Milano Cookies

I think I've mentioned this before, but my mother was basically the Pakistani version of Michael Pollen when I was growing up.  My dad composted and grew vegetables and my mother made everything from scratch.  She didn't understand canned or frozen or boxed food and Little Debbie was basically banned from our house.  We weren't even allowed to have honey nut Cheerios, we had to drizzle real honey onto plain Cheerios.  Thank goodness for my best friend, Tricia, and her well stocked pantry or I never would have known the childhood joy that could come from Peeps.  For some reason, the only cookies that were ever brought into the house when I was little were Pepperidge Farm Milanos.  They seemed so special, and they were delicious.  When I saw a posting for the homemade version I just couldn't get them out of my head.  I had to make them.  I was sure the result wouldn't be as good as the original, but I was wrong.  These are definitely going to become one of my favorite cookie recipes.  The recipe is actually very simple, and comes together quite fast. The only headache in my opinion (since I'm not a huge baker) is having to use a pastry bag to make the classic oval shape.  You could easily scoop these out with a spoon and skip the pasty bag and end up with round cookies.  This recipe on Food52 is adapted from Martha Stewart, and I adapted it slightly by skipping the orange zest and using less sugar.  I also microwaved the chocolate instead of dealing with a double boiler.  If you've ever been a lover of Milano cookies, make these.   

2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1 c (2 sticks) soft butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 t vanilla extract
8 oz dark chocolate (good quality)

Cream the butter and sugar (I used a hand beater).  Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add flour (and salt) and beat until incorporated.  Scoop batter into pastry bag with a 1/2 inch opening and pipe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment into 2 inch strips.  Bake at 325 for 15 or until edges just begin to turn brown.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  The recipe said this makes over 3 dozen, I got about 18 sandwich cookies.  Melt chocolate by microwaving (if you so dare).  It will take about a minute, but do it in 15 second increments and stir.  Spoon some chocolate in the middle of one cookie and press until chocolate just reaches edges.      

Steel Cut and Quinoa Oatmeal

Those that know me know that I'm not a breakfast person (except when I'm pregnant).  I just can't seem to stomach anything breakfasty first thing in the morning.  A cup of coffee is mandatory, nearly always followed by a green smoothie, and then I like to run on an empty stomach for a few hours.  I am, however, quite passionate about making breakfast for my family.  I take scrambled eggs and omelettes very seriously, and I believe weekends are for sprouted millet flour waffles and pancakes (yes, I heard how that sounded).  My daughter loves a warm bowl of steel cut oats, often with the added texture of quinoa.  This recipe for overnight oatmeal is incredibly simple.  You can adjust as you like with spices and additions like cinnamon, brown sugar, honey, dried fruit and nuts.  We also sprinkle chia seeds and sometimes stir in some ground flax for added fiber.  

1/2 c quinoa, rinsed
1/2 c steel cut oats
4 c water

Bring quinoa and oats to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Cover, turn off and remove from heat and let sit overnight.  

Broccoli Salad

As you can see, there is more to this salad than just broccoli, but the heads of broccoli were the inspiration.  We decided to grill some burgers over the weekend and I wanted a hearty, raw broccoli salad to go along with them, but softened with some tender potatoes.  I also added some crisp, finely chopped bell peppers and thinly sliced swiss chard and tossed everything with a creamy, lemony mustard dressing.  The result was a fantastic summer grilling salad that I'll definitely be making again.  The ingredients and textures are well balanced and I definitely recommend throwing something like this together for a BBQ.  Of course this recipe isn't precise, so be creative and improvise and adjust seasonings as you go.      

Serves 4

2 small heads of broccoli, chopped (somewhere between medium chunks and finely)
8 yukon gold potatoes, boiled, cooled, and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
5 leaves of swiss chard, finely sliced, leaving thick part of the rib

Dressing
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t curry powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t olive oil
1 t balsamic syrup
1 T mustard
1/4 c mayo
juice from 1 lemon

Wash, prep and chop and veggies and toss in a large bowl.  In a small bowl whisk all the ingredients for the dressing.  If you don't have a balsamic syrup or glaze just omit.  You could always make your own at home but I definitely recommend adding this to your provisions.  It can really elevate many meat dishes, roasted vegetables or salads.  It lends a soft, sweet, umami flavor.  My favorite way to use it is in the summer on tomato bruschetta.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.  Let the salad chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.