Choco Chunk Cookies

We have tried about 6 different chocolate chip cookie recipes. One time we thought we had found the perfect one and we were so excited, we made another batch and they turned out completely different. We were so shocked. We have learned that the temperature of the butter and over stirring can change things. Also we realized that we like less chips than more recipes call for. I know hard to believe, but when there is too much chocolate it takes away from the cookie taste. Also we found that some chocolate chips, were slippery and wouldn't stick to the dough. Who knew there would be so many different challenges when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. We were trying to find the perfect balance of soft, chewy and a little crisp around the edges. We found a new recipe on allrecipes.com and thought we would give it a whirl, and it turned out fabulous and yes we did make 2 batches and they turned out almost exactly the same.

2 cups all-purpose flour- we have found that King Arthur Flour seems to work the best.
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chunk pieces- we use a semi-sweet from blommers, you can use normal chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Then you want to sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and then set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.

Now you can add the dry mix into the wet. Then it's time to add the choco chunks or chips. Sometimes we don't use an exact measurement, just mix them around and see if it looks like enough.

Now it's time to drop them on the cookie sheet. We have found it's easy to use a 1/4 inch measuring cup. Scoop up the dough and with it and then divide that into 2 cookies. Then they all turn out the same size.
You can also use a ice cream scoop. Bake them for about 15 minutes. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on them. When they are done. I always place them on paper bags to cool or a wire rack.

mmm, makes me hungry just thinking about these cookies. Hope you enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin with Fennel

the camera ran out of battery during the making of this, so this pic is from the iphone :(

We saw this recipe in Gourmet magazine a few months back. At the time Chris thought it looked so good. We sort of forgot about it, until the other night I was looking for something to make for dinner. I was searching on Epicurious for a healthy, quick meal and the same recipe from Gourmet popped up. So I thought, we have to make this for dinner. Off we went to Jewel after work and found some delicious pork tenderloin. After making this I did a little nutrition search on pork tenderloin and I didn't realize how few calories or fat it has. It is a really good choice for dinner.

I teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and save the fronds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed, I am sure we put about 5
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced-sodium
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspon fresh lemon juice

First you want to pre-heat your oven to 350.

Then you want to pat the pork tenderloin dry and season with salt and pepper. You can sprinkle the fennel seeds all around the pork.

Cut the fennel bulbs lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices.



Now heat oil in an oven proof skillet over medium heat. Drop the pork in the pan and brown it for about 6 minutes. You will want to rotate it all around during this 6 minutes. Then take it out of the pan and let it rest on a plate.


Then you add the garlic, fennel wedges to the pan and saute for about 6 minutes. Then you can add the wine, broth and butter. Once this is all cooked up. Take the pork off the plate and set on-top of your fennel mixture. Then put it in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes. You want to cook it until a meat thermometer reads 145-150. When it is done transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for about 10 minutes.

now you can return the skillet to the stovetop. Watch out the handle will be really hot. You will want to bring this to a boil until the liquid has evaporated. Then you can stir in the lemon juice and the 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds.

Slice up the pork thinely and place it on top of the fennel. This is a new go-to meal for us. So tasty, different and healthy!

Flammkeuche

Every time we go to Crust here in Chicago we have to get the Flammekeuche pizza. It is a delicious combination of caramelized onions, bacon, and either creme fraiche or quark. After Sarah figured out how easy pizza crust was to make - we KNEW we had to try our hand at Flammekeuche. Who doesn't like bacon? We were going to see Dean and Britta at the MCA and invited some friends over to join us for homemade pizza. The pizza turned out great and it was so easy. Sarah was adamant about getting the creme fraiche - so we biked all the way to Whole Foods in the rain to get it. I am glad she was being stubborn about it, because the pizza was darn tasty! On with the recipe.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the water and olive oil. Now you want to try and mix this up into a ball. Then knead it on a floured surface for a few minutes and keep working it into a ball. If you get frustrated, just put it down and let it rest for a couple of minutes.

Pour a little olive oil into the bowl you were using. Then roll the ball of dough around to get a nice coating of olive oil all over.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours. I only did 1 hour, my dough didn't rise a ton, that is why I was worried, but it turned out just fine. Don't stress if it doesn't get huge.

