30 Days A Vegan: Week 1

Day 1:

• Breakfast: Avocado Toast on Grain Bread and coffee with Califia Farms Almond Milk Creamer – If you’re looking for a non-dairy, low-fat, and/or low-calorie all natural creamer, I HIGHLY recommend this brand. I’ve had all 3 flavors, and they’re delicious. I started using them months ago, so this isn’t a vegan thing, it’s a delicous coffee thing.
• Lunch: Pasta with Asparagus, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Pesto, and Roast Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms, and Broccolini – I realized after the fact that I inadvertently strayed from full vegan here, as the pesto contains Parmesan cheese. #RookieMistake
• Dinner: Since it was #PizzaFriday, we ordered from Domino’s. I had a thin crust pizza with double mushroom, black olives, diced tomatoes, green pepper, and onions, and no cheese, and a mixed green salad with simple vinaigrette. – I know, I know, pizza without cheese? Is that really pizza? Call it a veggie flatbread if it makes you feel better, but it was delicious, and I didn’t miss the cheese at all. Seriously.
• Snacks: Marcoa almonds while waiting for our pizza. Oh, and cocktails. Is it Friday night without a cocktail?
• Thoughts: This was a rather easy day, and set me up for a good start. What I knew before this, and is even more evident now, is that this type of diet (definition a, b, or c, not d) will require more planning and prep than I’ve had to do previously. Really, not a bad thing at all, but something to take into consideration.

Day 2:

• Breakfast: Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Zucchini Grillini, no cheese, and Organic Vegetable Soup from Jason’s Deli – This was our first trip to a Jason’s, and we’re already excited to go back. The menu looked awesome, the salad bar was STOCKED with some great options and healthy grain salads to top your greens, and they have free ice cream. That’s right, FREE ICE CREAM. Of course, I couldn’t have any, but what a cool option available for young and old alike as an incentive to finish their meal.
• Dinner: Portobello Tacos with Vegan Jalapeno Sauce – I’ve “warned” Jim we’d probably be enjoying a lot of Mexican food, as the easiest way to enjoy any vegetable is to wrap it in a tortilla and top with salsa. These were delicious, and my first experiment with cashew based sauces. Great flavor, but I wish I would have had time to soak the cashews longer, our errands that day took longer than expected, and added another jalapeno for kick.
• Snacks: Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole and Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas – Tequila is vegan, right?
• Thoughts: Again, I’m pretty early into this experiment, so it wasn’t too tough, but I did find myself wanting a cookie from the jar in the kitchen and ice cream during lunch, but it wasn’t too difficult to tell myself no. I also stocked up at Trader Joe’s on some staples for future meals, as well as some treats such as Honey Roasted Almond slices for salads and snacking, as well their Frozen Coconut Dessert With Chocolate, which basically just tasted like delicious chocolate ice cream with a faint hint of coconut. Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Day 3:

• Breakfast: Leftover Portobello Tacos with Jalapeno Sauce and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Leftover pizza from Friday and veggie sandwich from Saturday
• Dinner: Snack plate of veggies, hummus, and pita chips
• Snacks: Prosecco 🙂
• Thoughts: Anything is doable when it’s enjoyed with bubbles!

Day 4:

• Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding, Avocado Toast, and Coffee
• Lunch: Snack plate of veggies, hummus, and pita chips
• Dinner: Sautéed mushroom, asparagus, and onions with jalapeños, corn, and kale over quinoa topped with jalapeño cashew sauce
• Snacks: Republic of Tea’s Coconut Cocoa Tea with Coconut Milk
• Thoughts: The struggle was real today. I was on my own with the kids for dinner, and I had the idea to go to Culver’s to get take-out. I could have a veggie burger and sweet potato fries, right? Wrong! The veggie burgers contained cheese. Luckily I had looked it up before getting into line. My alternate dinner was good, but I was really hoping for some sweet potato fries. In other news, that PB&J Chia Pudding was AMAZING. Seriously, so, so good. And easy too. I think it took me all of 10 minutes to mix it up into 5 servings for some quick weekday breakfasts. Can’t wait to try other flavor combinations. <runs off to google some more chia pudding recipes before bed>

