Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

 The fluffiness of these pancakes make them delicious. I think it's the buttermilk interacting with the baking soda that makes the batter fluff up, so cook it up as soon as possible after mixing the batter. Don't overmix the batter. There should still be some lumps in it.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

2 cups buttermilk

5 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Slowly add the melted butter and whisk until well incorporated.

3. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently whisk together until the batter just barely comes together. Don't over mix!

4. In a non-stick pan or griddle on medium heat, melt about a tablespoon of butter. Once butter browns slightly, drop batter onto pan and cook until small bubbles begin to form on top of the pancake. If underside is golden brown, flip and cook for about 1 more minute on the other side. Serve immediately.

Source: from chefreillymeehan.com

Smoked Almond Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

 My favorite cookie recipe changes from time to time, but this is my current favorite. I was skeptical about using smoked almonds in cookies, but it really balances out the sweetness of the toffee. I use Heath bars for the toffee instead of making homemade toffee. The Heath bars add some milk chocolate to go along with the dark chocolate chips. I also really eyeball the amount of mix-ins. Be sure to factor in time to brown the butter and allow it to cool before mixing up the dough. The dough will then need to chill for at least an hour (or up to three days) before baking.

Smoked Almond Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, plus one egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using salted butter)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

15 or so fun-size Heath bars, chopped

1/2 cup smoked almonds, chopped (I used about half of a 6 oz jar of Diamond Smokehouse Almonds)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until a good amount of brown specks have developed. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

2. Combine brown butter and sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add baking soda and salt and mix. Add flour and mix until almost combined. Stir in chocolate, Heath bars and almonds.

3. Scoop into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for 11-12 minutes. 

Source: adapted slightly from femalefoodie.com

Lemon Tartlets

These sweet and tangy treats are perfect for spring and summer. I would try to get the crust thinner next time. I tried to make these in mini muffin tins, and it ended up being way too much crust for the amount of filling that would fit, so they worked better in shallow tart pans. These are best made the day before serving them. (Though you could do the whipped cream the day of serving.) They would be beautiful served with an edible flower on top.

Lemon Tartlets

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

3 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

For the lemon curd:

6 large eggs

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar

zest of 6-8 lemons

1/2 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the whipped cream topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add butter, sugar and salt. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until just combined.

2. Divide dough into 4 parts, flatten into thin discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles that are 2 inches larger than each tart pan. Gently push each circle of dough into the tart pans, patching up any tears with extra dough. Chill dough in the pans in fridge or freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Prick the bottom of each tartlet with a fork. Bake until crust just starts to turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling:

5. Place 1 cup sugar in a medium sized pot. Add lemon zest to the pot. Rub the sugar and zest together to help release the oils. Pour lemon juice into the pot and stir.

6. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the salt. Beat very well. Pour the eggs into the sugar and whisk well. Set the pot over low heat.

7. Cook, stirring constantly until the curd thickens and registers 170 degrees F. 

8. Slice the butter and place in a large bowl. Place a sieve over it. Pour thickened curd through the sieve into the butter. Press through (this will remove zest and any egg bits). Stir until butter is melted. 

9. Allow curd to cool for a few minutes, then divide evenly into cooked tart shells. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

10. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag fitted with desired tip and pipe cream onto chilled tarts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (These held up well in the fridge overnight, fully assembled.)

Source: adapted from growingupcali and buttermilkbysam

Scallion Pancakes

These Asian-style pancakes are so much more delicious than it seems like they'd be, given the small list of ingredients. It can be tricky to get the temperature just right when cooking (i.e. it's easy to burn them), so keep the heat pretty low. I've been making them in a nonstick pan, but I'm curious to see how they'd do in a cast iron pan. Try to pack as many green onions into each pancake as possible. That's a key to making these taste amazing.

Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to sprinkle on dough

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup warm water

4-6 stalks green onion

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well and pour in 1 cup warm water. Stir well. Knead until the dough forms a smooth ball, adding more flour if necessary if the dough is too sticky. Drizzle a small amount of oil on top of dough and smooth over dough ball to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 minutes.

2. Chop up the green onion and place in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a small saucepan. Pour hot oil over the green onion mixture and stir to combine.

3. Spray counter surface with cooking spray and divide the dough into 4-5 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rectangle. Sprinkle on some salt and press it into the dough.

