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It’s the last day of National Oatmeal Month, and as of yesterday, I still hadn’t made one oatmeal cookie. According to Quaker Oats, cookies are the number one non-cereal usage for oats.

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Despite the healthful benefits of oatmeal—no fat, low-sodium and ability to lower risk of heart disease, I knew all health-conscious individuals would wrinkle their face in disgust at the oatmeal cookies I grew up with. Believe it or not, those cookies were full of pure lard. I remember those soft cookie chunks laden with oats, raisins and a hint of cinnamon. It’s been years since I’ve had a taste of those fat-packed, artery-clogging cookies.

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The oatmeal cookies I made to celebrate the end of January (only a couple more months of winter) are buttery, soft and chewy and full of spice. I used a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon and a little bit of ground cardamom. If you don’t care for cardamom, use cinnamon and nutmeg and a dash of allspice. Play around with spices until you come up with your own favorite formula.

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Not-so-low fat, not too much sodium, not too heart-healthy, but if you like warm, chewy comfort you’ll like these cookies.

Spicy and Nice Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1¼ cups dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups dried cranberries or raisins
• 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

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Combine all dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together thoroughly. Set aside.

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Cream together butter and sugars using electric hand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Work in dried cranberries, oatmeal and almonds with wooden spoon.

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Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, placing about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

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Store in airtight container. They will have the best spicy flavor if stored 24 hours before eating. But who can wait? 

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Makes about 3½ dozen cookies.

• You can use regular whole wheat flour to replace the white whole wheat or you can eliminate whole wheat and use 1¾ cups all-purpose flour.
• If you want to eliminate the cardamom, try 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and ½ teaspoon ground allspice.

I had been experimenting with pizza dough and toppings for weeks. Mixing, rolling and tasting of dough and combinations of cheese, meat and vegetables had all started on New Year’s Eve. A food page featuring homemade pizza was scheduled for January 28.

Just when I thought I had finalized the pizzas that would appear on that food page, I had dinner at Willie’s Wine Bar in Minneapolis. As I perused selections on the menu I knew I was in for a tough decision. Grilled lamb chops, red-wine marinated beef tenderloin, pan-seared lemon sole and sesame seared salmon were all tempting me. And then I spotted the bleu cheese and pomegranate pizza. Combined with caramelized onions and apples, I knew it was one more pie I had to try. Pomegranate on pizza?

The crust was thin and a little on the crispy side. The onions were sweet, but not overpowering. The bleu cheese added a tangy dimension. Pomegranate seeds sprinkled over the top of the pizza provided little bursts of juicy surprise with almost every bite. My glass of Liberty School cabernet was a nice companion to the pizza. Willie’s suggests a glass of Cline “Ancient Vines” mourvedre  to accompany this pizza.

I  had a little Stilton bleu cheese in my refrigerator that was left from soup I’d made for the last Power Lunch cooking class. A couple of firm but ripe Bosc pears were in the fruit basket on my counter and I had plenty of onions. Along with a couple of pizza dough balls in the refrigerator, I decided I had everything I needed.

I caramelized the onions with some white wine, which made the onions a little too sweet and the Stilton was a bit too strong, but it still made for a great appetizer pizza. Cut into finger-food-sized squares, serve it warm or at room temperature for your guests to enjoy with a glass of wine.

You can purchase an unbaked pizza crust for this recipe or try your hand at making your own dough. My recipes for pizza dough and Garlic-Infused Olive Oil can be found at the Bemidji Pioneer on the January 28, 2007 food page.

This is the recipe for the way I’ll make it the next time and I’ll eat it as I sip on Cline “Ancient Vines.”

Bleu Cheese and Pomegranate Pizza

• 1 unbaked pizza crust
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 Bosc pear, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 3 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
• Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
• Pomegranate seeds for sprinkling on top of pizza

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and soft in texture, about 30 minutes. Add bleu cheese and stir until cheese is melted. This can be done a day or two ahead and stored in a tightly sealed bowl in the refrigerator.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pears and sugar and sauté until pears are tender and deep golden.

