Sunday, August 10, 2014

Corey's Infamous Cookies

Corey's Infamous Cookies
 
For 1/2 a batch follow this:
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks), soften butter a few hours before
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup (packed is the key) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
2-3 cups chocolate chips
 
Preheat Oven to 350.
Follow Steps carefully:
1.  Cream softened butter and sugars together until mixed in.
2.  Add eggs and vanilla.
3.  Whip with an electric beater at low speed for 3 minutes.  It should looked whipped and almost frosting-like.
4.  Add dry ingredients and mix with electric beater at low speed until it is well mixed.
5.  Add chips and nuts (optional) and stir with spoon.
6.  Clump and roll dough to form round balls and put on sheet.
7.  Bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes (check periodically).  The bottom and edges should be slightly brown. 
8.  Cool 5 minutes before moving.
 
Makes 24 cookies or a little bit more.
 
Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Barefoot Contessa's Perfect Roast Chicken

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe.html
Watch the movie, it makes it seem so much easier!  This tastes amazing everytime.  I add red potatoes too.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Karen's Congo Bars

Preheat at 350
2/3 cup butter or margarine melted. 
2 cups brown sugar packed
2 eggs.  

Beat the above well (2-3minutes)

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 t baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (I used the kind from Delynn and then some semi sweet)

Mix in with wet ingredients

9x13 greased pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Homemade Hummus

Ingredients: 
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon, plus an additional for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 fat garlic clove or 2 smaller cloves, finely chopped
Pinch cayenne, plus additional for serving
1/3 cup tahini
3 cups cooked chickpeas, preferable cooked up from dried peas
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
Cumin salt or flaky sea salt for serving
Directions:
                 Combine lemon juice, salt, cumin, black pepper, garlic and cayenne in a food processor. Pulse the mixture a few times until the liquid whirls around just enough to blend together. [The lemon juice dissolves the salt and intensifies the spices, which helps flavors distribute more evenly throughout the hummus.
                 Drop in the tahini and ½ cup water. Pulse until smooth. Add the chickpeas and puree until smooth and creamy. This might take several minutes, but stick with it. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until the mixture is combined. Taste and adjust the flavors if you think it needs it; you might even add a pinch of salt.
                 If you add additional salt, dissolve it first in a few drops of lemon juice or warm water.
                 Spread the hummus on a plate. Top it with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a dash of cayenne. Finish with a sprinkling of cumin salt or sea salt and serve.
Notes:
∙               To cook your own chickpeas, soak 1 cup of dried beans overnight in a large bowl of cold water; then simmer in a pot of heavily salted water with 4 peeled cloves garlic until tender, usually about 1 hour. Discard the garlic.  If you don’t soak overnight, they will take 2-3 hours to cook. One cup dried chickpeas = about 3 cups cooked.
∙               If you decide to cook your own chickpeas, and are feeling particularly dedicated to your hummus, then consider peeling the skin that clings loosely to the cooked legumes. It isn’t essential, but the creamiest, most genuinely mind-blowing hummus will be the result of this extra, somewhat insane step.
∙               Cumin Salt - In a small skillet over medium heat, toast 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour into a mortar and pestle and add 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt. Pound the mixture a few times until the cumin seeds are lightly crushed. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, roll over the top with a rolling pin.
∙               If you don’t have time to make your own hummus, buy store bought and sprinkle the cumin salt on top, with a nice slick of olive oil and squeeze of lemon.


Resource: Melinda Wolfer (Adapted from cookbook Cook This Now by Melissa Clark, 2012)

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

           This isn't quite as good as the real thing, but for not frying it and being able to do it a head of time it was close! For the afternoons I can't be at home to make dinner, this is a great crock pot meal. Also, this is a good meal to take someone, because it's easy to add a couple chicken breast in with it. 

Ingredients:

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian Seasoning
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1 T olive oil
1 beaten egg
sliced mozzarella cheese
favorite jarred marinara sauce

Spread the 1 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crock pot stoneware insert. Whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl and mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crock pot. Layer 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with entire jar of marinara sauce. Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4. If your chicken is still frozen, it will take longer. Serve with your favorite pasta. Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Brittany Long (here's the link

Easy Bread Sticks

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 T of yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 t salt
3-4 cups flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, and yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Let stand for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and flour until dough is soft and not sticky. Press it into a 9x13 that has been greased. Cut the dough into sticks with a knife or pizza cutter and pour 1/4 - 1/2 cups of melted butter over the top. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and seasoned salt to desired taste. Let raise for 10-15 min. Cook 20 minutes or until golden brown.


Recipe Source: Samantha Whitehead 

Honey-lime Enchiladas

       These were the easiest enchiladas I have ever made, and we all loved them! They also make great leftovers. Maybe next time I would add a little black beans to them, but they were great just they way the recipe says to make them. 

In a bowl, mix up the marinade:

6 tablespoons of honey
5 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of chili powder

Mix in the marinade with the shredded cooked chicken, and let marinate at least 2 hours. Overnight would be ideal, if you remember. 

6-8 flour tortillas (I used costco's tortillas)
2-3 cups shredded cheese (I usually use a mixture of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
1 small can of green enchilada sauce

Fill 6-8 tortillas with shredded cheese and equal portions of the chicken mixture.

Spread a layer of green enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (sprayed with cooking spray).  

Roll up those tortillas nice and tight and place them open-tortilla-flap down in the pan.

Spread another layer of enchilada sauce over the top.

Then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake at 350 for a half hour.

Serve with a little sour cream on top. Goes nicely with a fresh salad and Spanish rice. 

Recipe Source: 71 Toes (here's the link)