Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

We did a lemon chicken recipe a while ago, but after having some inspiring wings at a BBQ over the weekend, I decided to revisit the recipe.  There is definitely a kick to this recipe using both black pepper and cayenne pepper but the lemon mellows it out nicely.  Of course you must serve these with Bleu Cheese dip!  Make this for your 4th of July BBQ tonight!

6 medium size chicken wings
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy!)
salt
olive oil

1. Lay chicken wings in a glass baking dish or other pan to marinate.
2. Cover evenly with lemon zest, garlic, oregano, peppers and salt
3. Drizzle again with olive oil and let marinate at least an hour
4. When ready, heat broiler or grill (depending on the weather of course).  When hot, add chicken and cook until internal temperature is 165 or juices run clear when cut
5. Serve with Bleu cheese dip

Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger

Ok, I realize the last three recipes include bacon...what can I say?  Safeway had a buy one, get one on bacon and I couldn't resist!  I've made a lot of burgers in my day, but adding bacon to the ground beef really adds a subtle bacon flavor to this burger.  In addition to cooking the mushrooms in bacon grease, the homemade bun recipe from Smitten Kitchen is well worth the extra time if you have it!

Ingredients (4 burgers)

5 slices bacon (4 for the burger toppings, 1 for the patties)
1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 small shallot, diced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
7 mushrooms thinly sliced
1 sliced tomato
Cheese slices (your favorite!)
Arugula or lettuce
salt/pepper

1. Preheat saute pan to medium high heat, when hot add 4 slices of bacon.  Let cook.
2. While bacon is cooking, take last slice of bacon and chop.  Add to ground beef, shallot, panko, worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with pepper and salt.
3. Mix with your hands and form into burger patties.
4. When bacon is done cooking, put it on a papertowel lined plate.
5. Don't drain the bacon fat, instead add the sliced mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until softened.  Use a slotted spoon to remove.
7. Add burger patties to the pan and cook 7 minutes each side until browned and meat is cooked through.  Top with cheese and let melt.
8. Assemble burgers with buns, patties, mushrooms, bacon, tomato and arugula.
9. Serve with Tim's Cascade potato chips and enjoy your mushroom bacon cheeseburger!

Poached Salmon Sliders + Curry Aioli

Here is one of those meals that comes to being when the stars align and everything is in it's right place.  Salmon is so quintessentially Northwest that sometimes we take it for granted.  This salmon was given to us by my husband's family, caught in Alaska and immediately frozen to preserve the flavor.  Whether you make this for date night or game day, this will become a classic recipe in your house.  Thanks Hilde and Chi for the salmon!

Ingredients

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup beer or wine (whatever you are drinking)
2 cups water
1 lb wild caught salmon fillet, cut into four equal pieces
3/4 cup mayonnaise
 3 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 small green onion chopped
1-2 cups arugula or other lettuce
8 rolls (we used Macrena bakery olive rolls)

1. Heat large sauce pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
2. When hot, add the carrot, shallot, cumin, curry, red pepper flakes and saute 5 minutes
3. Add beer and let cook down 1 minute
4. Add water and bring to a boil
5. When boiling add salmon fillets (skin side down) and cook 4-5 minutes
6. Immediately remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the salmon from the hot liquid.  There is nothing worse than overcooked salmon.
7. Meanwhile, prepare aioli.  Mix mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice and green onion.
8. Carefully peel salmon meat away from the skin
9. Cut the rolls in half add a few leaves of arugula, add salmon and serve with the mayonnaise.

NOTE - You might have to cut the fillet into half again (thus having 8 pieces) depending on the size of your rolls.

Bleu Cheese Greek Yogurt Dip

This is the most guilt free dip I have ever created.  I love bleu cheese and really wanted a way to make this a protein packed snack to eat with fresh veggies like carrot sticks and cucumber.  This comes together quickly and can be spiced according to your preference.  This would even be good served with spicy chicken wings!

6 oz nonfat plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1 green onion or scallion thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  You could add garlic salt if you are a fan.
2. Serve with fresh veggies and enjoy your healthy snack!