Preheat oven and baking stone to 500 degrees.

Roll dough to 12-inch round. Brush with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil. Top with sautéed pears. Spread caramelized onions over pears. Transfer pizza to preheated stone and bake until crust is blistered and golden. Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

• The first time I made this pizza, I caramelized the onions with lots of white wine, adding ½ cup at a time and allowing the liquid to completely cook away before adding another ½ cup.  I used about two cups of wine altogether. I also added a little dry sherry. This all delivered delicious, sweet caramelized onions that would be wonderful with roast pork, but a little too overpowering for this pizza.
• Use a bleu cheese that you love, because the flavor definitely comes through.

It’s fun to get a package in the mail when I didn’t order anything and it’s not my birthday or any other day that might mean I’ll get a gift. My mail carrier delivered an unexpected box to my front door the other day. Packaged inside were two bags of the newest varieties of Bear Naked all natural granola. You may have seen this company featured on the Food Network’s Recipe for Success. Started just a few years ago by a couple of twenty-somethings, the two young entrepreneurs say the bear naked truth is that all the ingredients they use are bearly processed and utterly naked.  Bear Naked granolas, including the peanut butter & jelly and the blueberry walnut peak protein that I received, are available in some grocery stores.

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The bags of granola reminded me that I hadn’t had any of my own crunchy blend in the kitchen for a while. My version is an adaptation of the granola I had at the Gingerbread Cottage Bed and Breakfast last summer on a vacation in Victoria. Honey and molasses make it just a little bit sweet. Old fashioned oats, nuts and seeds make it great with milk for breakfast or snack..or anytime. It’s a basic mixture that you can make your own by adding dried fruits, more nuts or coconut. I keep all these add-ins in jars in my pantry, including dried cherries, cranberries, apricots and raw almonds that I’ve toasted in the oven and chopped.

Anytime Granola is not hard to prepare. Simply mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, heat the liquid ingredients in a small saucepan, mix it all together and bake.

Make a second batch of granola and try the Anytime Granola Muffins. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning. To create muffins that are tender and moist, mix gently and be careful not to bake them too long. Overmixing results in tough muffins, overbaking leads to dry muffins.

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Anytime Granola

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• ½ cup ground flax seeds
• ½ cup wheat germ
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup safflower oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla aaaaaaaaaaaaa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, blend dry ingredients. Gently heat the honey, molasses and oil in a saucepan. Add vanilla. Pour warm liquid ingredients over dry ingredients in bowl and mix well. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning with spatula every 10 minutes. Let cool. Store in a glass jar or tin.

• Safflower oil is an all-purpose cooking and baking oil that is high in monounsaturated fats which are tied to cholesterol regulation in the blood, promoting healthy cardiovascular function.
• The granola won’t be crispy when you take it out of the oven. It gets crisp and crunchy as it cools.

Anytime Granola Muffins

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It all started with a Disney show I was watching with my two little granddaughters. One of Mickey’s friends was feeling ill, so he and Minnie decided to cook up some of Minnie’s special soup. A good dose of hot “Minnie-strone Soup” would surely make their friend feel better. 

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Below-zero temperatures in northern Minnesota not only made my car squeal with protest when I started it up, it also made for a perfect soup night for cold humans.  I just had to make a pot of “Mimi-strone Soup.” I’m known as Mimi to my granddaughters, so this would be the special soup from my kitchen to warm their tummies up and chase away their winter sniffles.

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Fashioned after the traditional Italian minestrone soup, filled with seasonal vegetables and pasta, it can be a soup that you can easily customize to suit your own tastes. Or, it can be a way to use up some of the food in your refrigerator and freezer.

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I had some homemade turkey stock, part of a roasted turkey breast and a jar of tomato juice left from a can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes that I just couldn’t pour down the drain after using the smoky tomatoes. If I had found a whole can of those in my pantry, they would have all gone into the soup.

