Itsy Bitsy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect bite-sized chocolate chip cookie. Tiny, thin, golden, crisp, a bit nutty with plenty of shaved chocolate.

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I recognize the lead photo for this post makes these chocolate chip cookies look enormous. They are not. In fact, one of these cookies is about the size of a half-dollar, you might be able to fit a dozen of them in the palm of your hand. And while the photo might be a bit misleading, the trade-off is that you can see all the flecks of shaved chocolate, oats, and walnuts that are packed into every tiny cookie. The grains of sugar on top? They give the cookies just the right amount of crunch. These are the perfect bite-sized cookie, and each batch makes nearly twelve dozen of them.

itsy bitsy chocolate chip cookie

Itsy Bitsy Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Concept

I started working on this recipe over the summer (it took a few tries!). I knew I wanted my cookie to be tiny. I wanted it to be thin, and I wanted it to be golden, crisp, nutty, with plenty of chocolate. I started shaving the chocolate early on, instead of using chips or chunks. It ended up being one of the things that makes these cookies unique -and it allows you to press the dough near flat.

chocolate chip cookie on parchment paper

The recipe doubles easily, and I can’t resist mentioning that ice-cream sandwiches made with them are tres cute and tasty. The key is resisting the urge to use too much dough when you’re shaping them.

itsy bitsy chocolate chip cookie on parchment paper

Variations: 

There have been some great substitutions and variations in the comments. I’ll call out a few that caught my attention.

  • Susie says, “These cookies were AMAZING!! I used date sugar instead of the cane sugar, and they turned out just fine. I gave some to my best friend, and she said, “I’d pay MONEY for these!” “
  • Leigh went the coconut route, “I made these tonight replacing 1/2 cup of the oats with a mixture of toasted coconut and toasted wheat germ.
  • Sassy reports, “I added raisins and Craisins to half the batch. Yum yum!”

chocolate chip cookie dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Or browse all the cookie recipes. I especially love the classics like these shortbread cookies, these limoncello macaroons, these ginger cookies, or these special snickerdoodles. Have fun baking!

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Tortelli with Brown Butter

A simple tortelli pasta recipe featuring plump, ricotta-stuffed tortelli tossed with brown butter balsamic sauce, arugula, pecorino cheese, and lemon zest.

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The first time I cooked this simple tortelli pasta was years ago, 2010. We rented an apartment in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood for a month, and would spend our days exploring the city on foot. One of the charms of Rome is the neighborhood bakeries, pasta shops, and produce markets. I particularly love the pasta shops and this is one of the impromptu lunches I threw together after scoring a dozen beautiful fat-bellied ricotta tortelli. For good reason it has remained a staple in our pasta repertoire.

tortelli pasta in a bowl with brown butter sauce, arugula, and cheese

This pasta couldn’t be simpler. Toss cooked tortelli in butter that has browned in a skillet. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar along with a good amount of lemon zest. Finish with a few handfuls of arugula and generous layer of shaved pecorino! This pasta is so good I included a version in Near & Far.

fresh tortelli pasta in a tinfoil container

A Few Tips

A few things to keep in mind if you want to bump this recipe from “really good” to “absolutely great.”

  • Use a great tasting balsamic vinegar. It makes a real difference in t a recipe with this few ingredients.
  • A good quality stuffed pasta is what you’re after here. There’s not much to hide behind, so – the better the pasta, the better the outcome.
  • When you zest the lemon avoid the bitter white pith.

detail photo of rome neighborhood

Tortelli: Variations

  • Pasta shape: Tortelli can be tough to find in the U.S. Feel free to substitute ricotta ravioli or tortellini in this recipe. Or shape your own tortelli using sheets of this homemade pasta.
  • Winter / Fall: Pumpkin filled pastas work beautifully in this recipe as well. The brown butter and winter squash combination is a classic pairing. And in this scenario an introduction of blanched or roasted broccoli or radicchio is nice in place of the arugula – especially in the fall and winter months.

rome

More Pasta Recipes

Favorite Pasta Sauces

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic peanut butter cookies flecked with oatmeal and baked until golden. Double down on the peanut front with hand-chopped peanuts and chunky peanut butter.

