Iced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Sausage & Shrimp Jambalaya - Strawberry Not-So-Short-Cake

I've been cooking and baking alot lately... so much in fact that I haven't even had time to take pictures and blog on all the recipes! Not to mention working nonstop, getting my alcohol certification so I can bartend AT work, celebrating birthdays and holidays aka making sure I still have a social life in between everything else... etc. But I had a little extra time today in between planning appetizers, side dishes, and my dessert to make for tonight's special dinner. It's my stepdad's birthday and he loves just about all food. He's not picky which I found makes it more difficult than easy to pick things out for this dinner....

I settled on simple Cucumber Sandwiches for my appetizer because I have been slaving over the oven all day making the birthday cake and wanted to take the easy way out.. I won't lie. My side dish is Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary which will go along side the Cajun BBQ Shrimp that my brother's agreed to make along with Crab Rangoon and a giant salad... which will, of course, be up to me the Salad Queen.

But I did make a favorite recipe of mine for the second time in about 2 weeks the other day. This actually came from over at Two Peas and Their Pod which Maria made. The second I saw them I was determined to have them and they were an A+ cookie let me tell ya. If you love Oatmeal Raisin cookies and you especially love chewy cookies with a little icing drizzle over the top, this is the best one you can choose.

So delicious and only uses 4 tbsp. of butter! Can't beat that! Plus a REAL maple syrup glaze to drizzle over the top... it's the perfect Fall treat. I brought these to my boyfriend's house for his Dad's birthday and the whole family was obsessed with them.... they even had some for breakfast with coffee! Smart idea. :)


Last night's dinner choice was spur of the moment while at the grocery store... I wanted something filling, warm, and was craving rice rather than pasta for a nice carb-y meal. Jambalaya is a great combination of all different textures and tastes.. We added chicken sausage and shrimp to give it some protein (which were amazing choices) substituted brown rice for the regular white long-grain rice, and ended up using canned & peeled whole tomatoes just to make life a little easier. I'm not a big fan of peeling fresh tomatoes.

The end result was just what we were looking for. I can't do spicey things and this recipe calls for 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper... that's it! But you could still feel the heat when you took your first bite. The recipe can be found here... I followed it to a "T" minus the chicken; instead I boiled 1 lb. of chicken sausage for about 10 minutes and then sliced the links into 1/2" rounds and threw them in when I added the shrimp. Mmmmm-mmmmm!


Moving onto today, my stepdad's birthday... Dessert was finally decided a few hours ago and I began getting right down to it... The recipe is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Show and it's original name "Country Strawberry Cake" didn't seem as fitting as Not-so-short Strawberry Shortcake.... Rather than using one 8"x 8" pan and slicing the cake in half, I used both pans and kept them whole forming a much higher and beautiful looking cake. It has all the tastes you crave from a good homemade shortcake. The cake has a hint of citrus flavor from the lemon & orange zest and you still get a tiny hit of the sour cream when you take a bite. The whipped topping is simple minus ONE little problem.

I don't do gelatin. Never have before today... and I may try again because I don't give up but when I thought the gelatin had dissolved, I was sorely mistaken and ended up with little, almost pale yellow chunks of solidified gelatin in my whipped topping! Not too pretty on a perfectly white cake... It makes alot of topping and even after loading on about 1" to each layer, I had half a mixing bowl leftover so I kept it refridgerated (always good to put on top of a cookie last minute) but the end result was gorgeous... Now to wait and hear the results of the taste test!

UPDATE: Absolutely delicious!! Tasted just like the freshest strawberry shortcake... definitely a keeper in my book.

The middle layer is filled with strawberries side to side but who doesn't like a few extra on top?

In order to stack the cake evenly and make it look more even, I shaved the top of both cake layers with a serated knife... takes 2 seconds and the best part is you can sample the scraps to see how well you did P.S. I did this and could barely stop picking.... forcing me to throw out the rest of the scraps before it got ugly.

A very fluffy layer of whipped topping on the first layer....

Cover the first layer with as many strawberries as you like... I was running low on them so I decided to do one thin layer with just enough that you'd get strawberry in every bite.

And ready for tasting!!


Strawberry Not-So-Short Cake:

-1-1/2 sticks butter at room temp.

-2 c. sugar

-4 large eggs at room temp.

-3/4 c. sour cream at room temp.

