When I first read about Phoo-D’s Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream, I knew I had to make it.  For one thing, I’ve had a bag of shelled edamame hanging out in my freezer for quite a while, but what really caught my attention was the combination of flavors she incorporated into her soup. You just can’t go wrong with garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil – not to mention the horseradish cream on top.  Perfect.

I had planned on following the recipe.  Really, that was my intention.  It wasn’t until I noticed that my bag of frozen edamame was of insufficient size that I knew I would have to improvise.  My first change was to use frozen peas to shore up my meager soybean supply.  Once I started thinking about peas, I remembered the fresh dill and mint in my refrigerator that, though still clinging to life, really needed to be used up sooner than later.  When I started thinking about dill and mint, of course I wanted to incorporate some lemon.  All of a sudden, the soup had changed quite a bit!

While I’ll definitely give the original soup recipe a try next time, I was absolutely thrilled with this version.  This thick and velvety soup feels so indulgent, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s healthy.  The herb and lemon sour cream garnish worked perfectly with the simple flavors of the soup – it’s not optional.

When it comes to blending this soup, you can’t mess around.  Soybeans are tough.  I first tried puréeing the soup with an immersion blender, but the consistency wasn’t creamy enough.  Just as Phoo-D suggests, I recommend puréeing the soup in an actual blender.

Edamame and Pea Soup with Herbed Lemon Cream

1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups shelled edamame (I used frozen)
1 cup green peans (frozen, not canned)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, shallot, and celery and cook until softened and just starting to take on a bit of color, about 10 minutes.  Stir in edamame and peas (they can still be frozen at this point) then add chicken or vegetable stock.  Turn heat up and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the lemon cream (recipe below).

After soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Puree the soup – in batches if necessary – in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.  Return to the pot and reheat, if necessary.  Serve soup with a spoonful of herbed lemon cream on top.

Yield: 6 servings

Herbed Lemon Cream

1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon

Whisk together all ingredients; refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Related Recipes:

• Creamy Fennel and Leek Soup
• Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew
• Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup
• Roasted Autumn Vegetable Chowder
• Chickpea Soup with Ginger and Coriander
• Potato Leek Soup

Around the Web:

• Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream from Phoo-D
• Edamame Soup from 101 Cookbooks
• Edamame Avocado Soup from Tofu for Two
• Edamame and Pea Soup from Kitchen Goddess
• Very Very Green Green-Pea Soup from Kitchen Parade
• Green Pea Soup from The Budding Cook

While we normally eat spaghetti squash tossed with nothing more than a a bit of olive oil and a handful of fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, I decided to splurge this time around and used the versatile squash to create a rich and creamy gratin.

This gratin was inspired by a recipe I found at Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen.  I’m sure her sour cream version is wonderful, and that’s what I had originally planned to make, but when I realized that I had some heavy cream that needed to be used, I opted for that instead.  I also added some shallots along with the garlic, and decreased the amount of herbs (mainly because I was completely out of fresh herbs).  The resulting dish was absolutely delicious!

We’ve actually been on a bit of a spaghetti squash kick around here lately, and have eaten it again since I made the  gratin.  This last time, I sauteed some garlic in olive oil, added a generous pinch of crushed red pepper, then tossed the spaghetti squash strands in the garlic oil until heated through.  I then seasoned it with salt and a handful of fresh chopped parsley and served it with a bit of fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.  Since this is one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti, I thought I’d give it a try with spaghetti squash.  It was wonderful!

