Short Order: Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies

Now that the adverse effects of margarine are better understood, one wonders if the multitude of neighborhood bakeries will rise to the challenge. I'm waiting to see a sign proclaiming: "Delicious cakes - baked with oil."

By JUDY MONTAGU
chocolate chip 88 (photo credit: )
chocolate chip 88
(photo credit: )
Now that the adverse effects of margarine are better understood, one wonders if the multitude of neighborhood bakeries will rise to the challenge. I'm waiting to see a sign proclaiming: "Delicious cakes - baked with oil." One of the highlights of Shabbat kiddush at my friends the Jonahs' is Alice's scrumptious homemade chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, which (luckily) make a fairly regular appearance. In keeping with the zeitgeist, Alice has adapted the recipe to use oil. You'll love 'em. ALICE'S COOKIES 1⁄3 cup canola oil 3 Tbsp. (1⁄2 cup) peanut butter, any kind 1 cup sugar, brown and white mixed 1 egg 11⁄4 cup flour, half-brown, half-white 1⁄2 tsp. baking powder 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda 1⁄2 cup oatmeal 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips Mix the first four ingredients, then mix in everything else. Form little balls and press into a cookie shape. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (neyar afiya) and criss-cross each cookie with a fork. Bake at 180 for 10-12 minutes. IN THE cross-fertilization that regularly occurs at the Post, an incredibly beautiful cookbook appeared on my desk last week, having arrived there from the Books department via the Weekend magazine office. Called Enlitened Kosher Cookery, it is by Nechama Cohen, founder of the Jewish Diabetes Association (jewishdiabetes@aol.com) and "a wife and mother facing the challenge of controlling Type 1 diabetes and living a truly traditional Jewish lifestyle." Many of the recipes will appeal to those who don't need to follow a special regimen and can ignore, for example, the use of sugar substitutes; and the photographs are works of art. A tip that caught my eye had to do with desserts such as strawberry cream pie: "Any of these pies can be prepared without a pie crust and still be enjoyable. Or you can simply mix ground nuts with a half-teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of vanilla extract and sprinkle on the bottom of the pan before adding the filling." Sounds good. Here are two recipes from the book: CHICKEN CACCIATORE 1 Tbsp. olive oil 900 gr. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips 1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, halved, seeded and sliced 1 medium onion, sliced 450 gr. fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 small tomatoes, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp. tomato paste 1⁄4 cup dry white wine 3-4 fresh basil leaves, or 1 tsp. dried salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil over a medium-high setting in a large, non-stick skillet. Add the chicken strips and saute on both sides for a total of six minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the skillet. Saute for five minutes, until the peppers begin to soften. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the tomato paste, wine, basil and seasoning. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. BROCCOLI-ALMOND SALAD 450 gr. frozen broccoli florets,defrosted(or fresh broccoli florets, blanched) 1 medium red onion, sliced Dressing: 1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise 1 tsp. mustard 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. vinegar 3 Tbsp. water 1 clove garlic, crushed sugar substitute for 2 flat Tbsp. sugar salt and pepper to taste Garnish: 1⁄8 cup roasted slivered almonds (optional) 1⁄4 cup (sugar free) dried cranberries Squeeze out any water and place the broccoli florets in a bowl. Add the onion. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Garnish with the nuts and berries. DEENA SPIGELMAN of Jerusalem writes: "Reading your Green Soup recipe, I recognized my basic potato-leek soup ingredients and thought you might be interested: "I saute chopped onion and leek in oil, add water and a few cut-up potatoes; salt, white pepper, parsley and dill. When it's cooked I puree it, leaving it fairly thick to use as a thickener for gravies, casseroles or any variety of vegetables - which I can then serve as a side dish or another soup. If I want my original potato-leek soup, I just dilute it. It refrigerates reasonably well for about a week." DO YOU dread the weekly tussle with the supermarket's carry-home plastic bags - first tearing them off the pack, then getting the layers to part? My local store has installed a device that not only lets the bags pop up one at a time, but blows air at them so they open. Now that's customer service! judymo@jpost.com