Soft Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

A few months ago, my friend Kerrie shared this recipe for cookies during our Foodie edition of the Girl Behind the Blog. They looked divine so I pinned them for later use. 

Fast forward to this summer when David mentions that his favorite cookies are anything with chocolate chip + nuts. So for the Tuesday night youth Bible study I decided to whip up a batch for everyone to enjoy (the recipe makes 6 dozen). It was one of those days when nothing seemed to be going right and I just needed to bake. 

Y'all.

You don't even understand how good these cookies are. They stay soft for days! No hard cookies here. The chocolate chips stay melty and perfect and the pecans add just the right amount of nutty crunch!

I highly recommend these for the next time: 

• you want to bake
• you have to make something for a bake sale
• you want to do something nice for someone else
• you are in charge of dessert for a party/get together
• you're hungry

Basically, make these cookies, ASAP.

What You'll Need:

(makes six dozen)

4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4oz) packs of instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups chocolate chips (I use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips)
2 cups chopped pecans 

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets and set aside. 

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat or whisk the instant vanilla pudding until mixed well. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture and stir together. Finally, add the chocolate chips and pecans/walnuts. Mix slowly.

Spoon out tablespoon sized portions and roll between hands to form balls (like a golf ball). Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing. Move to a wire rack to completely cool. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Kerrie Williams

Creamy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Spinach

Growing up, Chicken Alfredo was one of those meals that everyone loved

Although we had plenty of picky eaters in the family, 

there were no squabbles about this meal.

I mean, what's not to love about moist chicken atop 

a creamy, cheesy sauce and slurpy noodles?

Exactly.

This version incorporates fresh vegetables

and can be made lighter by using reduced fat cream cheese and milk

Delicious, full flavor in a lighter, healthier version? Yes! 

I love this version of the Alfredo sauce- 

so light and creamy compared to a roux based sauce

The original recipe called for red bell peppers

(which would add some beautiful color to the dish for sure)

but I'm insane and don't like bell peppers, so I added spinach instead.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What You'll Need:

½ lb. uncooked fettuccine pasta

1 package (8 ounces) Neufchatel or cream cheese, cubed

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 cups chopped broccoli, fresh or frozen and thawed

8 button mushrooms, sliced

1 heaping cup fresh spinach 

1/4 cup plus 4 Tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano

What To Do:

In a medium pot of boiling water, add pasta and cook according to package instructions (usually 11 minutes for al dente). Drain well and set aside.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt cream cheese and butter; stir until smooth. Add the milk, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the cooked chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and spinach. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Stir in Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately with penne and extra Parmigiano Reggiano.

Recipe from The Comfort of Cooking, originally adapted from Taste of Home

Parmesan Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs

Isn't this a beautiful meal?

It's chock full of protein

and packed with tons of delicious flavor.

I made this for a quick and tasty Sunday lunch

and loved it!

The hardest part was keeping the patties together while 

transferring them to the stovetop.

But I found if you pack them tightly and make them flatter,

it works better.

Poaching an egg was much easier than I expected!

I used Smitten Kitchen's tutorial here,

but didn't add in any vinegar. Easy peasy.

pre-egg

What You'll Need:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ tsp. coarse salt
• 1/3 cup minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed (I used Parmesan bread crumbs)
• Olive oil, for frying patties
• (for serving) Shaved or grated Parmesan
• (for serving) 6 poached eggs (one for each patty)
• (for serving) Salt and pepper

What To Do:

• In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, chives, shallots, Parmesan, and garlic.  Stir to blend.  Mix in the bread crumbs and stir gently until evenly incorporated.  Form the mixture into six evenly sized patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter.
• Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat and swirl to coat.  Add the patties to the pan so that they are not touching.  Let cook about 4 minutes or until the first side is lightly browned.  Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and let the second side cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes more.  Repeat with the remaining patties, using additional olive oil if needed.  Top each patty with a bit of shaved Parmesan, a poached egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  From Annie's Eats, orignally here

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love the 24 Carrot cupcake from Hey Cupcake!

but I've never attempted to make one myself.

After getting a request from our associate pastor,

I gave it a try.

They turned out surprisingly well! 

There's a great balance of spice, moisture and sweetness

Plus, cream cheese frosting just makes every cupcake more dreamy.

I used this recipe, but don't own a food processor

so I hand grated the carrots and mixed everything in my stand mixer

It still turned out great!

I also added a vanilla bean to the frosting for some pretty

flecks of vanilla and an extra boost of flavor.