What’s your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1 large (or two small) shallot(s), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 t. dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. Cook shallots in butter over medium-low heat until softened.  Stir in garlic, cook for a minute longer.  Scrape shallots and garlic into bowl with squash.  Add thyme, heavy cream, sour cream, and half of the cheese.  Toss together well until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour into a greased casserole and top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake uncovered in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approximately 6 servings

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Red Pepper

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
salt to taste
fresh grated parmigiano reggiano (optional)

1. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned.  Add crushed red pepper, then add spaghetti squash.  Toss spaghetti squash strands until well-coated in the garlic oil and heated through.  Season with salt and toss with parsley.  Serve with fresh grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Around the Web:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants
• Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• New Mexican Spaghetti Squash from Karina’s Kitchen
• Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash from Smitten Kitchen

I’m beginning to think there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a tray of slow-roasted tomatoes.  Now, I know I’ve said this about a lot of things.  Bread, for example.  And it’s true that there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a loaf of bread with your own two hands.  But man, these tomatoes are something.  And they are simple.  So simple, that the extraordinary flavor almost doesn’t make sense.  The flavor is sweet, but intense.  Sultry, even.  You’ll see.  You’ll be smitten, too.

If there’s one thing I learned about food while living in Sicily, it’s this:  less is more.

Simplify.

Want to learn how to cook?  Quit trying to follow complicated recipes out of fancy books.  First, you must simplify.

What ingredients do you like?  Walk through the produce section of your grocery store or your local market without a grocery list and without any particular recipe in mind.  What catches your eye?  What calls to you?  Pick it up, take it home, and see if you can figure out the simplest way to make it taste really great.

There are very few ingredients, animal or vegetable, that wouldn’t benefit from something as simple as a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, or a squeeze of lemon juice.

But wait, you want to know about these tomatoes, don’t you?

The great thing about slow roasting tomatoes is that you can make even run-of-the-mill grocery store tomatoes taste great.  All you need are a couple of baskets of grape or cherry tomatoes, some cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt, and that jar of Italian seasoning that’s been hanging out in the back of your spice cabinet.  See?  It’s simple.

While the idea of turning on the oven for three hours during the last heat wave of summer probably isn’t that appealing, the temperature will be so low that you won’t even notice it’s on.  Trust me, I did it yesterday.  And yes, we really are having a heat wave here in Southern California.

It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to have any leftovers, but the tomatoes can be stored with a bit of olive oil in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten (mmmm…roasted garlic…) or just tossed in with the tomatoes for extra flavor.  But again, make sure everything stays refrigerated if you aren’t going to eat them immediately.  But, you will eat them immediately.

My absolute favorite way to eat these tomatoes is on bruschetta smeared with goat cheese.  If you’re in search of a simple appetizer that will completely blow your guests away, here it is.

Now these tomatoes are certainly not my idea.  There are tons of recipes for slow-roasted tomatoes floating around out there and really, I suggest you customize this to suit your own taste.  The version I like comes from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, so be sure to head over there to read about her gorgeous tomatoes and gorgeous new baby, before making some of your own.

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Cherry, grape or pear tomatoes (or whatever tiny tomatoes you prefer)
Garlic cloves, unpeeled
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Combination of dried Italian herbs (such as fennel, oregano, basil, or thyme)*

1. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Cut enough tomatoes to fill the sheet pan (about 2 small baskets should do the trick) and place them cut-side up on the parchment paper.  Scatter a handful of unpeeled garlic cloves throughout the tomatoes.

3. Drizzle olive oil all over the tomatoes, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

4. Mix together some of your favorite dried Italian herbs (or just use a commercial blend) and measure out about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Grind the herbs into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle then sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.

5. Bake tomatoes at 225 degrees for 3-4 hours, or until they have shriveled but still contain a bit of moisture inside.  The time will depend on the size of your tomatoes, so start checking early.

6. Let cool and eat immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten or stored in the jar with the tomatoes for a few days, refrigerated.

Recipes Notes: *I really like to include a good amount of fennel seed in my herb mixture.  Even if you think you don’t like fennel, you might enjoy it here.  I like to grind the herbs into a powder before sprinkling over the tomatoes, especially if using fennel seed and/or rosemary.  But, it’s completely optional.  I generally combine five or six different dry herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and fennel.  Use as many or as few as you like.  You might even try leaving the herbs out completely.

Around the Web:

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at A Veggie Venture
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at The Perfect Pantry
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Coriander from Orangette

My sister is a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus so she was one inspiration behind me creating my own version at home.  The other inspiration was my fancy new blender that I just knew would create the smoothest, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made.

