Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I know, I am suppose to be posting the recipes from Valentine's Day, but I really felt like baking yesterday, so I made these cookies. I actually made them with chocolate chips to please the daughter and husband, but I would have loved the raisins. I got the recipe from my oatmeal container lid. But since it is also posted here, I didn't think it too bad to replicate! I was so happy with these, they turned out chewy and not flat and crunchy like a lot of oatmeal cookie recipes I have tried recently! They definitely are vanishing.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) non-hydrogenated margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour**
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or Old fashioned)
1 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix on low speed until well combined. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Bake 9 minutes on cold stone***, or 8 minutes on preheated stone pan. Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet. Finishing cooling on a cooling rack.

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies

NOTES: * I used egg replacer instead of an egg and they worked perfectly. By the way have I mentioned how I love this stuff. It totally saves you if you don't have eggs for baking.
**I have pre-adjusted the recipe for high altitude. You can reduce the flour by 1/4 cup if you aren't at high altitude.
***I always bake everything (cookies, rolls, etc.) on my stone bar pan. I have baked enough cookies recently to know that I usually get the best results by baking the first batch for 1 minute extract (almost always 9 minutes for most cookies) and then letting the cookies cool an exact minute or more before moving. The next batch will automatically cook in less time because the stone takes awhile to cool off. If you have a metal pan, I am not sure how long you should bake them, but check them at 8 minutes, you don't want to see much brown on the edges.

Salsa Verde Enchilada Sauce

I have always loved green enchilada sauce. I got this recipe from a tamale book that I have called Tamales 101. I feel okay about posting the recipe though because she has it on her website. This makes about two quarts of sauce, or enough for about 20 - 25 really saucy enchiladas. This is a mild recipe, you can add heat by including 1-3 jalepenos (stems removed) to the pot before boiling. Enjoy.

Salsa Verde Enchilada Sauce
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husked and washed (about 18)
8 pasilla or anaheim chilies roasted and peeled and seeded
3 cloves of garlic peeled
2 medium onions quartered
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Place tomatillos, chilies, garlic, onions, salt & pepper in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and pour off most of the cooking liquid - reserving it for later. In a blender, or with an immersion blender puree until smooth adding cooking liquid until it is the right consistency (what is the right consistency you say - what ever consistency you like!) Season with additional salt & pepper if necessary.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Since we love pumpkin stuff in our house, and I love pumpkin bread, I decided to try and make my current pumpkin bread recipe a little less sinful. Here is my updated recipe. I think I may even like this version better!

Low-Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp canola oil
3/8 tsp salt
3/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/8 tsp cinnamon
3/8 tsp cloves
3/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 1/8 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/8 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4 loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together egg and sugar until creamy and light. Whisk in pumpkin and canola oil until well mixed. Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until just combined. Add the flour and chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 38 - 42 minutes (or until a toothpick in the center comes out mostly clean.) Let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.

Notes:
You can successfully substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for the egg if you don't have one on had - it does make the bread a little moister so it may take longer to bake.

This recipe also works well with Ener-G Egg Replacer. I like to keep egg replacer on hand to use in my baking if I don't have an egg. Plus it is a great food storage item since it lasts for 3 or 4 years.

This bread is also delicious with craisins instead of chocolate chips, plus it saves you 20 calories per slice and over 2 grams of fat per slice.

Nutritional Info: For 1/8 of the loaf (I know how much you really eat!) - 217 calories, 6.5 grams of fat, 38.5 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein. The original bread contained - 303 calories, 16.95 grams of fat, 37.5 grams of crabs, and 3 grams of protein. A savings of 86 calories and 10.45 grams of fat!

Chocolate Mousse Pie

This recipe has become a Thanksgiving tradition in our house. Although Steve likes pumpkin well enough, the only pie he really loves is chocolate. I can't take credit for the recipe, since I stole it from Alton Brown. But I did make some minor changes based on what I generally have on hand. You should make it this Thanksgiving, I promise it will be worth it!

Chocolate Mousse Pie
2 cups whipping cream
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp flavorless gelatin
2 prepare 9" Oreo crusts

Pour 1/4 cup of cream into a large metal measuring cup and sprinkle in the gelatin. Allow gelatin to bloom for 10 minutes. While the gelatin is softening, combine chocolate chips, water, vanilla, and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Melt , stirring constantly until completely smooth. Remove from the heat & cool until just above body temperature.

While the chocolate is cooling, carefully heat the softening gelatin and cream mixture over a low gas flame or candle, stirring with a whisk if necessary to completely dissolve gelatin. Stir into cooled chocolate and set aside.

In a chilled mixing bowl beat 1 3/4 cups cream to medium peaks. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream in 2 doses. There may be streaks of whipped cream. Do not overwork the mousse.

Pour into the prepared pie tins and chill at least an hour. Top with additional whipped cream.

NOTES: You can also use milk chocolate chips for a lighter chocolate flavor. The original recipe called for Rum and Espresso (I believe) so you could add those if you have them instead of the water, or you could add some Kahlua Liquor and rum flavoring. You could also use a plain graham crust if you like. This recipe is easily halved if you just want one pie!

Almond Tort

This has been one of Steve's favorite simple light desserts for years. It is easy to make and tastes great. It is also fancy when served with some simple fruit.

Almond Tort

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

sliced almonds for the top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 8" pie pans. Beat the eggs and sugar. Add the almond extract and oil and mix. Stir in the flour and salt until well mixed. Pour mixture into 2 prepared pans. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until just golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Maria. It is a simple and easy soup to prepare and tastes great the second day, so it is a perfect meal to prepare ahead for a busy day. It is especially fun for kids because they get to pick the toppings they want. Steve loves this brothy soup, and I love it because everyone can get just what they want.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 48 oz cans chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded chicken
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp cumin
Toppings: Cilantro, lime wedges, fried tortilla strips, avocados, tomatoes, cheese, etc.

In a large soup pot over medium heat saute onions in the oil until soft, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 - 2 more minutes. Add broth, chicken, bay leaves & cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until heated through. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes: Steve likes this soup better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to mellow, so make it ahead and reheat. You may serve with crushed corn chips, though Steve prefers fried tortilla strips. To fry the tortilla strips heat some corn oil to 375 degrees, just below smoking point. Stack 7-10 tortillas and cut into thin strips. Add a handful at a time to the oil and cook until lightly golden (watch closely as then turn from lightly golden to almost burnt in a matter of a minute.) You may also crisp up some tortilla strips in the oven for a more healthful approach. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the tortilla into strips per above. Lightly spray at cookie sheet with oil. Spread out the tortilla strips onto the pan. Spray lightly with oil. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn over the strips and bake for an additional 7 -10 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, I am going to preface this recipe. I altered this recipe a touch (or maybe a little more), so if you are used to the rich and buttery pumpkin cookies you make, you may find these disappointing. But I love them because I can eat them without feeling quite so guilty about it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl whisk together oil, applesauce, syrup, pumpkin, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. In a medium bowl combined flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg & cinnamon. Whisk until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just well combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Move to cooling rack and let cool completely. Makes 3 dozen medium cookies.

Notes: Of course you can use all purpose white flour, which would make this lighter and more decadent. The dough should be fairly wet, but feel free to add 2-3 Tbsp additional flour if needed. You may substitute 1 cup unrefined sugar for the 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, though I would probably add a tablespoon of molasses for added flavor. You can also substitute an additional 1/4 cup canola oil and 1 egg for the 1/2 cup of the applesauce for a more traditional/less cakey cookie.