4. Divide the green onion mixture evenly between the dough rectangles and spread the mixture evenly over each rectangle. 

5. Roll a long side of each rectangle down to the middle, then roll from the bottom to the middle. Roll as tightly as possible. Roll from right to middle, then from left to middle. Put one spiral on top of the other one and smash them together. Let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Lightly roll each pancake out. In a skillet, drizzle in some oil and turn the heat to medium or medium-low. Once pan is heated, add in one pancake, put a lid on, and cook for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown on the bottom. Flip, put lid back on, and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until light golden brown.

Source: slightly adapted from tiffycooks.com

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

 I love the flavors and colors in this tasty salad. You can serve it with fresh bread and/or grilled chicken for a complete meal.

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups baby carrots, sliced in half if thick (or regular carrots, sliced into thick matchsticks)

1 large beet, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic cloves

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon coriander

Red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large avocado, peeled and sliced thin

3 cups mixed greens

1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 large orange

1 large lemon

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Honey goat cheese

Roasted and salted pepitas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. On a large sheet pan, spread a thin layer of olive oil. On the sheet pan, mix the carrots, beets, 1 garlic clove, shallot, juice from 1/2 of the orange, thyme, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss together. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool to room temperature.

For the dressing:

3. In a mason jar with a lid, combine 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, juice from the other half of the orange, juice from the lemon, red wine vinegar, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Shake to combine.

4. To assemble the salad, arrange greens into an even layer on a platter, then add roasted vegetables and sliced avocado. Add dressing, then top with goat cheese pieces and pepitas.

Source: adapted from kathleenashmore.com

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

 Sometimes I want some kind of green vegetable to serve with an Asian meal that's mostly meat and rice. These cucumbers are spicy, crunchy and delicious. They should be made ahead of time to allow them to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 large English cucumber)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon harissa (the original recipe calls for sambal oelek, but I used harissa from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

1. Cut ends off cucumbers and then cut into bite-sized rectangular strips. Toss cucumbers with salt and let sit for 30 minutes to let liquid drain off. Rinse cucumbers in strainer to remove excess salt.

2. Whisk together garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and harissa. Add more sugar, vinegar, or harissa, to taste. Add cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight. Serve chilled.

Source: adapted from tablefortwoblog.com

Asian Sesame Zoodle Salad

 Sometimes the best dinners come from throwing leftovers together.  (And sometimes those concoctions are terrible.)  This was a good one.  Adding leftover zucchini noodles (zoodles) turned a good salad into a great one. I tried adding Asian-flavored ground meat to this salad one time and didn't like it as much.  I prefer to leave this one meatless.

Asian Sesame Zoodle Salad

Makes 2 large (main dish-size) servings

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large or 2 small zucchini, made into zoodles with a spiralizer

1 head romaine

2 Persian cucumbers (or 1/2 of a large English cucumber)

1 red pepper

1/2 cup shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Creamy Asian sesame dressing (I use Kewpie brand Creamy Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing and Marinade bought from Costco)

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet.  Saute zoodles until tender, but still slightly crisp. Allow to cool while preparing other ingredients.

2. Wash and dry romaine, cucumbers and red pepper and chop into bite-sized pieces.  Add to a mixing bowl.  Top with zoodles, edamame and hard-boiled eggs.  Toss salad with Creamy Asian Sesame Dressing. If desired, top with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (from Trader Joe's)

Source: inspired by my friend, Seiko, and a reel from Caro Chambers's Instagram account

Asparagus, chickpea and pistachio salad

 A friend made this salad for a baby shower and it's so delicious!  The pistachios really make it great, but the feta, peas, crispy chickpeas and bright lemon dressing add so much too.  I wasn't sure if I would love the radishes when I made this at home, so I tried some with strawberries instead.  It turns out I like it with radishes best.  They add a great crunch and are just a little zesty.  This salad is perfect for spring.

Asparagus, chickpea and pistachio salad

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

A few handfuls of mixed greens

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, pitted and diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup toasted, salted pistachios

For the dressing:

1/4 cup fresh basil or a mix of basil and mint

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as desired

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment, if desired.  It's also fine to roast these right on the pan.  

2. Drizzle pan with olive oil and toss the chickpeas in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.  Cool.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare a bowl of ice water.  Blanch the asparagus for 60 seconds in the boiling water, then use a slotted spoon to transfer asparagus to the ice water.  After asparagus has cooled, move to a paper-towel to dry.

