Tag: simple

The Perfect Oatmeal

Posted on by Claire

the perfect oatmeal

As the weather gets colder, I find myself craving a nice hot bowl of oatmeal in the mornings. Texture in food is important to me, so I prefer using steel cut oats which have a chewier texture (and nuttier taste). Although they take longer to cook, I typically cook up a double batch of this recipe on Sunday afternoon and package it up for breakfasts throughout the coming week. Then it’s only a matter of throwing it in the microwave for a couple of minutes in the morning (I also add a splash of milk when reheating as it tends to firm up in the refrigerator).

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Bagna Cauda

Posted on by Claire

bagna cauda

Although I often go over the top when cooking, sometimes I rein myself in and appreciate the simplicity of combining a few high quality ingredients. Bagna cauda, a traditional Italian dip, is an excellent example of when something simple can yield impressive results. With only four ingredients (and please, use the best quality of these ingredients that you can find), this dip manages to keep you coming back for more. It’s incredibly versatile, going well with bread, fresh vegetables, or even tossed with pasta.

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Banana Date Milkshake

Posted on by Claire

banana date milkshake

I’ve been known to turn up my nose at traditionally healthy ingredients – I can’t stand when taste is sacrificed for health (my love is, above all, delicious food). But I feel like that’s been turned on its head over the past couple years as I’ve slowly discovered that healthy food often tastes better than its junky counterparts. As I’ve weaned myself off of processed food, I’ve found that desserts, in particular, despite being so often seen as the epitome of indulgence, are better off with minimal sugar and good quality ingredients.

For the past few years, one of my favorite desserts has been what I call a banana milkshake.

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Homemade Peppermint Patties

Posted on by Claire

Homemade Peppermint Patties

For those of you who liked my recipe for homemade peanut butter cups, this recipe uses the same technique to make homemade peppermint patties! The filling here is creamy and very minty, and if you want, you can easily adapt this recipe and make different flavored fillings by using different extracts (I think almond extract would be especially tasty!). I even made a strange (but surprisingly tasty) concoction by layering the peanut butter cup filling with this peppermint patty filling (at the request of some co-workers).

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Moo Shu Vegetables

Posted on by Claire

Moo Shu Vegetables

This recipe has a lot going for it: it’s quick (or, at least, quicker than many of the meals I cook), it’s easy, and it’s got some of my favorite vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage!). I also love Asian flavors, and the flavors of the ginger, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce here are a great way to showcase the flavors of the veggies. The moo shu pancakes are surprisingly easy to make, even though I was initially suspicious of the technique of rolling out two pancakes together (with oil inbetween) – it worked out perfectly, and I had no problem peeling the pancakes apart after they’d cooked.

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Roasted Tomato Salsa

Posted on by Claire

Roasted Tomato Salsa

It may already be October, but my garden is still producing some last tomatoes, so I used them to make this delicious roasted tomato salsa. Popping the tomatoes (and some of the other components) in the oven adds a nice sweetness to the salsa, and I included both jalapeno and chipotle peppers to give this salsa a good spicy kick. The great thing is how truly easy this salsa is – give some veggies a rough chop, toss them in the oven, and then blend with a few other ingredients. I love having salsa around for adding to sandwiches, putting in burritos or tacos, or having with my eggs in the morning.

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The Perfect Roast Chicken

Posted on by Claire

The Perfect Roast Chicken

Roasting a chicken is a culinary feat I used to think was reserved for better chefs than I. But this recipe easily yields a perfectly cooked, succulent chicken and is actually much simpler than many other dishes I take on. There are a couple tricks that make this recipe a cut above the rest – brining the chicken is the main key to its juiciness, and cooking at a high oven temperature turns the skin a fabulous crispy golden brown. This is also a recipe with a lot of downtime, so you have the opportunity to take care of some of those chores you’ve been putting off while the chicken is brining, in the oven, or resting.

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Posted on by Claire

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

This surprisingly simple recipe is sure to impress anyone lucky enough to taste the results – if you don’t hoard all of these peanut butter cups for yourself! They’re the perfect little dose of nostalgia without the unfortunate toothache when you discover your favorite childhood candy is now way too sweet (for better or for worse, I just can’t handle the sweetness of most commercial candy anymore). Of course, you can make these exactly as sweet as you like by adjusting the amount of sugar in the filling and using your favorite chocolate. Because there are only a few ingredients here, you’ll want to make sure you’re using high quality chocolate and peanut butter (look for one where the ingredients are just peanuts and salt).

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Peach Pie

Posted on by Claire

The Perfect Pie Crust

Summer is ending, and I’m trying to take advantage of the last of the summer produce (and I’ll be posting more great end-of-summer recipes the next couple weeks). If you can still find some fresh local peaches at your farmers’ market or grocery store, snatch them up and make this delicious simple pie. Once you have a batch of the perfect pie crust from the recipe I posted Monday waiting in your refrigerator, this pie can be in your oven in 15 minutes.

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The Perfect Pie Crust

Posted on by Claire

The Perfect Pie Crust

Shortening is not an ingredient that I keep in my house; in general, I feel strange about any food where I’m uncertain about its processing and how it came to be. Hydrogenated vegetable oil? No, thanks. So naturally, I was enthusiastic to discover this amazing all-butter pie crust recipe. This recipe yields a flaky and flavorful crust that has worked well in every pie I’ve made.

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