The Search is Over

I think I’ve found it! The PERFECT chocolate chip cookie. I have tried several other recipes but this one takes the cake, or cookie rather. I came across this recipe on Sugar & Spice  and they just looked too perfect not to try. I was asked to bring a dessert for the 4th of July cookout we were having at work so I decided I’d give them a go. Now, I’m known as the resident baker where I work so I was a little nervous about how these would turn out. I have to keep up my good reputation and all you know. Thankfully, they were beyond perfect. One of my co-workers even stated, “they are big, perfectly round, soft and chewy cookies! Like you would get from a bakery.” That, along with the fact that everyone’s hand was in my cookie basket as soon as I walked in the door with them equals a baking success. If you are still in search for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, try these. I think you will be very happy with the results!

Oh, and sorry about the lack of a picture. I was so tired last night after baking and cleaning my house for my 4th of July get-together that I didn’t have time to take a pic. And now they are all gone so there will be no pic in this post. : P But take a look at Michelle’s post. They looked just like that!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated, page 434)

Makes about 18 large cookies.

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

*Copied from Sugar & Spice

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

I’ve never admitted this to anyone but I could eat chicken salad nearly every day, preferably on a flaky buttery croissant. I’ll eat it on whole wheat too, but there’s just something that the croissant adds to it that makes it even more irresistable to me. It’s one of my guilty pleasure foods. Not sure what the allure is but I adore it. My favorite chicken salad is from a little place downtown called Cottage Cafe. But at over $6.00 a plate for some chicken salad, a croissant and a few pieces of fruit, I just can’t justify fulfilling my craving every single day. For those times when I feel a craving coming on, I like to make my own to keep on hand for lunches. I had a partial bag of dried cranberries and some pecans in the freezer so I decided to concoct this chicken salad yesterday. It turned out really well. I think next time I might add some sliced grapes or apples as well to give it a little sweeter flavor. Overall it was delicious though.

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

2 chicken breasts, cooked

1/2 cup mayo (plus more to get to the consistencey you desire)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Begin by placing the chicken in a food processor and pulse until the chicken chunks are the size you want. (I prefer mine finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop the chicken with a knife or shred with your hands.) Place the chopped chicken in a bowl and add mayo, cranberries, pecans, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Add additional mayo to reach desired consistency and additional salt to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes about 2 cups.

*red grapes or chopped apples would be a great addition to this recipe

 

Breakfast or Dessert?

I’m pretty sure this recipe might be on the list of the seven deadly sins. But in this case if it’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right. Really, it could be more of a dessert with all it’s brown sugary yumminess, but I decided to make this for breakfast today. From the minute I saw Tyler Florence make this on his show, Tyler’s Ultimate, I knew I wanted to try it. I mean, what could be bad about french toast, apples, and a brown sugary glaze. This recipe is a little time consuming as far as prep goes, but the results are totally worth it. As soon as it started baking, my house filled with the smell of apple pie and caramel apples. I wish I could capture that smell in a candle so I could enjoy it every day without all the calories that come with it. This would be a great recipe for brunch or even breakfast on Christmas morning. The original recipe calls for cranberries, but I left those out because my picky husband doesn’t like them. I think those would be a great addition though.

Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans

(with my alterations in italics)

French toast:
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch-thick slices (I used french bread)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I omitted)
Confectioners’ sugar, garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.

Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered - you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.

When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and serve.

Chef’s Note: FYI - if your cast iron skillet is not seasoned, the cranberries will react with the skillet and turn black.

*I don’t have a cast iron skillet so I used a pie dish to bake this in. I melted the butter and sugar in a pot on the stove and then poured it into the pie dish before assembling.

