from these, my hands

chocolate mint brownies

2010-04-13T13:37:00.003-07:00

Chocolate Mint Brownies:
Ingredients:
Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (114 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (70 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mint Layer:
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons creme de menthe
green food coloring (optional)
Chocolate Glaze:
3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
Preparations:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.
Brownies: In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies will come out almost clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
Mint Layer: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want the frosting green. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. (The frosting should be just thin enough to spread.) Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes or until firm.
Chocolate Glaze: In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate glaze starts to dull.
To Serve: Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 30 squares. It is a good idea to wipe your knife between cuts with a damp cloth. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or else frozen.
Makes about 30 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares.
Photo by Glorious Treats, recipe found at Chocolate Chipped by Stephanie Jaworski from Joy Of Baking.

banana cupcakes with honey-cinnamon frosting

2010-04-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
For a handheld treat that takes the cake, try these cute confections - they combine the flavor of classic banana bread with a creamy spiced frosting.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes plus cooling
Ingredients: makes 12
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana for garnish (optional)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standered 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if dersired.

mini key lime cupcakes

2010-04-13T13:35:00.003-07:00

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Mini Key Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Topping:
1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup Key lime or regular lime juice
4 drops green food color
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Cupcakes:
48 regular-size paper baking cups
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
Frosting:
1 container Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 tablespoon Key lime or regular lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated Key lime or regular lime peel
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup Key lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Heat oven to 375 degreesF. (350 degreesF for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cups in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about 1/3 full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining baking cups and batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.
Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.
Stir frosting in containter 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon Key lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting from bag onto topping. Garnish with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Divide batter in half. Distribute 1/2 batter evenly among 24 muffin cups. Refrigerate remaining batter, and repeat process.

asparagus pesto

2010-04-13T13:35:00.001-07:00

from here

It has come to my attention that many of you do not visit Local Lemons in search of an easy weeknight meal. Is it because I make things like this 5-hour lamb bolognese? Or maybe because my homemade chicken nuggets take over 2 hours? Okay. You have a point.
Today, I’m making a change. I’m going to show you how to make authentic pesto from scratch and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Come on, if Rachael Ray can do it, why can’t I? (Geez, never thought the day would come when I mention Rachael Ray). Anyway. By authentic, I mean in technique. Obvious there is no basil in this pesto. And for a good reason – it’s March! If you’re making basil pesto right now, you better live in the tropics (or LA, or Miami). This pesto is authentic because it uses local ingredients that are all in season. Plus, it’s made with a mortar and pestle. This is the most important kitchen tool for making pesto. If you are using a food processor, you’re truly missing out. The food processor pulverizes and jumbles all the flavors, leaving you unable to distinguish the unique qualities of each ingredient. Don’t believe me? Do a side-by-side comparison. I guarantee you’ll never make pesto in a machine again (and you’ll probably never order it at a restaurant again either.)

I mashed together fresh spring asparagus, garlic, walnuts, chili peppers and sharp cheese into a thick, pungent paste softened by a light stream of high-quality olive oil. When the pasta was ready, I tossed in some spinach leaves, an egg and a heaping spoonful of the bright green pesto.
Wait, did I lose you at the egg? I love adding an egg or two to pasta dishes when I want a touch of creaminess without adding cream. I never add cream to pasta. Never. Bechamel, yes. Cream, no. All it does is dilute the vim of the rich sauce you lovingly prepared, while adding tasteless fat and heaviness. Eggs, on the other hand, enhance the flavors in your sauce. Especially if the eggs are farm-fresh, and the sauce is a pesto. The trick is to not let the eggs scramble. Crack an egg into a small bowl, add a teaspoon of the hot cooking liquid from the pasta, and lightly beat. After you drain the pasta, put it back into the pot and quickly stir in the eggs. Don’t hesitate or you’ll have chunks of egg instead of a light coating surrounding each noodle. Now add the pesto. And now enjoy a seasonal, from-scratch meal that took a total of 30 minutes. Take that Rachael Ray (Gr, there I go again!).

A note about cheese, because I just found my new favorite. It’s incredible. Sharp, nutty, crumbly, intense–and it’s local. Erin and I have been recipe-testing for Little Mac, and received a nice sampling of cheeses from Vella Cheese company. Their Oro Secco, a dry jack cheese that’s aged for 2 years, is amazing. I hate using such a generic word for such a special cheese, but amazing it is. The only problem is that it’s pricey, too much so for our mac and cheese. But perfect for this asparagus pesto. If you can’t find it, use regular dry jack in its place.

Asparagus Pesto with Pasta
4 servings / Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
About 10 stalks of asparagus, woody ends removed
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Handful of walnuts
1 egg
2 dried chili peppers (optional)
Handful of spinach, washed and torn into large pieces
Top-notch olive oil (I use California Olive Ranch Arbaquina. It’s affordable, bold and so tasty.)
1/2 cup Oro Secco cheese, finely grated (Or dry jack, or a hard, sharp cheese of your choice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound pasta (I used elbows, only because I had a ton on hand from mac and cheese testing. Linguine would work quite well.)

Set a large pot of water to boil and add asparagus. Cook for two minutes and lift asparagus out of the pot using tongs. Run under cold water to stop cooking, and chop into small pieces. Keep the water boiling for your pasta.
Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a sprinkle of salt until it forms a paste. Add the walnuts and dried chili peppers and continue mashing. Next add the asparagus, and mash until they fall apart. Add the cheese and stop mashing. Add a thin stream of olive oil and stir until it forms a thick paste (about 1/3 – 1/2 of a cup). Taste for salt. Add freshly ground black pepper if needed.

Cook pasta in boiling water. When done, drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot, and keep on a burner set to the lowest heat. Add half of the reserved water.
Crack the egg into a small bowl. Gently beat. Add 1 teaspoon of the hot cooking liquid and stir. Add the egg to the pasta, and stir quickly so the egg doesn’t set. Don’t let it scramble!
Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Finally, add the pesto and mix until fully combined. If pesto is too thick, add remaining pasta water.
Serve with grated cheese and top with a drizzle of olive oil.

lemon cheesecake

2010-04-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Lemon Cheesecake
Cake mix is the secret to an easy press-in-the-pan crust and a foolproof cream cheese filling.
Prep Time: 15 min / Total Time: 6 hours 50 min / Makes: 16 servings
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Filling:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 containers (3.5 oz each) lemon pudding (from 4-pack container)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping
Directions:
Heat oven to 300 degreesF. Spray bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around the outside of pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix; set aside. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, butter and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of pan.
In same large bowl, beat reserved cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, pudding and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, on at a time, until mixed. Pour over crust.
Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.
Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Without relesing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove side of pan before serving. Pipe pr spoon whipped topping around outside edge of cheesecake. Store in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 325 degreesF.
Subtitution: If you don’t have fresh lemon to grate peel for the crust, just omit it. There is still plenty of lemon flavor in the cheesecake.
How-To: For clean cuts when serving the cheesecake, dip a sharp knife in hot water and dry on a paper towl before each cut.
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 210); Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 14g, Trans Fat 1 1/2g);Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 380mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 30g); Protein5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 10%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

simple stir fry by kelsey nixon

2010-04-13T13:32:00.003-07:00

Simple Stir-fry

...........................................

