Why is it that 99% of the time Mike or I crave cookies, there are no chocolate chips in the house? Probably because we cannot keep chocolate chips on hand or they will disappear. Both of us have shockingly little willpower when there is any edible (ie not unsweetened) chocolate anywhere in the house, so stocking the pantry with chocolate is kind of a recipe for disaster.

Last night after dinner we were both craving something sweet, particularly cookies, but neither of us felt like walking the 3 blocks to the grocery store to buy a bag of chocolate chips. Enter the desperation oatmeal cookie. We always keep plenty of oats around. And butter, brown sugar, and flour. Nuts are pretty common pantry staples too. Although some people might miss the chocolate chips, these have a charm all their own. It’s nice to have a few cake and cookie recipes around that can be made with ingredients that are almost always around, and this is another good example. More cakey than chewy, you can definitely switch out the pecans for other nuts, or try dried fruit instead. Make them your own!

Recipe:

makes about 30 cookies

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 and line some cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.
Cream the butter with the brown sugar for about 3 mintues in the bowl of a stand mixer, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
Stir the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Add to the butter and mix on low until just combined. Stir in the pecans and oats, then drop by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for about 8 minutes, or until just set. Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

I always forget how much I hate the process of moving. During our almost-three years of marriage Mike and I have lived in four different places just in California, not to mention our two apartments in Chiang Mai, one in Bangkok, and one in Seoul (Asia was easier because we were living out of backpacks, though). I get so irritated with packing, cleaning, unpacking, not being able to find anything in millions of boxes, having to map new runs and get used to a new kitchen that cooking usually falls by the wayside and I find myself not wanting to do more than mix up a bowl of oatmeal for about a week after moving.

Now that we’ve been moved in for about a week, things are finally starting to come together. Our cupboards are organized, the pantry and fridge are stocked, and I’m in the mood to cook!

This salad looked amazing when I first saw it in my Google Reader, but I wanted to make it more of a main dish, so I added some couscous. I also replaced sundried tomatoes with roasted red peppers, and loved the salty-sweet contrast between them and the olives. If you have time to let the lentils and couscous cool a little before you mix everything together, then let the whole mixture stand at room temperature for about an hour, I think the flavor will be outstanding. I, on the other hand, was tired and hungry from a long day of shopping in San Francisco so I just mixed everything together hot and it was still really good!

Recipe:
(adapted from Elly Says Opa)

1 1/2 cups lentils
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup sliced roasted red pepper
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp minced shallot
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. good quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a pot of water and the bay leaf to a boil. Rinse and pick over the lentils, and then add them to the boiling water. Cook until soft, about 20-25 minutes. While the lentils are cooking, bring the broth to a boil in another saucepan. Turn off the heat, stir in the couscous, cover, and let stand for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

When the lentils are tender, drain them and set aside to cool slightly. Toss with the couscous, then add the roasted red pepper, olives and parsley.

Whisk together the shallot, red wine vinegar and dijon. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the couscous and lentils, and mix to combine. Let stand for about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to combine.

Well, I survived my first week of teaching 8th grade, and honestly, it was easier than I thought it would be. Part of me is still in shock that I was actually able to land a teaching job, especially given the fact that California still hasn’t passed a budget and there were thousands of teachers laid off at the end of last year.
But somehow, I scored this amazing job at a truly AWESOME school and I’m loving it!

I also survived a week with spotty electricity. There were record-breaking high temperatures all over the Bay Area last week, and possibly due to that, we ended up losing power. Eventually the neighborhood got their electricity back, but we didn’t. Although they hooked us up to a generator for a few hours a day, our street was crawling with electric company trucks and our building didn’t get power until a few days later. Now that we’re living with an electric stove and oven (not my first choice, but that’s life), it meant a longer-than-I-would-have-liked hiatus from baking and cooking. But last night, as soon as the lights came back on, I
pre-heated my oven and got this coffee cake going.

