Chewy Whole Wheat Spice Cookies (revised)

This was the first recipe I posted in my blog almost 2 years ago...crazy! I made a double batch of them this morning and made a couple little changes (mainly, I left off the glaze) and I thought they turned out much better so I thought they deserved to be re posted...plus the photo I took last time was AWFUL! If you want a yummy, simple, delicious fall cookie recipe, this one is great!



Chewy Whole Wheat Spice Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. milk
1 egg
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. white sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (for rolling the dough in)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a couple cookie sheets. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, vanilla, milk and egg until smooth. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and nutmeg. Slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on the prepared cookie sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake, cookies should be very soft and will get more firm (still chewy) as the cool. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Chicken Capri

This recipe is from the South Beach cookbook and I only made a couple little changes and it was really yummy. I love that it's getting cooler outside so I can finally (comfortably!) use my oven again :)



Chicken Capri

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. low fat ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 c. canned petite diced tomatoes
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used sharp cheddar instead)
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Rub the chicken breasts with the garlic powder and place in the hot skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Stir well and set aside.
After the chicken has cooked 5 minutes on each side (does not need to be fully cooked) place side by side in a baking dish. Top each breast with 1/4 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon 1/4 cup of the diced tomatoes over the ricotta. Next, evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese on top follwed by the parmesan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Chili Lime Pork Loin

I came across this recipe in Budget Bites (really cool blog!) and it looked simple and delicious. It was exactly that! I've always been intimidated by large pieces of meat, lol! That sounds really weird but it's true. They cost a lot of money and they seem like they'd be pretty easy to screw up...either under cook them or totally dry them out. But I went for it this time and it was so easy and MOIST! I was pleasantly surprised :)



Chili Lime Pork Loin

Ingredients:
2 lb. pork loin
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 medium limes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, divided

Directions:
In a small bowl, squeeze the juice from both the limes and add the chili powder, garlic, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the oil (I used olive). Whisk until well combined. Place the pork loin in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the meat. Seal the bag well and squish the marinade around to fully coat the meat. Refrigerate for 1-24 hours (I did mine about 9 hours).
When ready to cook, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium/high. When the oil is really hot, add the pork loin (do not discard marinade!) and sear for 5 minutes on each side, until brown and crispy.
Transfer the meat onto a baking sheet and baste with the remaining marinade. Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Makes about 6 servings.



1 Year ago today: Double Chocolate Mini Meringues

Spicy Sichuan Style Green Beans

I have been loving Kayln's Kitchen! It's a wonderful blog filled with South Beach recipes. When I saw this one I knew we had to try it! Randy RAVED throughout the whole meal about how amazing these green beans were. I made a few slight alterations to Kayln's original recipe but they turned out awesome. We will definitely eat these again...and again...and again! They went great with my asian turkey lettuce wraps :)



Spicy Sichuan Style Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c. water
2-3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Splenda (you could use sugar instead)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground white or black pepper
1 tbsp. olive
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp.  peeled and minced ginger root (I used a small cheese grater to "mince")


Directions:

Mix together the soy sauce, sweetener of your choice, red pepper flakes, and ground pepper and set aside. Heat a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over high. When the pan is hot, add the beans and water. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until the beans are bright green and starting to get tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water is evaporated.

Add the oil, minced garlic and ginger and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic and ginger don't burn. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and beans are tender-crisp. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.


1 Year ago today: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

This is something I threw together this evening that turned out surprisingly well! It's not a pretty picture, but I promuise you these were delicious! Very high in protien and low in fat, carbs and sugar....perfect for the South Beach Diet! We ate these with steamed edemame on the side. I think these will be on the menu again next week :)


Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lean turkey
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp. teryaki sauce or marinade
1 tbsp. hoisen sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4-6 green onions, sliced (greens only)
1/4 c. unsalted peanuts, chopped finely
4-6 Bibb or Iceburg lettuce leaves

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook the turkey over medium heat, breaking into small pieces as it browns. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisen sauce and minced garlic. Once turkey is fully cooked, pour the sauce mixture over the turkey and stir until meat is well coated and sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the onions and peanuts. Serve immediately in leattuce leaves. Makes 4 large or 6 medium wraps.




1 Year ago today: Mexican Pizza

It's a little late...

...but I'd like to announce the birth of our second daughter!!

Amelia Ann

7/23/11 @ 7:35pm

9 lbs 13 oz, 22 inches

Sorry for posting this so late but things have been quite busy around our house the last couple weeks! Amelia is an amazing addition to our family and it feels like she's been a part of it forever. She is super laid back and easy going...it's great! The delivery went really well, we were at the hospital for under 2 hours and she was here! Margot is still adjusting to being a big sister, but overall she's doing great. We have been blessed with many wonderful meals from church family and other friends so there has been no need for me to even think about cooking (till this week...boo!).

Daddy with his girls :)

Quick update!

Hello everyone! I'm down to the last week of my pregnancy...I can hardly believe it! I just wanted you to know I'm still here and will (hopefully) be back in the full swing of things soon. My next post should contain some fun news.... :)

-Chloé

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Teriyaki sauce or marinade
2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained and cut in half
1 small can pineapple tidbits
1/2 c. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Croissants or pitas
Lettuce leaves

Directions:
Marinate chicken in teriyaki sauce for several hours. Grill, cool completely and chop. In a bowl, combine chicken, celery and green onions. Add mayonnaise and 2-3 more tablespoons of teriyaki sauce to taste. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Right before serving, add oranges, pineapple, and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a croissant roll with lettuce leaves. Serves 4-6.

Notes: I've never made chicken salad sandwiches before (not sure why!) and when I came across this recipe in Our Best Bites I book marked it and saved it for a hot summer day. I'm glad I did! These were so delicious, flavorful and a nice twist on the average chicken salad.


1 Year Ago: Iced Chai Latte

Avocado Pesto

Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta of your choice
1 ripe avocado, diced
3/4 c. loosely packed basil leaves
1 large clove of garlic
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. olive oil

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the avocado, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt  and pepper until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the food processor, add the parmesan cheese and pulse just until blended. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is running. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a serving dish. Pour the pesto over the top and toss to coat. Makes 4 large portions.

Notes: I've had this recipe saved for a long time and I finally got around to making it. I make this pesto quite often in the summer so I was excited to try a new recipe....I loved it! The avocado added a really nice creamy texture and the lemon juice gave it a nice zip! I will definitely be making this again :)

Mango Sorbet

Ingredients:
3 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 c. cold water
3/4-1 c. sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. vodka (to keep from freezing solid)

Directions:
Place diced mangoes and water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl (preferably with a lid) and add sugar, lemon juice and vodka. Stir for several minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Cover tightly and chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Pour mango mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in a sealed container in your freezer until frozen.

Notes: I looooove mango and I loooooove any frozen dessert! I've been meaning to make this sorbet for a while now so when I saw mangoes were 50 cents this week at my grocery store I knew it was the perfect time! Plus being huge and pregnant in 90 degree weather, I can always go for something cold and refreshing :) I loved how this stuff turned out! It wasn't overly sweet like store bought kinds I've had in the past. It tasted just like eating a frozen. smooth, creamy mango...mmm!