Ginger Cilantro Meatballs

The best thing about meatballs is how versatile and easily modified they can be for any occasion.  A true favorite in our household is Swedish Meatballs and recently we posted about Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs.  Here I took some Asian inspired ingredients to create a meatball perfect to serve with rice.  Probably the most unique flavor in here is the use of pickled ginger instead of fresh ginger, but if can't find it, then regular ginger will do.  These can also be served as individual appetizers for a football game or other group get together.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 medium meatballs

3 tablespoons pickled ginger, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 lb ground beef or pork (or even chicken!)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pepper/salt

1. Prepare the inclusions first.  Chop ginger, garlic, onion and set in a bowl.
2. Remove cilantro from stems and finely chop and add to mixture.
3. Crack egg into bowl and add panko, meat, soy sauce and sesame oil.
4. Finally salt/pepper ingredients to your normal "taste".
5. Set a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper out before you start forming the balls
6. Use clean hands to mix all the ingredients together, really incorporating it all.
7. Shape meatballs to desired shape, but I go for about 2 inches diameter
8. Place on cookie sheet
9. You can either bake them in the oven at 425 until they are browned and cooked through (about 30 minutes) or pan fry them (about 20 minutes).  The choice is up to you, I think it really depends on what kind of dishes you want to do that night.
10. Serve with rice and simple salad.

Sauerkraut

I resisted this for so long and I'm so happy I finally gave in.  I thought for sure this would smell up the house or cause some crazy bacteria growth, but actually, homemade sauerkraut is officially a winner in my book.  Insanely easy and delicious on hot dogs (think upcoming BBQ holiday), sandwiches, salads, etc. you definitely have to give this a try.  The biggest thing here is to get a container that can hold all the ingredients. We used a large plastic container and draped a clean dish cloth over it to keep dust, etc. out.

Ingredients for 1 lb sauerkraut

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 jalopeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons salt

1. Thinly slice all the veggies and add to the plastic or ceramnic container you will store the kraut.  A 2 gallon container is plenty big enough.
2. Add oregano, red pepper flakes and salt to the veggies and stir very well to coat
3. Place a smaller tupperware filled with water on an extra cabbage leaf to create a barrier.  Once the salt starts to extra the liquid from the veggies, it will eventually cover this and protect the kraut from bacteria.  If you don't have it covered by about 1 day, you can add water to cover the veggies.
4. Let sit at least four days to marinate
5. As you want to eat it, remove it from the container and serve.

Pulled Pork Green Chili

This recipe is adapted from an insanely awesome looking Mexican Pulled Pork Stew from Rachael Ray.  I used less ingredients here to make it more user friendly and I was very pleased with the result.  I love pulled pork and I always forget how economical a piece of pork shoulder can be (and how many people it can feed!).  This recipe can feed a lot of people (6+), so make sure you are ready to serve to a crowd.

Ingredients

2 lbs pork shoulder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 oz bottle of amber beer
1 onion or leek chopped
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 7 oz can green chilis
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 275.  Combine pork shoulder, spices, salt, beer and onion in a dutch oven.  Place lid on dutch oven and put in oven for 4 hours.
2. Remove from oven after 4 hours, check that meat is tender and pulling away easily.
3. Use a fork to carefully pull the pork apart (watch out for the hot liquid)
4. Add fire roasted tomatoes and their juices, green chilis, beans and chicken broth to the pot.
5. Heat over medium high heat until the soup is bubbling.
6. Serve with homemade tortillas, sour cream, cheese and scallions!

Pizza Puff Gougeres!

I really should rename this blog "I love pizza" for the recent amount of pizza posts.  This recipe is a game changer people...if you bring this to a party you will be invited back for the rest of your life.  Here we combine pizza and my favorite appetizer ever, the gougere (read CHEESE PUFF).  Simply swap in some tomato sauce and oregano into Alain Ducasse's recipe for regular gougeres and you will change the world!

