Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Snacks

  • Gourmet Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I finally started using the Gourmet Cookbook that I bought last year by using my last egg in a soon-to-expire carton to make the Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 662 of the 2004 version of the cookbook.  The recipe is also available free online at epicurious.com at:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/106172

    Tiny_chocolate_chip_cookies

    I made two modifications to the recipe: 

    • I substituted mini chocolate chips for regular size semi-sweet chips
    • I reduced the baking temperature by about 25 degrees and shortened the baking time to about 4-5 minutes because the first batch got a little too burnt at the bottom even though the baking sheet was placed on the farthest rack from the heat source.

    These are a really great snack — no one can say no to them given how small they are.   They also melt in your mouth given how buttery and small they are.

  • White Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies

    There have been a number of summer birthdays in my current workplace, and I have promised all of the members of my department that I will bake them something delicious for their birthday.  For Danielle, who I sit next to, I recently made her (and of course for the rest of the staff!) some white chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookies.

    White_chocolate_dipped_cookies_2

    To make these cookies, I followed the same Allrecipes.com recipe I used here:  http://madhuknitsandcooks.typepad.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2006/10/simple_chocolat.html

    After baking the cookies and letting them cool, I then slowly melted about 1/2 – 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips in the microwave.  You should be really careful with melting chocolate in a microwave by using a reduced power and only microwaving in 30 second or less increments until just melted.  I then dipped the cookies in the melted white chocolate and used a butter knive to evenly spread the chocolate over a sizeable part of the cookie. 

    I would then place the dipped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, where they would then be placed in the fridge for about 45 minutes for the chocolate to harden (until the cookies can be lifted off of the parchment paper without leaving any chocolate behind).   

  • Simple Chocolate Cookies — Good Standard Recipe

    I made these simple chocolate chip cookies last week because I was trying to use up a stick of butter.  And, truthfully, I was also trying really hard not to work on my first law school memo.

    Chocolate_chip_cookies

    I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com (surprise, surprise):  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/detail.aspx.  I halved the recipe to accomodate using my one stick of butter, and it worked out just fine.  They were a big hit in my Contracts class.

  • Roasted Red Pepper and Bean Dip — A Super Healthy Snack that YLS Students Love!

    So I made this Roasted Red Pepper Dip with the Quinoa Tabbouleh ( http://madhuknitsandcooks.typepad.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2006/09/quinoa_tabboule.html) and they worked really well together.  The dip goes very well with pita bread as well (preferably warm or toasted whole-wheat pita). 

    Roasted_red_pepper_and_bean_dip

    The dip is low-fat and a great source of protein because it has both tofu and beans (and trust me, that is a great combination — for those who don’t like tofu, there is no way you’ll know it’s in here!).   You can find the recipe at the Vegetarian Times:  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/recipe_details.cfm?recipe_id=9707

  • Quinoa Tabbouleh — Suprisiningly Tasty, Filling, and Super-Healthy!

    So as the multiple categories for this post indicate, this dish can be consumed as an appetizer, snack or main course.  Quinoa, according to the box I purchased, is a super-grain that was widely consumed in the Incan empire.  According to Wikipedia, "Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa).  So why not make this fantastic dish AND give the gift of "a balanced set of essential amino acids" to those who are lucky enough to eat it?

    Quinoa_tabbouleh

    I got this recipe from the Vegetarian Times, and thankfully you can find it online:  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/recipe_details.cfm?recipe_id=9866. 

    The variations to the recipe that I made:  I doubled the recipe, used a little extra garlic, and I used 1/2 the recommended fresh lemon juice.  The reason I used only half the lemon juice is that I accidently spilled the juice from one of the lemons I juiced, and I only had one lemon more so I could only get a little over 1/4 cup of fresh juice.  BUT I am happy that that was the case, because I think any more lemon juice would have made it a little too lemony. 

    I also made the quinoa in a rice cooker, which I thought was a great time-saver while I was the chopping the parsley, etc.

    The next time I made it, I think I will also increase the amount of chopped parsley to the recipe to make it a little more "tabbouleh"-like, but I think that is just up to you and what you want to use the recipe for.  If you use it for a main dish, I would recommend increasing the amount of parsley, but if you use it as part of a Middle Eastern platter or the like, you probably don’t need to increase the amount of parsley because there will already be a lot of flavors in the dish. 

    I would really recommend trying it with the Roasted Red Pepper and Bean Dip (http://madhuknitsandcooks.typepad.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2006/09/roasted_red_pep.html ) because the combination of the warm quinoa tabbouleh and the cool dip make it not only a fun heat contrast, but the flavors go really well together as well.

    One final tip — make sure you fluff that quinoa once it is done cooking!  It really makes a big difference.

    Quinoa_tabbouleh_top_view