Baked Garlic Rice Pilaf

A lot of times I have a hard time coming up with side dishes.  I work so hard to plan the main dishes of my meals out that by the time I go back to fill in side dishes I am ready to be done with my grocery list.  This one is one that we keep coming back to.  I just love it.  It is easy.  Once you stick it in the oven you don't have to do much to it so you can concentrate on the rest of your meal.  Sometimes rice is a little finicky.  I don't always have the patience to wait for it to cook completely on the stove so I love that you can just throw this in the oven and it comes out perfectly cooked every time.

We always add more garlic to the recipe.  I also like that it is an easy recipe to halve or double depending on your needs.

Baked Garlic Rice Pilaf

(Source: What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen?)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*.

Heat butter in a skillet; add garlic and rice and cook until both are golden brown.

Add 1 cup of broth and the salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and pour into a covered casserole; bake for 25 minutes.

Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups broth; cook for another 45 minutes.

**This can be doubled without increasing the cooking time.

Shepherd's Pie

I wanted to make something Irish for St. Patrick's Day.  I kept leaning towards making corned beef and cabbage but I have never had corned beef so I was a little afraid to try it.  I decided to try this since we already know we like Shepherd's Pie it was just a little different spin on it.

The husband REALLY liked this.  He says it is even better than my normal version.  I liked it but I can't say it was my favorite.  It is still worth trying though . It was definitely good.  I just am not a big fan of beef and this has the ground beef and beef broth so it intensifies the beef flavor.  When I eat ground beef I usually like it so I can mask the flavor of it a little bit.

Next time I make it I will leave the skins on my red skin potatoes just because I like them.  I would also add the full amount of cheese in when I mash the potatoes so that it is just potatoes on top.  That way the potatoes would be a little more browned on top.



Shepherd's Pie
Adapted from Allrecipes, Serves 6

8 small red skin potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/4 cc. shredded Cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste
5 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lbs ground beef
1 c. white button mushrooms, chopped
1 c. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ketchup
3/4 c. beef broth
1/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread the ground beef in an even layer in individual ramekins. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Irish Soda Bread

This is my last shot.  I am going to try to stay on top of the blog one more time.  If I cannot do it I am just going to scrap the whole thing.  Part of why I fall of the wagon is because I hate my pictures.  We just use a point and shoot so of course they won't be as good as some  but when I look for recipes I look mainly at the pictures.  If the picture isn't appetizing then I don't usually even look at the actual recipe.  Another reason is because sometimes I just don't have anything to say about a recipe.  Sometimes I feel like it is quite monotonous.  Yes, the recipe is good.  I encourage you to try it.  Really how many ways can you say that something is yummy?  I started the blog because I like to write and I like to cook and bake.  I need to find that again.

This post inspires me to give it another go.  With the time change it is still daylight when we have dinner.  So we can take the pictures outside and use natural light which I feel gives the pictures a HUGE boost.  So maybe now that my pictures will look a little better I can stay on top of this more.

I have never had soda bread before.  I just thought it looked good and I decided we need it as part of our St. Patrick's Day menu.  I am glad that I gave it a try.  The bread was definitely tasty and had just the right amount of "sweet" to it.  My bread was still a little doughy in the middle even though the toothpick came out clean.  Not doughy enough to ruin it but I wish I would have baked it a few minutes longer.



Irish Soda Bread
Source: Allrecipes

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 F.Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Weekly Menu (03/01/2010-03/05/2010)

Monday:  Glazed Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Asparagus

Tuesday:  Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta & Parmesan

Wednesday:  Stir-Fry

Thursday:  Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Friday:  Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Chicken Burrito Bowls

This first time I went to Chipotle I didn't think I would like it...something about fast food chicken just gives me the willies.  But I was pleasantly surprised and I really liked it.  However, Chipotle just so happens to be a death trap so we needed to find a way to recreate it at home without clogging our arteries (quite so badly).  So that is what we did and boy was I excited. 

The blogging process in our house goes like this...we plate the food, I take a bite off my plate, then Philip takes a picture if I deem it worthy.  :) My reaction to this was "Holy cow! It tastes just like it!" I anticipated it being good but holy moly.  The only thing was there was WAY too much lime juice in the rice.  I also said that I would like another jalapeno added to the corn salsa and then immediately bit down on a jalapeno and about died so I think for my "gringaness" I might leave it. 



