Bran Muffins

Last night, I overheard Susan ask Dave, "What are your feelings about Bran muffins?" What?! Why would anyone make muffins from my friend Bran?

This is Bran. 
He is a dog–not a baked good!
He looks a lot like me. 
(Isn't he handsome?)

Dave replied, he did not care for bran muffins because they are dry. Susan looked determined, muttering about health benefits and whole grains. Happy new year, right?

The next morning, Susan did indeed make bran muffins and no dogs were harmed. Turns out bran muffins aren't dry. Could be the yogurt...the molasses...OK, likely the butter. Still, if you are looking for a tasty bran muffin, the guys say, "These muffins are better than expected."

Susan says to tell you this recipe is very forgiving. You can mix and match the oil/fat (or even reduce), swap out the flour (white, whole wheat...), choose your favorite fruit (raisins, figs, dates...), mix and match yogurt (original recipe called for sour cream).

Bran Cranberry Muffins
but I would rename them Fumble Muffins, to remind people to 
keep a loose grip when the dog is below.

Bran Cranberry Muffins

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Gourmet, October 1991. Makes 12 muffins

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (or less)
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% Fage)
1/2 cup honey Greek yogurt (Greek Gods)
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries, or other diced dried fruit (raisins, figs...)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, oil and the brown sugar. Beat in egg, yogurt, molasses, vanilla, and then stir in dried fruit.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and bran. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. (The batter will be lumpy.) Spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins, lined with paper cups or well-greased. Bake muffins on center rack of a well-preheated oven at 400°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are springy or toothpick comes out clean. Cool, then eat them over the dog and fumble.

Bran muffins

Greek Potatoes

This Greek potato recipe gets its name from its baked-in lemon-garlic-oregano goodness. You can use any kind of potato. Yukon golds are yummy. This scallopy potato dish is hard to screw up - so it earns high marks in our house. The potatoes bake for a long time at a high temp, requiring only that you stir it every once in awhile. They are great as leftovers too.

Serve them as a side-dish to anything you think would benefit from zingy 'tatos. Great with falafil!

Greek Potatoes
6-8 cubed potatoes (to fill a 2.5 liter/quart baking pan)
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
4-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 cups hot water

Place cubed potatoes in baking pan. Mix together next six ingredients and pour over potatoes. Add as much water as fits - you can add any remaining after some of it has cooked away.

Greek potatoes ready for baking

Bake at 475 degrees uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to immerse any potatoes that are starting to brown (about every 20 minutes). Add any leftover water as they bake. When they have achieved a scalloped texture, allow the top to brown a little. Cool and serve.

Greek potatoes after baking.

After all that baking, clean-up can be a bit daunting. Hounds are always happy to help. Call me.

Greek Potato recommended clean-up method

Don't worry, we have a sterilize feature on our dishwasher (Susan made me say that).

Splendid Ice Cream

There have been some changes in our house, since the holidays. The big one is that we are now the proud owners of an ice-cream maker. The success of this appliance has led to new behaviors in my family.

Boy#2 is finding his way around the kitchen at a deeper level than the preparation of sandwiches and frozen pizza. His speciality is Simple Chocolate Ice Cream which he makes to fend off threats of Beet Ice with Mascarpone, Orange Zest and Poppy Seeds or Sweet Corn and Black Raspberry Ice Cream.

Dave has taken up jogging. Needless to say, I am thrilled with this unintended consequence. He's aiming for 5K by March. Bark bark bark!

The machine that churns out the calories is an electric Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. 

Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

It is a sled-dog of an appliance, working cheerfully to churn out batch after batch of delicious desserts. The secret of its success is letting the freezer bowl live in the arctic conditions of the deep freeze except for the half hour per batch that it sees action.

How did this all come about? I read an article about the science of making rich and creamy ice cream (without eggs!) -- Here's the Scoop in Saveur. I left the magazine skillfully positioned on my Susan's bedside table for her to discover. 

As I hoped, her interest was piqued and the cookbook Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home was ordered, wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree with the aforementioned appliance. 