Yield: 1-2 servings

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, julienne

1/4 cup green bell pepper, julienne

1/2 cup snow peas, sliced thin

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup baby bok choy, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup mandarin oranges, peeled & segmented

1/4 cup green onions, thinly slice on a diagnol

Place chicken strips in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir fry until chicken is beginning to brown an is almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add bell peppers, snow peas and onion; toss for 1 minute. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar; boil until sauce thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute. Stir in bok choy, mandarin oranges, and scallions. Stir-fry just until bok choy is just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining green onions.

sugar cookies by kelsey nixon

2010-04-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

...............................................

Yield: 2 dozen

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 eggs

8 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoons baking powder

approximately 4 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining wet ingredients; eggs, sour cream & vanilla. In a separate medium bowl combine salt, baking soda & baking powder. Slowly mix into wet ingredients until combined. Finally, add flour slowly, adding more or less if needed.

Let the dough chill for at least an hour, although longer is preferable. (I suggest sticking it in the freezer for 5 minutes before rolling out) Roll out dough on a well floured surfaced and cut into shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size.

Keys to the cookies: Roll the dough at least 1/4 inch thick and don't overbake.

chana masala and garlic naan

2010-04-13T13:31:00.001-07:00

The cold weather the past few weeks has had me craving Indian food. I’ve bookmarked quite a few recipes to try, but the long list of ingredients for Indian cuisine has always intimidated me a bit. This weekend I finally bit the bullet, and gathered the necessary spices from Spice Bazaar, a tiny Indian grocery (in the mini shopping center in front of Target on 15-501, for any locals). And ohmygoodness, what was I waiting for?? This recipe for chana masala is really easy, and oh so good. And the naan… nom, nom, nom. We will definitely be making this again!
Chana Masala
adapted from Molly Wizenberg
1/4 c olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground ginger
1 t ground turmeric
1 t garam masala
1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t salt
water
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 T chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (I used curry leaves)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water, stir, and cook until water has completely evaporated.
Add tomatoes and their juice, raise heat to medium, and bring to a gentle boil. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, and add cilanto (or curry) leaves. Stirring occasionally, cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas, stir, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add 2T water, cook 5 minutes. Add another 2T water and cook until absorbed. (This process of adding and cooking off water helps concentrate the sauce’s flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender.) Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Garnish with cilantro/curry leaves. Serve with rice and naan.
serves 4
Garlic Naan
adapted from Mic at All Recipes
2 1/4 t active dry yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 t salt
4 1/2 c flour
2 t minced garlic
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball, roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle, place on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Flip and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
makes 14 pieces of naan

carrot cake pancakes from trever and lindy

2010-04-13T13:30:00.003-07:00

If you like carrot cake, you will love these pancakes! I have been trying to add new recipes into the rotation, so last Saturday I made carrot cake pancakes. I found the recipe in the Jan/Feb edition of Cooking Light and thought I would give it a try. The recipe is adapted from a recipe that is used at Snooze in Denver. Side note: I ate at Snooze with Molly when I visited last summer and LOVED their food. The grating of the carrots was time consuming and a little dangerous but the recipe was pretty easy. Give em' a try!
Carrot Cake Pancakes

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 pancakes and about 2 teaspoons honey butter)

Ingredients

5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I used pecans because we didn't have walnuts. I toasted them in the oven on 400 for 5 minutes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (We didn't have buttermilk, so I created my own. You need 1 cup of lowfat milk and one Tbsp. of vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and voila, you have your buttermilk. I then measured 3/4 cup from this mixture for my recipe.)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey

Preparation

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups carrot.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4 cup) batter mounds onto pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter. Combine butter and honey in a small bowl; serve with pancakes.

pb choc chip cupcakes

2010-04-13T13:30:00.001-07:00

celebratewithcake:
Ingrdients: Makes 24
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
- Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
- In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add boiling water and stir to combine (with a spoon, not a mixer! it will splash around your kitchen). Add the chocolate chunks; set cake batter aside.
- Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter.
- Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
Milk Chocolate Frosting recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ ounces milk chocolate
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa; set aside.
- In a heatproof bowl above simmering water, melt the chocolate (or in a microwave). Add to confectioners’ sugar mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer for 1 minute, until a smooth frosting appears.

peanut butter sandwich cookies

2010-04-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

Recipe from OurBestBites

1 C butter flavored Crisco
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 C sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
3 eggs
3 C flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

filling:
1 C creamy peanut butter
1/2 c real butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
5-6 T milk

For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add in vanilla, and eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to dough. Mix to combine. The dough will be very soft- that's normal!

Roll into balls, roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet (no need to grease it) and do the little forky criss-cross thing.

Now, not only are these cookies doubly sweet because they're sandwiched, but the dough spreads, so make your balls small. I use a regular size 40 cookie scoop and I separate each scoop of dough in half to form 2 cookies, and they're still pretty good sized. A mini scoop is perfect.

Okay, so pop the cookies into the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes. You want them to say super soft, so don't let them get brown. In my oven, and for the size of cookies I do, 6 minutes exactly is perfect. Remove them from pan and cool on a cooling rack.

To make the filling:
Whip the peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Then add milk one T at a time. You may not need it all. You want the filling to be on the thick side, it should just have enough milk in it to make it easily spreadable. If you add too much milk (like a normal frosting consistency) it might squish out of the cookies when you take a bite.

I put the filling in a piping bag, or a hefty zip-lock with the edge cut off to make filling easy. Place filling on one cookie and sandwich another on top. I designed the recipe to have enough filling to be generous :)

With the size I do, I get about 8 dozen cookies, which makes about 4 dozen sandwiches.

Just a note: I think these are actually even better the 2nd day. The flavors mellow together and you get a cool sweet n' saltly thing going on. Plus, after they sit with the filling in them, the cookies get really soft. Mmmm...

from leah and yancy's blog

nutella hot chocolate

2010-04-13T13:25:00.001-07:00

Nutella hot chocolate.
1 cup whole milk (feel free to substitute skim, rice, almond, etc)
3 tb Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp high-quality cocoa powder
1 or more marshmallows
pinch of espresso powder (optional)
In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over a low flame, whisk together the milk, Nutella, cocoa powder, and espresso (if using). Add cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 5 minutes, to allow flavors to meld.

all kinds of pancake recipes

2010-01-26T15:57:00.001-08:00

here

spicy ginger cookies

2010-01-26T15:55:00.001-08:00

here

pumpkin pancakes and cinnamon cream syrup

2010-01-26T15:54:00.001-08:00

here

banana pudding

2010-01-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

here

oatmeal dark chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

2010-01-26T15:52:00.001-08:00

here

halloween treats!

2010-01-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

here

s'more cupcakes

2010-01-26T15:49:00.003-08:00

here

or this version

mini french cinnamon puffs

2010-01-26T15:49:00.001-08:00

here

spiced pumpkin shake

2010-01-26T15:48:00.001-08:00

here

apple pie

2010-01-26T15:47:00.001-08:00

here

sour cream and chive mashed potatoes

2010-01-26T15:46:00.001-08:00

here

new york times' best chocolate chip cookies

2010-01-26T15:07:00.001-08:00

here

naan! chicken korma!

2010-01-26T11:42:00.001-08:00

here and here

shakshuka

2010-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

from here

slow-cooked tortilla soup

2010-01-25T12:53:00.001-08:00

here

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2009-12-01T14:15:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package active dry yeast/instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot tap water (120 - 125 degrees)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar

NOTE: To obtain optimum health benefits, rising and baking times may be extended.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To prepare pizza dough, stir whole wheat flour; lightly spoon into a measuring cup and level flour.

In large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, yeast and salt. Blend in water, oil and honey or sugar. Stir by hand vigorously until all ingredients are well mixed; about 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise to desired size.

