The Go-To Cookie: Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Everybody needs a "go-to" cookie. This is not to be confused with a comfort cookie--although this can definitely double as that--but the cookie that you go to when you need to make something NOW: For those moments when your spouse or child casually says, "Oh, I was supposed to tell that I volunteered to bring cookies today." Forget the panic, followed by a few choice words, I mean "thoughts," and have your T.V. Mom moment by nonchalantly replying, "No prob."

Having said this, I challenge you to go set your oven to 350 degrees, and beat the preheat timer by whipping up these simple and mouthwatering pastry cookies to slide in the oven by the time it dings that it's hot! Ready, set...go!!!

In the mixer, combine chilled butter and sugar until blended, but not until it's creamy. You don't want your butter to get too warm or breakdown too much from over-blending. Plus, remember, you're in a hurry. Who has time to waste mixing?

Get ready to add your secret ingredient: drum roll...wait for it...

Stir just enough to incorporate the vanilla before adding in the flour. Slowly turn the mixer up until the flour and butter mixture have formed a firm ball. Add the chocolate.

Pluck up the cookie dough and roll into balls, about the size of a small golf ball, taking a snitch if you need to (no eggs!), and place one inch apart on a parchment lined cookie pan. Lightly flatten with your fingers if you want, and bake for 16 minutes, or until very light golden brown. The beauty of this cookie is that the chunkier and more uneven they look, the more appetizing!

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Don't forget the shopping list!

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups UNsifted flour

1 cup milk chocolate pieces

parchment paper

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

Dilly Beans!

Now I've heard of Dilly Bars, which bring back fond memories of visiting my grandparents (and their aptly named Dilly dog) and walking to the Dairy Queen, for the delicious circle of ice cream dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. So when I heard the name Dilly Beans, from a friend at Eager Appetite, I was immediately tickled and had to make them! What is a dilly bean, you ask? Well, it's nothing other than a fresh-from-the-garden green bean that's been decked out in delicious herbs and spices, and pickled in a salty vinegar brine.

My foray into the world of pickling began with a trip to the grocery store to gather the hardware and a couple items that I don't keep stocked in the fridge: Kerr pint canning jars, canning salt, white vinegar, and a jalepeno. The second stop was at the local farm for a bushel of dill and the guest of honor. It was fun to pick out a three foot tall bouquet of fresh dill! The creepy crawlies were free of charge, but I kindly left them behind ;)

While I've canned jams and jellies, I don't can enough to make it worth buying a water bath canner, and my 8 quart pot serves me well. I snapped my greens, chopped my garlic, and decapitated my dill flowers as my jars bubbled and boiled for 10 minutes to sterilize them. I also used this time to bring the brine to a boil.

After a quick assembly into the hot jars, I ladled the brine over the top.

Pretty little green things!

They were just so inviting that I had a hard time putting on the lids and sealing them up! Good bye, dilly greens, I'll taste you in 6 weeks!

Don't forget the shopping list! (Compliments of my friend, and the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving)

Dilly Beans

Yield: about 4 pints or 2 quarts

2 pounds green beans

1/4 cup canning salt

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

4 cloves garlic

4 heads dill

1 jalepeno, sliced (friend's addition, which I chose to follow)

Trim the ends off green beans. Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Pack beans lengthwise into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 head dill, and 1 or 2 slices of jalepeno to each pint jar. Ladle hot liquid over beans, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Pickled vegetables take up to 6 weeks to ferment, so place the pints in a location that will maintain a consistent temperature of about 70-75 degrees. To avoid damage from sun exposure, and to avoid you sneaking a dilly bean before it's ready, find a dark space in your pantry for their hiding place.

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

For the past couple years, I've been wanting to make chocolate zucchini cake. I heard it's a Wisconsin specialty: maybe they grow too many zucchinis and just plain ran out of ways to cook them.  In my opinion it's not chocolatey enough for the ingredient to warrant top billing in the title.  Then again, clearly that's not the opinion of everyone, as my husband devoured the cake!  

Once upon a time, in a kitchen long ago, three zucchinis gave up their life. So did two eggs, one cube of butter, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/2 cup buttermilk.

They partied in the Kitchen Aid until they whipped into a soft, lemony yellow fluff.