Every recipe we've tried has lived up to the claim that Jeni's food chemist+artisan approach results in amazing flavors with scoopable texture. Here are our favorites (so far):

vanilla beans

• The Darkest Chocolate Ice Cream in the World (Susan used espresso so it was intense - too much for Boy#2 but Boy#1 was in heaven. I skipped this one as chocolate is not canine-friendly)
• The Buckeye State Ice Cream (rich, salty peanut butter with dark chocolate flecks) Did I mention it is PEANUT BUTTER? I lick the bowl before the chocolate is added)
• Ugandan Vanilla Ice Cream (The first time we'd ever seen a vanilla bean up close...ours was from Madagascar. YUM!)

I am hoping for some Bacon-Squirrel Ice Cream next...

Jeni's Ice Cream Base - recipe

Ice Cream 101 (step-by-step illustrations to make Jeni's ice cream base)

Sour Cherry Pistachio Crisp

Susan has been picking colanders of sour cherries this week. Go cherry tree!  Even after a hard day at work, picking cherries in the sunshine and pitting them on the deck gets her humming. Then comes the cooking.

We still have jars of Sour Cherry Freezer Jam from last year so Susan went online to find more cherry recipes. She found a Martha Stewart recipe for sour cherry crisp with a pistachio topping.  She said that Martha probably knows what she'd talking about when it comes to crisps. 

But I am not so sure about her faith in Martha... 

So wrong. Poor Frenchies.

Susan changed at least three things from Martha's recipe so she says she can call it hers now. I have to say, it turned out great. 

Do serve it with vanilla ice cream. The sweet, ice creaminess is the perfect foil to warm, tart cherry crisp. The pistachios add a nutty crunch you won't regret. But other nuts would be tasty too if you aren't up for running off to the grocery. Note: Susan found shelled, unsalted pistachios at Whole Foods.

The most important part to remember about this recipe is to put your bowls on the floor for the dog to help with clean up. Very eco-friendly.

Sour Cherry Pistachio Crisp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 8-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together: 

1 - 3/4 pounds pitted fresh sour cherries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

Pour cherry mixture into baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix:

1/2 cup unsalted, chopped pistachios

1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

With pastry blender or fork, cut into dry mixture - until coarse crumbs:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Sprinkle the topping evenly over cherry mixture. 

Bake until topping turns golden and juices are bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Maybe Martha isn't so bad, after all.

Ginger Sage Pasta with Red Lentils, Spinach and Carrots

Don't be put off by the lentils or the spinach. This is a delicious, rich pasta that everyone in my family likes -- meat-eaters and vegie-heads alike. My Susan knows that eating high on the food chain is bad business for the planet (blah blah blah) so she tries to cook vegetarian most of the time. I will admit, great food like this makes it easy to be an herbivore. OK, the amount butter means you aren't just eating herbs... but the butter is a big part of what makes this dish lusciously divine.

Note: picky eaters like Boy#2 can sort out the spinach easily enough, as the dark green stands out very nicely.

This recipe is adapted from Didi Emmons' fabulous Vegetarian Planet which is the best darn vegetarian cookbook we have on our shelves. Didi calls it Pasta with Baby Red Lentils and Ginger and it is delicious just as it is -- with a full 8 tablespoons of butter. But Susan's mom instincts make her crank up the vegetables and dial back the butter (sigh). I say make it full-fat and head to the dog park. You decide...

Ginger Sage Pasta with Red Lentils, Spinach and Carrots

1 pound pasta (penne, farfalle, campanelle...)
4 Tablespoon butter (originally 8T... you also could add back some fat as olive oil, for a silkier dish)
3-5 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 to 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin julienne strips
3/4 tsp. dried sage or 1 T minced fresh sage 
1 cup red lentils, rinsed well
1 1/4 cup water (you may have to add more, depending on evaporation)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, firmly packed
1/2 cup or more carrots, cut into thin julienne strips
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Red lentils are tasty and not too mealy like some lentils ones can be. Be sure that you rinse them well. Put them in a strainer  and keep submerging them in a large bowl of water until the water is clear, removing any floating debris. Susan says that when you cook red lentils, they will change color to a more yellow-tan color (red is not a color I have an opinion about, being a dog).

Boil water for pasta. Follow pasta's cooking directions. After you drain the pasta, you can add a splash of olive oil and toss together to keep it from sticking together while you finish the rest of the recipe.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. When butter turns golden brown, add the garlic, ginger and carrots. Cook for one minute, stirring. Add sage, lentils, and water. Bring to a boil, cover pan and reduce to low heat.

Let the lentils simmer for 10 minutes or until tender but still chewy (they will turn to mush if you cook them too long). If larger lentils are used, you may need more time and more water.