Source: Food Network

Marinated Chicken Kabobs

Here’s another delicious dinner to add to my “it’s too freakin’ hot to cook inside” list. My sister was visiting for my birthday so I decided we would grill out last night. I had all the ingredients to make chicken kabobs so I decided to use this marinade recipe that I’ve used before and added about 1 tsp each salt and pepper. I used chicken, cut into 1″ chunks, bell pepper, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I tossed them all in a bowl with the marinade and let them marinate for an hour. Then I put the chicken and veggies on soaked skewers (to prevent burning on the grill). I also made some red potatoes in a foil packet on the grill so I wouldn’t have to do any cooking inside. I seasoned them simply with salt pepper and lemon juice and left them on the grill about 30 minutes.  It was a wonderful birthday dinner, even if I did make it myself. : P

On another note, I got new kitchen toys for my birthday! My wonderful husband got me the KitchenAid ice cream attachment and an extra bowl for my mixer. I’m so excited to make some frozen treats for summer!

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Here’s another terrific recipe that I snagged from another food blog, Annie’s Eats. I have gotten several great recipes from this blog. What can I say, the girl knows good food! And as I expected, this recipe definitely didn’t disappoint. What’s even better is it uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand; chicken, spinach, and tortillas. I also made some simple black beans to go along with my quesadilla tonight. I seasoned them with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. This meal also gave me a reason to pull out this amazing salsa that I bought while we were in Houston, TX last month. It’s not your traditional tomato based salsa and is made only of fire roasted peppers. And it is HOT! A little of this stuff goes a long way. It went so well with these delicious quesadillas.

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

fajita seasoning, to taste

1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing

3-4 oz. button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 cup packed fresh spinach

3-4 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Combine the lime juice, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes and garlic in a plastic bag. Seal and shake well to combine. Add the chicken breast to the bag and allow to marinate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Place the chicken in a nonstick skillet and sprinkle to taste with fajita seasoning. Cook on medium-high heat until cooked through. Cut into small pieces and set aside. In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and spinach and sauté just until the spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat to medium/medium-high heat. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, spooning it onto half of each tortilla and leaving a border uncovered near the edge. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half over the chicken mixture to enclose loosely. Place on grill pan and cook until dark grill marks have formed on one side of the tortilla. Flip over and repeat to achieve grill marks on both sides. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Serve as desired with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

Dave’s Pepper Palace Five Amigos Salsa

Summertime Grillin’

It is very evident by the suffocating heat and humidity that Summer is upon us. I think somehow Spring just passed us by here in Alabama. And with this hot weather comes the smell of grills firing up all around my neighborhood. Sure there is something wonderful about grilled food that makes you feel more relaxed like you’re having a back yard party even if it’s just a week night, but let’s face it, it’s just about too darn hot to cook inside! Lately I’ve been dreading turning on my oven. By the time I get dinner done, I’m sweaty and have to cool down before I can even eat. So needless to say you are probably going to be seeing more grilled foods in my blog for a while.

Now whenever I ask what my husband what he wants to grill he will most always say “burgers”. The guy loves some burgers. In the evenings when we walk our dogs around our neighborhood if he smells the smoke of grill he will always say “we need to grill burgers soon”. Now I get tired of plain old burgers. I can think of tons of other things that I would love on the grill. But what can I say, he has simple tastes. So tonight I decided we would grill burgers but I wanted to change them up a bit from my regular recipe. So I threw some ingredients together and what came out was a super moist, smoky, and delicious burger. You should definitely give this one a try if you’re looking to change up your regular burger recipe.

*I also think bacon would be awesome on these burgers.

Barbecue Burgers

1 1/4-1 1/2 lb ground beef or chuck

1/4 cup barbecue sauce plus more for brushing the tops of the burgers (I used honey bbq because that’s what I had)

2 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves if they’re small)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

*Buns

*Sliced sharp cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into 6 patties. Place on a hot grill or grill pan and cook until desired doneness. Brush the tops of the burgers with the extra barbecue sauce once they’re done. Top with the sharp cheddar and remove from the grill. Place the buns on the grill and allow them to toast for about 5 minutes or so.

Carmelized Onions and Mushrooms

1 yellow or sweet onion, sliced into thin strips

2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into 1/2″ chunks

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp butter

2-3 Tbsp beef broth or water

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and toss to coat with the butter. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar and toss again. Cover and allow to cook down about 5-7 minutes or until you start to see a light brown coloring on the onions. Add the mushrooms in and stir together with the onions. Cover and allow to cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth or water to deglaze the pan and get all the brown bits off the bottom. Serve on top of the barbecue burgers.

