Peanut Butter Cookies .
Yields: 2 dozen
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter 1/2 cup superfine sugar 1/2 cup unrefined light brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup (8 oz.) crunchy peanut bitter Pinch of salt
Sift the flour and baking soda together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars until soft and creamy. Combine the egg, flour mixture, peanut butter and salt. Add the butter and sugar mixture until smooth.
Wrap the dough in foil or parchment and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Basic Fried Rice
Serving: 4
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided 3 eggs, beaten 2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sliced dark green portion for garnish) 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves) 1 tablespoon minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece) 1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1-2 carrots) 1-2 fresh chilies like jalapenos or Thai chilies, to taste, seeded and minced (optional) 4 cups cooked rice, at room temperature 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce 1. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour beaten egg into pan and swirl egg around to coat entire bottom of pan. When egg is beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes, break it up into pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, and remove from pan.
2. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes. (If bacon begins to burn, lower heat to medium.)
3. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, carrot and (if using) chilies to pan, and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic becomes golden. Return cooked egg to pan. 4. Add rice and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow rice and egg to become hot. Turn heat down to medium-low, and pour soy sauce over rice. The pan may be quite full (depending on its size), so stir carefully to allow even distribution of soy sauce throughout rice.
5. Taste for salt, and add an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you like. Sprinkle with reserved dark green scallion slices to serve.
Variations: * Add chopped raw shrimp (1/4-1/3 pound) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot. * Add small cubes of firm tofu (about 1/2 cup) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot. * Stir in small pieces of leftover cooked chicken just before adding rice to pan. * For a mellower pork flavor, try pancetta instead of bacon. * For Thai-style fried rice, sprinkle 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce over mixture before returning egg to pan, and squeeze juice from half a lime over rice just before serving. * To get more of your vegetables, slice raw green beans (about 1/4-1/3 cup) very thin (1/8 inch) and add along with scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot. |