DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted: June 30, 2010 Filed under: Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert 3 Comments »H loves the DoubleTree Cookies…LOVES THEM. So when I was online I stumbled across the recipe for the cookies and decided to surprise him with a batch. They come out perfect…very very very close to the real deal! H loved them and with chilling the dough before baking (which you must do, the dough is TOO SOFT to bake right from mixing), I can keep a batch in the fridge and only bake as I need so H always has fresh baked cookies whenever he wants. They always taste sooo much better fresh baked..with ice cream as H likes to have them!! LOL
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet, chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Directions:
Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.
For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.
Spoon rounded 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven for 16-18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft.
Turkey Burgers with Lemon Mayonnaise
Posted: June 29, 2010 Filed under: Clean eating, Grilled, Low Carb, Quick 1 Comment »Another great twist on a summer grilling favorite! The add-ins to this turkey meat are excellent and give the meat great moisture! I especially loved the hint of apple taste in the mix-in.
The lemon mayo is great and is also great on turkey sandwiches! Found on Food and Wine this month, and didnt disappoint!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small canned chipotle in adobo, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted-We used Ezekiel Sprouted Wheat Buns toasted
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices
Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Add the sliced onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, about 25 minutes. Transfer the onion to a bowl. Wipe out the skillet.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in the skillet. Add the celery, apple and scallions and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the chipotle; let cool. Stir in the turkey, parsley, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Shape the mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.
In the skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Add the burgers and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until no longer pink inside, 10 minutes. (We grilled ous and they were great!!)
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, the lemon juice and chopped thyme and season with salt and pepper. Spread the lemon mayonnaise on the top halves of the buns; set the burgers on the bottom halves and top with the caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato. Close the burgers and serve.
Jelly Donut Cupcakes
Posted: June 28, 2010 Filed under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert, Quick 1 Comment »For our treat this week, I knew I wanted cupcakes but with a twist. I had been thinking about donut type cupcakes for a while so when I saw these and how easy they were (took me like 25 mins, some cooling time and then fill–so about an hour for the whole thing) to make, I had to whip them up! They had great donut taste and texture and with the added jelly filling, they mimic jelly donuts perfectly! I did use vanilla bean paste instead of just vanilla and it really bought out the great vanilla donut flavor! Pair with a cup of cocoa or coffee and you are set for breakfast or a sweet treat!
ENJOY!
Ingredients: This makes 6-8 cupcakes, double everything for a dozen
1 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
½ cup milk
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
good quality red jelly (any flavor)
powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour or line 6-8 wells in a cupcake pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, zest and milk beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until the batter is light and fluffy. Fill each well 2/3 of the way filled. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the middle cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and take a small corer, knife or melon baller and scoop out some of the center of the cupcake. Fill with jelly (I just spooned it in). Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Fortune cookies
Posted: June 27, 2010 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert 1 Comment »Nothing ends a great Asian meal better than fortune cookies. Light, buttery and a fortune! We love them and this recipe was great paired with our spring rolls. I found this recipe to be quite easy, even though it does take sometime to make all of these as you can only make 2 at a time. But they are definitely worth the work!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Makes about 15 cookies (this is 1/2 of the original recipe)
2.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1.5 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt, and beat until combined. Add butter, heavy cream, and almond extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto half of the baking sheet, and spread with the back of a spoon into a thin 3.5-inch circle; repeat on the other half of the sheet.
Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (7-8 minutes).
Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, or mug. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
Spring rolls
Posted: June 26, 2010 Filed under: Appetizer, Asian, Clean eating, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick 2 Comments »After everything I went thru to make this recipe, it better have been good, and thank goodness it was. I had a VERY HARD time finding spring roll wrappers! I had been to about 5 stores, until I headed 35 mins out of my way to my whole foods. I knew they would have it and should have just gone there from the beginning!! But thankfully after all of that hunting, these rolls were great. I used several ideas from recipes I found online and came up with one I knew H and I would love. The great thing about spring rolls is you can add your likes and create a variety of different rolls. Below is the one we enjoyed the most!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Spring roll wrappers
Cooked shrimp (about three per roll) cut in half
Avocado sliced thinly
Mango sliced lengthwise very thinly
Herbs to your liking-I omitted this part-most like mint or cilantro
Yellow and red peppers Julienne
Soba or black bean noodles-I omitted
Scallions slice lengthwise thinly
carrots thinly sliced
Directions:
In a bowl of warm water, not too hot or too cool, soak one wrapper for about 20 seconds or until pliable. Working carefully fill the roll and carefully roll up tucking in the sides and tightly wrapping up without tearing the wrapper. Place on plate seam side down. Cover with a damp towel until all the rolls are completed. Serve immediately with desired dipping sauces.
Some dipping sauces could include:
Peanut dipping sauce
Spicy Hoisin Dipping sauce
Mango and pepper dipping sauce-our fave see below:
Plain soy sauce
The choices are endless.
