Tag Archives: cooking

Gluten-Free Sausage & Veggie Pizza

My co-worker, who is on the Paleo diet (and shrinking by the minute), recently passed along a great recipe for gluten-free pizza crust made with almond meal instead of flour.  I believe the recipe came from Everyday Paleo.  I am not on the Paleo diet, so I had no remorse when I smothered my version with cheese.  However, I am trying to reduce the amount of gluten we are eating as a family, so this is a perfect addition to our dinner rotation and a great alternative to pizza delivery.

Gluten-Free Sausage & Veggie Pizza

Gluten-Free Sausage & Veggie Pizza:

Adapted from Everyday Paleo

Pizza Crust

(one pizza, serves 4)

2 cups almond meal
1 ½ tbsp. minced rosemary
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs

Dry Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl, combine the almond meal, rosemary, garlic powder, baking soda, salt & pepper.

Add the olive oil and eggs, and mix until well combined.  Form a ball, using a small amount of additional almond meal to keep it from sticking.  Roll out the dough to approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Place the pizza dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dust with additional corn meal.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Form a Ball
Roll out the Dough on Parchment Paper

Pizza Toppings

(one pizza, serves 4)

3/4 cup. pizza sauce (canned or homemade)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded romano cheese
1/4 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 lb. mild italian chicken sausage
1/4 lb. spicy italian pork sausage
 

While the pizza crust is baking, prepare your toppings.  Combine the chicken and pork sausage thoroughly together (you can buy high quality italian seasoned pork sausage and chicken sausage at stores like Whole Foods or Central Market.  Or add italian seasoning and spices to plain sausage).  Brown the meat in a pan and set aside.  Toss the peppers and onions in the same pan with a sprinkle of salt and saute them for several minutes to soften them up.  Set those aside.

Italian Sausage

Peppers & Onions

When the pizza crust is finished, evenly spread the pizza sauce on top, and layer the cheese, peppers, onions, olives and meat.  Finish it off with one more sprinkle of cheese and place in a 350° oven for 25 minutes.

Finished Pizza Crust

Spread the Sauce

Layer Peppers & Onions

Add Sausage, Olives & Cheese

‘

The cheese should be melted and bubbly when removed from the oven.  Slice it up and make sure to share!

Gluten-Free Sausage & Veggie Pizza

Considering the crust is literally made from finely ground almonds, we were pleasantly surprised by the taste.  The texture was kind of like a biscuit, which was actually quite pleasant and as good as it gets for gluten-free!  Next time, I will play around with using different herbs in the crust.  Maybe oregano instead of rosemary…

Pesto ‘Spaghetti’ Squash & Prawns

It took me about a month, but I finally made my way back into the kitchen for this healthy meal.  If you’re curious what I’ve been eating the last month during my cooking strike, I’ll tell you it has not been good.  Mainly the crusts from my sons turkey sandwiches, Starbucks breakfast wraps, ‘mini time meals’ from Taco Time, and cookie dough ice cream.  No exaggeration.

Pesto 'Spaghetti' Squash & Prawns

I’m baby-stepping my way to a full body cleanse, so spaghetti squash seemed like a good choice.  If I have to lay off the carbs, at least I can pretend I am eating pasta so it’s not quite so painful.  I’ve eaten a lot of spaghetti squash over the years, but have never paired it with a pesto sauce.  I usually put a more traditional spaghetti sauce with it, and then about a pound of parmesan (to negate all of its wholesomeness).  This time, I decided to try pesto for a change.  I threw in some sweet cherry tomatoes and deliciously fresh prawns for added protein.  I have to say, I am quite impressed at how yummy it was!  My hubby even liked it (except for the prawns – he avoids scavengers like the plague).  I mixed up my usual pesto but used 1/2 baby arugula for a more peppery kick.  Be warned, you will have plenty of pesto left over, so plan on adding it into your dinner plans for the week, or you can reduce the amounts.  I prefer the leftovers!

