salted chocolate chip cookies

these delicious chocolate chip cookies amplify an unheralded hero: salt. if you've ever had a cookie, piece of cake, or other baked good and judged it "good, but not worth the sit-ups", there's a high probability that the baker was too conservative with the salt. though this recipe calls for three (!) types of sugar, i will let you in on my cheat: 3 of those packets of turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) from your local coffee shop equals 1 T. do with this what you will.

salted chocolate chip cookies adapted from smitten kitchen
3/4 c. butter, room temperature
3 T. sugar
3 T. turbinado sugar (or sub. brown sugar)
1 heaped c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
flaky salt (sea or kosher)

preheat oven to 350°. cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. add eggs and vanilla, beating until incorporated. beat in salt and baking soda until combined, then the flour on a low speed until just mixed. the dough will look crumbly or dry at this point. fold in the chocolate chips.

scoop cookies onto pan(about 1 1/2 T. mounds). sprinkle each with a few flakes of salt. bake for 10 minutes.

extra dough can be formed into balls and frozen on a plastic wrap-lined pan until solid, then transferred to a freezer bag. baked from the freezer they need, at most, 1 minute more baking time.

grilled honey vinegar chicken

well, it's been a while since i posted, but i've been cooking between then and now, please calm down. and let's get back to the food. there are two cooking skills that i refuse to learn because my husband does them so well: making fried rice and grilling. but sometimes you gotta prep that meat for the grill, ya know? this is a great marinade that my sister jen introduced me to. the combo of spices, sweetness, and tang from vinegar - so yum.

grilled honey vinegar chicken
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. paprika
2 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 c. honey
4 T. apple cider vinegar
about 2 lbs. chicken thighs or drumsticks

mix honey and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. measure all spices into a gallon-size zip top bag. toss chicken with spices in bag. grill until internal temperature is 160 degrees. a few minutes before removing from the grill, brush with the honey/vinegar mixture.

fruit dip

this is a great dip to bring to a party or serve as an appetizer. and it's so fast - it makes slicing and serving apples seem exciting. if you want to, you could add chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans, too. enjoy!

fruit dip (from allrecipes.com)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

mix ingredients and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

jalapeño ranch dip

my sister katie made this winner for a family get-together and it went over big time. it's really easy, delicious, and can be served on a variety of dip-vehicles (i prefer tortilla chips). if you're afraid of spice, be sure to remove all seeds and any white parts from the inside of the jalapeño; and if you want spice, keep some white (but toss the seeds). enjoy!

jalapeño ranch dip
16 oz. light sour cream
1 package (1 Oz.) ranch dip mix
2 large jalapeños, de-seeded and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. fresh cilantro
1 whole lime, juiced
2-4 T. milk (if desired)

combine roughly chopped jalapeños, cilantro and garlic in a food processor. pulse until finely chopped. add lime juice, sour cream and ranch mix. pulse until thoroughly combined. add milk, a tablespoon at a time, to thin if desired.

pasta with pumpkin and sausage

well, she's done it again. rachael ray has created a really yummy recipe that i totally love, but don't want to hear her talk about... her voice just gets to me (i can't be alone in this, right?). this is an awesome fall or winter dish that is hearty and delicious, but helps you branch away from the classic red or white pasta sauce options. i made a few minor changes, such as adding just a bit of sugar (weird, i know), but it really helped the flavor. i use turkey italian sausage, but you just feel free to substitute normal italian sausage if you'd prefer. make this tonight!

pasta with pumpkin & sausage adapted from rachael ray
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. sweet italian turkey sausage (out of the casings)
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 bay leaf
5 sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (thin slices)
1 c. white wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 T. sugar
1/3 c. cream (i used half and half)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
s&p to taste
1 lb. penne, cooked and drained

heat skillet over med-hi. add 1 T. olive oil and sausage; brown. transfer sausage to paper towels, drain fat from pan and return to stove. add remaining olive oil, garlic and onion - sauté 3-5 minutes until onions are tender.
add bay leaf, sage and wine to pan. reduce liquid by half, 3-4 minutes. add stock and pumpkin and combine, stir until sauce starts to bubble then return sausage to pan, reduce heat. stir in cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and s&p to taste. simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken.
remove bay leaf from sauce and combine pasta and sauce. garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

turkey meatloaf

stereotypically, meatloaf isn't something people look forward to at dinner. i don't quite understand where it got such a bad rap. my husband james had a very different opinion of meatloaf; as chinese food was the everyday, having meatloaf was a big treat. so when i tried this recipe the first time, he was pretty excited. this is a good one from ina garten, but i've made a few tweaks (starting with cutting the original recipe in half... 5 pounds of turkey? ina!). tonight i added about 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper & 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms when i sautéed the onions - delish!

