Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Peanut Butter Thumb Print Cookies

Peanut Butter Thumb Print Cookies
From the PetitChef.com Website

Recipe type: Dessert
Number of serving: 8
Preparation time: 30 Minute(s)
Cook time: 10 Minute(s)
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

ngredients:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, and butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined. Ina small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating until well-combined.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb, make an indention in center of each cookie. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven; press indention down again. Return to oven, and bake for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until set. Let cool on pan 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.

4. In a small bowl, microwave chocolate morsels on High in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 minute total). Spoon about 1 teaspoon melted chocolate into center of each cookie. Let stand until set.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Dried Cherry Scones

Dried Cherry Scones
From the Kitchen of Margot Bass

Easiest Scone Recipe I've ever used...make the dough the night before & you've got moist, yummy scones in the morning. The recipe is from a French breakfast & brunch cookbook. These are FABULOUS!!! I have made them with dried blueberries, raisins & they're even yummy plain :)

-3 cups all purpose flour
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 tablespoons baking powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1 cup dried cherries
-2 cups heavy cream

Sugar Glaze
-2 tablespoons milk
-1 cup powdered sugar

1. Sift together all the dry ingredients.
2. Add the dried cherries to the dry ingredients.
3. Make a well in the center of the floured mixture and pour in the heavy cream.
4. Take off your wedding rings & mix the dough with your hands.
5. Use a round cake pan and 2 pieces of parchment paper.
6. Press the dough into the cake pan between the 2 pieces of parchment.
7. Freeze the dough/in the pan for at least 2 hours. (I usually just leave it in the freezer overnight)
8. Let the dough thaw for 5 minutes on the counter.
9. Pull away the parchment, using a large kitchen knife cut the dough into triangles.
10. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet

The scones are great as is, but they're even yummier if you drizzle the sugar glaze over the top while they're cooling. They also taste scrumptious with a light sprinkle of sugar on top! Enjoy :)

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Janet Anderson's Yummy Pound Cake

Janet Anderson's Yummy Pound Cake
From the Kitchen of Margot Bass (from her friend Janet Anderson)

-6 eggs (divide yokes & whites)
beat the 6 egg whites and set aside

-2 sticks salted butter (softened)
-3 cups sugar
cream together butter and sugar, then add the egg yokes one at a time.

-1 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons vanilla
-2 teaspoons almond extract
add to the creamed/egg mixture

-1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
add to the creamed/egg mixture

-3 cups all purpose flour
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
sift together & slowly add dry to the wet ingredients
lastly, fold in egg whites

Bake in greased & floured pans
-325 for 1 hour & 40 minutes (large pan)
-325 for 1 hour (small pans)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Black Bean Tofu Tacos

Black Bean Tofu Tacos
From the Kitchen of Amy Young

I can black beans
whole wheat taco shells
1 package of medium firm Tofu
1 package of 30% less sodium taco seasoning
chedder cheese
onion
tomato
cilantro

Saute 1/2 onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Drain the tofu. In a bowl, break the tofu up with a spoon. Mix the taco seasoning into the tofu until well blended. It will look slightly soupy. Add a can of black beans drained. Add the mixture to the onions on a medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes stirring often. In a taco shell add cheese and cilantro first then bean/tofu mixture. Sprinkle with diced tomato and enjoy!

YUMMY!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Toss & Cook Ideas from Vanessa

My friend Vanessa has an amazing cooking blog: Feed my Monkeys. Here are few recipes from it that she's shared with me.


Broccoli-rice-chicken Casserole

Easy Chicken Dinner

Pasta Salad

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Burrito Bowl

Burrito Bowl
From the Kitchen of Bethany Plumb


Try jasmine rice, veggies (cooked with coconut oil is delicious!), and black beans.
The beans will give you protein too, so you don't miss the meat. Like a yummy burrito bowl!

Add toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, corn, etc

Layered Cheese Enchilada Casserole

Layered Cheese Enchilada Casserole
From the Kitchen of Erin Hamilton


layer corn tortillas
black beans with sour cream and put that on the tortillas,
then add enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
Put on a second layer and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.
Yummy.

A Potato "Quiche"

A Potato "Quiche"
From the Kitchen of Amy Day


Another one I love is to slice potatoes really thin and layer them in a baking dish with your favorite cheeses and veggies (broccoli, peppers, onions, asparagus, and lots and lots of spinach for the baby) and then pour in a mixture of egg and a little milk or cream. Lots of salt and pepper and bake until quiche-like consistency - but there's no crust. This one settles the morning sickness if you have it!

I am going to guess that you bake this at 375 until done (see above)

Chicken, Veggies and Penne Pasta

Chicken, Veggies and Penne Pasta
From the Kitchen of Amy Day

Rotisserie Chicken
Penne Pasta
White Sauce
Asparagus
Broccoli
Mozzarella
Romano


Buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and throw the meat into penne pasta with a white sauce, asparagus and broccoli, and a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella and romano cheese. It freezes well too - you can get a few lunches and dinners made all at the same time! Good for you to get a little protein...

Variation on Salad with Chicken

Variation on Salad with Chicken
From the kitchen of Vicki Lawhorn

Shredded lettuce, mix chicken strips (since you don't want to cook them, just buy them in the deli section) and mix up with poppyseed dressing (enough to cover). Spoon chicken over lettuce. Top with sliced strawberries, mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, and more poppyseed dressing. I added avocados, because a salad isn't a salad without them. It's really yummy!

Mexican Choc Crunch Brownies


Mexican Brownies
From the Kitchen of Carolyn Schroder

Ingredients:
1 box (12.8) cinnamon toast crunch cereal
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 table spoon corn syrup
1 box brownie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups choc chips
3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar (mix cinn and sugar together to create)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place cereal in food processor bowl with metal blade (crush cereal in 2 batches if necessary). Cover; process until finely crushed (about 4 cups).

2. In large bowl, stir butter and corn syrup until well blended. Add crushed cereal; mix thoroughly. Press evenly into pan.

3. In large bowl, make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and eggs and adding cinnamon. (OPTIONAL- Stir in 2/3 cup choc chips.) Pour brownie batter over cereal mixture. (OPTIONAL- sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup choc chips evenly over batter.)

4. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar evenly over brownies. Bake 14-18 minutes longer or until brownies are set when lightly touched in the center. Cool 10 minutes; Loosen edges but do not cut. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Gingerbread Spice Cake

Gingerbread Spice Cake
from the kitchen of Hannah Reed

Nonstick cooking spray
1 C whole wheat flour, 1 C flour
1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp all spice, 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C firmly packed br. sugar
1/4 C canola oil
1 egg
1 C broc puree (or zucchini), 1/2 C carrot puree (I used a cup of this also)
1/2 C nonfat plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1/4 C molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBLS orange zest
*I also added raisins and walnuts

Preheat oven to 375, coat 9x5 loaf pan with spray

Combine dry ingredients. Combine sugar, oil, eggs and mix until smooth. Add in veggies, yogurt, molasses, vanilla, and orange zest. Add flour mixture until smooth.

Bake 45-50 minutes.