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This is a peanut butter butter cookie flecked with oatmeal and baked until golden. A cookie for the peanut butter lovers out there. Anchored squarely in the PBC zone, the oatmeal is an accent. A hearty, chewy bonus ingredient that levels up a classic cookie. Toasted at the edges, soft and fudgy textured in the center, they’re a peanuty dream. Especially dunked in coffee.
peanut butter cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies: Ingredients

A few notes related to the ingredients in these cookies. The ingredients are all quite straight-forward, and you might have them in your pantry currently.

ingredients for making peanut butter cookies arranges on a counter including sugars, butter, chopped peanuts, and baking soda

  • Peanut Butter: For these cookies, my preference is all-natural peanut butter. I go into more detail down below. That said, if you already have peanut butter on hand, use it! One peanut butter I grab when I see it is this one (not sponsored, just a fan). It’s dark roasted, organic, made simply with roasted peanuts and a bit of salt, with good flavor. Note that it isn’t the “no-stir” variety.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use whatever brown sugar you have on hand to make these cookies. The cookies you see pictured here were made with light brown sugar, but I often make them with dark brown sugar.
  • Peanuts: This recipe doubles down on the peanuts, it’s all about the peanut flavor. In addition to the peanut butter, you’ll add about a cup of well-chopped peanuts. Use whatever peanuts you like to snack on.
  • Oatmeal: Look for old-fashioned rolled oats. Not instant oats.

a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal

Can I use Natural Peanut Butter in Peanut Butter Cookies?

Yes, you can absolutely use natural peanut butter in this cookie dough. The cookies you see pictured here were made with natural peanut butter. If you aren’t sure what type of peanut butter you have, check the ingredient list on the back of your jar. I like to see peanuts, and maybe a bit of salt. In contrast, a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes will suggest using more processed peanut butter. The ingredient list for these types of peanut butters will often have added sugars, oils, and/or stabilizers. That said, use what you have. With a more processed p.b. the texture of your cookies might a bit more fudgy, and with the natural peanut butter it’s sometimes a shade more crumbly.

  • The Key:  I’ve found the key to using natural peanut butter is stirring it until it is well blended and completely uniform.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies: The Technique

Simple to make, these cookies are a basic drop cookie.

  1. Mix the wet ingredients:  Cream the butter, sugar, and peanut butter in an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla.
    a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal
  2. Dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in stages to the wet ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and oats by hand (above).
  3. Shape: Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.
    oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough on a baking sheet prior to baking
  4. Criss-cross: Press the tops of each cookie with the tines of a fork twice, in a grid design (above).
  5. Bake: Put the cookies in the oven, bake and then cool.

a peanut butter cookie on a baking sheet made with oatmeal

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Grapefruit Sorbet

This grapefruit sorbet is inspired by the Paloma cocktail. It is blushingly tart and sweet, a straight-shooting sorbet made with fresh grapefruit juice spiked with a bolt of tequila.

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This beautiful grapefruit sorbet is a frosty dream inspired by the paloma cocktail. It’s a straight-shooting sorbet made with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice spiked with a kiss of tequila. The perfect jolt of citrusy sweetness to finish a meal.

sorbet served in a white cup on a marble counter

Grapefruit Sorbet: The Technique

Citrus juice that has been heated tastes different than juice that hasn’t. To keep this sorbet bright and fresh tasting I cook just a portion of the citrus juice with the sugar – and only long enough to let the sugar dissolve. I find this keeps the flavor more clear, direct, and (in my opinion) better!

Sorbet Variations!

You can take this grapefruit sorbet in a number of subtly different directions, and I’ve noted a few of them in the headnotes down below. That said, you should play around and take notes.

  • Citrus options: The base in the recipe below is made primarily with fresh grapefruit juice, rounded out with some orange juice. Feel free to play around with your citrus varietals. I used a lot of ruby red grapefruits, and navel orange juice plus a couple small blood oranges. That’s how you get that blushing color.
  • Tequila and salt: Play around here as well. I like to introduce a whisper of smoky flavor into this sorbet. It’s cuts into the inherent sweetness, and you can do it in two ways here – mezcal or smoked salt. If you use a smoky noted mezcal in place of the tequila called for, you’ll get it. Alternately, you can play around with a smoked salt. A subtle smoky backdrop works really well alongside the grapefruit notes, but don’t go overboard. Think of the smoky flavors as seasoning.
  • Ginger-spiked: Spiking this grapefruit sorbet with a kiss of ginger juice is another idea. It lends a bit of kick and spice, and stays with you for a bit. Grate a little knob of ginger on a Microplane, and then press any fresh juice against a strainer. Add the fresh ginger juice to the other citrus juices.