Ingredients


1/2 cup water
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup gruyere
2 tablespoons oregano
ground pepper


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. In medium saucepan add water, milk, tomato sauce butter and salt and bring to boil.
3. Add the flour slowly and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate into a dough type mixture.  Stir about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and put in a mixing bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs into the dough one at a time until fully incorporated
5. Add cheese and oregano a bit at a time until incorporated
6. Use two spoons to make 1 1/2 inch size diameter puffs on the parchment paper.  Try and not crowd the puffs on the paper
7. Sprinkle with pepper and cook about 20 minutes until golden brown/red
8. Serve immediately!

Hummus - With several variations

I've been holding off on buying tahini for quite a long time, but I finally found a good deal at Safeway and decided I would try making my own hummus.  I have to say it was totally worth it and I can't believe I waited this long.  The basic recipe is pretty easy (especially using canned chickpeas) and the variations you can add are endless.  Here are some of my suggestions plus a pretty picture of the hummus on some homemade pita bread stuffed with cucumber, tomato and pepprocinis.  Delish!

Ingredients for basic hummus

1 can drained chickpea or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
salt/pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If still chunky, add a bit more olive oil at a time to get a nice puree.
2. Serve as you wish!
3. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week.

Variations

Jalapenos                               Roasted Red Pepper                      Eggplant
Cilantro                                  Feta                                                Roasted Garlic
Cayenne Pepper

Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Apparently I'm stuffing a lot of food these days but it's such a comforting way to eat meals at the end of the winter!  I made these stuffed potatoes with a lot of what was on hand, so feel free to substitute onions for the leeks, arugula for the spinach and ground beef for the bacon.  Whatever you have is acceptable in this dish (except I definitely recommend you keep the cheddar cheese).

This is dinner for two people so add one potato per person as you add people and of course increase the ingredients in the same proportion.

Ingredients


2 russet potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup lowfat milk

salt/pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped leeks
1 bunch spinach, washed
5-6 strips of bacon

1. Wash the potatoes and dry thoroughly, stab with a fork four times and put in the microwave on the bake potato setting for about 10 minutes or until potato is tender and cooked through
2. When potatoes are cooled, cut in half and carefully remove the flesh.  Reserve the skins and put on a baking sheet
3. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper to the potato mixture and use a potato masher to mash and combine it all.
4. Add most of the cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup for later
5. Meanwhile cook bacon in a pan on the stove until crispy.  When cooked, remove and put on a paper towel.  Then chop finely and add to potato mixture
6. Add leeks to the bacon fat and saute about 5 minutes.
7. Add washed and chopped spinach to the leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes
8. Add veggies to the potato mixture and stir to evenly distribute.
9. Preheat the broiler of your oven
10. Carefully scoop the potato mixture into each of the potato skins and use as much of the filling as possible.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
11. Place under the broiler for about 4 minutes until cheese is melted
12. Serve with a salad and enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Dip

This recipe is all David all the way.  He definitely knows how to make a delicious smoked salmon dip! This is something my grandmother used to make all the time, and he got the proportions perfectly!

5 oz smoked salmon
8 oz cream cheese
1 celery stalk finely chopped (and I mean it)
1 shallot finely chopped (ditto)
1 teaspoon garlic salt powder
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dill
2 tablespoons mayo

1. Remove cream cheese from wrapper and place in a bowl so it can soften.
2. Finely chop celery, shallot and salmon.
3. Combine everything in the bowl with cream cheese and use a fork to stir and stir and stir until it is all mixed together.
4. Serve on baguette slices, crackers, toast points, bagels, etc.

Super Stuffed Pizza Bread

Holy Cow WOW this is the best appetizer I have made in years (okay besides gougeres and pretzels).  Anyway this is essentially a pizza stuffed and wrapped like a baguette and it is downright tasty and impressive to look at.  Fill with whatever you would normally put on a pizza, here we have made some adjustments to make it vegetarian.