turkey meatloaf
1 1/2 c. chopped onion (1 large onion)
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. chicken broth
1 T. tomato paste
2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
3/4 c. plain bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. ketchup

preheat oven to 325. in pan over med-low heat, cook onions, olive oil, salt, pepper & thyme until translucent, but not browned - about 10 minutes. add worcestershire sauces, broth and paste and mix well. allow to cool. combine turkey, bread crumbs, eggs & onions and mix in large bowl. mix well & shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. spread ketchup evenly on top. bake for 45 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160 & cooked through. (a pan of hot water on the lower rack of the oven will keep the top of the loaf from cracking)

texas sheet cake

this is my favorite cake, hands-down. growing up, when my mom would ask what kind of cake i wanted for my birthday i always chose this one. i'm not a big frosting girl, but this cake and frosting - oh man. it's because there's buttermilk in both, making them not overly sweet. i'm so excited i'm making this today! i hope i can wait to eat it til tonight... it's not as good of a birthday cake with a big section missing and crumbs around the cook's mouth.

texas sheet cake from gretchen riedel
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. oil
1 c. water
1/2 c. cocoa
1/3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

preheat oven to 400. grease and flour an 11x17" cookie sheet. mix flour, sugar & salt in a large bowl, set aside. in a small saucepan, combine butter, oil, water & cocoa and bring to a low boil. pour cocoa mixture into flour mixture and stir. add remaining ingredients, mix until combined and pour into pan. bake for 20-25 minutes and spread frosting when cooled.

chocolate buttermilk frosting
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. cocoa
1/3 c. buttermilk
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
dash of salt

bring butter, cocoa & buttermilk to low boil, pour over sugar and stir to combine. add vanilla and salt and beat well. spread over cooled cake.

creamy potato dish

two things you can count on at easter dinner at my family's house: creamy potato dish and quotes from "what about bob?". the quotes are not limited to easter - the well of lines from that movie is bottomless. i watched it again a few years ago and was surprised at how annoying it was, but man... those quotes still have life in them! but i'm pretty sure talking about dr. leo marvin et al wasn't the point of this post.

this is an easy side dish that pairs well with many meats, but particularly ham. when it bakes, the top and edges get all crunchy and extra delicious. it'll leave you saying, "oh, fay!"

creamy potato dish
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. sour cream
1 (2 lb.) package frozen hash browns
2 T. grated onion
1/2 c. grated cheese (cheddar or mozzarella both work well)
2 t. paprika

preheat oven to 350. grease a 9x13" baking dish. mix all ingredients except paprika in bowl and then spread into baking dish. top with paprika and bake for about 1 hour, until top begins to turn golden brown.

clam dip

at Christmas, my family celebrates Jesus's birth with a smörgåsbord of naughty foods. (sidenote: my computer really doesn't like the word "smörgåsbord" and is giving me very odd suggestions for a substitute.) we make dozens of dips, finger foods, and dishes smothered in cheese. maybe we're preparing for more wintery months, maybe we just like dip. this clam dip is one of my favorites & the other day i was thinking about it, wondering why i only keep it in the Christmastime section of my brain - this is good any time of year! i've changed up the original recipe to make it a bit less fatty and more clammy. serve with crackers.

clam dip
1 (8 oz.) package neufchatel cheese, room temp.
3 T. grated onion
2 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 t. pepper
3 T. light mayo

mix ingredients and refrigerate until serving.

blueberry coffee cake

i'm trying to do more baking on the weekends and was feeling like coffee cake this morning. which means no time for anything with dough that needs to rise. so after a little snooping on allrecipes.com, i combined a couple recipes to come up with this one. this recipe pretty forgiving and you could switch out a lot. for example, i used frozen blueberries, but i think you could swap in just about any other berry or even sliced peaches. and i used a combo of sour cream and milk to give the dough moisture, but you could just use 3/4 cup milk, or sour cream, or buttermilk (oooh, doesn't that sound fun?)... have at it! also, the original recipe called for this to be baked in a bundt pan, which i do not own, but a 9x13 works just fine. yay, improvising!
p.s. you will be excited when this comes out of the oven looking and smelling so yummy, but please let it cool a bit before chowing down - those blueberries are little heat bombs!

blueberry coffee cake
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter

2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. blueberries *(see below)

heat oven to 350. coat a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. make the streusel topping: mix brown sugar, 1/3 c. flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in 1/4 c. butter; topping mixture will be crumbly. set aside.
for the cake: beat 1/2 c. butter or margarine in large bowl until creamy; add 1 c. sugar, and beat until fluffy. beat in egg and vanilla. whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; add alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. gently fold in berries. spread the batter in the prepared pan. crumble streusel on top. bake for 40 minutes, until top is golden brown.

