Cuisine: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bombs

I have tried a number of different combinations of these ingredients to make these cookies, and I think I've found the perfect balance. The cookies are crumbly, crunchy, chocolately, and most importantly peanut buttery. In a word, they are delectable.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup - wheat flour
1/2 cup - unbleached flour
1 tsp - salt
1 tsp - baking soda
1 tsp - baking powder
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup - white sugar
1 cup - brown sugar
1 1/2 cup - reduced sugar peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp - vanilla
3 cups - slow cooked oats
1 - 12oz package mini chocolate chips

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together butter, sugars, peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Sift the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and mix. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough between palms in to balls and place on cookie sheet. Dough will be crumbly, so use the heat of your hands to help keep shape. Bake for 14 minutes. They should be a light toasty brown on top, and they will retain a ball-like shape. Cool on a rack.

Cuisine: The S. Kitchen presents... Mediterranean

Yesterday (September 20, 2009), John and I hosted the S. Kitchen presents Mediterranean. It was a truly glorious dinner with the fabulous company of Mary Kate and Ginger Snap. This is the first is what we hope to be a plethora of "social dinners".

The S. Kitchen was a monthly dinner party John and I hosted complete with elaborate themes. It was an opportunity to bring friends, family, and colleagues together and celebrate over food. You see, I love cooking and entertaining. It is a source of creativity, rejuvenation, and self-care. The S. Kitchen was an extension of that creativity and self-care. Guests always loved them and left feeling refreshed, satiated, and ready for the week ahead.


But with all good things, I got busy, and the S. Kitchen went away. I am horrible with a schedule and trying to keep it on the second or third Sunday of the month meant actually having to plan it, clean up for it, and host it. Trying to mix that in to an ever quickening schedule created stress. Yuck! It was just what I didn't want out of the S. Kitchen.


Enter the digital, social networking age. I love social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It enables me to be connected and stay tuned with friends, family, and colleagues at my own pace. I can obsess as much or as little as I like. I can post as much or as little as I want. I feel connected and a part of something.

Social networking sites, however, are not the same as being together in communion over food. So, I have decided to marry the two things together to create "Social Dinners". Instead of having something regularly scheduled, I will make an announcement over at the S. Kitchen fan page on Facebook about an upcoming dinner and menu. If you are free, post on the wall and you are invited. I will also follow up with recipes and (in the future) pictures of the dinner. Then we can all share stories about the food, friends, and fellowship that happen in person in an effort to extend the in person to the online and vice versa.

Listed below is the shopping list and recipes from yesterday's dinner. I hope you enjoy them. And if you were there or not, take a moment and share a story about either this S. Kitchen or one from the past. I love stories, especially yours.


xoxo,
Jason


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Shopping List

Fruits, Vegetables and Fresh Herbs
5 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
3 pounds zucchini, (approx. 6 medium)
2 small red bell pepper
2 - 3 lemons
1 head of garlic
basil
parsley
coriander leaves/ aka cilantro

Meat
5 pounds beef or lamb

Dairy
16 cups plain yogurt

Frozen Foods
frozen apple juice concentrate

Bread
Pita bread

Condiments and Dried Spices
kosher salt
whole black peppercorns (if you have a pepper or spice mill) or ground pepper (if you don't)
spicy smoked paprika
cumin
cider vinegar, small bottle
olive oil
tahini


Canned Goods
2 15oz Cans of Garbanzo or Chick Peas

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Kudban (beef or lamb skewers)

3 pounds beef or lamb cut in 1 inch pieces
3 medium onions finely chopped
2 T finely chopped parsley
6 cloves crushed garlic
3 T. finely chopped coriander leaves/ aka cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for three or more hours.

Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to an hour.

Turn all burners on grill to high and let heat. As grill is heating, brush off excess marinade off meat and skewer four to a stick. Once all meat is skewered, turn burners to medium high heat. Place skewers on grill and grill two minutes per side (about 8 to 9 minutes total). Take off grill and cover for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Hummus
6 garlic cloves, dry roasted for 40 minutes, minced and then mashed
1 medium onion, sliced and roasted in olive oil for 40 minutes (turn once half way through), then diced
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed twice then boiled for 15 minutes in very salty water with two cloves of garlic, drain reserving water, then cool
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup (juice of 2 lemons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup reserved water from boiled garbanzo beans
1/4 cup olive oil, plus a few Tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Combine tahini, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, pepper 1/4 cup olive oil and reserved water let set for about 30 minutes to an hour.

In a food processor, combine tahini mixture, garbanzo beans with boiled garlic, roasted onion and garlic. Add salt, pepper, and a little extra lemon juice (if needed) to taste.

