White Bean and Hominy Chili

I love chili so when I saw this unique recipe, I had to try it. I never heard of a chili with hominy in it. My family is from Ecuador and hominy is commonly known as mote there. We boil it and serve it as a side dish with a tomato and onion salad. We also buy the dried version which comes in clear bags. We then fry it and it crunches up and we eat it with ceviche. It is called tostado when we fry it. So this recipe called for the canned version which you can find in the international isle of most supermarkets. This chili tasted like a Mexican style chili with the hominy, cilantro and lime. I didn't go out and buy the Mexican chipotle sausage for this recipe. I substituted this with Italian sausage which I took the casing off of and cooked in a cup of water until the sausage was completely cooked. I served the chili with toasted chips on the side and a scoop of sour cream. This is definitely a keeper. Enjoy!

White Bean and Hominy Chili
Recipe from Cooking Light magazine
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (4-ounce) meatless Mexican chipotle sausage (such as Field Roast), finely chopped (I used Italian Sausage, casing removed)
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped (I did not use these)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 lime wedges
Sour cream (I topped the chili with a scoop)

Directions:
1. Mash 2/3 cup beans with a fork.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage, and sauté for 4 minutes. (I used Italian sausage, casing removed. I placed sausage in the dutch oven with a cup of water and let it get browned and cooked through). Add onion, garlic, and poblanos; sauté 6 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add mashed beans, whole beans, 1 1/2 cups water, and the next 4 ingredients (through hominy). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in green onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and a scoop of sour cream.

Chicken Tinga Tacos

I am so excited...school is over and I cook my heart out now! Or at least for a month until school starts up again. <sigh> So, I sorted out my recipes for the week and the first one up is Chicken Tinga Tacos from Food and Wine magazine. This is a really yummy recipe but I warn you, it is spicy! So if you don't like spicy, don't use the chipotles--or not as many. Ever since watching Top Chef this year, my biggest take away is "taste your food as you cook." Good thing I did this before I blended it all together! So I was able to take out most of the whole chipotles. It still had a kick but was yummy with the sour cream. I used sour cream instead of the Cotija cheese. Honestly, I found the Cotija cheese at the supermarket but it was $8 for a block of it and I just didn't want to spend the money on a cheese I hadn't tried before. The sour cream was a great substitute but if you like Cotija cheese, I would use that when you make this. Enjoy!

Chicken Tinga Tacos
Recipe from Food and Wine magazine
Makes 24 tacos

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds trimmed, skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 canned chipotles in adobo, coarsely chopped (I used only 1 chipotle from the can)
1 cup chicken broth
24 corn tortillas
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (I used 1 cup of sour cream)
Sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions: Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and pour off the fat in the skillet.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet along with the onion. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned and softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chipotles (I used only 1 chipotle from the can) and the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and slightly reduced, 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and let cool for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake the chicken uncovered in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce is very thick and darkened around the edges. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred the meat; discard the bones. Return the chicken meat to the sauce. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken onto each tortilla and sprinkle with the crumbled cheese (I used sour cream). Garnish the chicken tacos with the scallions and chopped cilantro and serve hot.

MAKE AHEAD - The tinga can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving and this year I loved it even more because we were hosting it. This was the perfect opportunity for me to flex my cooking and baking muscles as I needed to feed 17 people. Luckily my hubby helped me around the kitchen which was a great help! (Thanks baby!) Although I was totally prepared to cook everything, my family insisted on helping out so I let them each bring side dishes (veggie, mashed potatos and salad). However, I was in charge of the turkey and desserts. But this year I also wanted to try some new side dishes. So I made mac & cheese and a sweet potato casserole. Let me just say that I really lucked out with some great recipes this year. The turkey recipe, by new favorite chef Anne Burrell, was amazing! Considering how long and all the effort it took to make this 20 pound turkey, I would definitely do it all again next year because it came out so amazing. I made and dunked the turkey in the brine on Tuesday morning and cooked the turkey on Thursday. So it was in the brine for roughly 2 days. Also the mac & cheese by the Neely's was delicious! Really easy to make and was packed with flavor. Then I found a knock off recipe for Boston Market's sweet potato casserole which was yummy!

So overall, Thanksgiving dinner came out wonderful and I couldn't be happier. I was so excited with the dishes that I forgot to take pictures of the end products. LOL! Enjoy!