Toppings

1 cup tomato sauce
3-4 sundried tomatoes finely chopped
1 cup pesto sauce
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 egg white

Pizza Dough (prepare at least two hours before you are ready to make pizza)

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

about 2 cups luke warm water

Mix yeast and sugar in 1 cup measuring cup.  Add room temp water and let sit for five minutes.  Meanwhile add flour and salt to the food processor and process for 10 seconds to mix together.  When yeast mixture is ready, add to the flour while the processor is running.  If dough is still not combined add another 1/4 of water at a time until dough forms a ball.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with kitchen towel.  Allow to rest for at least two hours (you can even let this sit for 24 hours!).

Making the stuffed pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place a cookie sheet length of parchment on a standard size cookie sheet.

3. Carefully roll out dough to cover most of the parchment

4. Use a pastry brush or back of a spoon to evenly distribute tomato sauce on the dough, repeat with pesto sauce.

5. Evenly sprinkle feta cheese, capers, sundried tomatoes and parmesan on top. 

6. If you have someone who can help you roll up the dough it will be easier.  Fold one side of the dough hot dog style until it covers slightly more than half the distance to the other side.  Then fold over the other sides and pinch the seams together, being sure to tuck in the ends of the loaf so the sauce doesn't fall out.

7. Brush egg white mixture over the dough.

8. Place the bread into the oven and cook about 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crust is cooked through (you can tell by seeing the bottom of the loaf that it is not white and soft).

9. Allow to cool for an hour before cutting into slices and serving to friends and family.

Lamb Chili

Don't let the word "lamb" get in your way of trying this hearty chili recipe.  If you can't get a good source for lamb, of course you could do pork or beef, but please try and get some lamb if you can!  Serve this with some of our fresh homemade bread and you will not be sorry!

Ingredients


olive oil
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
2 jalopenos seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 cans pinto beans, drained
salt (to taste)

1. Set a deep heavy pot on medium high heat.  When hot, add swirl or two of olive oil.  Then add onion, jalopeno and garlic.  Stir to coat and let cook about 3 minutes.
2. Add lamb and stir with spoon to break up the meat
3. After five minutes, add cumin and stir for another minute.
4. Add tomatoes, paste and beans
5. Let sit over medium heat for 20 minutes until heated through
6. Serve with bread, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese!

Sushi: How to make + 2 recipes

I am so excited about this post and I really hope you try this recipe at least once!  Despite having NEVER made or seen someone make sushi, it was actually really easy to do.  With the help of my friend Hillary we had dinner together in no time flat and it tasted and looked like the real thing (without the price tag).  If you serve this at your next party or game night, your friends and family will not believe you made it but it is super easy to do!  We did salmon, cucumber, shrimp and avocado but you could do any filling you can imagine!

Special note:  It is essential to follow the recipe for preparing the rice (i.e. no short cuts).  I got a lot of great tips from How to make Sushi and I definitely recommend you check out their website for great ideas.

Ingredients for 4 rolls

2 cups short grain rice, also called sushi rice (very important it is NOT long grain!)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package of Nori seaweed rolls for sushi (usually sold in packages of 10 sheets)
1/4 pound smoked salmon or lox salmon
1/4 pound precooked shrimp
1 avocado thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into long thing strips

1. Start be preparing the rice.  Place rice in a mesh colander and let water run over the rice for about 5 minutes to clear out the starches.
2. Put rice in medium pot on the stove.  Cover with water until 1 cm above rice and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Turn on heat to high and stir rice every few minutes until water is boiling.
4. Put lid on the rice and turn heat to low.  Let cook until all water is absorbed, about 8-10 minutes
5. Meanwhile prepare seasoning for rice.  Combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in another pan and cook over medium low heat until the sugar and salt are disintegrated.  Remove from heat.
6. When rice is done, gently transfer to a plastic bowl (very important it is NOT metal) with a wooden spoon.
7. Pour seasoning over the rice and carefully stir in.  Allow to sit until cool (very important to let it cool).
8. Prepare your fillings, cut veggies, etc.  You could even make some edamame to snack on while you wait.
9. When rice is cool you are ready to fill the roll.
10. Lay a piece of parchment paper for each person helping.  Remove a sheet of nori and put on the parchment paper.
11. Place a bowl of water in the center of the table so people can wet their hands to make the rice easy to handle.
12. Spread rice evenly across the nori.  Don't worry it doesn't have to be too dense, but make sure you cover most of the area.
13. Along the left hand edge of the rice and nori, add a vertical line of your toppings.
14. With dry hands start to roll the nori to the other side of the sheet until you have a sushi roll.
15. Carefully cut with a serrated knife and serve with ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.  If you have extra chopsticks, feel free to use those too!

