COOK: Perfect Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are the perfect mixture of soft and chewy, only take a few minutes to mix up, and don't need to be chilled before you bake them.  Although it is important you don't forget to add the peanut butter, and if you almost forget just one time your daughter will make sure you never forget... 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)

1 Cup Peanut Butter 

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar (Packed)

1 Egg (Room Temperature)

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (Optional, but yummy)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until fluffy and light.  Add in sugars and continue to mix on medium-high speed, add egg and vanilla until everything is completely combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients, slowly add to wet mixture while mixing on low just until everything is fully incorporated.

Using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, or similar sized spoon, drop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving space in-between for the cookies to spread.  Use a fork to gently push down in a crosshatch pattern.

Bake about 9-11 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.  

Store in zippy bags or airtight container for up to a week.

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COOK: Meatballs with Parmesan TRUFF Polenta

This is one dinner that I always make sure I make enough that there are leftovers, I swear it's even better the next day, and that's saying a lot!  It's also not super complicated, and you could make it even easier if you use premade frozen meatballs.

Using the TRUFF Black Truffle Oil to finish the polenta, and adding some TRUFF Original Hot Sauce to the crushed tomatoes takes this from "that was a yummy dinner" to "I'm going to have naughty thoughts about this dinner".  (You could substitute one of the TRUFF Pasta Sauces instead of the crushed tomatoes, I just didn't have any on hand when I made this.)  I can find most of the TRUFF products at my local grocery stores, and sometimes at out Costco as well, or you can order directly from their website.  

Meatballs with Parmesan TRUFF Polenta

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 Pound Ground Beef (I use 80% lean)

1 Egg

1/3 Cup Breadcrumbs 

3 Cloves Garlic (Finely Minced)

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Sauce:

(Can use jarred sauce instead)

1 15 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

2 teaspoons TRUFF Original Hot Sauce (More or less to taste)

Salt and Pepper

Polenta:

3 Cups Water

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Yellow Corn Polenta (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Grated)

2-3 teaspoons TRUFF Black Truffle Oil

Preparation:

In a large bowl mix together all of the meatball ingredients, I do it by hand, it's a bit messy but I find it's the best way to get get everything fully combined.  Form meat mixture into about 2.5-3 Tablespoon sized balls, (should make about 12) and place on a plate.  (I use my medium (#24) cookie scoop to scoop my meat, and then roll into a ball.)

Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat, add just a touch of olive oil and cook meatballs, turning to brown each side, until cooked through, remove to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.

While meatballs are cooking add crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano, hot sauce, salt and pepper to a small sauce pan to heat over low heat, or dump jar of prepared sauce to warm up.

In a medium pot bring water and salt to a boil for polenta, mix in dry polenta, and turn down to low.  Polenta will cook quickly, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in parmesan (reserving a bit for garnish), and truffle oil.  

Scoop polenta into serving bowls, top with several meatballs, sauce, and reserved grated parmesan.  Can drizzle additional truffle oil if desired.

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COOK: Spicy Peanut Dressing

If I had a straw handy when I first made this I probably would have slurped it all up, it is that good!

I used it as a dressing for a Chicken and Cabbage Salad, but it's great as a veggie dip, marinade, I think it would be yummy on a cold pasta salad, honestly I think you could put it on just about anything!

I suggest making this a few hours before you are going to use it so that all of the flavors can meld together, it only takes a few minutes to mix up, then stick it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  If you have extra (or make a large batch) it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 2 weeks.  

Note: If you can't find Chili Garlic Sauce (it's usually in the Asian section of your local grocery store) you can substitute Sriracha, and add some minced garlic.

Spicy Peanut Dressing

About 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter (I used creamy but crunchy would work too!)

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice (Bottled is fine)

3-5 teaspoons Chili Garlic Sauce (Depending on how spicy you want it)

3 teaspoons Grated Fresh Ginger

Preparation:

Put everything into a bowl and whisk until fully combined,  Add more Chili Garlic Sauce, if you want more spice, more Peanut Butter or Honey if it's a bit too spicy.  