I’ve made this before and it’s always a crowd pleaser. It’s got great chocolate flavor, and how can anyone resist streusel topping with pecans and chocolate mixed in? The recipe in the book calls for mini chocolate chips, but I always buy the normal ones and roughly chop them. If you have a 13 x 9 x 3 inch pan, you can bake it all in a single pan with no problems, but because my pan is shallower, it works best for me to do a 13 x 9 pan plus 6 muffins. Watch the cake carefully because the streusel can burn quickly. About 55 minutes at 350 should work well, but ovens vary, so keep an eye on it! (Muffins will take closer to 25 minutes)

Recipe:
(adapted from Baking By Flavor by Lisa Yockelson)

cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups roughly chopped chocolate chips
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sour cream (reduced fat is fine)

streusel
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
pinch salt
12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup roughly chopped chocolate chips

To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 13 x 9 x 3 inch pan (or a shallower pan, plus line 6 muffin cups).
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium for about 3 minutes. Beat in the granulated sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute after adding each egg. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Add the sifted flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, mixing on low speed and scraping in between. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the pan(s).

To make the streusel, mix the flour, sugars, and salt together with a fork. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender until it looks like small pebbles. Toss in the chocolate and pecans, and work between your fingers until evenly mixed.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake and muffins. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comesoujt clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into squares to serve.

Sorry for the hiatus, but my kitchen looked like this for awhile:

all packed up in boxes.

Now we’re settled in a new apartment, with a new (smaller) kitchen, and a plethora of Asian grocery stores just a few minutes away. There’s also a Philipino bakery not far from my work, and I’ve already figured out that I may have a severe addiction to sweet rolls with ube filling. I’ll try and hold myself back, though.

With the kitchen all set up after a week of transition, I was really excited to get into the kitchen, and particularly excited to make some calzones.

I made some back when we were living in Korea but they were a total flop. Fortunately, these turned out much better, with a soft wheat dough on the outside, and a flavorful vegetable-herb filling on the inside. I didn’t miss the cheese at all (but Mike did) so it’s up to you whether you want to make them vegan or use ricotta and shredded mozzarella in place of the tofu. I also made a basic tomato sauce to go with them, which I highly recommend because I think they’d seem like they were missing something without it.

Recipe:
(adapted fromI Eat Trees)

dough
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup hot (100 F) water, plus additonal warm water if needed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour

filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup finely diced zucchini
2/3 cup finely chopped broccoli
2 cloves garlic, finely micned
1/2 pound firm regular tofu, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

To make the dough, put the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and flours with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, then put the bowl into the mixer and mix with the dough hook on medium speed for about 5 minutes. If there is any flour not incorporated into the dough, add warm water a little at a time until it forms Turn dough out onto a floured board, and knead 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a clean, large bowl and place dough in it. Turn dough over so it is lightly oiled on all sides. Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Start the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then stir in basil and puree with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust salt and sugar, then set aside until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, add garlic, and cook for about two minutes. Then add the broccoli and zucchini and sauté just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Place tofu in a medium bowl and mash well. Add parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and mix well. Fold in cooked vegetables and set aside.

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal balls. Keep dough covered with the same towel that covered the bowl, and work with 1 ball of dough at a time.

Place the ball on a lightly work surface and stretch it into an 8″ round. Place 1/4 of the filling slightly off the center of the round, and fold the dough over. Seal the edges of the calzone by crimping them with your fingersk. Place them on the prepared baking sheet as soon as they are formed. Bake on the center rack of the oven until browned, about 20 minutes.

Mike and I recently faced an incredibly difficult decision. He had a great opportunity at one end of the state and I had a great opportunity at the other end. Either place we moved, one of us would be giving up a lot. We agonized for hours. Then we ate some banana muffins and agonized some more.

The banana muffins temporarily took our minds off our conundrum. This was my first time baking with spelt flour, and I am obsessed. I also am in a little vegan phase right now, so I made a flax egg instead of using a real egg. Of course you can use a real egg – it’s your prerogative. These are sweet and incredibly tender, probably thanks to the maple syrup in them. Instead of streusel (not so healthy), I chopped up some freshly toasted pecans — still working through my Oh Nuts package — (healthier). Nobody believed these muffins were vegan, so I guess that’s a good sign.

And as for that conundrum, we’re still undecided…but I’ll update you once it’s figured out! It may take a few more batches of these muffins, though.

Recipe:
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
1 egg, lightly beaten (or one flax egg – 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp warm water)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Mix the bananas, sugar, egg, vegetable oil, and maple syrup in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients in gently, being careful not to over-mix.

Divide evenly among the muffin tins, then sprinkle with some of the chopped pecans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (they’ll look pretty dark, but they’re not burnt!) Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

So, I made it back from New Zealand…finally. The plane got struck by lightning and the customs line at LAX was ENDLESS, but I’m happy to be back to summer! (That’s not to say I didn’t love New Zealand…I did, and I highly recommend you go there). After so many fabulous (but rich) meals and desserts I decided it’s time to clean up my diet a LOT, and wanted to make the most of the zucchini surplus that seems to be happening everywhere right now.

