feeling creative

I took a break from the gym today to catch up a few things I had to do around the around. Yesterday I prepared the batter for the cocoa snowflake cookies and I baked them off today. I found this recipe in a catalog for Penzeys Spices. As these cookies are too rich to each more than one, I also made a batch of Amy's Oh's Very Best Cookies from the January 1996 issue of Gourmet Magazine. What I love about these cookies is that they don't taste sweet, contain oatmeal, raisins and chocolate chips! You can't beat that. 

When I was putting the cookies in a tin, I noticed that I forgot to add the chocolate chips to the recipe! A good point for having all your ingredients together before you start a recipe.

I still have some spiral ham left from Christmas dinner. Since I'm working the "fold patrol" shift tonight, I decided to prepare Ham and Swiss Cheese Frittata from the website Epicurious. I also parboiled some russet potatoes to make home fries and I purchased a loaf of ciabatta bread to go along with this breakfast for supper meal tonight. A cup of coffee rounded out my late day breakfast.

I must say the frittata was delicious. The sautéed peppers, along with the chives, gave the dish a wonderful taste. The use of three different color peppers made the presentation very nice. Now if my husband were just home to clean up the kitchen!

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Amy Oh's Very Best Cookies
from Gourmet Magazine/January 1996 
"Sugar and Spice" column

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy and beat in egg and vanilla until combined well. Gradually beat  in flour mixture and oats until combined well. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 11 minutes. With a spatula transfer cookies to racks to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

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Ham and Swiss Cheese Frittata
Gourmet Magazine December 1991
 
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 45 minutes or less
 
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped cooked ham
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Swiss cheese
 
In a 9-inch non-stick skillet cook the onion and the bell pepper with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the bell pepper is tender. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, the ham, 1/3 cup of the Swiss cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, add the bell pepper mixture, and stir the mixture until it is combined well.
 
In the skillet heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking, pour in the mixture, distributing the ham and bell pepper evenly, and cook the frittata, without stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edge is set but the center is still soft. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup Swiss cheese over the top. (If the skillet handle is plastic, wrap it in a double thickness of foil.) Broil the frittata under a preheated broiler and about 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden, and let cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a serving plate, cut it into wedges, and serve it warm or at room temperature.