I’m a little jealous of all the heat waves in America lately. After the best June in years here in Ireland, July is turning out to be cold and rainy a lot of the time and we’re lucky to even hit 70°F. But last month, when we had proper warm weather, I was making salads for dinner almost every night and this is one of my favorites. Served with some crusty bread, it’s a perfect main course for a hot (or even not so hot) summer’s night.

And if you’re being good and eating salad for dinner, it’s as good of an excuse as any to splurge a little with one of these biscuits. If you can rouse yourself from the heat enough to melt some butter on the stovetop, then all you have to do is press the dough into a baking dish and leave it in the fridge overnight, making this ideal for summertime baking. I made them for the Irish foodies’ cookie bake-off* at the start of the month, and while at first I was a little disappointed in them (I’d been expecting more flavor from the coffee and Crunchie bars), they grew on me. They’re a grown-up kind of cookie, the kind of thing that’s perfect with a cup of coffee after dinner (or anytime).

White Bean, Salami and Spinach Salad
adapted from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 2 as a light main course

for the salad:
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach (or about 4 big handfuls)
1/2 lb (225 g) salami, thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 x 14 oz (400 g) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (100 g) black olives, halved
freshly grated Parmesan shards, to serve
crusty bread, to serve

for the dressing:
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the spinach into a large serving dish. Cut the salami into thin strips and add to the spinach along with the basil, beans and olives.

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper together until thick and creamy (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar). Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together gently. Grate over some thick shards of Parmesan cheese and serve with plenty of crusty bread.

***

Italian Chocolate Fridge Biscuits
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook

Makes one 9 x 13 inch tray

3/4 cup (175 g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (150 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) ground almonds
3/4 cup (75 g) ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon espresso or strong black coffee
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten together
6 oz (175 g) Petit Beurre, high-quality butter cookies or digestive biscuits, roughly chopped
6 oz (175 g) honeycomb, such as Crunchie bars, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups (175 g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Put the butter, cocoa, sugar, ground almonds and ground hazelnuts in a large pot and heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted. Beat the coffee, egg and egg yolk into the mixture, then stir in the cookies, honeycomb and chopped hazelnuts. It will be very crumbly and rough looking at this stage.

Lightly oil a shallow 9 x 13 inch baking dish and firmly press the mixture into it (the mixture should be about 3/4 inch thick). Leave it to set in the fridge overnight, then turn out and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

*Looking for more cookie inspiration? Check out all these recipes from some other Irish foodies:

• Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
• Chocolate crinkle cookies
• Chocolate melting moments
• Chocolate orange cookies
• Cinnamon butterfly cookies
• Cranberry pecan cookies
• Double chocolate pecan cookies
• Lemon rind heart cookies
• Lemon sugar cookies
• Messy choc chip mallow block
• New York Times chocolate chip cookies
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Peanut butter button cookies
• Sugar-dusted wedding cookies
• Toffee apple cookies
• Vanilla sugar cookies
• World peace cookies

In the US, it’s the day after Thanksgiving today — which means it’s also now officially Christmastime! So I won’t waste any time giving you this cookie recipe, an adaptation of my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but this time with a festive twist to them with the brandied cranberries. For any Black Friday shoppers, a couple of these cookies and a cup of coffee would keep you going through the afternoon sales. For anyone else, do you really need an excuse to eat a cookie like this? A few weeks ago, when I told a friend that I was going to make these, she said they sounded like the perfect Christmas cookie, but I said I couldn’t wait that long to make them. Any recent Thanksgiving excesses aside, you shouldn’t either.

