Chewy Oatmeal Chip Cookies with Cranberries

MAKES 3 DOZEN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 c quick oats
1 c chocolate chips
3/4 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on a high speed for 3 minutes. Beat in one egg at a time then add vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and slowly add into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, chocolate chips, and cranberries.

Drop 2 T spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Homemade Curry Ketchup with Sweet Potato Fries

It may seem a little labor intensive, but its so worth it. This ketchup was fresh, flavorful, and amazing with sweet potato fries. It only took about 45 minutes total and made almost 3 cups of ketchup! We also used it on a burger with a lean beef patty, tomato, onion, sharp cheddar, and lettuce on a kaiser roll. Don't forget the pickle on the side.

Curry Ketchup

MAKES 3 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

2 T olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5 t tomato paste

1 t salt

1 T ground yellow curry

1 t ground mustard

1/2 t smokey paprika

1/8 t ground cloves

1/4 t ground allspice

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes with juice

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

Place oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Sauté onions until they are transparent, tender, and begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, salt, and all of the spices to the pan. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly distributed and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, vinegar, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. 

Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Mixture will thicken to a ketchup consistency. Stir occasionally. 

Remove pan from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the chunky ketchup until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can carefully blend the warm ketchup in a regular blender. Just be sure to leave the blender lid slightly ajar so the warm contents don't burst the top off. After blending, strain ketchup through a fine mesh strainer. This will remove any unwanted seeds or thickness. 

Store ketchup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

Sweet Potato Fries

SERVES 2-3

INGREDIENTS

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries (1 cm diameter or slightly thicker)

2 T olive oil

1 t garlic powder

salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss sweet potato fries with olive oil and spices to coat the fries evenly. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Creamy Artichoke and Mushroom Crostinis

These tasty crostinis were too good to eat in the traditional size that comes from a sliced baguette. We ate them on big slices of sourdough and it was great.

If you have any of the artichoke cream cheese mixture leftover, it would be great mixed into your scrambled eggs in the morning.

Creamy Artichoke and Mushroom Crostinis

INGREDIENTS
Baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
butter
salt
Artichoke Cream Cheese
French baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread a thick layer of Artichoke Cream Cheese on baguette slices and place slices on baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until toasted and Artichoke Cream Cheese looks melted. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in butter for about 6 minutes and salt to taste. Top the toasted crostinis with the mushrooms and serve immediately.

Artichoke Cream Cheese

MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 CUPS

INGREDIENTS
1 brick cream cheese, softened
8 pieces of marinated artichoke heart, including leaves, diced
1 t thyme
1 t tarragon
1 t garlic powder
chives to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Tomato Basil Bisque From Scratch

We made our soup to eat with grown up grilled cheese sandwiches. It was so savory and fresh. Will definitely make it again.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 c tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c butter
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer diced tomatoes and tomato juice in a stock pot for 30 minutes. Puree the mixture with basil leaves and return to pot.

Over medium heat, stir in cream and butter. Heat, stirring until butter is melted. Do not boil.



Pro Tip:
When using a blender and hot liquids, the pressure from the steam and heat can make the top blow off the blender. I suggest using a dish cloth and leaving a small crack for the steam to escape. If your blender has a removable center cover, its fine to just lift that up a bit instead of the entire top.

Smooth Applesauce Using a Chinois

My family has always made enormous amounts of applesauce each fall. We freeze most of it to save for a time when we aren't lucky enough to have lots of tart Michigan apples readily available.

We like smooth applesauce so we've always used a chinois to achieve this. Never used one before? This is what it looks like.

They cost between $30 and $50 and last forever. The conical strainer is especially useful for applesauce because you don't have to peel the apples- everything that isn't perfect, smooth applesauce stays in the strainer. 

Smooth Applesauce

MAKES ABOUT 3 PINTS

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 30 mixed apples (I like Fuji, McIntosh, Jonamac, and Ida Red)

3/4 c water

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar to taste

Wash, core, and remove stems from apples. In a large soup pot, boil water, add all of the apples, and boil with the lid on until apples are soft and mushy, approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

When the apples are cooked, add two cups at a time to the chinois and use the pestel to strain out the sauce from the apple skins. Remove the skins periodically as they begin to build up on the pestel. 

Strained applesauce will be pink and tart. Add all spices and sugar desired. I usually use a 2 T cinnamon, 1 t cloves, 1 t nutmeg, and 1/2 c sugar.