Perfect Oatmeal Cookies (crispy)

My Mr.Tasteful is not a huge sweets type of gentlemen. When he chooses to have anything sweet, there are only a select few deserts he craves. One of his favorites are oatmeal raisin cookies. This recipe is focused on the perfect crisp oatmeal cookie, I added chocolate chips to this batch I took pictures of.

One tip I highly recommend is gathering and pre-measuring your ingredients, like they do on those cooking shows. You dont need fancy glass bowls, but whats stopping you if you want to! Because of my budget I am just going to make use with what I have.

Recipe for Perfect Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup butter room temperature (quick tip: place in microwave on DEFROST for 30 sec at a time until soft, not melted.My microwave took me 1 min and 30 sec)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 large egg, room temperature (quick tip:before you crack egg open place in lukewarm water for 5 min)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (105 grams) all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 & 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins or dark semi-sweet chocolate

Pre-heat oven to 350

In one bowl I combined my brown and white sugar and just mixed together, you could skip that step, I don't think there is any real reason to do it.  

In another bowl combine whisk together the dry ingredients: Oats, flour, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon. 

In a cup I added the egg & vanilla, and whisked together.

In your large mixing bowl start with your soft butter,  and with your electric mixer give a quick blend for 30 seconds. Then add your brown & white sugar. You will cream together for 2 minutes. Then you will add your egg & vanilla, blend together for another 30 seconds.  

Then gradually add the dry ingredients, about a 1 cup at a time and mix until combined, then just keep adding until everything has been added.  

Once batter is done, take a spatula and fold in your raisins or chocolate. Of course you can add both if you want however i recommend 1/2 cup of each. If you wanted to add your favorite nut, I add about 1/3 cup. 

Evenly scoop out cookie batter, I used an ice cream scoop, and no I do not have those cool ones that you push down on handle. I packed mine evenly then use tip of my finger to remove. You can use whatever you have, even a small measuring cup (1/8 cup is my biggest I will go).  

I was able to make three rows of four cookies, mine were small, so don't over crowd if you have a bigger cookie. Just make sure there is at least inch & half between cookies. 

Once all your cookies are on cookie sheet, place in oven and bake for 10 min. Check to make sure there is a little brown on the side, if not bake for another minute. Once done, let cook on cookie sheet for two or three minutes then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack.

You can roll cookie batter and wrap in wax paper and store in fridge or freezer for when you want to bake.

Fluffy Tender Pancakes no buttermilk, use sour cream

 I LOVE iHop pancakes! I strive to make a pancake that taste like iHop, however I notice that it's been impossible for me to get that exact taste. I think its because of the ingredients they use. Not that I have the know how of how their recipe goes, however I think they use imitation butter or a margin type butter and not real butter, which I use real butter. However this recipe is very close to tasting like iHop, and the best thing, My Little Cupcake ATE THE PANCAKE! My daughter refuses to eat pancakes, I don't know why??? I LOVE them! So when she ate them, I said this is a keeper!

Great thing about this recipe is you do not need buttermilk! I don't usually have it in my fridge, and when I have the urge to make pancakes I get disappointed. This was my solution, sour cream. I am sure its not exactly the same taste and I will have to try buttermilk. However "why?" when I made this recipe?

Dry Ingredients
1 & 1/4 cup of All Purpose Flour
1/8 tSp salt (I use sea salt)
1 tSp baking powder
1 tSp baking soda
1/4 cup of sugar


Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup of 2% milk plus 2 tBsp of milk (if needed)
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 tSp vanilla extract (I use trader joes version)
1 egg beaten
2 tBsp melted butter

In one bowl mix all dry ingredients together. In another bowl mix all wet ingredients, EXCEPT the melted butter and extra 2 tBsp of milk. Combine the dry ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until combined. Let batter sit for 15 minutes.

Melt butter, I just place in microwave for 15 seconds, and take it out right before it is completely melted then stir with spoon, this get it the perfect temperature. Then add butter to mixture, stir it around. If batter is to thick, which mine was, add the extra milk one tablespoon at a time. I prefer a thinner batter and like how they cook much better.

pre-heat your pan on a medium high heat, then turn down to a medium temperature. If you use a non-stick pan, I do not use oil or butter. I place batter on a dry pan. If you use a cast iron skillet, wipe down with a little oil, then go over it again with a paper towel.

I use 1/3 cup of batter per pancake. Pour into middle and then lightly twist your pan around to help spread batter around...you don't need to be aggressive, very lightly.

Cook pancake until lots of bubbles have formed and a nice golden brown, then flip to other side. You wont need to cook as long once you flip it, let cook for 30 seconds then check the bottom for color.