Place dough in greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan or 12 to 14-inch pizza pan. Press dough to cover bottom of pan and up sides to form a rim.

Add pizza sauce of your choice and your favorite pizza toppings; bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are done.

Recipe makes 8 servings.

Suggestion: A bit of garlic powder and oregano to the dough can be added for a little extra flavor.

Nutrition information per serving: 146 calories, 5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 37 mcg folate, 2 mg iron and 219 mg sodium.

Quick Heart-Healthy Pizza Dough

2009-12-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup lukewarm water
One package rapid-rise yeast
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the dough
4 cups all purpose, unbleached flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 100-degrees. Pour water into bowl of full-size processor. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water and pulse twice. Add oil, flour, salt, and process until dough comes together. Process another 30 seconds. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky. If too sticky to handle, add one or two tablespoons flour and pulse once or twice.

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead to form a smooth ball. Put dough in deep, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in warmed oven. Let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled. Remove dough, punch down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into four balls.

At this point, dough may be refrigerated or frozen. Bring to room temperature before rolling.

To Roll: Place ball in center or work surface sprinkled lightly with flour or cornmeal. With rolling pin, roll dough from center to edges, to a ten to 12-inch circle.

To Grill: Brush both sides of dough with olive oil. Pick up circle by edges (like a wet T-shirt) and gently place on preheated grill.

Prepare toppings: Because baking time is short, some toppings should be precooked or blanched: meats, thinly sliced potatoes, peppers, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, garlic, zucchini. For best flavor, grate or crumble cheese just before topping pizza. Have all ingredients ready before placing crust on grill. If using a sauce, warm before spreading on dough.

A Slimmer Slice: Fresh Tomato & Chicken Pizza

2009-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
3 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 ounces cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press refrigerated dough into pan, building up edges.

2. Arrange tomato slices and chicken on dough. Add basil and pepper, and top with mozzarella.

3. Bake in a 425-degree F. oven for 13 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Nutrition facts per serving (1/4 of pizza): 281 calories, 20g protein, 31g carbohydrate, 8g fat (3g saturated), 2g fiber
Healthy Cooking Tips

Shake the Salt
Subbing tomatoes for store-bought sauce reduces sodium and belly bloat. Plus, packing your pie with produce ups the filling factor.

Choose Chicken
Swap out greasy pepperoni for grilled chicken. "Season it with oregano and basil," says chef Juan-Carlos Cruz, author of The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook.

Make the Cut
To chop basil, stack the leaves in a neat pile and roll lengthwise, like a cigar. Use shears to slice across the bundle.

Say Cheese
Low-fat cheese melts better than fat-free. Before baking the pie, mist with cooking spray. "A bit of oil helps the cheese melt," says Cruz.

hummus recipes

2009-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup water
1/6 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2-3 lemons (about 3 Tbsp)
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cumin powder

Ingredients
2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch paprika
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

2 versions of black bean dip

2009-12-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

Salsa Salad (Lauren Crosby)

Ingredients :: Dressing ::

1 can black-eyed peas 1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 can black beans ¼ tsp. salt
1 can corn 1 ½ T. olive oil
½ c. red onion (chopped) 1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix (good
2-4 ripe tomatoes or 1 c. cherry tomatoes (chopped) seasons works well)
¼ c. cilantro (chopped) ½ c. white vinegar
2-4 ripe avocados (chopped)
lemon juice (to taste)

Drain black-eyed peas, black beans and corn. Combine. Add onions, tomatoes and cilantro, mix gently. In a separate small bowl combine all ingredients for dressing. Stir half of the dressing into mixture (set aside remaining dressing for later). Chill for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to combine.

Just before serving, chop avocados (sprinkle with lemon juice to help reduce browning or simply add lemon juice to taste). Stir in gently to chipped mixture. Drizzle remaining dressing on top.

Serve with tortilla chips. Makes about 8 cups.

Harding recipe:
Black Bean Veggie Dip

1 green pepper, diced
2 avodados, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
½ cup oil
1 T. lime juice
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet dry italian dressing mix
cilantro, finely chopped
green onion, chopped

Place peppers, tomatoes and avocados in serving bowl. Add Lime Juice to keep avocados green (can be done before or after they are added to the others, doesn’t really make a difference).
Add corn and black beans to bowl. Add chopped cilantro and green onions to taste (amount is up to you on how much you like). In a separate bowl, reconstitute Dry Italian Mix with oil and water (The packet will say to put vinegar in, DON’T). Add/stir into veggie bowl. Serve fresh with tortilla chips!

ginger bread

2009-12-01T13:33:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup light molasses
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1/2 cup firmly packed minced fresh ginger
* Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lower third of oven. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper, then spray the paper. Dust the entire pan with flour and shake out the excess.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, turbinado sugar, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together molasses, eggs, oil, and buttermilk.
4. Dissolve baking soda in the cup of boiling water. Fold the baking soda and molasses mixtures into dry ingredients until combined. (Do not overmix.) Fold in the minced ginger.
5. Scrape batter into the prepared baking pan; bake until cake is set around edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Molasses is very thick, and I don't think maple syrup would be an adequate substitute. Not only because of the consistency, but also flavour. Molasses gives gingerbread its traditional flavour and colour. Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that has blond-coloured crystals, with a delicate molasses flavour.

easy baked ziti

2009-10-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

from here

There was a large Italian community in New York where I grew so baked ziti was a popular meal I was raised on. It was served at virtually every carbo-load team dinner in high school, and recipes were quickly passed between families. My version is super easy to prepare and really delicious. I don't really have amts in this recipe, here's my best attempt:

Layer the following ingredients in a casserole dish (bottom to top):

homemade marinara sauce or good quality store bought (my mom uses a meat sauce)
slightly undercooked ziti noodles
small spoonful drops of ricotta cheese (not too much)
thin layer of mozzarella cheese (not too much)

Repeat this layering sequence at least twice and top with more mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, removing the top and broiling the last few minutes to make sure the top is crunchy and sauce is bubbling up.

banana amaretto cake

2009-10-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

from here

Weekend before last my family visited the NC mountains for my grandfather’s birthday. Not wanting to give him a completely store-bought cake, or spend hours making one from scratch, my Aunt Anita came up with this for his birthday cake. It was so delicious that I decided to make it again and share the recipe with you! I’ve also made some recipe cards that you can download and print at home.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 angel food cake (I bought mine at the grocery store)

• 2 bananas

• 1/2c golden raisins

• 1/3c sliced almonds

• 1 qt. vanilla ice cream

• 1/2c amaretto liqueur

time: 25 minutes plus 20 minutes of freezing

1. Take ice cream out of the freezer to soften.

2. Slice bananas thinly. Mix with raisins and liqueur in a medium bowl and set aside to soak.

3. Slice the angel food cake into three layers using a bread knife. (Make long, slow cuts to avoid breaking the layers).

4. Spread ice cream about 1/2″ thick over first cake layer. Spoon banana mixture on top. Place second cake layer on top and repeat.

5. Place top layer on cake. Spoon banana mixture on top. Garnish with sliced almonds.

6. Freeze for 20 minutes or until serving to firm up the ice cream. (Note: cake settles and gets a little lopsided if it stays in the freezer for much longer than 20 min. Still tasty, just not as pretty!)

You can download a pdf of the recipe cards I made here. There are four to a page, so you can share with three friends!

malted vanilla milkshake

2009-10-07T14:41:00.001-07:00

from here

Looks delish, don't you think?

