Coconut Macaroons

I am not a baker, so for my mom to request a coconut dessert for Thanksgiving was a bit unusual. But we are planning for my brother-in-law's Christmas visit with my sister and niece, and his family always has some sort of coconut dessert. Alas, it fell to me to experiment.

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For once, I relied on a recipe. I know this is essential when baking, so there was no doubt I would lean heavily on the science of someone else's recipe. This one is simple:

5 cups of coconut (one bag)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
4 egg whites

Here are the steps: mix well, plop onto baking sheets, bake at 375-degrees for 25 minutes. Oh-- and watch them because, as my mom warned, "coconut burns quickly." As a finishing touch, I melted chocolate and dipped just the bottoms in the drippy chocolate (after letting the cookies cool in the fridge for a while).

They were a big hit at Thanksgiving, and I have no doubt they could successfully be made with a sugar substitute for those watching their holiday (and everyday) sugar intake. If you're an established baker or an aspiring one, you, too, can succeed at baking these macaroons-- fork (not) in hand.

Microwave Baked Apple

There are certain foods that say "fall" to me. One of them is apple crisp, and when I have a chance to eat it, I do my best vacuum cleaner impersonation. However, I acknowledge that some of the necessary ingredients in apple crisp-- like the salty butter and chunky brown sugar-- are not exactly healthy-diet-friendly. So to satiate my need for apple crisp, I attempt to mimic the dominant flavors and make a super-quick microwaved "baked" apple.

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I start by selecting the biggest apple in the bag. Then, I embark on the hardest part: using a paring knife to cut out the core. I do not like the texture or the taste of apple core, so this is an important step for me. After coaxing out the core, I dump in a combination of instant oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and a tiny bit of brown sugar. I stick the whole thing in the microwave, where the apple proceeds to bubble and give up its natural juices.

You only need to microwave the apple until the juices start to run. And be prepared for a pool of flavor in the bottom of your bowl. But for all it's sloppiness, this hot and comforting treat hits the flavor notes I crave this time of year. And, indeed, I eat it voraciously with fork in hand.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Sometimes I crave comforting, warm food, and since breakfast is my favorite meal, the two often go hand-in-hand. Oatmeal, when infused with tasty morsels, can really hit the spot. But I'm not a huge fan of the pre-flavored oatmeal that also contains copious amounts of sugar and preservatives. Instead, I opt for making my own delicious morning meal, and this is how I do it.

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I started with a small saucepan in which I poured about a half-inch of water. I brought that to a simmer, adding chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny bit of maple syrup. As the apples cooked down, I prepared (in a separate pan) some instant oatmeal. When the oatmeal was soft and fluffy and the apples had cooked down to a soft consistency (most of the water evaporated), I simply mixed the two together.

Making this breakfast requires two pans, which I realize is a little annoying. But you get to control the ingredients and know exactly what you are putting in your body. For me, this is a growing imperative. You could also customize your oatmeal for picky (or simply diverse) eaters. I have poured hot oatmeal over chopped bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon for a banana-bread-like oatmeal that definitely hit the spot.

So, the next time you are in the mood for a stomach- and soul-warming dish, regardless of the time of day, consider reverting to a classic-- with your own spin, of course. Enjoy with fork (and/or spoon) in hand.

Roasted Cauliflower

I am in a phase of experimentation, with my husband on the other side of the planet. Here, I attempted to roast cauliflower, and it turns out this is a great way to enhance the flavor and maintain the integrity of this oft-maligned vegetable.

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Relegated, for the most part, to vegetable platters, cauliflower has posed certain obstacles for me in the past. I have tried to make "creamed" cauliflower to serve as a most nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes, but without using a dense cream (I just used a touch of milk), the texture and consistency were never quite right. But I longed for a way to serve this toothsome treat that didn't require an abundance of butter, milk, or effort. Enter: roasting.

I cut my cauliflower trees from their hearty trunk and laid them out on a cookie sheet (sprayed with a little cooking spray). I dusted them with black pepper, garlic powder, and tiny bit of salt. I slid the pan into the oven (preheated to 350-degrees) and let them roast, unattended, for about thirty minutes. When I pulled them out, the sides against the pan had turned a beautiful brown, and the stalks themselves maintained a bite that I like in my vegetable sides. The seasoning was unobtrusive and acted as a mild balance for the timid cauliflower.

I'm counting this experiment among my successes. I'm excited to build meals with the addition of this texture and flavor, which is (to my estimation) pretty unique. I suspect I'll be attempting to roast a few more vegetables before this chilly fall (and surely frigid winter) are over, and I hope you'll join me with fork in hand.