I know there’s a million and one chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, but I’m picky about cookies. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I love a good chocolate chip cookie that’s chewy, nutty, and flecked with dark chocolate. Easy on the sugar, high on flavor. This recipe is my new go-to.
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your cookies
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 11.5-ounce package (about 2 cups) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Finely grind oats in a food processor. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and blend for 5 seconds.
Beat butter and both sugars in a large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in walnuts and chocolate chips.
For each cookie, form 2 rounded tablespoons dough into a ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten dough slightly. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool completely.
Behold, my favorite Indian dish of all time. If you’ve been around for a while, you know that this is a no-slander zone when it comes to okra. Adapted from Food & Wine, this version of bhindi masala is a little bit different in that it includes finely chopped peanuts for an extra dose of heft and flavor.
Serve with rice or flatbread, or if you’re like me and can’t help yourself, eat straight from the pot with a spoon.
Ingredients:
For the bhindi masala:
1 pound okra
1/4 cup avocado oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano chile
1/2 teaspoon chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
For tomato tarka:
4 small tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
Make the bhindi masala: cut okra crosswise into 1-inch pieces, and arrange a single layer on a baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until cut sides feel dry, 1 to 2 hours.
Make the tomato tarka: pulse tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth, 8 to 10 pulses. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low for 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds; cook, stirring often, until seeds begin to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sugar, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, and salt; stir in tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and a spoon leaves a trail when pulled through sauce, about 20 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.
Make the bhindi masala: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add fenugreek; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and sizzling, about 10 seconds. Add okra; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in peanuts, cilantro, salt, sugar, cumin, garlic, serrano chile, chickpea flour, coriander, turmeric, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and peanuts are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat.
Mix tomato tarka into the bhindi masala over medium-low, stirring often, until warm, about 2 minutes. Serve on a platter and garnish with additional cilantro.
Summer may be over but I’m still happily working through the last of the warm weather produce. This buttery eggplant with a tangy, deeply garlicky, and creamy sauce is one my favorite eggplant dishes that I made this year.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup tahini
4 peeled black garlic cloves
1 tablespoon mirin
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 red Fresno pepper chile, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant (about 3 eggplant), roll-cut into 1-inch pieces
Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
Process 1/4 cup water, tahini, black garlic, mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Set tahini dressing aside.
Stir together chile, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a cast-iron skillet over high until a wisp of smoke rises from skillet. Add half of the eggplant to skillet; immediately stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring often, until just tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes. (Skillet will appear dry.) Transfer to a plate. Repeat process with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and remaining eggplant.
Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked eggplant, chile mixture, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until eggplant absorbs chile mixture, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spread 1/2 cup tahini dressing on a platter. Top with eggplant mixture, and garnish with green onions.
What’s better than bulgogi or japchae? Bulgogi and japchae at the same time, of course. I’ve published a similar japchae recipe here before, but this one is different in that the seasonings are more like bulgogi and there’s the addition of spinach. Try both versions out and see which one your prefer.
Ingredients:
For the japchae:
Scant 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 bunch spinach
8 ounces Korean sweet potato noodles
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 carrot, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 green onions (green parts only), chopped into 3-inch pieces
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
4 to 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
For the bulgogi:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ribeye or sirloin steak, very thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons avocado oil
Make the bulgogi: in a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, and garlic. Add the beef, onion, and sesame seeds and stir until all the beef is coated. Cover the bowl and marinate, refrigerated, 1 to 5 hours.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add half of the meat and onion mixture and cook, stirring occassionally, until the meat is cooked through and the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and meat and onion mixture. Set aside.
Make the japchae: in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil to blend. Set aside.
Fill a medium bowl with an ice bath. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water, let cook for 15 seconds, then transfer the spinach to the ice water. (Keep the boiling water in the pot.) Let the spinach cool, then drain. Squeeze the excess water out of the spinach, roughly chop the spinach, and set aside.
Add the sweet potato noodles to the boiling water and cook until soft, about 5 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil, then the carrot, bell pepper, green onion, yellow onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to mix. Stir-fry until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and noodles and stir for about a minute, then add the soy sauce mixture and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients. Add the bulgogi and mix again until the meat is distributed. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Japchae can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated.)
Here’s the world’s easiest (and most satisfying) summer salad for when you’re short on time but need something to go with that barbecue or potluck. Use top-quality produce here for a salad that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients:
2 large heirloom tomatoes, washed and cored
1 large avocado, halved, pit removed, and peeled
3 Persian cucumbers
1/2 small red onion
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Quarter the heirloom tomatoes and cut them into thin slices, then place in a large bowl. Thinly slice avocado halves and gently add to the bowl. Thinly slice cucmbers and red onion and add to the salad bowl.
Top vegetables with grated garlic, vinegar, parsley, and olive oil, then gently toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