4. Mix all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine (or whisk together vigorously in a bowl).

5. Put asparagus in a bowl and pour some of the dressing in.  Toss to coat the asparagus.

6. To assemble salad, place spring greens in a bowl or on a platter.  Add peas, asparagus, radishes, and avocado and chickpeas.  Pour remaining dressing on top.  Top with feta cheese and pistachios.

Source: adapted from www.loveandlemons.com

German Chocolate Cake

 

This cake has been a long-standing birthday tradition for my husband.  Just try not to overbake it, because it will dry out the cake a bit.

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 (4 oz) bar Baker's Sweet German Chocolate bar

1/2 cup water

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment on the bottom.  Spray sides of pans and parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Break chocolate bar into pieces and place in a small bowl with the water.  Microwave until melted, pausing the microwave to stir every 20-30 seconds.  Set aside to cool.

3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Beat in egg yolks.  Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. 

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

5. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beating with electric mixer until just combined.

6. Clean and dry beaters and beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Folk into cake batter.

7. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.  Cool 15 minutes in pans, then turn onto rack to cool.

For the frosting:

1. Combine evaporated milk, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter and vanilla in saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.  Remove from heat.

2. Stir in shredded coconut and pecans.  Cool until thick enough to spread.

To assemble:

Spread frosting in between cake layers as you stack them.  Spread remaining frosting on top of cake.

Source: adapted from www.food.com (I think the recipe on food.com is also the same as the one that is sometimes printed on the box of the chocolate bar.)  The only big change I made was to decrease the sugar in the frosting.

Butter Naan

 This naan is soft, chewy, and delicious, especially when brushed with melted butter.  

Naan

Makes 16 medium naan

Ingredients:

4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon minced cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a stand mixer and mix on low speed to combine.

2. Add buttermilk and water.  Knead with a dough hook.  The dough will be quite sticky, but needs to be dry enough to be formed into balls.  After 4-5 minutes, with water or a little oil on your hands, take out a piece of dough and see if you can form it into a ball.  Add more flour as necessary so you can form the dough into balls.  Knead for a total of about 7-8 minutes.  

3. Put a piece of parchment paper on the counter and spray with nonstick spray.  Turn dough out onto parchment and cut into 16 pieces, using a bench scraper.  (Again, it can help to dampen your hands with water or spray them with a little oil.)  Roll each dough piece into a ball and cover them with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour.

4. After dough has risen, spray countertop with nonstick spray and press into a thin naan shape.  (I do this in batches while starting to cook.)  Allow dough to rest for about 10 minutes in the stretched out shape before cooking.

5. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  You'll know the pan is ready if you flick a little water in it and the water immediately sizzles and evaporates.  Add one naan to the pan and cook for 30-60 seconds.  Once the bottom has some nice brown spots, flip and cook for another 30 seconds or so until it doesn't look doughy anymore and both sides have brown spots.  

6. Transfer to a kitchen towel and brush top of naan with melted butter.  Sprinkle with minced cilantro, if desired.  Keep naan wrapped up in towel until serving.

Source: adapted slightly from www.foodess.com

Baked Chicken Shawarma {Taim Copycat}

The combination of sweet and savory flavors in this chicken remind me of the chicken shawarma at Taim restaurant, a casual, quick place that recently opened a location in our area.  You can use the chicken in a bowl, wrap, or eat it by itself with some salad on the side.  This recipe requires time to marinate (at least 2 hours or up to overnight).

Baked Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (this would probably work with chicken breasts too)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, as desired

2 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon thyme

1.5 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 of a large red onion, thinly sliced

Serving suggestion for a Chicken Shawarma Bowl:

Spring greens

Cilantro lime rice

Diced cucumber

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets (You can roast veggies on the bottom rack while the chicken cooks on a middle rack.

Hummus

Lemon vinaigrette

Crushed pita chips

Directions:

1. Trim excess fat off the chicken thighs, as desired.  Put chicken in a large glass bowl. Pour olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Add yogurt and lemon juice.

2. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken.  Mix well.  (I find it's just easiest to use my hands to mix.)  Add red onion slices and mix those in.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for at least two hours, or up to overnight.  

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Take chicken out of fridge to start coming to room temperature.  Coat the bottom of a metal baking sheet with nonstick spray or a small amount of olive oil.  Put chicken and onion mixture on pan in an even layer.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of chicken is 165 degrees.

