Pinterest Review: Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

My version of the PB & Chocolate Chip Cookie

I pinned this recipe from Texanerin Baking a couple of months ago and have been meaning to try it. It's been floating around Pinterest for awhile. Recently I saw a couple of posts on Facebook saying that this recipe is a "must save" so I thought I had better try it. I definitely needed to see what the hype was about.

OK. These cute little bites are pretty darn good and REALLY easy to make. If you are scared of making cookies out of chickpeas - get over it. The cookie dough actually taste nearly the same as flour peanut butter cookie dough. And as you can see from my photos of my cookies above, they are gooey! Now, I did not make any serious changes. I used a whole can 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and patted dry. It measured out to 1-1/2 cups and I found that I needed 12 minutes to bake them instead of 10. Other than those 2 things, I followed the recipe.

If you are going gluten free and/or dairy free - these cookies are great. I'm not going to pretend that once baked they taste as good as a flour, butter, sugar, regular old peanut butter cookie...but they are surprisingly tasty. But don't take my word for it - try it yourself! The recipe is below or you can go to
www.texanerin.com

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter, SunButter Natural or almond butter (I used Trader Joe's Creamy, Salted Natural Peanut Butter)
• ¼ cup (80 grams) honey (I used Trader Joe's Organic Raw Honey)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• ½ cup (90 grams) chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips, if needed)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.
2. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
3. With wet hands, form into 1½" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Chocolate-Triple Hazelnut Truffles - Gluten Free

Chocolate-Hazelnut Truffles

I'm a bit behind on my posting. I have so much stuff stored in my photo files and my little kitchen notebook that I will have content for the next 3 months...I just have to actually post it!

In the above photo are Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles that I made around Christmas. Yes, Christmas. They were part of a trio of gluten free treats that I made for the holidays. And believe me, I do realize that was 6 months ago, but better late than never. Besides, you can make these treats anytime.

I got this recipe from Cooking Light and I when I made it, I did NOT have Frangelico. I had some hazelnut flavoring and Kahlua, so I used mostly Kahlua and a bit of hazelnut flavoring. I, as usual, eyeballed it. As for the chocolate, I used dark chocolate because I prefer it. I also used a melon baller. It makes for uniform sized balls. HA! In any event, they turned out de-lish!

Go forth and try it out!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella) 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)...I actually have used Kahlua
• 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Dash of salt (if you want it a bit saltier, sprinkle 1 tsp coarse sea salt in after chocolate melts and has cooled a minute and then poor into a shallow dish)
• 5 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped (I used dark chocolate only because I like it better)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped salted hazelnuts, toasted

Preparation

Combine the first 6 ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until chocolate melts (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a shallow dish. Let stand at room temperature 6 hours or up to overnight.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon chocolate mixture with a spoon. (Or use a melon baller - that's my favorite way) Dredge in nuts; roll into a ball. Repeat procedure with remaining chocolate mixture and nuts.

White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

White Chicken Enchiladas

I have decided Pinterest is just one giant, online, community cookbook. You can find a recipe for nearly everything. If you don't know what you want to make for dinner, chances are you can log on to Pinterest and find a photo so appetizing, so well styled, that you will repin it because it looks so damn good. Then all of a sudden you see another and another, and you have repinned 10 different delicious looking recipes on your food board. And, if you are like me, you already have about 100 different recipes on your food board.
Every once in awhile, I try these recipes that I have pinned. I take a photo of my creation - although it doesn't look quite as appetizing as the well styled, professionally photographed one on Pinterest - and write about it on my blog. Today, I am going to share the White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce.
I have not been eating Gluten much, so I modified this recipe to be a Gluten free version. I used corn tortillas instead of flour in the sauce, I used corn starch or you could use Arrow Root. For the most part, it was fairly easy and pretty tasty and not too spicy. It could even be classified as kid friendly - it certainly is Damon friendly! It's a good one if you are looking for something quick to make and it makes for good left overs too.