For Chicken & Cabbage Salad:

Season a chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, cook in a cast iron skillet until browned on both sides and fully cooked through (should be 165 degrees at thickest point), cut into cubes.

I used Tri Color Coleslaw mix but you could cut/grate your own cabbage and carrots if you prefer, I also added sliced radishes, and chopped peanuts, but feel free to add any veggies you like, I think edamame, bean sprouts, or shaved brussels sprouts would be a great addition!

I let everyone build their own salad and then add the dressing,but you could mix it all together ahead of time (I'd leave the peanuts seperate to sprinkle on top when serving), and chill before serving.

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COOK: Gluten Free Granola

 I've been trying to eat healthier, and lately yogurt (Noosa Yoghurt is my favorite, although don't ask me witch flavor, I like them all!) with granola has been one of my favorite lunches.  However, finding a healthier granola that isn't also expensive is a challenge, and if you are also looking to find one that is gluten free it gets more complicated, so I decided to make my own.

The great thing about homemade granola, aside from being able to control the sugars and oils, is being able to customize the nuts, dried fruits, and spices, you can even add chocolate if you want to!

I used only almonds in this recipe, but you can use any nut that you prefer, and add dried fruits as well (things like raisins, dried coconut, dehydrated strawberries).  The spices can also be whatever is to your taste, for example, instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons of nutmeg you can use 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves.  You want to keep the overall measures close so that everything gets enough of the "sauce".  

Notes: Always double check your ingredients to make sure that they are certified gluten free.
You can use regular oats in place of the gluten free oats in this recipe if you do not need it to be gluten free.

Gluten Free Granola

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Honey

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

2 Cups Gluten Free Oatmeal (I used Quaker Gluten Free 1-Minute Oats)

3/4 Chopped Raw Almonds

Chopped Chocolate or Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleanup).

In a large bowl whisk together oil, honey, vanilla, salt and nutmeg until well combined.

Add in oats and almonds, mix until everything is evenly covered in the oil and honey mixture.  Taste a small bit and adjust salt and spices if needed.

Spread granola out on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, gently toss granola and let bake for another 10 minutes.  Granola should be a nice light brown color.  If needed give the granola another toss and bake for another 5 minutes.  (Once it has started to brown it goes very quickly so keep a close eye on it.)

Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a cooling rack, (if you want to add chocolate you can mix it in now.)  Once granola is completely cooled you can gently break it into small pieces if needed.  Store in an airtight container or zippy bag for up to 2 weeks.

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COOK: Parmesan Mushroom Chicken

For years we've had a little container garden on our back deck, last year for some reason I don't remember we decided to skip it, and we both realized that we really missed being able to pop outside and cut a bit of fresh herbs when we were making dinner.  This year we decided to keep it simple with just a few pots of herbs, this chicken is one of the first things I made using my own homegrown thyme this summer, and it was delicious.

I served this with some homemade focaccia bread, and a bit mixed greens salad, I think the sauce would also be great with wild rice, rustic smashed potatoes, or a warm loaf of Crusty Bread.

Parmesan Mushroom Chicken

Makes 2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Pound Chicken Breast (Butterflied and cut into tenders)

About 1/2 Cup Flour mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder to dredge chicken

2 Tablespoons Butter

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Cups (16 Ounces) Baby Bella Mushrooms (Sliced)

4 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1 Cup Dry White Wine or White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme (About 4 springs with leaves removed)

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large, heavy bottomed. skillet (I used my 10 inch Cast Iron) heat up butter and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Cook flour dredged chicken tenders until golden brown on both sides, about 4-6 minutes per side, then remove to a plate.

Add in additional 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sauté mushrooms until they are browned, add in garlic and cook another minute.  Turn heat to low, dd wine and broth to skillet, gently scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, thrown in thyme leaves and let sauce cook down for about 5 minutes.  

