Chocolate chip perfection

I've been making chocolate chip cookies for the last two weeks. Seriously, I think I've made about five batches, each a different recipe; all in search of the perfect, chewy cookie. After two crispy batches, I turned to the only man I knew to turn to - Alton Brown. :) In his episode, Three Chips for Sister Marsha, AB discusses the different types of cookies: thin (crispy), puffy and what I wanted - the CHEWY!

Alton's recipe was really good and definitely pointed me in the right direction. But it still wasn't exactly what I wanted. So I turned to my Blogger and Facebook friends (special thanks to Frieda!). I got several comments and a few recipes. One of them (thanks, Morgan!) looked really close to what I wanted - except that it used less chocolate chips. So I adjusted that part. :) I took what I'd heard and learned, combined some recipes, and came up with this amazing cookie.


INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 - 2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) bag chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS

Cream butter, shortening, and both sugars.

Add egg and vanilla. Beat till combined.

Sift flour, soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture in thirds, beating till combined after each addition.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes, until edges barely begin to brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.


A few notes...this dough may seem a little dry. But trust me, it makes yummy cookies! Start with 2 cups of flour and add a little bit more at a time until the dough holds together well. Bread flour contains more gluten. Gluten = chewiness. If all you have is all-purpose flour, that's ok. The cookies will still be good. If you happen to have all purpose flour and some wheat gluten...add a couple of teaspoons of gluten to the flour mix.

Ranch Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

Holy cow, yumminess. I made this last night for our ward Christmas party at church - first time making it. I almost didn't need to clean the bowl, it had been scraped so empty! :) So apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was wonderful!! Not to brag on my cooking - I'm not the one that came up with the recipe. I found it on one of my new favorite food blogs; she has tons of yummy recipes! You should definitely try this one out!!


INGREDIENTS

1 c. mayonnaise (I used light)
1 c. Ranch salad dressing
2 c. frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained (You could use other veggies, but the peas were good!)
1/2 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cubed/shredded (I cook mine with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
1/2 lb. diced and cooked bacon
1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 c. shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella and Swiss)
Salt and pepper, to taste


DIRECTIONS

Combine the mayo and Ranch. Pour over the other ingredients and stir to combine.

I say refrigerate it for a few hours before serving to let the flavors blend. Mmmmm.....

Chicken Chow Mein

I found this recipe in one of my Parents magazines a few months back. They had an article on what famous, international chefs fed their kids; this recipe was from Ming Tsai. As with anything I cook, I never follow recipes exactly. So here's my version. :)


INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pkg chow mein noodles (found in Asian aisle at Wal-Mart)
Canola oil
1 Tbsp. chopped ginger (I use 1 1/2 Tbsp pre-chopped, bottled ginger/garlic mix)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions/green onions, sliced 1/8-in thick, white and green parts separated
3 cups packed spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste


DIRECTIONS

Mix cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl. Add chicken; marinate for 5 minutes.

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water after draining. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil on high in a large pan. Stir-fry chicken until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes; remove. Add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to pan; stir-fry ginger, scallion whites, and garlic until oil is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the noodles, chicken, and spinach and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (If it starts to look a little dry, add a bit more oil).

Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion greens if desired.

McAlister's Chicken Tortilla soup

I LOVE McAlister's Deli. Zac doesn't feel quite the same way -- but that's ok. :) He said this soup was "awesome." I didn't think it was quite a perfect copycat recipe - a little more tomato and less cheesy than I remember McAlister's being. It's still really good...but I'll be playing with the recipe a little bit.


INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/cubed
2 cups tortilla chips
1 bunch green onions, sliced


DIRECTIONS

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until soft.

Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water.

Stir together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; stir into stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until broth is slightly thickened.

Stir in chiles, cheese, cilantro and cooked chicken. Stir until cheese melts, then let simmer for 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls; serve chips on the side (or crumble a few chips over each bowl of soup). Garnish with chopped green onions.

Dorito salad

I don't know the technical name for this, but it's REALLY good. My friend Kristina made it for another friend's bachelorette party - it's yummy!!! It's kind of a loose recipe, as most of mine are. I never buy the already cooked chicken, I just cook/cut up a couple of chicken breasts.


INGREDIENTS

1 bag of lettuce - any kind

Chicken breast, cooked and chopped (Can use pre-cooked grilled Tyson chicken strips/fajita strips-not frozen)

1 bag of cheese (I use Co-Jack)

1-2 cans of Ranch Style Beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (slightly crushed)

Catalina dressing

DIRECTIONS

In large bowl, mix lettuce, chicken, cheese and beans.