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup chilled milk
1 TBS vanilla bean paste (or substitute pure vanilla extract)
2 1/4 cups vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
1/4 cup malted milk balls, crushed
malted milk balls, garnish

DIRECTIONS
Place 2 glasses in freezer to chill.

Pour milk into blender. Add vanilla bean paste. Cover and blend 15 seconds. Add ice cream and malted milk powder and blend until thick and creamy, stopping to push down ice cream as necessary. Divide milk shake between chilled glasses. Top each with crushed malted milk balls and serve. adapted from here

apple oatmeal flax cookies

2009-10-07T14:39:00.001-07:00

from here

Fall is officially here and that means it's apple season. Take a trip to your local orchard and pick a peck of McIntosh, Cortland, or Empire apples and give this recipe a try. With chunks of apples, oats, flax meal, and walnuts, these are packed with fiber and a taste that'll warm your soul.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flaxseed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Sucanat (or sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups quick oats
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup walnuts

Directions

* In a bowl, mix the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
* In a separate bowl, beat together oil, Sucanat, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in the oats, apples, flour mixture, and nuts.
* Spoon out cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cook seven to eight minutes, or until edges are slightly brown. Place cookies on a cooling rack.

Makes three dozen cookies.

apple puff pancake

2009-10-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

from here

After recipe testing round number 4 I think I found a winner for an Apple Puff Pancake recipe. This German favorite is great for a special occasion breakfast or dessert. I like the custardy inside with the sweet yet savory apples that provide a nice balance of flavor.
Would you like the recipe? Help yourself.

Apple Puff Pancake
Yield: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups granny smith apples, peeled & diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Put oven rack in middle position and prehead oven to 400°F.

Place 8x8 inch baking dish in oven to melt butter. Remove and add apples to bottom of dish and sprinkle with brown sugar.

In a blender or food processor, whip eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and salt on high for 1 minute. Pour batter over apples.
Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Generously dust each serving with powdered sugar and top with maple syrup if desired.

low-fat banana bread

2009-09-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
(Makes 1 loaf)

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325A?F. Lightly grease 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch pan; dust with flour. Using electric mixer; beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Mix in smashed bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over mixture; beat until just blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake bread until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn bread out onto rack and cool.

from here

low-fat pumpkin bread

2009-09-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour (Note from Sarah: You could also use whole wheat)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Another note from Sarah: I'd also add more spices, like cloves (just a pinch) and nutmeg)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350Â°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350Â° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

from here

carrot zucchini bread

2009-08-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (flax meal)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated carrots

Directions

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat egg and add sugars. Then add oil and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Stir in vegetables.
Add dry ingredients.
Pour into greased bread pan. Bake 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

from fitSugar

andes mint cookies

2009-08-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm being a bit facetious in saying that cookies are in season here in Utah, or that they even have one. But honestly, cookies do have a certain window of time when they are found in abundance. The holidays are that time. I want to share with you one of my favorites.

andes mint cookies

¾ c. butter (1½ stick)
1½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips (I do 1 cup bittersweet, 1 cup semi)
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl melt together the butter, brown sugar, water and chocolate chips. *I microwave it for a minute at a time stirring after each until melted.

Beat in eggs, add in sifted remaining dry ingredients until blended. Chill 1 hour or overnight. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 325°F for 8-10 minutes. Place mint on top, you may want to place back in the oven for a second or two. Spread when melted. Let cool completely; or not.

from here

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2009-08-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Inspired by Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup peanuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

* Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
* Cream together bananas, butter, and sugars with a mixer. Add vanilla and eggs, stir until well combined.
* In a separate bowl whisk together flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
* Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix well. Stir in oats, peanuts, and chocolate chips.
* Drop tablespoon-size balls of dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned. Cool on sheet for two minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

multi-grain almond cookies

2009-08-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

From my co-worker, Scott Davis

Here is the recipe for those cookies. I think I'm going to make them again soon, so I'll let you know if I improve it any. I used a grain mill to grind the almonds and barley, but you might be able to use a food processor or pulse it in a blender. I think the almonds might be what made them so good, but you could also omit just about any of the grains and it would probably be fine.

Multi-Grain Almond Cookies

2 c butter
1/2 c peanut butter
3 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1/4 c honey
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla

mix butter and sugars and eggs. (you could replace some of the butter with applesauce and even reduce the sugar a little if you want a little healthier cookie. applesauce might soften it up a little.)

then mix together the following and add.

4 c toasted rolled oats (bake 325 for 15 min on a cookie sheet)
1.5 c coarsely ground almonds
1.5 c coarsely ground pearl barley
2 T flaxseed
1 c shredded coconut
4 c whole wheat flour
1.5 t baking soda
1.5 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger

the dough should be pretty stiff by now, add the raisins and chocolate chips.

1/5 c raisins
1 bag chocolate chips

Flatten the cookies on a baking sheet (they don't spread much) and bake for 10 min at 350 degrees. It's best if they don't look quite done, they will harden as they cool. If they start to brown very much they will be very crunchy.

steve pavlina's rawesome guacamole

2009-08-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

* 2 large avocados (or 3 small ones)
* juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
* 1 medium tomato (or 2 roma tomatoes), chopped
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/3 cup chopped green onion
* 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper (red or green)
* 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Put the avocado flesh into a bowl. Add the lime juice. Mash the avocado and lime juice together with a fork until creamy.
2. Fold in tomato, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño pepper, and sea salt.
3. Enjoy!

Notes / Suggestions

1. This guacamole works especially well as a dip for organic carrot and celery sticks. It also goes well with flax crackers. If you aren’t a raw foodist, it goes well with tortilla chips too of course.
2. Feel free to adjust the ingredient ratios to suit your tastes (i.e. more green onion, more jalapeño, more or less salt, etc).
3. If you like spicy guacamole, feel free to double or triple the jalapeño (or more). The version above is pretty mild.

whole wheat raspberry almond thumbprint cookies

2009-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1/2 C. butter
1/3 C. lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 t. almond extract
1 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. toasted almond meal or flour (toasted ground almonds)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Using a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk together flour and almond meal then add to butter mixture and blend well.
4. Put cookie dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place on baking sheet; make an indentation with your fingertip in the center of each ball.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are just slightly brown. Let cool on wire rack.
7. Fill cookies with raspberry jam.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies

From Pinch My Salt by Nicole
This recipe is based on the Thumbprint Cookies found at Cafe Fernando

cheesy chicken burrito with chips and salsa

2009-08-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 cup precooked chicken slices
* 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
* 1 cup cooked brown rice
* 1 cup cooked broccoli
* 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar
* 4 whole-wheat tortillas (8 inches each)
* 1 cup prepared salsa
* 2 servings chips and salsa

Preparation

Pile chicken, beans, rice and broccoli in a bowl; top with cheddar. Microwave about 3 minutes, stirring once. Divide mixture on tortillas and wrap. Top each with 1/4 cup salsa. Serve with chips and salsa.

Nutritional Information

Calories 343; Total Fat 7g; Carbohydrates 46g

Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:

* 343 Calories (17%)
* 7g Total fat (10%)
* 2g Saturated Fat (10%)
* 37mg Cholesterol (12%)
* 745mg Sodium (31%)
* 46g Carbohydrate (15%)
* 7g Fiber (27%)
* 25g Protein (50%)

homemade girl scout cookies - samoa bars

2009-08-04T15:14:00.001-07:00

This is basically a shortcut recipe that still delivers all the great samoas flavor without some of the more tedious parts of cooking making. These bars have a buttery shortbread base that is topped with the caramel-coconut samoas topping and chocolate. It is made in three stages. First, the shortbread is baked and cooled. Then, the coconut topping is applied. Put the coconut on while it is hot, so it will be fairly easy to push it around. It’s a thick mixture, but a spatula is all you need to press it into an even layer. The bars should be cut after the topping has been applied, and even though the shortbread has a melt-in-your mouth quality to it, the topping holds the bars together well. I recommend using a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice up the bars easily and neatly; small knives don’t work quite as well.

