makes 2 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 small Toblerone chocolate bar, chopped
3 small Toblerone chocolate bar, individual triangles separated
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add flour and cornstarch gradually while beating continuously. Beat until light. Add chopped Toblerone bits.
4. Drop tablespoons of dough and slightly flatten onto baking sheet. Squish Toblerone triangles in the middle of each cookie.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely for best texture!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Mushroom Bruschetta
1 portobello mushroom, stem removed, and cut into small pieces
handful of oyster mushrooms, on the smaller side, or slice larger ones into stems
1 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
1 baguette sliced thinly
olive oil
2 large garlic cloves to rub over the baguette
Heat oven to broil. Rub each slice of baguette with the large piece of garlic. Using a pastry brush lightly coat each slice with some olive oil. Toast in the oven until golden. Remove and set aside. Gently heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat, add the shallots and minced garlic, slowly cook until caramelized in color; about 10 minutes. Add the portobello mushroom, and cook until lightly browned; about 5 minutes. Add the oyster mushrooms, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the thyme and season with some black pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar to the frying pan, and bring to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, keep stirring until reduced in half, about 4 minutes. Lower the heat, and stir the mushrooms and their juices into the reduction. Serve on the slices of toasted baguette.
handful of oyster mushrooms, on the smaller side, or slice larger ones into stems
1 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
1 baguette sliced thinly
olive oil
2 large garlic cloves to rub over the baguette
Heat oven to broil. Rub each slice of baguette with the large piece of garlic. Using a pastry brush lightly coat each slice with some olive oil. Toast in the oven until golden. Remove and set aside. Gently heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat, add the shallots and minced garlic, slowly cook until caramelized in color; about 10 minutes. Add the portobello mushroom, and cook until lightly browned; about 5 minutes. Add the oyster mushrooms, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the thyme and season with some black pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar to the frying pan, and bring to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, keep stirring until reduced in half, about 4 minutes. Lower the heat, and stir the mushrooms and their juices into the reduction. Serve on the slices of toasted baguette.
Tomato Gorgonzola Soup
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp baking soda (to prevent curdling)
8 oz low fat cream cheese
8 oz gorgonzola cheese
1 cup half and half
3-14.5 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes, salt free
2 cups low sodium tomato juice
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
Prep time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings, about 1-1/2 cups each
Cooking Instructions:
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the baking soda, the gorgonzola cheese, the cream cheese, and the half and half. Break apart the cream cheese and stir until the cheeses have melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the soup heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato juice, and spices. Stir to combine. Heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes are slightly tender. Then blend the soup using an immersion blender or by pouring the soup into a regular blender and blending in parts and return to heat. Stirring frequently, heat to a simmer and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with extra oregano or basil. Enjoy and don’t forget to go for second helpings!
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp baking soda (to prevent curdling)
8 oz low fat cream cheese
8 oz gorgonzola cheese
1 cup half and half
3-14.5 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes, salt free
2 cups low sodium tomato juice
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
Prep time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings, about 1-1/2 cups each
Cooking Instructions:
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the baking soda, the gorgonzola cheese, the cream cheese, and the half and half. Break apart the cream cheese and stir until the cheeses have melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the soup heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato juice, and spices. Stir to combine. Heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes are slightly tender. Then blend the soup using an immersion blender or by pouring the soup into a regular blender and blending in parts and return to heat. Stirring frequently, heat to a simmer and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with extra oregano or basil. Enjoy and don’t forget to go for second helpings!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Total Time: 6 hr 10 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 6 hr 0 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds ground chicken, coarsely ground preferred
3 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 teaspoons
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 medium sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and shredded
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup instant tapioca (recommended: Minute tapioca)
1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 cup lager-style beer, optional
Toppings: Sour cream, shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped scallions, and chopped pickled jalapenos
Directions
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Add 3 tablespoons of the chili powder and all the rest of the ingredients, except the beer. Stir everything together, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of chili powder, the beer, if using, and season with more salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Divide the chili among warm bowls. Serve with the topping of your choice.
Know-How: Stirring in chili powder right before serving brightens the flavor of the chili.
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 6 hr 0 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds ground chicken, coarsely ground preferred
3 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 teaspoons
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 medium sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and shredded
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup instant tapioca (recommended: Minute tapioca)
1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 cup lager-style beer, optional
Toppings: Sour cream, shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped scallions, and chopped pickled jalapenos
Directions
Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Add 3 tablespoons of the chili powder and all the rest of the ingredients, except the beer. Stir everything together, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of chili powder, the beer, if using, and season with more salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Divide the chili among warm bowls. Serve with the topping of your choice.