Pesto ‘Spaghetti’ Squash & Prawns:

Serves 2

1 ‘spaghetti’ squash
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups basil leaves
2 cups baby arugula
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil + a little splash
3/4 cup shredded parmesan
1/2 tbsp butter 
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6-8 prawns, tail-on & divined
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
 

Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 425°.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Brush the inside flesh with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until soft and tender.

Place pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse until they are finely minced and incorporated.  Add the basil leaves, baby arugula, salt and pepper.  Close the lid on your food processor and slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil while whirling the ingredients for about 1 minute.

Basil, Arugula, Salt & Pepper

Pine nuts & Garlic



‘

Add the shredded parmesan and whirl in the food processor for about 1 more minute, until the pesto is well blended.  You should have a nice creamy, puree.  If it is too thick, turn the food processor back on and add more olive oil.

Pesto!

Add the Parmesan

‘

Set aside the pesto.  In a large skillet, place a pad of butter and a splash of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the red pepper flakes while the butter and oil get hot.  Season the prawns with salt & pepper and place them in the skillet.  Toss in the cherry tomatoes and let them char and wilt.  Turn the prawns to the other side after about 1 minute and cook through until they are pink and opaque.

Prawns & Cherry Tomatoes

Hot Prawns

‘

By this time, the spaghetti squash should be ready to come out of the oven.  Hold the squash with a towel or pot holder, and scoop out the insides with a fork.  Place the stringy squash next to the prawns and tomatoes in the skillet (avoid stirring the tomatoes, they will be very soft).  Add a couple spoonfuls of pesto onto the spaghetti squash and stir until the sauce is well incorporated.

Scoop Out Stringy Squash

Stir in the Pesto

‘

Plate the squash first and top with the cherry tomatoes and prawns.  Add a sprinkle of parmesan and basil for garnish.

Pesto 'Spaghetti' Squash & Prawns

Warm Quinoa Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

I seem to go through extreme phases with my cooking (and eating).  Right now, I’m hoping the ‘salad phase’ sticks, because my body needs a cleanse from all the cookies and savory meals I’ve been consuming.  This salad is super satisfying and the addition of warm chicken and quinoa help to actually fill you up!

Warm Quinoa Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

I’ve been craving a strawberry goat cheese salad, but for dinner it had to have a bit more substance so prevent me from eating a bag of chips afterward.  Quinoa is super high in protein and also quick and easy to whip up.  I added chicken as well, for even more filling action.  What can I say, I’m a hungry girl…

Warm Quinoa Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese:

(serves 2)
1/2 cup dried quinoa
extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. minced parsley 
1/2 lb. chicken breast or tenders
mixed greens, or baby spinach
6 medium strawberries
1/2 small red onion
3 tbsp. goat cheese crumbles
salt & pepper

Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette:

2 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp. pomegranate balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil  
salt & pepper
 

For the vinaigrette, combine garlic, pomegranate balsamic vinegar, honey and dijon mustard in a bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Keep whisking vigorously until the dressing becomes thick and creamy.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

Prep the Ingredients

Follow cooking instructions on the quinoa package, adding a splash of olive oil and salt (1 cup water to 1/2 cup quinoa.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 15 minutes).  When the quinoa is soft, and translucent, add minced garlic, parsley and salt & pepper to taste.  Set aside.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and either steam until cooked through, or use this Simple Chicken recipe.  Let the meat rest for several minutes and cut into chunks.  Set aside.  Thinly slice the red onion, and chop or slice the strawberries and set aside.

Assemble the salad by tossing several handfuls of mixed greens (or spinach) with the goat cheese, strawberries, onions and pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette.  Divide into two dishes and top with the chicken breast and quinoa.  Add more goat cheese or parsley for garnish, and an extra drizzle of the vinaigrette.  Yum!

Enjoy!

Pastrami & Swiss Panini

When I can’t bear to actually ‘cook’, a hot panini is one of my favorite lazy dinners.  Warm, gooey, melted cheese is hard to resist.  This version I whipped up has swiss cheese, pastrami, caramelized onions, and a fried egg right in the middle of it all.  Yum!

