valosin's Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

So, valosin sent this to me out of the blue! And she signed the email "Violently yours." Heh. I'm entirely too amused and pleased. She writes that someone asked for this recipe, possibly deekay. And, it's adapted from Canadian Living: Every Day Favourites. Enjoy!

• 2/3 c butter, softened
• 1 c packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (the recipe calls for orange rind, but I like the
• vanilla better)
• 1 1/2 rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease or line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy: beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together rolled oats, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls about 2 in apart onto cookie sheets bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, rotating and switching halfway though, until golden, about 10 min. Let cool on pan for 2 min, transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

adharas' Portuguese Cream Tarts

adharas found this recipe at Epicurious & meant to make it for ages. Now that she has made it, she's demanding (in a rather threatening manner) that everyone make these. Lest anyone fall prey to her wrath, I thought I'd provide the recipe here.

The original contributor at Epicurious says: These tarts are best when baked in 1/3-cup muffin cups. However, since many manufacturers have increased the size of their standard tins, we also tested the tarts in 1/2-cup muffin cups. In those cups, the pastry dough doesn't reach the tops, resulting in rather squat tarts.

For pastry:

• 1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

For custard filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon (1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For topping
• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Special equipment: 2 muffin pans with 12 (1/3-cup) muffin cups, each 2 5/8 inches wide by 1 inch deep

Partially thaw pastry just until sheets can be unfolded but dough is still quite stiff. Gently unfold 1 sheet and cut along folds, forming 3 equal strips (each about 9 1/2 by 3 inches). Stack pieces and cut stack lengthwise into 12 (1/4-inch-wide) strips, each strip 3 layers thick. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.

Turn each triple strip on its side (cut side up) and coil tightly to form a flat 2- to 2 1/2-inch-wide spiral. On a lightly floured surface, press spiral with heel of your hand to flatten into a 3-inch round.

Lightly grease muffin cups with melted butter. Place each round in a muffin cup and press into bottom and side, lining cup to within 1/8 inch of top. (If using larger muffin cups, dough will not reach all the way up side.)

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together sugar and flour in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in remaining filling ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until first bubble appears on surface, about 10 minutes. (Custard will be thick.) Transfer custard to a bowl and cool, whisking occasionally, until just warm, about 15 minutes, then fill pastry cups with custard, about 2 tablespoons each.

Bake tarts in upper third of oven until pastry is deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes. (Filling may brown.)

Cool tarts slightly in pans on a rack, about 10 minutes, then lift from pans using a small offset spatula or dull knife. Sift confectioners sugar, then cinnamon, over tarts and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 small individual tarts.

adharas' Dhal the Second (from Sambar's leftovers)

A variation on the original dhal for leftovers adharas shared with us. She just has a kind, generous, sharing sort of soul, doesn't she?

• 1 T oil
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 t ginger
• 1 green chili
• 1 tomato, chopped
• ¼ t turmeric

Heat oil. Add cumin seeds, onion, and fry till brown. Add ginger, sauté 30 secs. Add green chili & tomato Fry well. Add turmeric. Add cooked dhal and salt to taste.

Yummy with pita bread or rice.

adharas' Sambar with powder

This is an alternate (and easier) version of adharas' original Absolutely Divine Sambar. I'm sure it will still be wonderfully divine.

• ¼ c Tamarind ( fruit, not instant paste)
• 1 medium red onions, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into pieces

• ¾ t black mustard seeds
• ½ t fenugreek seeds
• ¼ t asafetida
• ¼ t turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• ¾-1 ½ t Sambar powder, the more you add, the spicier it is.

• 30 curry leaves, torn in half
• 1 ½ cups toor dhal, uncooked, rinsed and soaked for a few hours.

Bring the toor dhal to boil in a pot, with water to cover it, and cook until absolutely mushy. Add water as necessary, to make sure that the dhal does not absorb all water and go dry. It should be the consistency of a Campbell’s soup when done. Nice and thick.

Soak tamarind in 2 cups hot water, overnight. Squeeze the pulp out, and strain the liquid into a bowl. Add another ½ c water to the strained solids, and repeat smushing and straining. Discard the solids. Set tamarind liquid aside for 5 minutes, then decant to another bowl. Leave any grainy solids (remnants of fruit pod) at the bottom behind and discard. Discarded amount should be less than 1/3 cup.

Heat 1 t vegetable oil, in 4 quart pot. Add mustard seeds, let them pop, add fenugreek seeds, stir for 30 secs. Add curry leaves, stir 30 secs. Add cut veggies, and rest of spices. Cover and let come to boil, lower heat slightly, leave the lid tilted slightly to release steam, and simmer, for a good 45 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the cooked dhal. Bring to a boil, and turn off heat.

Adjust salt as needed, and if the sambar is too heavy in consistency, add some boiling water to lighten it. It should be a soupy consistency. If too spicy, you can add more dhal into the sambar.

Serve with plain white cooked rice, and curry.

adharas' Roasted Potatoes

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

• 4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
• 4 T oil
• ½ t black mustard seeds
• 1/8-1/4t asafetida powder
• 10 curry leaves
• ¼ t turmeric
• Salt to taste

Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Wait till they pop. Add rest of ingredients. Stir fry 30 secs. Pour over potatoes and mix well. Bake in oven, 375-400, about 20 min, stirring occasionally. Should be nice and tender.

adharas' Vegetable Akbari

Ooooh! It has nuts! And green beans! I love green beans. I'm off to found the official adharas fan club.

• 2 medium onions, cut into rings
• ½ c peas
• ½ c French cut green beans
• 1 carrot, cut in cubes
• 1 green pepper cut into small pieces
• 1-4 T oil
• Salt to taste
• Red chilipowder, to taste
• 10-12 cashews
• 15-20 raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 min
• ¼ c cream
• 4-5 black pepper corns, crushed.

Heat oil. Add onion rings, and cook over medium until brown. Add cashews, fry for 2-3 min. Add carrots, cook covered until ½ done, add beans, and green peppers. Cover and cook over low until veggies are tender. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well, and heat for 1 min. Remove from heat. Serve.

eyeroller's Chicken and Dumplings

eyeroller writes: I make Chicken and Dumplings on cold, yucky nights as comfort food. It's deeply satisfying. Tonight, I codified my recipe.

• Six cups water
• Four chicken leg quarters, or one whole chicken, cut up

Boil water; place chicken pieces in boiling water; after five minutes, reduce heat to simmer level and cover the pot. Cook for 45 minutes total.

Remove chicken pieces from pot and set aside. Skim broth to get out ny stuff that's floating.

Season broth with:

• 1 teaspoon powdered chicken broth, or 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay, or other seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or ground sage
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Chop:

• Four ribs celery
• Two medium onions
• Four carrots, or 1.5 cups baby carrots

Add to broth, cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove fat and bone from chicken meat, chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to pot with the vegetables.

Chop four stalks fresh curly parsley, add to the pot.

Mix:

• 2 cups baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk

Mix together. Drop tablespoons of dough into boiling pot; reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook for 10 minutes.

Should be ready to eat when you turn the heat off.