And I was right.  This was the smoothest, creamiest hummus that has ever come from my kitchen.

I’ve been without a regular blender for over a year now.  The last one I owned, an overpriced and under-performing Kitchen Aid blender, broke as soon as the warranty expired.  And I wasn’t in a big rush to run out and replace it with another piece of junk.  I’ve never been a huge fan of blenders because I have never owned one that worked really well.  Sure, they all claim to crush ice.  But they never really do.

I knew that there was another class of blenders out there that could do all sorts of wonderful things, but they have always been way out of my budget.  So I’ve made do with my food processor and immersion blender and for the most part have been perfectly happy.  But I’ve always been secretly envious of those lucky Vita-Mix owners.  And yes, I have been researching high-powered blenders for the past year, silently wishing to have one one of these mystical machines taking up more of my precious counter space.

And then it happened.  I innocently went on a trip to Costco with my sister and brother-in-law.  I was there with good intentions.  My main mission was to pick up some new books and dvds to send to Justin in Iraq, and I had just placed a dvd set of 24: Season 7 in the cart when I heard the sound:  a blender!  I couldn’t help myself, I started walking towards the sound and the gathering crowd.  On the table was one of the two blenders I had been dreaming of for the past year.  It was a Blendtec, and I was instantly hooked.

I stood there wide-eyed as the showman created something with the texture of ice cream out of nothing more than a handful of strawberries and some ice cubes.  I eagerly tasted the samples of the ‘whole fruit’ juice he made after throwing a mixture of fruits, peel and all, into the miraculous machine.  Penny and Robert eventually found me and started laughing uncontrollably when they saw me standing there, transfixed.

I know, I know.  It was like being sucked into a real-life infomercial.  Except this was a product that I knew.  It was a product that I had researched.  And that’s how they got me.  It didn’t help that Penny and Robert were standing there urging me to do it.  One of my brother-in-law’s favorite pastimes is to take me to Costco and see how much money he can get me to spend on things I don’t really need.  For him, this was the mother lode!

So you’ve already figured out that I bought it.  It’s been over a month now and do I regret it?  Not one bit!  This ‘blender’ is amazing.  It will pulverize anything I put in there, wet or dry.  I can grind grains into flour, I can grind nuts and spices, even tiny amounts.  I can make velvety smooth sauces.  And of course, it makes excellent hummus.  I’m not gonna lie, these things are expensive and plenty of you will think I’m crazy.  But for me, it was worth it.

My name is Nicole and I am in love with my blender.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste)
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  You may have to stop to stir and/or scrape down the ingredients a few times.

Leftover hummus can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.  I’ve also heard that it freezes well, but we never have any leftovers!

* I know that roasted red peppers are available in jars at the grocery store, but they are so easy (and in most cases cheaper) to roast at home.  And of course, freshly roasted peppers taste much better than the ones from a jar.  Here are instructions for roasting red peppers. And did you know that you can freeze roasted peppers?  Why not roast a bunch at once and then freeze the leftovers?  Here are instructions for freezing roasted peppers.

Remember I told you I had butterflied a chicken and was planning on grilling it under a brick?  Well now I’ll show you how I did it.

As I mentioned the other day, Pollo al Mattone, or Chicken Under a Brick is a Tuscan style of grilling chicken.  The chicken cooks quickly since it is flattened under the weight of the brick and you end up with crispy delicious skin and juicy, perfectly cooked meat.  What more could one want from a chicken?

My first step was to marinate the chicken with olive oil and herbs.  You can use any combination of herbs you like, I just used a simple mixture of garlic and rosemary.  First I stripped the leaves from 5 or 6 sprigs of rosemary (about 1/3 cup loosely packed) and peeled six cloves of garlic.

I could have finely chopped everything by hand, but the lazy person inside of me decided a mini food processor was the way to go!

A few seconds later, I ended up with finely chopped rosemary and garlic!  If you don’t have a mini food processor, just chop everything up by hand and/or pound it with a mortar and pestle.

