutes for baking.  In 45 minutes or less you'll have an inexpensive and healthy snack to last for the whole month!

Apricot-Ginger Whole Wheat Mini Scones

The combination of apricot and ginger works great in these scones, but they can easily be varied, too.  Try blueberries topped with turbinado sugar, currants with orange zest, or make your own!

Crystallized ginger looks like sugared candy and is usually located in the dried fruits and nuts section in specialty or gourmet food stores.  If you can't find it or would like to try making your own, click here for the recipe.  Crystallized ginger can be stored in its container in a cool, dark place for three months.

Watermelon Salad with Ricotta Salata and Walnuts

Ricotta salata is a sheep's milk cheese made by drying and pressing the curds and whey of a ricotta cheese before it is aged.  The result is a salty (salata means salt) , dense cheese with a milky flavor.  It comes in a block and can be shaved or cut into cubes.

When ricotta salata is not available, crumbled feta cheese may be used in its place for this recipe.

I've been wanting and not wanting to make a savory watermelon salad years.  Watermelon with feta is popular in the Mediterranean, but it sounded so strange to me at first that I'd actually been avoiding it.  Then last year I ended up at an overly expensive restaurant where the least expensive dish was small watermelon salad with cheese.  I went for it out of student-budget necessity, but I was surprised at how delicious and refreshing this pairing of sweet and salty were. 

Sweet Corn Soup with Roasted Pepper Puree

This pureed corn soup is simple food at its best.  It is equally delicious served warm or chilled and is perfect for dinner on a warm summer night.

Although I am a fan of Alice Waters, I've found that some of the recipes in her latest cookbook The Art of Simple Food are a just too simple and come out a little bland or lacking.  This recipe however is so full of sweet and salty flavor.  Since it was featured in Food and Wine's Best of the Best cookbook which pulls recipes from the 25 best cookbooks each year, I thought I'd give it a try.

Homemade Swiss Chard Gnocchi with Butter and Sage Sauce

Making gnocchi is similar to making pasta dough, but mashed potatoes are used in place of some of the flour in the dough.  The dough becomes more flexible than pasta dough, and it can be easily rolled into gnocchi shapes without a pasta machine using just the tines of a fork.  Here, big bunches of cooked swiss chard add more color and nutrition to the traditional recipe.

I made a double recipe of this swiss chard gnocchi and used half for my Skillet Gnocchi with Greens and Beans published last month, and then froze half of it.  To defrost, I let it sit out for about half an hour to and then I reheated it in a pan with brown butter and sage sauce, recipe below.

Cold-Poached Salmon With Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad

This refreshing salad of shaved apple and fennel with cold-poached salmon is a great quick meal for a warm night.  Shave the apple and fennel with a vegetable peeler while the poaching broth is heating up, and then prepare the vinaigrette while the salmon is poaching and the meal will come together in less than 30 minutes.

I just read an article here about the benefits of eating cold water fish such as salmon, and learned that many nutritionists are recommending eating it twice a week to reduce risk of coronary artery disease and boost the immune system, among other things.  So expect to see some more fish recipes soon!

Mushroom, Leek, and Potato Soup

If I had to credit one cookbook author with teaching me how to cook it would be Deborah Madison.  I cooked my way almost entirely through Vegetarian Suppers and then moved on to The Greens Cookbook, where I found this recipe.  In this soup, mushrooms are reduced in white wine and then added to potatoes and leeks simmered in a mushroom broth.  It is already bursting with delicious flavor even before it is topped with finely chopped fresh herbs, which make it even more special. 

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

We don't have a roasting pan or even a large dutch oven and I've thought for a while that that was an excuse for not roasting a chicken at home.  Plus they sell organic roasted chickens at the store across the street for about the same price as raw chickens.

However, I was inspired when I saw that Thomas Keller has a recipe for roasted chicken made in a cast iron skillet in his new book Ad Hoc at Home.  It's a beautiful but expensive book, so I just got the idea of the recipe by reading it over in the book store and then I went home to try my own variation.  The same recipe may be made using a roasting pan or large dutch oven.

Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade

According to traditional French cooking, a remoulade should be mayonnaise with mixed herbs (parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon), capers, cornichons, and a few drops of anchovy essence.  So this may not be a traditional remoulade, but it is a healthier version that still ends up with a similar smooth consistency.

My quest to start liking fish started a couple of years ago already, and I still haven't cooked or eaten very much salmon.  I was still afraid that it would taste too fishy, and here is the dish that finally won me over for good.  The remoulade is bursting with citrus and so creamy from the avocado, making a perfect pair for the salmon.