Slowly pour in heavy cream and while whisking sauce sprinkle in parmesan cheese.  Once sauce is well combined and fragrant put chicken back in, and flip to cover both sides, and warm up.

Serve chicken with a generous amount of sauce.  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

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COOK: Coconut Lime Cookies

I've been on a bit of a citrus kick, using it in my cooking, baking, seltzer water, simmer pots, even using citrus colors in this weeks bullet journal layout!  I love how easy it is to pair citrus with other flavors and make something yummy and refreshing.  After making Coconut Lime chicken last week I decided it would be fun to use the same flavors for Cookie Friday (the coconut and lime flavors, not the chicken...) 

The cookies have more of a coconut flavor than lime, while the frosting has a bit more lime that coconut, when paired together I think they are a perfect summer cookie, especially out of the fridge while still a bit cool.

Coconut Lime Cookies

Makes about 40

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs (Room Temperature)

1 1/2 teaspoons Coconut Extract

2 teaspoons Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

3 1/2 Cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Frosting: 

1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2 teaspoons Lime Zest

1 1/2 teaspoons Coconut Extract

1-2 Tablespoons Milk (If frosting is too thick)

1-2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (If frosting is too thin)

Green Food Coloring (Optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, add in sugar and continue to cream on medium-high speed.  Scrape down sides of bowl, add eggs, coconut extract, and lime juice and mix well.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and cornstarch.  While mixer is on a low speed slowly pour in dry mixture until everything is combined.

Using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, or a dinner spoon, drop cookies onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, using the bottom of a juice glass flatten each cookie to about 1/4 inch thick.  (I dip my glass into a bit of white sugar between each cookie to keep them from sticking.)

Bake for about 9-11 minutes until the bottoms are a light golden brown, let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

In a small bowl cream sugar and powdered sugar until thick and creamy, add in coconut extract, lime juice, and lime zest and mix well.  Add milk or cornstarch if needed, frosting should be thick enough to spread on each cookie easily.

If you want you can tint the frosting green, I added just a few drops and swirled it in with a  butter knife it give the frosting a bit of a marbled look.  

Using a butter knife or offset spatula coat each cookie in a nice coating of frosting, let set about 30 minutes to dry before putting into a plastic container or zippy bag to store.  Keep in the fridge for up to a week.

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COOK: Quick and Easy Frittata

I've been working on eating fewer carbs, and more veggies, and while I love veggies, I was looking for new, or different ways to eat them.  One night laying in bed I was scrolling Pinterest looking for inspiration and saw a post about frittatas, as soon as I got up the next morning I was pulling things out of the fridge to see what I could come up with!   I've had lots of fun playing around with different combinations of veggies, meats, and cheeses, I've decided there really isn't a bad combination.

I think one thing that makes me love frittatas is the ability to throw in different of leftovers you have in the fridge; smoked asparagus, random bits of cheese, chopped up chicken from dinner the night before, herbs you forgot you had...  then simply add eggs.  If you want to take it to another level you can add toppings, pickled red onions, sour cream, everything bagel seasoning, have fun and experiment with different combinations and flavors.

Here are a few of my favorites (so far):

• Spinach, Tomato, and Feta
• Red Onion, Bell Pepper, and Cotija (Add salsa to serve)
• Bacon and Asparagus
• Broccoli and Cheddar 

Frittatas can be filling on their own, but if you want to have a fancier breakfast or brunch, they can be served with muffins (like my Strawberry Muffins or Sausage Cheddar Muffins), fresh fruit, crunchy tortilla chips and salsa, and of course coffee, tea, or juice.

Below is my recipe using a 10 inch cast iron skillet, but you can easily adjust it for a different size.  Also if you are adding less extras, you might want to add an extra egg or two so that you frittata isn't too thin and burns.  Also note that meats and veggies measurement is after cooking, this applies mostly to things like spinach that shrink to about 1 millionth of their size when cooked.