Open it up after the hour and roll it around a little to get some air out and then reshape into a ball. Place it back in the bowl for another 20 minutes.

Now you can roll out the crust. Sarah used a wine bottle this time instead of the coffee tin. She didn't think it worked as well. I thought it turned out O.K. After rolling out the crust, add a very thin layer of olive oil to the top and lightly sprinkle with parmesan.

Toppings:

2-3 pieces thick cut bacon (we used apple wood smoked)
1 medium sized onion chopped or sliced
1 tub creme fraiche (you won't use it all)

Preheat the oven to 550 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until it is slightly crisp and then remove from the frying pan while leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook until soft. You can add the cooked onion to the crust at this time. Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces and add to the crust.


Now you can spoon the creme fraiche over the bacon and onions. Place the pizza into the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. No leftovers.

Spicy Red Curry Soup

Tuesday was a rainy day in Chicago. So soup seemed like a nice thing to have for dinner. We have seen a lot of recipes for curry soups and have been wanting to make one for awhile. There was some shrimp in the freezer, which seemed like the perfect thing to drop into some yummy soup. The smell of the soup as it was simmering was so delightful.

For the soup
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 inch chunk of ginger
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 lemongrass stalk chopped
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 strips of lime zest
2 or 3 shitake mushrooms sliced
salt to taste


For the garnish
1 cup sticky rice- we did basmati in the rice cooker
8 jumbo shrimps
sliced red pepper and carrots
splash of lime juice

For the soup you want heat the peanut oil in a stock pot. Once hot add in the ginger, red curry paste and lemongrass. Cook this for a few minutes, then add in the stock, coconut milk and the cream and lime (we also threw in a lime leaf, Chris has a big lime tree). Bring this to a boil and then turn the heat down to a nice simmer. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, but if you have more time, I would let it cook for a little longer. You should start your rice around now as well. Depending on how you are cooking it.


After it has simmered, you need to strain out the ginger, lemongrass and lime. Or you can do it by fishing them out if you don't have a strainer. After you strain you can add in the mushrooms and taste it to see if you want to add more curry paste or lime juice.

Now you will want to cook up your shrimps, you can either broil, fry, grill. You can really cook them however you want. We just put a little oil in a pan and cooked them on the stove top, which is very quick and easy. Shrimp cooks very fast. You cook it till it's not translucent anymore.

When you are ready to serve, put a little rice in the bottom of a bowl, pour the soup on top, drop in some shrimp and top with the carrots and peppers.


This is a quick, very warming soup. We can't wait to try making more Thai inspired soup. If only more places sold lemongrass. It can be hard to find. I would try whole foods or fox and obel. We are off to St.Louis for a wedding this weekend. But when we get back we are going to post the fabulous Flammekueche (pizza topped with crème fraîche bacon and onions) that we made the other night...yes I think we are obsessed with homemade pizza now.

Pizza Success

I (sarah) got home and had a huge craving for pizza. Follia, a restaurant that has pizza in Chicago is close by, but I thought why don't I try and make my own. I have seen a few recipes online for pizza crust, but I always think it will be difficult. So I texted Chris and told him I was attempting pizza, later I found out that he was very happy to see this text. I was a little nervous the entire time I was making the crust, thinking in the back of my head, we can always heat up some pasta for dinner. But to my surprise it turned out really really well. Chris said it is the best pizza he has ever had. The Crust was the perfect balance of crunchy and soft. I hate when crust gets soggy on the bottom and I when its too hard. So this was just the right balance.

Homemade Pizza with Tomatoes, Garlic, Bacon & Goat Cheese

For the crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the water and olive oil. Now you want to try and mix this up into a ball. Then knead it on a floured surface for a few minutes and keep working it into a ball. If you get frustrated, just put it down and let it rest for a couple of minutes.

Pour a little olive oil into the bowl you were using. Then roll the ball of dough around to get a nice coating of olive oil all over.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours. I only did 1 hour, my dough didn't rise a ton, that is why I was worried, but it turned out just fine. Don't stress if it doesn't get huge.

Open it up after the hour and roll it around a little to get some air out and then reshape into a ball. Place it back in the bowl for another 20 minutes.