Next, I stirred in about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Now for the chicken!  If you’ve never butterflied a chicken, watch this video.  See how easy it is?  After cutting the chicken, I rinsed it and patted it dry with paper towels.

I also folded the wings under the bird so that the tips won’t burn on the grill.

Here is the inside of my beautifully butterflied bird. Doesn’t it make you want to rub oil all over it?

I thought so!  I poured about half of the marinade over the inside of the chicken.

Then rubbed it all over, making sure to coat every single part of the bird.

Next I flipped it over and rubbed the remaining marinade all over the outside of the chicken.  After the entire chicken is well-coated with the rosemary-garlic oil, you can cover the whole pan with plastic wrap or slip the chicken into a large plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator.  Try to let it sit for at least a few hours.

When you’re ready to grill the chicken, take it out of the fridge and rub some lemon juice all over it.  Right before it goes on the grill, sprinkle both sides liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Prepare your grill (gas or charcoal) for direct medium-low heat.  Allow as much marinade as possible to drip off the chicken before placing it on the grill.  Put the chicken on the grill skin side down and watch for flare-ups.  You may need to move the chicken around a bit until the flare-ups die down.  Once the flare-ups stop, put two foil-covered bricks directly on top of the chicken and allow to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.

This is what my chicken looked like after 15 minutes:

Remove the bricks from the chicken and carefully lift it up to check the skin.  The skin should be well-browned and crispy.  If so, it’s time to flip the bird!

Mine was a little more than well-browned when I flipped it over!  Ooooops!  But we’ll just pretend that it’s perfectly browned like the last one I grilled (and of course didn’t photograph).

When you flip it over, you don’t need to put the bricks back on the chicken.  Just let it finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees…it will probably only take about 10 minutes.  As you can see, I flipped the wings back up on top to keep them from burning.  Not sure if it’s necessary, but it was easy enough to do.

When it’s finished, let it rest for ten minutes before carving.  Then divide it up and enjoy!

You can use any marinade or rub you want with this chicken.  You could even brine it first if you want.  And if you don’t have time to marinate it at all, that’s fine, too.  Just rub it with oil and herbs right before you grill it.  Have fun!

Around the Web:

• Pollo al Mattone at Divina Cucina
• Chicken Under a Brick at Restaurant Widow
• Moroccan Spiced Chicken Under a Brick at TasteFood

I admit that I’m not much of a football fan, but all this talk about the Superbowl has been making me crave chili! Since I almost always have ingredients on hand to throw together a quick pot of chili beans, it was very easy to satisfy my craving last night.

Although I prefer to to use as many fresh ingredients in my cooking as possible, I always have a variety of canned beans and canned tomatoes on hand. Pair those two ingredients with some ground beef (or just skip the meat altogether), chopped fresh veggies, and some good quality chili powder and you’ve got an easy, healthy, hearty and inexpensive meal that just about everyone loves!

For this batch of chili I used kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans because I think it’s fun to mix things up a bit. But you can really use any kind of beans you like or whatever you find knocking around your own pantry.

You can think of this chili recipe as a guideline and then put your own twist on it.  You can use more meat, less meat, no meat or you can swap the beef for some ground turkey!  If you want to leave the meat out, why not add an extra can of beans?  You could also add more onions and pepper and maybe even throw in some chopped carrots for some more color.  It’s entirely up to you!

So since this batch of chili will be finished before Superbowl Sunday, it looks like I’ll have to come up with some other things to make for game day.  I don’t even know who’s playing, but I always use the Superbowl as an excuse to make (and eat) lots of unhealthy snack food!  What are the rest of you planning on making?

