Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tunsian Vegetable Stew

Sherri Edman sent this to me, with this note:
This is on heavy rotation at our house. We had it tonight, as a matter of fact. If you have to go out and buy the spices, it isn't cheap anymore, but if you have them all on hand, it's great on the budget. It is - and this is me talking - from Moosewood Cooks At Home, which is one of the all-time best home cookbooks I know of, even if you're not a vegetarian!

1 1/2 c. thinly sliced onion
2 T. olive oil
3 c. thinly sliced cabbage
dash salt
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cayenne (or to taste)
3 c. undrained tomatoes, chopped (28 oz. can)
1 1/2 c. drained cooked chickpeas (16 oz. can)
1/3 c. currants or raisins (optional, says the recipe, but I can't imagine the dish without them)
1 T. lemon juice
salt to taste

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne to the skillet and saute for another minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, and optional currants or raisins, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve over couscous or the grain of your choice.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Really easy peanut butter cookies

These are, obviously, REALLY easy. They're not sturdy and they don't keep - being what my children call "eating cookies" - and yet they have many, many things in their favour. We always, always have all of the ingredients, for one, and they're also gluten-free. You can also really dress them up - put a mini peanut butter cup in the center of each, or a few Smarties or M&Ms - and any half-way alert child can make them pretty much on their own.

one cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of sugar (some recipes call for as much as one cup of sugar here, which I find painfully sweet. However, your taste buds may be different than mine, so I thought I'd mention it.)
one egg

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together the sugar and egg and then mix in the peanut butter. You can either roll the dough in tablespoon-sized amounts into balls or just drop it by the tbsp on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake them for 6 to 9 minutes - you'll want to keep a close eye on them.