Day 5:

• Breakfast: Caramel Latte with Coconut Milk & Fruit Cup from Starbucks
• Lunch: Panera’s Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with almonds
• Dinner:  Out with a Friend for Mexican: DIEZ VECES MÁS LOCO VEGETARIANO: Zucchini, red peppers, green peppers, carrots, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, with Rice and Beans … and chips, salsa, and table-side guacamole. Obviously.
• Snacks: n/a … which lead to the massive amounts of chips and salsa consumed at dinner

Day 6:

• Breakfast: PB&J Chia Seed Pudding and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Mediterranean Salad from Potbelly with no chicken or cheese
• Dinner: Vegetable Sushi Rolls with Sesame Miso Kale Salad
• Snacks: Popcorn and Rosé
• Thoughts: Real talk. This evening I sniffed the cookie jar like I was part vacuum, but I resisted a bite of the delicious smelling butter and egg filled baked goods.

Day 7:

• Breakfast: Trader Joe’s Frozen Steelcut Oatmeal with bananas, cinnamon, and brown sugar and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Leftover Veggie Fajitas with Sweet Potato Chips, Guacamole, and Salsa
• Dinner: Veggie Sub on Wheat from Subway and a Riverwest Stein from Lakefront Brewery
• Snacks: n/a
• Thoughts: Thus ends week 1. Overall, there were difficult parts, but it was easier than I expected. That being said, it was an odd week for our family, without as many family dinners as we usually have, i.e. 6 or 7 rather than 2. Next week should be more of a challenge, as we’re back to the usual routine, and my goal in all of this is to share as little resemblance as possible with a short order cook. Basically, I want my meals to parallel those of the rest of the family, with as few changes as possible to make mine vegan.

 

Now, onto week 2!

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart with Marshmallow Topping

I am truly starting to believe that this is the devil in cake form. It’s going to be the death of me, or, at the very least, the fatness of me. It’s just so good that I can’t leave it alone. I should just throw it away and dump coffee grounds over the top, but, shamefully, I can see digging through for more fancy s’mores-esuqe goodness. Anyone remember this scene from Sex and the City?

I found the original recipe on What’s Cookin’ Chicago?, and made it this summer. While it was delicious, I can’t say I was the biggest fan of the meringue topping. It just wasn’t my thing, and doesn’t keep all that well, so you really have to eat it the same day it’s topped. If you like meringue, try it, otherwise, go with my changes noted below and enjoy you decadent chocolate tart with a thick layer of toasted marshmallow. Yum!

Crust:

• 1/3 cup Hazelnuts
  
• 1 stick unsalted Butter at room temperature + more for greasing pans
  
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
  
• 2 tsp Frangelico liqueur
  
• ¼ tsp Salt
  
• ¾ cup Flour
  

Ganache:

• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  
• 1/8 tsp Salt
  
• 1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise
  
• 7 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
  

Marshmallow Frosting:

• 4 large Egg Whites, room temperature
  
• 1 cups Sugar
  
• ¼ tsp. Cream of Tartar
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  

Directions:

Hazelnut Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With your fingers, butter four 4 3/8-inch, 1-cup capacity tartlet pans, using about 1 generous tablespoon softened unsalted butter total.
   
2. Arrange the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. (Alternatively, you can place them in a dry nonstick skillet and toast the hazelnuts on the stovetop.) Immediately gather the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins. Chop the nuts and set aside.
   
3. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the Frangelico liqueur and salt. Gradually add the flour and combine on low speed until just incorporated. Add the hazelnuts and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, divide into 4 equal portions, and press into the prepared pans, making sure the dough comes up to the top edge of the pans.
   
5. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes on racks. (Don’t worry if the tart bottoms look wrinkly.) At this point, the crusts can be cooled and stored in airtight containers for up to 2 days.
   

Ganache:

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, butter, salt and vanilla bean. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
   
2. Remove the pan from the heat and take out the vanilla beak halves. Using a paring knife, scrape out the vanilla pad’s tiny black beans and add them to the cream mixture.
   
3. Put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
   
4. Spoon the ganache into the tart shells, dividing it evenly among them. Refrigerate the tarts at least 30 minutes, or until the ganache is set.
   

Marshmallow Frosting:

1. Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler, or set your clean, dry mixer bowl over simmering water, to avoid dirtying two bowls. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer, or the mixture no longer feels grainy between your fingers.
   
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined.
   
3. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker segments (optional).

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but Jim loves cheesecake. I’ve always been so-so about it, because it’s one of those things that’s either really good or really bad. To me, there’s really no in-between. I tend to like the New York style cheesecakes that aren’t too sweet, but are quite rich and have a nice cream cheesy flavor. That isn’t to say that they can’t have anything else going on, but, if your favorite is the super sweet no-bake style on the Philadelphia box, we won’t have to worry about fighting over the last bite, you can have it.

I’ve had a little luck trying a few recipes on Jim that I think he enjoyed, but when I saw this recipe on the King Arthur website, I knew we’d have a winner. I mean, salted caramel combined with a delicious cheesecake? How could it not be a winner? It didn’t disappoint in the least. Not overly sweet with great flavors of caramel and nuts. I highly recommend giving it a try if you’re in the market for a delicious dessert to share.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  
• ¾ cup pecan meal or ground pecans
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  

Filling:

• 1 ½ pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
  
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1 /4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon Pralines and Cream Flavor, optional
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp King Arthur Touch of Gold Caramel Sauce or your favorite
  
• ½ cup cream or half & half
  

Directions:

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9″ springform pan.
   
2. Mix the crust ingredients till crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 1″ up the sides of the prepared pan; prick with a fork.
   
3. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, till light golden brown. Remove it from the oven; reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
   

Filling:

1. Mix the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and flavor at low speed until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
   
2. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.
   
3. Stir in the ½ cup of caramel sauce and cream.
   
4. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth. Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the cake, and drag a toothpick through to swirl.
   
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and bake 15 minutes more, until the edges of the cake are set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2″ from the edge reads 170°F.
   
6. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour.
   
7. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it at room temperature for 1 hour.
   
8. Refrigerate for 8 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Apple, Blue Cheese, and Candied Pistachio Salad

As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve been enjoying, as Jim calls them, fruit and nut salads a lot recently. They’re a great weeknight meal, and it’s great how widely the flavors can vary depending on the green/fruit/nut/dressing/cheese combination you go with. I made this one on Friday to go along with a seafood gratin I was serving for dinner, and was told that this interpretation of the European Salad from Pistachio Health was Jim’s favorite. Go me! J

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup Orange Juice
  
• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, I use white
  
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Pistachios:

• 1 Egg White
  
• ¼ Sugar
  
• 1 cup Pistachios
  

Salad:

• 6 to 8 cups Salad Greens
  
• 1 large Granny Smith Apple, chopped
  
• ½ cup Craisins
  
• ½ cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
  

Directions:

Dressing:

1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients and drizzle desired amount over salad.
   

Pistachios:

1. Preheat oven to 375⁰. In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and sugar. Fold in 1 cup whole Sunkist Pistachio Kernels.
   
2. Spread pistachios in a single layer on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time or until sugar looks bubbly.
   
3. Loosen pistachios and let cool for 10 minutes. Store in airtight container until ready to use.
   

Salad:

1. In large bowl, toss half the candied pistachios with the salad greens, ¾ of the apples, craisins, and cheese. Arrange onto salad plates; sprinkle with remaining apples, craisins, blue cheese and candied pistachios.

