Everyday Oatmeal Cookies

Looking for a classic? I’ve got the perfect thing for you. If you’re looking for a classic oatmeal cookie that is. This cookie was just what I was looking for last week. I wanted something simple, hearty, and delicious. Special enough for dessert, but also the perfect afternoon snack with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. This cookie fit the bill perfectly. Toasted oats, butter, and cinnamon mixed with a handful of chopped nuts and dried fruit. So good. I promise, it is so good.

I made a few small changes to the original recipe. I cut back just a smidge on the sugar, from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup. I didn’t miss it at all. I also toasted the oats at 350 for about 15 minutes prior to mixing. This helped really bring out a nice toasted oat flavor, and a little extra crunch to the final cookie. You could skip this step, but I highly recommend it and it isn’t very difficult at all. You can just toast the oats up on the same cookie sheet that you plan on baking the cookies on. You don’t even have to wash another pan!

Finally, I used a mix of dried cranberries, almonds and pecans as add ins for this cookie and it was delicious. But you can use any combination of nuts, seeds, fruits and chocolate. Any of these options are sure to be good. Enjoy!

Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour, or a mix of half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 - 2 1/2 cups of your favorite add ins (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, coconut, etc)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown and a nice toasty smell is coming from your oven. Watch the oats carefully to ensure they do not get too dark. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes while you put the rest of the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, combine softened butter and brown sugar. Beat together using an electric hand beater until slightly more pale and fluffy. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.

In a small bowl whisk together flour baking soda, spices, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture slowly beating on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the oats, and whatever add-ins you’ve decided on.

Using a cookie scoop, portion out cookies on baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Yields: 12 cookies
Approximate nutrition: 190 calories (without add-ins)

Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes

Over the past few months I've become a big fan of lentils. Until recently I had never tried a lentil, but now I've had them in several dishes and really like them a lot. They don't have a lot of flavor, so you can add them to a lot of different things and they don't change the taste of the dish much. I first bought them because I was looking for a cheap and easy to store protein source. Lentils are a high-fiber, protein-rich legume that cook quickly without any need for presoaking or anything like that. There are a lot of different kinds of lentils, but so far I've only used green lentils, they stay firm and don't get mushy when you cook them. As I've used them they have really grown on me and now I like them a lot. If you've never tried them before, go out and pick up a bag, you really have no reason not to.

This is one of the lentil recipes I've tried recently. It was very simple, hearty and extremely healthy. Basically it is just vegetables, lentils and spices, that's it. Throw it all together in a pot and let it cook for 40 minutes, dinner is served. This recipe uses carrots, onions and tomatoes, but you could really do whatever you wanted and whatever you like best, it is really versatile. In the end it turns into a really thick stew. If you wanted you could add more liquid and make it into more of a soup, either way would work I think. Slice up some nice crusty bread for dipping and you have a delicious and healthy meal, perfect for a cold, blustery night.

Chop just a few veggies

Throw them into the pot

Grab the rest of the ingredients

Once the veggies soften, add the tomatoes...

...lentils...

...and spices

Stir it all together, cover and cook

40 minutes later

A nice, hearty bowl

Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes
From Smitten Kitchen, originally from Barefoot Contessa at Home
Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons good olive oil
• 2 cups large-diced yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups large-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
• 1 cup French green lentils (7 ounces)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and the carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.

Meanwhile,  coarsely chop the tomatoes, either in a food processor or use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut them into piece right in the can. Rinse and pick over the lentils to make sure there are no stones in the package.

Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper to the pan. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Check occasionally to be sure the liquid is still simmering. Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to sit covered for another 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, season to taste and serve hot.