Place hummus in a bowl and drizzle a few Tablespoons of olive oil over it.

***

Globe Slaw
3 pounds Italian globe squash, (sub zucchini) (3 medium), grated
2 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, very thinly sliced
2 small red bell pepper, diced
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix globe squash, onion, red bell pepper and salt together. Place mixture in a colander and set inside a large bowl and let set for at least 1 hour. Drain water occasionally.

In a separate container mix cider vinegar, apple juice concentrate, and chopped basil. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Mix two mixtures together and let sit for about one hour.

Cuisine: Mmm....Curtido

I make this dish A LOT. In fact, my husband jokes that it's one of the only things I make when we have company. He's not wrong, but why would I make something else when this is so damn good.

I got the idea of this recipe from loving the curtido you put on pupusas. (I still haven't mastered those yet. Soon. Very soon.) It can be altered very easily. I sometimes put equal parts rice vinegar, cider vinegar, and lime juice. That tastes a little more central European than this version.

This version is a great balance of ingredients. It's just slightly sour, a little bitter, and all goodness. Enjoy and let me know how you innovate on this dish. The possibilities are endless.

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Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage, quartered, cored and sliced very thinly (Do not use a food processor or shredder. Those damage the leaves little too much.)
• 3 carrots, 1 sliced with a vegetable peeler, 2 shredded with a grater
• 4 large cloves garlic (or 6 small), minced
• 4 jalapenoes, cored, seeded and minced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced finely
• 4 medium tomatoes, cored and sliced lengthwise finely
• 3-4 limes, juiced
• 1-2 lemon(s), juiced
• 2 tablespoons (or more) salt
• pepper and hot paprika to taste
  

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Let sit for at least one hour. Enjoy!

It's even better the next day.

Cuisine: Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken

I made this for my friend Marisa Saturday night. It was a lovely evening. I couldn't believe how warm it was at 8:30 when we started grilling. We were even able to sit outside and enjoy our dinner amidst the noise of traffic and the glow of street lights. This was paired with grilled corn, curtido, and my special spicy fruit salad.

Enjoy! And don't forget to leave and comment and share your story/recipe!

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Ingredients
8 chicken breast halves
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup spicy vinegar (can be found in most Asian groceries)
2 tablespoons hot paprika
1/4 teasp0on hot pepper
1/4 teaspoon whit pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon anise
8 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 gallon of water
olive oil

Directions
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and set aside for about two hours.

Drain and rinse all chicken. Pat dry with paper towel. Rub lightly with olive oil making sure to coat each breast.

If using a gas grill (that's what I used), turn all burners to high and heat. Right before adding chicken turn burners down to medium high.

Place chicken breasts on grill and close cover. Let sit for about 4 to 6 minutes. Check breasts. If breasts have visible dark brown grill marks flip them over and cover grill. If they do not, turn heat up slightly and cover for another 2 minutes. Then, flip and cover.

Check again after 4 to 6 minutes. Flip again this time making sure to new grill marks run perpendicular to current grill marks. Cover and let set 3 to 4 minutes. Check, flip, repeat.

Remove breasts from grill and let sit covered for about 5 minutes. Enjoy.

For an extra tasty treat! Turn the left over chicken breasts into chicken salad. Mince two to four breasts, half an onion, and one jalapeno. Mix with mayonnaise until texture resembles chicken salad. Enjoy on wheat bread with Swiss cheese.

Cuisine: Pepper and Cheddar Biscuits

I've been playing around with biscuit recipes. I LOVE them in all there forms. This recipe I created to go alongside pork chops I was making. The chops were ok. These were excellent. I had one today with chicken salad and curtido. Mmm... A mouth-watering lunch. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

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Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1/2 pasilla pepper, minced
• 1/3 cup fried dried garlic (found in Asian grocery stores)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 1/4 cup Bisquick

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together milk, fried dried garlic, jalapeno, and pasilla pepper and set aside for 15 minutes. Add cheddar cheese to milk mixture and let sit for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, measure out Bisquick. Gently fold milk and cheese mixture into Bisquick. Mixture should separate from the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky. If the batter is too sticky, add a little more Bisquick and gently work in. If the batter is too tough, add a little more milk and gently work in.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a small glass baking dish. Create 8 roughly equal balls and place them in greased baking dish. It is ok if they lightly touch. Bake for 15 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into center of a biscuit. If not done, check every 2 minutes. Biscuits should be golden brown with small specks of dark brown on top.

Enjoy with butter. Mmm....Butter.