Mississippi Mud Cookies

You know, Ireland's got plenty of mud too... and, incidentally, oats. But somehow these close cousins of the English "flapjack" still have a nostalgic taste of our original home. DH gets a hankering for these every once in a while-- usually late at night when we have nothing sweet in the house and neither of us wants to undertake a lengthy baking project. They were more a part of his childhood than mine, but I am not one to argue when any recipe begins with chocolate. After some hunting around online I found a recipe that does not rely on peanut butter, because my dear daughter is allergic. That said, once the cookies were cooled and ready to eat I mashed a walnut half into the top of mine and it was delightful.

I reduced the white sugar from 2 cups in the original recipe to 1 1/2 cups but it still tasted like slightly too much. Next time I will cut it to 1 cup and perhaps use dark brown sugar instead of white. Also one COULD replace the butter with coconut oil. That is something to try next time around as well, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the butter version!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 cups rolled oats

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Bring sugar, milk and butter to boil. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
2. Stir in cocoa and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients to coat well.
3. Drop onto waxed paper by the tablespoonfuls. Cool and enjoy!

Creamy Coconut and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

2 Bay leaves

1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and picked over

8 cups (1.9 L) vegetable stock

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 small head cauliflower, chopped

2 cups coconut milk

cayenne pepper, to taste

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the carrots, leek and Bay leaves. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the peas to the pot. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock. Stir well. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Simmer the soup, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until the peas are tender.

When the peas are tender, using a whisk, whisk the soup to try to break up the cooked peas. Add the zucchini and cauliflower to the soup. Using a spoon, stir well, bring the soup to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, cover and simmer the soup for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

Add coconut milk, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh ground black pepper to the soup. Serve.

Thai Laksa (Noodle Soup)

package of Thai rice noodles, 400 g
(280 g) 1 package firm tofu, cubed
800 ml coconut milk
2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 tsp nam plaa (fish sauce)
500 mls chicken or veg stock
2 Tablespoons oil, sesame or sunflower
50 g fresh bean sprouts
1 cup fresh coriander
6 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
2 head of napa cabbage
juice of 1-2 fresh limes, plus additional lime wedges for serving
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 package of fresh mushrooms (shitake, oyster)
2 cloves garlic, pressed


Place noodles in pot of coiling water for 8-10 minutes. Rinse with cold water when cooked and set aside.

Bring coconut milk to a gentle boil on medium heat. Add red curry paste and nam plaa. Stir. Add chicken or vegetable stock and reduce to simmer.


Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Stir fry cabbage, garlic, onion, mushrooms and bell peppers for about 5 minutes or until soft but still bright in color. Add bean sprouts and tofu and stir fry for another minute or two.


Assemble soup by adding stir fry mixture and noodles to the pot of simmering broth. Add fresh lime juice and stir through. Remove from heat. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.


Makes 4 servings.

Beet Slaw

2 lbs. beets, raw and grated
1/4 cup lemon juice, (about 1/2 a lemon, squeezed)
1 orange
1 tsp. ginger, fresh
1/2 pint blueberries

1. Shred peeled beets into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice with the zest (peel) of the orange.
3. Grate ginger into the mixture and stir.
4. Toss with the beets. 
5. Top with blueberries. 
6. Let sit for an hour or overnight to enhance the flavors.

Carrot Coriander Soup

This was deeemed new favorite soup by both members of the household, a particular victory for the girl who presently wishes to subsist on smoothies and crackers. Apologies for the metric. My source is on this side of the pond and, though I haven't yet taken to weighing everything with a scale, I've learned to eyeball a kilo of carrots here and there.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 potato , chopped
• 450g carrots , peeled and chopped (about 3-4 large carrots)
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
• handful coriander (about ½ a supermarket packet) 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, then fry for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the ground coriander and potato, then cook for 1 min. Add the carrots and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the carrots are tender.
2. Tip into food processor with the coriander. then blitz until smooth (you may need to do this in two batches). Return to pan, taste, add salt if necessary, then reheat to serve.  Serves 4.

Stir Fry Sauce

This went into a stir fry of frozen edamame and peas, fresh broccoli and green beans, served over brown rice.

1/2 cup water or veg broth
3 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon Mirin
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 shallot, diced

In a small bowl, combine the water/stock with the tamari, cornstarch slurry, vinegar and sesame oil.
In a medium saucepan, heat the sunflower oil until shimmering. Add the ginger, garlic and shallot and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant and golden. Add the frozen veg, if using. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. Add the stock mixture and boil over high heat until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute. Add fresh vegetables and stir fry a few more minutes until al dente.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups dried split green peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the zest)

a few pinches of smoked paprika


Add olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Add the split peas and water. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through (but still a touch al dente). Using a large cup or mug ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup that is still remaining in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree - you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt, add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops.