Know-How: Stirring in chili powder right before serving brightens the flavor of the chili.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Spicy Pork Stew with Chickpeas and Sausage
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Smoked paprika adds a lovely smokey flavor to this stew. If you don't have any, and can't find it anywhere, you can sub regular paprika.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
Salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
All of the cloves from 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound hot Italian sausage links (not loose) or Spanish chorizo (use gluten-free sausages for gluten-free option)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika (can sub 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes)
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch parsley, chopped
METHOD
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to ensure that you do not crowd the pan, brown the pieces of pork shoulder. If there is a fatty side to a chunk of pork, put that side down on the pan to help render out the fat. Sprinkle a little salt over the pork as it cooks. Once browned, set aside to a bowl.
2 Once the pork pieces have browned and have been removed from the pan, drain off all but a couple tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the chopped onions and carrots to the pan. Stir well and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute.
3 Add the pork, the sausage, crushed tomatoes and water, then stir to combine. Stir in the various paprikas. Add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for at least 2 hours, or until the pork shoulder is melt-in-your mouth tender.
4 Remove the sausages from the pot and cut them into chunks, then return them to the pot. Add the chickpeas and parsley, stir well and adjust salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes further.
Excellent served with crusty bread and red wine.
Yield: Serves 10 to 12.
Cook time: 3 hours
Smoked paprika adds a lovely smokey flavor to this stew. If you don't have any, and can't find it anywhere, you can sub regular paprika.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
Salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
All of the cloves from 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound hot Italian sausage links (not loose) or Spanish chorizo (use gluten-free sausages for gluten-free option)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika (can sub 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes)
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch parsley, chopped
METHOD
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to ensure that you do not crowd the pan, brown the pieces of pork shoulder. If there is a fatty side to a chunk of pork, put that side down on the pan to help render out the fat. Sprinkle a little salt over the pork as it cooks. Once browned, set aside to a bowl.
2 Once the pork pieces have browned and have been removed from the pan, drain off all but a couple tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the chopped onions and carrots to the pan. Stir well and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute.
3 Add the pork, the sausage, crushed tomatoes and water, then stir to combine. Stir in the various paprikas. Add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for at least 2 hours, or until the pork shoulder is melt-in-your mouth tender.
4 Remove the sausages from the pot and cut them into chunks, then return them to the pot. Add the chickpeas and parsley, stir well and adjust salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes further.
Excellent served with crusty bread and red wine.
Yield: Serves 10 to 12.
Stuffed Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
From Simply Recipes
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Even if you end up not eating the skin, it's important to wrap it around the turkey roll for roasting. It will bathe the turkey in flavor and will keep the breast from drying out.
INGREDIENTS
1 boneless turkey breast (about 2 lbs)
Butter, olive oil, OR bacon fat
Salt
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 thick slice of bacon*
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 Tbsp chopped dried cranberries
1 teaspoon minced sage
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 Tbsp turkey or chicken stock (can sub water)
1 turkey wing (optional)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning
*If you don't eat bacon, you can skip, just use a generous tablespoon of butter instead, to sauté the shallots.
METHOD
1 Place dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let sit for 15 minutes or so while the bacon in the next step is cooking. Once rehydrated, then chop.
2 Slowly cook the bacon in a medium frying pan on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Once cool enough to touch, chop. You should have at least a tablespoon of fat in the pan. (If not, add butter or olive oil to make up the difference.) Heat the same pan on medium (do not drain the fat rendered out of the bacon), add the minced shallots and cook until the shallots begin to brown. Add the chopped dried cranberries, minced sage and chopped mushrooms. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, the parsley, chopped bacon, and the turkey or chicken stock and stir well. You want a rough paste, something that will stick to itself. Remove from the heat and allow the stuffing to cool.
3 To make the stuffed turkey breast, remove the skin from the turkey in one piece and reserve. Put the turkey breast between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 1/4 inch thick. (It may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how big the breast is.)
4 Trim the pounded breast until it is roughly a rectangle. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 3/4 inch border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise. Lay the skin over the top of the rolled breast and tuck any under the edges.
5 Tie the rolled turkey breast tightly with kitchen string and set it on a roasting pan. Paint it with olive oil, or smear butter or bacon fat over it and sprinkle with salt. If you want more drippings for gravy, place pieces of a turkey wing on the roasting pan as well.
6 Roast at 400° for 20 minutes, then drop the heat to 325° and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reads about 155° on a meat thermometer.
7 Once the turkey reaches that temperature remove it from the roasting pan and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest at least 10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes.
8 While the turkey breast is resting, if you want, you may be able to make a little gravy with the drippings. If you are only cooking the breast, and not the optional turkey wing as well, you may not have much to work with. But even a little bit of drippings can flavor a gravy. (If you really don't have much fat to work with, you can melt two tablespoons of butter into the roasting pan.) Take the roasting pan with drippings and place over two burners on the stove-top on medium (if using turkey wing, remove first). Sprinkle with flour and stir until the flour is incorporated into the drippings. Slowly add stock, whisking constantly, until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning or ground sage or thyme. Let simmer on the stove until thickened to your preference.
Yield: Serves 3-4.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Even if you end up not eating the skin, it's important to wrap it around the turkey roll for roasting. It will bathe the turkey in flavor and will keep the breast from drying out.
