Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this little gem on the mynameisyeh blog who credited it to Danielle Oron's Modern Israeli Cooking.  The original recipe called for making 12 cookies, but realllly...if you are going to get all the ingredients together and the cookie balls have to be frozen anyway, why wouldn't you just double it?  Amiright?!?

Here is the doubled recipe.   Once they are frozen, you can stick them in a plastic bag and just take out the amount you want to bake

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. tahini

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. kosher salt

2 t. vanilla

12 oz. dark chocolate chips

optional: 1 c. nuts (Pecan, walnut, etc.  your choice)

Cream the butter, tahini, and sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  

Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and mix for another 5 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low until just combined.  

Then mix the chocolate chips and optional nuts in by hand.

Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.  Use an ice cream scoop if you have one, to scoop out 2 oz. balls and place them on the baking sheets.  (You'll actually probably get about 28 or so balls total.)

Cover with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for at least 12 hours to allow the gluten in the four to relax, giving you a tender soft cookie.  Do not skip this step!

Once they are frozen, you can store them in the freezer in a plastic bag.  

When you are ready to bake the number you want, just pull them out and bake on a sheet with parchment paper at 325 degrees, at least 3 inches apart, for 13-16 minutes until just golden brown around the edges.  They will still look unbaked in the middle, which is what you want.  Don't be scared.

Sprinkle each with flaky sea salt when they come out of the oven.  Let them cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheet or cooling rack.

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c= cup

t = teaspoon

oz = ounce

Avocado Toast with Egg and Microgreens

 Nope, not a recipe.

This is just something I want to remember and make again!  Such a satisfying breakfast to start the day.

Brownberry Oatnut bread

Mashed avocado

Sliced hard boiled egg

Fresh cracked pepper and course sea salt

Microgreens

Slice of lacy swiss to hold it all together when you take bites!

Greek Yogurt Sriracha Dip

I found this one in our Mariano's/Kroger grocery store magazine.  It's a nice dip for a veggie tray.  The spiciness of the sriracha and the bit of mayo cuts some of that tang you get from the yogurt. A lighter alternative to a full mayo or sour cream dip!

Greek Yogurt Sriracha Dip

3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt

1/4 c. mayo

1 T. sriracha or more depending on taste

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 t. honey

1/4 t. onion powder

salt

In a bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayo, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, honey and onion powder.  Add salt to taste.

If it is too thick, add 1 t. water at a time until you get the to consistency you want.

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c =  cup

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

c=

Cauliflower 'Potato' Salad

No potato has been harmed in the making of this recipe!  This is a mix of a few recipes I found on line.  It's a really good alternative to potato salad!

Cauliflower 'potato' Salad

1 head cauliflower, cut in small pieces (like diced potato size)

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 - 1/2 c. mayo, depending on size of cauliflower

2 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. dill pickle juice

1/3 c. celery, chopped small

1/3 c. red onion, finely chopped

1/3 c. dill pickle, chopped

3 hard boiled eggs, diced + 1 more for garnish

1 T. chopped fresh dill or 1 t. dried

Dill for garnish

Dash of paprika for garnish

Chives for garnish

Toss the cauliflower in olive oil and season for salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until tender, not overdone, but like the texture of potatoes in a potato salad.  Let it cool.

In a bowl, whisk the mayo, mustard, and pickle juice.  

Add the celery, red onion, pickle, cauliflower, and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper.   

Garnish with dill, paprika, chives, and sliced hard boiled egg.

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c = cup

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

Rhubarb, Ginger, and Saffron Baked Chicken

 Shout out to Mark and Jean for sharing this recipe they clipped from a magazine (no idea which one!).  When using rhubarb, it's usually a dessert loaded with sugar.  This is a great savory option and it is loaded with complex flavor.  And, it is super easy and fast to assemble. Who doesn't love that?!?

Rhubarb, Ginger, and Saffron Baked Chicken

2 1/2 c. rhubarb, cut in 1/2 inch pieces, fresh or frozen (thawed)

2 c. thinly sliced red onion

3 T. chopped, peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 T. olive oil

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. ground pepper

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

big pinch of saffron

8 small bone-in skinless chicken thighs (2 1/2 - 3 lbs. total)

1/4 c. white wine

1/3 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted (I forgot these, but can see where they would be a nice touch, but not necessary!)

1/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (also forgotten and not missed!)

Combine rhubarb, onion, fresh ginger, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, ground ginger, cinnamon, and saffron in a large bowl. 

Add the chicken and mix thoroughly.

Transfer the mixture  to a 9x13 baking dish, keeping the chicken in a single layer. 

Add the wine and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Bake the chicken at 350 degrees, basting once or twice, until 165 degrees, or about 50-60 minutes (mine took just over 50 minutes).

Serve with sprinkled almonds and cilantro.

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t = teaspoon

T = tablespoon

c = cup

lb = pound

'Giordano's' Stuffed Pizza

 I used to make deep dish pizza, but it had been years.  I found a copycat recipe for Giordano's stuffed pizza (from The Food Hacker website) and gave it a try.  As usual, I made a couple slight modifications, but pretty much stuck to the recipe on this one.  

Homemade crust and sauce does take a bit of planning, but since you do a few things at least a day ahead, it doesn't seem like so much work. Just do it already.  The dough is made 1 or 2 days ahead and the sauce can be done early as well and stored in the fridge.