Stir the spinach and salt into the lentils, and increase the heat. Stir gently until the spinach wilts (about a minute). Add cooked pasta and pepper to taste. Heat the mixture as needed.

Serve with crispy, green salad -- the kind rabbits like -- to contrast the richness of the pasta.

For easy, eco-friendly clean-up, let the dog help you with those pans.

Lemon Cardamom Cheesecake with Lemon Sauce

This cheesecake appears only when we have company. Susan says this is because it is too dangerous to have a whole, delectable cheesecake around for everyday consumption. I am not sure what the big deal is... I am happy to help out.

Cardamom is a very underused spice here in middle America. It is common in Indian cooking but probably first made it to Minnesota in the breads of Nordic bakers. Cardamom is a member of the ginger family and very aromatic. Lemon and cardamom are a match made in heaven.

Susan couldn't find a good recipe for Lemon Cardamom Cheesecake so she adapted a plain lemon cheesecake recipe from Theresa Millang's I Love Cheesecake cookbook. Cheesecake is very easy to make. I think I could make this if my family was more open-minded about canine cooks.

Lemon Cardamom Cheesecake with Lemon Sauce

CRUST
1 1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING
2 1/2 eight ounce packages cream cheese, softened (you can substitute up to 1/2 neufchatel, for less fat)
1 cup white sugar (scant, if you like it a little less sweet)
3 eggs
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (depending on how much you love cardamom)
1-2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

SAUCE
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 1 1/2 lemons)
1 egg yolk beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix CRUST ingredients together in a bowl. Press into bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake 5 minutes.

Reduce oven to 300 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in remaining FILLING ingredients until just blended. Pour mixture into crust. Bake about an hour or until center is set. (Baking time really varies by oven). Cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge.

For the SAUCE: In small saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add lemon and egg yolk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and butter.

Pour warm sauce over each cheesecake piece.

Refrigerate leftovers right away.

Wok Dreams

I really thought it was a wok.
With a sprig of rosemary.
I know, I know...BAD DOG.

Reasons to Come Home

Whenever my Dave travels, we send him a picture of the evening meal he is missing so he comes back home again. 

Roasted rosemary garlic chicken (not that Dave eats chicken),
mashed potatoes, spinach-strawberry-smoked salmon-feta salad w/balsamic vinegar.
Boy#2 like his fruit and vegies untainted so gets them straight up.

Olive ciabatta with red pepper-feta-mint spread
and chicken salad, roasted squash, spinach-feta salad.

Rice and lentils, roasted cauliflower,
vegie samosas w/mint chuntey, and a smoothie.

Dave messages back photos of airport food so they all feel bad for him.

Actually, this looks mighty tasty to me.

MeatWater

Naturally, when I came across this bit of news about MeatWater, I was very excited. What a delightful idea!

Imagine my consternation, followed by bark-out-loud delight, when I discovered MeatWater is all an elaborate hoax. With its slick graphic design, self-confident marketing message and strong web presence, MeatWater (dinnerinabottle.com) is pretty convincing as a new product for our ridiculous consumer society. The MeatWater illusion is powered and perpetuated by insidious social media advertising and famous folks who seemingly believe - like Chuck Shepard and Jay Leno.

Every detail of MeatWater's presence is tended to with scathing precision. From tag lines, to ingredient lists, to Twitter feeds, I found myself peering at the products, wanting to believe.

Who wouldn't want Fish & Chips in her water dish? 
Even though it comes "Now with extra high Mercury count." 

I wouldn't say no to a liquid Dirty Hot Dog, though the "steroid relish" gives me pause. And I am not really liking the warning "Caution, bottle may contain 3% urine." Is that really what it says?

Check out Foodbeast.com's exploration of the MeatWater phenomenon including promotional videos and an amusing interview with MeatWater founder Krautkrämer. 

I then followed my nose into the world of product displacement - "the removing of trademarked products from primarily visual media." Sometimes the need of TV shows of movies for products - but not pesky real products -  leads to the creation of fictionalized products -- some of which become so popular they become de-fictionalized (made into real products). And so the dog chases her tail.

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man wreaked paranormal havoc
in New York City in the 1984 movie Ghostbusters.

Made famous by Ghostbusters! Caffeine replaces paranormal power as the key energy ingredient.

