Half Assed Kitchen

Snickerdoodles

Folksy name and easy-ass recipe aside, these are really tasty cookies. You can usually make them with ingredients you have on hand and almost everyone likes them.

Here's what you need and how you do it

3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk (or soy milk or rice milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Stir together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Cream the butter and sugar together and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture and stir until combined. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 3 Tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

And here's an amazing recipe I found for vegan snickerdoodles (ie, no eggs or cow's milk):

1 cup margarine

1-1/2 cups granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 Tablespoons soy milk whipped with 2 tbsp cornstarch (I needed more liquid than this and ended up dumping in an extra 1/4 cup or so of soy milk)

3 cups unbleached white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon tapioca starch or cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

4 Tablespoons granulated white sugar

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)

(I also added 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar because I love the flavor it lends these cookies.)

Preheat your oven to 300 F.

In a large bowl, cream the margarine and sugar together until smooth. Add the vanilla, and the cornstarch/soymilk mixture, and beat until well-mixed.

In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and tapioca/corn starch. Stir this into the wet ingredients and combine well.

In a very small bowl stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder (if desired).

Begin rolling the cookie dough into balls of about 3 Tablespoons each. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar/cocoa powder mixture until completely coated and place on an ungreased baking sheet. 

Continue until all the dough is used up. Using the bottom of a glass, press down on each ball until they are about an inch thick. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes, and no more. The cookies should still seem very soft when you remove them from the oven. Let cool on the pans for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire baking rack and let cool completely.

Hokey Pokey--confection at its finest. And easiest.

I remember peanut brittle being a staple around my grandmother's house during the holidays. I was always lukewarm on the peanuts, but I loved the "brittle". And now that I have a son with severe nut allergies, there's no way peanut brittle is coming within 100 feet of our house.

Hokey Pokey is a confection that hails from New Zealand (or so I learned while researching the recipe). And it is a lot like the "brittle", without the nuts. I've heard some compare it to the insides of the British Violet Crumble candy bar.

And it's so easy that I let my kids help me make it.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons dark corn syrup

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix the sugar and corn syrup together in a pan. Turn on heat and bring to a boiling, bubbling mass. Let it cook like this for at least three minutes (if it does not cook long enough, it won't harden. If you have a candy thermometer, you might want to check that the temp reaches 300 degrees. But my hokey pokey turned out fine without a thermometer.)

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. It should look like spun gold. Poor onto parchment paper or greased aluminum foil. Let harden (takes 15 to 20 minutes). Then crack it into small pieces.

If you want to step this recipe up a little, you could melt some chocolate, swirl the hokey pokey through it and let cool.

Noodle soup for needy people

Okay folks, this soup is fabulous. It takes a bit more effort than dumping a can of broth into a sauce pan, but not a whole lot more. And it's soooo savory. The ginger, brown sugar and cilantro complement each other to a tee.

This recipe came from Nigella Lawson's Express cookbook. And it's brilliant. Should I stop raving now?

Here's what you need and how you do it

4-6 ounces Udon noodles (spaghetti would also work fine)

3 cups chicken or veggie broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 star anise (and if you're like me, you're all star a-what? You can get it bulk in many grocery store spice sections. You can also skip it.)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

3/4 cup bean sprouts

3/4 cup sugar snap peas

3/4 cup shiitake (or crimini) mushrooms. Buy pre-sliced if you can.

1/2 cup bok choy whites (thinly sliced)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro

1 chicken breast, thinly sliced (can also use pork, beef or tofu), cooked

Cook noodles. When done, drain and split between two bowls.

Fill a saucepan with stock, soy sauce, sugar, star anise and ginger. Bring to a boil. Add the veggies and chicken. Remove star anise. Pour stock/veggie/chicken mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Half Assed Holiday Apps--Asparagus in proscuitto

This holiday season at Half Assed Kitchen we're simplifying your party-hopping by providing you with six weeks of Half Assed Holiday Apps. From now until just before New Years, check back for the best appetizers you can whip up with almost no effort.

The first ridiculously easy hors d' oeuvre is Asparagus in Proscuitto (or ham). Really, it's such a cinch and so impressive. Even its colors are Christmassy.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 lb. asparagus

1/2 lb. thinly sliced proscuitto or ham (I actually prefer ham, but the proscuitto is a little fancier)

1/2 lb. sliced provolone or cream cheese

1 lemon, juiced

Black pepper

Trim off tough ends of asparagus and steam for 5 minutes. Then toss with the juice of one lemon and black pepper, to taste.

Lay out slices of proscuitto (or ham). Layer each slice with one slice provolone or a smear of cream cheese. Place 1 or 2 spears of asparagus in the center and roll up.