Ingredients
8 soft taco size flour tortillas (or corn if you need to be gluten free)
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour (2 tablespoons corn starch if you need to be gluten free)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Mix the chicken together with 1 cup of the cheese.
2. Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly among the tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared pan.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in the sour cream and diced green chiles. Pour the sauce in an even layer over the enchiladas.
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.

I Love Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I have stated before, I am OK at baking cookies - my sister is far better at it than I am. Hers always turn out chewy and delicious no matter what recipe she uses. Last night, I made some Chocolate Chip cookies for a friend of mine. I didn't want to make her any old kind of cookie, I wanted her to have something delicious like my sister's. So I had to go searching for a recipe and I think I found it.
Let me tell you straight away, this cookie is full fat goodness. It's not a spelt flour, agave syrup substituted for sugar type cookie that I have been making. This cookie is the real deal. I found it on All-Recipes and it is even called "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies".
This recipe makes exactly 48 cookies. I did my own thing by using white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks and omitted the walnuts. The dough recipe is what I was really after.  They turned out delicious and the next day still delicious.
If you are looking for a nice chewy cookie recipe, this is the recipe to use.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup dark chocolate chunks)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with the salt. Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts(if using).

Drop about a 1 tablespoon scoop of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, 12 to a sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

*I found that living at sea level, baking is a bit different. 10 minutes exactly is what I needed.

Going Gluten & Dairy Free: Pumpkin-Cran Muffins

Pumpkin-Cran Muffins

I would like to start by saying that I am not on a crazy-ass diet. I have had a few allergy issues and have  found that eating gluten free relieves some of my symptoms and many of the gluten free recipes are also dairy free. So there.
I've been trying out a few recipes from various sources and this one is adapted from the Practical Paleo cook book. I have made this recipe twice, once with all purpose gluten free flour and once with coconut flour. My second attempt was much better. I have tweaked the recipe from the original. I found that the original was too oily from too much coconut oil, but that could have been due to the fact that I used all purpose GF flour instead of coconut flour. This recipe says that you could use either coconut oil or butter, but I have swapped coconut oil for butter before and the result was the same - too oily. To all of you gluten free naysayers out there, I will say that the following recipe produces a muffin that does not taste like a piece of cardboard. My husband ate them and would have never known that they were gluten and dairy free. So try the recipe, I think you will be surprised!

Pumpkin-Cran Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil melted (if you use butter, use 1/2 cup melted)
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar(optional - if your going paleo totally omit this)
1 tablespoon Vanilla
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie spice + a couple of dashes of ground clove
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour (if you don't have or can't find - All Purpose GF Flour works, but I would use about 2/3 cup)
1/2 Cup Craisins(if you hate craisins - skip them!)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Mix the first 8 ingredients together until completely combined and smooth. Sift in the baking soda, baking powder, and coconut flour and stir until combined. Last, fold in the Craisins - unless you hate them, then don't.

Coat muffin tins with coconut oil or paper muffin cups. Add batter equally amongst the 12 muffin tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Turkey Gumbo

Turkey Gumbo

To be honest with you, this post has been sitting in my draft file for a long, long while. I originally wrote it right after Thanksgiving and as I do, I got sidetracked...and then it was Christmas. I did make this twice over the holidays: once after Thanksgiving and once after Christmas.

For the past few years I have been making turkey gumbo instead of turkey noodle soup. We were really burnt out on the turkey noodle and I felt the gumbo was a good alternative. Besides, my family really liked it. The past two years, I have been making this gumbo after Christmas as well. Damon's grandmother sends up about 10 pounds of Gulf Shrimp to my Father-in-Law, Ron. While he likes shrimp a whole lot, he's no about to eat 10 pounds of it. So, perfect for the gumbo! Now, I do want to note that I am in no way, shape or form, from Louisiana. I also do not have an heritage from the south - I just really like Cajun and southern food. I've spent a fair amount of time there and I figured out how to cook the food pretty well. So, just put that judgement aside!