Beef and Three Bean Chili

2  tablespoons olive oil
one large yellow onion, chopped
one green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
two cloves of garlic, minced
one large jalapeno, minced (seeds and all)
one pound of ground beef (I used 85% lean)
3 tablespoons chili powder*
2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder**
2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup of your favorite beer (I used a pale ale)
one 14.5 oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes***
one 14.5 oz. can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes****
one can of water (just fill an empty tomato can with water)
one small can of tomato paste
one can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
one can of black beans, drained and rinsed
one can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups of frozen corn (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion and pepper in olive oil until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, for another minute, then add ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, just until meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat from the pan then return to heat.

2. Add the two chili powders and cumin, and cook the spices and the meat together, stirring, for half a minute or so. Add the beer, stir, and allow to cook while you open all the cans and drain and rinse the beans.  Add all the tomatoes, one can of water (just fill an empty tomato can with water), tomato paste, and beans; stir well.  Bring mixture up to a slow boil then turn the heat down to low and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour.

3. As the chili simmers, stir it occasionally, and taste to see if you need/want more chili powder or cumin (don’t add salt until it’s done cooking).  Once chili has reached the thickness you like, stir in the frozen corn and cook for a few more minutes, then add salt to taste.  Eat immediately or wait for it to cool then refrigerate overnight.  The chili tastes even better the next day!  It can also be frozen.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Notes: *Feel free to use more or less chili powder depending on your preference. I probably used more than 3 T, but some people prefer a lot less! **optional, or can substitute one tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo. ***they don’t have to be fire-roasted, that’s just what I had on hand. ****You could substitute one large (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes for the two smaller cans of diced/crushed tomatoes.  This chili did not seem spicy to me at all, but if you are making it for kids (or really wimpy adults), you can make these changes: remove all the seeds from the jalapeno before chopping (or leave it out altogether), leave out the chipotle chili powder, reduce regular chili powder to 2 tablespoons.

Around the Web:

• Chipotle Chili from Cooking with Amy
• Butternut Chili from Karina’s Kitchen
• Black Bean and Beef Chili from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Black Bean and Quinoa Chili from Closet Cooking
• Chili con Carne from Simply Recipes

Related Recipes:

• Veggie Chili Beans and Rice
• Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• Semi-Homemade Refried Beans

Here’s another recipe I borrowed from my Aunt’s recipe box when I was home from Thanksgiving.  This Snickerdoodles recipe is scribbled on a stained, yellowed piece of paper and was copied from who knows where.  It even has a missing ingredient penciled in with a question mark at the end.  Sounds like a winner to me!

We all have these stained, well-used scraps of paper tucked into our recipe box, right?  They’re the recipes that get used all the time but for some reason never make it onto a real recipe card.  Well this one will finally be copied onto a real recipe card, because I need to return the original to my Aunt’s recipe box at Christmas!

I’ve written about a variation on Snickerdoodles before, but I’ve never posted a recipe for the classic cookie.  In my mind, Snickerdoodles have always seemed a bit boring.  I know I liked them when I was young, but as an adult, I just haven’t given them much of a chance.  But after testing this recipe a few days ago, I realized once again how much I love this cinnamon-sugar cookie!  I’m still not a big fan of the name (how did they end up with such a silly name?), but these have certainly moved onto my list of favorite cookies!

The only change I made to the hand-written recipe was to add some vanilla extract.  I added one teaspoon, but I think they could even take a bit more if you prefer.  Although the recipe directs you to make one-inch balls of dough, you can make the cookies as big as you like!  I made some giant ones and some medium-sized ones, because I can never bring myself to make tiny cookies.  Just make sure you leave lots of space between the cookies, because they really spread out.

If you want to add a little zing to your Snickerdoodles, you can use pumpkin or apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon.  I made half of my cookies with plain cinnamon and half of them with pumpkin pie spice.  They were both really good, but my husband actually preferred the ones made with pumpkin pie spice (I thought it was a toss-up).  It’s a tasty experiment and a good way to use up the pumpkin pie spice that will be sitting around unused all year long!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (or more)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture (or stir in by hand) until well combined.
4. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin/apple pie spice).
5. Shape spoonfuls of cookie dough into 1″ balls, then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place 2″ apart on ungreased (parchment-lined, if you prefer) cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove to a wire cooling rack.  They will be slightly puffed when removed from oven but will flatten completely as they cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Recipe Notes: For softer, chewy cookies, take the cookies out of the oven at 8 minutes (or maybe earlier depending on your oven). For crisp cookies, allow them to bake longer.  If you like an extra spicy cookie, add extra cinnamon to the sugar mixture (some recipes call for a ratio of 2 tablespoons sugar to 2 teaspoons cinnamon).  Save the leftover cinnamon/sugar and try adding it to your coffee or hot chocolate!