What You'll Need:
makes 20-22 cupcakes
2½ cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
1 lb. (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
1½ cups (10.5 oz) granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1½ cups canola, safflower or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese (not softened)
7½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

What To Do:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk together and set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups).  Add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside.  Wipe out the bowl of the food processor and fit with the metal blade.  Process the sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds.  With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube.  Continue to process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 more seconds.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Annie's Eats, cupcakes adapted from Baking Illustrated, frosting adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Make Ahead Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

I don't know about y'all,

but I kinda hate getting up in the morning.

I am not bright and sunny and wanting to bounce downstairs 

and create a beautiful and healthy breakfast.

So a lot of mornings I end up with frozen waffles or toaster strudels or bagels, 

that get cold by the time I grab them on the way out the door.

This is one of the things that I can prepare the night before

that makes me actually want to eat breakfast.

Just layer sliced fruit

yogurt

and some homemade granola for topping!

I use a little Mason jar so I can just pop the lid on and refrigerate.

And because it's cute. 

I'm more willing to eat cutely packaged food in the morning.

You could make it more presentable by using a piping bag to 

layer the yogurt in the jar, but I'm not too picky.

This is also one of my ways of breaking 

myself from stopping at McDonald's.

There's one right by our church

and although I haven't been in a VERY long time,

I had a really unhealthy period of time where I stopped there

at least three times a week on the way to the office.

Ugh. 

Cheers to homemade

and healthy

and cute!

Homemade Granola

This was so simple to make

and can be personalized to include your 

favorite nuts, dried fruits or flavors

I made 1/3 of this recipe, and left half of it without dried cranberries and chocolate to layer with fresh fruit and yogurt in parfaits. The other half I eat over yogurt or with milk. It's so good- definitely better than any store bought granola I've had!

Plus, no processed sugars

no preservatives

just natural goodness.

What You'll Need:

2/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
6 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup honey
¼ cup ground flaxseed (optional)
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
2 cups dried cranberries
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Place a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped walnuts and almonds.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the oats and canola oil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the oat mixture to a large bowl and stir in the honey, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.  Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake, stirring every few minutes, until the granola is light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the toasted coconut and dried cranberries.  Move the granola to one side of the baking sheet and press gently into a thick slab.  Let cool to room temperature.  Break the dried and cooled granola into small clusters, mix in the chopped chocolate, and store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Chicken Parmigiana

I loved reading through Elly Says Opa's Eat to the Beat entries. 

They brought music and food together 

in  such clever and delicious ways! 

This "Mambo Italiano" Chicken Parm really caught my eye because 

1) it looked scrumptious, 

2) the directions are actually pretty simple and 

3) Mambo Italiano is such a fun song. Hit play and read on!

We made this for roommate dinner night 

and served it with salad and spaghetti.

We used tomato sauce and seasonings because 

it's what we had on hand, but you could also 

use homemade marinara or store bought spaghetti sauce. 

What You'll Need:
(serves 4)4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin (butterfly first if necessary)
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten (add about a tablespoon of water to thin them out)
extra virgin olive oil
1 can tomato sauce (14oz- 16 oz)
seasonings: basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 
grated pecorino romano cheese
fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly sprinkle chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dip in egg, followed by bread crumbs.  Shake off excess and set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken (do not crowd the pan) and turn after brown on one side.  Brown other side and remove from pan.  Continue until all chicken is cooked.  Place on paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of 9x13 pan.  Add chicken, then top with mozzarella and more tomato sauce. Season generously with Italian seasoning; basil, oregano, and garlic; or whatever seasonings you prefer.  Sprinkle some pecorino romano on top.  It's okay if you need to stack some chicken on top of each other...just make sure each piece is covered with cheese and sauce.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until cheese and sauce are bubbling (check after 20-25 minutes).  Top with fresh parsley and serve.

The fresh mozzarella is a stand out in the dish. 

It can be a little pricey but we got ours at half price 

from the deli counter because it was close to the sell by date. 

If you're shopping for this dish day-of, 

I'd definitely recommend checking for this!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Carne Guisada

Carne guisada literally translates to stewed meat.

It's a slow cooked, tender, flavorful dish 

[comparable to American beef tips] 

that can be served in tacos, 

I ate mine with avocado and sour cream,

or alongside rice and beans or with mashed potatoes and salad

or like Juan in a Million, with fried potatoes, beans, 

and queso covered scrambled eggs.

(an Austin must... and this is better than their Don Juan!)

So here's how you make the carne guisada!

What You'll Need:

(serves 2)

1 pound of chuck or bottom round beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

(This would be optimal, but I used lean stew meat because it's what I had!)
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 diced tomato
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups of water

1 tablespoon of flour (optional)

What To Do:
In a large pot or a Dutch oven, brown the beef on medium high heat in the oil.