Restaurant Challenge #1-Jimmy’s

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband and I are broadening our culinary experience by trying out all the restaurants in our area that we’ve never been to before. So last night we went to Jimmy’s in historic downtown. Let me preface by saying this wasn’t the first time we’ve been to Jimmy’s but it is the first time we’ve eaten there. The first time we went there was actually not a good experience. As it was explained to us on that first visit, half of the staff had come down with a virus and they were understaffed for the night. We were perfectly okay with waiting a little longer on our dinner until after an hour of waiting we were told that our order had been lost and could they take it again. At that point we were starving and so we left and went to grab dinner somewhere else. I wasn’t impressed.

But since we’re starting on this new venture, I figured we’d give it a second try. Jimmy’s is a pretty small restaurant with about 15 tables or so and a bar at the back. It was dimly lit with candles on the tables which gives the place a feeling of casual elegance. The hostess and wait staff were very attentive when we first came in so I figured at least we would get waited on this time. They start you off with some little corn bread muffins with remoulade that was very tasty and also present you with a pretty extensive wine list. See, these are the times I wish we were “wine people”. Neither of us care for it so we skipped the wine and I just had water. But as a side note, if you live in the area, Jimmy’s is hosting a wine dinner on June 23rd where they’ll serve a five course meal with each course being paired with a different wine. The information is on their website.

I had heard good things about their gumbo so I decided I wanted to start with that and I also wanted to try their shrimp and grits. So I ordered the small plate of shrimp and grits as my entree with a side of fried green tomatoes. My husband, the fish lover, got the grouper Jimmy’s. We didn’t have to wait long for our food to come. The gumbo was AMAZING. I’ve never been a big fan of gumbo but this was great. I could order that for a meal by itself. My shrimp and grits were also delicious, but my favorite thing was the fried green tomatoes. SO good. If you’ve never had this crispy southern dish, you must try them! But only try them if you can get good, crispy ones. If they’re soggy, they’ll ruin the whole dish for you. I was very happy with my dinner choice. My husband on the other hand wasn’t really. His fish was a little tough in the middle and he could only eat about half of it. Not being the type to complain he didn’t bother sending it back.

The owner, Jim, came out and was talking to everyone in the restaurant asking how their dinner was. Surprisingly when he came around to our table, my husband spoke up and told him that his fish was tough and he couldn’t eat it all. The owner offered to make him another dish but he declined. So he asked if we’d like some bread pudding on the house. We accepted his offer and I am SO glad we did. We hadn’t planned on ordering dessert since I was almost stuffed, but this bread pudding was amazing! It was so moist and had the most deliciously sweet sauce on top with just a touch of bourbon. Outstanding. I could’ve licked the plate and had I been at home, I probably would have. : )

We ended our evening walking around downtown and I was very pleased with my meal. My husband said he’d like to try a shrimp po’boy for lunch sometime but wasn’t sure he would want to go back for dinner. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. I’m really glad we decided to give it a second try.

Price: Moderate

Atmosphere: Casual but elegant

Reservations required: no but accepted

The “Non-Cooking” Food Blog Post

You may think that since I have such an interest in cooking (so much that I have a food blog) that I cook every single night of the week. But that’s not true. My husband and I generally eat out about twice a week, normally once for dinner during the week and then either for breakfast or lunch on Sunday. I actually really enjoy taking a little time off from cooking and letting someone else do the work.

As my husband and I were eating at our favorite pizza place this past weekend, I decided that we needed to branch out from the restaurants we eat at regularly. So we are starting on a new venture. We’re aiming to try one new restaurant in our area each week. Now I am guilty of saying “there are nothing but chains in our area”, which for the most part is true. But sometimes I think we just don’t think about all the possibly great restaurants that are tucked away in the little cubby holes of our city. So I’m asking all my friends and co-workers to recommend restaurants they’ve been to and I’m going to make a list of the ones we’ve never been to. This will include everything from fancy schmancy places, little hole-in-the-wall places, and yes, even chains we’ve never visited.