I found that I could put a few balls of dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and then shake the whole bowl around to coat them all at once. It was faster and easier!

Roll the balls of dough around until they are fully coated with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Space cookies 2" apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep in mind that these cookies spread a lot!

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. If you want a chewy cookie, try taking them out at 8 minutes, before the cookies take on any color. If you want a crisp cookie, bake until edges are just slightly brown. Cookies will be slightly puffed when you remove them from oven, but will flatten completely as they cool.

Since I like some of my cookies crisp, I left these in the oven until the edges turned brown. They were very crisp, without any chewiness in the center. I like them this way, but if want chewy, make sure to take them out before they take on any color (like the photo above).

Related Recipes:

• Basic Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Pumpkin Spice Scones
• Spiked Egg Nog French Toast

Around the Web:

• Chai Snickerdoodles from Baking Bites
• Snickerdoodles (vegan) from Vegan Yum Yum
• Snickerdoodles from Simply Recipes
• Snickerdoodle Muffins from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Amish Snickerdoodles from Frantic Home Cook

This rich and creamy Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin is flavored with garlic, fresh thyme, and Manchego cheese.  The ingredients are simple but indulgent, making this a perfect side dish for your next holiday meal.

It seems like we just finished eating a huge Thanksgiving meal and it’s already time to start thinking about Christmas dinner.  Between the big holiday meals and all the Christmas baking I plan on doing, I think I’ll have to ask Santa for some larger clothes this year!  But hey, that’s what New Year’s Resolutions are for, right?  I’ll worry about dieting in January.

I made my first Butternut Squash Gratin for Thanksgiving 2007, and although everyone seemed to enjoy it, I really thought it was kind of boring.  That dish was made with butternut squash, heavy cream, fresh thyme, and Gruyere cheese.  I know, it sounds good.  But it was just lacking something.  Although I never tried making a different version, it’s always been there at the back of my mind, waiting to be revised.

Since I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with sweet potatoes in savory dishes lately, I thought it might be fun to add some sweet potato to the Butternut Squash Gratin to liven up the squash a bit.  I also added some garlic to the cream and used fresh sage in addition to the thyme.

The first version tasted really good but I decided I didn’t care much for the sage.  I loved the addition of the garlic and I thought the butternut squash and sweet potatoes went together nicely.  The sweet potatoes added a great punch of flavor and just a bit of sweetness that really perked up the dish.

The final version of the recipe is still very simple, but the garlic and sweet potatoes give it that something extra I was craving.  And I really love the Manchego cheese (that idea came from EAT).

I think this would be a great side dish for either Thanksgiving or Christmas as I think it would go nicely with just about any type of main course you could dream up.  Although it might be a little too rich for anything but a special occasion, I do think most of us can handle a dose of heavy cream during the holidays!

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pound peeled butternut squash, quartered lengthwise*
1 pound peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes**
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Manchego cheese (or Gruyère)

1. Get Ready: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Butter a 9″x13″ shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside.

2. Prepare the Ingredients: thinly slice the squash and sweet potatoes (no more than 1/8 inch thick) and keep them separate from one another.  Measure out chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese and have them handy. Stir the cooling cream to help prevent skin from forming.

