1 Dec 2010

Pomegranate White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

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Oh, bring on the holiday season. I love baking for things during the holidays…trying new festive recipes that get out of my kitchen in a hurry. These will be gone tomorrow! 🙂 And I did much better on tasting them than the buttercream sessions earlier in the week.

I found this recipe on :

Pomegranate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup pomegranate arils

Cream butter and sugars, add egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Fold in oats and white chocolate. Fold in (gently) the arils. They will pop, but you want them to pop in your mouth, not in the dough.
Spoon onto sprayed cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
Enjoy the pop of tart and the creamy goodness of white chocolate and the chew of oats. These are definitely a holiday winner!

9 Sep 2010

Taste of OBX: Tortugas Lie

by | posted in: food | 1
I know you have waited patiently for it – the best food I ate during my first stay at the OBX: mahi mahi tacos at Tortugas Lie. This is definitely my brother’s type of place.
Late lunch consisted of unsweet tea at a bar, mahi mahi tacos with beans and rice, and cocoloco chicken with a lime curry sauce served also with beans and rice (yellow and black).
All was fabulous. My friend’s parents suggested this place just up the road from their condo and beach access.
We had to wait about 10 minutes for 2 seats at the bar on Labor Day Monday. Prices were decent (9$). But, the food was great. Rach said the tacos would have been better with corn tortillas, but I took them just like they were. The lime and curry sauce for the curry chicken was fabulous – and I finished that off with the yellow rice.
So, when I go back again – I’ll definitely hit this local joint and maybe just get the tacos again so I can have both of them.

24 May 2010

Foster's Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage and Spinach

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Truly, I’m not a huge fan of breakfast casseroles. They are all pretty similar to me and I’d rather have grits and eggs or pancakes/waffles/french toast. So, when I got to make two this wknd, I had to look for recipes. I made one called Farmer’s Breakfast Casserole, which was good – just needed more salt.  I stillneeded one more.  I knew I wanted it to be stellar.  Sara did NOT disappoint!

Savory Bread Pudding with Sausage and Spinach (9×13 pan)

evoo

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 lb country sausage

6 oz of fresh baby spinach (2/3 of a bag)

2.5 cups skim milk

2 T dijon mustard

salt/pepper to taste

8 eggs

6 cups french bread (day old, 3/4 loaf of Harris Teeter french bread)

2 1/2 cup Italian shredded cheese

1 T dried italian herbs (or fresh of your choice)

Saute onion in evoo.  While doing that, crack eggs.  Add sausage to pan, break up and brown.  While doing that, cube bread. 

Add spinach to pan and saute till just wilted.  Drain liquid.  Combine eggs, milk, cheeses, mustard, spices.  Soak bread in that.  Add rest.  Pour into 9×13 sprayed pan.  Let sit over night in fridge.  Sit out for 20 minutes in morning (while your oven heats).  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes till lightly browned on top.  Serve!

This is creamy, subtly nutty from cheeses, not too greasy or heavy, and superb taste.  

30 Apr 2010

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (2010.17)

by | posted in: chocolate | 0

Best thing I’ve cooked (new) all month. Great way to end April! We are having Joy Prom at Church tonight and these are for the hundreds of volunteers we will have:

Makes 16 – not healthy at all (but very yummy)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup creamy pb (I used skippy, not all natural) – the whole regular jar – then used the jar for Oats in a Jar this morning for breakfast
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 roll (16.5 oz) chocolate chip cookie dough

350. square ungreased pan.
Press about 3/5 of the dough on bottom of pan. Mix sugar, pb, and vanilla. Spread on top. Crumble rest of cookie dough on top and bake for about 30 minutes.
Let chill for about an hour. Cut into bars.
Serve chilled or room temp. Get them out of the house!
23 Apr 2010

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

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I love cookies. Bad, bad cookies! 🙂
But, when you are making them for 8th grade girls to go along with pizza and get them full of sugar for a sleepover – they are perfect. These are so good – especially right out of the oven. Perfectly chewy!

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs (room temp)
2 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 SCANT tsp salt
5 oz butterscotch chips
4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
4 oz milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream wet ingredients. Add in dry. Fold in chips and nuts.
Larger cookies – 11 minutes – slightly sprayed cookie sheets. 350 degrees.
Cool and eat!