Chili-Lime Chicken

Marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in the juice of 3 limes, 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder. Cook thoroughly and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cook rice (2 cups of uncooked rice for 4 cups of cooked rice).  Add 1/3 c. chopped cilantro, the juice of one and a half limes, and 1 Tbsp. butter. Mix well, keep warm.

*I think I would start with a half of a lime and then add more to taste. 

Corn Salsa (This I more or less just threw stuff in a bowl and mixed it up. Since I didn't measure I am just guessing on how much I used.  Definitely make this to your taste.)

2 cups frozen corn

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 jalapeno, de-seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Squeeze of lime juice

Heat a small amount of oil.  Add corn and saute until slightly browned.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Refrigerate. 

Then I assembled the bowls, added shredded monterey jack cheese and sour cream.  You could really add anything that you like to it, i.e., black beans, refried beans, salsa, etc.

Weekly Menu 02/01/2010-02/12/2010

Monday (02/01): Stuffed Chicken Breasts with egg noodles

Tuesday (02/02):  Chicken Stir-Fry

Wednesday (02/03):  Pecan Crusted Tilapia, Roasted Broccoli & Rolls

Thursday (02/04):  Teriyaki Meatballs, Rice & Peas

Friday (02/05):  Sloppy Joes & Oven Fries

Saturday (02/06):  Grilled Salisbury Chicken, Pasta & Green Beans

Sunday (02/07):  SUPERBOWL! Chicken Wings, Taco Dip, Stuffed Jalapenos (and I haven't figured out the rest yet)

Monday (02/08):  Kabobs & Wild Rice

Tuesday (02/09):  Red Chile Chicken with black beans and rice

Wednesday (02/10):  Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Knots & Salad

Thursday (02/11):  Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Potatoes & Broccoli

Friday (02/12):  Fish tacos, Mexican Rice & Homemade Salsa

Chocolate Waffles

I almost felt guilty eating these for breakfast but they were so good! It was like chocolate cake but better.  Well not really...they were not as sweet as cake.  I wish we could have had fresh strawberries on top but since they aren't in seasonal the grocery store didn't have any that looked for good so we just settled for strawberry syrup.  It was a decent replacement but I bet they would have been phenomenal with fresh strawberries.

We got about 9 waffles out of this recipe.  WAY too many for us so when I make it next time I will definitely cut the recipe in half.

Chocolate Waffles

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Alton Brown

Ingredients:
1½ cups (7 oz.) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1¾ oz.) sugar
½ cup (1½ oz.) cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tbsp. butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Whisk to blend.  In another bowl combine the eggs, butter, vanilla and buttermilk.  Whisk to blend well.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips.  Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Fill the waffle iron with batter and cook until the waffle is crisp and completely cooked.  Transfer finished waffles to the preheated oven and repeat until all the batter has been used.  Serve immediately with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Chicken Enchiladas

Apparently we have been on a Mexican kick lately.  I told Philip the other day to go buy some tequila, we would make margaritas and pretend like we were on vacation all weekend.  Would have been a good way to beat out the ugly, rainy DC weather we had this weekend!

I just love Mexican food.  Which is funny since I am "the gringa" and Kristin (my 75% Mexican friend :)) tells me when Mexican food will meet my "gringa" taste buds.

These were quite tasty! They were a little more time consuming than your average enchilada but they were worth it.

The only thing I would do differently (well not differently...I just didn't really do it) is to make sure that the enchiladas get crispy enough in the oven before you take them out and add the sauce.  I like them more on the crispy side and they got a little bit soggy.

Chicken Enchiladas

Source:  Pink Parsley, originally from America's Test Kitchen

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine


• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine


• 1 teaspoon canola oil


• 3 medim cloves garlic, minced


• 3 Tablespoons chili powder


• 2 teaspoons ground cumin


• 3 teaspoons sugar


• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce


• 1 cup water


• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped


• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)


• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded


• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded


• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro


• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas


• cooking spray


• salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onin mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

I saw these cookies and had to make them.  Philip's favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin and I haven't made them in quite some time.  Something about oatmeal in cookies and the altitude (or maybe it was operate error) but it seemed that any cookie that had oatmeal in it wouldn't turn out up there.  But now that we are back down to baking level I can make them again!

I forgot to get my normal oatmeal raisin cookie recipe out when I made these and I didn't feel like finding it so I just used the recipe off the oatmeal container (and it wasn't Quaker).  The cookies were really good but they were a little on the crunchy side and we both would have liked a softer cookie for these.  So I won't post the recipe for the cookie...just the filling.

Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

Source: From Baking Bites

Ingredients:

One batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

For the filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-high speed until completely smooth.

Once cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs according to size. Lay one cookie of each pair face down, so that the flat side is up.  Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe a swirl of cream cheese filling onto the the flat side of each cookie. (Alternatively, just spread a layer of filling on each cookie with a knife.  The edges won’t look quite as nice, but they will still taste great.)  Top with the other cookie from each pair so that the flat side is on the filling and press down slightly so that the filling is pushed to the edges.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Pasta Pie

This is so yummy and cute! I really like it because I don't like a lot of red sauce on my pasta and Philip likes A LOT.  This way I had just enough on my pasta and you serve it with the extra sauce on the side so Philip could add extra to his.

It is a little time consuming to make to get all the rigatoni standing up inside the pan but I didn't think it was too bad.  I am thankful I have a husband that likes to help in the kitchen.  It makes things go quite a bit faster.  (And because I am the messiest cook in the world and he tends to clean up behind me as I go!)

I am not sure if I didn't let my sauce thicken quite as much as I should have or if it was just my springform pan but some of the juice from the sauce leaked all over the counter when I was putting it together.  I would definitely recommend putting the springform pan on top of a cookie sheet before you assemble it and when it goes into the oven.

Pasta Pie
Slightly Adapted from Noble Pig

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes).  One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together.  When done, rinse in cold water and drain again.  Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat.  Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ground beef.  Cook, stirring occasionally until browned.  Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Cook 2 minutes more.

Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.  Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.

Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.  Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task.  Enough said.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden.  Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Weekly Menu 01/24/2010-01/29/2010

Sunday:  Chicken Cordon Bleu, Mashed Potatoes, & Asparagus

Monday: Chicken Burrito Bowls

Tuesday: Baked Teriyaki Chicken, Garlic Rice Pilaf, & Green Beans

Wednesday: Brinner (Breakfast for Dinner)

Thursday: Chicken Stir-Fry & Rice

Friday: Panko-Crusted Chicken Fingers & Garlic Parmesan Oven Fries

Notice a pattern? Guess I didn't plan all that well this week.  Good thing we are chicken people!

Movie Night Cupcakes

Friday's are "Movie Night" in our house.  It typically involves something fun for dinner that can be ate on the couch while we watch whatever Netflix we have that week.  It makes for a nice easy night while we wind down from the week.

Philip bought me "Hello Cupcake" for Christmas because every. single. time. we would go to the store I would stop and flip through this book.  It has the cutest and most clever cupcakes ever! Guess he wanted to speed up our shopping trips. :) I knew I had to make these cupcakes first as they were perfect for our Friday nights.  I have quite a few other cupcakes earmarked to make in the near future.  The more I look at this book I do have one complaint though.  A lot of the cupcakes use a regular size cupcake and a mini cupcake to put whatever the shape is together...or a cupcake and a donut hole.  Don't get me wrong, the cupcakes are adorable.  They are just a little impractical to me I guess.  If I sat down and ate a cupcake, a donut, frosting, and whatever candy is on it to decorate it I am quite sure I would die of sugar shock right then and there.

I don't have a recipe for these.  They are quite time consuming to put together so I just used a box cake mix (Oh the horror!).  I wish when I put them into the popcorn containers I would have stacked them better so it would have looked more like popcorn but what can ya do?!?!

Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

Making this dinner was quite amusing to me.  About halfway through I stopped and realized that this was almost exactly like something we make already just a little more "fancy."  And if anyone was watching us make this dinner I am sure they were laughing at us.  It looked like I was playing "cooking show" and Philip was my student.  I am not so much a fan of seafood...it is growing on me and I am starting to eat more and more but I am still hesitant about it.  So I made my own pan with chicken and Philip did his own with shrimp.  So as we were cooking I just cut everything in half (except the orzo and broccoli...that all was cooked together) and I did half with chicken in my pan and Philip did half with shrimp in his pan.  I was quite impressed with his abilities as the only instruction he was given was "watch me and do what I do" and he did and his turned out.  Normally I wouldn't be so shocked by this.  Philip can hold his own in the kitchen, especially when it comes to breakfast (he makes some killer breakfasts!).  About a week before this dinner Philip took the recipe I had printed for dinner that night and decided he was going to make it by himself.  So as I waited in the other room all I heard was "Oh crap!"..."Ooops that wasn't supposed to happen."..."Oh that says 1 tablespoon...not 1 cup."  And dinner...well...didn't turn out so well.  So to see him cook this meal and cook it well was quite the achievement.

