moroccan vegetable tagine

this was wonderful and satisfying, and the perfect dinner of stewed veggies after a heavy lunch.

morroccan vegetable tagine
8 servings

1/4 cup olive oil

8-10 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, sliced
6 red potatoes (or 3 russet potatoes), peeled and cubed
salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup dried apricot, raisins or cranberries (I put mine in a strainer and add it for flavor, but remove it since our kids are not fans)
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans chickpeas
1 lemon, juiced
handful of fresh parsley or cilantro leaves

In a large heavy pot or Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat until just shimmering. Add onions and increase heat to medium high. Saute for 5 mins.

Add the garlic and the chopped veggies. Season with salt and spices. Toss to combine. Cook for another 5-7 mins on medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, dried apricot (or raisins/dried cranberries) and broth. Season again with a small dash of salt. Cook for another 10 mins. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for another 20-25 mins or until veggies are tender.

Stir in chickpeas and cook another 5 mins on low heat.

Stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley or cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or spices to your liking.

Serve hot over couscous* or rice.

We ate ours tonight with couscous seasoned with lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I also threw in some shredded carrots, cilantro leaves and toasted pine nuts - and it was excellent. :)

lemon dutch baby

when your kids want pancakes, but you have stuff to do! Dutch babies are really fluffy pancake with more eggs and less flour, that bakes and rises, or soufflés (literally French for to breathe or blow) in the oven. This recipe is from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life.

Dutch Baby Pancake
4 servings

2 Tbsp butter
4 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

For the topping:
freshly squeezed lemon juice
granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the butter in an 8 inch cast iron skillet and place over low heat. Alternatively, put the butter in a similarly sized cake or pie pan, and place it in the preheated oven for a few minutes. As the butter melts, use a pastry brush to coax it up the sides of the skillet or pan.

Meanwhile in a blender or food processor, mix together the eggs, flour, milk and slat until well blended.

Pour the egg mixture into the warmed skillet. Slide into the oven and bake for 18-25 mins. The mixture will rise and puff around the edges, like a bowl-shaped soufflé. The Dutch baby is ready when the center looks set and the edges are nicely risen and golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and drizzle - or splash, really abundance is good here - with lemon juice and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar (you want to add the sugar just before serving so the granules stay intact and make for an excellent texture in your mouth). Serve immediately. 

cornflake marshmallow cookies

Inspired by the original cookie from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. Note that in recent years, the bakery has taken to pre-making said cookies and sells them pre-made, prewrapped and they definitely taste like they have preservatives and suck now. In the early years of the bakery making these cookies, they were AH-MAZING, and THAT was what I was trying to recreate now that we live in Seattle.

"momofuku" cornflake marshmallow cookies
makes ~15 cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flor
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cornflake crunch (see below)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows

For cornflake crunch:
5 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup milk powder or ground cashews
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
9 tbsp butter

Make your cornflake crunch: 

Heat the oven to 275 degrees.

Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with a cup or glass (or use a food processor). Add the milk powder (I used ground cashews as a substitute), sugar and salt and toss to mix. Add the butter, which will act as glue to bind the dry ingredients and create small clusters.

Spread the clusters on a parchment paper or silpat lined sheet pan and bake for 20 mins, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery and crunch gently when cooled slightly and crispy.

Cool completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week, in the fridge or freezer for 1 month.

To make the cookies:
*If you have a stand mixer, use your paddle attachment. Otherwise, I just used my handheld mixer and it worked just fine. 

Using a mixer, combine the butter and sugars and cream together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla and beat well to combine.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and combine the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until the dough comes together.

If using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, use low speed to paddle in the cornflake crunch and chocolate chips until incorporated. If not using, use your hands (I always use gloves, so not sure if your bare skin can handle the scratchiness of the cornflakes!) to incorporate the cornflake crunch and chocolate chips into your batter.

Divide dough into 1/4 cup balls, stuff 3 mini marshmallows anywhere on top and line balls on a parchment paper or silpat lined sheet pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or place in freezer for 30-45 mins. According to the original recipe, chilling your balls of cookie dough is critical!

Heat the oven to 365 degrees.

Rearrange the the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on your parchment paper or silpat lined sheet pan and bake for 15-20 mins. Cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

Cool cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or air-tight container for storage.

blueberry coffee cake streusel muffins

Daughter and I have been reading The Secret Garden. There was mention of the main character eating muffins, and naturally, daughter asked for some blueberry muffins. I find the usual muffins a bit boring, so this is what we made instead. 

berry coffee cake streusel muffins

makes 12 muffins

1/4 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

10 tablespoons butter, softened and divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup yogurt or sour cream

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

2/3 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine chopped almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut 8 tbsp of butter into 1/2 inch pieces and sprinkle evenly over flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until butter is oat-sized. Remove 1 cup of the flour-butter mixture and stir into reserved brown sugar mixture until combined to make streusel. Set aside. 

Add baking powder and baking soda to remaining flour mixture and combine. 

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together sour cream or yogurt, egg and vanilla. Add liquids to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add 3/4 of streusel mixture to the flour mixture and stir until streusel is just distributed throughout batter. 

Melt the remaining butter and stir into remaining streusel mixture, until it resembles a crumble. 

Gently fold blueberries into batter. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and sprinkle generously with streusel topping, crumbling with your hands to make some big chunks. Bake 25-30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla extract together. Drizzle over muffins. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 days. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
1 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9x5 in loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir mashed bananas, peanut butter, brown sugar, yogurt, egg, and canola oil thoroughly in a separate bowl.

Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined; stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until the loaf is lightly browned at the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-50 mins.

Cool the bread on a rack for 15 mins before removing from pan. Slice when cool.