harps, fairy dust, and angel choirs=almond blueberry cookies

this recipe sings to the very core of my heart.  i am going to rush home from work immediately and try it.

(postscript: yes, i posted a recipe i have yet to try.  but i am just that confident that it will be outstanding, so i am not worried).

almond blueberry cookies

ingredients

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 c. whole milk

1 tsp. almond extract

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 chopped almonds, toasted

1 c. blueberries

method

sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.  in separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  add egg yolk and incorporate.  then add milk, almond extract and lemon zest.  

stir dry ingredients into wet, a half-cup at a time.  fold in almonds, then blueberries.

chill dough in fridge for 30 minutes

while dough chills, preheat oven to 375.  drop cookie batter onto ungreased sheets.  bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

postscript

i baked these cookies, as i had mentioned i would, as soon as i got home from work.  my lovely friend emma joined me.  she kindly informed me of a typographical error i had made, writing the recipe called for 1/2 chopped onions instead of almonds.  oopsies.  the error has been corrected...and i hope no one actually read this before i changed it and actually used onions.  because that would have produced some whack-ass cookies.

furthermore, we had some issues with the overly-sensitive smoke alarm in my house: good for real emergencies, but annoying when the source of the aggressive beeping is not an emergency.

despite all those hiccups, the cookies turned out to be delectable little puffs...almost more like muffins or cake than cookies.  just a bit sweet with delicate hints of lemon and almond to offset the moist blueberries.

like i said, angel choirs and fairy dust.

lobstah mobstah

jordan and i cooked lobster for the first time last night.  what resulted was strikingly similar to the famous lobster scene from woody allen's "annie hall".

the screaming and leaping lasted all of about 2 minutes.  the rest of the process was relatively simple (minus guacamole-colored lobster guts leaking on the counter and floor).

when all was said and done, we grilled the tails and ate them with green bean potato salad (recipe to follow) and some simple grilled asparagus.  it was a beautiful, memorable summertime meal.

green bean potato salad

a perfectly flavorful side that is refreshingly mayonnaise-less!

boil about one pound of small red potatoes that have been sliced in half (remember when cooking potatoes to start them in a pot of cold water).  once the pot boils, continue to cook for about 15 minutes, or until a fork pierces through easily.

while potatoes are boiling, blanch the green beans in a small saucepan for about 6 minutes.  remove from heat and drain.  put in a large mixing bowl.  

the dressing is a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and a pinch of sugar.  whisk together and set aside.

drain and cool potatoes.  add to bowl with green beans.  thinly slice a couple of handfuls of red onion and add to the potatoes and beans, along with a few sprigs of fresh dill.  pour the dressing over the potatoes, add salt and pepper, and toss.

chill for a bit before serving.  this is wonderful.

not your mama's brown bag

working at a school, and the subsequently atrocious cafeteria food provided there (cheesy beef-a-roni with a side of soggy fish sticks?  no thanks), on top of a newly acquired penny-pinching mind-set i've adopted, has me brown-bagging my lunch most days of the work week.

pb&j will always have a special place in my heart, of course, but there is a more healthy, more delicious, more sophisticated alternative that takes just as long to make, that blows your old school superhero lunchbox meal out of the water.

 

veggie wrap with cumin ginger hummus

ingredients

for the hummus

1 can chick peas

1-2 teaspoons of tahini (sesame paste)

1/2 small clove garlic

1/2 tsp ginger

juice of 1 lemon

dash cumin, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

room temperature water

method

in a food processor, put drained and rinsed chick peas, tahini, garlic, ginger and lemon juice.  turn on processor, and slowly begin to drizzle in olive oil and water until it reaches desired consistency.  scrape the sides to make sure all the ingredients get processed.  turn off machine, add salt, pepper, and cumin, and pulse a few times to mix.

veggie wrap

ingredients

1 large flour tortilla

1 tbsp. cumin ginger hummus

handful alfalfa sprouts

2-3 strips of red pepper

4-5 slices cucumber, peeled

handful arugula

4-5 grape tomatoes, halved

method

spread hummus over tortilla.  layer arugula, sprouts, pepper, cucumber and tomato.  sprinkle with salt and pepper if you wish before wrapping.

prep tips:

make the hummus ahead on sunday night.  wash all your veggies as soon as you get home from the gro' sto'.  this recipe makes enough for a week's worth of wraps, plus a little extra for after school snacking.

wrapping tips!  i learned from a pro...

it helps if you warm the tortilla slightly before assembly so the tortilla will adhere to itself.  place the ingredients in a little mound towards the bottom center of the tortilla.  bring the two sides in first, then wrap the bottom flap up over the mound of filling and tuck under slightly.  bouche.