-1/2 tsp. lemon zest

-1/2 tsp. orange zest

-1/2 tsp. vanilla

-2 c. flour

-1/4 c. cornstarch

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. baking soda

Whipped Cream Frosting:

-2 tsp. gelatin

-4 c. heavy cream

-1 c. confectioners sugar

- 4 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Turn oven on to 350 degrees and butter bottom of two 8" x 8" pans; line with parchment paper, butter again, and flour the pans.
• Cream butter & sugar on high speed.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, then sour cream, zests, & vanilla.
• Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt & baking soda.
• Slowly add flour to the butter mixture.
• Pour evenly into 2 pans, smooth the tops & bake 40-45 mins (this is according to Ina's recipe - I cooked them for exactly 30 minutes and they came out just right - may want to check after 30 to prevent overbaking)
• Let cook in pans 30 mins then remove to wire rack and let cool to room temp.

Make the Whipped Topping:

• In a medium bowl, mix gelatin and 1/4 c. of the heavy cream
• Let rest for 5 mins. to soften; then place the bowl over barely simmering water until gelatin has dissolved (takes longer than you think!)
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, whip the cream until slightly thickened.
• Add confectioners sugar and vanilla and whip to consistency of shaving cream.
• Fold 1/2 c. of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture, then fold in the rest.
• Assemble the cake by leveling one cake layer, frosting generously, topping with sliced strawberries, then top with the 2nd cake layer (leveled) and frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Decorate with additional strawberries on top.

"Crab" Cakes & Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every woman is "lucky" enough (and I use the term loosely) to get a few days each month prior to 4-5 God awful days following it, where it is socially acceptable to be less than nice to people at any minute, wear your pajamas all day long, complain, and of course.. each sweets by the handfuls. Today....was that day (sorry if thats too much info for you) but it was... & I knew exactly what I wanted the second I woke up this morning. Even during my morning run I thought with each stride and every time my foot hit the pavement "Cookies. Cookies. COOKIES.". And I meant Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not just any cookies mind you; soft, chewy, warm from the oven, absolutely irresistable cookies. And fortunately, thats what I got.

Throw in a cup of almonds to any chocolate chip cookie recipe (or whatever nuts you prefer) and it's instantly heaven in your mouth. I've had two so far and I can tell you this is not going to be one of my normal days where I can have one cookie after dinner and be satisfied. I'll be surprised to see any less than 5 cookies enter this mouth of mine before the nights over! I guess tomorrow morning will consist of kicking my own butt with a workout it looks like because I cant stay away from these... ;)


Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies:
-2 sticks butter; room temp
-3/4 c. white sugar
-3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2-1/4 c. flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
-1 c. chopped nuts of your choice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil.
• Cream the butter in a bowl.
• Add white sugar and brown sugar and mix until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time mixing well in between each addition.
• Add vanilla to the mixture.
• In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt
• Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet ingredients, mixing well in between each addition.
• Add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheets and bake 12-14 mins. (mine came out perfectly soft with a little crunch around the edges at 12 mins total)
  

I mixed semi-sweet chocolate chips with about a cup of chopped almonds... didn't chop the nuts too finely because I love big crispy bites to still remain in the cookies..

Delicious, thick batter! Why even put them in the oven, I could eat it with a spoon out of the bowl...

Perfection *sigh* just the right antidote for what ails ya :)

The "Crab" Cakes luckily came first before my meal of cookies... I've been craving crab cakes for some time ever since I had the most delicious appetizer portion of these at Time Out Taverne in Madison. They were deep fried, however, which I'm not a huge fan of therefore I only sampled about 3/4 of one small cake but with ME holding the spatula and controlling the fat going into the cakes, I was able to create a fantastic last minute dinner for myself.

I can't call these crab cakes because they're definitely faux crab... I used imitation crabmeat (I know, I know) but it's what I had in the freezer and our kitchen is stuffed to the brim in every cabinet, drawer, etc. and it was time to clear it out. I also had alot of shrimp on hand so I made a mixture of the two for the "meat" portion of the crab cake. Making a few minor alterations (and failing completely at my first attempt to cook up these babies) resulted in some overall crispy on the outside, moist on the inside "crab" cakes... perfect with just a bit of fresh lemon juice squeezed on top and a side salad!

