cinnamon-sugar cookies

as james & his former roommates used to say, "it's sooo sim-po!". this is a very simple recipe with very simple, delicate flavors. i don't really understand how these are different than snickerdoodles (are they? help a sister out here), but whatever! again, so sim-po. and they got a stamp of approval from a friend who used to work at mrs. field's - surely that means something!

cinnamon-sugar cookies adapted from everyday food
2 3/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 2/3 c. sugar, plus 1/4 c. for topping
1 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

preheat oven to 350. mix flour, tartar, soda & salt, set aside. in mixer, cream butter & 1 2/3 c. sugar until light. add egg & vanilla and beat. add flour mixture and beat, until dough comes together when squeezed (it'll appear dry). make topping, i.e. sugar & cinnamon. shape dough (about 1 T. each rolled into a ball, rolled in topping & flattened). bake until bottoms are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

chicken tagine with lemons and olives

tagine is a moroccan slow-cooked stew full of complex, interesting and unique flavors. lemon and olives and... cinnamon? yessirree, and it totally works. this tagine recipe comes from dear kristin again... isn't she somethin'? super delicious and healthy, this recipe is awesome served over couscous. nummers!

chicken tagine with lemons & olives
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (~1.5 lbs.)
2 boneless/skinless chicken thigh quarters (~1 lb.)
1 t. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 T. each chopped cilantro & parsley
3/4 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. pitted whole green olives (i substitute kalmata)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. lemon juice

sprinkle chicken with s&p. heat oil in large pot over high heat. add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side. remove chicken from pot. add onion & garlic to pot, cook 30 sec., stirring constantly. add chicken, broth, olives, cinnamon & ginger and bring to boil. cover, reduce heat & simmer for 45 minutes, turning chicken over every 15 minutes. add rind, juice, cilantro and parsley, cook for 30 seconds, stirring. serve with sauce spooned over chicken.

korean chicken thighs

this is a favorite in my sister jen's family. she told me that for years it has been a staple celebration meal in her house, and also a staple consolation meal when someone had a bad day. i really love the flavor of this one & it's fantastic over rice.
dark chinese vinegar can be replaced with rice vinegar, but the real thing is delicious and not biting, like some vinegars can be. here's a pic of the black vinegar i bought at an asian market - hope it helps you.

korean chicken thighs
6 boneless/skinless thighs
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. dark chinese vinegar (or rice vinegar)
4-6 minced cloves garlic
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (i use more)

preheat oven to 400. brown thighs in 1-2 T. oil in a pan til golden brown on each side - not cooked through. place in oven-safe pan (9x13" works great). mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over thighs (the chicken, not your's). cover pan with foil and bake for 1/2 hour, or until cooked through. serve with the sauce.

*updated* i substituted a large chicken breast cut in half for two of the thighs. i put the breast pieces in first for 15 minutes, then added the thighs and cooked them all for 30 more minutes. yum!

artichoke dip

family favorite alert. always a hit, yummy on crackers, easy as pie. i'm done sellin' it, just try it already!

artichoke dip
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. light mayo

combine ingredients in an oven-proof baking dish (8x8" works great). bake at 350 for about 20 minutes to until heated through.

freaking amazing salad

yup, that's its real name. learned this one from my former roommate leslie, who is a fantastic cook. i love it - i crave it. my mom loves it, others i've shared it with do, too, with one exception. my dear james doesn't like bleu cheese much, so it's not his fave. i'll forgive him... more for me! this is a recipe that, other than the dressing, came with no amounts, so this is my best estimate - reduce or increase ingredients to your liking. and there will be liking, trust me.

freaking amazing salad
a chopped up head of lettuce (butter, boston, or red/green leaf works best)
one sliced stem of green onion
about one granny smith apple, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 T. bleu cheese
2 T. crumbled pecans
dressing:
2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 T. olive oil (i prefer the lighter flavor o.o., but either works)
2 t. sugar
2 t. dijon mustard
s&p to taste

toast up your pecans for a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat - really ups the flavor. whisk together dressing, cut up apple, and toss everything together. enjoy!

bread pudding

this is the first of many recipes that will inevitably be added to this blog that come from my dear friend kristin. kristin is probably the person from whom i've learned the most about cooking, other than my mother, and at least half of my recipes are from her, i think. this one is a winner, for sure! and such a great use of your stale bread. (even cheap stale bread, including aging hot dog buns, works well here) enjoy!

bread pudding
7 slices day-old bread
2 T. melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk, half & half, or any mixture of the two
3/4 c. sugar (white or brown)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

preheat to 350. rip bread into small pieces and put into an 8x8". drizzle butter over bread. in medium bowl combine remaining ingredients. beat until well mixed. pour over bread, lightly push down with a fork until it's covered and soaking. bake for 45 minutes, until top springs back when tapped.

** photo courtesy of kelsey ramos at frugalnosh.com **

a post of what is to come... hopefully

we bought our dwarf lemon tree about 3 months ago and have planted it in a pot in our backyard. we also put it on a wheeled plant stand to be able to move it around to the sunniest areas and make it happy. unfortunately, i threw the tag away, so at this point i don't know if it's a meyer or a eureka lemon tree. foolhardy girl! time will tell, i suppose.

in the last month, dear lemon tree has started to bud - hurrah! and today i noticed that three of the (many) buds have just started to crack open. soon we will have deliciously sweet-smelling lemon flowers in our yard... ahh. and then, hopefully, i will be able to share wonderful lemon-based recipes that i've whipped-up after stepping out into our tiny, urban, limited garden. maybe even recipes that also call for cilantro, basil, parsley, red bell peppers, and jalepenos, which we're also growing. maybe i'll make a recipe that only calls for ingredients i've grown... wait... too far.

a close-up of the bud just having burst... glory be!