Grapefruit sorbet served in a white cup

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Perfect Baked Potato

If you want to know how to make the perfect baked potato, keep reading. We’re talking crispy jackets that split open to reveal a fluffy white potato interior. This method results in perfection every time.

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A perfect baked potato has a fluffy, light interior and crisp skin. Run a sharp knife down the jacket of one and you reveal the kind of potato interior that loves to drink butter and doubles down on salt. This is how you do it.

The Secret To A Perfect Baked Potato

The path to great baked potatoes is more about what to avoid than what to embrace. In short, a hot oven paired with a salt-rubbed russet potato is the best approach. No foil, no fuss, and no microwave.

A baked potato split open and topped with butter and black pepper

Should You Wrap in Foil When Baking a Potato?

The short answer is no, unless you’re camping and cooking potatoes in the coals of a campfire. Wrapping a potato in foil yields a potato with wet skin. The foil prevents moisture from the potato from escaping, and keeps it close to the skin. If you like a crisp, dry skin (as most of us do), skip the tinfoil.
Baked potatoes prior to baking with holes poked into skin by a fork

Poke Holes?

Yes. This helps to avoid blow-outs as the steam builds within the potatoes as they’re baking. Use a fork to puncture the potato skin 10 times (or so) per potato.

Best Baked Potato Toppings

Get creative and have fun setting up a toppings bar. This way everyone pulls together their potato exactly as they wish. A favorite (classic) pairing is chili over a baked potato, go crazy and add some crushed corn chips for fun. Compound butter is an easy way to make toppings a bit special. And never skimp on the herbs, scallions, chives, and such. If you want a deep dive, I wrote up an entire page brainstorming baked potato toppings.

Potatoes baking in a row on and oven rack in an oven

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Roasted Mushroom Sandwich

An open-faced mushroom sandwich on good bread slathered along with a bit of garlic, salted ricotta, and some herbs or crushed kale chips.

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A number of you were curious about the picture of this mushroom sandwich when I included it in my newsletter last week. Here are the details along with the recipe down below! It was the centerpiece of a quick, 10-minute lunch. The next time you have mushrooms on hand, I encourage you take this idea for a spin. You end up with a super tasty, satisfying sandwich.

open-faced mushroom sandwich on sourdough bread

Roasted Mushroom Sandwich: The Details

Here’s how this comes together. Take a good piece of sourdough bread, toast it, rub it with a garlic clove. Slather the toast with some ricotta that you’ve salted a bit. Take some leftover stuffed mushrooms, slice them thinly and arrange on top of the ricotta. Place the open-faced sandwich until the broiler for a few minutes. Finish with a crush of kale chips. If you don’t want to bother with using stuffed mushrooms, you can use simple roasted mushrooms! ingredients for mushroom sandwich on baking sheet ready to broil

A Variation

These baked mushrooms with miso butter (pictured below) can be swapped in for the stuffed mushrooms as another alternative. Keep all the other components the same. The bread, ricotta, etc. Just drop a tangle of these on top of the ricotta and give a quick broil.baked mushrooms in a baking dish

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Penne alla Vodka

This penne alla vodka uses both whole tomatoes and tomato paste along with a splash of cream to make a vodka sauce with plenty of depth. The defining detail in this recipe is adding the zest of a lemon to the vodka. It lends a fragrant brightness to the whole preparation, making this family favorite extra special.

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Hear me out. To make the best version of penne alla vodka the first step is to peel the skin from a lemon. Hand cut the peel into the thinnest strips (no pith!) and then place the zest into your vodka while you prep the rest of your ingredients. Using lemon-scented vodka flecked with zest in your creamy tomato vodka sauce is a game changer. There are a number of other considerations that I’ll outline below that help when you want to throw together this one-pot crowd-pleaser!

penne alla vodka in a large bowl

What Makes Great Penne all Vodka?