Just before serving, add Doritos and dressing. Use just enough dressing to cover, not soak the salad. Enjoy!

Yummy blueberry muffins

I've been wanting to try some homemade blueberry muffins for awhile, but I'm too cheap to pay much for fresh blueberries. But we got some tonight, so I searched for a recipe. I wanted one with a streusel topping and adjusted one that I found on AllRecipes. The muffins got rave reviews from Zac & Kirsten! Following others' suggestions, I filled the cups and got eight muffins. Get some blueberries and give 'em a try!


INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter


DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in medium mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat well.

Gently fold in blueberries just until mixed. Drop into paper lined muffin cups.

Combine brown sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and butter with a fork. Sprinkle generously over muffin batter.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until just done. Let cool and remove from pan. Enjoy!

Aunt Donna's layered salad

I made this for a friend's BBQ yesterday and the recipe was requested - I love it when that happens! :) I first had this when Zac's Aunt Donna made it for Christmas and I personally think it's pretty darn yummy!!


INGREDIENTS
1 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned/dried and chopped/torn into bite size pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
Frozen sweet peas
Chopped onion (optional - I don't use them)
2 cups mayonaisse
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled


DIRECTIONS

In a 9x13 pan, layer:
Lettuce (may not use entire head)
Water chestnuts
Onions (if using)
Frozen sweet peas

In a bowl, combine the mayo, mozzarella and sugar. Spread over the layered ingredients. Top with crumbled bacon.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. YUMMY!!!!

Corkscrews with chicken and zucchini

Another yummy recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good. that we made for dinner tonight. I used frozen zucchini because it's what I had - but I totally recommend fresh, I think it would turn out better. I also used a small can of diced tomatoes because I didn't have fresh - that worked, but fresh tomatoes might give it a little brighter taste.


INGREDIENTS

8 oz rotini or other short pasta
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
8 oz fresh button mushrooms (I didn't use these)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or 2 tsp jarred minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 medium tomato, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind in a can)


DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water until just tender. Drain and put back into pot. Stir tomatoes into pasta, cover and set aside.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and let cook 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken browns and is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

When chicken is cooked and zucchini is crisp-tender, remove skillet from heat. Combine with tomato/pasta mix and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese melts.


NOTE: The cookbook mentions that broccoli would be a good substitute for zucchini.

Mexi-chicken skillet

Zac's sister, Kirsten, is staying with us for a few weeks (YEA!) and helping out. She's gotten into cooking lately and so she made dinner the other night. I plan menus for the week, so she made that day's recipe. It was goooood!! Since it was just us and Abby, we had too much left over; you could half the recipe (except the rice, maybe) and easily have enough for four people. I got this recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good., a cookbook I borrowed from the library. You will be seeing more recipes from it in the next few days! Oh, and I can't take credit for the picture - I borrowed it from $5 Dinners.


INGREDIENTS

1 jar (26 oz) chunky salsa, whatever spiciness you like
1 1/3 cups long grain rice
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
2 cans (11 oz each) Mexi-corn, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
Sour cream, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving


DIRECTIONS

Combine 2 2/3 cups water with 1/2 cup of the salsa in a covered pot and bring to boil. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer about 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. After onion has begun to soften, add chicken breast and cook, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Once chicken has begun to brown, add the corn, beans and remaining salsa to the skillet. Stir to coat chicken and vegetables with salsa. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, spoon chicken mixture over a bed of hot rice. Top with cheese and sour cream as desired.

Punch lebanese - Our wedding punch

After Zac and I got engaged, I started looking around for punch recipes. I am not a huge fan of Sprite (or ginger ale or any of those) and so the standard punch recipes wouldn't do me much good. This punch was served at a friend's wedding and I got the recipe from Martha Johnson, one of the ladies from church. It's soooo yummy and makes a lot of punch. (The whole recipe makes 34 8-oz servings. Half a recipe will fill a large punchbowl.) I've considered freezing batches of it just to keep around. Mmmm...


INGREDIENTS

2 large (46 oz) cans pineapple juice
1 can frozen orange juice (prepared with 3 cans water)
8 oz real lemon juice
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp almond flavoring
8 cups water
4 cups sugar


DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together and add ice. (Or serve with an ice ring)