Pastrami & Swiss Panini

You don’t have to have a fancy panini press to make these at home.  I use my George Foreman Grill for panini’s, and it works great.  You could also use a handheld panini press, pared with a nonstick pan or grill pan.  Or, if all else fails, just use two cast iron or nonstick pans.  Place your sandwich in the larger one, and set the smaller one on top of the sandwich to ‘press’ it (stick a can on top for more weight if needed).  If there’s a hot sandwich with melted cheese on the line, I will find a way to make it work!

Pastrami & Swiss Panini:

(serves 2) 
4 slices rye or dark honey wheat bread
4 slices swiss cheese
2 fried eggs
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil 
safflower oil 
salt & pepper
butter
zesty aoli (recipe below)

Zesty Aoli:

3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp honey
1/2 teaspoon creamy horseradish
cracked pepper
 

Caramelized Onions

Combine the mayonnaise, minced garlic, honey and horseradish for the Zesty Aoili.  Mix well and season with cracked pepper.  Set aside.

In a nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and season with salt and pepper.  Toss them in the oil and heat until caramelized.  Set aside.

Prepare your nonstick or cast iron pan with safflower oil over medium/high heat.  Crack the eggs directly onto the hot oil and fry the eggs to your preferred doneness, adding salt and cracked pepper to taste.  To assemble the sandwich, spread the zesty aoli on both slices of bread, next add the swiss on both slices, pastrami on both, and finish with caramelized onions on one side and the fried egg on the other.

Assemble the Sandwich

Fry the Egg

Close up your sandwich and coat the outside of the bread with a thin layer of butter or oil.  Place on the panini press and let the melting magic begin!  Remove the panini once the cheese has melted, it is heated through middle, and the bread is toasted to a golden brown.

Time to Eat!

I couldn’t wait another second to take a bite!  The one thing with panini’s is that you MUST eat them while they’re hot!  Pair this with tomato soup and you have yourself a perfect week-night meal.

 

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

After making the Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treat ‘Pops’ for Valentines day, I had a bag of leftover white chocolate chips.  They have been haunting me from the pantry ever since.  If they were regular chocolate chips, I probably would have just eaten them straight from the bag.  White chocolate chips are not my favorite on their own, but absolutely have potential when mixed with other delicious things.  So, that’s just what I did; I mixed them into a cookie with cranberries, raisins, and oats.  They turned out perfectly!

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can’t take all the credit for these yummy morsel’s, as they were born from the recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray Craisins box.  Click here for that complete recipe.  Mine were just barely adapted.  For example, I just about doubled the white chocolate chips (2/3 cup was not nearly enough), and instead of all cranberries, I used 1/2 cranberries, and 1/2 raisins.

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 375°.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.  Cream together the eggs and brown sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and mix until fluffy.  

Add Eggs

Cream Butter & Brown Sugar

Add dry ingredient mixture slowly, mixing until smooth.  Stir in white chocolate chips, cranberries, and raisins.

Stir in the Goodies

Add Dry Ingredients

Form the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Very gently flatten the tops for a better cookie shape (not shown).

Form Cookie Dough Balls

Finished Cookie Dough

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.  Let the cookies cool on a wire rack (for as long as you can stand) and enjoy!

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Panko Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

I was in Denver, CO last week for work and went out to a hip little restaurant called North.  Apparently it’s a chain with several locations across the U.S., but unfortunately none in my neck of the woods.  I ordered the Apple Cider Pork Tenderloin and it was fabulous.  The pork was cooked to perfection, and the apple cider reduction added the perfect balance of sweetness.  I tried my best to recreate the dish for Sunday night dinner.  I have to say I did a pretty good job, as I was going off of taste-bud memory alone.

Panko Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

The pork tenderloin had some form of herbed breadcrumbs on the outside, which I assume were panko.  I also detected a layer of dijon mustard holding the panko crust to the meat.  I would imagine they seared their version first and finished it off in the oven.  For simplicity I just baked it from start to finish.  They served potato puree and rapini (aka- broccoli raab) on the side.  I served mine with classic garlic mashed potatoes  and wilted spinach.