Avoca’s Shepherd’s Pie
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook

Serves 6

You can prepare the shepherd’s pie in advance, leave it to cool and reheat it later, although it will need more time in the oven (40 minutes instead of 20). For my family of four, I like to divide the pie into 4 individual gratin dishes and 4 ramekins for the kids’ portions, which makes enough for two dinners. This way, I can cook the second batch fresh on the day, as opposed to reheating one big casserole dish.

for the pie:
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 lb (900 g) minced beef (you could also use ground turkey for a leaner version)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs of thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon tomato puree
3 carrots, diced
1 3/4 cups (400 ml) chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

for the potato topping:
3 lb (1.4 kg) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk or cream
1/2 cup (110 g) butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a large pan, gently sauté the onion in the vegetable oil for about 10 minutes, until soft but not brown. Add the mince a little at a time and cook until browned. Add the Worcestershire, thyme, tomato puree, carrots, stock and some salt and pepper. Cook on a low heat for 50 minutes, then transfer to a large casserole or pie dish or individual gratin dishes, ready for the mashed potato topping.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well, then return to the pot and add the cream, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Cover the mince mixture with the mashed potato. Run the tines of a fork along the potato topping (this will help it to brown). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the potato is nicely browned and the pie filling is bubbling. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

***

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate, Pecan and Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 16 cookies

You can make these cookies without the brandy if you prefer.

3/4 cup (100 g) dried cranberries
1/3 cup (80 ml) brandy
2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup (170 g) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup (150 g) white chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (50 g) pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup (80 g) porridge oats

Put the dried cranberries in a wide, shallow bowl and add the brandy, making sure all the cranberries are covered with brandy (you may need to add a bit more). Cover and place in the fridge. Allow the cranberries to soak for at least 1 hour. Place a colander over a bowl and strain the cranberries, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons of the brandy. Set both aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter and brown and granulated sugars until well blended. Beat in the reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons of brandy, the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, mixing until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients, working until just blended. Stir in the cranberries, white chocolate, pecans and oats by hand, using a wooden spoon. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use a table knife to scoop and press the dough into 1/4-cup measuring scoops (or roll 90 g of dough into a ball for 1 cookie), and place the mounds onto the prepared cookie sheets. The cookies should be 3 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Until this summer, I considered sweet and sour pork to be an almost inedible mess of sickly red syrup, mushy pineapple and fatty pork. This Thai version couldn’t be farther from my Chinese take-out fears. Like all good stir-fry dishes, it’s loaded with crisp vegetables and lean meat, with a light yet savory sauce. Though I was dubious of the cucumber in this dish, it’s really tasty and now I sometimes double the amount called for so I don’t have to fight Sam for it.

This chocolate chip cookie is the stuff of legends, or should I say urban legends. It’s commonly known as “The $250 Cookie Recipe,” since that’s the amount Neiman Marcus supposedly charged the lady that requested and received the recipe from its store while at lunch. According to Snopes.com, this amusing but false tale has been in circulation for over 50 years. Interestingly, the merchant and food item has evolved over time from a $25 fudge cake recipe “sold” by a train company in the 1940s to Waldorf-Astoria’s red velvet cake recipe in the 1960s to Mrs. Fields’ cookie recipe in the 1980s. Wherever this recipe came from, it’s my favorite chocolate chip cookie and I would gladly pay it (but thank goodness for the internet, so I don’t have to!).

Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce
adapted from The Food of Thailand: A Journey for Food Lovers by Kay Halsey and Lulu Grimes

Serves 4

8 oz (225 g) pineapples slices in light syrup, each slice cut into 4 pieces (reserve the syrup)
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 oz (340 g) pork, sliced (pork tenderloin recommended)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 red capsicum (pepper) or serrano pepper, minced
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tomato, cut into 6 wedges, or 12 baby tomatoes

Mix the pineapple syrup with the ketchup, fish sauce and sugar in small bowl until smooth.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pork until nicely browned and cooked. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the garlic to the wok and fry over medium heat for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add the carrot, onion, and peppers and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cucumber, tomato, pineapple and pineapple syrup mixture. Stir-fry for another minute. Taste, then adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Return the pork to the pan and gently stir. Spoon onto a serving plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve with brown or white jasmine rice.