The final step is to dip these in chocolate once the topping has set. Since samoas have chocolate on the bottom and a chocolate drizzle on top, I kept that same look for my bar cookies. If you want something a bit simpler, just dip half that bars in chocolate - or skip the dipping in favor of a drizzle. The important thing is that all the flavors get into the batch. And that you have some friends to share these with, because they can be quite addictive.

Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Note: You can simply drizzle chocolate on top of the bars before slicing them up if you’re looking for yet an easier way to finish these off. You won’t need quite as much chocolate as noted above, and you won’t quite get the Samoas look, but the results will still be tasty.

spicy chicken and rice

2009-08-04T15:13:00.001-07:00

yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 pounds)
* Ground cloves

* 1 1/2 cups diced seeded red bell peppers
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted imported green olives
* 4 small bay leaves
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled
* 1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) or 1 small serrano chile, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained
* 2 to 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly with ground cloves. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add bell peppers, onion, raisins, olives, bay leaves, garlic, and chili paste to skillet. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Press chicken into rice. Add 2 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories 579; Total Fat 20g; Carbohydrates 75g

Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:

* 579 Calories (29%)
* 20g Total fat (30%)
* 4g Saturated Fat (21%)
* 57mg Cholesterol (19%)
* 622mg Sodium (26%)
* 75g Carbohydrate (25%)
* 4g Fiber (16%)
* 25g Protein (50%)

red velvet valentine sandwich cookies

2009-08-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 Box red velvet cake mix*
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 Eggs

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Mix ingredients until combined.
* Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart.
* Bake for 10-12 minutes.
* Cool.

Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 1lb. Box of confectioner's sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

* In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
* Gradually add sugar and mix until smooth.

Makes about 24 cookies or 12 cookie sandwiches

* Any cake mix should work.

Recipe amended slightly from this one at allhomemadecookies.com

To assemble, spoon a small amount of frosting on the flat side of one cookie. Take another cookie and press together until frosting is flush with the edge.

Tip: For consistent size cookies, use a 1.5 inch small ice cream scooper when placing batter on the baking sheet.

The finished cookie size will be about 3 inches wide.

granola bars

2009-08-04T15:06:00.003-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried currants (I usually use golden raisins)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp granulated cane sugar or maple sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup almond butter (peanut butter works well too)
1/2 cup maple syrup (I usually use part honey)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup apple juice (or any juice on hand)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil an 8 x 8- inch baking pan
- Place almonds, oats, flour, sunflower seeds, currants, cinnamon, sugar and
salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Whisk the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and juice together in
another bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until the dry ingredients
are thoroughly moistened.
- Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and cut into 8 (or 16) bars.
- Return pan to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Then remove bars with a spatula and
cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.

From “The Healthy Headonist” by Maya Kornfeld

pita bread

2009-08-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

pita bread

Oh, am I so happy to finally have a great pita recipe. You see, pitas themselves aren’t hard to make. Most recipes very closely, or even exactly, resemble a standard pizza dough and they’re not much more difficult to assemble. No, the trouble comes when you pop them in the oven and pray for the kind of puffiness you can pop some falafel into and end up with flatbread. Delicious, warm, toasty flatbread, but definitely not a pita.

pitas, risingpita breadsrolling the pitaspita, baked and puffed

But this works! These babies puffed up like a mouth-watering poori bread in the oven, coming out closer to balloons than pizzas — at last. The technique, which should be 100 percent attributed to Rose Levy Beranbaum’s brilliance, and not my own, puts indiviuals pitas on a searing hot baking stone (or if you’re me, and have busted another one I don’t want to talk about it a cast iron skillet) and bakes them for just three minutes. I found that spritzing the tops with water guaranteed a perfect puff, but really, that’s all there is. It’s that easy.

cooling on a towel

This may also be the perfect starter bread, for those of you intimidating by the bread-making process. A long rise in the fridge lends itself to a developed flavor we associate with high-end artisanal breads; it also does the hardest work for you. The ingredients are as simple as any bread can be and with a baking time of three minutes per pita, it’s hard to argue that it will keep you tied to the kitchen for long. Best part — even if yours don’t puff, you’ll still have a most delicious flatbread, and with a little extra effort,the most delicious hummus to dip it into.

perfect pockets

One year ago: Almond Biscotti

Deb went on vacation and all I got were these lousy pita breads! Wondering why your comments aren’t being responded to at the speed that you’ve come to expect? It’s true, we’ve flown the coop and we’ll be back at the end of the week. But come on, we left you homemade pita bread — you shouldn’t have to miss us at all.

Pita Bread
Adapted from The Bread Bible

3 cups plus a scant 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (16 oz./454 grams)
2 teaspoons salt (1/2 oz./13.2 grams)
2 teaspoons instant yeast (6.4 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (1 oz./27 grams)
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature (10.4 oz./295 grams)

1. About 1 1/2 hours before shaping, or for best flavor development, 8 hours to 3 days ahead, mix the dough.

Mixer method: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients. With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid) just until all the flour is moistened, about 20 seconds. Change to the dough hook, raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid), and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should clean the bowl and be very soft and smooth and just a little sticky to the touch. Add a little flour or water if necessary. (the dough will weigh about 27.75 oz./793 grams.)

Hand method: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for a scant 1/4 cup of the flour. With a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until all the flour is moistened. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together.

Sprinkle a little of the reserved flour onto the counter and scrape the dough onto it. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding as little of the reserved flour as possible. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough and gather it together as you knead it. At this point it will be very sticky. Cover it with the inverted bowl and allow it to rest for 5 to 20 minutes. (This rest will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.)

Knead the dough for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it is soft and smooth and just a little sticky to the touch. Add a little flour or water if necessary. (The dough will weigh about 27.75 oz./793 grams.)

2. Let the dough rise: Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2-quart or larger dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press the dough down and lightly spray or oil the top of it. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Refrigerate the dough overnight (or up to 3 days), checking every hour for the first 4 hours and pressing it down if it starts to rise.

3. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 475°F one hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone, cast-iron skillet, or baking sheet on it before preheating.

4. Shape the dough: Cut the dough into 8 or 12 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured counter, with lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a ball and then flatten it into a disk. Cover the dough with oiled plastic and allow it to rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Roll each disk into a circle a little under 1/4 inch thick. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before baking.

5. Bake the pita: Quickly place 1 piece of dough directly on the stone or in the skillet or on the baking sheet, and bake for 3 minutes. The pita should be completely puffed but not beginning to brown. The dough will not puff well if it is not moist enough. See how the pita puffs, then, if necessary, spray and knead each remaining piece with water until the dough is soft and moist; allow to rest again and reroll as before.* (However, those that do not puff well are still delicious to eat.)

* After my first pita didn’t puff well, and I realized I was too lazy to spritz and reroll and rise each remaining pita, I instead spritzed each rolled-out pita with water two or three minutes before baking it. It worked magically — all of the remaining pitas puffed perfectly. Try this method first if yours don’t puff, if it doesn’t work to you, revert to Beranbaum’s suggestion of kneading the extra moisture in.