5.  Allow chicken to rest for about 10 minutes, then slice thinly to use in wraps, bowls, etc.

Source: adapted from the Instagram account shredhappens

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

This would be a great cake to bring when you need a dessert to share.  It really doesn't need ice cream because of the peanut butter whipped cream on top.  The drizzle that gets poured into the holes poked in the cake is so tasty.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

Makes 1-9x13 pan

Ingredients:

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (88.5 g) cocoa powder

2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda

3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder

1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup (240 g ) buttermilk, room temperature

1/2 cup (109 g) canola oil

1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract

1 cup (237 g) boiling (or very hot) water

For the peanut butter glaze:

1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (120 g) 2-percent or whole milk

For the peanut butter whipped cream:

1/2 cup (140 g) smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups (360 g) heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Chocolate chips or chocolate bar, chopped

Roasted, salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a metal 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  Spray lightly with nonstick spray.  

2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.  

4. Add wet ingredients to dry.  Whisk until combined.  Add boiling water.  Whisk until well combined.  Pour into prepared pan. 

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely. 

For the glaze:

6. In a small mixing bowl, beat 1 cup peanut butter to soften it.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and milk.  Beat until smooth.  

For the whipped cream topping:

7. In a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup peanut butter to soften it.  

8. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.  Fold in the peanut butter.

To assemble:

9. Poke holes in cooled cake with the end of a wooden spoon.  (Do lots of holes!)  Pour glaze over cake, spreading it well to make sure it fills all the holes.  Spread peanut butter topping on top.  Garnish with chopped chocolate and peanuts, as desired.

This cake keeps well, covered in the refrigerator overnight.  

Source: adapted from www.cakebycourtney.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This school year I've been trying to always have muffins in the freezer to warm up for a quick breakfast for the kids or pack in lunches.  Many weeks I end up making 4 dozen of these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  They taste great, and I'm glad they have some whole wheat in them.  

I don't actually measure the Greek yogurt.  I just eye-ball it and scoop some out of my big container.  The muffins have always turned out.  Also, the directions say to mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, but I often just stir the sugars into the flour mixture, then add each of the wet ingredients on top of the dry and stir together the top layer of wet ingredients, then dig down to the bottom of the bowl to combine the two layers.  Is this being lazy or efficient?  All I know is it speeds up my muffin-making chore a bit.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

6 ounces plain Greek yogurt 

3 eggs

15 oz canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray.  

2. To a large mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Stir to combine.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, add brown sugar (breaking up any clumps), granulated sugar, yogurt, eggs, pumpkin and canola oil.  Stir or whisk to combine.  

4. Add wet ingredients to try and stir until just combined.  Add chocolate chips and stir.

5. Divide into 24 muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a muffins comes out clean.

Source: adapted from www.ourbestbites.com 

Classic Chili

This is nothing fancy, just my go-to classic chili recipe I've been making for years.  Use the two cans of black beans if you like your chili thicker (less soupy).  I love having this chili with my favorite corn muffins.

Classic Chili

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Optional toppings:

Grated cheddar cheese

Diced avocado

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Put olive oil in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add ground turkey and salt/pepper.  Break turkey apart while cooking and stirring until no longer pink.  

3. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and tomato paste.  Stir until well combined.  Add beef broth, kidney beans, black beans and tomato sauce.  Stir.  Bring to a simmer and turn heat to low.  Simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add toppings as desired.

Source: adapted from www.thewholesomedish.com

Brownie Frosting

This frosting is a bit untraditional because it starts with melted butter.  I think it makes for an especially creamy, decadent frosting.  After it's been chilled, it almost reminds me a little of a dense mousse.

Brownie Frosting

Yield: a thick layer of frosting for an 8x8 pan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla 

4-6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.

2. Add the cocoa powder and use an electric mixer to combine thoroughly.

3. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, the vanilla and heavy whipping cream, as needed to help everything mix together.  Beat thoroughly.

4. Add one more cup powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream as needed.  Beat 3-4 minutes, until frosting noticeably lightens in color.  If frosting is too thick, add more cream.

5. Spread on completely cooled brownies.  This frosting is good chilled.

 Source: adapted from www.cookiesfordays.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate M&M cookies

 

While I love a good chocolate chip cookie, I seem to find myself opting for a version that includes peanut butter more often than not.  These cookies are dressed up fancy by adding peanut M&Ms and roasted peanuts to the tops.  I like to bake 10 cookies per sheet if making a typical medium-sized cookie.  But my favorite way to bake them is as big, bakery-style cookies.  I do four to a sheet and they are thick and delicious.  