Ladle into bowls or cups, and serve each drizzled with olive oil and topped with a good pinch of smoked paprika and a touch of lemon zest.

Serves 4 to 6.

Kale, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

A comforting, nutritious stew that was given the thumbs up by everyone in the house-- even the picky three year old. I'll be putting this one in the rotation of regular dinners. Also, all the ingredients are commonly available in our current neck of the woods, which is not often the case for new recipes here in the land of cabbage and carrots.

Serves six to eight


1 medium yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (((I omitted)))
3/4 pound kale
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups brown rice



1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions – I combined 2 cups long grain brown rice and with 4 cups water, brought to a boil, and simmered for 50 minutes.

2 Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion. Finely chop the 2 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger. Wash the kale, remove the tough stems and roughly chop. Dice the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes.

3 Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat at about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

4 Stir in the sweet potatoes. Then add the 6 cups vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.

5 Once the stew is simmering, add the kale and chickpeas. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

6 Stir in one cup coconut milk.

7 Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over brown rice.

Fava Fennel Mint Salad

First, remove the outer pod. The easiest way to do this is to grab the pointy end of the bean (the part that used to be attached to the plant), and try to pull off the stringy bit that separates the two halves of the pod. Crack open the pod and remove the inner pods.
Blanch the pods in boiling water briefly (like 1 minute), and then shock them in ice cold water. This keeps them nice and bright green. Next, take each little pod and remove the outer covering to reveal the beautiful, bright green fava bean. Chop up the rest of your ingredients.


Ingredients
2-3 lbs fresh fava beans, (1 1/2 to 2 cups shelled)
Salt
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare fava beans as described above. Toss together fava beans, fennel, and scallions. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and pepper, and mix. Squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Mix in Parmesan cheese and mint leaves and toss to combine.

Ratatouille

The source recipe for this was already very easy, but I trimmed it down further by omitting the bell peppers-- I love them but they don't love my wee one. Wee one also declared after trying a bite of the finished rat' that the eggplant was making her mouth sore. So, this is a goodie, but I'll be looking for more alternative veggies to put into it the next time I make it.

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 leek, diced
* 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 4 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds tomatoes, chopped (I only had 3 fresh and then I added 1/2 can of tomato paste and a few cups of water)
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
* salt and pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot on medium heat. Chop leeks and add to oil. Once the leeks begin to smell good, add the diced eggplant to the pot, stirring well to coat the eggplant with oil. At this point all the olive oil will have soaked into the eggplant, so you need to stir often to keep things from burning until they soften some. Chop the zucchini and stir it in once the eggplant has softened a bit. Chop the garlic and add to the vegetables, stirring well. Add the tomatoes (and for me, the tomato paste and water, about 1 cup). Mince the thyme and add it along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and cook two minutes. Turn down heat and cover the pot. Simmer until everything is soft and well blended - about 40 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Makes 4 servings

Potato Leek Soup

This has become my signature soup as we enter month 6 of living in Ireland. So simple and while probably ho hum when I make back in the US, here it really shines from the quality of the local ingredients. The potatoes here vary more in subtlety of flavor than I ever expected a potato to be able to vary. (Likewise oats.) A good, floury variety is ideal for the soup so that by the time everything has cooked together the potatoes disintegrate into the soup with the slightest work with a masher/ricer.

6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large leek, diced
2-3 tablespoons salted butter
5 cups water or stock

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Saute leeks until fragrant and translucent. Add potatoes and water/stock and cook at a medium boil for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. When potatoes are all tender and have started to break down, mash with a potato masher or ricer. Soup may be thinned and cooled with milk, or enjoyed as it is.

Lemon Cilantro Cole Slaw

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 1 small head)
4 green onions, sliced fine
1 cucumber, julienned
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 lemons' worth)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Shred cabbage and put in a big bowl along with green onions, cucumber and cilantro. Put olive oil, lemon juice, salt, maple syrup, and mustard into a glass jar. Put lid on and shake until oil and acid are emulsified. Add to cabbage mixture and refrigerate overnight.