Proceed with the remaining dough, baking 3 or 4 pieces at a time if using a stone or baking sheet. using a pancake turner, transfer the pita breads to a clean towel, to stay soft and warm. Allow the oven to reheat for 5 minutes between batches. The pitas can be reheated for about 30 seconds in a hot oven before serving.

To cook the pitas on the stove top: Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the surface and cook the pitas one at a time. Cook for about 20 seconds, then turn the dough and continue cooking for 1 minute or until big bubbles appear. Turn the dough again and cook until the dough balloons. If the dough begins to brown, lower the heat. The entire cooking process for each pita should be about 3 minutes.

Whole wheat variation: For a whole wheat version, use half whole wheat and half white flour. If using regular whole wheat flour, for best results, grind it very fine or process it in a food processor for 5 minutes to break the bran into smaller particles. Finely ground 100% whole wheat flour (atta), available in Middle Eastern food markets, is the finest grind available. Or, for a milder but wheatier flavor and golden color, try 100% white whole wheat flour. You will need to add 1/4 cup more water, for a total of 1 1/2 cups (12.4 oz./354 grams).

blueberry lemon muffins

2009-08-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1 cup sugar
4 T. melter butter
2-3 t. lemon extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (Costco has super on-point blueberries, frozen or fresh)
brown sugar for topping

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the egg in a second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds; add the melted butter in two or three additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Then gradually add lemon extract, followed by buttermilk. Whisk just to combine.

Add berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss, just to combine. Add buttermilk mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. (Small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be thick. Do not overmix.)

Use a greased cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the batter into muffin tins. To top muffins with brown sugar, use about 1/2 of a small spoonful per muffin and spread sugar over the top of each one. Bake about 25 minutes until lightly golden. Makes about 12.

italian tortellini soup

2009-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 c. sliced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 c. chopped fresh zucchini
3 cans chicken broth
2 (14 3/4 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. cheese tortellini
Parmesan/Romano cheese for topping

Directions

-Brown sausage and drain fat.
-In a large pan add garlic, onion, and zucchini. Stir fry for 5 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, stewed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
-Add cheese tortellini and simmer for 20 minutes or until tortellini is tender.
-Sprinkle with Parmesan/Romano cheese.

You can improvise a little bit and add extra zucchini, extra onion, extra garlic, and a dash of basil. If you want vegetarian, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth and then cut out the sausage.

baked chimichangas

2009-08-04T15:03:00.002-07:00

This is a favorite for those of us who like Mexican food.

4 (8-inch) or 8 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
3/4 cup salsa, thick and chunky
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated, reduced-fat cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Optional:
extra salsa
Spanish Yogurt Sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
Warm tortillas until pliable (about 5 seconds each in microwave or in a nonstick skillet). Wet one side of tortilla and place wet side down. Spoon on filling ingredients. Fold to hold in filling.
Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lay chimichangas, seam side down, on baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

VARIATIONS: Beef, Pork, or Turkey Chimichangas—Substitute ground or diced beef, pork, or turkey for chicken.
Makes –4 servings

Each Serving
Carb Servings
2 Exchanges
1 1/2 starch
1 vegetable
3 lean meat
Nutrient Analysis
calories 260
total fat 5g
saturated fat 2g
cholesterol 50mg
sodium 544mg
total carbohydrate 27g
dietary fiber 2g
sugars 5g
protein 24g

pasta with roasted pepper sauce

2009-08-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

Printable Recipe - PW’s Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I love pasta. Always have. Always will. And I prefer pasta sauce without meat—a throwback to my vegetarian days in sunny Los Angeles. The way I see it, there are just too many delicious non-meat ingredients that accompany pasta so well, and there’s no need to mess it all up with sausage or ground beef or chicken.

Today’s dish is the perfect example.

I used to eat a dish just like this at a restaurant in Los Angeles, and when I moved away I was forced to replicate it in my kitchen lest I begin to confuse nostalgia for this pasta with nostalgia for James and run back to southern California. And it’s a good thing I DID figure it out, or I might be living in a house in Newport Beach with 1.7 children and a dog named Britney.

Not that everyone in Newport Beach has 1.7 children and dogs named Britney. But I would have.

To begin, fire up the grill (the range in the Lodge has this built in grill), the broiler, or the open flame on your cooktop. All are equally effective.

What we need to do is char the heck out of the red peppers.

Whether it’s under the broiler or on the grill, I usually blacken them for about ten minutes, then remove them and set them on a plate for a few minutes.

After a few minutes, throw the peppers into a large Ziploc bag.

Seal the bags. We need to let them sweat.

While the red peppers are sweating, grab some pine nuts. Unless you’re my sister Betsy, and then you need to stay far away from pine nuts or your head will swell to disturbing proportions.

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. We need to toast our pine nuts.

Pour a couple of tablespoons into the pan.

Jiggle the pan around from time to time and cook them for about five minutes. Be careful not to burn ‘em.

Remove the pan from heat when they’re golden brown. (Note: I toasted more than I’m going to use for the recipe, because I love to have toasted pine nuts on hand.)

While the peppers are sweating and the pine nuts are cooling, prepare the other ingredients. Grab three cloves of garlic…

Peel and finely mince the cloves.

Grab an onion…

Cut it in half from root to tip…

Peel off the papery skin and cut off the top, then make several vertical slices in the onion.

Rotate the onion, then slice downward to create a fine dice.

Now it’s time to peel the peppers! Remove them from the Ziploc bag…

And peel off the outer skin with your fingers. It should slide off really easily. (Some folks like to do this under the faucet, but I don’t like to rinse away all this wonderful flavor.)

When it’s all peeled, cut off the tip and slice open the pepper.

Run your knife along the inside to scrape out the seeds and membranes.

These, by the way, are the charred remains of the peppers. There’s a story here. I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s there. And it’s screaming to be written.

Find your blender or food processor.

Throw in the peeled and seeded peppers.

Pulse several times until it’s pureed.

Note that the mixture won’t be totally smooth—it’s have a wonderful red peppery texture.

You can leave the peppers plain, or you can sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of pine nuts. Note that the pine nuts really do impart a pretty strong nutty flavor to the sauce, so if you’re unsure of how you’ll like it, take it easy at first.

Bring a pot of water to a boil so you can cook the pasta according to package directions.

Confession: I have a SERIOUS weakness for interesting pastas. This is orecchiette, which translates to “Little Ears”.

I love orecchiette, because the little “ears” act as cups to collect whatever sauce you use. I find that orecchiette is better with light, creamy sauces than for heavy meat sauces. Just so you know.

I’m a pasta freak. A pasta aficionado. A pasta loon. A pasta goon. Anytime I go to a city, I stock up on interesting pastas.

Does that make me a bad person?

In a pot or a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. (Please don’t freak out over the little black spot in the pan. It’s a stray piece of garlic that accidentally fell in there. It’s not a bug or anything.)

Throw in the onion and stir around until it begins to soften. Add in the garlic and stir.

Pour in the red pepper puree.

Just look at the color! The texture! Beautiful.

Stir it around, and add in plenty of salt. I say “plenty” because for some reason, I find that the red peppers need more salt to keep the dish from tasting too bland. Salt away! Just tell ‘em Pioneer Woman said it was okay.

*Just cook the mixture over medium to medium-low heat while the pasta cooks. Stir occasionally and make sure it doesn’t burn.

When the pasta’s done cooking, drain it and set it aside. Then pour in 1/2 cup of heavy cream into the sauce. (Make sure the heat isn’t too high.)