3. Build the Gratin: In the buttered casserole dish, spread half of the sliced butternut squash out in a single overlapping layer.  Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme and then about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Using half of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer.  Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Using the remaining squash, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese (you should have about 1/2 cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top.  Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes.  Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

4. Bake the Gratin: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. You may also place it under the broiler for a few minutes if you wish the top to be a deeper brown (but watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 12 servings

Recipe Notes: *I used the neck of a medium butternut squash and quartered it lengthwise. Butternut squash can easily be peeled with a vegetable peeler. Measure out one pound of squash after it is peeled and the stem has been removed. Save the remaining squash for another use. **Peel the potatoes and remove the pointy ends (save them for soup!) so you’ll have more uniform slices.  You need about one pound of prepared sweet potato.

Squash and sweet potatoes should be thinly sliced, no more than 1/8 inch thick.

You will need about 2 cups of shredded Manchego Cheese. If you can't find Manchego, you may substitute Gruyere.

Get your seasonings ready. You'll need chopped fresh thyme, salt (preferably kosher), and fresh ground black pepper.

Use half of the butternut squash slices to form a single overlapping layer in the bottom of a greased 9x13 casserole dish (or use a similar sized gratin dish).

Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme then sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of cheese.

Now use half of the sliced sweet potatoes to form another single overlapping layer.

Now sprinkle with another third of your seasonings and another half cup of shredded cheese.

Use the rest of your butternut squash slices to form another layer. This should be your third layer of vegetables.

Now sprinkle the remaining third of your seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese. You should still have about 1/2 cup of cheese remaining.

Now use the last of the sweet potatoes to form the top layer of the gratin.

Pour the garlic-infused cream evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.

Finally, sprinkle the top of the gratin with the remaining shredded cheese. Feel free to add a little extra if you have it!

Bake the gratin, covered with foil, in a 400 degree oven. After 30 minutes, remove the foil. It should be bubbly and the vegetables should be almost tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Bake the gratin, uncovered, in the upper third of the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are completely tender. If you want it darker, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes at the end (make sure to watch it closely!).

Allow to cool for about half an hour before slicing. Enjoy!

Related Recipes:

• Cranberry Applesauce with Fresh Ginger
• Sweet Potato Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
• Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
• Sourdough Stuffing with Apples and Bacon
• Curried Turkey Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Walnuts
• Apple Galette
• Red Velvet Cake

Around the Web:

• Butternut Squash Gratin from Daily Bread Journal
• Smashed Butternut Squash and Potato Gratin from Dressing for Dinner
• Pumpkin Gratin from Thyme for Cooking
• Sweet Potato Gratin from Anne’s Food
• Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego from EAT

Today is my birthday and my husband, who has never baked a cake on his own, baked me a carrot cake completely from scratch!

When we were in Madera for Thanksgiving, I rummaged through my aunt’s recipe cards and found a few more of my mom’s recipes that I didn’t have.  One of the recipes was for a carrot cake that I remember eating when I was young.  I love carrot cake so I was thrilled to have a new (old) recipe to try!

When Justin surprised me by asking what kind of cake I wanted today, I first requested a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, a classic combination that I’ve always loved.  But at the last minute, I remembered my newly acquired carrot cake recipe and asked if he would be willing to give that a try instead.

I have to say that I’m pretty impressed.  Not only did he find all the ingredients on his own, he did absolutely everything without my help.  My only assigned tasks were carrot grating and pan greasing.  My husband normally does nothing in the kitchen besides making the occasional sandwich, so this new baking development is a rather nice surprise!

I have had a great birthday!  We went out to lunch and then I spent the afternoon shopping with birthday money and gift certificates.  I’ve been receiving birthday cards, phone calls, e-mails, text messages, as well as facebook and twitter greetings all day long.  Birthdays are so much fun in this digital age!  Thanks, everyone!

In addition to my birthday, today is the last day of November and therefore this is my last post for NaBloPoMo.  I shared a recipe with you every day this month (with the exception of Thanksgiving) and I’m finishing it off by sharing my mom’s carrot cake recipe, complete with cream cheese frosting!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Carrot Cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot (about 4 medium/large carrots)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together first six ingredients.  Stir in oil then stir in eggs, one a time.  Add carrots and stir until well blended then add nuts.  Divide batter between two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans and bake in preheated oven, 30-35 minutes for the 8-inch pans or 35-45 minutes for the 9-inch pans.  Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean.  Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove cakes from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Edit 12/01/08: We decided that the cream cheese frosting from my mom’s recipe was way too sweet so I’ve removed it and am sharing another cream cheese frosting recipe that allows more of the cream cheese flavor to come through.  Hope you enjoy it!