The original recipe was for a 10 inch pan, but mine was 13 inches so I made the crust recipe 1 1/2 times the size. My larger version is in the main recipe and the 10 inch version at the very bottom.  I adjusted the sauce recipe a bit, but not to 1 1/2 times.

We actually did a side by side taste test against a real Giordano's stuffed pizza, and I gotta say...mine measured up!  I'm seriously looking for an excuse to make this again.  Do I need an excuse?

'Giordano's' Stuffed Pizza

Crust

(must be made 1-2 days early!)

1 1/8 c. water

3/4 t. active dry yeast

1 1/2 T. sugar

24 oz. all-purpose flour

1 1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. veg oil

9 T. butter, softened 

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water.   

Combine the flour and salt in your stand mixer bowl. Add the oil, butter, and yeast mixture and mix until the dough forms in a ball. Don't kneed it too much!  

Place the dough in a covered container in the fridge for 24-48 hours.  This will produce a more mellow, tender, less doughy crust.

Sauce

28 oz. can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes

14 oz. can diced petite tomatoes

2 1/2 T. vegetable oil

1 1/4 t. garlic powder

1 1/4 t. dried basil

1 t. salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

1 1/2 T. fresh basil

Add the whole and diced tomatoes in a medium saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Then use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes into smaller bits.  (The sauce should be a little chunky.)  

Add all the other  sauce ingredients except the fresh basil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Add the fresh basil and cook for another 5 minutes.  Cover and cool.  

Pizza

1 1/2 lbs. good quality sliced mozzarella, room temperature

2 T. butter, softened (for greasing the pan)

3 T. grated Parmesan or Parm/Romano mixed

Topping Choices

Cooked Italian Sausage

Pepperoni (thinly sliced from the deli works great)

Green Pepper

Onion

Mushroom

Black olives

Spinach

(If doing veggies, give them a short sauté them just to soften them a bit)

Take the dough out of the fridge a couple of hours before you want to assemble the pizza and let it warm to room temperature.

When you are ready to make the pizza, put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  The stone will help give the bottom an even heat and crispier texture.

Slice off 1/3 of the dough and set it aside.  Roll out the larger dough on a floured surface to 17-18 inches for the bottom crust.  Rub the bottom and sides of a deep dish pizza pan with the 2 T. of softened butter.  Place the dough in the pan and up the sides.

Line the bottom of the pizza with slice mozzarella and up the side just a bit for a cheese filled crust.  Then add your choice of toppings.  If any cheese is left, add it to the top.  

Roll out the the smaller portion of dough to about 14 inches and a bit thinner than the bottom dough.  Add this to the top of the pizza and up the sides.  Press the two doughs together and trim off any excess with a knife or scissors. Using a knife, make some vent holes in the top crust.

Top the pizza with sauce (you'll probably have about 1/3 left over to use later)

Bake the pizza for about 35-40 minutes, until it begins to brown on top.  Spin the pan half way through for even baking.

When the pizza is done, use a knife or spatula to loosen it from the pan.  Remove the pizza from the pan, sprinkle with the parm/romano cheese, and slice. 

Side by Side Comparison with Giordano's

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10 inch version:

Crust: 3/4 c. water, 1/2 t. yeast, 1 T. sugar, 16 oz. flour, 3/4 t. salt, 1/3 c. veg oil, 6 T. margarine

Pizza Cheese: 1 lb. mozzarella

Bottom crust - 16 inches

Top crust - 12 inches

Taco Hotdish

I got this general recipe from a show I 'discovered' on the Food Network/Discovery Plus -- Girl Meets Farm.  Molly Yeh.  

I debated on whether to include it as it seems pretty intuitive.  If you were in the mood for a taco hotdish, this is pretty much what you would put together.  But, here we are.  I'm including it.   

(For those of you *not* from Minnesota, a hotdish is a casserole don'tcha know...a full meal all in one serving vessel.)

But I digress.  Why am I including it, you ask?  Because it's a solid comfort food to begin with, but what really sold me was the next day.  Those that know me know I love an opportunity to reinvent a leftover.  

Warm up a couple scoops of this leftover and add it to scrambled eggs for breakfast the next day.  Sure, the corn chips are a bit soggy by then, but not in a bad way.  They have the texture of corn tortillas by morning.  Want to amp up the presentation?  Top with some avocado and cilantro.  Muy Bueno. 

The morning after

Taco Hotdish

2 T. vegetable oil

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 large jalapeno, seeded and most ribs removed 

1/2 onion

salt

3 or 4 T. taco seasoning (or 1 oz. packet of store bought)

1 1/3 lb. ground beef

1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. frozen corn

24 oz. medium salsa

5 oz. queso fresco cheese, crumbled

chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 or so of a regular bag of corn chips

Head oil and sauté the peppers and onion with a pinch of salt until softened.  Add the taco seasoning and cook another minute.  

Add the ground beef, breaking it up and cooking until it is browned, about 8-10 minutes.  

Stir in the beans, corn, cheese, and salsa.  

Transfer it to a casserole dish and cover with corn chips that are slightly broken up.  (I used a skillet that is oven friendly, so no need to transfer.)

Bake at 375 degrees until heated through and the corn chips are a bit toasty, about 20 minutes. 

Top with the cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

 

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oz = ounce

c = cup

T = tablespoon