I used one of my all time favorite kitchen gadgets to make thin strips of zucchini, but if you want to work on your knife skills, you could just cut them. Then I tossed the zucchini with salt, lemon juice, fresh mint, and chopped walnuts. Fresh, simple, and perfect as a side-dish with just about anything! I’m listing proportions for one zucchini, so you can easily multiply it based on how many you have or how many people you’re serving. This is one of those dishes that is best after sitting at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and of course I recommend tasting and adjusting the amount of salt, lemon, and mint to suit your preferences.

Recipe:

2 servings

1 medium zucchini, cut into long, thin ribbons
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Toss the zucchini with salt and let stand 5 minutes. Drain off any liquid that accumulates in the bowl. Add the lemon juice and mint, and let stand for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust lemon, mint, and salt, then top with walnuts to serve.

It has been so great being able to bake while on vacation, especially since I have such willing taste-testers (thanks Mom and Dad!). Since sweet potatoes are absolutely everywhere here, it seemed like the perfect time and place to try incorporating them into dinner rolls, which I’ve been meaning to do for years.

These are soft and slightly sweet, with a pretty golden color that makes them seem a lot more buttery than they actually are. They’re really simple since they hardly need any kneading and they don’t rise for very long. I think I’ll definitely want to make this recipe again when Thanksgiving rolls around!

Recipe:
(adapted from Allrecipes)

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 small sweet potato, peeled, roasted, and mashed (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup warm water (about 100 F)
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Measure half a cup of the mashed sweet potatoes for this recipe. Set aside.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand 5 minutes.

Cream the butter and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the sweet potato, eggs, and salt, then stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually add the flour about 1 cup at a time, stopping when the dough is soft but no longer sticky. Gently shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise for about an hour and a half, or until nearly doubled in size. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a ball, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1″ apart. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for about 15 minutes. While they’re resting, preheat the oven to 375.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top.

We went to Auckland for just one night, so I’m sure I missed tons of what the city has to offer, but we still managed to pack in some great views and fantastic food.

As soon as we got to the city, we drove straight to The Bluebird Vegetarian Cafe in Mount Eden. The cafe is really cute inside and has a bunch of delicious options served as bowls over potatoes, kumara (sweet potato) or rice. I got the Bali High (vegetables and peanut sauce) over kumara and it was FAR more delicious than it looks!

After lunch, we drove to the top of Mt. Eden and got some great views of the city. Then we checked into our hotel right in the middle of the city and walked along the Quay, past Victoria Park, and up to the shops on Ponsonby Road. My favorite was a cooking shop called Milly’s, which had an amazing variety of pots, pans, cookbooks, aprons, gadgets, and cake decorating supplies. I am now kicking myself for not buying a kiwi (bird)-shaped cookie cutter.

For dinner, we drove across the Harbor Bridge to Northcote Point, and ate at The Engine Room. It was voted Best Local Bistro of 2010 by Metro Magazine, and I loved it. The service was relaxed but attentive (none of that annoying “how is everything tasting?”) and my water glass was never empty for long. The only major disappointment was the cocktail I ordered, which was supposed to be a ginger-lychee fizz but ended up being overpoweringly lemony.

All the food was outstanding, although the vegetarian options were very limited. Just after getting our drinks, the waiter brought an amuse-bouche, which was a green olive stuffed with mint and ricotta and deep-fried. The combination sounded a little odd at first, but it was really good! For dinner, I got the pumpkin risotto topped with mascarpone and crispy sage leaves. It was creamy and buttery and perfectly flavored, plus I loved the textural contrast from the toasted breadcrumbs and fried sage. We also got a side of perfectly-cooked tender brussels sprouts that were so delicate and buttery I will do everything I can to try and make them at home when brussels sprouts season rolls around again.

Dessert was a steamed apple pudding sitting on a pool of Calvados caramel sauce and stirred custard, with a few delicately sweetened rhubarb stalks on the side. Absolute heaven on a plate. I’m sorry I’m a bad food blogger and forgot my camera, but it was pretty dim inside so I’m sure the pictures wouldn’t have been very good.

The next morning we took the ferry across the harbor to the charming little town of Devonport. It was an absolutely gorgeous day!