2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and blend until well combined.  Blend in vanilla extract.  Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting is at room temp, beat with mixer til smooth).

Today is my friend Ruby’s birthday and since she doesn’t live close enough for me to cook her a birthday meal, I told her she could pick today’s recipe for Pinch My Salt.  She chose a curry rice salad with artichokes that she says my mom used to make.  I have a vague recollection of the salad, but I think it must have had some ingredients I don’t like because I don’t remember eating much of it.  But, since it’s Ruby’s birthday, I decided I could create a curry rice salad that we would both enjoy!

The problem is that I don’t have the exact recipe for the salad Ruby remembers.  There are tons of curry artichoke rice salad recipes out there and many of them start with a box of chicken-flavored Rice-a-Roni.  I knew I could come up with something better than that, so I’ve been working on a new version of the salad for a couple of days.  What Ruby likes best about the original salad is the combination of creamy mayonnaise, curry powder, rice, and artichoke hearts.  She left the rest of it up to me.

I decided to keep the recipe simple, but opted to make a homemade curry mayonnaise rather than use mayonnaise from a jar.  Making the mayonnaise from scratch doesn’t add any extra time to the recipe because it can be made while the rice cooks, but it adds tremendously to the flavor!

Rather than start with a box of flavored rice, I used plain basmati and cooked it with butter, cumin seeds, and chicken broth.  Rice cooked this way is delicious enough to eat plain, but is also a great base for the salad.  When the rice cooled I added the curry mayonnaise, chopped artichoke hearts, and toasted almonds.  It tasted delicious but definitely needed some color.  Fresh chopped parsley and some chopped red bell pepper added the color and complimented the curry flavor well.

My husband and I have really enjoyed eating the salad for the past couple of days, and I hope Ruby likes it too! Hopefully we’ll be able to get together after Thanksgiving to cook and celebrate both of our birthdays (they’re only a week apart). I requested a pumpkin roll!

Happy birthday Ruby!

Curry Artichoke Rice Salad

1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons butter (can substitute olive oil)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 large jar (14.75 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)*
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted.**
1 recipe curry mayonnaise (see below)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)

1. Put rice in a mesh strainer and rinse well under running water, swishing it around for a few minutes.  Drain well.

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add cumin seeds and stir for a few seconds. When seeds have darkened and are fragrant, add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains have turned opaque and a few of them are just starting to brown.  Add chicken broth, stir, and let come to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover pot and let simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork and pour into a large bowl.  Allow to cool.

3 While rice is cooking and cooling, make the mayonnaise, chop the vegetables, and toast the almonds.

4. When rice has cooled, stir in the artichokes, almonds, bell pepper, parsley and curry mayonnaise.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes: *I prefer the Cara Mia brand of artichoke hearts. **To toast almonds, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and stir until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from skillet immediately and let cool. If you really don’t want to make the mayo from scratch, use one cup of good quality mayonnaise and whisk in one tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. To turn this salad into a meal, add one or two cups of cooked shredded chicken. Would also be good with leftover turkey!

Curry Mayonnaise
adapted from Molly Wizenburg’s Homemade Mayonnaise

1 egg yolk*
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 t. white wine vinegar
1/4 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt.  Start adding oil, a few drops at a time, whisking continuously, until you’ve incorporated about 1/4 cup of the oil.  Add remaining oil, still whisking continuously in a slow, steady stream.  Mayonnaise should be thick and creamy.  Whisk in curry powder, brown sugar, and cayenne.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe Notes: *Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. To avoid the risk of salmonella infection, you can use pasteurized egg yolk instead. But, I’ve always just used regular fresh eggs from the grocery store.