cookies for lazy people

These are cookies that my mom used to make all the time when I was a kid. They are dangerously addictive and easy to eat, especially since they are best raw, right out of the freezer. These are so good that I seriously haven't made them in years- because I literally cannot stop eating them. But what the hell, it's Christmas right?

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup oats

Cream first 5 ingredients thoroughly.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and stir well.
Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing well.
Stir in the oats.

Shape dough into rolls about 2 inches thick in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill for several hours before baking.

Slice at least 1/4 inch thick for baking. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Or do like me, and don't bake them at all. And voila! Cookies for lazy people.

South Indian Dahl

My nana's recipe

1 & 1/2 cup red lentils
H2O
5 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 zucchinis
1 large tomato
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
8-10 peppercorns
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp dried red chilies
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
Few shakes of Hing (Asafoetida), found in indian grocery stores

Remove any stones from the lentils and rinse them. Put the lentils in a pot and cover them with water, about 2 inches above it. Add the cumin, salt, peppercorns, 3 cloves of mashed garlic, chopped zucchini, onion, and chopped tomato. Simmer until lentils are fully cooked and you can't see the individual lentils.
When this happens, heat oil in a pan on high and add the mustard seeds. Fry them and shake them around until they start popping then add two cloves of finely chopped garlic. When garlic is almost burnt, add two shakes of "hing". Then add this mixture to the pot. You can even add some of the soupy mixture to the pan to make sure you got it all. Then simmer for a few more minutes, and eat with rice and lemon pickle.

Italian style tofu and rice

Hi folks, I am a crazy stressed-out and overworked student, and so I've decided to take a few minutes away from work (but still on the computer so as not to feel TOO guilty) to post one of my favorite recipes.

It's easy and delicious. You will need:

1 package tofu cut into one inch cubes
olive oil
2 medium onions cut into wedges
2 medium sized zucchini (though any vegetable would do)
a couple handfuls of small mushrooms
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained OR the equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes (so good)
3/4 cup veggie broth
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
sharp cheese

and your grain of choice - I've only made this with Basmati, though I'm sure it would be great with any other type of rice, with couscous, buckwheat, or maybe even quinoa?

Cook tofu in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until all the sides are browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside for later.

Add the onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, herbs, and tofu; heat to boiling.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, serve over warm rice, and top it off with some freshly grated cheese.

note: this is a great recipe because these are ingredients that you likely already have kicking around the house. When without tofu, just replace with chickpeas and skip the first step. Also, I think it would make an excellent spicy dish. I'll probably try that next time....