We went to the Devonport Stone Oven Bakery, which appears to be a very popular choice for breakfast (particularly for the moms-with-strollers set).

They have a great breakfast and lunch menu, plus a FULL case of baked goods, salads, and sandwiches.

The staff was really friendly, and the coffee was good. My breakfast was kind of boring, just a bagel with cream cheese, tomatoes, and eggs, but my dad got french toast and it looked AWESOME! Banana on the bottom, french toast in the middle, and bacon on top! Apparently that’s typically how french toast is served here.

Although it was a really quick trip, I had a GREAT time in Auckland and hope I can visit again someday!

On the way back up to Whangerei, we stopped at Cafe Eutopia in Kaiwaka. Not only is the building like something out of a new-age fantasy movie (or maybe a crazy hippie’s acid trip), the coffee was great and the ginger slice was pretty awesome too.

There was also a great Dutch import shop next door with about 30 different kinds of cheese and a bunch of other Dutch foods, mead, and Organic fruits and vegetables. If you ever find yourself in Kaiwaka, it’s totally worth a visit!

I was first introduced to lamingtons when my family lived in Australia for a few months. I was 12 and had a raging sweet tooth, but ended up being pretty disappointed by them. Far too often, they were dry and bland; far less appealing than they looked, all covered with chocolate and coconut.

It took me 14 years (and a trip to New Zealand) to get around to making my own lamingtons, and these are a HUGE improvement on the ones that I remember. The cake is rich and moist, and because they’re not quite so huge, you don’t end up with any of those boring bites in the middle that don’t have any glaze and coconut.

I covered half with chocolate and half with strawberry, although the strawberry flavor was a little weak. I think maybe more jam and less water might improve it, but I’ll just post the recipe I used and you can play around with it if you want to.

If you have an 8″ x 12″ pan (or 20cm by 30cm, as the original recipe calls for) use it, but I used an 8″ square pan and made four cupcakes (I think a 9″ square pan and 2-3 cupcakes would also work). You can just leave the cupcakes in their paper liners, and dip the tops in glaze and coconut.

Recipe:
(adapted from Donna Hay Kids Magazine, Annual 7, 2010 via Willow and Moo)

8 ounces butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk

chocolate glaze
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

strawberry glaze
1 cup plus 2 tbsp powdered sugar
3 tbsp strawberry jam, heated and strained
1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

2 – 3 cups dried unsweetened coconut

Grease and flour an 8″ x 8″ or 9″ by 9″ pan and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Stir the flour and baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Mix in the flour mixture, then the milk, and stir until well-combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes (cupcakes bake for about 20) or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, cut into squares (I got 25 squares from an 8″ x 8″ pan).

To make the chocolate glaze, put the powdered sugar, cocoa, water and butter in a bowl and whisk until smooth. If the icing seems a bit too stiff add a little water; if too runny, whisk in a little powdered sugar.

To make the strawberry glaze, heat the jam until runny, then push through a wire strainer into a medium bowl. Stir in the hot water, butter, and powdered sugar, plus a few drops of red food coloring (if you wish).

Put the coconut in a medium bowl.

Gently roll a square in one flavor of glaze, turning to coat, then coat with coconut. Set on a wire rack and repeat with remaining squares and cupcakes.

Sorry to get all Pioneer Woman on you, but I went a little overboard taking pictures of cows today. Since New Zealand has more cattle than people, though, it just kind of happened. And they really are pretty cute.

On our way through Kaitaia, my mom pointed out this awesome building with a mosaic all over the front, which she’s wanted a picture of for months. Here, mom!

Further south, we took the turn-off toward the Karikari peninsula, and ended up at a beautiful, secluded white sand beach. I just wish it had been a little warmer so I could have gone swimming!

I got a little artsy with a gorse bush…

After getting back to the main road, we continued on to the town of Kerikeri (not to be confused with Karikari, which we had just come from). We found a little cafe called S’wich.

I got a flat white, and my dad got a mocha. I loved the pretty foam.

I also got a salad with warm roasted root vegetables, honey mustard dressing, feta, and almonds over mesclun greens. It was AMAZING and I definitely plan on replicating it in my own kitchen soon.

We continued on through Paihia and the Bay of Islands, but the water was brown and it was pretty foggy, so I didn’t bother with pictures. Somewhere between there and Whangerei, some people got pretty creative with their fences. One was covered with bikes…

and one was covered with jandals (that’s what they call flip-flops)

And now I’ll leave you with a couple more cute cows.