*(seasonal substitute: roughly chopped fresh cranberries & the zest of half an orange)

chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies

oh. my. land. bake these cookies and then cancel your afternoon appointments in order to pig out in peace. found this recipe at bakersroyale.com (via pioneer woman - thank you, ree!) and the picture drew me in so i included it below - why would i ever try to top that picture? these work best if you chill the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours (or up to four days - just as good!), although the cookies themselves don't keep very well after 4 days or so - not that they'll probably be around that long. these would have been great at Christmastime... but i had a newborn and can say that these are also fantastic in january. or june. or right now - go bake!

chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies adapted from bakersroyale.com
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. canola oil
3 T. butter, melted
2 T. corn syrup
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla
1 ½ t. peppermint extract
1 c. powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, microwave for 15 seconds more and stir, repeat until melted; set aside.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together sugar, oil, butter and corn syrup. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll the dough into 1-1.5 inch balls. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar. Arrange cookies on baking sheet and bake 12 to 14 minutes for crisp cookies, or 10-12 minutes for a chewier cookie.

chocolate pumpkin muffins

these might be the easiest muffins you'll ever make. well... let's be honest - they're a little more like a cupcake than just a muffin. so we will call them a "cupin" and just enjoy, ok? my sister jen shared this crazy recipe with me and i could hardly believe it'd work. but it does! the other magical thing about these is that you really cannot taste the pumpkin - they just taste like moist chocolate... cupins.

chocolate pumpkin muffins/cupcakes/cupins (you decide)
1 box devil's food cake mix (any brand)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. chocolate chips and/or nuts (optional)
1/4 t. salt

combine cake mix, pumpkin, salt & water until moist (batter will be thick). mix well and stir in chips/nuts. put into muffin pan sprayed with oil - fill cups 2/3 full. bake at 350 for 25 minutes. makes 20

chicken devan

as we're in the midwest right now, i thought it would be appropriate to share a very midwestern recipe. it's a classic casserole (or "hotdish", if you're from minnesota) that's gooey and yummy - we love it served with rice. the name of this one is chicken devan, but for years my mom called it "chicken dawn" (not sure why). even better, she has it written on her old recipe card as "chicken dwan", which i think sounds great. now james has added a new name to the mix, calling it "chicken devine" since it's one of his favorites. i don't care what you call it, you'll enjoy! p.s. you can cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8x8" if you're not that hungry.

chicken devan
2 (10 oz.) package frozen broccoli
2 c. sliced cooked chicken (i use mix of white & dark meat)
2 c. cream of chicken soup
1 c. mayo
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. curry powder
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs (or crushed crackers or potato chips)
1 t. butter melted

preheat oven to 350. in a large bowl, combine soup, mayo, lemon, curry, and cheese. add in chicken and broccoli - stir til combined. spoon mixture into a 9x13" baking dish. in a separate bowl, mix butter and bread crumbs and then sprinkle over the top of chicken mix. bake for an hour or until bubbly.
to freeze: mix all ingredients, put in pan, cover with foil, seal well & freeze. do not thaw, but cook an extra half hour (check it - may need more!).

hot fuuuuuudge

oh my land. heavens to betsy. for pete's sake. you will say all of these things when you try this hot fudge recipe shared with me by dear katherine (whose mom has passed on some amazing cooking skills to her daugther!). this is simple to make, but drizzle it over even plain vanilla ice cream and your guests will be impressed. also, unless you're serving 10 or 12 people, cut this recipe in half.

hot fudge
4 oz. (4 cubes) unsweetened bakers chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. cream

melt bakers chocolate and butter in a pot over medium heat, stirring often. once melted add cocoa, sugar & vanilla and stir. mix in cream and stir until smooth. serve warm. (will keep well in refrigerator)

basil pesto

here's a simple recipe that's mighty handy. kristin shared this one with me a few years ago and i still use it pretty regularly. the nice thing about it is you can freeze the pesto for a fresh-tasting sauce year round. it's handy to freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray, and then transfer it to a ziploc bag once it's hardened. that way, you can thaw the portion size you need... woo hoo! great to make this if your basil plant is growing like crazy, or basil is pretty cheap at trader joe's. serve this over pasta or use it as sauce on a pizza - delish!

basil pesto
1 c. pine nuts or walnuts
8 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves (4 oz.)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. olive oil
s&p to taste

preheat oven to 350, spread nuts evenly on a pan & toast until golden, tossing once - about 8 minutes. cool. bring 4 c. salted water to boil, submerge basil & then immediately drain in a colander, rinse with cold water to stop cooking. pat dry with paper towels. combine nuts, basil, garlic, and a little s&p in a food processor. process until nuts are finely chopped. while machine is running, add oil and process until smooth. use immediately or freeze.