This recipe comes from a few that I put together. About 4 or 5 years ago, my mother-in-law, Sam, and I were shopping in this kind of weird, souvenir store in Florida and I found this book called Louisiana Entertains. It's a crazy-ass recipe book, with some great recipes and some questionable ones. It also tells you how to properly entertain, southern style. I loved it. I bought it. I cook from it and have combined several gumbo recipes to make the one that I use now. So, I hope you enjoy it!

Turkey Gumbo

1 bunch of green onions minced
1 small yellow onion minced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 green pepper diced
1 jalepeno diced
4 tomatoes diced
1 cup or 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley minced
1 tspn fresh minced oregano
1 tspn fresh minced thyme
1 bay leaf
2 ribs celery diced
2 carrots diced(optional)
4-5 strips of bacon
2 andouille links sliced
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tblsp flour or Corn Starch
2 tblsp corn oil
1 quart Turkey Stock (or chicken stock) plus 1 cup of water

In a 5 quart cast iron pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, fry the bacon strips. Once finished, remove bacon strips and set aside. Next, add the 2 tablespoons corn oil and let it heat up about 1 minute. Add to the heated oil the onion and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, green pepper, jalepeno, and tomato, and sauté for another minute. Add the 2 tblsp flour(if you are gluten free like me - use corn starch). The mixture will start to look thick and clumpy - add the cup of water a bit at a time until it smooths out. Now add all of the rest of the ingredients to the pot and give it a good stir, turn the heat down to medium and cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve it with rice, or eat it like soup! Before the gluten situation, I used to love to eat it with a bit of French bread with Provolone Cheese melted right on it!

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

As I previously predicted, I flaked out. I didn't completely flake, but I have not been keeping up with my posting. From everything that I have been learning about social media, blogging, and blah, blah, blah, etc. is that posting regularly and multiple times a week drives traffic to your blog. While that is very relevant for my job - here...I'm not that concerned yet!
I have been cooking though! I'll catch up, and I have a lot to catch you up on...so, let's get started. The photo above is the Mongolian Beef recipe from the November anniversary issue of Cooking Light. This recipe is great if you are short on time. The other great thing is that the majority of the ingredients are those that should already be in your pantry. I did make a couple of changes. I did not have peanut oil and substituted vegetable oil. You could use canola oil too. Part of the reason that peanut oil is being used is because it can withstand higher heat. Vegetable oil can too but is not as healthy. Canola oil can be used in a pinch but may not handle the heat as well.
My sister wanted to make this recipe and I suggested that she use canola oil to her as she did not have peanut oil. It seemed to work out for her. I also suggested that she cut the amount of chile paste in half because it's kind of spicy. I went for full spice...maybe a smidge extra, Damon and I are spicy folks. Both my sister and I added extra veggies. I added broccoli and carrots and she may have too - but to be honest, I forget if she did!
This recipe is great. It's fast, easy, and pretty tasty. We've made it twice and it was something easy enough for Damon to make (I'm teaching him to cook a few things...as they say "teach a man to fish").

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 
1 teaspoon sugar 
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons peanut oil (vegetable or canola oil will work too)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1 cup chopped broccoli (optional)
2 carrots sliced (optional)
16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions
Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.
Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; sauté for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. *If you are added broccoli and/or carrots add it here and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add green onion pieces; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Note: If you feel like you need a bit more "sauce" add about 1/4 cup of water at a time until you reach a desired consistency. I used about a 1/2 cup of water... and it's because I added broccoli and carrots and it sucked up all the sauce!

Enjoy!

Cooking from Recipes: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

Bacon wrapped chicken thighs with sauteed kale

I haven't completely flaked out yet, just delayed a bit.  I have been keeping up with cooking though. Not everyday like I planned, because my life gets in the way and I get side tracked.