If you want to make great penne alla vodka, focus on the sauce. There are a number of ways to approach this Italian (and Italian-American) classic, popular in the 1980s. You’ll see versions made with canned tomatoes, while others exclusively use tomato paste. Some recipes call for a lot of tomatoes, others barely any. Some really go for it with heavy cream, I like to use just enough cream to create a rich, silky sauce without diluting the tomato flavor excessively. This recipe delivers a bright, rich tomato vodka sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta. The flavor has dimension from the two types of tomatoes used, and the scent (and bursts) of lemon zest.

Penne alla Vodka: The Ingredients

  • Dried penne pasta: Use a good-quality dried pasta here. Penne is the classic pasta shape to use, but rigatoni is another favorite. Something bite sized with lots of surface area for the vodka sauce to cling to is the key. For a bit of added nutrition, explore whole wheat pastas, or pasta made with lentils or chickpeas. A forever favorite of mine is the Monograno Felicetti Farro Penne Rigate.
    ingredients for cooking penne alla vodka including tomato paste, dried pasta, basil, and garlic
  • Tomato Paste: I tend to use the tiny cans of tomato paste here, because I use about ~1/3 cup. But if you have enough in a tube, that’s fine.
  • Canned Tomatoes: Look for good-quality whole canned tomatoes. I call for a 14-ounce can, but sometimes all you can find are 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes. In this case, use
  • Heavy Cream: A pro-tip here is, avoid going overboard with the heavy cream. I see some recipes calling for upwards of a cup. You can use less, and maintain the creaminess you’re after. A bonus is your sauce will maintain beautiful color. Add too much cream and the sauce quickly changes to a soft pink, while the tomato flavor weakens.
  • Olive Oil or Butter: I tend to use olive oil when I make penne alla vodka, but butter is also wonderful. Use either.
  • Vodka: The vodka in penne alla vodka plays a few important roles. It heightens flavors when certain alcohol soluble compounds in the sauce ingredients are released by the vodka. It also helps to keep the sauce beautifully silky and emulsified. And yes, much of the vodka cooks off with a bit of time simmering.
  • Garlic, Onion, Chile Flakes, etc: I dial up the garlic for this recipe. It has time to soften and mellow, so don’t be alarmed. And the onions are diced, I like a really small dice here. So you’re getting onion bits throughout the sauce and not larger chunks.
penne alla vodka being served on a marble table set with plates and a cloth napkin

Variations

Here are some favorite variations on penne alla vodka that I’ve cooked over the years.

  • Penne alla Tequila: Quite honestly, I don’t tend to keep vodka in my pantry. So I have to plan ahead when I want to make this. In a pinch, if you have tequila and not vodka, go ahead and make the swap. Super good.
  • Make it Spicy: My favorite way to make penne alla vodka spice is to add a bit of spicy Calabrian pepper paste (the one I buy most is called Bomba di Calabria)) to the sauce at the same time the tomato paste is added. Go easy, some of these pastes are wildly spicy. A finishing drizzle of a spicy chile olive oil can add dimension and another layer of heat. I like Brightland’s chili olive oil for this (not sponsored, just a fan), or drizzle a few drops of oil from the jar of Calabrian pepper paste.
  • Make it Vegan: You can make this recipe vegan by skipping the Parmesan, using olive oil to simmer the onions, and using a cashew cream in place of heavy cream. To make cashew cream, soak 1 cup of cashews in 1 cup of water for thirty minutes or so. Puree in high-speed blends until silky smooth.
penne alla vodka in a bowl with creamy sauce finished with lots of Parmesan cheese

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Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh)

An amazing Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh) inspired by a version in Greg & Lucy Malouf’s beautiful book, Saraban. At its core, this is a celebratory bean and noodle soup featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, chiles, and black pepper. Loaded with spinach and herbs, you serve it topped with walnuts, caramelized onions, and a dollop of something creamy. It’s amazing.

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I started cooking Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh or Ash-e Reshteh) regularly sometime around 2010. Kate, a friend (and longtime reader of the site), told me the bookshop she works at (in Australia) hosted Greg & Lucy Malouf as they were promoting their book Saraban: A Chef’s Journey Through Persia. She told me to look for the book in the U.S. because she suspected I would enjoy it. Kate knows her cookbooks. I quickly tracked down the book and this, the Ash Reshteh (New Year Noodle Soup), was the first thing I cooked from it. Completely blown away, I was convinced it was the best thing to come out of my kitchen in years, and I’ve cooked it dozens of times since.

