Category: Recipes

Cowboy Cookies


We decided to throw together a quick Game Night on Motzei Shabbat with the family. I told everyone they could bring something. As for myself, I whipped up a quick batch of cowboy cookies a’ la Martha Stewart. This recipe is chock full of flavor, using chocolate, coconut, pecans and oats. I’m not the biggest coconut fan, but in these, they offer an added chewiness that’s worth it. Why are they called Cowboy Cookies? The origin is unclear, but the cookies do seem hearty enough for the Wild West. As for game night, the girls won by a landslide!


Cowboy Cookies
(Yields 3-4 dozen cookies)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I used 1 tub of Smart Balance Light)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (I used 1 cup of chocolate chips)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup pecans (3 ounces)
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until darkened and fragrant, 10 to 13 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until just combined. (Dough can be covered with plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Coat baking sheets with cooking spray; line with parchment, and spray parchment. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared sheets, about 3 inches apart.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies begin to brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Post a Comment

Poached Pears

I was watching Anne Burrell on the Food Network the other day. Now don’t get me wrong, the girl can cook, but, my G-d! she sounds like she is in a hot and heavy relationship with food! If you’ve ever watched her, you know EXACTLY what I mean (hello, darling!)! But the food looks good, I’ve got to hand it to her. I was really inspired by the beautiful poached pears she made for dessert. The ruby color, offset by the mascarpone cheese was just gorgeous. So I decided to make it for dessert for Shabbat dinner this past week, and it was a real hit. While her recipe gave me the goods I needed to learn to make poached pears, I did not follow it, and came up with my own version instead.

Poached Pears

6 Bosc pears, peeled (see note)
1 bottle dry red wine, such as Merlot
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 strips of lemon zest (use big strips for easy removal)
juice of 1 lemon
Coconut sorbet
Angel Flake sweetened coconut, toasted

In a large saucepan combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the pears and simmer until the pears are cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool in the poaching liquid.

Before serving, remove the pears from their poaching liquid. Simmer the liquid until reduced by half and slightly thickened. (Discard the lemon zest and cinammon sticks).

Arrange a few pear quarters on the plate. Top it with a scoop of coconut sorbet. Spinkle with toasted coconut flakes and drizzle with reduced poaching liquid.

To toast coconut in the oven, spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure that the coconut browns evenly.

NOTE: For a striking presentation, serve the pears whole with the stem intact. You will need to cook them in batches (so that they can be completely submerged in the wine), otherwise, you can cut them in quarters, as pictured.

Post a Comment

Dried Fruit Chutney

Today marks the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat, Tu B’shvat, which is the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, this day is celebrated by eating fruit, especially those that are known as the Seven Species (seven types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Bible as being special products of the Land of Israel). They include: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives and Dates. The following is a delicious recipe for mustard roasted fruits from The Low GI Diet Cookbook (a diet which I fully endorse, but that’s for another day!). If you add in some dates, and spread it atop some whole grain bread (made from wheat and barley), you’ll have covered 4 of the seven species with just the appetizer!

I absolutely love the sweetness and chewiness of dried fruits. Oven roasting them brings out their flavor, and adds a delicious carmelization that is excellent when paired with smoked meats or cheeses.


Mustard Roasted Dried Fruits

1 cup dried figs
1 cup mission figs
1 cup dried pear halves
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups dry white wine

Method:

Preheat oven to 400. Place fruit in roasting pan and sprinkle over mustard powder, seeds, salt and sugar. Add vinegar and wine and stir gently to combine. Roast in the oven, stirring and tossing occasionally for about 30 minutes or until the fruits carmelize (check them after 20-35 minutes). Will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Post a Comment

Chicken Breast with Port Wine Cherry Sauce

So I figure I’ve pushed this off long enough! For as long as I can remember, my husband, family, and friends have been encouraging me to start my own blog. Of course, I procrastinated. Then, I looked for excuses. I’m not a gourmand. Nor a professional photographer. I can’t, I don’t, I’m tired!!! And so weeks turned to months and months into years, and so many beautiful dinners have gone lost in the wind (but not on the scale!) Finally, I’ve decided to do as Nike says, and just “do it!”. So here I am. Typing my first blog post…

Without further ado, I give you, tonights supper….

I’ve long been eyeing the “Turkey Breast with Port Wine Cherry Sauce” recipe from the NEW Jamie Geller cookbook, “Quick & Kosher, Meals in Minutes”. (we’ll leave the cookbook review for another day). I decided to try it out with chicken breast, and although the recipe pairs it with roasted potatoes, I made some simple barley pilaf instead. The results where a simple, tasty meal that came together quickly.


Chicken Breast with Port Wine Cherry Sauce
adapted from Quick & Kosher, Meals in Minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, about 2 lbs.
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 c Kedem Port Wine
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c canned dark sweet cherries
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Method:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a saute pan and add cutlets. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until thoroughly cooked. Transfer to platter and cover to keep warm. To prepare the sauce, add the shallots to the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Add wine, broth, cherries and rosemary. Cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Pour sauce over the cutlets.

Post a Comment