I like to cut the large size in half before freezing them so we can pull out half to eat as a serving (which actually equals about the size of a regular cookie, but I love the thickness of the large cookie).

Here is a size comparison.  I like to refrigerate the dough before baking them to help ensure they bake up thick.  I portion the dough out into dough balls of the desired size, place them on a cookie sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 24 hours.  Lots of people might say the best way to eat a cookie is when it's still warm from the oven, but I like these best when they've been frozen and are still cold.  I take one out of the freezer and put it in a ziploc bag to thaw for a few minutes (probably less than 5 minutes) and enjoy one of my favorite cookies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate M&M Cookies

Makes 28-30 medium-sized cookies or 14-15 very large bakery-sized cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter, very slightly softened, but still quite cold

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I like natural peanut butter)

1 1/2 cups light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (more if using unsalted butter)

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use the larger Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips and give about half of them a rough chop to get a variety of sizes of chocolate pieces in the cookies)

Additional chocolate chips for placing on tops of cookies

Peanut M&Ms (for placing on top)

Roasted peanuts (I like the big roasted, salted Virginia peanuts I can find at my local Costco)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixture, beat butter until creamy.  Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined.

2. Add in both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined.

4. Add baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.  Add flour and mix until about halfway incorporated.  Add the chopped chocolate chips and whole chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

5. Portion out dough into desired size onto a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.  (I like to make medium-sized cookies about 2.25 oz. each and large cookies about 4 oz. each.)  No need to leave room for cookies to spread as they will just be chilled at this point.  Press peanut M&MS, peanuts and additional chocolate chips on top of each cookie as desired.  These toppings can be placed quite close together as the cookies will later spread during baking.  Cover baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough balls for about 24 hours.

6. After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookies 10 to a sheet for medium-sized cookies or 4 to a sheet for extra large cookies.  Medium cookies bake for about 12 minutes, large cookies bake for about 15 minutes.  Pull the cookies out when you start to see the first hint of browning around the edges (or even just before).  Immediately after removing from oven use the back of a spoon to push in the sides of each cookie slightly to create an even circle and make the cookie edges a little thicker.  If any cookies look sparse, press additional chocolate chips or M&Ms on top.  Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.  

7. To freeze cookies: after cookies have cooled completely, (cut large cookies in half if desired) and either place the baking sheet in the freezer or carefully transfer cookies to plates in a single layer and freeze cookies for about 15 minutes.  (Uncovered is fine.)  Transfer cookies to freezer bags.  Before enjoying a cookie from the freezer allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly thaw.

If you don't want to bake all the cookies in the same day, you can transfer the dough balls to a ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to a total of 72 hours from the time you mixed up the dough, or they can be frozen in a freezer bag.  They will need an extra bit of time in the oven if baking frozen dough.

Source: adapted from bakerbynature.com

Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps

If you have some cooked chicken on hand, these are so quick and very tasty.  If you want to add a little crispy cheese layer to one or both sides of the wrap, it's a fun addition, but totally optional.

Crispy Chicken Fajita Wraps

Makes 4 wraps

Ingredients:

4 large flour tortillas

2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced thinly

1 small red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

Olive oil

1-2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

1-2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)

Cooking spray

Extra white or yellow shredded cheddar, if desired

1-2 avocados

Salt

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil to a skillet.  Add peppers and onions to the skillet, and don't stir for a minute or two to let them char a bit.  Stir and saute peppers and onions until tender.  Remove from heat.

2. Heat a griddle (or clean skillet) over medium heat.  Place tortillas on the griddle and add desired amount of chicken, sauteed peppers, onions and cheese to each tortilla.  Fold up to create a flat wrap.  Spray one side lightly with cooking spray.  Turn over, spray over side.  Cook on both sides until brown and crispy.  If you want a crispy cheese layer on the outside, put a tablespoon or so of cheese directly on the griddle next to the wrap.  Let the cheese sizzle for a few seconds, then move wrap on the cheese.  Cook for another minute or so.  Remove from heat.

3. Smash avocados and mix in desired amount of salt.  Top wraps with smashed avocado and/or sour cream/plain Greek yogurt.