pasta puttanesca

pasta puttanesca (or "whore's pasta"... i tried reading up on why it's called this, but still don't understand. fill me in if you're in the know) was one of the first real recipes i learned, shared by my friend and former roommate leslie. instead of just pasta with red sauce, this recipe kicks your meal up a few notches with a richer, heartier flavor. i would recommend using spaghetti or angel hair pasta with this one. and be ye not fearful of the anchovies! when you cook them with the garlic, they basically melt away, but they add a rich (not at all fishy) flavor - yum. last compliment i'll give this recipe: just about all of the ingredients can be on your shelves, waiting until you call on their service. how friendly... but not quite as friendly as the name suggests...

pasta puttanesca
1 lb. pasta
1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1/4 bottle of red wine
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 can anchovies, drained
2 T. capers
1 can black olives, drained & halved

heat oil on medium heat in pot, add garlic and pepper flakes. add anchovies and break them apart as you cook them - less than 5 minutes. stir in sauce, capers & olives. pour in wine and herbs. simmer for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. in another pot, cook pasta. drain and combine with sauce. serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches

on today's episode of "cooking with beer" we will be making delicious pulled chicken sandwiches. these are an adaptation of a rachael ray recipe, but with a few changes. first and foremost, i refuse to call something that i cooked with a can of beer a name so diminutive as "sammies", as she calls sandwiches. i made some other changes, but feel free to mess with this one - you can omit tabasco if you're a heat-wimp, omit the liquid smoke if you don't want to buy it (hey, it's cool), or crank up any other ingredient to your taste. they're forgiving sandwiches (but not so forgiving as to allow insulting nicknames)... just don't wear a white shirt when you eat them.

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches
1 c. chicken broth
1 bottle or can of beer (go cheap!)
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 med. onion, chopped
2 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. tabasco
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. black pepper
3 T. brown sugar
4 T. tomato paste
1 t. paprika
sliced pickles & burger buns to serve

bring liquids to a simmer in a medium pot and add meat. gently poach chicken for about 10 minutes, turning at 5 minutes. reserve the beer liquid in a bowl, remove chicken, slice and shred using two forks. use the same medium pot to sauté the garlic & onion in the oil for about 5 minutes (or until onions are tender). add chicken, about 1/2 c. beer liquid, and the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer 5-10 minutes. use extra beer liquid as needed. top with pickles in a bun.

pan-a-cakes

that's how i pronounced pancakes as a child "pan-a-cakes"... just fyi. a few months ago, james and i were in the mood for pancakes, so we brought out the pancake mix, whipped it up, took a bite, and were immediately disappointed. icky, dense, cardboard-like disks that no amount of syrup could perk-up. we swore that was the last time we would use the box. a couple weeks ago, james got the pancake hankerin' again, and found this great recipe from allrecipes.com - what a winner! as the name suggests, they are fluffy and light. you actually somewhat-sour the milk, which saves you from buying buttermilk - yay, shortcuts. great plain, but amazing with blueberries in them, or as james prefers, chocolate chips. mmm...

fluffy pancakes
3/4 c. milk
2 T. white vinegar
1 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2 T. melted butter

combine milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour". combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. whisk egg and butter into milk mixture. combine the flour mixture & the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. flip and cook until browned on the other side.

caramel chip bars

warning: this is naughty. there, i said it. but what i'm also saying is: decadent. my sister amy shared this recipe and i figure that i need to put some recipes for bars on here. it's the midwestern thing to do.

caramel chip bars
1/2 c. butter
32 caramels (the little square individually-wrapped ones, obviously unwrap them)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (18 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 (1.5 oz.) heath bar, chopped

in a large saucepan, combine butter, caramel and milk; stir over medium-low heat until smooth. cool. in mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs; mix well. stir in chips and heath (dough will be stiff). press 3/4 into greased 9x13". bake at 350 for 15 minutes. cool for 10 minutes.
pour caramel mix over crust. drop remaining dough by spoonfuls into caramel. bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. cool for 10 minutes; run knife around edge of pan. cool 40 minutes longer; cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or until serving. when you cut to serve, cut fairly small as these are rich!

potato salad

potato salad has never been something i get excited about - it's just a way to make barbecues more filling, right? my mind was changed at our rehearsal dinner. vicki, a friend of ours, hosted and provided a potato salad - and pretty much everyone went back for seconds. this is mighty simple, and when i asked vicki for the recipe, she sent me the ingredients, but no amounts, because this is one you can eyeball. the fun (easy!) part - the dressing is marzetti coleslaw dressing (usually by the fancier chilled salad dressing at your supermarket). it's delish!

potato salad
8 large red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
4-5 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
5 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1-2 t. dill
~ 3/4 of a jar of marzetti coleslaw dressing

in a large pot, cover cut-up potatoes with water and bring to boil. reduce to simmer and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender, let's not overcook. drain and cool. mix with remaining ingredients (any can be omitted if you don't like them), and serve or chill.