***

Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup (225 g) butter
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (170 g) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (240 g) flour
2 1/2 cups (200 g) blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal, then blend in blender to a fine powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz (340 g) chocolate chips
4 oz (110 g) Hershey bar, grated (I used a Lindt dark chocolate bar)
1 1/2 cups (150 g) chopped nuts (your choice)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) degrees. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar/egg mixture. Add the chocolate chips, grated chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C).

I always feel better knowing there’s a can of chickpeas in the pantry, since I can turn it into a quick lunch with some couscous, lemon and diced feta. Or I can turn it into one of my favorite kitchen cupboard dinners — you know the kind, the ones you pull together from whatever you have lurking in the pantry or at the back of the crisper in the fridge, usually on the night before you do your grocery shopping when there’s nothing else in the house — spaghetti with chickpeas, lemon juice, parsley and freshly grated Parmesan, a recipe I picked up from Denis Cotter’s Paradiso Seasons. Jamie Oliver calls this a cousin of pasta e fagioli, the traditional Italian peasant dish of beans and pasta, so if you like that dish, chances are good you’ll like this one too.

But enough about soup. Let’s talk about these cookies. Ina Garten really knows how to make perfect autumn food — first it was her date nut spice bread, and now these cookies. Both recipes use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves that creates an atmosphere while you’re baking them that you want to wrap yourself up in. I gave one of the cookies to the woman who delivers our organic fruit and veg, and the first thing she did was hold it up to her nose to smell it and sigh appreciatively. I said before that the date nut spice bread might be the best thing I bake this autumn, but these cookies are a close contender. If you make both, let me know in the comments which you like best.

Pasta with Chickpeas (Pasta e Ceci)
adapted from Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver

Serves 4

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 x 14-oz (400-g) cans of chickpeas
2 1/4 cups (540 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
3 1/2 oz (100 g) ditalini or macaroni
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small handful of chopped fresh basil or parsley, to serve
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
crusty bread, to serve

Put the finely chopped onion, celery, and garlic into a saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the rosemary and cook as gently as possible, with the lid on, for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, without any color.

Drain the chickpeas well and rinse them in cold water, then add them to the pan and cover with the stock. Cook gently for 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove half the chickpeas and put them to one side in a bowl.

Puree the soup in the pan using a handheld immersion blender. (If you don’t have one, you can whiz it up in a food processor instead, then pour it back into the pan.) Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta, season the soup with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.

At this point, if the soup is a little thick, pour in some boiling water from the kettle to thin it down, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve drizzled with good-quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with some basil or parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve some warm crusty bread alongside.

***

The Barefoot Contessa’s Ultimate Ginger Cookies
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Makes 16 cookies

2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (170 g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (80 ml) unsulfured molasses or black treacle
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (170 g) chopped crystallized ginger
granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup, which is 90 g of dough). With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cranberry oatmeal white chocolate cookies are one of my favorite cookies. They’re buttery, not too sweet, and stay softer than your average chocolate chip cookie. The dried cranberries in the cookies tie in nicely with the dried cranberries in this unstuffed version of stuffed cabbage. Stuffed cabbage (cabbage rolls) is one of those dishes that my mother-in-law makes better than I do and that always takes longer to put together than expected.  In other words, I usually just wait for her to make it instead of making it myself. This recipe is nearly as good as my mother-in-law’s and takes less time to prepare, perfect for when I’m craving stuffed cabbage but don’t want to invite myself over for dinner.

Unstuffed Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
adapted from Gourmet, November 2008

Serves 4

1 medium head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
2/3 cup (160 ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb (450 g) ground beef chuck
2 lb (900 g) plum tomatoes, peeled (or 1 x 28-oz/780-g can whole tomatoes in juice)
1/3 cup (40 g) dried cranberries
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
steamed rice, to serve

We have a fellow expat friend who throws a big 4th of July barbecue every year. There’s a group of expat regulars who go most years, from Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire, and I always get a kick out of how we all end up in Chris’s back yard in County Meath, so far from where any of us call home. Anyway, Matt took it upon himself the first year we went to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies from his favorite childhood Betty Crocker recipe to bring with us. While I wouldn’t say that I turn to that old American stand-by for inspiration these days, it’s a perfectly good cookie recipe, good enough to earn us the nickname the Cookie Couple ever after. We bring a double batch every year and they’re always eaten up or hoarded within minutes of being set out. I’m told there were some disappointed barbecue regulars the year we couldn’t go when my daughter was born on the 4th of July.