Swedish Meatballs with Potatoes and Berries

I've been so thankful this year to have the ability to write this blog.  I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and share with you this delightful recipe for Swedish meatballs.  It is a perfect special occasion meal you could even make tonight!  This is traditionally served alongside mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam but you can substitute any of your favorite jam if you can't find lingonberry.  We happened to have some currant jam that worked perfectly!

Ingredients

1/4 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon butter

3 oz panko bread crumbs

1 cup milk

1 lb ground beef (best quality you can find)

1 egg

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.  Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan.  When hot add the minced onion and let cook about two minutes.  Remove from heat.

2.  In a small bowl combine bread crumbs and milk.  Let sit at least five minutes.

3.  In a food processor add meat, egg, breadcrumb mixture, onions, allspice, salt and pepper.  Pulse to combine (about 30 seconds).

4.  From into 1 inch round balls and set aside on a plate

5.  Preheat oven to "warm" setting or 200 degrees

6.  Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat and add two tablespoons of butter.

7.  When pan is hot, add meatballs to the pan being careful not to crowd them.  You might need to do  two batches

8.  Brown the meatballs, turning with tongs to brown all sides.  You will cook each batch about 8-10 minutes

9.  When done, remove to another pan and put in the warm oven until you are ready to serve!

10. Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberries as mentioned above

Appledoodles aka Apple Snickerdoodles

My college football team plays a rivalry game called the "Apple Cup".  To celebrate this year I whipped up these Apple Snickerdoodles in honor of the theme.  I love the way the apple brings a fun twist to this old classic cookie.  The base of the cookie is adapted from Betty Crocker because who doesn't make a delicious cookie better than that lady?

Ingredients


1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup peeled and chopped apple (a sweeter apple works best)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray the baking sheet
2. Combine flour, tartar, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. In another bowl beat butter, sugar and egg together until combined.
4. Add apple to the egg mixture and beat until combined.
5. Add flour mixture and stir well to incorporate into egg mixture (I used a combination of egg beater and then wooden spoon)
6. Prepare a plate with remaining sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon so you can roll your cookies in it
7. Take dough and roll cookies into a 1 1/2 inch ball and then roll through the sugar mixture.  Add to the cookie sheet.  You don't need to flatten it, that happens during cooking
8. When sheet is filled put in the oven and bake 9 minutes
9. Remove from the oven and cook 10 minutes before serving

Pulled Beef Sliders

This is the ultimate game day experience.  It is well worth the full preparation time because you can watch as much football as you want while this cooks.  It is also easy to prepare and transport to a friend's house for a delicious and inexpensive treat.  Warning, this takes at least 4 hours to cook.

Ingredients


4 lb boneless chuck roast cut
1/2 cup olive oil
salt/pepper
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
4 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn or potato starch
12 rolls or buns

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place a dutch oven on the stove and add olive oil.  Salt and pepper the beef while you are waiting for the oil to heat
3. When the oil is hot, add the beef and cover.  Do not disturb for three minutes, you are browning the beef here.
4. Carefully use tongs to flip the beef to the other side.  Cover and let sit for another 3 minutes undisturbed.
5. Meanwhile use scissors to roughly cut the tomatoes in the can in their juices.
6. In a separate container combine vinegar, mustard and brown sugar.  Shake well.
7. When three minutes are up on the beef, remove from heat and carefully add tomatoes and their juices and vinegar mixture.  This should home up about 1/2 way on the roast.  If not, add a little bit of water or beef stock (or even red wine!).
8. Carefully secure lid on the pot and put it in the oven.  It will need to cook at least four hours.
9. When meat is ready, remove the pot from the oven and let cool.
10. Carefully transfer the meat to another oven safe dish.  Using forks, literally pull the meat apart.  There is no set rull on how the pieces should look so when it looks good to you, you can stop.
11. There is a lot of good sauce left that we want to condense.  Leaving it in the original pot, put on the stove and heat over high heat.  You are going to have to stir constantly for about five minutes to make sure it doesn't stick.
12. To the sauce add worchestershire, cumin, paprika, brown sugar and a little touch of salt and pepper.  Stir, stir, stir!
13. At the last 30 seconds, add the starch and stir to incorporate well.
14. Carefully transfer the hot sauce and ladle it over the meat.
15. Use the tongs or fork to make sure all of the sauces is incorporated into the meat.
16. At this point you can serve it right away but if you are planning on serving during half time, you can cover and put in the oven at 200 degrees.  We waited and it was DELICIOUS.