But MeatWater takes it all to a level of performance art that I find sublime. I love that Jay Leno and Chuck Shepard think they are cleverly riffing on a dumb product. Their people clearly didn't look very deeply at their sources  (AOL, Chuck - really? They certainly swallowed MeatWater hook, line and sinker). How easy it is, in these web-wonderful days, to join the yapping pack without pausing to consider if it is even a real squirrel up in the tree. 

VOID for a water product is simply sublime. I love potty humor.

As you may know, I am a great appreciator satire. I am proud to say that my Art Hound contributions are occasionally mistaken as real works of the Masters...if only for a fleeting, online moment. I love the something-for-everyone layers of MeatWater which offsets my disappointment that Cheese Burger or Venison Confit water won't be hitting my dog bowl any time soon. Then again, maybe it will. 

Let the de-fictionalization begin!

Windowsill Herb Garden

It is clear that there is a deep need for spring in my household. My Susan went to a greenhouse this weekend. She said she needed to breath in living plants. She brought home a bunch of plants and then spent a contented hour humming, potting and arranging.

The cats LOVE to eat houseplants. I love to hear the cats get yelled at and chased with a spray bottle. So everyone is pleased.

A kitchen herb garden to combat March blues.

Susan planted herbs in a windowsill container: basil, rosemary and mint. Even if they eat them up (or they die like most of Susan's houseplants) she says it is cheaper than buying fresh herbs from the grocery store. The three-pot system allows for individual herb replacement without disturbing the others. She said I should point out this cleverness. I think perhaps she needs her own blog.

Honestly, I don't have a lot of interest in herbs. I don't eat leaves -- other than grass. But herbs make for a happy cook which means more crumb showers for me.  

I did get to lay on the deck in the sunshine yesterday. Hello, spring!

Chocolate Tofu Pudding

I know, I know. Dogs can't eat chocolate -- so how is it that I recommend all these chocolate delights? Because they make my people soooo happy! And fat - especially with a dollop of whipped cream. And happy, fat people are 80% more likely to take me for a walk. (Boy#1 reminds me that 85.8% of statistics are just made up.) So I say, bring on the chocolate desserts.

This pudding recipe is fabulous because it doesn't require cooking. Just whirr it up in a blender. It is best chilled and saves in the fridge nicely. My family says this pudding is silky smooth and you would never know you are eating tofu. It can count as protein if you eat too many vegetables and not enough meat, like half my family does. Well...they do eat enough cheese to keep a family dairy farm in business...but I digress.

Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Chocolate Tofu Pudding

2 twelve-ounce packages Mori-Nu Silken Firm Tofu or Mori-Nu Lite Silken Form Tofu

1/4 cup white sugar

1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5.25 ounces (half a bag) of melted Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips (or other melted chocolate)

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Put all the ingredients in a blender- or in a mixing bowl and use a hand blender. Blend until smooth. Chill for best flavor. Dollop of whipped cream is optional. Long dog walk after dinner is a must.

Stick to good chocolate, I am told.

Lite Tofu is tasty... but requires less dog-walking, so I don't support it.

Sour Cherry Freezer Jam

The sour cherries are truly amazing this year. 

So are the black walnuts which are now making it quite dangerous to lounge on our deck unless huddled under the umbrella... yelp!

We have a North Star cherry tree. This tree was developed by the University of Minnesota in 1950 so it likes our weather just fine -- especially this year's early spring and extra rain. North Star cherry trees are very hardy, fast growing, and they short enough that people can reach most of the fruit. 

Susan's folks had a sour cherry tree when she was little. She remembers her mom's freezer jam as tastier and zippier than anything you could get in the store. So she decided to give it a try. 

Finding a recipe for sour cherry freezer jam online proved perplexing. Mostly because the majority of freezer jam recipes are generic and meant for any berry --including the one the back of the pectin envelope. It seemed likely that sour cherries would require a different amount of sugar than say... strawberries. And the recipes varied from 4 cups fruit with 1-1/2 cups sugar to 1-1/2 cups fruit with 4 cups sugar. 

Also, cherries are juicier than berries -- and sour cherries are juicier than bing cherries. A lot of the recipes called for lemon juice. That seemed silly for sour cherries. But still, Susan wondered about the amount of pectin. She worried about altering recipes the first time out. Finally, she decided to just go for it. If the batch was too runny, it would taste awesome on yogurt or ice cream.