White Bean and Pancetta Soup

The subtle flavor of thyme and the smokiness of the pureed pancetta make this a very interesting soup.  It pairs really nicely with the red pepper cumin salad from my last post spread over a toasted slice of baguette.  The soup benefits from some contrast in color and texture, and they tie together in flavor because of the use of thyme in each.  It's also a good thing that they both use thyme because you can't always buy thyme in small enough quantities so here are two recipes to help you use it all up.

Roasted Red Peppers with Cumin

This delicious and colorful salad is great served warm or at room temperature.  Put it out with warm pita and serve as an appetizer, or use it as a topping on toasted baguette slices and serve with a bowl of white bean soup.

If you have a gas range, try roasting the peppers over the open flame instead of broiling them in the oven.  It will save you the time of preheating your oven, and you can more easily tend to them by turning them often with a pair of tongs.  Just be sure to keep a close eye on them and watch out for sparks!

Onion Custard Tartlets

I think that everyone loves puff pastry.  In fact, I have a theory that butter and salt are the magical ingredients that make all food taste wonderful.  Puff pastry is really just many thin layers of dough with loads of butter in between the layers.  Ever tried working with puff pastry on a hot day?  It will completely melt into mushy, buttery mess.

That said, I don't recommend eating it all the time, but if you're looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer, puff pastry is always a good way to go.  People won't be able to resist second helpings and they will say, "Wow, this is really good - what do you do to make it taste like this?"  And you will think to yourself, "Butter and Salt."  But if you'd rather not admit to your guests that in fact the great flavor comes from the loads of butter you're serving them, you could just say instead, "It's probably from the beautiful scallions I used. I found them fresh at the farmer's market today."  That could be true, too.  Your call.

Skillet Gnocchi with Greens and Beans

Making gnocchi at home is far easier than making home-made pasta.  All you need to do is bake some potatoes, mash them up and mix them with basic ingredients for a quick dough, and then form them into more or less the shape of gnocchi.  There are no specialized machines or practiced skills needed.  See my recipe for homemade gnocchi here.

If you prefer to save time though and buy the gnocchi in the store that will still be good, too.  With store-bought gnocchi (or made-ahead gnocchi) this dish will come together very quickly for a fast weeknight supper. 

Soba Salad with Feta and Peas

Soba noodles are long, thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat.  They are generally available in well-stocked grocery stores and in Japanese specialty food stores, or you can buy them in bulk on-line here.  Peas, feta, and Japanese noodles may sound at first like an odd combination, but they surprisingly compliment each other very nicely!

Spring has sprung here in New York City, for now at least.  After a long winter I always forget how freeing it feels to walk around outside without a heavy coat on.

Carrot Spice Muffins

This is the re-mix of Lena's Favorite Blueberry Muffins that I posted last month.  The "spice" comes from a combination of cinnamon, all-spice, and ground cloves.  They are extra moist from mashed bananas, which could be substituted for apple sauce.  Optional additions include raisins, pecans, or walnuts.

We've become kind of dependent on having individually wrapped muffins in the freezer, so I have lots of opportunities to experiment with different types of muffins!  I made three dozen of these so hopefully that will last at least a few weeks.

Ginger-Soy Striped Bass with Chinese Vegetables

I went to the fish counter again the other day looking to try something new. If you haven't been following, I'm sort of new to eating and cooking fish so I was excited to try something I hadn't had before.  I told the guy at the counter what I was making and he seemed pretty sure that I should get the striped bass.  It was one of the more expensive fishes, but he convinced me, saying that it was the same exact fish that some great restaurants use for this kind of dish and that it just came in fresh.  So I pretty much instantly caved.

Spiced Lentil Soup

Here is an easy soup to make, although it does take some time to simmer.  For me it was insanely inexpensive because I already had all of the ingredients in my kitchen except for the canned tomatoes.  So for about $4 we had one tasty dinner for two with gluten-free walnut bread, and I'll have enough for lunch every day this week, too.

It is not necessary to puree the soup if you find you like it better chunky, but I think pureeing it adds some elegance and makes it looks nicer, too.  The spices are really what make this soup, so I really recommend buying any you don't have already and not trying to omit any of them.  Don't skip the lime juice either!  It significantly brightens all the flavors in the dish.

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Ragout with Herb Dumplings

I am much more interested in new things than I am in relying on the tried and true.  I am completely brand un-loyal.  I hate watching a movie or reading a book more than once, unless I really can't remember what it's about.  I think that watching the same reruns of Seinfeld and The Office over and over on TBS is a complete waste of my time.  And I hardly ever cook the same dish more than twice.