Chocolate Chip Cookies

Several days ago I wrote a lengthy, detailed post about this cookie recipe and lost it all to a faulty Internet connection. I've finally returned to try again, but I'm still pouting over my wasted time and creativity. I'm positive this post will be much worse than the original which was sucked into the void of cyberspace. But I suppose that even if my blurb about these chocolate chip cookies is not a literary masterpiece, it won't change the fact that they they are (it's a fact) fantastic!

These are the cookies that I grew up on. By the time I was old enough to operate the oven I had the recipe memorized (and still do) and was baking them by the batchful. They were the first treat I ever baked my then-boyfriend, now-husband (wink, wink) and continue to be a staple in his diet. No two batches are ever alike. Sometimes they turn out crunchy, sometimes flat, often puffy and chewy and perfect (variations are due to the temperature of the butter, cooking time, altitude, etc.). Sometimes we use M&M's or butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips or a combination of all of the above.

The tattered recipe card I committed to memory so many years ago claimed that they were the original Mrs. Field's recipe. I've never had a Mrs. Field's cookie and so I can't tell you if they taste the same. But like Mrs. Field's we sometimes spread the entire bowl of batter onto a large pizza pan and bake a giant cookie. It makes a great alternative to birthday cake, decorated with icing, candles and all!

To achieve what I believe is the pinnacle of cookie perfection: make sure to slightly under bake your cookies. Take them out of the oven before they brown. Err on the side of too-gooey rather than overdone. The cookies will set up as they cool and stay moist and chewy for days (stored in an airtight container).

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups all-purpose flour
12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until smooth with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. 

3. Drop into rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies), until they just start to turn golden on the edges. (They might still look doughy in the center, buy they will set up once cooled.)

4. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet to cool on a wire rack. They keep well for several days at room temperature (in an airtight container) or for several weeks in the freezer.

Makes 2 dozen large or 4 dozen small cookies.

(My mom's recipe.)

Greek Chicken Kababs with Tzatziki Sauce

Yogurt (and feta) in a marinade? How weird, I thought. I'm glad I continued despite my reservations because these were the tastiest chicken kebabs ever! (Well, of their kind anyway. I've made some other yummy kebabs- just different though!) I let them sit marinating in the fridge all day (8 hours). They remained super moist after grilling and the flavor was insanely good! The veggies don't need any enhancing- just to be grilled and simultaneously stuffed with the chicken in a fresh hot pita! Oh, and the Tzatziki sauce is a must! It's cool, creamy, and mild and you'll end up slathering it on everything! Dustin didn't realize Tzatziki is actually Greek - he thought Pita Pit invented it! We're always learning something new in our kitchen!

Greek Chicken Kabobs
INGREDIENTS
8 oz. plain yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes (I used plain feta and added 1/2 tsp dried basil to the marinade)
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the chicken in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan for high heat.

3. Thread the chicken, onion wedges, and green bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers (If they are wooden they need to be soaked in water for 20 minutes first to prevent burning). Discard remaining yogurt mixture.

4. Grill skewers on the prepared grill until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Serve with Tzatziki sauce in warm pitas or over a bed of rice.


Tzatziki Sauce
INGREDIENTS
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, shredded and squeezed to remove the excess moisture
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
dash of dried dill (or use fresh)
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh mint, to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Add yogurt, cucumbers and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Tossed Greek Salad with Greek Vinaigrette

First course in our Greek feast last night, this beautiful and bright salad brings together the best of Mediterranean flavors: crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, piquant peppers, cucumber, red onion, and tangy crumbled feta. I'm glad I followed the advice of another All Recipes subscriber and added Kalamata olives- they are so salty, bold, and fantastic! Not to forget the vinaigrette, which turned out to be one of my favorite salad dressings I've ever made! I scaled down the original recipe (I figured I didn't need two quarts.), but now I know why it's author makes so much at once- it's incredible! It keeps at room temperature and would be great on a variety of other salads as well.

Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS

romaine lettuce, chopped
red onion, thinly sliced
Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

pepperoncinis, sliced
tomatoes, seeded chopped
cucumber, sliced
feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the Romaine, onion, olives, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese.

2. Prepare dressing, drizzle over top, toss, and serve.

Greek Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. onion powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (about 1/4 tsp. each)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour vinegar and mustard into a food processor. Turn on low and slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Add the garlic powder, oregano, basil, onion powder and salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times to incorporate. (Can be done by hand in a large bowl, adding the olive oil slowly while whisking vigorously to emulsify.)

2. Drizzle over salad and serve. Keeps well at room temperature.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

New Mexican Sopapillas

My dad can cook two things (that I've ever witnessed): grilled cheese (who can't?) and sopapillas! (Oh actually, I think he made me pancakes from a mix once for my birthday. In the shape of my age (18) of course.) But sopapillas are all we need! He is a native of New Mexico and this is his traditional dish. Funny thing is I called home for a last-minute recommendation on how hot to heat the oil (I'm a deep fry novice) and my family was at that exact moment finishing their own batch of sopapillas! My family loves them. It's our go-to meal for company and for comfort! Family lore has it that this recipe came from (how they obtained it is questionable) a popular restaurant in Los Alamos. Fried dough stuffed to the brim with southwestern fillings-all I know is that they are awesome!