Now it is time to roll it into an actual crust. Chris doesn't have a rolling pin, so I looked around and the only thing that I saw that was around the same shape was a coffee tin. Yes, I used the tin and it worked just fine. Place the dough on a floured surface, first sort of use your hands to flatten it out and and then roll it out. I don't like perfectly round pizza's. I like the more rustic shape. I didn't worry about the shape, but that is up to you. When you are ready place it on a baking sheet.

You can really put anything you want on the pizza. I just looked in the fridge and saw what we had. Here is what I came up with.

Toppings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
5 cloves garlic sliced into discs
2 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 roma tomato
goat cheese- about a 1/4 cup
basil

First I rubbed some olive oil onto the top of the crust and then I spread some parmesan cheese on top of that. Just a small thin layer. Then I put the garlic slices all around, threw on the bacon, mushrooms, tomato and goat cheese. Lastly a little basil on top.


I baked it at 550 degrees for 10 minutes.

I was really surprised at how well this pizza turned out. It was so delicious and I was doubting myself the whole time so it was really nice to have such a great turn out.

I also added a little Mache lettuce on the side, just to have some greens with dinner. I just threw some olive oil on it and when I ate it I kind of scooped the lettuce on top of the pizza. Hmm So delicious.


Chris had an idea this morning that we should have pizza once a week. I am game if turns out as well as it did last night.

Moroccan Sunday

We were shopping(chris got a new suit) all afternoon Sunday and missed lunch. When we got back home we were so hungry. So, we snacked on some leftover chocolate chip pancakes and started cooking this delicious dish. We both love lemons and olives. They seem to be popping up in a lot of things we make. They are easy things to have around the kitchen.

Moroccan Chicken with olives and lemon

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon- I think we put in a little more than that
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 pounds chicken- we used skinless breasts, but you could use thighs or legs
1 large shallot
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lemon cut into slices (crosswise)
1 cup green olives, pitted- we threw in a few cured kalamata olives as well
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water

1 cup dry couscous

First combine all of the spices in a bowl, mix them up really well. Then pat dry your chicken and coat it in the spice mix.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and then place the chicken in the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes. Flipping once. It will get nice and brown.

Now you want to add the shallots and garlic and cook for another 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Turning the chicken once or twice during this time.

Now you can add the lemon, olives, raisins and water. Bring this to a simmer and then lower the heat and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes.


While we waited, we watched our new favorite show The Wire. Well it's not new, but it is new to us. It is so good. I think we are a little addicted.

After 30 minutes you can start the couscous. Couscous cooks really fast, about 5 minutes.


Fill your bowl with the couscous and top with chicken and all the yummy stuff in the pan.
Also, you can top it with parsley or cilantro. We forgot. We were super hungry and it smelled so good.


This was a really fast dish to make and didn't require that much work or dirty too many dishes. Chris doesn't have a dish washer so we are always trying to conserve on the amount of dishes we use. :)

Cold Saturday Hearty Soup

After a long day of running errands outside in the cold on our bikes we were ready for something hearty, warming, and nourishing to soothe ourselves. We had read about this recipe a few weeks ago and were waiting for a good time to try it out. We modified the recipe a little to fit what we had on hand. The nutty flavors of the squash and the earthy lentils combined with the curry spices are very satisfying and comforting.

Curried Acorn Squash and Lentil Soup

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds squash peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion chopped
1 carrot chopped into 1/4" slices
1 stalk celery chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon chili powder & 1 tablespoon garam masala
or
1 tablespoon madras curry powder

1 cup lentils (red or brown) rinsed
8 cups water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


Drizzling Sauce
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix in a blender.

Basmati Rice
1 cup dry basmati rice

2 cups water

We used a rice cooker. Follow normal directions for cooking rice.


Heat up the vegetable oil and butter in a stock pot over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add in the squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Stir occasionally and cook for approximately fifteen minutes or until vegetables are soft and start to brown.


Stir in the curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir frequently for two minutes. Add in the lentils and pour in the water and simmer for covered on low heat for 25-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Stir in the lemon juice and serve over basmati rice. Top with the cilantro drizzle sauce.

After eating this soup you will feel warm inside.

A little red wine doesn't hurt either...