Mango dipping sauce:
Ingredients:
1 mango, peeled, pit removed
3 Tablespoons hot sauce (use your favorite brand!)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Directions:
Peel the mango, and cut away from the pit, dropping the fruit into a blender. Add in the hot sauce, honey, sea salt and pepper, and blend until smooth (use a spatula to push down the sides as needed to blend thoroughly). Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Pan-seared chicken
Posted: June 25, 2010 Filed under: Chicken, Clean eating, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick Leave a comment »Another huge and easy hit from Clean Eating Magazine this month. Very simple and with ingredients most of us have on hand. Great for a busy weeknight meal! Pair with brown rice and a salad and you have a very delicious yet healthy meal!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
9 cherry tomatoes, halved
9 yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved
3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
3 sprigs fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp chile flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1-2 Tbsp balsamic glaze
salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6oz each)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss together 1 Tbsp oil and the next 8 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add remaining 2 tsp oil to pan, then place chicken in pan, presentation side down. Let chicken brown and cook for 3 minutes, then turn over to cook on opposite side for another 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and plate, spooning a quarter of salsa evenly over each breast. Serve hot.
Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Posted: June 24, 2010 Filed under: Grilled, Herbs, Pork 1 Comment »There is nothing better than an easy dinner that seems like you spent all day in the kitchen. This recipe does just that. How great is it to throw all the ingredients together and pop back in fridge until you are ready to grill? It is that simple..a few steps and dinner is ready! SCORE! Annie’s Eats nailed it on this one! I love searching her blog for easy yet impressive meals. She has a huge selection! Check out her blog for more great ideas!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.
When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill. Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter.
Company Couscous
Posted: June 23, 2010 Filed under: Clean eating, Couscous, Light and healthy, Quick, Side dish Leave a comment »I have no idea why it is called this except maybe because it makes a lot??? Anyway, I was in search for a great couscous recipe for our dinner party. I love couscous but lately have found it can be a bit bland and I was worried my old stand by recipes would be too bland paired with our pork. So I searched and asked on the cooking board I frequent and was given this recipe! It was great! Paired very very well with our pork tenderloin and roasted asparagus!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous-I used ww
1 cup boiling water-I used chicken broth to up the flavor
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 dash balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Stir couscous into boiling water and return water to a boil. Cover and remove pot from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
While the couscous is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, green onions and peppers; saute briefly. Stir in tomatoes, basil, cooked couscous, salt and pepper. Mix together and transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Splash some balsamic vinegar on top.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese while still warm.
Ezekiel Bread Products
Posted: June 22, 2010 Filed under: Breads, Clean eating, Light and healthy, Product review, Sandwich Leave a comment »Since the first of the year, I have been converting H and I to clean eating. So far we are doing pretty well..I am about 90% there and H is about 70% there! We have found we really enjoy cleaner eating not only because we feel sooooo much better, but we seem to taste and enjoy food more..nothing processed to get in the way of the natural taste of foods.
As you have seen on my blog, I am continually finding new blogs to explore for clean eating and now am trying to find cleaner premade food choices too…breads, cereals, snacks, etc. So far the granola bars, cereals, sweeteners, chips (black bean tortillas and ww tortilla chips), etc we have enjoyed, but breads have been a different story. We have tried several breads and buns, but find they are dry, bland or so full of stuff we can really taste what is going on, until I found Food for life baking company. Their products are PERFECT. Soft, tasty, grainy without being overly grainy, and pair great with burgers, chicken/tuna salads, peanut butter, great toasted, etc… We especially like how few ingredients it takes to make such a tasty bread. THe less processed the better for us!
Definitely give these products a try!
Herbed Dinner Rolls
Posted: June 22, 2010 Filed under: Breads, Herbs Leave a comment »Every year when we host these dinner parties for H work, I strive to out-do last years. Well this year I think I have with these rolls alone. They were easy to make as far as bread goes, but were SUPER good and paired perfectly with our dinner! I found this recipe on Annie’s Eats and was very happy with them!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 tsp. salt
4½ tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk (105-110F)
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 cups bread flour
½ cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, sage, basil, dill, etc.)
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. milk
Whole fresh herb leaves (for topping)
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and salt on medium-high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the yeast, sugar, milk, melted butter and flour. Stir until a dough forms. Beat in the chopped fresh herbs until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Generously butter 18 muffin cups. Punch the dough down. Scoop the batter, dividing it evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise about 45 minutes more, until slightly puffed.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover the rolls and brush the tops lightly with the beaten egg mixture. Gently press a fresh herb leaf into the top of each roll so that it adheres completely. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (Note: Annie had to run a small paring knife around the edge of each roll to get them to release from the pan. Mine released fine but I realllly buttered them after reading her post!!) Let cool before serving.