If your pancakes are not coloring properly you may need to turn up the heat a little. Just do this after you remove the pancake and before you add more batter.

I cooked 1st pancake (on right), did not like the stiffness, added the extra milk and got a better texture (left)

.

Enjoy!

Panko Crusted Salmon Fillet with pesto mayo

I made Panko Crusted Salmon last night. It was super tasty! I can't recall what I was watching, some show on the Food Network. The epi was about a sandwich lathered with a pesto mayo. I keep buying French Bread to make the sandwich, however we would end up eating the bread with other things before we ever made the sandwich. Or I would forget to buy the pesto when I bought the bread...yes, I forget to bring a list. Even when I bring a list I don't look at it all the time. I actually remembered to buy the pesto this time, but ate the bread alone....so I decided to make the pesto mayo and would use it on salmon.

Bread Crumbs: I highly recommend panko bread crumbs. I love the light crispy texture more then regular bread crumbs.

Pesto: I prefer to buy the premade because it's cost effective. I enjoy whatelse but Trader Joes prepared pesto. You can make your own pesto if you do desire!.

Mayo: Please don't use miracle whip! Unless u think it's the best stuff on earth! I prefer my Best Foods (or known as Helmans on the East Coast). I actaully really like Dukes which I found at the Dollar store....it's a popular brand I found when living in Florida, I really like it.

Seafood: Great money saving tip. Walmart has a great frozen food section that carries  Salmon, Tilapia, Shrimp & Scallops. The small bags run $5 (unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii you will pay more.) for four fillets. You can have 4 small servings or two large servings. Fish is individually frozen so it's great! But use whatever salmon you like!

You could even adapt this recipe and instead of salmon try shrimp, or a white fish.

Smoked Paprika: Love this stuff!! If you don't have the smoked version, no need to add the non smoked plain paprika. Smoked gives a nice flavor, non smoked is more of a coloring effect then for flavor.

2 tBs mayo
2 tSp pesto
4 Salmon Fillets
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
2 tBs grated parmesan cheese
Dash of salt to your tasting
Pepper
1/4 tSp Smoked Paprika
2 or 3 tBs Canola Oil for frying

Lemon Sauce (scroll to bottom)
3 lemons
2 tBs butter

In a bowl combine mayo & pesto, mix well. Lightly season fish with a little smoked paprika, salt & pepper. Then rub pesto mayo onto fish. I got my Little Cupcake involved in this process. I gave her a food brush and let her lather it up. I don't suggest allowing a young child to do this with their hands, only becasue the fish is raw and they might try to eat whats off their hand. Just watch the little ones.

In a separate plate combine panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, dash of pepper & salt

Heat your pan on high until smokey then turn to a medium temperature then add the oil and let heat up until it starts crackling.

Place fish into bread crumbs and coat both sides of fish. Then place into hot oil pan.

Let fish cook for 3 min, check bottom to make sure there is gold brown color. Once ready, flip and cook for another 3 min on the other side. Then place fish on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to catch any oil. Finish the rest of fish. You may keep fish warm in a warm oven if you have a few fillets to finish. Depending on pan size you should be able to cook 2 fillets at a time.

Also note if your Salmon is on the thicker side you may need to continue to cook for an additional 2 min. If your fish gets brown before the fish is cooked in the middle and you are worried it may burn. Either turn down temperature of  burner to a medium low OR place fish on a cooling rack then place cookie sheet underneath (this will allow air to circulate and not get bottom mushy). Place fish in a preheated oven on 350 for 15 min to allow fish to finish cooking. I personally prefer my fish medium rare, fish is a little opaque in the middle. So cook longer if it's not to your liking.

Serve with your favorite vegetable or salad and with rice for a complete meal. My Little Cupcake likes this version because of the crispy coating.

There are two types, breaded and nonbreaded 

Lemon Sauce
I like a lemon butter finishing sauce. I did not make with this meal because I thought I had lemons but I was wrong.

Still using the same pan you cooked your fish in, dump oil out and any left behind bread crumbs. Place burner on a medium low temperature. Simply squeeze juice from 2 or 3 lemons (you want about 1/3 cup). Place 2 tBs of butter in pan and let melt, then add lemon and let simmer for 2 minutes. Taste to see if you want more butter flavor. If so add 1 tBs of butter to sauce. Let cook for 1 min. You can drizzle onto your fish, or place on the side.



Note: I did make two versions of salmon using the pesto mayo. One was breaded the other was left unbreaded. For unbreaded version follow all the steps, but do not coat fish in bread crumbs and only add 1tBs of oil to pan. 

Non-Breaded Fish