Question: Do have a favorite cookie sheet that looks like this one? And what are your fave chips to use in cookies?
4 Apr 2010

Majudra – Middle Eastern Peasant Food

by | posted in: vegetarian | 1

Majudra, majadra – however you spell it – spell it my new fave comfort food. Cheap, warm, perfect as a salad topping, caramelized onions – can it get any better?
I had seen this as a recipe, and I have had the recipe, but I had not made it yet. Then, 2 weeks ago I went to The Grape Leaf in Louisville and ordered this. I LOVED IT. But, I knew the caramelized onions would have to be more prominent for me!
So, I had everything I needed in my pantry when I moved this week, so I decided to make this…

1 1/2 cup rice
3 cups water, boiling
2 cloves chopped garlic
olive oil

3/4 cup green lentils (no need to pre-soak)
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
salt

2 onions, thinly sliced
olive oil

Heat olive oil and pour in rice – cooking till opaque – like you would risotto. Pour in water and garlic – simmer with lid on till done.
Cook lentils till done but not mushy – then add seasonings.
Sauted onions, stirring a few times – not a lot.
Bowl: rice, lentils, caramelized onions. Top with either melted butter or olive oil.
Next time: I’ll make it with more cumin and brown rice, maybe switch out the all olive oil for half oil and butter on the onions.

SO GOOD!
1 Apr 2010

Roasted Orange Chive Salmon

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Is oatmeal a meal? Good, I agree. Its not. Therefore, my first real meal I cooked was SO GOOD. I told my Dad while eating it – that it was the best salmon I have ever had second only to the time I was in Craig, Alaska and had it right off the boat.

zest of one mandarin orange
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
8 oz fresh atlantic salmon (w/skin, got it from Whole Foods)
evoo
s/p

425 degrees. Place aluminum foil on a small baking sheet. Spray with pam.
Pat dry salmon. Drizzle with evoo. Zest orange and chop the chives over the top. Bake for about 15 minutes, maybe a little more till the fish easily flakes.
Enjoy. I served mine with roasted asparagus and roasted new pototoes.
8 Mar 2010

Mexican Salad

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My best friend from high school, most times when I visit her in TN, makes this wonderful salad that I LOVE! This time we didn’t have it, but I did at least walk away with the recipe. Enjoy!

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup salsa
cheese to your liking
tortilla chips to your liking
2 heads romaine lettuce
grilled chicken

Mix ranch dressing and salsa. Toss the corn, beans, cheese, and lettuce.
Grill chicken (or you can leave this out to have a vegetarian salad).
Add broken tortilla chips right before you serve it.
Toss salad with dressing and chips. Cut up grilled chicken on top of the salad. Serve with more tortilla chips, avocado, and more salsa (or ranch) if desired.

THIS IS SO GOOD!

8 Mar 2010

Double Chocolate Ghirardelli Cookies (2010.9)

by | posted in: chocolate | 2

These are a wonderful bite of chocolate-y goodness! 🙂 I made them before my 5k on Saturday, baked some afterwards and baked the rest this morning for the office. YUM!
This recipe of the week was definitely a winner and I think you can find the recipe virtually in every cooking magazine at some point – just as an advertisement for the BEST chocolate!

1 bag dark chocolate chips – Ghirardelli 60%
6 T unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 bag semi sweet – ghirardelli
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt dark chocolate and butter – let cool a bit.
Mix eggs and sugar till thick and creamy. Add in chocolate. Mix well. Add in dry ingredients. Fold in chips and nuts.
Put in seran wrap in 2 separate piles and chill for at least an hour.
Cut, roll, and bake for 11 minutes at 375.
Cool.

Best way to enjoy: warm with a tall glass of milk!
1 Mar 2010

Lemon and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

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This might be the best turkey I’ve ever cooked – Thanksgiving or not! 🙂

Ina Garten comes through again as her little Barefoot Contessa. So thankful she did. I am trying to use things in my freezer so they won’t get to waste when I move at the end of March, and I found this turkey in the back of it. Don’t even remember why I bought it – maybe just b/c it was on sale. So, I looked on line. This morning I had plenty of time on my hands (after my 12 hours of sleep, 745-745, I was so tired and it was needed, some AWESOME sleep) so I just let it cook in the oven.
It was SO MOIST and flavorful! Loved it. I’m going to be using it on salads, maybe for a sandwich, mostly for turkey tetrazzini I am making for a family with a new baby on Tuesday.
Yum!

(slightly changed from original recipe because size of my turkey)

1 8 lb turkey breast
2 mega garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp italian seasonings
2 tsp kosher salt
1 lemon – juiced
2 1/2 T olive oil – very good, fruity olive oil works best
1 cup blush or white wine

Dry turkey breast with a paper towel. Mix garlic through oil into a paste – smear on and under the turkey (under the skin). Place skin side up in a roasting pan (or on a rack). Pour wine in the bottom of the dish. Bake for about 2.15 hours at 325 covering about halfway through because the skin will get too dark.
This is so moist, and the wine and lemon and olive oil are very good things!