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl

Ash Reshteh (Persian New Year Noodle Soup): The Details

Traditionally, this is a preparation associated with Persian New Year (Nowruz) but there is a long list of reasons I like to make it more often. In Persian culture, the new year is an opportune time to wrangle the “threads” in your life, and to set intentions and direction for the year ahead. That’s where the noodles come into play here. At its core this is a fortifying, nutrient-dense bean and noodle soup featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, fresh chile, and black pepper. You use a medley of lentils, chickpeas, and cranberry beans to create a soup that is hearty and filling without being heavy. You add spinach, dill, and cilantro. You add lime juice for a bit of sour at the end. And then you prepare a number of toppings to add when you serve the soup – chopped walnuts, deeply caramelized onions, and sour cream (kashk). It’s a formidable ingredient list, but results in hearty bowls of, arguably, one of the world’s great soups.

The Ingredients:

A few notes related to shopping for ingredients.

  • Beans & Lentils: There are three types in this soup: borlotti (or cranberry beans), chickpeas, and lentils. They all have different cooking times which can be a bit of a pain. If I don’t have any beans pre-cooked in my freezer, I cook the cranberry beans from scratch, use canned chickpeas, and cook the lentils with the soup broth because they’re relatively quick to cook. I’m definitely a hard pass on canned lentils.
  • Stock/Broth: For this recipe I like to use water plus 2 tablespoons of this homemade bouillon powder to make my broth. Or you could do it with whatever bouillon you keep on hand. In general, stay clear of carton vegetable broths that have a lot of tomato or assertive vegetable flavors. You’re probably better off with water and can make adjustments from there if needed.
  • Noodles: I’ve played around with a range of noodles here over the years. I love to use thin-ish egg noodles, but the Persian grocer near me only stocks a generic sampling of spaghetti and vermicelli, so that’s where we landed the last time around. Andy Baraghani uses linguine in his wonderful version.

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl to the side of a pot of soup on a sunny table

Persian New Year Noodle Soup: The Game Plan

Making Ash Reshteh can be relatively low lift if you do a bit of pre-planning. Making a couple of the components ahead of time, mostly passively, helps everything come together smoothly.

  • Make Ahead: Beans – The next time you cook borlotti or cranberry beans, make double and freeze them in sandwich-sized baggies. Same goes for chickpeas. Although, I tend to just grab a can of those off the shelf for this soup. The day you want to make this soup, you’re ready to go with fully cooked beans. Check.
  • Make Ahead: Caramelized Onions – Make the caramelized onions up to a few days prior. In fact, make triple the amount if you’re up for it. That way you have special onions to top the soup, AND pizza, pasta, or whatever sandwiches you might be throwing together. Keep the a jar in your refrigerator and bring up to room temperature before serving, so you’re not putting a cold topping on a hot soup.
  • Make Ahead Walnuts: Toast the walnuts up to a few days ahead of time.

Leftovers:

There are rarely leftover noodles, but usually there is enough broth, beans and lentils for great leftovers. I love to serve it over rice for lunch – loaded with toppings, of course!

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl

Further Reading & Other Versions of Ash Reshteh:

Some of my favorite meals over the past few decade have been Persian or Persian-inspired. I love the abundant use of herbs, and color, and texture all rooted in traditional preparations. At one point I signed up, on a whim, for a brunch hosted by Komaaj in San Francisco, this was years ago. The food explored the ingredients and flavors of Northern Iran. It was regional Iranian, the menu happened to be vegetarian, and every bite was special. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive, or other versions of Ash Reshteh, here are a few suggestions.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms made with creamy goat cheese, chives, garlic, and bread crumbs. The perfect bite!

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I made these stuffed mushrooms on a whim yesterday with ingredients ready to be used up in the refrigerator. They were so good (and easy!) I feel like I have to share. Stuffed mushrooms make the perfect bite-sized party appetizer or, in this case, a fantastic weeknight side. The filling is creamy chive and garlic-flecked goat cheese offset with plenty of crunchy breadcrumbs.stuffed mushrooms in a white serving dish

How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

The process for making stuffed mushrooms is straight forward.