Meg’s Harvest Salad

This recipe is quite famous. Well, famous within our family. My cousin Megan, who is a fairly well-known equestrian and owner of Vintage View Farms in Mequon (plug, plug), came up with this delicious mix, and we started to request it so often that she finally wrote it down for us. I hadn’t had it in a while, but when Jim recently requested, “One of those fruit and nut salads you’ve been making lately” for dinner, this mix of nuts, cheese, and cranberries popped into my head.

This was just as yummy as I remember, maybe even more so, as I’ve developed a love for blue cheeses that I didn’t have 5 years ago. I made only slight changes such as using white balsamic and toasting the nuts to bring out their flavor. Make a batch of the dressing, and keep it in the refrigerator for this and any other salad you can whip up, as the flavors are quite versatile.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar, I prefer white
  
• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 2 Tbsp Honey
  
• 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
  
• 2 Tbsp Chives, finely minced
  
• ½ tsp Salt
  
• ½ tsp Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 1 tsp Lime Juice, fresh
  

Salad:

• ¼ cup Pine Nuts
  
• ¼ cup Walnuts, chopped
  
• ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds
  
• ½ cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
  
• ½ cup Dried Cranberries
  
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
  
• 1 to 2 heads Romaine, washed and torn
  
• 2 to 4 cups Lettuce Mix: your choice of escarole, green leaf, red leaf and/or parsley, etc.
  

Directions:

Dressing:

1. Add all ingredients into a lidded jar. Seal tightly and shake until combined and slightly thickened.
   

Salad:

1. In a dry skillet, lightly toast the pine nuts and walnuts. Add in bowl with dressing and all other ingredients except for lettuce. Let sit for up to 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
   
2. To serve, place lettuce in a large serving bowl and top with dressing mixture. Toss and enjoy.    

    

Dressing: Servings – 12 / WW Points – 3 pts per serving per 2 Tbsp serving

Salad: Servings – 8 / WW Points – 4 pts

Lime Angel Food Cake with Lime Glaze and Pistachios

Did you know I love to cook and entertain? I really, really do. Even if there is no one around, I’ll plate food as if I was on a cooking show. If it’s just our family, I see nothing odd about making a three course meal complete with dessert. I know for some, okay most, this is weird, but to me, it’s fun and relaxing. So, the fact that I woke up on a Sunday morning to make this cake for no particular reason other than wanting to, should not be surprising for anyone who knows, or is just getting to know, me.

When I was planning our weekend meals, which are usually a little more involved than those on weekdays since I have more time, I thought Sunday would be a good day for a nice summer meal of Spiced Chicken Bites, Corn on the Cob, Watermelon, and this cake from Bon Appétit’s April 2010 issue. Turns out that, when I’m right, I am right on. Although it was a little time consuming, this cake was delicious, and the perfect complement to a hot day and a spicy lunch. The cake itself is not overly sweet, with a slight tang from the lime zest. Then you get an extra zingy sweetness from the lime simple syrup and glaze, and finally a crunch from the pistachios. Perfection.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup Cake Flour
  
• 1 ½ cups Superfine Sugar, divided
  
• ¼ tsp Salt
  
• 10 large Egg Whites, room temperature
  
• 2 tsp Lime Zest
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
  

Lime Syrup & Glaze:

• ½ cup Sugar
  
• 4 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice, divided
  
• ½ cup Unsalted Raw Pistachios (about 2 ounces), finely chopped in processor or with a rolling pin and some muscles
  
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
  

Directions:

Cake:

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Sift flour, 1/2 cup superfine sugar, and salt into medium bowl; repeat sifting 3 times.
   
2. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, lime peel, and vanilla on medium speed in large bowl until frothy (mixture may turn neon green but color will change when remaining ingredients are added). Add cream of tartar; increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form.
   
3. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle 1/3 of flour mixture over whites and gently fold in until incorporated. Fold in remaining flour mixture in 2 more additions just until incorporated. Transfer to ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan with 4-inch-high sides and removable bottom (do not use nonstick pan); smooth top.
   