Last Thursday I made another paleo dish, bacon wrapped chicken thighs. To be completely honest with you, I didn't love it. Damon thought it was OK. He didn't hate it, mostly because it was wrapped in bacon - or that is what I think. I did follow the directions, but for some reason it was...bland. I don't know exactly what it was that I didn't like, but it was something. I think you can judge for yourself.

I served it with sauteed kale. It was nothing special, just sauteed in a tablespoon or 2 of butter, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and a couple dashes of red wine vinegar. That's my go to kale recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
8 slices of bacon
2 teaspoons Smokey Spice Blend (recipe to follow)

Smoke Spice Blend
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1/2 of the of spice blend. Next wrap in chicken with 2 pieces of bacon each and then sprinkle the other 1/2 of the spice blend over the wrapped chicken. Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, or until internal temp is 165 degrees F. If you feel that the bacon is not browned enough or crispy looking enough, broil the chicken for 2 minutes.

Cooking from Recipes: Hayley's Skirt Steak Tacos

Hayley's Skirt Steak Tacos

I wanted to make something that was fast and easy and to me, tacos are always fast and easy. This recipe comes from, again, "Practical Paleo" by Diane Sanfilippo. The recipe is named after Hayley Mason, co-author of "Make it Paleo"  - which I have not read. 

In true Michelle fashion, I made a slight alteration to the original recipe. I just needed an extra kick. Others may or may not agree, but the alteration is optional and I like it. I like it spicy! The recipe also calls for butter lettuce. As you probably can tell from the photo, I did not use butter lettuce. Truth be told, I forgot the butter lettuce when I went grocery shopping. I had romaine lettuce and it worked great! However, for Damon...I gave him corn tortillas. He's not big on lettuce as the taco shell. He's a guy and I don't blame him. He did like it though and ate all the extra steak. In the end, it's tacos and you can add or subtract anything you want from it and you can top it with what ever you want! But if you are on the Paleo Diet...no cheese, no sour cream. Me? I had both!

Hayley's Skirt Steak Tacos
Juice and Zest of one lime
1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced (I love garlic, so I used 3)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (plus 1/2 teaspoon cumin, optional)
1 small jalapeno finely minced (also optional)
Sea Salt and black pepper to taste
1-1/2lb skirt steak
1 head bib, butter, or Boston lettuce

Gently separate the leaves of lettuce and rinse them off. Set them aside to dry.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest, garlic, and chili powder (and the optionals if you are going there). Place the skirt steak in the bowl and massage the seasonings into it. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Grill for approximately 3 minutes per side. Set the cooked steak aside to rest for 10 minutes, then slice against the grain into small strips. You may want to divide the skirt steak into two or three sections before slicing, as it is typically very long.

Serve the steak, and whatever topper you are going with, in your lettuce leaves.

Cooking from Recipes: Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This dinner was quite successful. So much so that Damon actually said, "This is the best chicken! I even love the brussels sprouts! Is there more?" And no, there was not more.  I made just enough for the 2 of us, but this was definitely the day that I wished I made more. It's like getting kids to eat, when you find something they like you make a lot of it often. Needless to say, this dinner will make the regular rotation.

The chicken recipe comes from the book "Practical Paleo" by Diane Sanfilippo.  Yesterday's chop recipe came from that book as well. I bought the book because I was having some digestive problems and suspected that I was gluten intolerant. I needed a little inspiration and this book definitely gives me that, but it also gives me a lot of information about diet, allergies, and intolerance to food. It is supposed to be "real food" or "primal." I don't know whether or not I totally agree with everything in the book, but the recipes, techniques, and meal plans are great.

The Brussels sprouts recipe comes from the handy dandy, October issue of Cooking Light.  I love that magazine. You can't go wrong with that magazine.  Well, you can - but not often!

Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
2 tablespoons gluten-free mustard
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, mustard, black pepper, and Sage Salt. Place the chicken thigh on a baking sheet or oven-safe dish, and brush the mixture evenly over each one.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the center of one of the chicken thighs.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Preheat even to 425 degrees F. Combine 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, 2 teaspoons canola oil, 1-1/2 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 pound halved Brussels sprouts on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 425 degrees for 17 minutes, stirring once.

Cooking From Recipes: Pork Chops w/Olive Tapenade and Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

Pork Chops with Olive Tapenade and Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

I am doing this! For how long? Who knows! So, my suggestion is to keep up with it while it lasts because I might flake out after a week. But really, I am trying to be serious about posting the recipes that I try.  I am also trying to be serious about using my gym membership. Maybe this thing can go hand in hand? Again, who knows! I did run today and go to Pilate's...

The above photo is Pork Chops with Olive Tapenade and Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes.  The pork chop recipe is a bit of an adaptation. The original recipe comes for the book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo and calls for lamb chops. Well, I got lazy and didn't go searching out the best lamb chop - so I figured it would go well with pork chops and I was right!  Now the broccoli and potatoes...I just roasted them. It didn't come from a recipe. My husband, Damon, liked the pork chops quite a lot. He liked the broccoli OK, it's a challenge for him to really love veggies.  I like the veggies - but then again, I love broccoli and potates!  I really liked the chops, the olive tapenade really did kick ass and made it super tasty! I encourage you to try it. 

Lamb Chops with Olive Tapenade (or use pork chops like me!)

2 tablespoons bacon fat or coconut oil

2 lbs lamb chops (or pork chops bone in)

1 tablespoon Greek Spice Blend (recipe to follow)

Greek Spice Blend

2 tablespoons Lemon Salt

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons black pepper

Olive Tapenade (can be made ahead 1 day)

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons capers

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

Julie of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In an oven safe pan over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or coconut oil. While the pan heats, sprinkle both sides of the lamb or pork chops with the Greek Spice Blend.  Sear the lamb chops for 2 minutes on each side (if you are using pork chops do 4 minutes each side).  Next place the entire pan in the hot oven for 2 minutes (if you are using the pork chops do 4 minutes).  Remove chops from the oven.

To make the tapenade: Combine all ingredients in a food processor or hand blender. Top each lamb chop with a dollop of tapenade.  

Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

1 pound of broccoli, florets cut from the thick stalk

5 red, Yukon, and/or purple baby potatoes quartered

3 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cover a jelly roll pan with tin foil. Combine above ingredients and bake on the jelly roll pan for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

 

 

 

Cooking from Recipes: A Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie made by my sister, Jenny

It's been a really long time since I have posted anything to this blog and I really don't have an excuse. I guess it must be life, it gets in my way sometimes. I do have a plan to keep my posting on track. I have been talking with my friend about cooking from recipes. I have all of these magazine subscriptions and cookbooks and I think it makes sense to cook from the recipes within them. I do really like "freestyle" cooking and making new things up, but sometimes it is great to cook from recipes. The magazines I subscribe to and the cookbooks that I own have really great recipes, ideas, and techniques.  I mean, that is why I have them...right? So, for a while I think I am going to share with you the recipes that I have tried and to start, I am going to post a recipe that my sister tried. 

My sister, Jenny, she is quite the baker.  Her cookies always turn out way better, softer, and far more delicious than mine. Now that she has 2 kids, she has to find ways to get them to eat healthy - and sometimes she will sneak in vegetables to baked goods! Recently, she sent me a photo of some healthier, whole wheat cookies that she baked from a recipe in the October Cooking Light.  When she tried the dough, she was a bit unsure as to how they were going to turn out - BUT once they came out of the oven she said they were delicious! If you want to try out a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is lower in calories without sacrificing that yummy taste - try these cookies! 
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I heart Food

I made a ton of dinners in the last 10 days and have really decided that I do well cooking for a large group - it's more fun... for me.  I made Thai, Italian(ish), Gumbo, British... all kinds of stuff.  Everything seemed to go over pretty well.  I think the winner may have been Christmas Dinner... Winner, winner, Christmas Dinner.  So here's the re-cap and the recipes.  I know some of you want them!