To mix things up a bit, they blended in 2 1/2 cups flour, 4 tablespoons cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and powder and cloves, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. They should have included 1/2 teaspoon salt--no party is complete without it!

They whipped into a chocolate frenzy...

And the aforementioned zucchini took a beating...

They poured out their feelings into a greased and lightly floured 9x13" pan

The devil threw in calories...

Then they contemplated their sins in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes

And were cooked into submission.

I must say that the texture is wonderful: light and fluffy, and very moist. Should my zucchinis start acting up again, I would try this again, but mix in the salt--of course--and 1 cup of melted chocolate chips to satisfy my cravings.

But as for the moral of the story, zucchinis are party animals that must be tamed at all costs...as a delicious side dish or as a scrumptious dessert!

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

Grilled Salmon and Rhubarb Zucchini Bread

I love salmon. I order it in restaurants, I make it at home, and I wish I fished for it! Well, maybe not the last part. I would say that it's my favorite fish, and it's so good for you, but due to the price I make it sparingly. Since King Salmon has a short season, Alaskan Coho is the most readily available and can be purchased during the summer months at the grocery store for around $8.00/pound. Unlike the former, the latter is somewhat drier but can still be succulent and moist when prepared with care.

Start off with preheating a hot grill ~450 degrees. I like to use a small metal pan and fill it with 3/4 cup of mesquite smoke pellets. In about 10 minutes, a rich whiff of smoldering mesquite will let you know your grill is ready! To avoid burning the skin or delicate edges of your fillet, use indirect heating by leaving one burner off. So, if you have three burners, turn on the outer two, leaving the middle one off for a place for your salmon.

Prepare your salmon fillet by placing it on tin foil (for easy clean-up) on top of an old cookie sheet. Pat your salmon dry, then lightly sprinkle it with olive oil to lock in the juices. Top with seasonings of your choice, as well as sliced onions. Grill for about 15-20 minutes, or until the meatiest part is opaque when tested with a fork. The trick to maintaining the moisture is to cook it hot and quick, rather than a slow bake.

Asparagus makes an easy and fancy side dish for salmon. The contrasting color is eye-catching, and the crispness compliments the buttery texture of the salmon.

The best asparagus are the thin pencil-like ones. They're tender, and don't have the fibrous core that the larger stalks have. Sometimes, the less to chew, the better!

Trim off the bottom 3" and lay flat on a cookie tray. Drizzle and swizzle with just enough olive oil to lightly coat them, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook at 450 degrees for 6 minutes, giving the pan a quick shake half way through. You don't want to overcook your asparagus. Nothing is worse than a limp little stalk.

Voila! Here's your meal in 30 minutes! Add a side of rice to the plate, and you have an easy, healthy, and extremely appetizing meal that looks like you spent hours preparing :)

As tasty as dinner is, we all know the true reason we eat it--to get to dessert! In the summer, zucchini are as prevalent as dandelions and seem to grow just about anywhere. They saute up nicely to pair with a meat dish, they hold their own in soups and salads, and they're sweet enough to be among the few choice vegetables that make their way into desserts!

For a twist on a classic, try replacing one cup of zucchini with one cup of diced rhubarb in this delicious zucchini bread recipe!

Even if you're using a Kitchen Aid, or mixer, always blend your dry ingredients together first to avoid any clumps that may happen by directly adding baking soda or baking powder to your wet ingredients. It's quite a shock to bite into a savory dessert, only to be greeted with the bitterness of an unblended ball of soda or powder!

Grease and flour the bottom of two bread pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

Although it's so hard to resist delving into the bread the minute it's out of the oven, it really does hang together better for cutting if you let it rest for 10 minutes first. I also like to butter the top of the bread (okay, cake!) to soften the crust.

Don't forget the shopping list!

Mesquite Smoked Salmon

1 pound salmon fillet

Olive oil

Sliced onions

Salt and pepper to taste

Seasonings, optional

Roasted Asparagus Tenderlings

1/2 pound asparagus

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sautéed Rice and Noodles

1/2 cup onions, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup rice

1/4 cup fino noodles

2 teaspoons chicken bullion

2 cups water

Sauté onions, rice and noodles in olive oil until slightly browned. Add bullion and water. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Rhubarb Zucchini Bread

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup diced rhubarb

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!