Panko Crusted Pork Tenderloin:

1 lb.  pork tenderloin
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. minced rosemary
1 tsp. minced thyme
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cracked pepper
2 tbsp. dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Combine panko bread crumbs, minced parsley, rosemary and thyme in a bowl.  Add salt, cracked pepper and olive oil.  Stir until well combined.  Lay out the bread crumb mixture on parchment paper.

Panko Mixture on Parchment

Panko & Dijon

Thinly coat the pork tenderloin with dijon mustard and set it onto the panko mixture. Roll the tenderloin until the entire surface is coated evenly.

Cover with Panko Mixture

Coat with Dijon

Place the pork tenderloin on a broiling pan or wire rack over a baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes, and remove when internal temperature reaches 155°.  Let the meat rest before slicing.

Apple Cider Reduction:

Apple Cider Reduction

1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup maple syrup

Reduce apple cider and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan over high heat for about 10 minutes.  Add honey and maple syrup, and continue to reduce the liquid on medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of syrup.

Classic Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. cream 
salt & pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes until fork tender.  Strain water and return them to a pot.  Using a hand masher, work the potatoes until fairly smooth.  Add garlic, butter, salt & pepper, and stir until well combined.  Add cream one tbsp. at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Wilted Spinach:

6 oz. baby spinach
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil and pepper flakes over medium heat in a large skillet.  When the oil is hot, add the baby spinach and toss until it’s fully coated.  Add salt to taste while it cooks down. This will happen quickly, so watch closely.

Panko Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

 

Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treat ‘Pops’

Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treat 'Pops'

I’ve been pondering ideas for a Valentine’s Day treat this week, and all the latest dessert trends came to mind:  Cake-Pops, Whoopie Pies, Fancy Cupcakes, etc.  I wanted to make something slightly less predictable, but with a good amount of visual appeal.  I decided to make heart shaped Rice Krispie Treats covered with chocolate and pink sprinkles, served on lollipop sticks.  I thought for sure I had invented the next best dessert trend; but, as I do with most of my ‘original’ ideas, I ran a quick Google search to see who may have already come up with it.  To my disappointment, there have been plenty of people to make this exact treat, but that didn’t stop me from creating my own version.

Birthday Pops

This sweet treat is not just for Valentine’s Day.  It was my Dad’s birthday yesterday, and I made him his own special bouquet of Rice Krispie Treat Pops.  Instead of hearts, I cut his in circles using biscuit cutters.

For added presentation, I spruced up the vases with coordinating paper and ribbon.

I measured the paper to fit inside each vase.  In the bottom, I layered styrofoam (which can be purchased at your local craft store), and then about an inch of paper crinkles on top to cover the styrofoam.  I finished them off with a couple of layered ribbons, and then stuck the pops into the styrofoam to arrange my bouquet.

These were a hit at the birthday party last night, and doubled as decoration for the table.  I’m thinking they might be the perfect treat for my son’s 3rd birthday next Fall.    What kid doesn’t love Rice Krispie Treats, and with chocolate to boot!

Since it’s over a week until Valentine’s Day, we’ll be consuming the heart shaped one’s this afternoon at my Sister-in-Laws birthday party/Superbowl.

Valentine's Day Pops

Usually, I like my Rice Krispie Treats extra buttery and marshmallowy, but since these had to hold on the lollipop sticks without falling apart, I stuck to the recipe on the back of the Rice Krispie Cereal box, which is a little bit drier than my usual preference.  I doubled the recipe below since I was making a Valentine’s batch and a Birthday batch.

The recipe is simple.  Start by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over low heat.

Melt the Butter

Next, add one 10 ounce package of marshmallows.

Add the Marshmallows

 Stir the butter and marshmallow until melted and smooth.

Smooth and Melty

Remove from heat and add 6 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal.  Stir until well combined.

Stir in the Rice Krispies

Press the treats into a greased container or cake pan and let cool.  I left mine about 1″ thick and smoothed the top well.

Press Into a Baking Pan

Once cooled, turn the treats out of the pan onto a cutting surface.

Heart Shaped Cutters

Use cookie cutters, or biscuit cutters to create your desired shapes.