Jenny went back for seconds for the Gnocchi Gorganzola Gratin.  I got that recipe from Bon Appetit.  It was delicious, and if you want to be really lazy about it - buy prepared Italian Gnocchi from the store.  I got mine from Trader Joe's. 

The prime rib was delicious and the left overs made a really tasty Shepards Pie.  I got the recipe from the December issue of Cooking Light, Rosemary-Dijon Crusted Standing Rib Roast.  A couple of days later, I chopped up the remaining prime rib into small pieces and sauted it quickly with diced carrots and the remaining Au Jus.  I put the rib and carrot saute in a 9x13 glass baking casserole and covered it with mashed potatoes.  I planned to use the left over mash potatoes, but could not locate them, so I whipped up new mashed potatoes.  I then covered the potatoes with shredded cheddar and baked in the oven for 30 minutes and Voila! Shepards pie!

I think the Gnocchi and Prime Rib recipes can be made anytime, especially the Gnocchi.  I recommend both recipes! 

Thanksgiving Re-cap

This Thanksgiving we had some of the family out and in usual Mimi fashion, I went all out all weekend.  I pretty much had some sort of food plan for each day they were here.  I go pretty crazy over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I plan ahead...FAR AHEAD.  I have a binder and in that binder are recipes that have been successful, previous menus, and room for new menus and shopping lists.
The above photo is the delicious sticky buns that I made from a recipe in Cooking Light.  My plan for this post is to share my favs from the weekend and maybe you will make them too.   The holiday season is just beginning - so these recipes will be great from now until the new year!

Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze  - the photo above.  This was very easy to make and they kept well as day olds.

This was a Graham Cracker Crust Pumpkin Pie with Marshmallow Meringue.  The original recipe is from Bon Appetit, but they made it with Sweet Potatoes.  You can go either way.  I followed the recipe for the crust and the meringue but filled it with pumpkin.  It was a great way to eat pumpkin pie and a good change from the norm.  Click here for the recipe!

Since I didn't take a picture of my stuffing that I made - I robbed it from Bon Appetit: Spinach, Fennel, and Sausage Stuffing.  I did make this, but substituted the sausage for a chicken and roasted red pepper sausage from Trader Joes. I also went all out and made the Brioche.   It turned out awesome!  I also fried it up the next day and added an egg over easy to the top - made for a dang delicious breakfast. 

Until the next time...Turkey Noodle Soup!

Chicken Tagine with Cous Cous

I was in Bozeman last month and spent 3 days cooking for my family and friends - which is my FAVORITE thing to do.  I made a version of the Bon Appetit recipe for Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots (here is the link).  My version was made with chicken because not everyone can get down with lamb.  I followed the recipe in the magazine(except with my chicken substitution and I used canned chickpeas) and the recipe turned out GREAT.
Once we were done with dinner, we all had agreed that this would be great as a crock pot recipe.  When I got home, I decided to take the recipe and try to make it in a crock pot... and it worked out well.  So here you go - enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chick peas drained and rinsed
• 5 garlic cloves (2 whole, 3 chopped)
• 1 large cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds 1" cubes Chicken Breast and or thighs (or a combo of both)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 teaspoons Ras-el-Haonout spice blend (recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices (or 3 roma tomatoes diced)
• 3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
• 1/2 cup halved dried apricots
• Steamed couscous
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation 

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to crock pot. Add onion to heavy pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, Ras-el-Hanout, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 3 cups stock bring to a boil. Transfer all the ingredients to the crock pot and stir in with chicken, reduce heat to low,  cover, and simmer... for pretty much the whole day.  If you are going to be gone ALL DAY, I would put 3 cups of stock and a cup of water.

