Jumbo Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are cookies that I keep in the freezer ready to pop in the oven in case someone comes over. The last time we had some kids come over from church and served these, they were totally devoured.

I have (literally) hundreds of pounds of different kinds of grain in the house ready to mill. Except for the chocolate chips, I always have these ingredients on hand. When I make this recipe I make several batches at a time. I often omit the chocolate chips (the most expensive ingredient) - they are still delicious!

2-1/2 C soft white wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2-1/2 C rolled oats (tastes best if you roll your own oats!)
2 C chocolate chips
1 C unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C sucanat
3/4 C honey
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°, In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix until just comibined. If final dough mixture is a bit sticky, add a small amount of flour.

Drop level 1/4 C measures of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake until cookies have spread and are golden brown and soft to the touch, 18-20 minutes. Cook five minutes on baking sheets and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough and bake them later. Place unbaked cookies on baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to re-sealable plastic bags, label and date; keep up to 6 months.Bake as many as you need, without thawing, 20 - 25 minutes.

From the BreadBeckers Holiday Recipes 2007 cookbook, Page 56

Kitchen Pantry Cookies

Just made some cookies last night that turned out great!

2 bananas, ripe
2 eggs
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C honey
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 T molasses
1/2 C dry milk
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C milled oat groats
1/2 C milled kamut or spelt
1 C milled hard wheat (either white or red)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 C sunflower seeds
1/2 C raisins
3/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the eggs, peanut butter, honey, pumpkin and molasses. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir until fully moistened. Add the nuts, raisins and chocolate chips.

Drop on greased stone or cookie sheet. Cook for 12 minutes or until slightly browned. If you make larger cookies make sure to flatten them so the inside gets properly cooked.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Note: Substitutions are easily made for this recipe:

• You can substitute another kind of seeds or chopped nuts for the sunflower seeds.
• Use dried cranberries or cherries instead of the raisins.
• Use all wheat if you don't have the other grains.
• If you don't have oat groats, grind rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour (oat flour helps to make a light cookie and I am convinced that oat flour helps improve the shelf life in my baked goods).
• Substitute agave nectar for the honey.
• If you have peanuts but not peanut butter, grind some up in your blender or food processor. If it isn't blended totally smooth, the final product would appear to have chopped peanuts added - which you can also do.
  
  Please share your substitutions and results!

Taco Seasoning Mix

1 C chili powder
1/2 C garlic powder or dried garlic granules
1/2 C dried minced onion
1/4 C dried oregano
3 T paprika
1/4 C ground cumin
2 T sea salt
1 T black pepper
1/4 C crushed red (cayenne) pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 C beef bouillon granules (optional)

Mix all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container.

Makes around 3-1/2 to 4 cups of mix.

To use:

Brown 1 C ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Drain. Add 1/3 C seasoning mix (shake well before measuring out) and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Optional:

Substitute tomato juice for the water
Add 2 T tomato paste
Add more liquid if it is too dry for your family's tastes

Pepperoni Pizza Dip (aka Liquid Pepperoni Pizza)

8 oz pkg sliced pepperoni
1 16-oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 C cottage cheese
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 T basil
1 T oregano
2 t dried marjoram (optional)
1 t dried sage (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (may substitute 1 T garlic powder)
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated
Wedges of crusty bread or firm tortilla chips

Place pepperoni slices on a paper towel covered microwave safe plate. Place an additional paper towel over top (to prevent splatter). Microwaves differ in wattage so heat for 45 seconds, checking every 15 seconds to make sure they aren’t getting “cooked”. Blot with paper towels to remove excess fat.

Place spaghetti sauce in blender and then add cottage cheese, cream cheese, pepperoni, basil, oregano and garlic. Blend until smooth. Make sure spaghetti sauce is put in first to avoid “clogging” in the blender.

Put all ingredients in a crockpot on high until hot (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours). Add mozzarella cheese just prior to serving and stir until melted.

Serve with wedges of crusty bread or firm tortilla chips. If you only have soft bread, heat in oven until toasted (soft bread will fall apart because it is a thick dip).

Notes:

You can substitute 3 T Italian Seasoning for the 4 herbs listed.
You could substitute a food processor for the blender.

1/26/2009 Correction to recipe. Forgot to mention adding the pepperoni in the blender.

A Word About Lentils

Lentils are native to SW Asia and are in the legume family. The lentils that we eat are actually the seeds of the fruit pods. Lentils are widely used in both Greek kitchens and Indian kitchens and commonly also called dhals. Lentils have a high protein content so are commonly used in vegetarian cooking. They are most often used in soups and stews. Lentils (and beans in general) are relatively inexpensive and easy to cook, hence they are a good staple to always have on hand at home.

There are several different types of lentils. If you are looking for a lentil that will cook down and almost disappear (great as a thickener), use red or yellow. For lentils that will hold their shape, use brown or green.

Unlike most other beans, lentils are generally cooked while the dish is made instead of pre-soaking and boiling in advance.