This can take a good deal of elbow grease, depending on how solid your cutter is.  The biscuit cutter was fairly easy, but the heart shaped cutters I had were not as sharp and didn’t have the handle for leverage.  Also, the heart shaped cutters I had were not very deep, so I had to press the bottom half of my treats into them like a mold.  This worked out just fine, and they popped out easily without greasing the cutters.

Biscuit Cutters

Next, I pressed the lollipop sticks in, being careful to center them inside the treat.  You can find lollipop sticks at quite a few places these days.  Since Cake Pops are the new craze, I’ve been seeing them pop up at many grocery stores.  You should be able to find them at your local craft store, party store, or restaurant supply if your grocery store doesn’t carry them.  They come in two lengths.  I chose the longer ones, which worked better for my bouquets.

Rice Krispie Treat 'Pops'

I took the easy route for my dipping chocolate and just melted a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a glass bowl over boiling water.

Melted Chocolate

I also bought a bag of white-chocolate chips and planned on adding a bit of red food coloring for pink dipped treats, but I had so much semi-sweet chocolate I decided not to use the other bag.  Maybe next time!

Heart-Shaped Treats

Some of the treats were dipped half-way, some were coated with chocolate on the front, and others I used a piping bag and squiggled the chocolate on top.  I immediately added sprinkles after dipping each one in chocolate so they stuck well before the chocolate started to harden.  These need to be chilled in order to harden the treats well so they don’t slide off of their sticks.  Once they were dipped and decorated, I placed them on wax paper and into the fridge until we were ready to leave for the party.

Valentine's Day Pops

Such a delightful treat, and super cute!  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Penne Primavera: Two Ways

I hosted a party last weekend and needed an impressive vegetarian pasta dish to feed a large group. Yes, I have officially fallen off the low-carb wagon. There’s always hope for tomorrow…

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

For inspiration, I sifted through recipes on FoodNetwork.com and I found two great pasta dishes from Giada De Laurentiis. I wanted to make the pasta the day before, or at least get it prepped as much as possible to prevent my kitchen from becoming a distaster zone right before guests arrived. I really liked the fresh and healthy appeal of Giada’s Pasta Primavera, but upon more research, I found an even more delicious looking Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables, also from Giada.

I was able to make the Pasta Primavera the night before the party, so hubby and I could try out the healthy version for dinner. It looked like it might be a great weeknight go-to meal for the future. The two recipes are very similar, and the plan was to build onto the primavera for a final outcome of the baked penne for the party the next day. This couldn’t have worked out better!

Pasta Primavera

The Pasta Primavera was delicious and light; below is Giada’s recipe. I didn’t include the cherry tomatoes this time. Since my plan was to bake it the next day, I didn’t want it to get too watery with tomato seeds sitting overnight. I also totally forgot to add the onion, which is funny because I bought 2 of them in preparation for the pasta-filled weekend.

Pasta Primavera:

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Pasta Primavera

Preheat the oven to 450°. On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

The Even More Delicious Version:

Giada’s Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables starts with almost the identical recipe above, with the addition of marinara, fontina cheese, smoked mozzarella, and finishing it off in the oven. The Complete Recipe has a few additional ingredients, but for simplicity, I omitted those items. Below is my adapted version.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables:

fully prepared Pasta Primavera recipe
3 cups marinara sauce
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1/3 cup grated parmesan for topping
2 tbsp. butter cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 450°. Carefully mix the marinara sauce, fontina cheese, smoked mozzarella into the prepared pasta primavera. Pour the pasta into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Top with small pieces of butter and parmesan cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Extra Chocolatey* Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Unfortunately, I have not reinvented the wheel (or the chocolate chip cookie), and these delicious morsels were born from the recipe on the back of the Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chip package; with just a few slight adjustments.  This classic cookie couldn’t be easier to make, and I haven’t met a single soul who doesn’t love them.  This particular batch was thrown together as a gift for my sons teacher.  I have all sorts of little treat bags and bakery boxes on hand for those last minute gifts that seem to come up the night before (at midnight).  Even a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies can be impressive to the gift recipient if you put some thought into the presentation.

Extra Chocolatey* Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most craft stores have a good selection of packaging for baked goods.  I bought these window-top cake boxes at Michaels (my local craft store), as well as the tissue paper.  If you don’t have a large craft store nearby, restaurant supply stores are another great option (but be prepared to buy in bulk!).