INGREDIENTS
1 boneless turkey breast (about 2 lbs)
Butter, olive oil, OR bacon fat
Salt
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 thick slice of bacon*
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 Tbsp chopped dried cranberries
1 teaspoon minced sage
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 Tbsp turkey or chicken stock (can sub water)
1 turkey wing (optional)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning
*If you don't eat bacon, you can skip, just use a generous tablespoon of butter instead, to sauté the shallots.
METHOD
1 Place dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let sit for 15 minutes or so while the bacon in the next step is cooking. Once rehydrated, then chop.
2 Slowly cook the bacon in a medium frying pan on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Once cool enough to touch, chop. You should have at least a tablespoon of fat in the pan. (If not, add butter or olive oil to make up the difference.) Heat the same pan on medium (do not drain the fat rendered out of the bacon), add the minced shallots and cook until the shallots begin to brown. Add the chopped dried cranberries, minced sage and chopped mushrooms. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, the parsley, chopped bacon, and the turkey or chicken stock and stir well. You want a rough paste, something that will stick to itself. Remove from the heat and allow the stuffing to cool.
3 To make the stuffed turkey breast, remove the skin from the turkey in one piece and reserve. Put the turkey breast between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 1/4 inch thick. (It may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how big the breast is.)
4 Trim the pounded breast until it is roughly a rectangle. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 3/4 inch border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise. Lay the skin over the top of the rolled breast and tuck any under the edges.
5 Tie the rolled turkey breast tightly with kitchen string and set it on a roasting pan. Paint it with olive oil, or smear butter or bacon fat over it and sprinkle with salt. If you want more drippings for gravy, place pieces of a turkey wing on the roasting pan as well.
6 Roast at 400° for 20 minutes, then drop the heat to 325° and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reads about 155° on a meat thermometer.
7 Once the turkey reaches that temperature remove it from the roasting pan and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest at least 10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes.
8 While the turkey breast is resting, if you want, you may be able to make a little gravy with the drippings. If you are only cooking the breast, and not the optional turkey wing as well, you may not have much to work with. But even a little bit of drippings can flavor a gravy. (If you really don't have much fat to work with, you can melt two tablespoons of butter into the roasting pan.) Take the roasting pan with drippings and place over two burners on the stove-top on medium (if using turkey wing, remove first). Sprinkle with flour and stir until the flour is incorporated into the drippings. Slowly add stock, whisking constantly, until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning or ground sage or thyme. Let simmer on the stove until thickened to your preference.
Yield: Serves 3-4.
Spiced Carrots with Cumin and Fresh Ginger Recipe
1 1/2 pounds carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon agave, or 1 tsp. honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
On medium high heat, place the carrots in a large pan with coconut oil, agave and 1/3 cup water. Season carrots with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir occasionally. Cook for about 20 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon agave, or 1 tsp. honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
On medium high heat, place the carrots in a large pan with coconut oil, agave and 1/3 cup water. Season carrots with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir occasionally. Cook for about 20 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings
Honey-Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 6-8 servings
Using a whole can of chipotle chiles yields a moderately spicy, but still balanced soup. Feel free to lessen the amount of chiles according to your tastes.
3 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1 inch wedges
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 to 4 tablespoons honey, divided
1 can (7 ounces) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
kosher salt
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Finely chop the chipotle chiles, reserving the adobo sauce. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, cloves, the adobo sauce, chopped chiles, canola oil, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss well to coat. Spread in a single layer on two foil-lined baking sheets. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, trading the position of the pans halfway through, until the potatoes are soft and are dark golden in spots.
Put the roasted vegetables into a large saucepan. Add 6 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a normal blender. Be careful if blending hot soup in the blender–do so in small batches and hold the top on with a kitchen towel to avoid an eruption. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth as needed to thin out the soup. Season to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, and an additional tablespoon of honey if desired.
Garnish with a swirl of olive oil, a scattering of toasted pepitas, and a grinding of black pepper.
Using a whole can of chipotle chiles yields a moderately spicy, but still balanced soup. Feel free to lessen the amount of chiles according to your tastes.
3 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1 inch wedges
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 to 4 tablespoons honey, divided
1 can (7 ounces) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
kosher salt
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Finely chop the chipotle chiles, reserving the adobo sauce. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, cloves, the adobo sauce, chopped chiles, canola oil, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss well to coat. Spread in a single layer on two foil-lined baking sheets. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, trading the position of the pans halfway through, until the potatoes are soft and are dark golden in spots.
Put the roasted vegetables into a large saucepan. Add 6 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a normal blender. Be careful if blending hot soup in the blender–do so in small batches and hold the top on with a kitchen towel to avoid an eruption. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth as needed to thin out the soup. Season to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, and an additional tablespoon of honey if desired.
Garnish with a swirl of olive oil, a scattering of toasted pepitas, and a grinding of black pepper.
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