  1. Carefully break the stem off each mushroom.
  2. Brush any dirt or debris from mushrooms with a damp cloth.
  3. Make the filling and place a couple teaspoons in each mushroom cavity.
  4. Arrange on an olive oil coating baking sheet and bake until tender and golden.

ingredients for making stuffed mushrooms on a kitchen counter

Choose Your Mushrooms Well

I happened to have the perfect mushrooms to make these at the ready last night, but I’m actually a bit choosy if I know I’m buying them to make stuffed mushrooms. I like to use brown mushrooms that are in good condition – not too scratched, misshapen or damaged. They will shrink a bit in the oven, but I aim for mushrooms that aren’t too big, and aren’t too small. Ideally, you’ll be able to pop one on your mouth in one bite, but you also want the mushrooms to be big enough that they’ll hold a good amount of the flavorful filling.

stuffed mushrooms arranged on a baking sheet prior to being place in an oven

What to do With Leftovers!

We had a few stuffed mushrooms leftover so I made these open-faced mushroom sandwiches for lunch today. The mushrooms were sliced thinly on homemade sourdough that had been toasted and rubbed with garlic. I slathered some salted ricotta across each piece of toast, arranged a few of the sliced mushrooms on top and finished everything under the broiler for a few minutes. Finished with a crush of kale chips.  Perfect 10 minute lunch!

stuffed mushrooms sliced and arranged on an open-faced mushroom sandwich with ricotta

Stuffed Mushrooms: Variations

You can take this general recipe in *so* many directions. A couple ideas:

  • Make them spicy!: Add a minced serrano to the filling. Or a couple teaspoons of a favorite harissa.
  • For the herb lovers: Add more chopped herbs like mint, basil, and/or thyme. Whatever in season. Load it up!
  • Curry Stuffed Mushrooms: Add a favorite curry paste or powder (to taste) to the filling. I’d start with a teaspoon at a time. You can experiment with Thai curry pastes, Indian curry powder, Japanese curry paste, etc.

stuffed mushrooms arranged on a baking sheet after baking

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Kale Chips

There are just a couple details to get right for the perfect kale chips. This is how I make crispy pom-poms of kale everyone loves to snack on.

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This is my love letter to kale chips, a constant in my kitchen throughout the year. We bake them 3 or 4 times a week, even if we’re out in the trailer with a tiny oven. Even when it’s too hot for a reasonable person to turn on the oven. This is because kale chips are simple to make, and also because they’re *SO* good. Everyone loves snacking on them – even raw kale haters. They’re also an easy way to add a fantastic nutritional boost to all sorts of soups, salads, pizzas, and stir-fries by throwing a handful on (or in) whatever you’re eating. I’ve tweaked my technique little by little over the years to get the best results, outlined below! First thing to know – there are some details to get right.

Crispy baked kale chips in a bowl

How To Make Great Kale Chips

To make the best kale chips, a specific type of kale (curly!) is massaged with a delicious slurry of olive oil, nutritional yeast, and a bit of salt. Don’t skimp on the nutritional yeast, you’ll want to load up to get the perfect crispy crust on your chips. Bake until crisp and enjoy. The recipe is fantastically straight-forward, but the details matter. Here are the key pointers.

  • The type of kale matters. Purchase curly kale, premier kale, or curly purple kale. These types of kale have much more volume than kale varietals with flat leaves (for example, lacinato kale). The increased volume will result in crisped pom-poms of kale – exactly the best kind of kale chips.
    bunch of curly kale on a marble kitchen counter
  • Use dry kale. Make sure your kale is as dry as possible before starting. This will promote crisping and minimize steaming as the chips bake. You only want olive oil, nutritional yeast and a bit of salt to coat the leaves (below), no water drops.
    ingredients for kale chips in a mixing bowl
  • Avoid over-baking. Kale chips go from crisp to brown and sad in a flash.They’re like pine nuts in that regard. The pro-tip here is: set a timer.

How Do You Keep Kale Chips Crispy?

Allow them to cool completely. Store in and airtight container or jar.

Variations

You can make variations on kale chips by adding dry seasonings and spice blends. I like to add most seasonings after they bake. This way your spices don’t burn. I use this approach for curry powder and za’atar – two favorites. You can also look on this page of spice blends for other homemade blends I like to make and keep on hand.

baked kale chips on a baking sheet after baking

What Can you Crumble Kale Chips Over?

I like to crush kale chips over a wide range of soups, pizzas, tacos, and the like. The joke around here is, if it’s savory, I’ll crumble kale chips on it. Here are a few links to ideas and inspiration.

More Recipes with Kale




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