Monday, October 29, 2007
Another new cookie recipe
Coconut Nut Chipsters (original recipe from BakingBlonde's blog)
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 1/3 cup Coconut (lightly toasting is optional)
1 cup macadamia nut pieces (or other fave nut)
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in egg. Slowly add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Gently fold in chips, coconut and nuts by hand just until combined.
Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes to keep cookies from spreading. Form dough into balls using medium scoop and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten dough balls with a fork.
Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
It doesn't get much easier...
Taco Seasoning I (from allrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.
We cooked 1lb of ground beef, then drained the fat. Added 1/2 cup water with the taco seasoning and half a can of black beans. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Served with cheese, lettuce, and spicy guacamole. (FYI to KC area girls, the wholly guacamole can be found in the produce section and is on sale at HyVee this week, 1.87 each, and I used a coupon I clipped a couple of weeks ago for $1 off). On soft taco shells (heated the tortillas on the stove top for about 2 minutes each.)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Blue Cheese Please
Blue Cheese Burgers (original recipe from allrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1-1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
- 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 4 French rolls or hamburger buns
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, blue cheese, chives, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and mustard. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat grill for high heat. Gently form the burger mixture into 4 patties.
- Oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on rolls.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
cranberry hooty-whats?
Cranberry Hootycreeks (from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart or 1 liter jar, in the order listed.
- Attach a tag with the following instructions: Cranberry Hootycreeks
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy (Thanks to the advice of an allrecipes.com reviewer, I found out it takes 5-7 minutes in the electric mixer to get the butter, eggs, and vanilla to become fluffy). Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together by hand until well blended (If dough is dry and crumbly, sprinkle with a bit of water so it sticks together better, I also refrigerated the dough about 30 minutes before baking). Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets, or remove to cool on wire racks.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Falafel Fun
I don't count this as a Core recipe (but it could be if you used FF cheese, no chips, and ate it without a pita). On the Flex system it is 6 pts per serving, and the recipe makes 4 servings. If you are thinking about joining Weight Watchers I really encourage you do to it before the holiday season is in full swing, WW is a great program for learning portion control and having some accountability during the tough holiday season! I've lost about 7lbs in the last 3 weeks, so I am clearly a fan! I'm already down a pant size!
Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread (from Cooking Light)
Ingredients
Spread:
Preparation
To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add Monterey Jack cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.
To prepare spread, while patties cook, combine the avocado, plum tomato, red onion, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Place 1 patty in each pita half. Spread about 2 tablespoons avocado spread over patty in each pita half.