Pumpkin cookies with Chocolate Frosting

My friends know I'm not a "baker" but after I cooked fried chicken last night, I need something to make the apartment smell, well not like fried chicken and bacon.  Inspired by the autumnal changes, I decided to make a pumpkin cookie...originally I was going to make the brown butter frosting from Betty Crocker but at the last minute we decided to make a chocolate frosting....talk about one delicious cookie!!  If you don't like frosting you could put chocolate chips in the cookies...I'm just saying the possibilities are endless :)

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie!)
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Frosting (aka Chocolate Heaven)

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder (milk or dark cocoa powder is fine, whatever you have)
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


1. Preheat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl and set aside
3. Combine sugars, vanilla and butter and mix on medium until well incorporated (2-3 minutes)
4. Add eggs and pumpkin puree and mix on low until combined (1-2 minutes)
5. With mixer on low speed, slowly incorporate dry mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed
6. Using two spoons (or however you like to put dough on a cookie sheet) transfer or "drop" the dough in equal size balls until sheet is filled (mine was about 8-9 per sheet)
7. Cook 10-12 minutes until cookies are firm but not crunchy
8. Remove to a rack and let cool
9. Repeat with remaining dough
10. While cookies are in the oven, make the frosting
11. Using a hand mixer, combine butter and cocoa power (about 1-2 minutes)
12. Blend in milk and vanilla
13. Add powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time so you don't have a sugar explosion in the kitchen
14. When all sugar is well mixed in you are ready to use the frosting!  I recommend you let the cookies cool about 30 minutes before you frost.
15. Eat and enjoy with a cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk

Sun dried Tomato Grilled Chicken

The best thing about this dish is how easily it can be prepared and served.  You could also prep these and bring to a game day tailgate!  The flavors and best enjoyed in Autumn as you enjoy the last of the fresh basil!

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
8 sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
12 basil leaves
1/2 cup feta
Olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Using a heavy pan or a meat pounder, pound the chicken breast as flat as possible (be careful not to go so crazy the chicken sticks to the cutting board)
2. Top each breast with 2 tomatoes, 3 basil leaves and a sprinkle of feta
3. Roll the chicken "hamburger" style and secure with a toothpick or two
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with salt/pepper
5. When ready to cook, heat the grill and cook the chicken on each side for about 6 minutes or until meat is nice and brown and cooked inside
6. Serve with this delicious Mini Greek Salad and our fabulous Lemon(lime) Drop Martini!

Beet and Goat Cheese Tarlets

Make these for your next potluck and you will be the favorite guest!  While I do consider it slightly cheating to use goat cheese in recipes (because it is such a delicious cheese), the beets really shine with this savory combination.

Ingredients


1 can of whole beets, drained and rinsed
1 square sheet puff pastry
2 small salad or sweet onions, thinly sliced
4 oz goat cheese (honestly you can use as much as you want)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Meanwhile prepare beets, when drained set aside and slice about 1/4 inch thick
3. Defrost puff pastry and carefully unroll.  Cut into even squares and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet
4. Top with thinly sliced onion, beet and then sprinkle goat cheese on top
5. Cook in oven about 15 minutes or until exposed puff pastry is golden brown and cheese is slightly melted
6. These are best when served as close to baking as possible