Sour cherries are usually ripe around the 4th of July in Minnesota. Obviously, they are pretty early this year as Susan baked up a tasty batch of Sour Cherry Almond Scones for Fathers' Day. She spent the next week eyeing the cherry tree... trying to decide when that sweet spot would occur between having perfectly ripe fruit and completely stripped boughs -- the fruit gobbled up by birds (and me.. heh heh heh). It wasn't a coincidence that an unscheduled Sunday was the decider. 

First, Susan needed a cherry pitter. Having fingers and thumbs, she could easily pop out the pits the old fashioned way. And she did that for the single cup of cherries needed for the scones. But four cups of cherries is beyond her attention span. Unless it meant there was a reason to buy a new toy... 

I always enjoy a walk to Ace Hardware so I came along with her and Boy #1. Our Ace  allows dogs and, even better, the clerks feed me biscuits -- the BIG ONES.

Susan was delighted to find Oxo makes a cherry pitter -- as Oxo designers seem to have re-designed just about every kitchen tool so that they actually work and for a fair price. 

Oxo Good Grips Cherry Pitter

Here is what four cups of cherries look like before they are pitted. Everyone says they are a beautiful red. They look Kong® gray to me! But they are plump and juicy...

Sour Cherry Freezer Jam
Susan included all the juice from pitting when she made the recipe below. She frowned at the pectin envelope which gave no guidance about juicy, sour cherries. She went ahead and increased the sugar by a cup from the 1-1/2 cups they recommended. It tastes very zippy but is looking reluctant to gel. Afterwards, she read enough to learn you don't mess with the proportions. But the great thing is: even if it doesn't set to a spreadable jam, it will be fabulous on yogurt or ice cream!

4 cups cherries
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 package Ball® No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin

Pick, wash, dry, and pit enough cherries to end up with 4 cups after chopping. In large mixing bowl, macerate (chop) cherries, leaving hunks of fruit of desired size. A hand blender works well in short bursts -- be careful not to puree. 

Mix together sugar and pectin, add to cherries and stir for three minutes. 

Spoon into clean, dry freezer-safe jars (no curved shoulders) or plastic containers leaving room at the top for expansion when freezing (1/2 to 1 inch). Makes about 48 ounces. 

Let sit for thirty minutes. Freeze or refrigerate. 

Sour Cherry Freezer Jam in twelve 

Jarden 4-Ounce Mason Canning Jars

Resources about freezer jam
Freezer Jam: A Baby Step to Canning by NPR's Stephanie Stiavetti

Kraft's Sure-Jell How to Make Freezer Jam which includes a chart about different fruits and sugar needs. But it does recommend 2 cups cherries to 4 cups sugar (which is about opposite of what Susan likes).

Ball's freshpreserving.com's Soft Spread's Problem Solver

Sour Cherry Almond Scones

Our sour cherry tree is really knocking itself out this year. Last year, there were maybe a dozen cherries worth considering. But this year there are plenty for my family, the blue jay family, the robin family and, most importantly, me.

I like sour cherries right off the tree -- pits and all. They are a bit tart. I would prefer them with peanut butter but no one's offering so...

My family -- and the neighbors over the fence, if they are lucky --  eat sour cherries in scones. The first batch appeared on Fathers' Day. Here's a good recipe with almonds. 

Sour Cherry Almond Scones

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix and let sit until sweet enough, then drain juice:

1 cup sour cherries pitted, chopped

1/4 cup or more white sugar

In a large bowl, mix:
3 cups white flour (you can substitute 1 cup with whole wheat pastry flour)
2 -1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

With a pastry blender or fork, cut in:

1-1/2 sticks butter, softened

Add the drained cherries and 

1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds (you can reserve some to sprinkle on the tops)

In a small bowl, whisk together:
2/3 c. buttermilk (reserve some to brush on the tops)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (optional but quite tasty)

Add wet ingredients to the large bowl of ingredients and stir until moistened.

You may need to add a little buttermilk or flour to make soft, shapeable but not sticky dough. Knead on a floured surface a few times. Cut into 12-24 pieces depending on the size you want and pat into scone shapes (triangles are nice).

Place on baking sheet (parchment paper is helpful). Brush with buttermilk, sprinkle with a little sugar and sliced almonds, if you like.

Bake until flaky and golden...8 to 15 minutes - depending on the size of scones you made. Best fresh. But the dog is happy to eat them stale.