This year, the barbecue was pushed back to Labor Day since our friends were back in the US for the 4th, and instead of dusting off Matt’s old recipe again, I decided to make the consummate chocolate chip cookie from The New York Times that was published last July. I made the dough on Thursday afternoon so that it would have 36 hours to rest before I baked the cookies on Saturday morning. Resting the dough apparently allows it to fully soak up all the liquid from the eggs, resulting in a drier, firmer dough that bakes to a better consistency, and gives the cookie “bass notes of caramel and hints of toffee” (who knew cookies had bass notes?). The real genius touch, though, is Dorie Greenspan’s addition of a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top (though I prefer the bigger flakes of Maldon sea salt). They’ve been blogged about all over the place, and I certainly won’t be saying anything new when I tell you it really is a damn good cookie. As the NYT itself says, “Doubt it? There’s only one way to find out.”

Chicken with Plums, Ginger and Soy
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook

This sweet and savory dish is a big hit with my kids and is a great way to use up in-season plums. I bet pluots would also work well here instead of the plums, or maybe even apricot preserves and fresh apricots. Let us know in the comments if you try it.

Serves 8

8 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
12 oz (340 g) good-quality plum (or damson) jam
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, such as Colman’s
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
8 ripe plums, stoned and quartered
rice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then brown the chicken lightly on all sides. Set aside.

Add the onion to the frying pan and gently saute for 10 minutes, until soft. Add all the remaining ingredients except the fresh plums and rice and simmer for 15 minutes.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a baking dish. Cover with the sauce and scatter over the plum quarters. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbling. Spoon over cooked rice and serve.

***

The New York Times Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from The New York Times

Makes about 24 cookies

I’ve only ever made these using plain flour (instead of cake flour and bread flour) and they turn out just fine. I’m sure the chocolate disks they talk about in the article are fabulous, but I just use plain old milk chocolate chips and the cookies are still good. I like to freeze some of the dough (see note below) to bake some cookies another time. Nothing makes you feel like a domestic goddess like having a stash of frozen homemade cookies in the freezer.

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (240 g) cake flour (or all-purpose)
1 2/3 cups (240 g) bread flour (or all-purpose)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, such as kosher
2 1/2 sticks (280 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (280 g) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 lb (570 g) bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60% cacao content (or your regular brand of chocolate chips)
sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel

Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds, being careful not to overmix. Drop the chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap directly against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. The dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop 6 x 3 1/2 oz (100 g) mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto each baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes (you don’t want to overcook them and make them hard). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then slip the the cookies onto a wire rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with the remaining dough, or reserve some dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.  (Note: I have also successfully frozen the dough by rolling it into the 3 1/2 oz (100 g) portions specified here, then tightly wrapping each ball individually in cling film and popping them into the freezer. This way you can take out as many as you’d like to bake another day. When you want to bake them, set the oven to the same temperature, but just cook them for a couple more minutes.)

When I would come home from school growing up, the first thing that would greet me as I walked in the door was the smell of something good cooking. My own daughter starts school today, and I couldn’t let the day pass without a homemade treat. What could be better for her first day of school than milk and cookies? And a big, warm, fresh-from-the-oven oatmeal chocolate chip cookie at that. This is my absolute, hands down, all-time favorite cookie recipe. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the dough is key, though — their generous size is part of what makes them so perfect. I love having one with a cup of tea or coffee, or even for breakfast (it has oatmeal in it, so it’s practically granola, right?), and I make a version of these for Christmas with white chocolate, pecans and dried cranberries too. And now I will love them even more, as I’ll always think of this now as the treat I made on such a special day for my not-so-little girl.