Remove beef from pot and cook on medium heat the onions and jalapeno for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Throw in the browned beef, add the herbs, spices, water, tomatoes and mix everything really well. Turn up the heat to high, bring the stew to a boil and then turn heat down to low and simmer for five hours, stirring occasionally.(I actually transferred the meat to the slow cooker and this point so I didn't have the stove burning all day.) 

Optional- Once cooked, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and pour the remaining liquid into a blender or food processor and puree. Return liquid to your pot and add beef back in, simmering another fifteen minutes. 

Also, if the gravy is not as thick as you'd like, remove one cup of liquid. Stir one tablespoon of flour into the liquid until combined. Pour back into the pot and stir well, allowing to simmer and thicken.

Recipe adapted from Homesick Texan

It's really good!

Rib Roast

So my idea for a good man meal had to include some beautifully cooked red meat.

I thought- why yes, prime rib is a great idea. 

It is also known as a standing rib roast

it's where ribeye steaks come from

and you can get it boneless for easier carving

And then I saw this ad in the Randall's mailer 

a boneless rib roast for 2.99/lb

And I thought- NO WAY!

prime rib for 2.99 a pound??

So I planned an entire meal around this beautiful cut of meat

and the day of the dinner I moseyed over to Randall's

And just stared at the meat counter

Boneless Cross Rib Roast

And called my dad.

"This isn't prime rib is it?"

"Yeah... no"

So I bought the on-sale meat anyway. 

It was a rib roast... just not the lovely expensive cut I was planning for

I let it sit for an hour to bring it to room temperature,

crusted the outside with kosher salt, ground peppercorns

and garlic powder

Then I baked it, fat side up, at 400 for 20 minutes

and then at 325 for about 1 hr 20 minutes,

until it reached 140 degrees internally 

for a beautiful rare doneness

the edges were a little more medium

(meat thermometer=favorite new gadget)

Let it rest for at least twenty minutes, tented in foil

And then I sliced the roast thinly 

(but thicker than normal prime rib is sliced)

And yeah, no one else knew that it wasn't the $100 roast

It was absolutely delicious and flavorful!

and the man-meal-red-meat totally went over well.

Scalloped Potatoes

So I love me some potatoes.

I don't know if the past is evidence of that.

I know I say that I love a lot of things

and I say that a lot of things are delicious.

But potatoes are pretty much a staple for

comfort food

fancy meals

easy, cheap meals...

potatoes are good.

I didn't want to do just plain ol' mashed potatoes 

for this dinner party so I started searching 

for a good scalloped potato recipe. 

And my search ended with a fantastic sounding recipe 

from the queen herself.

So here's Martha Stewart's Scalloped Potato Recipe!

What You Need:

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, and sliced paper thin
• 3 cups milk
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Combine sliced potatoes and milk in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Place a colander over a large bowl and drain potatoes, reserving milk. You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If potatoes have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, add enough milk to bring the reserved milk volume to 2 cups.
3. Rub a 3 1/2-quart oval baking dish with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Dot with remaining butter and pour over reserved cooking milk and cream. Sprinkle cheese over top.
4. Transfer baking dish to oven and bake until cheese becomes deep golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

A couple of notes:

• To save time, I did not peel the potatoes. I just scrubbed them really clean!
• I used 8oz of Gruyere cheese. And it was really good. But I think you could use a cheaper cheese and it still be just as good. 
• It only took about 1 hr to complete baking when I made it!

You'll notice that there's only one photo of the potatoes

and it's of the scoop on my plate. 

it smelled too good to stop and photograph

Definitely a little more work than I want to do for a normal meal

but it was so worth it for this!

This was the remainder at the end of the night

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Jalapeno Bites

Add this to your appetizer go-to list,

because it's a sure win across age groups and taste preferences

Plus it doesn't take a whole lot of food to make 

plenty of individual portions!

And bacon makes everything better.

You'll Need:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 jalapeno pepper

1 pkg bacon

2 oz cream cheese

brown sugar

chili powder 

toothpicks

What To Do:

Cube the chicken and cut the bacon strips in half. 

Deseed the jalapeno and slice it in half longways 

and then chop each half into little slices. 

Assemble the parts, beginning with the strip of bacon 

then layer on the chicken, small dollop of cream cheese

 and jalapeno slice. Secure together with a toothpick. 

Roll each bite in brown sugar and chili powder. 

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for twenty minutes 

or until the bacon is done to your liking!

Do you think bacon makes everything better?