Amazing Cookies

While I was recovering from surgery - one of our church friends brought these cookies over to us... and I HAD to get the recipe and share them with you.


Modified Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy of Angela
* Indicate the modifications made

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour *
2 tbsp milled flax seed *
2 tbsp wheat germ *
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (she used 3/4 tsp sea salt * instead)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, flax seed, wheat germ, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION: PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.Pin It Now!

BBQ Chicken & Corn Salad

I was so excited about dinner last night - I forgot to take a picture for ya'll.

Honey Chicken Skewers with Grilled Corn Salad
Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine
Labeled as kid friendly by the magazine

Serves 4

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
Canola Oil for the grill
6 ears corn, shucked
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 scallions, sliced

Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2 inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, grill the corn, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cobbs, place in a medium bowl, and toss with the butter, scallions, salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken.Pin It Now!

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce
Original Recipe from my Mother-In-Law, but we've modified it a bit

1 pound of lean ground beef
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can mushrooms
1 can water (tomato sauce can)
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar (I leave this out)
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Brown the meat in a pan with some salt & pepper, I usually brown it in a different pan than my main sauce pan. When the meat is browned - I take it out of the pan and put it in a bowl lined with paper towels to remove as much left over fat as possible.

While the meat is browning - I saute the onion, bell pepper, and carrot with some salt & pepper in the olive oil. When the vegetables start looking soft - you can add in the browned meat. Add in all the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes to let the flavors combine. I usually taste the sauce as soon as I can smell the spices so that I can adjust them as needed - typically I add a little more italian seasoning, oregano, or garlic powder depending on my preferences.

We serve this over low carb pasta (Dreamfields Penne) and top with a little bit of cheese... either parmesan or cheddar (I know it sounds funny - but if you try it... you'll love it!)Pin It Now!

Orange Fluffy

Orange Fluffy
Curtesy of my friend Allie

Drain:
1 Big Can Crushed Pineapple (we used no sugar added)
2 Big cans Mandarin oranges (we used no sugar added)

Add 3 little boxes orange jello (we used sugar free) and let stand 5 min—stir

Add one regular container coolwhip (we used light) and one 16oz container sour cream (again we used light). Mix.

Chill or freeze!

We topped with pecans for a crunchy addition to our dessert.

I plan on doing different versions of this - I might try strawberry jello next time and replace the oranges with light fruit cocktail.Pin It Now!

Caribbean Chicken

We served this with brown rice, and yellow squash cooked with bell peppers and onions.

Caribbean Chicken
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri, 2008
Show: Guys Big Bite
Episode: That Bird's a Jerk

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (we cut the recipe in half)

1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice, fresh
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons jalapeno, seeded, diced (we left this out, because I'm a wimp)
2 teaspoons freshly grated or chopped ginger
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, bone and skin on
Lime wedges

Puree all ingredients except chicken in food processor.

Add marinade and chicken to re-sealable plastic bag, mix thoroughly and let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat grill to high, remove excess marinade from chicken and place on grill.

Grill each side of chicken for 3 to 4 minutes then place on a pan and finish in the oven for 15 minutes.

Squeeze a lime wedge over each piece of chicken and serve.

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

During preparation...

Final product (isn't John hysterical with is plating presentations?)

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Grandma's Galumpkis

Yield: about 1 dozen (this is one that we've made to freeze for easy meals throughout the day for me)

Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 quarts crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cabbage Rolls:
1 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Splash dry red wine (we use cooking wine - since we don't drink - even though they tell you not to use it...)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each (we only used one)

To make the sauce:
Coat a 3-quart saucepan with the oil and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar; simmer, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Place a skillet over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, a splash of wine, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the prepared sweet and sour tomato sauce, mix to incorporate and then take it off the heat. Combine the ground meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, the cooked rice, and the sauteed onion mixture. Toss the filling together with your hands to combine, season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and set aside. Cut out the cores of the cabbages with a sharp knife and carefully pull off all the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible, (get rid of all the small leaves and use them for coleslaw or whatever.) Blanch the cabbage leaves in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, or until pliable. Run the leaves under cool water then lay them out so you can assess just how many blankets you have to wrap up the filling.

Next, carefully cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang out the sides of the pan. This insulation will prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom when baked. Use all the good looking leaves to make the cabbage rolls. Put about 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the remaining sweet and sour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Fold the hanging leaves over the top to enclose and keep the moisture in. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked.

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Fried Rice

** Trick - make the rice either the morning before you cook this dish or the night before and put it in the refridgerator to get cold.

Fried Rice
Recipe courtesy Food Network Kitchens

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Peas, carrots and corn are a good choice because they're all about the same size so they'll cook at the same temperature and time. Also, they're a good size ratio to the rice. Other vegetables can be used but do not put too many veggies in ratio to rice or the rice will get soggy. Also, do not crowd the pan or the veggies will steam instead of cooking crisp and make the final dish soggy. The egg is cooked right before the rice because it has a tendency to stick to the pan and remnants in the pan burn as the other ingredients are cooked. When cooked right before the rice, any remnants become incorporated into the rice. Although jasmine rice is preferable, any kind of long grain rice can be used. Avoid using medium and short-grained rice as they tend to be sticky. Also, the rice should not be warm fresh rice, otherwise it will also tend to be sticky.

1/3 cup plain vegetable oil, like soy, corn, or peanut
1/3 pound black forest ham, diced, or about 2 cups cooked, cubed or shredded meat (we left this out)
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green separated
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) medley frozen corn, peas, carrots (we opted for no corn)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice, white or jasmine rice, grains separated

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the ham and cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onion is fragrant Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook until just defrosted but still crisp. Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.

Return the pan to the heat and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs constantly and cook until almost set but still moist, then transfer egg to the bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring, and then let the rice cook undisturbed until its gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the scallion greens. Transfer to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together with the rice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve. (We added some soy sauce to the rice while it was cooking, and added everything back to the pan so that it would remain hot while we finished the rest of dinner.)
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