Quick & Easy Frittata

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

6 Eggs 

2 Cups of Cooked Meats and/or Veggies 

1 Cup Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Wash and cut any veggies you are using, then quickly sauté in the same cast iron pan you will be using for your  Frittata.  

Turn oven on to broil, and move rack to center position.

Quickly scramble eggs with salt and pepper to taste, then add in cheese and give it a bit of a mix.

With burner on medium/medium low heat pour egg and cheese mixture over veggies and let cook for about 5-10 minutes until you can set that the edges have set.  Move  into over and let it finish under the broiler until the middle is completely cooked and edges are a bit golden.  Carefully (the handles on the cast iron get very hot, trust me!) remove pan from over, let cool only a minute or two, then cut and serve.  

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days, but I prefer to eat it fresh.

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COOK: Lemon Blueberry Cookies

I was walking through the grocery store last week still trying to decide what kind of cookies to make for "Cookie Friday", when I saw huge gorgeous blueberries on sale and knew I had to make my Lemon Blueberry Cookies, and share the recipe with all of you!

These cookies aren't very sweet, and I'll admit I've eaten them for breakfast with my coffee a few times.  If donuts and muffins can be breakfast foods then I think cookies also qualify as a breakfast food, especially when they have fruit in them!

I like to put a tangy thin lemon glaze on these, but they are also delicious without it!

Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg (Room Temperature)

2 teaspoons Vanilla 

2 teaspoons Lemon Zest

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (Fresh squeezed is best)

1/4 Cup Milk (I used 2%)

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (Fresh is best)

2 teaspoons Lemon Zest 

2 Tablespoons Half & Half

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar 

Preparation:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) cream butter until light and fluffy, add  both sugars and continue to cream at a high speed.  With mixer on low add egg, vanilla, and milk.

In a separate bowl quickly whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  With mixer on a low speed slowly add in dry mixture until everything is just incorporated.  Very gently fold in blueberries.

Refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes.  

Turn on oven to 350 degrees and prepare your baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Using a 1 1/2 Tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon drop cookies onto cookie sheet leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  Bake for about 12-16 minutes until edges are just startin gto turn golden and tops are set.  Let cool about 5 minutes, then move to a baking rack to cool completely.

While cookies are baking whisk together all of the glaze ingredients, you can add more sugar if you would prefer a thicker glaze, or more lemon juice or half & half to make it thinner.  When cookies are cool either dip them into glaze or drizzle it over the top of cookies.  

Store cookies in a plastic container or zippy bag in the fridge for up to a week.  I like to pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to warm them up before eating.

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COOK: Manestra (Greek Tomato Orzo)

 This is a really easy dish, it only takes about 30 minutes, but it is so flavorful!  I cooked a simple chicken breast to go with it when we had it for dinner, but it's just as good without an meat as a side dish or light lunch.  Even better, you probably have everything you need in your pantry right now!

I always have some Better Than Bullion in the fridge so I can make some quick broth for recipes like these.

If you have any leftovers this manestra is just as good, if not better the next day, and very easy to reheat in the microwave, perfect to take to work for lunch.

Manestra (Greek Tomato Orzo)

About 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Medium Red Onion or Large Shallot (Diced)

4 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1/2-1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine (Optional, but suggested)

8 Ounces (1 Cup) Dry Orzo

14.5 Ounces Diced Can Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar

4 Cups Broth (Beef, Chicken, or Veggie)

Crumbled Feta Cheese (To garnish)

Preparation:

In a large deep pan (I used my 4 Quart Enameled Braiser) heat olive oil on medium heat, add onions and sauté about 4-5 minutes until soft, stir in garlic and chili flakes and cook about 30 seconds.  

Add tomato paste and red wine, mix well and let cook about 2-3 minutes so the alcohol can cook off, dump in orzo, tomatoes, oregano, sugar, and broth.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and let cook about 15 minutes, stirring only as needed.  

Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle liberally with with crumbled feta cheese.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days.

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