Potato and Onion Frittata

This looked a little iffy when it was on top of the stove-- I could not elegantly lift a corner or two up to let the uncooked egg run under... I did it in a large, cast-iron pan, and although I was generous with the oil, it looked like I was going to have a sticky-uncooperative mess of eggs by the time it was all finished. Fortunately, a few minutes under the broiler-- which I only just today realized is at the top of this particular oven, and not the bottom as it was in the last oven I broiled something in-- made it transform into a glamorous, toasty-topped poof that did in fact slide out onto a serving plate and agree to being cut into neat little wedges. For the next time I might vary up the herbs a bit-- the rosemary was nice, but without the parsley that the recipe called for it was still a tad bland. Some zingy cheese would certainly solve that. What a good use for one of the enormous, downright weepy onions I got from our last CSA box.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons sunflower or grapeseed oil
* 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
* 1 (8 ounces) baking potato, peeled and thinly sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 8 large eggs
* 1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

1. In a medium (10-inch) nonstick broilerproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion, potato, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
2. Cover skillet, and cook 10 minutes; uncover. Cook, tossing mixture occasionally, until onion and potato are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and parsley leaves.
4. Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Add remaining tablespoon oil to vegetables in skillet. Pour egg mixture into skillet.
5. Cook on stove, over low heat, lifting mixture a few times around the edges with a spatula to let egg flow underneath. Continue cooking until frittata is almost set in center, about 10 minutes.
6. Place skillet under broiler; broil until frittata is set and top is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Run a clean spatula around edges to loosen, then slide frittata out onto a serving plate, and cut into wedges.

Slow-Cooked Vegetable Braise

New to braising, this yummy one used up a lot of our CSA bounty this week. It's adapted from a recipe in Deborah Madison's "Local Flavors" cookbook.

3 T olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 onions, cut into large pieces
7 plump garlic cloves, peeled and halved
3 thyme sprigs
6 sage leaves
12 small (3- to 5-inch) carrots
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c cheery tomatoes, halved
1 very large summer squash, cut into slices
1 c frozen lima beans thawed
1/2 c cauliflower florets
1 medium zucchini, cut into slices
1/2 c+ vegetable broth

Warm the 3 T oil with the bay leaves in a large casserole or Dutch oven over low heat. When fragrant, add the onions, garlic, thyme an sage. Cover and cook until onions are translucent. Add carrots and cook for 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all other veggies in layers with the quickest to cook on top. Add broth, cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Sesame Cole Slaw

This is colorful and flavorful and proved a nice complement to some sauteed turbot and a light carrot-ginger soup. A perfect dinner for one of the first warm days of the year-- mid 70's and humid. Went well with a chilled Riesling. In spite of the marketing, I decided to try the Kung Fu Girl Riesling and it was a good sipper.

2 small heads of cabbage, napa and red (thinly sliced it was about 5 cups)
1/4 c sesame oil
1/2 c sunflower oil
1/2 c rice vinegar
2 T black sesame seeds
1 T red pepper flakes
1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger
1/3 c chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving to ensure that all the flavors have a chance to come together.

Onion Confit

I decided to try my hand at my first-ever onion confit. It was slightly more laborious than I expected-- the cooking and tending time in the oven lasted exactly the duration of one itty-bitty's nap-- and when it was done I thought, "Um, OK, now what am I going to do with all of this onion confit exactly?" But turns out it is very worth it. This is a nice "staple" to have handy in the fridge. I've reached for it countless times in the past week as a surprising zazz to turkey sandwiches, in making a vinaigrette to go over a spinach salad, and as a sturdy basis for an onion and goat cheese quiche. Oh, it was meant to go with chevre. Those French know what they're doing.

The confit's swan song proved no less dazzling as I warmed about 1/4 cup of the confit with a cup of leftover roasted cauliflower in 2-3 cups of vegetable broth. Once it was all simmered together for 15 minutes or so, I buzzed it through the blender with a dash (>1/4 c) of half and half. A little dollop of creme fraiche topped it off and weee-- never again shall cauliflower languish in my fridge.

Here is the recipe for the onion confit, adapted from a cookbook called The Vegetarian Table: France.

4 T butter
5 lbs yellow onions, cut into slices 1/4-3/8 inch thick (about 7 cups)
1/4 c olive oil
8 dried bay leaves
4 T herbes de Provence
1 T freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cut butter into several chunks and place them on 2 large baking sheets. Place baking sheets in the oven to melt the butter, about 4 or 5 minutes.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and spread out the slices onions on them. The layer of onions should be about 1 inch deep. Tuch the bay leaves amongst the onions, the sprinkle the onions with the herbs and black pepper. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the top.
Put baking sheets back in the oven and cook the onions, turning them in the oil and butter every 10 to 15 minutes, until they have turned a light golden brown and have reduced in volume by nearly half, 1-1 1/4 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to 1 or more clean, dry jars and cover tightly. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Blood Orange, Watercress and Frisee Salad

Dressing:
juice of 1/2 a blood orange, about 2 tablespoons
1 T red wine vinegar
4 T olive oil

1 blood orange, peeled and sliced
12 hazelnuts, lightly dry toasted in an iron pan on top of the stove and then cut in half
6 slices of goat cheese (soft, chevre)
1/2 c frisee
1/2 c watercress

Mix together the dressing. Toss greens with dressing separately in a large bowl. Arrange in bowls starting with a bottom layer of frisee topped by the watercress. Arrange orange slices, goat cheese slices and hazelnuts on top of the greens.

