yes, you read that right. this is not a recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (although i do have a great one written in a notebook somewhere…i should try to dig that out). this is a recipe for chocolate chip cookie oatmeal.
the thing is, we all act like eating cookies for breakfast is crazy, but we all do it anyway. what is cookie crisp, if not mini cookies in a bowl drenched in milk? what is a waffle, if not a puffy, crispy, gridded cookie? what is an omelette, if not a cookie, made of eggs then rolled around a bunch of savory stuffings?
i’ll admit that i may have lost the analogy there, but i’ll never admit defeat on the cookie-flavors-for-breakfast issue! because this breakfast i just made for myself as a wfh-treat is just as much brown sugar and butter and chocolate chips as it is oatmeal, and it is damn good.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal
make it for breakfast! eat it and get hopped up on sugar! do whatever you want- your parents aren't here!
bring water and salt to a boil in a small pan. when water is at a full rolling boil, add in oatmeal and reduce heat to low.
simmer on low until oatmeal is soft and water is mostly absorbed/evaporated, about 7-10 minutes (depends on how you like your oatmeal, really). when oatmeal is cooked to your satisfaction, remove from heat.
off heat, mix in butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. add chocolate chips to your taste, and mix until they're just distributed, but not totally melted into the oatmeal. top with a sprinkle of more chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of kosher salt.
you know how when you grow up with something you think that’s just how things are but then you find out it was actually specific to your experience? like how i have these weird things in my mouth called tori, but until the dentist told me that they were weird, i thought that was just what mouths were like.
anyway, i grew up thinking that chicken vesuvio was just regular old italian restaurant food, but i’ve recently learned that it’s actually regional to chicago! so i decided to make some for a little taste of my very cold homeland. if you’ve never had chicken vesuvio before, all you need to know is that the potatoes are so good. so soooooo good.
this recipe is adapted from cook’s illustrated complete cooking for two. in addition to making a few changes to the recipe, i have to double everything because apparently dylan and i eat for four. traditional chicken vesuvio would normally have peas in it, but dylan is allergic to peas and i hate them, so i don’t add them. a more traditional version would also use bone in chicken pieces but i think that’s too much work, so i went for boneless instead.
further note: i tried to do some research about the history of chicken vesuvio, but i ended up at this page of people just arguing a lot and being angry and i started getting sort of sad and overwhelmed so i had to quit. research at your own risk.
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Kate's Chicken Vesuvio
A classic Chicago chicken and potatoes dish that comes together easily in one pot.
I’m still going crazy for spaetzle. The other night I started off making a mushroom paprikash and spaetzle recipe that I had found online. After mixing up the spaetzle batter and chopping all the mushrooms and onions, I realized that I hadn’t read the instructions well enough and I didn’t have half the ingredients.
So it was time to improvise! I knew spaetzle would be good with mushrooms and onions no matter what, so I just needed some kind of sauce to add richness and flavor and bind everything together.
I found a nice block of Swiss cheese hiding out in my fridge (I had bought it for a recipe I never ended up making), threw together a quick bechamel, and grated the Swiss into it.
The result was like a hearty mushroom-y mac and cheese, except with the tangy flavor of Swiss and the tender springiness of the fresh spaetzle. It was a lot of fun to put together and it tastes great!
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Spaetzle with Mushrooms and Swiss Sauce
Creamy Swiss bechamel, savory sauteed mushrooms, and fresh, springy spaetzle! A hearty treat for a cold night!
Start by making your spaetzle batter so that it's ready to go when you need it. You can find the recipe for that in the link in the description above.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until just beginning to soften, then add in mushrooms and stir to combine. Continue to cook until mushrooms begin to brown and release their juices. Add in minced garlic for the last minute. Once everything is cooked, set skillet aside for later.
In a large saucepan, heat butter until just beginning to foam. Dump in flour and whisk constantly. This mixture will turn into a paste that you'll keep whisking for a minute or two longer until it turns a little brown. Congratulations! You've just made a roux!
Now add the milk by the 1/2 cup, whisking constantly with each addition. Let the mixture thicken for a minute or two on high heat, continuing to whisk so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of your pot.
Dump in the grated swiss, stirring constantly until completely melted and incorporated into a smooth sauce. Set the sauce aside.
Boil your spaetzle, according to instructions. Combine fresh spaetzle, mushroom mixture, and Swiss sauce and enjoy!