All Wrapped Up

As the title of this post suggests, my version of this classic cookie is EXTRA chocolatey.  Just the way I like it!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

*Instead of regular sized chocolate chips, I used the mini ones for better chocolate distribution.  I also threw in the entire bag of mini chocolate chips instead of the recommended 2 cups.  I have never understood why anyone would want only 2 cups of chocolate chips in their cookies.  I want the maximum chocolate-to-cookie ratio, so the more chips the better!!  Another adjustment I made with this batch was to add 1 cup of rolled oats instead of chopped nuts.  I like the added texture it gives.  Oats are a little smoother than nuts and I feel they better compliment the chocolate chips.  Personally, I could do without nuts in most desserts.  They’re just too crunchy!  I want my dessert to melt in my mouth with little, to no, chewing.  The flavors should slowly dissolve into my taste buds.  Nuts are simply too much work (and they get stuck in my teeth).

The moral of today’s post:

Cookies are a great gift, but you have to make them pretty (no crumpled paper sacks, or ziplock baggies).  And, once you’ve added the chocolate, ADD MORE.

Salmon Niçoise Salad

If you’re looking for a salad to fill you up and warm your belly, this will do the trick!  It’s basically a hearty dinner disguised as a salad, which makes me feel better about eating it.  You can’t go wrong with warm salmon, fingerling potatoes, and haricot verts tossed with yummy dressing and salty extras.

Salmon Niçoise Salad

I made three different sauces/dressings for this dish.  Overkill?  Maybe, but your taste buds with thank you.  If you’re on a time crunch, make the sauces ahead of time so there’s less prep work to do while your starving husband hovers over your shoulder (I wish I would have thought of that earlier).  The recipe was inspired by several niçoise salads I’ve had over the years from various restaurants.  One of my favorites is actually from the Nordstrom Cafe’.  It’s the perfect meal to top off a long day of shopping!

 

Salmon Niçoise Salad:
serves 2

2 – 6oz. salmon fillets (skin on)
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced into quarters
4 large fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise into quarters
3 cups baby romaine mix or mixed baby greens 
6 oz. haricot verts (french green beans), stems trimmed
2 tbsp. french niçoise olives, or kalamata olives (pitted and sliced)
1 tbsp. capers
creamy herb sauce-
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. mayonaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. minced dill
salt & pepper 
lemon herb dressing
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice 
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
salt & pepper
honey-dijon balsamic vinaigrette
2 gloves minced garlic
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. honey dijon mustard
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil  
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.  If using a cedar plank, coat the top of the plank with olive oil and place it in the oven while it preheats.  For the creamy herb sauce, combine garlic, mayonaise and lemon juice in a bowl.  Add parsley, dill and season with salt & pepper.  Spread the sauce on top of each salmon fillet and set them skin side down on the hot cedar plank (or baking sheet).  Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the salmon fillet is flaky and no longer translucent.

Fingerling Potatoes & Haricot Verts

Meanwhile, place the sliced fingerling potatoes and haricot verts in a steamer pot or basket on medium-high heat until cooked through.  For the lemon herb dressing, combine garlic, lemon juice and parsley.  Whisk in the olive oil until thickened.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Toss the cooked potatoes and haricot verts with the dressing until well coated.  Set aside.  For the honey-dijon balsamic vinaigrette, combine garlic, balsamic vinegar, honey and honey-dijon mustard in a bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Keep whisking vigorously until the dressing becomes thick and creamy.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Niçoise Olives & Capers

Toss the baby romaine mix, niçoise olives and capers with the honey-dijon balsamic vinaigrette and divide into two salad bowls.  Top each salad with the fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, quartered hard boiled eggs, and salmon fillets (skin removed after cooking).  Season with salt & paper, and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

There are endless ways to adapt this recipe.  Some common additions would be tomato or sliced red onion.  You could also substitue the salmon with seared tuna, or even prawns.

Make sure to pace yourself.  This meal is heartier than you think, so deep breaths between bites are necessary!

Yum!