Brined Herb Crusted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

Recipe by Food Network's Anne Burrell

Total prep and cook time: 5 hours 

Ingredients:

Brine:

7 quarts water

1 quart apple cider

3/4 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large onion, diced

1 large or 2 small carrots, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially

1/2 bunch fresh rosemary

1/2 bunch fresh sage

6 bay leaves

1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey, free range organic is great! (I used a 20lb. Butterball turkey)

Herb crust:

1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped (I used ground sage because I couldn't find the fresh stuff any where)

3 sticks butter, room temperature

Kosher salt

You will also need butcher's twine to truss the turkey

Gravy:

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice

5 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 bunch thyme

Kosher salt

1 quart chicken stock, divided

2 cups apple cider, divided

1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

Directions: To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.

Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.

Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.

This is the last picture I have of the turkey. This is what it looked like after 45 minutes in the oven.

Classic Crumb Cake

What dessert should I make? It was a toss up between cinnamon bunns or crumb cake and the hubby voted for crumb cake--so the crumb cake won. I found a recipe in my Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook that looked spectacular. I like crumb cakes with big chunks of crumbs on the top of it and this recipe was exactly that. I have had this cookbook for a year now and this is the first recipe I have made from it and it did not disappoint. I can't wait to make my next recipe from it. Enjoy!

Classic Crumb Cake

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Makes one 13"x9" cake

Cake Ingredients:

10 tablespoons butter, softened

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened

confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Directions for cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″x13″ pan and set aside. (I shaped the bottom of my pan with aluminum foil and then placed it into the pan. Then used Pam Spray instead of butter.) Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after adding each one. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and sour cream. Mix just until blended. Spread batter evenly into pan and set aside until you make crumb topping. 

Next make crumb topping. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork. (I would use a food processor next time I make this) When well mixed, the mixture should form large, moist clumps. Spread crumb topping evenly over cake batter.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. (My crumb cake took 50 minutes) Turn the pan once during baking. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. 

I shaped the bottom of my pan with aluminum foil for easy removal after baked.

My Famous Meatloaf

Meatloaf is such a classic and can be made so many different ways. I love a hearty meatloaf that has chunks of veggies and tons of flavor. This recipe has been my go to recipe now for years. I once made it for my cousin Tony and he loved it so much that I had to make it again for him. The recipe below makes one large meatloaf. However, in the pictures below you will see two meatloaves but that is because I doubled the recipe so that Tony could take one home. Enjoy!

My Famous Meatloaf

Recipe by Heart for Cooking

Makes 1 large meatloaf, serves 6 people

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground beef

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 large Spanish onion

1 large chopped green or red pepper

1 egg

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a loaf pan, you can either spray it with non-stick spray or what I do is take aluminum foil and line the inside of the pan. A trick I use is to flip your pan upside down and place the aluminum foil over it and mold it to the bottom of the pan. Then flip the loaf pan over and place the shaped foil inside of it. Leave enough over hang so that when the meatloaf is done, you can pull it out with these flaps. Spray the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for the tomato sauce. With your hands, mix all of the ingredients together. Form into a loaf and place into prepared pan. Finish molding the loaf so that it fills the bottom of the pan. Then pour tomato sauce over entire meatloaf. You want to make sure you have at least an inch from the meatloaf to the top of the pan to avoid any spills. Place meatloaf uncovered into the oven for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Taste of New Haven, CT

I love Groupon! You are able to find great deals to fun places at discounted rates. Well last night we took advantage of a Groupon I bought last month for the Taste of New Haven food and drink tour. It is so great to know that there are fun things to do right here in CT. This food, drink and walking tour was so much fun! The guide, Colin, was fun and made the experience memorable. We stopped at a couple of different places during our walking tour and sampled wine, cheese, salad, pasta and delicious tapas while learning the history of New Haven (Westville). If you are looking for something to do, I would definitely recommend giving this a shot. Colin also has a Farmer's Market tour on Sunday's which I want to try one day soon. Enjoy!

Tapas at Manjares! They had an awesome sangria too!

Asparagus Chicken Roulade

We had our good friends over for dinner and I wanted to make something special. My only dilema was that it had to be something I could cook in an hour. I had this recipes in my binder for over a year and don't know why I didn't make this sooner. It was so simple and delicious. 

Since I knew I would only have one hour to cook, I prepped the chicken the night before. I took two plastic bags and placed one, defrosted, chicken breast at a time between the plastic bags and pounded them with my meat mallet to about 1/4" thick. Once I did that to all four breasts, I sliced them in half--now that the breasts were flattened they were too large. I then placed the chicken in a bowl, covered it and placed it in the fridge. The next day, I took the chicken out and only had to start assembling the roulades. Also I love for my chicken to have a golden crust. So before placing the chicken in the oven, I melted 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and browned the chicken lightly. The butter gave the chicken a beautiful golden color. I served my asparagus chicken roulade with my delicious penne vodka. Enjoy!

Asparagus Chicken Roulade

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Ladies Home Journal

Ingredients:

4 (1-3/4 lbs total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and ground black pepper

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

8 slices prosciutto

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

8 asparagus stems, cut into 2-1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat broiler to high with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside.