I think next time I would use a whole lemon instead of half and definitely add more garlic.  I am pretty sure next time I will ditch the chicken and just do all shrimp (but don't tell Philip I am starting to like shrimp!).

Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

Slightly Adapted from Cooking This and That

Makes 2-3 servings

1 cup orzo
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste
scant tablespoon butter
about 1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-9 minutes. During last 2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to the pasta water. Drain orzo and broccoli, set aside.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add lemon juice, zest, and wine/broth to saute pan. Bring to boil and then reduce heat; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in butter and stir until melted.

Add shrimp to saute pan, cook until pink and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Add orzo and broccoli, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to shrimp mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Weekly Menu 01/17/2010-01/22/2010

Sunday:  Chicken Enchiladas

Monday:  Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

Tuesday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup

Wednesday:  Pasta Pie

Thursday:  Freezer Chicken Fried Rice & Egg Rolls

Friday:  Tacos

Chili

I don't care for chili but Philip really likes it so I made him a pot and froze it in separate dishes (hence the picture with the Gladware) so he could take it for his lunch.  The first time we made this chili Philip was in the field with his soldiers and needed easy dinners that he could make for himself and the guys so I sent him with this recipe.  They all really enjoyed it.  The chili is quite spicy (and by spicy I mean steam might come out of your ears) so you might want to adjust it to your tastes.  Philip likes his food quite a bit spicier than most people...sometimes I think his taste buds were singed off as a child.

I made a few adjustments to this.  I cut the recipe in half and it left me with 5 portions (probably about 2 cups each).  By cutting it in half it I should have used 1.5 cans of pinto beans and 1 1/2 jalapeno peppers.  I used two full cans of beans and 2 full jalapeno peppers (one de-seeded and one with the seeds).

Easy Texas Chili

From: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef


• 1 large onion, diced


• 1 large bell pepper, minced


• 3 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans


• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes


• 4 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce


• 3 jalapeno peppers, minced (optional)


• 1/2 cup chili powder


• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Cook and stir the beef, onion, and bell pepper in a large pot over medium heat until the beef is brown and onion and pepper are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain grease from beef.


2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, jalapenos (if using), chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Bring mixture to a slow boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer chili at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it does not stick. This chili can be simmered for several hours; the longer you simmer, the more flavor you will get.

The Chewy

While living in Colorado I accumulated a ton of baking recipes that I wanted to make.  I don't think I even entirely adapted to the altitude.  Some times turned out wonderful and some...well not so great.  I had a hard time learning exactly what it was that needed to be adjusted and quite frankly I got sick of messing around with it.  I don't know how many times I made cookies and cakes that turned out flat as a pancake.  So eventually I just started saving recipe that I wanted to make once we moved back down to sea level.  Now that we are here the baking bug has bit me and I am loving it!

Back when I saved this recipe "The Chewy" was all the rage in the food blogging world so I couldn't wait to try it.  Now that I have...I have to admit I am a little let down.  It didn't really live up to all the hype.  Don't get me wrong, the cookies were great.  I just don't see what all the buzz was about.  It is a thick, chewy, chocolate chip cookie.  Maybe I am bias as I have recently found a different chocolate chip cookie that has my heart! (That recipe to be blogged sometime soon!)

The recipe states to bake for 14 minutes, checking after 5 minutes.  The first batch I baked for 12 minutes and they were a little bit over baked.  The following batches I baked for 10 minutes and that seemed to be about right.  I don't know if it was the size of my cookies or just my oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(From: Alton Brown)

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Weekly Menu 01/09/2010 - 01/15/2010

Saturday: Sailor Sandwiches with Caesar Mayo

Sunday: Grilled Salisbury Chicken & Roasted Broccoli

Monday: Champagne Chicken & Green Beans

Tuesday: Meatballs with Cream Sauce, Egg Noodles & Peas

Wednesday: Oven Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Cole Slaw

Thursday: Crustless Quiche & Salad

Friday: Sliders and Oven Fries

Weekly Menu 01/03/2010-01/08/2010

Sunday: Freezer Chicken Fried Rice and Egg Rolls

Monday: Baked Manicotti, Garlic Bread and Salad

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches, Baked Beans and Chips

Wednesday: California Chicken, Wild Rice and Broccoli

Thursday: Grilled Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Cornbread with Honey Butter

Friday: Hawaiian Pizza on Honey Wheat Crust