Serves 2.

Roasted Root Vegetable Potage

I love the word "potage." It makes my homey soup of whatever I happen to have going limp in the refrigerator drawer sound downright sexy. Here's what got whipped up into a creamy soup today. (The blended soup kick is partly my preference, partly a way to increase the odds that a formerly omnivorous toddler who lately prefers crackers to vegetables will consume something flavorful and nutritious.) I used some homemade chicken stock I had in the freezer, but as a most-of-the-time vegetarian, I would have otherwise made this with vegetable stock.

4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
4 turnips, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
4 stalks of celery, chopped into 1" pieces
3/4 of a yellow onion, diced
6 cups of chicken stock
1/4 c olive oil
salt and white pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots, parsnips and turnips in olive oil, reserving a little but of the oil for the soup pot. Roast for 45 minutes or until brown.

When vegetables are out of the oven, saute onion and celery in olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until onion is fragrant and translucent. Add chicken stock and roasted vegetables. Reduce heat. Let all the ingredients simmer together for 20 minutes or so. Transfer to blender and blend into a smooth consistency for a creamy soup. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Post soup note: the carrots give this soup a beautifully pale, orange color, while the sweetness of the parsnips and the pepperiness of the turnips are a great flavor pairing. I estimated the amount stock I used and so when I blended it it was still a bit thick. A little water brought it to the perfect consistency, however.

Fool Madamas

One thing about where we are currently living, the Middle Eastern food is outstanding. One suburb over there is a large community of people from Palastine, Lebanon, and Syria that there are no shortage of mom-and-pop restaurants fulfilling my frequent dolma/hummus/shawirma cravings. One such place also does a tasty "fool," sometimes also spelled "ful." This is like hummus but made with fava beans instead of chickpeas.

Since I have been using up the dried beans I dug out of the pantry a few days ago, decided to try my hand at a "fool" to use up some dried fava beans that have been hanging around unloved for far too long.

1 1/2 c dried fava beans
1 clove crushed garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 t cumin

Soak fava beans overnight. Then cover with water and boil for 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool. Shell fava beans. Toss into a blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until desired consistency is reached. I added a little bit of water to make mine into a smooth puree, but some people may like their "fool" on the chunkier side.

This is good with toasted pita bread wedges, but since we didn't have any of those, and we are still primarily gluten-free in this household, I made myself a fried egg and topped it with fool. This is apparently a traditional breakfast in Egypt. And man is it good-- the runny yolk and the garlic and the fool's creaminess all combine into a nice variety of flavors and textures. What a good protein wallop to start the day!

Delicata Squash Stuffed With White Beans, Spinach and Sage

This meal evolved over the course of a day and a half, but it's hardly THAT laborious. This is the first time I'd ever cooked, and perhaps eaten, delicata squash. And it's one of the first times I've cooked with dried beans, besides throwing them into a soup, that is. It's a nod to using up what was around, and tweaking an existing recipe I found elsewhere online to make it gluten-free. Omitting the sprinkling of cheese I added at the end would make it dairyfree as well, but the picorino romano added lots of punch here and complemented the sage and the garlic quite nicely.

1 delicata squash, halved and seeds scooped out
1 c dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 large garlic clove, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 c baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1 c leftover brown rice
1/4 cup grated piccorino romano cheese


Bring a pot of water, about 4 cups, to a light boil over medium heat. Add beans. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender but not splitting. Drain (but reserve some of the liquid) and set beans aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash halves (cut side up) on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle the surfaces with some olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.

For the filling, heat a little extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tbsp) in a saute pan over medium heat until hot, then add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and saute until wilted. Now add leftover rice and the cooked white beans and continue cooking the mixture until the beans and rice are heated through. The leftover rice is probably dry from being in the refrigerator, so add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to the pan. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill the squash halves with rice mixture. Sprinkle freshly grated piccorino romano cheese over each squash half. Since everything is cooked this is really just a 5-10 minute cook time to warm up the squash and to melt the cheese (if using).

Serves 2