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I like to put whole peppercorns, cloves, allspice and bay leaves in a tea ball that I hang over the edge of my soup pot, allowing the flavors to permeate the simmering liquid and making their removal so easy.

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After some chopping, mincing, sautéing and simmering, bowls of steaming “Mimi-strone Soup” warmed us up in a hurry.

Mimi-strone Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley (flat-leaf)
• 8 cups turkey stock, chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 whole allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1¼ cups tomato juice or 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked turkey meat
• 1 cup uncooked small pasta shells
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in soup pot. Add carrots, celery and onion and sauté until onions are tender and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and parsley and sauté for 2 more minutes. 

Pour broth over vegetables. Place peppercorns, cloves, allspice and bay leaves into a tea ball or tie up in cheesecloth. Add to soup pot.  Add tomato juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. While soup is simmering, cook pasta shells according to directions on package. Drain shells and add to soup pot along with beans and meat. Add the dried oregano, giving it a little pinch as you drop it into the pot to release some of the flavorful oils. Continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan.   

• If you are one of those lucky people who have homemade pesto in the freezer, place a dollop of that on top of each serving of soup. Yum!
• This makes lots of soup. Freeze any leftovers or surprise a friend with your homemade soup that’s ready to heat up for dinner.
• If you like soup to be on the thicker side, rinse and drain a third can of beans. Put them into your blender with enough hot broth from the soup pot to make a paste. Add it to the simmering soup.
• Next time I make this soup, I will make tiny little meatballs of ground meat, minced garlic and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and plop the uncooked meatballs into the soup to simmer for about half an hour.

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I had my first chocolate-dipped dried apricot years ago when I was visiting my aunt in the Chicago suburb of Riverside, Illinois.  It wasn’t just an ordinary dried apricot from a bag in the grocery store. It was plump and moist and as big as my ear, thickly coated with luscious chocolate.  My Auntie Elinor had purchased a couple of them from a chocolate shop on one of the quaint downtown streets of Riverside because she just knew I would love them.  And she was so right.

When I was experimenting with a Lemon Pound Cake recipe that eventually made it to the January 14, 2007 Bemidji Pioneer food page, I loaded it with chopped toasted pecans and plenty of chunks of dried apricots. I sprinkled it with lemon-infused powdered sugar for the picture that went into the paper.  I had pushed a couple of strips of lemon peel into a bowl of powdered sugar a couple of weeks before I started my holiday baking. My plan was to make lemon cookies that would be rolled in fragrant powdered sugar while they were still warm from the oven.  I never got around to that recipe – maybe next year.  I discovered the lemon-scented powdered sugar was a perfect complement to the pound cake.

 I didn’t have enough room on the food page to share the recipe for a divine chocolate glaze that can be spooned over the cake. The full-flavored, creamy chocolate is a perfect match for the pecans and apricots in the cake.  My first bite made me think of that first chocolate-dipped apricot – slightly hardened thick chocolate and the sweet tender chewiness of apricots.

Remember to save a bit of the glaze to envelope a large scoop of quality vanilla ice cream for your next decadent indulgence…or top some cupcakes, drizzle it on your favorite shortbread or coconut macaroons, or form little bite-sized balls of the chilled glaze and roll them in finely ground walnuts to make chocolate truffles.  On Lemon Pound Cake, Rich Chocolate Glaze is the final touch.

Rich Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

Pour whipping cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat.  As soon as whipping cream begins to boil, remove saucepan from heat.  Add chocolate morsels and whisk mixture until all morsels have melted and chocolate glaze is smooth.  It will be thick and luxurious.  While the glaze is warm, spoon it over the cake.  It will harden as it sits.

More than 30 years ago I took a bread-making class. The first time I kneaded a ball of yeast dough, I was hooked. Pushing the soft dough that felt as smooth as a baby’s bottom with the palms of my hands felt so satisfying. And it was an exercise in relaxation. I love it and I want everyone else to love it.