Fusilli with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Bacon
adapted from Bon Appétit, September 2004

Serves 6

12 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
1 lb (450 g) fusilli (or gemelli or penne)
6 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh basil
1 cup (150 g) crumbled soft fresh goat’s cheese

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook the bacon in a heavy large skillet over a medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the skillet.

Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until it has reduced by one-third, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and saute until it’s crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.

Add the chopped tomatoes and basil to the zucchini and onions and continue to saute on a medium heat while the pasta cooks, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the drained pasta to the zucchini and tomato mixture in the skillet (or if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold everything, put the drained pasta back in the pot you cooked it in and pour the vegetable mixture from the skillet into the larger pot). Toss over a medium-high heat until the sauce coats the pasta, about 3 minutes. Add the goat’s cheese and stir until it starts to melt, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

***

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Orangette

Makes about 14 cookies

2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup (170 g) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups (300 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (120 g) quick-cook oats, or rolled oats zizzed in a food processor for a few seconds

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter and brown and granulated sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, mixing until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients, working until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and oats by hand, using a wooden spoon. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use a table knife to scoop and press the dough into 1/4-cup measuring scoops (0r roll 90 g of dough into a ball for one cookie), and plunk the mounds onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be 3 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

I subscribed to Cooking Light for years after I graduated college. Looking back, I’m not exactly sure why I continued my subscription. I rarely remade any recipes that I tried with a couple of exceptions, one being this Drunken Stir-fried Beef with Green Beans. I make this dish often, though it’s best in August, when the green beans, tomatoes, and basil are in abundance. Besides being tasty, this dish also reminds me of my son’s first real meal. When he was about 10 months old, after months of trying to get him to eat baby food, I decided to give him a bite of the flank steak in this dish. He devoured it and from then on we stopped trying to convince him to eat baby food and served him whatever we were eating.

Enough about the stir-fried beef. The real highlight of this meal was dessert. I’ve been craving these chocolate-covered coconut macaroons all summer and finally had a chance to make them. “Wow” is all I can say. Truly, truly, a fantastic cookie. And you can freeze them, too, for future decadent nibbles.

Drunken Stir-fried Beef with Green Beans
adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 minced Serrano chili (or 1 teaspoon sambal)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
1 lb (450 g)  flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 lb (450 g) 1-inch diagonally cut green beans
1 carton halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 cup Thai basil leaves

Combine the salt and minced garlic in a mortar and pestle, and pound to form a paste. Add the chili, ginger, and lime zest, one at a time, until each ingredient is incorporated into the paste.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the paste, and stir-fry for 30 seconds (fumes may cause eyes and throat to burn slightly). Add the beef and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until the beans are almost tender. Add the tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and lime juice. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until the beef reaches your desired degree of doneness. Stir in the basil. Serve with rice.

***

Simple Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
pinch of sugar
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8 inch thick)

Mix the first 5 ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Toss with the cucumber slices. Chill for up to 2 hours, mixing occasionally.

***

Chocolate-covered Coconut Macaroons
from Orangette

Makes 12 to 15 cookies

3 cups (250 g) lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 ml) egg whites (about 5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
8 oz (225 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (150 ml) heavy cream

Place the coconut, sugar and egg whites in a large, heavy saucepan, and stir to combine well. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring regularly, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is pasty but not dry. (The uncooked mixture will look sort of granular at first, then creamy as it heats, and then it will slowly get drier and drier. You want to stop cooking when it no longer looks creamy but is still quite gluey and sticky, not dry.) Remove from the heat. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Spread out the coconut mixture on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Using a ¼-cup measuring scoop, scoop and pack the coconut mixture into domes, and place them on the baking sheet. You should wind up with about a dozen. Bake the macaroons until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Set the cookies on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is very hot and steamy (not boiling), remove from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Spoon the glaze over the macaroons, covering them almost completely and allowing the chocolate to drip down the sides. (You will have leftover glaze, which can be refrigerated or frozen.) Refrigerate the macaroons until the glaze sets, at least 2 hours. Transfer the macaroons to an airtight container, and refrigerate or freeze.