When you get home drain chickpeas; add to medium saucepan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves and cinnamon stick. Add water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil, then transfer to the crock pot and stir in chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in apricots; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over.

Ras-el-Hanout

Ingredients - should do this one day ahead

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Mix all of that together in a bowl or blend together in a mortar and pestle.

Pasta...delicious, delicious pasta

photo taken from Goop

I had some intention of dieting. I still have the intention - but I have decided to go the realistic for Mimi route. What route is it? It is the eat what I love in moderation or in alteration.

Moderation - sure, easy to understand. Alteration - I will do some altering of the recipe for a healthier option, whether it is cutting back on fats and salts called out in the recipe or substituting ground beef for ground turkey.

I love to eat. I love food. I am trying to love exercise so I can continue this love for food. And speaking of love of food - I LOVE PASTA. Mrs. Martin (aka Gwenyth) is at it again with awesome food on her website. The above photo is a Duck Ragu, recipe from her new cookbook, which I'll be sure to get! This particular newsletter also includes a duck taco. I will try both... most likely substituting the meat for chicken in the ragu and pork for the taco. I don't see myself making duck anytime soon. Not that I don't love duck, I do.

So go forth, look at these recipes on her newsletter.

Enjoy!

Learning from Recipes

I feel like I have been have been stuck in a cooking rut. I am feeling like I need to get back to the basics and learn some new things by cooking from recipes. I have decided to cook from the sources I subscribe to: Cooking Light, Bon Appetit/Epicurious, and (ahem) Martha Stewart.

I had recently bought a whole bunch of basil and I had some lemons that I needed to use up. I did a search on Epicurious for basil, lemon and chicken and it pulled up a quick and easy recipe. It turned out great! Sadly, I did not photograph it. Next time!

So try this dish - it is fast and easy! Enjoy!

Chicken with Lemon-Basil Sauce

Sharing is Caring II

I just got another newsletter from Gwenyth Paltrow's website. Anthony Bourdain hates on GP in one of his episodes. It's funny because they have a mutual friend in Mario Batali and Bourdain rants about how he doesn't understand how Mario Batali can be friends with her. Me... I like all 3 of them. If I was in the world of the famous, I would want to befriend each of them and then make them all eat dinner with me.

Anyway, I digress - I got another newsletter with several delicious recipes from Mario Batali's new cook book. And all of you should just subscribe to her newsletters. She sends some good info most of the time. Goop Newsletter

Enjoy!

Sharing is Caring

I like reading Gwenyth Paltrow's blog: Goop. She posts a lot of things that I deem relevant to my life style. I was just looking at a past newsletter and thought that I should share it. It's an easy recipe/instruction on how to make home made ricotta cheese! Yum! Goop Newsletter

Enjoy!

Still No Recipes...

I really have to get going on getting some of this cookbook up! I have been busy doing other things - such as eating a WHOLE LOTTA MEAT and making some pretty de-lish food. On Sunday I had made a pretty good Hummus (3 out of 5 stars), a better Tzatziki sauce, and an even better stuffed grape leaf dish. Why did I make all this Mediterranean food? I attended a dinner party with a Greek food theme. There was a lot of good things to choose from!
If you want to try the stuffed grape leaf dish go to Cooking Light
The only change I made to the recipe - as I always make at least 1 slight adjustment - is that I substituted a long grain/wild rice blend. I liked it - a lot of texture.
Today - I had an error, as I tried my hand at Tikka Masala. It was OK, not great. Definitely NOT GREAT. My husband made a kind of... sour face at first... and then slowly chewing the food, thinking too himself, "what the hell is in this dish?"
He powered through it, commenting at the end that it was "OK."
It was the cardamom. I might have put too much in because I have to admit that I felt the slight burn that only too much spice can cause. I think the next time I try to tackle that recipe, I will leave it for a Sunday afternoon. And maybe research a few more recipes. And maybe go to a few more Indian restaurants.