That’s why I often include a version of Italian flat bread (foccacia) in menus I plan for the cooking classes I teach. It’s a perfect dough for beginners. With just a few ingredients and no shaping involved, a beautiful and fragrant bread can be ready to eat in a couple of hours.

I’ve been testing and tweaking the recipes that I’ll be using in next week’s Power Lunch classes (see details below). Those attending will be nibbling on crusty homemade Garlic Foccacia fingers as they lunch on Stilton and Pear Soup with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Garlic, and Pot-Roasted Pork in White Wine with Garlic, Fennel and Thyme. Once they start on the Potato Dumplings, though, bread-time may be over.

On Sunday I made the Garlic Flat Bread. I was murmuring sweet satisfactions as I kneaded the dough. It felt so good. And the house smelled divine as the aroma of yeast and garlic swirled throughout.

I’m sharing my "tweaked" recipe for Italian Garlic Flat Bread. I clipped the original recipe from the Minot Daily News in 1995. It’s been in my "Recipes to Try" folder all these years.

Once you get your hands into this dough and taste the delicious, crunchy results, you’ll be encouraged to do it again … and again, and again.

Italian Garlic Flat Bread (Foccacia)

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and 2 cups flour and stir just until moistened. Turn the dough out onto a clean dry work surface that has been dusted with flour and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Place in a warm, greased bowl and turn to coat the top. Cover with a clean, dry white kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk, about an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic just until tender, but not brown. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead lightly. Pat the dough into a greased 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan. With your index finger, poke the dough at 1-inch intervals. Drizzle the garlic oil over the dough and spread it evenly over the top with your hands.

Sprinkle with the salt and let rise about 20 minutes in a warm place away from drafts. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

• I buy yeast in bulk and store it in a jar in my refrigerator. One packet of instant dry yeast holds about 2-1/4 teaspoons of yeast. There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so you will need two packets to measure out 1 tablespoon.

• Don’t use Rapid Rise yeast in this recipe.

Power Lunch Cooking Classes

• Friday, January 19, noon to 1:00
• MJB Home Appliance Center, Downtown Bemidji

Winter Warm-Up

Craving comfort and warmth? This menu will soothe you to the tips of your frozen toes!

Italian Garlic Flat Bread, Stilton & Pear Soup with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Garlic, Pot-Roasted Pork in White Wine with Garlic, Fennel and Thyme, Potato Dumplings, Sauteed Pears in Orange-Brown Sugar Sauce over vanilla ice cream with Sugared Orange Peels. Coffee provided by Dunn Bros Coffee.

Enjoy this relaxing demonstration lunch class as I share tips and techniques that will prepare you to recreate this menu for your family and friends. Leave class with all the recipes, a full tummy and maybe some new friends.

Instruction, recipes and lunch all for only $20. Class size is limited. Power Lunch classes are easy to register for by calling MJB Home Appliance Center (751-2420) or by stopping into the store.

It lasted only 24 hours, but oh, what fun we had.  Two out-of-town friends arrived at my house yesterday just in time for lunch and were back on the road heading home today right after our Fiesta Brunch.

We were focused on experimenting with recipes I’m planning to use in upcoming cooking classes.  We measured and mixed, cooked and baked and then ate and ate. 

After our fish taco dinner, we had a jar full of salsa fresca leftover and some fresh guacamole that we hadn’t finished off with the Roasted Red Pepper and Green Chile Empanadas.  We had wrapped up a small pile of sprouted corn tortillas to store in the refrigerator.  And one of the recipes we still wanted to try was Mexican Chocolate Fondue.  So, why not have a Fiesta Brunch?

I dug out my recipe for Fiesta Oven Omelet that I hadn’t made in a long time.  Made with lots of eggs, two cheeses and bits of cilantro and roasted red pepper, it comes out of the oven puffed and golden.  