I suppose you COULD use half & half…but why?

Stir the sauce to incorporate the cream and evaluate the texture. If you’d like it a little thinner, splash in some half & half.

Taste the sauce one last time, and add more salt if necessary. I almost always add more salt at this point.

Dump in the pasta starting with 1/2 of the package or so. Stir the mixture together.

I hate it when I add too much pasta for the amount of sauce, so I always start with a little and add more as the sauce permits. If I have leftover pasta, I store it in a Ziploc bag in the fridge and use it to make the kids some macaroni and cheese for lunch the next day.

I am SO not afraid of leftover pasta.

Place a generous portion of pasta in a bowl.

Chop up some flat leaf (Italian) parsley, or whatever other herbs you have on hand. But for this dish, I like parsley best.

Sprinkle it over the top.

Next, grab a block of Parmesan cheese and shave off some thin slices with a vegetable peeler.

Generously throw the slices over the top. You can certainly use pregrated Parmesan, but I’m totally in love with Parmesan chunks these days. (See this luscious pasta dish for further evidence of this.)

Yum.

Yikes.

Lawsie.

Bottom Line: Pasta like this renders me speechless.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

3 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.

Roast red peppers, then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.

Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Give thanks for Italy.

Repeat as necessary.

peanut butter pie

2009-08-04T15:02:00.001-07:00

If you don’t like peanut butter, step away from this recipe. I’m serious, man. You’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If you do like peanut butter…you’re about to get your fill!

This is a classic Potluck Chocolate-Peanut Butter pie; in fact, I think a potluck is where I first feasted on the unbelievably rich delight.

Incidentally, did you know Potluck is my genre of food? It is. There’s nothing like two nine-foot tables arranged end to end and completely covered with a melange of casseroles, green bean dishes, salads, cakes, and pies to give you renewed appreciation for churchgoing women.

I’m sorry, but churchgoing women can cook.

Okay, now I’m hungry. I would switch membership to any church that would hold a potluck dinner today. Who’s with me?

Sorry.

I’ll warn you: because this is a potluck pie, it contains a tub of Cool Whip—you know, the whipped cream that actually isn’t even cream at all? But I tell you this: it gives the pie such a smooth, delicious texture. I’ve tried similar pies with real whipped cream and it just doesn’t achieve the same effect. So throw that “non-dairy whipped topping” with pride, baby. No one’s gonna care.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

We’re going to make a chocolate cookie crust. I never can find those plain chocolate wafers anymore (do they even make them? I miss them so.) so I use the next best thing: Oreos.

Incidentally, I’m not afraid to call out brand names around here. I don’t like it when recipes say things like “chocolate sandwich cookies.” They’re Oreos, sirs!

Or “non-dairy whipped topping?” It’s Cool Whip! Even if you don’t buy the brand names! They’re still Oreos and Cool Whip!

It’s like “Coke” or “Frigidaire“, as in, “Sammy, WHAT is this is my Frigidaire?”

“Beer.”

(Name that movie.)

Okay, fine. Throw 25 of the “chocolate sandwich cookies” into a food processor and pulse them until the white filling has completely incorporated into the chocolate.

Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl.

Melt four tablespoons of butter…

And drizzle it over the crumbs.

BUTTER? And OREOS? Has the world gone crazy?

I think the end is near.

Now, pour the crumbs into a pie pan and use your fingers (or the bottom of a dry measuring cup) to press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan.

Now just pop it into the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set. Don’t let it burn! That would be an error of epic proportions.

Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely.

Peanut butter, plain.

Cream cheese, softened.

Cool Whip, completely thawed.

I’m sorry. Non-dairy whipped topping. I forgot.

Gosh. I don’t think there’s a smoother sight than a freshly cracked jar of peanut butter.

Throw a cup of peanut butter and a package of cream cheese into the mixing bowl.

Whip it together until smooth.

Now throw in 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar. You can sift it if you want…but why?

I hate sifting powdered sugar—I’m just gonna say it.

Anyway, mix in the sugar until well combined and fluffy.

Next comes the 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip.

I’m SORRY! But it’s a potluck pie. And you can’t make potluck pie without non-dairy whipped topping! I don’t know how many times I have to say it!

Turn the mixer on high and really whip it well. Then turn off the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, and turn it back on high.

The mixture should be really, really fluffy.

Next…you know what comes next.

Pour the filling into the chocolate cookie crust.

Oh, man. There’s just nothing right about this.

But you know what? Being right is highly overrated.

You’ll need to chill the pie for at least an hour—longer is better—before serving.

I seriously intended to show you the chilled pie when I removed it from the fridge. But before I knew what had happened…this had happened.

It can happen to you, too!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:
25 Oreos
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 8-ounce package softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package Cool Whip, thawed

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Warning: This is ultra, ultra-rich. Cut small slivers—your guests will thank you!

texas sheet cake

2009-08-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

from Culinary 101 by Kelsey Nixon

...the urge to finish off the rest of the Texas Sheet Cake from yesterdays lovely lunch with the Whitings & the missionaries. To prevent myself from indulging, I'll type the recipe below instead.

Texas Sheet Cake
Yield: 35 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

FROSTING

6 tablespoons milk
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the sour cream, then beat in the eggs. Set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a bowl, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake & top with nuts if desired.

salsa chicken

2009-08-04T15:00:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
4 3-ounce portions of chicken breast (skinless and boneless)
2 cups salsa (any variety)
1 cup brown rice, uncooked

Directions:
Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice, cover the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 30 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Saute chicken breasts in a nonstick pan set on medium-high heat. Cook about 6-8 minutes on each side. Add salsa to pan and heat through.

When rice is cooked, place 1/2 cup of rice on a plate and top with one piece of chicken and about 1/2 cup of salsa.

Serve with a green salad, broccoli or green beans.

You can also make this dish with 12 ounces of shrimp or tofu.

Makes 4 servings: 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup salsa and 1 piece of chicken.

Nutrition info:
220.9 calories
2.1 g fat
27.7 g carbs
5 g fiber
24.1 g protein

hot pepper grilled chicken

2009-08-04T14:59:00.001-07:00

yield: Serves 2; can be doubled

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.Buy some carrot and celery sticks to dip into blue cheese dressing for a cool starter. Deli pota... more ›

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon paprika
7 green onions
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Preparation

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk oil, hot sauce, honey and paprika in 9-inch glass pie dish to blend. Mince 1 green onion; mix into marinade. Transfer 2 tablespoons marinade to small bowl and reserve. Add chicken to marinade in pie dish and turn to coat. Let stand 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Sprinkle chicken and remaining whole green onions with salt. Grill chicken and whole onions until chicken is cooked through and onions soften, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken and onions to plates. Drizzle with reserved 2 tablespoons marinade.

