Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are my ALL TIME FAVORITES!  Today when Noelle was napping, I just decided that I should have my own recipe!  They turned out super yummy, so this recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Butter
1&1/3 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Egg
4 Tbsp Water
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
4&1/3 Cups Rolled Oats (I used Quick Oats today)
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt (I usually use a bit less)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
Bag of Chocolate Chips (I usually mix equal parts semi-sweet and bitter-sweet) 

Preheat oven to 350degrees and grease cookie sheet.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.  Beat in the egg, water, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.  In a separate bowl, mix the oats, flour, salt, and baking soda together.  Gradually stir the oat mixture into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined.  Put tablespoonfuls of mixture onto cookie sheet (I had to flatten and shape mine to make the shape more uniform and flat instead of like a ball).  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic Balsamic Glaze

This picture doesn't do these asparagus justice!  These were the most delicious asparagus I've ever had and Bill said the recipe was so simple!  I may even try it myself...

Ingredients:

1 bunch Asparagus -
cut lower 1-1.5" off stems (just until above woody area  - I use a knife to lightly tap the stems until it sinks in easily) - cut there and discard bottom of stem
1 Tbsp Canola or EVOO or Safflower Oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp McKormick Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning

Arrange the asparagus spears in a single or double layer on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking pan.  Breifly whisk the Oil, Balsamic, and seasoning together and pour over the spears.  Jostle the pan/sheet to roll and coat evenly.  Let stand for 20-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Just before putting the pan into the oven, sprinkle with 1-2 Tsp of Sea Salt to taste.  Roast, uncovered for 8-10 minutes.  10-12 minutes for thicker spears.

Fruit Pizza

Here is my fruit pizza recipe.  It's super easy and it's always a crowd pleaser!  In this picture, I used small cookie cutters to cut the fruit out into flower shapes, but you can cut the fruit however you please.  You can also add as much of and any kind of fruit you wish

Ingredients:

1 pkg/can of Crescent Roll Dough (I use Pillsbury)
1 pkg of Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Sugar
1 can Mandarin Oranges, drained
2 cup Kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 cup Strawberries, sliced
Handful of Blueberries

Press crescent roll dough on bottom of 12-inch pizza pan or 13x9-inch baking pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil.  Bake at 350degrees for 10-14 minutes or until light brown.  Cool to room temperature.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth and blended.  (If you choose, stir in 1/2 cup lightly chopped mandarin oranges.)  Spread over crust.  (I usually heat this mixture slightly in the microwave for easier spread-ability)  Arrange kiwi, strawberries, and remaining mandarin oranges over cream cheese.  Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easy Chicken Provencal

2 Tbsp. EVOO

2 Md. sweet onions - diced

6 cloves garlic - minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - halved

1 can fat free, low sodium chicken broth (16 oz.)

2-3 cans stewed tomatoes (30 ozs. total)

1 small celery heart - chopped

2 sprigs thyme - chopped, save stem

2 sprigs rosemary - chopped, save stem

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp ground rosemary

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. paprika

Parsley - chopped, for color

In a large soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken breasts with the paprika, chopped sprigs of rosemary and thyme.

Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the bottom of the pot, searing until just solid white around the edges, turning once - about 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside, add the onions, celery, and peppers to the pot, along with 1 Tbsp. EVOO. Season with remaining spices.

Saute for 10 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the red wine vinegar.

Add stewed tomatoes, broth and chicken breasts, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring lightly every 15 minutes.

Serve in bowls with freshly toasted bread, a tomato-herb italian or asiago cheese bread works very well here.

Garlic-Wine Pasta with Shrimp

OK, so this one is pretty easy, I adapted this from a magazine article, but my wife and I have grown tired of tomato based sauce (it's really hell on my ulcer too).

You can do the prep work yourself, or simply buy the prepared, pre-cooked frozen shrimp, either way.  Personally, if you get larger shrimp, raw, and then peel, devein and cook them yourself, I think the taste is much better.

4-5 cups whole wheat pasta 

(I prefer rotini or penne, but the presentation looks a little nicer with angel hair or fettucini)

1 pound shrimp 

(10-12 or 15-20 count)

2 whole cloves garlic 

(finely chopped)

1 chopped whole scallion

(green and white)

1/2 - 3/4 cup white wine

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 

(or sea salt, or seafood seasoning blend, your choice)

1/2 red bell pepper

(diced)

2 Tbsp. butter

Cook pasta in boiling water according to instructions on box/package.