We tucked corn tortillas into the oven directly on the rack below the baking omelet for just a few minutes before serving time.  At the table, we spread guacamole on warm tortillas, spooned the baked egg mixture over that and topped it all with spicy salsa fresca.  We were happy senoritas as we sipped on cool, sweet Pomosas and savored our Mexican eggs.

Cinnamon fritters dripping with Mexican chocolate from the fondue pot were sinful.  And if that wasn’t enough, we poured the warm chocolate into our coffee and decorated it with bursts of fluffy whipped cream.

Did I say I was beginning a new healthful eating plan after the holidays?  I should have said “after the fiesta.”

My amigas had not been gone long when I headed to the couch for my siesta. 

Fiesta Oven Omelet

• 6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
• 2 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup diced roasted red pepper
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if baking right away).  Spray a 1½-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  

In a medium bowl toss together Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and flour; place in a prepared casserole dish.  Layer roasted red pepper over cheese; sprinkle cilantro leaves over red pepper.  Beat eggs in a medium bowl.  Beat in milk and salt.  Pour mixture over ingredients in casserole dish.  If baking immediately, place in preheated oven.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and top is golden.  Or, if desired, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Uncover and bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

*This is a great recipe to prepare the night before serving.  The recipe can easily be adapted for low fat/low cholesterol diets by using low-fat cheeses and egg substitute. 

I’ve divided the recipe in half to serve just two people.  It can also be doubled to serve more. 

Mexican Chocolate Fondue

• 2 cups brewed coffee
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
• 8 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped *
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Heat the coffee, vanilla beans and seeds, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced to about ¼ cup, about 10 minutes.

Add the milk, cream and chipotle powder to the pan.  Lower the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer.  Place the Mexican chocolate and the semisweet chocolate in a medium-sized bowl.  Strain the milk and cream mixture over the chocolate and stir with a whisk to melt the chocolates.  It may be necessary to place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to ensure that all of the chocolate will melt smoothly.

Place the chocolate in a fondue pot over a low flame to keep warm. 

* I found Nestle’s Abuelita Mexican Chocolate in the international aisle of the grocery store.  It comes in a box with 6 large chocolate tablets. 

The New Year always seems to bring about new beginnings and some changes.  I know many of us plan to make changes in our diet, begin new exercise routines and try to decrease our daily levels of stress, hoping that it all brings about better health.

This week I gradually tossed away the little bits of holiday sweets that were left on the kitchen counter, cleaned leftover calorie-laden dips, cheese balls and homemade hot fudge sauce from the refrigerator–they just wouldn’t stop calling my name.  And the picked-over box of chocolates–gone.

I went to the store and stocked up on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I saw a cute little butternut squash that I just couldn’t pass up.  The orange flesh of that squash wound up in a pot of stew-like chili loaded with healthful ingredients, including some leftover holiday turkey.  It was inspired by a chili recipe developed by the American Institute for Cancer Research.

I have out-of-town friends coming today and I’ll be serving this stew for lunch along with some Spicy Cheddar and Green Chile scones that I’ve been experimenting with for an upcoming cooking class.  Dessert will be darling little clementine segments with a dainty scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream drizzled with some Honey-Ginger Sauce.  It’s a great combination of flavors.  I made the dessert on this week’s segment of Lakeland Cooks.  You can find the recipe at www.lakelandptv.org.  Just click on Programs at the top of the page, and then on Lakeland Cooks.

New Year, New Beginnings Stew is a low-fat meal in a dish.  It’s filled with vitamins, protein and fiber, and tasty as well!

New Year, New Beginnings Stew

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup organic chicken broth
• 1 large carrot, chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup diced cooked turkey breast
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed peeled tomatoes (I used Muir Glen organic)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 cup canned organic black beans, rinsed and drained
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Few dashes hot pepper sauce

In small Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add broth, carrot and squash.  Lower heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are fork-tender.  This could take 10 to 15 minutes.  Add tomatoes.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.  Add turkey, beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder.  Simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  Season with a few dashes of hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.