Cadbury Choclate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup toasted coconut
• Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about 1 minute. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
• Stir in the chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs, chocolate chips, and toasted coconut.
• Form the cookie dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Notes

Tip- to chop the Cadbury eggs, place them in a Ziploc bag and smash with a rolling pin. Make sure you don’t smash them too much, you don’t want them completely crushed. 

 You can chill the cookie dough for 24 to 72 hours if you want to enhance the flavor of the cookies. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cookie dough and baked cookies.Recipe and photo courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod

Udon Noodles

 Ingredients

4 TBS butter

2 cloves garlic chopped

1-2 TSP chili oil crisp (I used 1)

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame seeds

16 oz Udon noodles

1 tsp rice vinegar

2 scallions sliced

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil for udon.

Meanwhile, in a separate large pan over medium heat, melt the butter then add the garlic.  Cook the garlic in butter for about 1 minute until it just starts to sizzle, then add the chili oil, soy sauce, sugar and sesame seeds.  Cook for 1 more minute to combine all the flavors, then turn off the heat until the noodles are ready.

Boil the noodles until al dente according to package directions, then transfer them with a mesh skimmer into the pan with the sauce.

Turn the heat to medium and toss the noodles in the sauce for one more minute until evenly coated.  Stir in the rice vinegar at the end.

Serve the noodles with scallions and some extra sesame seeds sprinkled on top.` 

Raspberry Sauce

 Ingredients

4 oz frozen raspberries

2 TBS granulated sugar

1-2 tsp lemon juice 

Add raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing raspberries while they cook.  Once it begins to boil, boil for one minute.  Remove the sauce from heat.  Strain the seeds through a mesh strainer and set aside to thicken and cool.

Boursin Cheese Baked Pasta

Ingredients

• (2) 5.2 ounce pkgs. Boursin Cheese (Garlic and Herb)
  
• (2) pints Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 10 to 16 ounces Pasta *
• 1/2 cup Pasta Water (reserved from pasta)
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil (about 6 leaves)
• 1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach, optional (chopped)
• 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the two rounds of Boursin cheese and tomatoes into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, a generous amount of salt and pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
• While baking, heat water in a large pot to boiling. Generously salt the water. Add your favorite type of pasta and cook according to package instructions. Remove 1/2 cup of water and set aside to add to sauce. Drain the pasta.
• Once the tomatoes are done roasting, toss with cooked pasta and reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water. Sprinkle with fresh basil, spinach (if using), and parmesan cheese.

Tortellini Soup

 Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium zucchini, chopped

4 medium cloves garlic, minced, 1 heaping tablespoon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice

8 cups (1.8L) chicken broth

1 (8 to 10oz) package tortellini

1 small bunch kale, thick stems removed and chopped

Splash cream or non-dairy milk, optional

Handful chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill

Dash fish sauce, optional

Parmesan for serving, optional

Directions

1Heat the oil in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Toss in the onions and carrots, and then cook, occasionally stirring them, until they soften, about 5 minutes.

2Stir in the zucchini, garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for one minute.

3Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook the soup at a low simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

4Stir in the tortellini and kale, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the milk/cream (this makes the broth a little creamy, but you can leave this out if you prefer plain broth).

5Taste the soup and season with additional salt as needed. For extra flavor, add a few dashes of fish sauce (optional). Serve with chopped fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese scattered on top (optional).

Grant's Red Potatoes

 

5 lb bag of red potatoes (or russets, or whatever you prefer)

1/4 cup olive oil 

Season with:

Paula’s seasoning mix

Little extra garlic powder (optional)

Parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese

Wash potatoes & leave skins on. Cut in 1-2” thick chunks or wedges. In a large bowl or XL Ziploc, cover wedges with oil. Then sprinkle with Paula’s seasoning. Mix & check. When each wedge has a light coating, it’s good. Sprinkle with a little extra garlic powder if you prefer them more garlicky. Sprinkle with parsley & mix until each wedge has a little. Generously coat each potato with grated Parmesan. This is what makes the potatoes crispy on the outside, so be generous. 

Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 450 degrees for 40 min. If you use two cookie sheets at the same time, just rotate the sheets top to bottom every 10-15 min. You don’t have to turn the potatoes, but if you want to brown the tops more at the end, just broil them for a minute or two. 

Paula’s Seasoning Blend

2 Parts Lawrys season salt

1 Part granulated onion

1 part garlic powder 

1 part ground black pepper (or mix of ground and coarse)

Raspberry Streusel Bars

 

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour

Filling

• 3/4 cup (240g) raspberry preserves*
• 12–16 fresh raspberries*

Streusel

• 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
• 1/3 cup (70g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• optional (but encouraged!): vanilla icing for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
2. Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350°F (177°C).
4. Spread preserves over warm crust. Dot the preserves with raspberries on top.
5. Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the filling with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. The raspberry filling should be bubbling on the edges.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. I usually cut them into 16 smaller bars, but you can cut them into 12 larger bars. Drizzle the bars with vanilla icing, if using. These raspberry bars can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold. I personally like them cold
   

 

Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls

 

Ingredients

•  2-3 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded to even thickness
•  ¼ cup olive oil
•  juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• salt and pepper - to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
•  3 pita breads

Cucumber Salad

•  1 cup cherry tomatoes - diced
•  1 peeled cucumber - diced
•  ¼ red onion - diced
•  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper - to taste

Tzatziki Dressing

• ½ English cucumber - peeled and diced
•  2 cups cold - plain Greek yogurt
•  4 teaspoons minced garlic
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
• juice of ½ lemon
•  ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
•  ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Dressing

• Puree all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (If you have time, make this a few hours in advance or the night before so that the flavors can marinate)

Cucumber Salad

• Combine cucumber salad ingredients, stir, and set aside until ready to use. 

Chicken

• Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, dill, thyme, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine marinade and chicken in a large ziploc bag, seal and chill for 15-30 minutes. 
• Cook chicken on the stove, or on the grill over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes on each side until cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice into strips.

Braised Short Ribs

 Ingredients 

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil 
  
  
  
• 1 yellow onion , diced
• 3 carrots , chopped
• 8 whole beef short ribs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup  dry red wine
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large dutch oven or oven safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate.
• Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
• Add beef broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed.
• Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone.
• Remove the pan from oven and allow rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid, before serving.
• Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of gravy from the pot.
• Store leftover short ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Notes

Slow Cooker: Follow steps 1-4 of the recipe and then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Instant Pot: Turn the IP to sauté setting. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Once hot add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Cook 2 minutes. Add beef broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed. Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release for 15 minutes before removing the lid.

Make ahead Instructions: by nature, this meal should and will be made several hours before serving.  The nice part is that it cooks in the oven for nearly 3 hours without any additional work. You have a gorgeous, impressive dinner with hardly any sweat in the kitchen on your part.

Freezing Instructions:

• Before cooking: Make the dish up to step 8 (just before cooking in the oven).  Place ingredients in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for 4-5 months.  Allow to thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator and cook as instructed.
• After cooking:  Allow the dish to cool completely.  Store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for 3-4 months.  Allow to thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or slowly on the stove.

Recipe and image from Tastes Better from Scratch

Lion House Lemon Bars

Servings: Makes 1 dozen bars

 
Ingredients
CRUST:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• pinch salt
• LEMON LAYER:
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 2 T. flour
• Lemon Zest, half a lemon
Steps
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, in a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar. Mix in 1 cup of the flour. Spread in an 8×8-inch pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare the lemon layer. Beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, remaining flour, lemon juice, and rind. Mix well and pour over hot crust. Bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes, or until the center is set.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Cool slightly before cutting into bars.


Note: This recipe may be double and baked in jelly roll, 10x15 inch pan.