2. Slice chicken breasts horizontally into 2 thin pieces. If necessary, layer between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thick. Lay breasts, smooth side down, on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Spread each with 1/2 tsp of Dijon. Layer with prosciutto, goat cheese and asparagus. Roll up, starting at the wide end of each breast. In a pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place roulades in pan for 2 minutes on each side--until chicken gets a nice golden crust. Then place on the baking sheet, seam side down.

3. Sprinkle with pepper. Broil until chicken is cooked through and tops are golden, 6 to 8 min, rotating baking sheet halfway through.

Nutrition Facts: Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories(kcal)337, Protein(gm)56, Carbohydrate(gm)2, Fat, total(gm)11, Cholesterol(mg)144, Saturated fat(gm)6, Dietary Fiber, total(gm)1, Sodium(mg)960, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chicken with Balsamic Pears

My first recipe in the new kitchen was well worth the wait. It was a turkey cutlet with balsamic pears. Simply delicious. However, i didn't have any turkey cutlets in the house and didn't want to go out to the store to buy them. So I used chicken breasts and this recipe came out delicious! As a side dish I made roasted sweet potatoes and bacon. Both recipes are definitely keepers. Enjoy!

Chicken with Balsamic Pears
Recipe by Everyday Food Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, 1/4 inch thick and patted dry
course salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
2 Bosc pears, cored and sliced into this wedges

Directions: Pound chicken flat to about 1/4 inch thick. I placed one chicken breast at a time in between two plastic bags. This way if one breaks, you have a second to protect against any splattering. Pat dry with a paper towel.   Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, flipping once. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, garlic and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots begin to soften, 6 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together  broth, vinegar, and mustard. Add pears to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add broth mixture; cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, along with any juices. Add thyme, toss to combine, and serve!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon

Recipe by Everyday Food Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 pieces

4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch strips

5 sprigs of thyme

Course salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat over to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, lay sweet potatoes in a single layer. Then spread bacon pieces and sprigs of thyme on top of sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife and bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

I am back and ready to cook!

I can hardly believe it has been four months since my last post. Let me add that I have not cooked or baked anything in those four months. Most people wouldn't mind eating out that often but it totally saddened me to be away  from my kitchen so long. However my leave of absence was actually for a very good reason--my kitchen was remodeled. It was completely gutted out and rebuilt with new sheet rock, lighting, counters and my favorite part, more cabinets! I have a smile from ear to ear now when I walk into my kitchen--it is beautiful! I thank my hubby everyday for the beautiful work he did--it is just gorgeous. So I am back in full stride with a line-up of recipes ready to cook (and bake) and report back on.


Here are some pic's of my beautiful new kitchen!

Mushroom Sausage Pockets

I invited my family over for a brunch and wanted to make something different. My family likes its traditions when it comes to food. Don't get me wrong, I love our Latin food but wanted to make something different for my brunch. So I found this recipe and fell in love with it. I love phyllo dough and these little pockets are wrapped in it. How can you go wrong with sausage and mushroom wrapped in crisp phyllo? I made the sausage mixture the night before so that on Sunday for our brunch, all I had to do was assemble the pockets and bake. These came out great and I can't wait to make them again. You could even customize the filling with ground chicken or beef if you don't like sausage. Enjoy!

Mushroom Sausage Pockets

Recipe by RachRayMag.com

Makes 12 pockets (I used the entire package of phyllo sheets)

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 pound hot Italian sausages (about 3) casings removed

1 pound white mushrooms

Sliced 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 cups ricotta cheese

Salt and pepper

1 box of phyllo dough, thawed

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Directons:

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes; push the onions to the side and add the sausages. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the ricotta. Season with salt and pepper. (If you are making the mushroom and sausage mixture the night before, let it cool and then place it in a large tupperware container and refrigerate. Take it out of refrigerator an hour before you assemble the pockets. Proceed to next step.)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on a work surface and cover the remaining sheets with a damp kitchen towel. Brush the sheet with butter, then set another sheet on top. With a sharp knife, trim the phyllo to make a square. Brush with butter, place a quarter of the filling in the center and spread into a 4-inch square. Fold the flaps of phyllo over the filling to form a pocket; brush with butter; repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more pockets.

Brush a baking sheet with butter and place the pockets on top. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Mushrooms and sausage mixture before adding ricotta. 

Pockets are ready to be assembled and baked.

