Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not one of those chocoholic girls.  I am one of those freaks that loves really fake, too sweet or too tart, gummi candy.  Gummi Bears have been the most difficult thing for me to give up, since becoming a vegetarian.  No, not bacon, or pepperoni... Although, I do miss pepperoni.  I'm also not much of a baker.  I love baked goods, but I don't have the precision or the patience of a chemist.  It's hard for me to follow a recipe.  Therefore, I've had more baking disasters than I'd care to remember.  That being said, I will bake my husband and my best friend a birthday cake every year and I will always make a cheesecake for Thanksgiving.  Other than these few instances, it is incredibly rare that anything sweet comes out of my oven (unlike my dear friend, Kasey).  This is one of those rare moments.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Unabashedly taken from the back of the Ghirardelli bag

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (No, they are not a sponsor, just great quality and an amazing snack straight out of the freezer.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.  Beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated.  Gradually blend dry mixture unto creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

I halved this recipe, made 4 cookies, and put the rest in the freezer.  To prepare dough for freezing shape it into a log for "slice and bake" cookies (better for sugar cookies) or shape cookies into tablespoon-sized balls and store in freezer bags (best method for any cookie with chips or nuts).  This is a great way to have fresh baked cookies without a lot of effort.  What do you do with 4 dozen cookies anyhow?

Cheese-Stuffed Portobellos

 

I have made this recipe several times as an appetizer, and thought it would make a great entrée if I used a large portobello mushroom in lieu of several tiny ones.  Since our house has become vegetarian, David has been really excited to throw a few bellas on the grill.  We haven't exactly dusted off the grill, but the warm weather is already here, and I'm sure this recipe would be great outdoors.  Here, I use mostly spinach and feta as a filling, but any combination of vegetable and cheese would work well here.  Next time, I'm adding blue cheese and caramelized onions to the spinach mixture and serving it up with some roasted potatoes.  That should nip that meat and potato craving in the bud.

Cheese-Stuffed Portobellos

Adapted from Paula Deen via Food Network

2 Large Portobello mushrooms (for an appetizer use 24-30 baby bellas)

8 oz fresh baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 T olive oil

2 oz cream cheese

4 oz feta, roughly chopped or crumbled

1/2 cup  green onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems and gills (optional).  Gently sauté spinach with garlic and olive oil until spinach is wilted, be careful not to over cook.  In a mixing bowl combine spinach, cream cheese, feta, green onion, salt and pepper.  Once combined, fill mushrooms and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle Parmesan on top.  Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more, or until cheese is golden-brown and mushrooms are tender.  Serve with quinoa, crusty bread, or other starchy side.

Serves 2, as an entrée.

Sesame Noodles

Thanks to a hectic week, my kitchen has been very clean lately.  Even the meal that we ended up making resembles take-out.  Fortunately, it is much healthier and guilt-free.

David and I ALWAYS cook with whole-wheat pasta.  The texture is so much better and it gives the pasta an opportunity to bring flavor to the meal, not just act as a carrier for sauce (though, this is a very important role).  This recipe could be made with a variety of vegetables and the sauce would make a fantastic dipping sauce on its own.  The whole thing can be whipped up in about 20 minutes, less time then it would take you to get take-out and better for you.

Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
2 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T dark-brown sugar
2 T rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 t red-pepper flakes {Or leftover dried bird peppers from your favorite Thai restaurant.}
Coarse salt

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than al dente.  Add broccoli and continue to cook until pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender.  Saute the red bell pepper and onions in 1T of olive oil.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Add hot pasta and vegetables; toss to coat, thinning sauce with a little pasta water, if necessary. Serve at hot, room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4.

Cheese Lasagna

There is nothing more comforting than dinner baked in a casserole dish.  Somehow they always provide simple and humble meals.  Even serving from a baking dish reminds me of family.  This recipe is also comforting and uncomplicated.  With just a few simple ingredients, it is important to choose ingredients that you really enjoy.

David and I are always trying new pasta sauces, and after years of experimenting we have chosen a favorite.  (Of course, this doesn't keep us from trying others.)  Sacla's arrabbiata is our go to tomato sauce.  It is perfectly spicy and has the most delicious whole cherry tomatoes through out the sauce.  For this recipe I mixed in an equal amount of their marinara to add a bit of that traditional sweetness.

 

Cheese Lasagna

15 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 large egg
1 pound fresh mozzarella

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

4 cups tomato sauce

1 lb of baby bellas, coarsely chopped

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

6-8 whole wheat lasagna noodles 

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Coarsely grate 1/4 of the mozzarella, and stir into ricotta mixture. Slice the remaining mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices, and reserve for assembly. 

Saute the mushrooms with a butter and olive oil until tender.  Mix with tomato sauce {or sauces}.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over marinara. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/2 of the Parmesan.  Then spread 1/2 of the remaining marinara and place 1/3 of the remain mozzarella slices.  Repeat layering, ending with mozzarella. 

Bake until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 8 

Halloumi Tacos

The only food fusion I'm comfortable with on my own is Tex-Mex.  So tonight I'm trying something new.  Remember this cheese?  We put it in a taco!

Halloumi Tacos
Inspired by Taco Deli's "Heather"
Grilled Halloumi (For more traditional tacos try grilling Mexican queso fresco)
Refried Black Beans
Flour tortillas, warmed 
Roma tomato, diced
Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
Squeeze of lime

Makes 4 tacos

Grilling Halloumi couldn't be easier!  Lightly brush grill (or grill pan) with olive oil.  Place 1/2 inch slices of cheese on a hot grill.  After a few minutes, turn cheese and grill the other side.  Once the cheese is grilled, warm the tortillas on the same grill.  Assemble tacos with refried beans and your favorite toppings.

Yum!