Per serving: 291 calories, 15 g fat (2 g saturated), 10 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 28 g protein, 129 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol

lime chicken

2009-08-04T14:57:00.003-07:00

But we suggest you try chicken. With some lime juice and a dash of Tobasco. This light and fresh recipe offers your barbecue a perfect introduction to summer weather—not to mention some pizazz for those winter-laden tastebuds.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or less)
4 cups shredded lettuce

Preparation:

Combine soy sauce, lime peel, lime juice and Tobasco sauce in jar. Pour 2 tablespoons over chicken in a sealed plastic bag and marinate in fridge for 45 minutes. Turn bag occasionally. Add oil to remainder of lime mixture. Grill chicken for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. Line plates or serving tray with lettuce. Slice cooked chicken and arrange on lettuce. Shake dressing and drizzle over chicken and lettuce. Makes 4 servings.

curried quinoa salad

2009-08-04T14:57:00.001-07:00

Known as the "mother grain," quinoa has become one of my favorite ways to eat carbs. But this whole grain is more than just carbs; one serving provides six grams of protein. If you're struggling with how to fit this whole grain into your diet, you have to try my favorite quinoa recipe — a curry salad featuring mango. It makes for a great packable lunch, and tastes even better the second day.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Curried Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups uncooked quinoa
2/3 cup plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
Juice of one lime juice, about 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1 pound firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts or cashews
4 cups spinach or salad greens

Directions

Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Pour quinoa into pot with 2 2/3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
While quinoa cooks, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, curry powder, spices, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
Toss quinoa with curried yogurt and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
Serve over beds of lettuce either warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

healthy subs for baking

2009-08-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

Ingredient	Healthy Substitution
Whole milk (1 cup)	1 cup fat-free or nonfat milk plus one tablespoon of unsaturated oil like safflower or canola
Heavy cream (1 cup)	1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup plain low-fat cottage cheese
Sour cream	Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat or nonfat yogurt (fat-free sour cream is also available)
Cream cheese	4 tablespoons margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed
Butter (1 tablespoon)	1 tablespoon polyunsaturated margarine or 3/4 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil like safflower oil
Shortening (1 cup)	2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine like Earth Balance or Smart Balance
1 Egg	1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water
vegetable oil	applesauce 1:1

chicken fajitas

2009-08-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican meal that comes together in minutes. These chicken fajitas are so simple a child could make them! Chicken strips and chunky vegetables are tossed with a super quick marinade of chile powder, cumin, and water.

Then, the ingredients are dumped into a searing hot pan. Once cooked, serve with the usual fajita fixings — shredded lettuce, grated cheese, warm tortillas, spicy salsa, and cool sour cream. For the ultimate fiesta, pair with guacamole and margaritas. Get the recipe and read more.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon pure chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
8 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream, for serving

Directions

In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl and serve with the warmed tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

Serves 4.

pumpkin bars

2009-08-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Beat first four ingredients until fluffy. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a different bowl. Mix with the first mixture.
Spread into a greased 15" by 10" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar.

Cream first 3 ingredients and gradually add powdered sugar.

s'mores bars

2009-08-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 6 sheets)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (1.5 ounces) Hershey milk chocolated bars
1 cup marshmallow creme

Preheat oven 350. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer- until
creamy. Add egg and vanilla until combined.

In a small bowl combine: flour, graham crackers crumbs, baking
powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat until combined.
Press half of dough in the pan, spreading evenly. Lay chocolate
bars on top of dough, breaking apart as need to create an
even layer of chocolate. Spread marshmallow creme
over chocolate bars.

Spread remaining dough over marshmallow cream and
chocolate bars. Bake 30 minutes.

homemade chocolate lärabars

2009-08-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

- 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) date paste, diced (see note)
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) mixed nuts (I used a mix that includes Brazil nuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts)
- the seeds from 2 green cardamom pods
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) Medjool dates (about 4), pitted (if these are unavailable, substitute regular dried dates, or use all date paste)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- a good pinch salt
- 1 rounded tablespoon cacao nibs (not chocolate covered)

Makes 5 or 6 bars.

In the bowl of a sturdy blender or food processor, combine the diced date paste, nuts, and cardamom, and process in short pulses until the nuts are chopped to small bits (but not powdered) and blended with the paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and process in short pulses until the mixture comes together.

Grease the bottom and sides of a small rectangular container (I use this small, 18 x 12.5 cm / 7-by-5-inch baking dish, but you could also use a recycled takeout container of these approximate dimensions) with vegetable oil. Turn the date mixture out into the container, cover with a piece of parchment paper or recycled food wrapper (this is to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hand and spoon) and pack the mixture down using your hand and then the back of the spoon, in order to fill the container in a smooth, even layer.

Transfer to the fridge to set for a few hours or preferably overnight, then slice into five or six bars, or the number of servings you prefer. They will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for about a week. Use the same piece of parchment paper to wrap the bar you want to take with you, then save and reuse it to wrap the other bars on subsequent days. You could also consider buying one of those über-cute reusable snack bags.

Note: Date paste can be found at natural foods stores, or in North African or Middle Eastern shops. If the paste seems dry and hard, cut it into slices and soak for an hour in a little cold water to soften, turning every now and then. Drain well before using (save the date water to use in smoothies, breads, or sorbets).

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/05/homemade_larabars.php

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake with PB & C Ganache

2009-08-04T14:48:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Good pinch of salt
2 cups mini Reese peanut butter cups, chopped, plus 1 1/2 cups more for garnish (about 2 - 12oz. bags)

Ganache
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 TB of confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line with waxed paper; coat paper.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and salt on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high; beat for 2 minutes, scraping down side of the bowl after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto wire racks and cool completely.

To make the PB ganache place chopped dark chocolate in a medium-size bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and confectioners sugar, whisking all till nice and smooth.

To frost the cake, you can first trim the tops of you cakes (with a serrated knife) first to make them flat, I didn't do this.

Put one cake layer on cooling rack and place on a baking sheet. Pour some ganache on top; spread evenly with a spatula. Then place remaining cake layer, and pour remaining frosting over the top, allowing it to spill over the sides. Smooth top and sides with spatula (see Note below).

Refrigerate 1 hour to set. Transfer cake to serving plate and garnish with the chopped Reese's PB Cups.

Note: I saved a bit of the ganache to put on the cake just before adding the chopped Reese's PB Cups to act as a glue, making sure everything adhered correctly, then chilled it again to let it set. So basically, frost the cake, then chill, then add a thin layer of ganache again, add the garnish, then chill again.

reduced fat cheese enchiladas

2009-08-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

ingredients

Directions

HEAT oven to 350Â°F.

BEAT cream cheese in small bowl with mixer until creamy. Add 1 cup Cheddar and onions; mix well. Spread down centers of tortillas; roll up.

PLACE, seam-sides down, in 11x7-inch baking dish; top with salsa. Cover.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar.

Number of Servings: 6

personal pita pizza

2009-08-04T14:47:00.003-07:00

Ingredients

Directions

Set your oven to broil.

On a cookie sheet, place the two pita halves (you will divide the ingredients between the two rounds) and spoon 1/4 cup of sauce on each. Top with zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and ham. Add shredded cheese and sprinkle parmesan on top. Place under broiler. Allow cheese to completely melt and slightly brown. Slice, serve with fresh fruit and enjoy!

Number of Servings: 2

100 calorie cinnamon pancakes

2009-08-04T14:47:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

Directions

Mix flour, baking soda, and splenda in bowl. Mix milk, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl. Beat into dry mix roughly, so as to add more air to mix. Stir in cinnamon last. Serving size is 1/3 cup mix. Use PAM on skillet when cooking and sweeten with sugar free syrup and/or fruit!

Serving size is one pancake. If you use less than 1/3 of a cup batter (like 1/4, or 1/6) you can have two for 100 calories! Smaller, but more! :)

Number of Servings: 8

low fat banana bread

2009-08-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Directions
Preheat oven to 350, Cream together sugar honey ,sweetner and margarine, add egg whites and water, mix in bananas. In separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix together dry with wet. add milk blend well together. Spray loaf pan with no cal no fat cooking spray, pour mixture in pan. Bake in oven for 60 min or until tooth pick inserted into center of loaf comes out dry.

Number of Servings: 12