Chocolate Truffle Dessert

We were invited to our friends house for dinner and were asked to bring dessert. Of course I was more than happy to bring one but what? So I just bought this new magazine called simple & delicious -- I am a total magazine junkie -- and saw this beautiful chocolate cake. I must make this for the dinner. It may not be the smartest thing to make a new recipe for a party without testing it but why not test it with friends? So I went to the store and bought everything I needed or so I thought. But when I got home, I realized I forgot the brownie mix! But I am a baker darn it, I can make a brownie from scratch so I did. I used my favorite brownie recipe which I posted already -- click here. This recipe was a little time consuming but so worth the effort. It looks gorgeous and tasted delicious! Enjoy!

My gorgeous Chocolate Truffle Dessert

Chocolate Truffle Dessert

Recipe courtesy of simple & delicious magazine

Serves 16

Ingredients:

1 box fudge brownie mix (8-inch square pan size) (I used my homemade brownie recipe)

3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

14 to 16 Pirouette cookies, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

Directions: Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Spread into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Place chocolate chips in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup cream, butter and coffee granules. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until butter is melted; stir until smooth. With food processor running, add cream mixture to chocolate chips in a slow, steady stream. Add vanilla; cover and process until smooth.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag. Fill with 1/4 cup chocolate mixture; set aside for garnish. Transfer remaining chocolate mixture to a large bowl.

Remove sides of springform pan. Spread half of the chocolate mixture over brownie layer, spreading evenly over top and sides. In a small bowl, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form; fold into remaining chocolate mixture. Spread over chocolate layer. Gently press cookies into sides of dessert.

Pipe reserved chocolate mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 5 minutes before cutting. 

Brownie mix is ready to go into oven.

Chocolate mixture prepped.

Chocolate mixture spread on top of brownie and ready to go into the fridge.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Believe it or not although I love to bake desserts, I am more of a savory type of person. I love baking sweet treats for others though. Now the only exception is a good cookie--that I enjoy. I like thin crispy cookies around the edge but with a soft center. I have many cookie recipes and was never too happy with the result although everyone else always enjoyed them. I should have known that my baking idol, Martha Stewart, would have the best recipe. This chocolate chip recipe which I tore out of her recent magazine was a winner! The only modification I made was to use 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips instead of 2 cups. This recipe is definitely a keeper--enjoy!

The best chocolate chip cookie!

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Recipe by Martha Stewart

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips (I used 1 1/2 cups)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350º. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes (I baked mine for 12 minutes--all ovens vary though). Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

This is the batter with only 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips.

Ready to go into a 350º oven.

Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix

I love waking up early on Saturday's to go tag sale hunting. Who doesn't love a good  bargain? Well, one day I found a real gem. There it was, under a table wrapped in a cardboard box--a stainless steel professional waffle maker. It was gorgeous and only $20! I asked the older couple the scoop on the waffle maker and they mentioned that their son--a professional chef--bought it for them but they just didn't find themselves using it. Like I always tell my husband "one person's rock is another person's diamond." He laughed at me when I brought it home but let me tell you, he always asks for my waffles now.  So I have tested many recipes and this one is the best so far with a couple of adjustments. I made a double batch a couple of weeks ago for a friend of mine but it came out a little thin but they said it tasted yummy and crepe like. With that being said, I would add more flour if you like a thicker pancake/waffle. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix

Makes about 5 large waffles or 10 pancakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup lowfat (or regular) buttermilk

1 1/2 lowfat milk

3 tablespoons honey

Directions: Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients (except honey) and give it a light whisk to combine. Then whisk in honey into wet ingredients making sure that you mix any honey that may have settled to the bottom of the bowl. Pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix well however, make sure not to over mix.

My tag sale gem

Strawberry Cheesecake

For Father's Day I got a request from my Dad for a cheesecake. He always makes me laugh because he asks me "I want you to make me a good cheesecake." Of course it is going to be good--why wouldn't I give you something that tastes great? That's my Dad...

So I did some research on different recipes to see what common ingredients were used in each. I also read through the comments that other foodies posted about these recipes they made. After all that, I finally picked the cheesecake I wanted to try. It looked beautiful with a technique I have always wanted to try, the ingredients were easy and it had strawberries in it which my dad wanted. The only thing I would do differently next time I make this is not to make so much strawberry sauce--I would make a 1/3 of it. I only used the strawberry sauce on the top of the cheesecake and that was plenty. This recipe came out great though and it is definitely a keeper!

Strawberry Cheesecake
Serves 12 (I made 2 cheesecakes with this 1 recipe)
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons white sugar -- my addition
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon water

Directions: Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons white sugar; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lemon juice; mix well. Add eggs, beat on low just until combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust. Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce. Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top. With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce. Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan. Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.

Graham cracker crumb mixture pressed into bottom of one of my cheesecakes.

Strawberries, cornstarch and sugar after boiling.

Cream cheese mixture. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature to avoid lumps.

Cheesecake mixture goes into prepared pan.

Decorated and ready to go into the oven.