Fingerlings with bacon

Image shot by  Andy Ciordia

Looking for a quick, stick-to-your-ribs sort of side dish? One that is elegant and hearty all at the same time?

Fingerlings with bacon is an easy crowd-pleaser.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

4 to 5 slices bacon

1 small onion, chopped

Salt

Pepper

Cook bacon in skillet. Once done, remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion and fingerlings to the lovely, bacony fat and cook until potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy.

Chop bacon into small bits and sprinkle over potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chunky veggie salad

This salad is so OBVIOUS and so incredibly HALF ASSED, we almost can't believe we're presenting it to you as if it's at all innovative. Because it's not. But sometimes you just need a little reminder of what your options are, right?

And, strangely, we had never considered concocting a salad like this until our friend Kara introduced us.

Here's what you need and how you do it

A variety of vegetables, chopped

Suggestions include: broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, red or yellow bell pepper, yellow squash

Salad dressing

Try this honey-mustard recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

Dash of salt

Few grinds of black pepper

Or check out Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing, which we think is excellent.

Baked apples in brandy

We're on a real dessert kick lately. Pumpkin ice cream pie, chocolate fudge baby cakes and now baked apples. 

Though, unlike the other sweets, you could kinda sorta convince yourself the apples have some nutritional value. Being fruit and all. That and baked apples are supremely easy and made with ingredients you probably have on hand.

And nothing (NOTHING) makes your house smell better than apples simmering in brandy and brown sugar.

Here's what you need and how you do it

4 apples (whatever variety you prefer)

Canola oil

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, room temperature

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

Several healthy splashes of brandy (or bourbon or whatever liquor you fancy. Amaretto?)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

4 teaspoons jam (any flavor, though apricot, fig or ginger work well)

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the butter, brown sugar, brandy, cinnamon, allspice, jam and raisins. Set aside.

Core the apples. A corer would really come in handy here, but I just did it with a sharp-pointed knife.

Pare a strip of skin around the middle of each apple (to keep them from bursting in the oven.)

Spray a small baking dish with canola oil and set apples inside. Fill apples with butter/brown sugar mixture. Drizzle remaining mixture around outside of apples.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until apples are tender and brown sugar mixture is syrupy. Serve with vanilla ice cream or cheese.

Baby cakes with fudge frosting

 

A few weeks ago we purchased our first pair of mini cupcake pans. And you know what? We're never going back to big. The "baby cakes" are satisfying enough to fulfill your strongest cupcake craving, but the smaller size is much more reasonable, not to mention less damaging to your waistline.

We like to use boxed cake mixes. Because we find them perfectly acceptable. And we've even been known to buy canned frosting.

However.

When you're looking for a really special, really chocolately icing, this fudgy recipe from Global Gourmet is, by far, our favorite. Even we at Half Assed Kitchen know that sometimes an occasion calls for something fabulous.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup half and half (or soy milk)

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (or not)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons instant decaf coffee dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water (optional)

Put the butter, granulated sugar and half-and-half in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Small bubbles will form around the edge of the pan. Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate and stir the mixture until it's smooth and all of the chocolate is melted. Return the saucepan to low heat for 1 minute, if necessary, to melt the chocolate completely.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and dissolved coffee and mix on low speed just to incorporate the powdered sugar. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the mixture and refrigerate until it is cool to the touch, about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the mixture cools throughout.

Beat the cooled chocolate mixture on medium-high for 1 minute, or until the frosting is creamy and lightens slightly in color. 

Start frosting your baby cakes!

Pumpkin ice cream pie

 

For years, since our oldest child was diagnosed with a severe egg allergy, we've been attempting to concoct egg-free pumpkin pies. But you know what, nothing can replicate the custardy texture that egg provides. So, this year we're giving up convention. We're making pumpkin ice cream pie. Because we're flexible like that.

We found the recipe over at Yahoo Shine and are champing at the bit to try it.

Not only does it look fantastic, but it's allegedly healthier than regular pumpkin pie.

Go here to check it out.

Skillet Spaghetti

 

This is another recipe from our grandparents' generation. I'm not sure how it's different from the goulash I posted in July, except that it's all made in one pan and boasts 1/4 cup of Heinz 57 sauce. Which I'd never used until trying this dish. (And, high fructose corn syrup...yum!)

Skillet Spaghetti (which uses no spaghetti at all, but a shorter, firmer pasta such as cavatappi) is a flavorful, filling dinner that's easy to whip up on a week night. Or, if you're lazy like me, any night.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey (I prefer turkey that is not all Breast...which is the same way I like my men.)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

1 lb. canned tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce (or just dump in extra tomatoes and skip this)

1/4 cup Heinz 57 sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cups uncooked pasta (Not spaghetti. I don't get it either. *Throws up hands* It's from the 50s.)

Brown the ground meat and onion. Drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with bread and a salad.