4. Bake cake until pale golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Immediately invert cake onto work surface if pan has feet, or invert center tube of pan onto neck of bottle or metal funnel and cool cake completely.
   
5. Using long thin knife, cut around cake sides and center tube to loosen. Lift out center tube with cake still attached; run knife between cake and bottom of pan to loosen. Invert cake onto rack, then turn cake over, rounded side up. Set rack with cake atop rimmed baking sheet.
   

Lime Syrup & Glaze:

1. Combine sugar and 3 tablespoons lime juice in small saucepan; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Brush syrup all over top and sides of cake. Immediately press pistachios onto top and sides of cake, pressing to adhere.
   
2. Stir powdered sugar with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Let stand until glaze sets, about 10 minutes. DO AHEAD Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.
   
3. Transfer cake to platter; cut into wedges and serve.

 

Servings – 12

WW Points – 5 pts per slice

Dijon Chicken Pasta with Cremini Mushrooms and Almonds

When I saw this recipe on the blog Rock Recipes, I thought it looked delicious, but the 2 cups of cream it called for screamed not too figure friendly to anyone paying attention. I was able to reduce the cream substantially, while still keeping the flavor and a bit of richness. I also used a whole wheat pasta instead of the fresh, as this increased the overall fiber content of the finished dish. We’ll definitely be having this again, and I may be enjoying the leftovers for lunch this afternoon.

Servings: 4 / POINTS Value: 7

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Whole Grain Linguine, cooked according to package directions
  
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
  
• 8 oz Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• Salt and pepper to season
  
• ¼ cup Slivered Almonds, toasted
  
• 2 oz White Wine
  
• ½ cup Whipping Cream
  
• ½ cup Chicken Broth
  
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, a combination of smooth and course ground is best
  
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, minced
  

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, garlic, season with salt and pepper and brown, turning only once or twice, until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and hold in a warm oven.
2. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and brown, turning only once or twice, cooking for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir until wine has reduced by half.
4. Stir in cream, broth, and mustard. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce as reduced by half and thickened.
5. Add chicken back to the pan along with the cooked pasta. Stir to warm through and add parsley. Sprinkle with almonds as you plate portions to serve.

Bananas Foster Chewies

I had an overripe banana, some toffee bits, and walnuts, so I decided to try to use them all together. Not a bad first attempt, Carter loved them for breakfast, but I think I’ll keep working on them, as I wish they were “fuller” and not as flat as they ended up turning out. Oh, but now that I think about it, they would probably make a good ice cream sandwich . . .

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ lb Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Overripe Banana
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Oats
• 1 cup Toffee Bits
• 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
• 1 ½ cups Walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the banana and vanilla, then the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
4. Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a small cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon.
5. Bake for 10 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Cookies with Cherries & Pistachios

I based these off of the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk cookies. Say that 3 times fast!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups White Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Dried Cherries
• 1 cup Pistachios, lightly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate.
3. Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Bake for exactly 11 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Oatmeal & Pecans

I have been trying to find a new chocolate chip cookie recipe that I like as much as the one on the back of the Nestle bag. It’s tough, because it’s a darn good and consistent recipe, but I think I have a new favorite. I started with Ina’s recipe for Chocolate Chunk Cookies in Barefoot Contessa Parties!, and made a few modifications. I like pecans over walnuts for my cookies, and I threw in some oats for texture. These turned out better than I could have hoped, and had that nice balance of a slight crunch and chewy texture.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound, 4 sticks, unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 Cups Oats
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups chopped Pecans
• 24 oz. semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰.
2. Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined.
5. Add in oats and mix until combined.
6. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chunks.
7. Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Use the back of the scoop to flatten the dough slightly.
8. Bake for exactly 15 minutes, the cookies will seem underdone, but that keeps them chewy. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

. . . that is only if you can resist the temptation of a warm chocolate chunk cookie and an ice cold glass of milk.