This was also my first experience with lard. While you can use shortening in its place, lard is a more natural source of fat. Our grandmothers grew up on the stuff- it can't be that scary! It took me three tries to find a grocer that actually sells the stuff and you have to make sure it is not hydrogenated or you are probably better off with shortening. Ideally, you could render your own, but since I don't have a pet hog I settled for store-bought. Unless you have a reliable source of pure lard, using non hydrogenated shortening is probably your best bet.

But back to the sopapillas! As a savory dish they are torn open and stuffed with Green Chili Ground Beef, refried beans, Spanish Rice, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and salsa. For dessert try them sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, dusted with powdered sugar, or drizzled in honey!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. lard or shortening
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
5 1/2- 6 cups all-purpose flour
canola oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS
1. Add sugar to water. Sprinkle in yeast and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Add salt, lard, and 1 cup flour. Mix thoroughly.

3. Continue adding flour, 1 cup at a time and mixing well after each addition, until dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead 5 minutes. (You may need to add more flour to prevent dough from sticking.)

4. Rub dough with a small amount of lard or spray with cooking spray. Cover, set in a warm place, and let rise 1 hour.

5. Push down and divide in half. Roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3" or 4" squares.

6. Preheat canola oil in a large pot on high heat. To test oil, drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil. It will quickly puff and turn brown at the right temperature.

7. Fry dough by gently placing the squares into the hot oil. Continuously spoon oil over top of the dough until they puff and are light golden on both sides.

8. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Best served hot. (If you are frying a large batch you might want to keep them warm in a 200 F oven until ready to serve.)

Serve with green chili ground beef, refried beans, Spanish rice, shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and salsa for stuffing. Also delicious sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, or drizzled with honey.

Serves 8.

Green Chile Ground Beef

Served with New Mexican Sopapillas, this is not your ordinary ground beef! Mild-yet-flavorful green chilis bring this dish alive! When you've run out of sopapillas, try it as a taco or burrito filling.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped green chilis (2 4-oz. cans)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. corn starch (optional)
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Brown beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to crumble. Drain off fat.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer to meld flavor and evaporate water. Serve with sopapillas or in tacos.

Serves 6.

Italian Tomato Sauce

A friend from home whose husband lived in Italy for some time gave me this recipe. Now I know what all the previous tomato sauces I've had were missing: carrots! This sauce is delicious! I cheated and used dried basil- I can only imagine what it's going to taste like with fresh! I prepared the sauce a day ahead and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Since it makes a large batch I also froze half of it. The next evening I browned some ground beef and added my sauce to reheat. My husband licked clean several platefuls, and I was spooning down the sauce sans noodles! I'm going to use this sauce in other pasta dishes as well- lasagna, baked ziti, stuffed shells- there are endless possibilities!

INGREDIENTS
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large basil leaves (or 4 medium)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients except for salt and pepper in a large saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or longer (until the vegetables are soft).

2. Puree the sauce in a blender or food processor.

3. Return the sauce to the pan, add salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 20 minutes.

4. Sauce may be used right after making, but is much better if made a day before using to let the flavors blend. Also, this sauce freezes very well. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serves 8-10.

(Recipe courtesy of Jennifer DeReus)

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Black beans and sweet potato-a strange combination you say? I had my doubts, but alas, this chili had some of the most surprisingly delicious flavors I've ever encountered! I can't pin it down exactly, but it must be the combination of slightly sweet potatoes, bold cumin and chipotle chili powders, plus a splash of lime. All I can say is, outstanding! This was my first time using ground chipotle powder (purchased in a baggie at World Market for $0.99- they carry a lot of the more exotic spices). I love the mild kick it provides (or not so mild if you add a lot)!

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile

1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned diced or crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add broth, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Eating Well)

Turkey Pinwheel Wraps

We're all still kids at heart...especially when it comes to our eating habits! I found this recipe in a book I checked out from the library titled, Real Food for Healthy Kids. (I'm so lucky to have a library with an endless supply of cookbooks! Dustin and I go there to study and I often take a "bathroom break" and don't come back- he usually finds me on the floor of the cookbook aisle pouring over recipes!) Anyway, this wrap recipe sounded irresistible! Yes, it was intended as a school lunch solution for kids. But Dustin packs a lunch and his food preferences are rather child-like (no offense sweetie) so I didn't hesitate! I tried it out on myself for lunch today and it's so yummy! It's healthful and attractive! You can leave it whole as a wrap or slice it into mini pinwheels for bite size pleasures. The cranberries add a sweet zing to an otherwise savory sandwich!

INGREDIENTS

1 8-inch whole wheat wrap (If you use larger you will need to increase the other ingredients.)

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 handful baby spinach leaves

1 Tbsp. dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded

1 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced (I used Muenster- use your favorite!)

1 oz. roasted turkey breast, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. If necessary, warm the wrap in the oven (350 F for 2 minutes) or microwave before filling.

2. Lay the wrap on a work surface and spread the mayo all over. Sprinkle the spinach leaves, cranberries, and carrots evenly on top. Arrange the cheese and turkey in even layers over the vegetable layer. Fold in the side edges and then roll up snugly from the bottom.

3. Cut crosswise into even pinwheels if desired. Store wrapped tightly in plastic.

Makes 1 wrap.

(Adapted from Real Food for Healthy Kids)