While pasta is cooking - heat EVOO in large skillet/fry pan over medium-medium high heat.

Add bell pepper and cook until just browned around the edges, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring continually.

Add shrimp, crushed red pepper, scallions and 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt - cook for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and simmer for another 2 minutes, or at least until shrimp are opaque, add butter and stir until melted.

Drain pasta and return to empty pan, toss pasta in pan with shrimp and seasonings.

[On a totally different feel, you could add 1/2 tsp. of rosemary and substitute red wine for the white.] 

Scrambled Eggs & Salsa

I got this recipe off another food blogger website, can't remember where. . . tried it, liked it, made some changes to better suit my taste.

So, here's my version of eggs & salsa for the rise-n-shine festivities.

Jalapeño, minced, 1
6 whole eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
Sliced mushrooms – ½ cup
Sliced negi (scallions) – ½ cup
Diced red bell pepper – ½ cup
Diced yellow (or orange) bell pepper – ½ cup
Chopped tomatoes – ½ cup
Diced red onion – ¼ cup
2% milk – ¼ cup
1 tbsp lime juice
1 bunch cilantro (½ cup cilantro leaves)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

(Fried ham and/or bacon go really well with this, whether chopped and added to the mix or served as a side.)

Combine ½ tbsp. EVOO with jalapeno, lime juice, and pepper. Wash the cilantro (this is optional, some people find that cilantro overpowers other flavours and choose to omit the ingredient). Pinch the leaves off the stems and coarsely chop. Toss thoroughly in seasoned EVOO/lime juice mix. Cover and refrigerate.

Smear a non-stick medium sauté pan with ½ tbsp of the EVOO, place on medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, onions and peppers, tossing them occasionally, about 2 minutes, or just until the onions begin to caramelize.

Whisk the eggs, salt and milk together in a small bowl until uniform. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO to a separate pan, and place over low-medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes (you’re just looking for them to start firming up, and no longer be runny or see-through).

Transfer the partially cooked eggs to the pan with the vegetables and cook everything together for another 1-2 minutes, stirring consistently.

Serve the eggs with toast or fruit on the side, and have plenty of thick salsa to pour on top.

Surf & Turf Menu

I made this for some holiday or family get together, can't really remember which. No one complained, regardless of reason. While this 'menu' is admittedly a little more pricey, each of the recipes can easily be made seperately.

(I made this menu without a grill, obviously, everything here can easily be grilled, even the sweet potato fries if you put them in a foil packet)

Beef Tenderloin

1-2 lb. loin (or individual filets, 1-2” thick)
½ lb. proscuitto (or bacon, I prefer turkey bacon here)
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. soy (low Na)
1 Tbsp. Worchestshire

Marinade for 1-2 hrs.
Wrap loin in proscuitto/bacon, using toothpicks to pin ends in place
Wrap individual filets around the circumference
Sea salt and course ground black pepper

Roast for 20-40 min. @ 350 F – depending on desired doneness (I always like my beef more juicy, so I would usually roast for 20-25 minutes only)

For individual filets, with about 2 minutes remaining, place a small slice (~ ¼”) of butter on top of each filet (herbed butter works really well here! but plain is quite good too)


Crab Cakes

2 lb. crab (jumbo lump, backfin preferred)
½ c. oyster crackers (finely crushed)
1 large egg
½ tsp. Tabasco
2 tsp. seafood seasoning
1 tsp. Worchestshire
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. prepared spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp. mayo (light works fine)
½ tsp. chopped green onion (completely optional, I just like the little extra, plus the color)

Place on sheet or plate, drizzle with drawn (or clarified, your choice) butter
Broil on low for 8-10 min.


Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

1.5 lb. sweet potato (cut into wedges or strips)
3 tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. white pepper

Coat sweet potatoes in EVOO and seasonings evenly
Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer
Roast for 40 min. @ 350 F


Basil and Garlic Sea Scallops

1-2 lbs. sea scallops
1 tsp. chopped, dried basil
1 tsp. chopped, dried oregano
½ tsp. garlic powder

Skewer 3-4 scallops together (use bamboo or wood skewers that have been soaked in cold water for at least an hour)

Drizzle with drawn butter and seasoning mixture
Fry (or grill, everything is really better on the grill) on medium-high heat until the edge just starts to get opaque (~30-45 seconds)
Flip and repeat
Bake for 5-7 min. @ 350 F