Eat All the Cookies

Chocolate.  I do not like chocolate.  Yes, I realize that this is against the rules of human nature.  I'm sure that my consummate dislike breaks several laws.  And yet...I can't get past it!  However, since I'm attempting to stretch my horizons and try new things I've been exploring ways to make chocolate palatable.  This is great news for A-chan who at seven years old still manages to be shocked at every major holiday when I refuse to share chocolate treats with her.

Ahhh, but there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel for I have discovered - orange flavored chocolate!

This gastronomic delight fools even my picky taste buds into believing that chocolate is yummy.  Since making this discovery I've been pairing the two in different concoctions to find one that is tasty but also simple to make.  These cookies are it!  Few ingredients are needed, very little prep time is involved and they come out perfect every time.  In fact, they are so easy that A-chan made a batch all by herself yesterday.  (Except for dealing with the hot cookie sheet coming out of the oven.)

Ingredients:

Part 1:
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup + 1 TB Light Brown Sugar
3/4 cups Butter, melted
1 Egg

Part 2:
1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

Part 3:
1 tsp Orange Extract
1- 2 tsp Orange Zest
1/4 to 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for Part 1 into a bowl.  Stir well.
2. Combine all of the Part 2 ingredients in a separate bowl.  Mix together.
3. Add Part 1 mixture to the Part 2 mixture.
4. Now put in the Orange Extract and Zest.  Stir well, making sure that all the flour is incorporated.
5. Pour in the Chocolate Chips and stir to distribute.
6. The dough will be soft, reminiscent of brownies.  Use two spoons to put scoops of dough onto an    
    ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet.  Leave 1-2 inches between cookies!
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.
8.  Devour!

Notes:
- A-chan likes more chocolate chips than I do, for obvious reasons, so she added another 1/4 cup of chips when she made her batch.

- If you don't have an actual orange or a zester on hand, but happen to have Orange Extract just add 2 tsp of Extract to get approximately the same orange flavor.

Japanese Curry Delivery Devices

If you aren't already aware of my obsession with Japanese curry, you're about to find out.  It is one of the best foods on this planet.  Curry is possibly the greatest invention that humankind has produced.  Usually cradled by a nest of rice, it is filled with vegetables and tofu, spices and love.  But then, sometimes we run out of rice. Instead of giving up and crying, I've been exploring alternative curry delivery methods.  Here are two of my new favorites.  I definitely recommend trying them.  Not only are they very yummy, but anything is better than wasted curry leftovers.  

Up top is a Japanese curry sandwich.  The first step was to melt some ghee to spread onto the insides of my sandwich bun.  Then they were lightly toasted under the broiler.  This delicious and decadent technique I learned in India and while I don't use it often, I'm in heaven when I do.  If you don't happen to have ghee handy regular butter will work just as well.  Next I piled on the curry, making sure to leave most of the gravy behind.  While I do love the gravy profoundly, it can get extremely messy in a hurry!  I then put a perilla leaf on top and got ready to munch!

Below is another method using Udon noodles for the carbohydrates.  I'm a big fan of this method and unlike the sandwich, am totally okay with the messiness inherent in this dish.  The gravy gets all over the noodles and makes them so yummy.  It's rather fun to slurp them and a challenge to eat them with chopsticks!  It's also very simple - the udon noodles were boiled according to the normal noodle procedure, then chilled with a rinse of cold water.  The currry was loaded on top with a garnish of cherry tomato and a perilla leaf.  

If you've never tried Japanese curry, it's pretty easy to make and absolutely worth the time to learn!  Here is a link to my basic Japanese curry recipe.  My recipe is vegetarian of course, but the dish is usually made with meat so feel free to replace the tofu with chicken, beef or pork.  The version shown in the dishes above had zucchini added for some extra nutritional punch.