My husband being the picky eater he is will most likely get a cheeseburger or something of the like wherever we go, but I’m going to try and get whatever their specialty item might be, granted it isn’t fish. I’m very excited we’re going to do this and I hope it helps me appreciate some of the less well known restaurants in our little college town.

By the way, I’ll be posting updates about which restaurants we try, what we liked and didn’t like. The first place we’re planning on trying is Jimmy’s in historic downtown. It’s a tiny place that serves southern style Creole and Cajun cuisine. I’ve heard great reviews from my co-workers about the food there so I’m excited to try it.

Garlic and Herb Roasted Pork

As I was wandering the aisles of the grocery store last week looking for orzo, I came across couscous on the shelf. I had never had it before so I decided I’d pick some up to try this week. I opted for the pre-seasoned roasted garlic and olive oil kind since this would be my first time making it. So I stuck it in the cabinet and sort of forgot about it. Tonight, I was trying to think of a side for my pork roast and then I remembered that I had bought the couscous so I figured, what the heck, I’ll give it a try. I figured it would be pretty boring on its own so I decided to add about a 1/4 cup of chopped spinach and a tablespoon of lemon juice to it. I had seen this on a blog earlier this week (although I can’t remember which one). I’m pretty sure there was more involved in that recipe, but since I was using the already seasoned couscous, I just left it at that. I have to say it was pretty good and even my picky husband ate it, but I wouldn’t say it was my favorite thing ever. But even if it hadn’t been good, the roasted pork loin I made would have more than made up for it. It was so moist, flavorful and delicious. I’m really enjoying coming up with ways to use the fresh herbs I’m growing and this recipe couldn’t be simpler. It’s definitely quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Garlic and Herb Roasted Pork Loin

2 lb pork loin

2 Tbsp chopped basil

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp dried thyme (I didn’t have any fresh)

1 tsp Pampered Chef citrus basil seasoning (you could omit this but I really like it)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus 2 more Tbsp

Begin by cutting 4-5 slits diagonally across the top of the pork loin about 1/2 ” deep. Sprinkle the citrus basil seasoning, salt and pepper on the pork roast. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to form a paste. Rub the paste over the top and bottom of the roast, making sure to rub it into the slits as well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 1 day. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium high heat. Place the pork roast in the pan and sear on all sides. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp is 160-165F. Remove from the oven and place aluminum foil over the roast. Let set for about 10 minutes. The temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees. Slice and serve.

Healthy Banana Muffins

I’m a planner. Planning is what I do. I’m not always proud to admit it. I wish I could say I’m a crazy, spontaneous person, but that’s just not me. I plan my meals each week before I go to the store. When we go on vacation, I plan my outfits for each day so I don’t over pack. And many times on my days off, I plan my baking. See, I love to bake but I feel like I need a plan for the baked goods that result from my baking. Normally, the plan is to take most of what I bake to work. Or if I know someone is coming over for dinner, I plan my baking around that. Well today I needed a plan for the two very brown bananas just sitting on my counter. You know the ones that are way too ripe to eat but that are still perfect for baking. My husband calls them “rotten” if they even have a spot of brown on the skin, but I always save them for the sole purpose of making banana bread or muffins. So the plan was to make banana muffins to have for breakfast this week. I used a recipe that I’ve used before for healthy apple muffins and just subbed the bananas. I really love this recipe because it’s so versatile and so tasty too. I’m very much looking forward to my planned breakfast for the week.

Healthy Banana Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup all purpose flour ( I used 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (you can use a combo of brown & white if you’d like)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans…whatever you prefer)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

dash or two of nutmeg

1 egg

3/4 cup skim milk

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 400*

Using a whisk, combine all your dry ingredients in one bowl: whole wheat and AP flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, nuts, spices).

Beat the egg lightly in a separate bowl. Whisk in milk, applesauce, vanilla to the eggs.

Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold bananas in.

Divide the batter among a greased or paper-lined muffin tin.

Bake for about 18 minutes  or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Source: Elly Says Opa!