Winter Vegetable Hash

Source: This is adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe, in my search for yet more yummy things to do with kale. I'd call this hearty peasant food that uses up a lot of food laying around or languishing in the freezer. It's even better with an egg on top.

Rating: Favorable

Notes: I didn't have any more fresh squash, so I bypassed it. I'm sure it's even better with it, although I'd use butternut before I'd use acorn. I also didn't have any fresh shiitake, so I used the rest of my button mushrooms and the rest of my dried mixed mushrooms from By the Pound.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound potatoes, diced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 small winter squash, acorn or other
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 4 sprigs sage

METHOD:

1. Place oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and mix in potatoes, mushrooms, pepper, squash, shallot, and kale. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and let saute and steam, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
2. Add sage to skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes.
3. Optional: fry an egg to place on top.

Freezer to Oven Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: This one is from my mother-in-law, also from ages past. I'll admit I'm not the hugest chocolate chip cookie fan, but my hubby is and I liked the whole freezer-to-oven aspect of it. A quick dessert when needed? Perfect.

Rating: Favorable

Notes: These are fairly airy and light when baked, not the dense, chewy kind (which I prefer, when I prefer chocolate chip cookies). But they're quite tasty. Probably all that butter in them. They don't spread out much, but I might not have pre-heated the oven enough-- hard to tell with a toaster oven. You'll also likely want to roll these into balls because it makes them a heck of a lot easier to freeze. I'm enamored with the new cookie dough baller my mom got me for Christmas, though, so I went that route instead.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3/4 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 oz. chocolate chips

METHOD:

1. Melt butter in microwave, covered.
2. Add butter to large mixing bowl with brown sugar. Stir in the eggs. Add flour, salt, baking soda and vanilla, and stir. Mix in chocolate chips. (Can mix this all, except the chocolate chips, in a stand-up mixer.)
3. Chill the batter, but not for too long (about 20 minutes). Using cookie dough scooper or your hands, place 1-inch mounds on a cookie sheet and freeze for a couple hours. Transfer to a ziploc baggie.
4. When needed, place on an ungreased cookie sheet in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.