Source: inspired by melskitchencafe.com

Chicken-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I love these flavorful (and healthy!) stuffed Mexican peppers.  They are too spicy for everyone else in my family, but luckily Mexican ingredients are so easily adaptable that they can make nachos or soft-shell tacos out of the Mexican fixings used in this meal.  If you have leftover pinto beans, you can make refried beans while the peppers cook for a delicious side.

Chicken-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 large poblano pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1/4 cup pinto or black beans, drained

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil.

2. Rinse and dry the poblano pepper.  Cut a thin slice off the top and cut the pepper in half.  Remove seeds and core.  

3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, oregano and cumin.  Cook, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.  Off heat, stir in chicken, beans, and 1/4 cup cheese.  

4. Stuff the mixture into the pepper halves, packing lightly so it doesn't fall out.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

5. Bake about 30 minutes, until peppers are soft (and possibly charred in places).  Remove from oven, and turn oven to broil.  Place pan about 6 inches below heating element and broil for 1-2 minutes, until cheese gets brown spots.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.  

Source: adapted from healthyrecipesblogs.com

French Onion Dip Sandwiches

This is a tasty alternative to burgers for a hot sandwich.  The toasty bun, caramelized onion, melty cheese, and beef combo are made even better when dipped in the French Onion soup-flavored sauce.  I've adapted the measurements for just two sandwiches.

French Onion Dip Sandwiches

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 of a French baguette

1/2 pound (or less, depending on how much meat you like in your sandwich) deli roast beef, thinly sliced

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced thinly

Dash salt

Dash black pepper

Dash crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 cup beef stock or broth

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cold water

Sliced or grated white cheddar cheese, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  

2. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add thyme and onions, stir well.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until soft and golden in color.  Add water to the pan and/or turn down the heat if the onions seem to be browning too quickly instead of slowly caramelizing.

3. Stir in the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the white wine vinegar.

4. Add the beef broth or stock.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  

5. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water to form a slurry.  Add it to the onion mixture.  Cook for another minute or two, stirring occasionally, until the dipping sauce thickens a bit.  Remove the onions from the liquid using a fork or slotted spoon.  Divide the dipping sauce into two ramekins.

6. Slice the baguette into 2 sandwich portions of desired size.  Slice each piece in half, only cutting 3/4 of the way through the bread (so one side is still attached together, like a hot dog bun).  Put each baguette piece on a piece of large foil.  Assemble sandwiches by putting desired amount of roast beef on each baguette piece, top the beef with cheese, then finally with the caramelized onions.  

7. Wrap each sandwich in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.  Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Source: adapted from bakerbynature.com

Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls (or wraps)

 

I love bowls packed with vegetables, lean protein and flavor!  The most time consuming part of this recipe is threading the chunks of chicken on skewers.  To save time on busy days, I might try marinating and grilling the chicken as whole pieces, then chopping it after grilling.  However, I do like how grilling smaller chunks on the skewers creates more tasty browned bits because there are so many more edges to get a little charred.

Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls (or wraps)

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes (or grill whole pieces and chop after)

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bowls or wrap fixings:

4-5 pieces naan bread (if making wraps, or for serving with bowls)

Hummus

1 head greens (can use a mix of spring greens/spinach or chopped romaine)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1-2 cucumbers, sliced

1 avocado, sliced or cubed

1/2 red onion, diced or thinly sliced

Garbanzo beans (optional, but good in a bowl)

Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Whisk together all marinade ingredients.  Pour marinade over chicken and stir to coat chicken evenly.  (You can do this in a dish and then cover it, or in a ziploc bag.)  Marinate in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours.

2. Stir together all ingredients for the garlic yogurt sauce.  Store in refrigerator.

3. Heat grill to medium-high heat.  Thread chunks of chicken onto skewers (or grill larger pieces of chicken directly on grill).  Grill for 10-12 minutes, rotating periodically, until temperature reaches 165 degrees.

4. To assemble bowls: Put greens in the bottom of each bowl.  Top each with desired amounts of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta and chicken.  Top with a spoonful of hummus and drizzle on garlic yogurt sauce.  (If desired, serve with a wedge of pita or naan bread.)

To assemble wraps: Spread some hummus on each naan bread.  Top with a handful of greens, chicken and toppings of your choice.  Wrap up and serve.

Source: adapted slightly from https://houseofnasheats.com/grilled-chicken-shawarma-wraps/ as seen in the Spring 2022 Y Magazine