Susan's Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are thousands, maybe millions, of chocolate chip cookie recipes in the world and nearly all worth eating. This one leans a little to the healthier side without evoking the seventies health-kick (say carob, see elders cringe).  Susan replaces half of the butter with canola oil and there is a cup of whole wheat pastry flour. Double vanilla improves the flavor.

As a dog, I never get to taste the chocolate chips but Susan says they are the secret.  Don't skimp - go for the good ones!

Hint: Because of the oil, this batter will be a little more moist than other recipes. Be sure to chill it before baking.

Susan's Chocolate Chip Cookies
In a large bowl, cream together:
1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
1/2 cup (scant) canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar

add and mix well:
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

In a smal bowl, mix together dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cup white, all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda (no lumps!)
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients in the large bowl. Stir in:
12 oz. Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips 

Chill the batter.
Preheat oven 375-400 degrees (know your oven!)
Drop tablespoonfuls of batter on cookie sheets  -- leaving room to spread. Parchment paper is handy.
Bake 9-11 minutes until lightly golden and just past shiny.
Makes 3-5 dozen, depending on preferred size.

Chicken Tikka Kabobs

This recipe involves meat and sticks. Dogs dream of both of these regularly. Here chicken and skewers combine for an easy Indian-inspired delight. 

The secret to kabobs is the marinade, of course. This one tenderizes with lemon and yogurt.

Chicken Tikka Kabobs
Mix everything together in bowl except the chicken. Then stir in the chicken cubes. Cover, chill in fridge overnight.

It helps to soak the bamboo skewers in water so they don't burn. Thread chicken cubes on the skewers. Then grill or broil, turning often until done (5 minutes or so).
Serves 4 people or 1 dog

2/3 c. plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2-6 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of one lemon
2 Tablespoons oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut in cubes

Wolverine loves kabobs too.

credit

All Season Smoothies

Not surprisingly, fruit is more popular than vegies in our house  -- so smoothies aren't exactly a hard sell. (Although Boy#1 actually likes vegetables - which is good because he is a vegetarian... other than that, he is quite normal.) The All Season Smoothie is a quick and easy way to drink your fruit at any meal. And you get a dairy serving in there too. You can whip up a pitcher and tuck it in the fridge for an easy breakfast item. The citrus of the OJ keeps it fresh and tasty.

The best thing about smoothies is that you can mix and match pretty much however you like. If you only have plain yogurt and like it sweeter, add some vanilla and a tablespoon or two of sugar. And frozen fruit tastes great if you don't have the luxury of fresh fruit.

All Season Smoothies

In a pitcher (or blender):

16 oz. vanilla, plain or flavored yogurt -- non-fat to cream-top (you choose)
2 bananas ( you can even use frozen bananas if you don't mind peeling off the creepy black skin)
1 bag frozen fruit (10 oz) - mixed berry is yummy!
1-2 cups orange juice -- enough to fill the gaps and make it however thick you like

Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Makes 4-6 servings.

Give the yogurt container to the dog.

Chicken Salsa Chili

Nothing chases away the winter doldrums quite like a bowl of chili with all the fixings. This recipe is from some swishy cafe around here that I am not allowed to enter. My Susan has tweaked it enough to claim it as her own. That's one of the things I like about cooking. Make a pot of chili, add peanut butter and bacon, and it becomes Carmella's Chili.

Serve with Banana Cheese Empanadas or cornbread.

Hint: Best made a day ahead but perfectly tasty right away.

Chicken Salsa Chili

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional, how is this optional?!)
salt, pepper, powdered garlic to season chicken

1 large chopped yellow onion

1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 tablespoon minced or crushed fresh garlic

1 can (4 oz)  diced green chilis (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno chili peppers)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (Swanson Natural) or vegetable stock (Pacific) 

2-3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen, in adobe sauce is tasty)

1 can (29 ounces) tomato puree

2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans drained 

1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)

1 tablespoon djion mustard

splash of red wine (optional)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

In a skillet: 
In olive oil, sauté chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, powdered garlic, until cooked. Set aside.

In a large stock pot:
In olive oil, sauté onions and reduce heat. Add pepper flakes, garlic, green chilis, chicken or vegie stock, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken, crushed tomatoes and tomato puree,  pinto beans and garbanzo beans. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.

To serve:
Add chopped cilantro and limejuice just prior to serving. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Top with chopped cilantro, sour cream or sour lean, chopped red onions, grated cheddar cheese, guacamole and/or tortilla chips.