"Crab" Cakes:

-12 oz. crabmeat (I used 8 oz. imitation, 4 oz. chopped shrimp)

-1 cup breadcrumbs

-1 egg, slightly beaten

-1/4 c. green onions (I added a few tablespoons of chopped white onion also)

-1/4 c. chopped Red pepper

-1/4 c. reduced-fat mayo

-1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

-1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

-1 tbsp. butter

Directions:

• Combine crab/shrimp, 1/3 c. of breadcrumbs, the egg, onions, red pepper, mayo, garlic powder, lemon juice,, & cayenne pepper in a bowl.
• Divide into 8 even balls.
• Roll in the remaining 2/3 c. of breadcrumbs.
• Flatten to 1/2" thickness.
• Cook in the butter, 3-4 minutes per side; drain on paper towel and serve with fresh squeezed lemon juice over the top; serve hot.

Calamari Stew & Banana-Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Today was a "comforting food" day beginning with breakfast all the way through to my dessert after dinner... First of all, I wish I had captured a picture of my oatmeal this morning.. just a hint of sweetness from the real VT maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg, a few slivers of almonds and it just melts in your mouth and sticks with you longer than anything else, which is why I became such a fan of it on days when I'm racing back and forth all through the afternoon and won't have time to eat or even remember lunch... like today.

An interview after breakfast (which I aced, by the way) led me to Panera Bread which was in the same plaza as the company so I of course needed coffee by this point and sprinkled a little cinnamon in that too with just a splah of skim milk. I'm not sure what it was about that batch of coffee but it tasted perfect... just made, not too strong, and gave me a nice little pick me up.

And the Bridgewater Fair was in town so I of course needed to go to that with my mom, stepdad, and my Grandma. It was actually too hot out today to be TOO happy to be there unfortunately. I was getting dizzy spells every so often and it was not pretty... I did see the largest albino pumpkin I've ever seen before...

The other downside of the extreme humidity is the affect it has on my hunger. I was cranky and couldn't even think about eating any of the steaming roast beef sandwiches piled with horseradish sauce, giant 1/2 BBQ chickens, burgers, pizza, etc. But I happily settled for a delicious and refreshing snack of pineapple on a stick, a few pretzels with some homemade dips (like Chardonnay yum yum), and a piece of real Vermont cheddar cheese.

Now dinner was another story... I took Giada's recipe for Calamari Stew and tweaked it just a bit to add even more comfort elements. For me that includes onions, garlic, and a perfect sauce for dipping bread in. I also threw in a littel parsley for color. The sauce ended up a little spicey for my liking but a glass of good wine was all I needed to fix that ;) It was filling, with intense flavors, and satisfied my need for something almost home-y tasting.

Giada's Calamari Stew: (usually serves 6 - this is the recipe halved)
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, cut in half
-1/2 one small onion
-1 c. good marinara/tomato sauce
-1/2 c. dry white wine
-1/2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme leaves
-1 pinch red pepper flakes (I substituted a dash of cayenne pepper)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-1 cup thinly sliced rounds of drained and cleaned calamari

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat & add onions and garlic until onions become slightly translucent
• Remove the garlic & onions from the pan
• Add the tomato sauce, wine, thyme, a couple chopped parsley leaves, red pepper, salt & pepper
• Bring the mixture to a simmer
• Add the calamari and onions/garlic back into the saucepan and cook another 5 mins or so.
• Serve with toasted garlic bread

Next came dessert... I've made these moist and chewy cookies before with the original recipe but because our house is overrun with fresh blueberries, I decide to sub out the chocolate chips and throw in the blueberries instead. This recipe comes from a book I consider my Bible... Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel. Its full of healthy, easy recipes (some vegan options and organic substitutions included) that just about anyone can handle... I've already cooked my way through the majority of the book and I've gone back to this recipe today to retry it with fruit rather than chocolate.



Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (or Blueberry) Cookies:
-1-1/2 c. oat flour
-3/4 c. rolled oats
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 c. raw sugar
-1/3 c. chocolate chips (I used a little more than 1/3 c. of blueberries... give or take an extra small handful)
-1 tsp. canola oil
-1/3 c. soymilk or 1%, 2%, etc.
-1/2 c. banana puree (about 1 medium banana)
-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl & combine all wet ingredients in a seperate bowl
• Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until well combined
• Fold in the chocolate chips (or blueberries) to the batter
• Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper
• Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, or bake until the edges of the cookies are light brown.