Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots

This lamb stew is a somewhat decadent treat, but it's absolutely delicious.  The tart apricots are the perfect counterpart to rich lamb and a perfectly spiced broth.  We weren't able to locate Ras-el-Hanout, the key spice in this recipe, so we made our own based on what we had in the cupboard and could find at the grocery.  This was actually a great way to do it - rather than ending up with a whole jar of a spice blend we might not use again for a long time, we made almost just the right amount for the tagine plus a little extra to use as a spice rub on chicken the next week.  Plus, you can customize it to feature spices you love or exclude some that you aren't a fan of or that are too expensive. 

One word of warning - we found the dried apricots didn't hold up well to storage in the fridge, so if you're planning on leftovers, pack them up before adding the apricots to the pot.  When you're ready to reheat your leftovers, you can add the apricots then for perfect texture and flavor.  Since I ended up picking the apricots out of my leftovers, I added some raisins instead, which were also fantastic with the other flavors of the dish.  So, raisins are a good option if you're not an apricot fan or if you're just in the mood for something different.

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 6-8

Olive oil
3 pounds lamb stew meat or lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
5 tsp Ras-el-Hanout (purchase pre-made or recipe below)
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T chopped peeled ginger

1 cup caned diced tomatoes (with juices)

2-1/2 cups low-salt chicken stock

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup halved dried apricots

Couscous, to serve

Chopped cilantro, to serve

1. Heat enough oil in a large heavy pot to over the bottom, over medium heat.  Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and then brown it, working in batches, about 4 minutes per batch.  Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside.

2. Add the onion to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper.  Saute until just golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the chopped garlic, Ras-el-Hanout, and ginger and stir for one minute.  Add the tomatoes and lamb, along with any accumulated juices.  Bring to a boil.

3. Add the chicken stock and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the lamb is tender, about one hour and 30 minutes.  Stir the lamb occasionally during the cooking time.

4. Stir in the chickpeas and apricots and simmer until heated through, 5-10 minutes.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Stir over couscous and sprinkle with cilantro.

Ras-el-Hanout (adapted from Bon Appetit and My Recipes)

Makes about 6 teaspoons

1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix everything together.  You'll end up with a bit more than needed for this recipe, but the extra can be used as a spice rub for chicken, beef, or salmon.

Salted Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

When my grandma asked me to make cookies for her new neighbor, these oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies seemed like the perfect choice.  If you're obsessed with salty-sweet desserts, like I am, you'll definitely want to try these cookies.  They're super addictive, with great chew from the oats, bits of rich chocolate, and a great hit of salt on top. They're just as easy as any other chocolate chip cookie recipe, but using good-quality chocolate and adding salt makes them taste really sophisticated and unique.

Salted Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
A large pinch of salt, the best you have
2-1/2 cups quick oats
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
10 ounces dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Good-quality salt, to finish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the oats.
3. Cream together the butter, both sugars, and the vanilla.  Beat in the eggs.
4. Stir in the flour mixture, and then stir in the chocolate.
5. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet, about one tablespoon of dough per cookie.  Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a bit of salt.
6. Bake until the edges are browned but the centers are still soft, about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven, let rest a couple of minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Bunkerlow-Style Pinquitos

My cousins sent us a variety of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo for Christmas, and it's been a lot of fun learning about new bean varieties and trying new recipes for dried beans.  We started off with basic refried pinto beans, which were absolutely amazing (but not very photogenic!). Then we turned to these pinquito beans, which I had never tried before.  They turned out to be fantastic - the beans themselves are smallish with a good texture (neither too mushy nor too crunchy) and excellent flavor.  Although this recipe does have lots of differently flavors going on, you can definitely still taste the beans rather than only the sauce.  Molasses, tomato paste, and onions add sweetness, while red pepper flakes add a bit of spice - feel free to adjust to your preference.

Bunkerlow-Style Pinquitos (adapted from Heirloom Beans: Great Recipes for Dips and Spreads, Soups and Stews, Salads and Salsas, and Much More from Rancho Gordo)
Serves 2-3 as a side

4 ounces pinquito beans
Olive oil
1/3 cup minced yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp mustard powder
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground cloves
A few grinds fresh nutmeg
1 T tomato paste
1/2 tsp molasses
Generous pinch dried red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the beans in water at least six hours or overnight.
2. Add water as needed to cover the beans by about an inch.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans start to soften, 45 minutes or so.
3. In a small skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute a few minutes, until softened.  Stir in all the spices and cook briefly, until fragrant.
4. Add the onion mixture, tomato paste, molasses, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the beans.  Cook until the beans are fully tender, 20-30 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Brownies

These brownies are rich and delicious, and chock-full of chocolate flavor.  These will definitely satisfy your chocolate craving and would be a great gift for your sweetheart (or yourself) on the 14th.  One word of warning - don't pull these out of the oven when you might pull out typical brownie recipes (i.e. when the center is still pretty jiggly) - while I find this is the perfect time to pull out brownie-mix-brownies, it left these pretty severely underdone.  The brownies were still really delicious - but they were almost more like fudge than brownies.  Next time I make this recipe, I'll definitely follow the instructions and cook them a bit longer! 