Cafe Latte Chicken Salsa Chili recipe

Banana Cheese Empanadas

The empanada is a pastry popular in South America and Spain. It can be filled with a myriad of tasty things-- although I have not yet found a recipe for a squirrel-bacon filling. I would like to take a Turnover Tour of the world sampling every culture's version; Indian samosas, Cornish pasties, Russian pirozkhis... Until then, I make do with what falls off the edge of the counters here in middle America.

Empanadas

Banana cheese empanadas are a delightful melding of sweet and savory. You can vary the type of cheese however you like-- although something spicy or sharp works quite nicely to balance the rich sweetness of the banana.

Hint: If you are short on time and craving that banana-cheese thing, tuck them in a tortilla and make a toasty banana-cheese quesadilla. Yum!

Hint: For a richer, more tender pastry, I also use the SAMOSA DOUGH recipe from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook.

Great with Chicken Salsa Chili

Banana Cheese Empanadas

PASTRY -
2 cups flour (half white/half whole wheat pastry is nice)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 water (adjust as needed)

Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the water and stir until reasonably well-combined.

Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth (5 minutes), adding water or flour as needed to make a sturdy, not sticky dough.

Divide the dough into 8-12 equal parts depending on size of pastry you want, and knead each one into a small ball.  Roll out each ball of dough into a circle approximately 4-5 inches in diameter.

FILLING

Medium banana, just ripe, peeled and chopped

1/4 lb Pepper-Jack and/or sharp cheddar cheese, sliced thinly

optional: you could add green chilies or red pepper flakes for some kick

Place a couple of small cheese slices near the center, and place pieces of the banana on top of the cheese. Experiment to find that sweet spot of: "enough filling-- but still seals up without tearing the dough."

Lightly brush the edges of the dough with water to make edge sticky, and carefully fold the dough over the filling, as you would a turnover. Crimp the edges securely with a fork. Set the finished empanada aside and repeat until you have 8-12.

FRY in skillet

butter

vegetable oil 

You can saute them in just butter.  But you can also fry them in canola oil with butter added for flavoring, as it burns less and is healthier. Fry them until golden.

Serve hot. Delicious with salsas and Chicken Salsa Chili.

Note: the empanadas may also be baked, brushed with butter.  It is more likely the cheese will escape when baking. To bake: arrange the empanadas on the buttered cookie sheet, making absolutely sure they are securely closed. (If cheese creeps out during baking, it will burn.) Brush the tops lightly with melted butter, and bake at 375F for 12 to 15 minutes.

adapted from Mollie Katzen's Banana Cheese Empanada recipe in Still Life With Menu

Grandma Elizabeth's Chocolate Sauce

Grandma Elizabeth passed this recipe on to her daughters. The dog has nothing to say about chocolate sauce as it is poisonous to dogs. But the dog's family LOVES this rich, dark sauce over vanilla ice cream. Add bananas, whipped cream or pecans and it might just beat chocolate chip cookies. It is very easy to make.

Grandma Elizabeth's Chocolate Sauce

In a small sauce pan, over low heat, melt and stir together:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (Bakers)
6 Tablespoons water

Add:
1/2 cup white sugar (or a little less, if you like)

Cook until bubbly and thick. (If you cook it longer, it will turn chewy when it hits the cold ice cream. Not bad but...) Remove from heat.

Stir in:
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Almond Craisin Granola

Every weekday morning, Dave has the same breakfast. A bowl of granola, a glass of OJ and a very strong latte. (The dog has the same thing every MEAL: dry dog food.  The dog thinks Dave has a better deal.) Dave is content with his box of cereal. But when he can have homemade granola there is a tiny spring in his step as he commutes to the attic.

This granola can be varied easily by swapping in different nuts and dried fruit. The secret is to get it nice and toasty. It is helpful to the dog if you stir it with wild flipping motions so most of it ends up on the floor.

Almond Craisin Granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a large mixing bowl, mix:
4 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup slivered almonds (or other nuts)
1/2 cup sesame seeds (optional)
1/4 cup flax seeds (optional, but they are supposed to be some sort of wonder food)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, mix:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water

Add wet to dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until toasty, stirring every ten minutes. Cool.

Stir in:
1  6-ounce package of craisins (sweetened, dried cranberries) or other dried fruit.