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Brownies (adapted from Pixelated Crumb, original recipe here)
Makes one 13x9 pan

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 T boiling hot coffee
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate , finely chopped
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9 baking pan with oil.
2. Whisk together the cocoa and coffee.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until melted.  Whisk in the butter and oil (don't worry if the batter looks broken; it will come together once the eggs are added).  Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sugar.
3. Add the flour and salt and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chunks.
4. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs

Squash and Fennel Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

This is a really tasty soup, combining roasted winter veggies in a silky smooth puree with onions, herbs, and sherry. For my money, though, it was a lot of work for a soup that didn't taste so terribly different than easier versions of winter squash soup. That said, the candied pumpkin seeds offered as a garnish are absolutely fantastic - I've made them again since on their own as a snack. Although they're sort of sticky from the honey (meaning you have to lick your fingers a lot!), the flavor is insanely good - spicy, salty, sweet, and just divine. They're the perfect crunchy pick-me-up during a long day of work or a great healthy substitute for dessert when you need something a bit sweet after dinner.  Plus, they take all of about 5 minutes to make - you can't beat that!

Squash and Fennel Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table)
Serves 6-8

For the soup:
2 pounds winter squash (I used banana squash)
2 medium bulbs fennel
3 T olive oil
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 T butter
2 cups sliced yellow onions
1 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Big pinch crushed red pepper
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 cup dry sherry
8 cups water
1/4 cup Greek yogurt

For the candied pumpkin seeds: 
1 T butter
1/2 cup hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 T sugar
Generous pinch cinnamon
Generous pinch smoked paprika (I used bourbon smoked paprika)
Generous pinch ground cayenne pepper
A few grinds each salt and pepper
1 T honey

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and seed the squash and cut into chunks.  Peel and core the fennel and cut into chunks.  Toss with the olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and then roast until soft and caramelized, 35-40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a dry skillet until browned and fragrant.  Grind the seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
3. Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot until it foams.  Add the fennel seeds, onions, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and a bit of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. While the squash and fennel finish roasting, prepare make the pumpkin seeds.  Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, and then add the pumpkin seeds, sugar, spices, and a few grinds of salt and pepper.  Toss to coat well and cook until the seeds start to brown.
5. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a sheet of foil, wait thirty seconds, and then add the honey.  Toss quickly to coat, spread out the pumpkin seeds, and let cool.  When cooled, coarsely chop.
6. Add the roasted squash and fennel to the onions and pour in the sherry.  Stirring often over medium-high heat, let the sherry reduce for a few minutes and then add the water and bring to a boil.  Simmer about 20 minutes.
7. Puree the soup in batches until very smooth.
8. Reheat the soup if needed.
9. Serve the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt and the pumpkin seeds.

SRC: Chocolate Brownie Cookies

This month my secret partner in the Secret Recipe Club was Phemomenon. I literally made these cookies within an hour of receiving my blog assignment - they looked that good!  I was in the mood for something chocolatey (and had some chocolate chips to use up), and these cookies absolutely fit the bill.  They feature loads of chocolate, both melted and as chips, in a cookie that tastes a lot like a brownie.  Personally, I like my cookies on the smaller side, especially when they're rich like these - easier to eat lots of them that way!  :)  So, I made these about half as large as the originals, and adjusted the baking time accordingly.  Either way you do it, these cookies are amazing!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies (adapted from Phemomenon, original recipe from Martha Stewart)
Makes about 2 dozen small cookies

9 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 T unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/3 cup + 1 T packed light-brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat 4 ounces of the chocolate chips along with the butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between and being careful not to scorch the chocolate.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.  Beat in the melted chocolate.  Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in the remaining 5 ounces of chocolate chips.

4. Drop spoonfuls of dough (about 1 T per cookie) onto the cookie sheet, giving them some room in between cookies as they'll spread.  Bake until the cookies are shiny and crackly but still soft in the center, 8-10 minutes - be careful as these tend to get overly browned on the bottom very quickly.  Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Cucumber-Habanero Salsa

Truly Mexican recommends this salsa for winter months when you want a fresh salsa but good tomatoes are nowhere to be found.  It serves that purpose perfectly - it's crunchy, spicy, and super flavorful, reminiscent of a super-spicy pico de gallo without the tomatoes. It also keeps very well in the fridge for a few days, so you don't need to eat it all in one sitting - the cukes and onions will stay crunchy and perfect for dipping.  We ate this salsa with chips, which is great for getting the full flavor of it, but I bet it would also be fantastic on tacos, especially fish tacos.

Important note: this salsa is definitely hot - if you're not such a fan of extra spicy food, you could reduce the amount of habanero or replace it with a milder pepper like a jalapeno. 

Cucumber-Habanero Salsa (from Truly Mexican)
Makes about 2 cups

12-ounce cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup diced seeded green bell pepper
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2-1/2 T freshly squeezed lime juice (more to taste)
1 T mild olive oil
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh habanero chile, including seeds (or less, to taste)
3/4 tsp fine salt or 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano, crumbled

Mix everything together and chill for one hour.  Taste and add more lime juice and salt if necessary.  Drain any excess liquid before serving.