Chewy Chocolate Cookies

This is my wonderful mother in law's recipe. My mother in law is an awesome lady...kind, loving and she can bake a darn good cookie. This recipe is simply wonderful and I was so excited to recieve the recipe as part of my Christmas gift this year! My husband and I just go crazy over these cookies...they are soft, chewy and have the perfect amount of chocolatey sweetness. They are by far our favorite cookie.

This is certainly a recipe I'll cherish forever, and I hope you will love it as much as our family does!

Ingredients
Source: My mother in law

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional...I don't use them because my husband doesn't like nuts)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter until light and pale in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add sugar and continue to mix well. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix toghether with a spoon. On low speed, add flour mixture into the creamed egg mixture just until it comes together. Stir in chocolate chunks and nuts (if you are using them). Drop by teaspoon onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until soft and puffed up. Cool on cookie sheet until set up, about a minute or two. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oven Poached Salmon with Lentils

I recently discovered how much I like lentils. Lentil soup, lentil sides. Lentils simply taste great and are good for you. So when I found this recipe I was excited...it combines two of my "new found" favorite health foods...salmon and lentils!

My husband and I both really enjoyed this. The salmon pairs perfectly with the lentils and makes for a hearty, healthy meal. I love oven poaching the salmon...it's so easy and results in a flavorful, tender fish. This entire recipe is also very easy to prepare which makes it great for a weeknight.

Ingredients
Lentils adapted from Simply...Gluten Free
Salmon adapted from Eating Well

1 cup green lentils, rinsed thoroughly
2 cups chicken stock (for lentils)
1 tbsp. chicken stock (for salmon)
5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 small shallot, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced in about ¼ inch dice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 8 ounce salmon fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Put lentils in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic gloves, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender and the chicken stock has evaporated. Set aside when done.

While the lentils are cooking, place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the salmon with chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, and just a bit of fresh lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

While salmon is baking and after the lentils are cooked, in a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then add the carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add the shallot and a pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots just start to brown

Fish the garlic cloves out of the lentils and mash with a fork. Add to the skillet with the carrots and shallot and mix well. Add the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add lemon juice and stir.

Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, top with the cooked salmon and serve with some lemon wedges if desired.

Morning Glory Muffins

I've really been in the mood for a good muffin lately. A super healthy, packed with goodness muffin that I can have for a weekday breakfast on the go without feeling bad about questionable ingredients. So when I found this recipe I was anxious to try it out.

After I made a few modifications to bump up the health factor, I was SO pleased with how this muffin came out. Carrots, apples, golden raisins, and whole wheat flour are only a few of the healthful ingredients in this muffin. I actually feel good about eating it because not only is it just delicious tasting, I know that it's packed with goodness.

The muffin itself is perfectly sweet (using agave nectar, not white sugar) and very moist. The almonds add wonderful texture and the cinnamon is a great addition to the flavor of the muffin.

All in all, I absolutely loved this muffin, as did my co-workers...who could not believe it was actually healthy. Which is fine by me.

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple (I used granny smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 cup golden raisins
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 small handfuls of Raw Almonds, chopped finely and divided
about 4+ tbsp. wheat germ, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a muffin tin with nonstick spray, or use paper cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat and all purpose flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and about 2 tbsp. wheat germ. Stir in carrots, apples, 1 small handful of chopped almonds and raisins. Then stir in egg mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine the rest of the chopped almonds and 2 tbsp wheat germ. Heat until wheat germ is very lightly toasted, and then top the muffins with the toasted wheat germ and almonds.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

I yielded 24 muffins that were on the smaller side.

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

I've seen this recipe time after time around the internet. A healthy snack that tastes great. So I decided to give in and try them once and for all.

I thought they were really good! A light, crunchy snack that will take away the hunger pangs without ruining your diet. I had no problem getting them nice and crunchy when I let them sit in the oven after turning it off. I also did not use any oil to save some calories/fat. For seasoning, I just used a bit of salt and some herbs de Provence after they came out of the oven. The seasoning doesn't stick great to the dry chickpeas, but it gave them a subtle flavoring that was perfect for me. But if you want them more seasoned, I'd imagine some oil would do the trick. Overall I thought this was a great little snack.

Ingredients
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 12 oz. can chickpeas, drained
kosher salt
herbs de Provence

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat chickpeas dry with a paper towel and spread on a foil lined baking sheet (without any cooking spray or oil). Roast for about 40-50 minutes, tossing them once or twice during baking time to prevent them sticking to the foil. After they are slightly crunchy on the outside, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for about an hour or two. After this, they should be very crunchy.

Put chick peas into a bowl and sprinkle with salt and herbs de Provence to taste. I used about 1 tsp. of each. Toss to combine and serve or store for later snacking.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

I have to admit, the main reason I decided to try this soup was because I wanted to use my immersion blender. I've had it for over a year now and have never really had the opportunity to use it! So I decided to look for a recipe where I could use my sort of new immersion blender.

When I found this soup, I thought it would be perfect for my immersion blender test run. It looked super healthy and the ingredients were all things that I like. And what really got me was that it looked like a creamy soup (my favorite) without cream! So I was sold on it!

This soup was just great! I turned it into a "one pot" meal which worked perfectly and made for very little clean up. It was easy to make and tasted just great. My husband even liked it...and he was a bit skeptical at first. It tasted just like a cream based soup but happily there was no cream! This is a healthy, satisfying and just plain delicious soup.

Ingredients
Source: My Man's Belly

1 Medium Head Cauliflower (roughly chopped)
2 Leeks, White and Light Green Part Only (cut in half lengthwise) (I used one leek)
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 onion, diced (I added this)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 14 Ounce Cans Chicken Stock (I used about 1 carton of chicken stock)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a stove/oven safe dutch oven (I used enameled cast iron), put in cauliflower, leeks, garlic and onions. Drizzle olive oil over everything and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss together so the veggies are coated in the olive oil.

Roast uncovered in oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring vegetables after about 20 minutes. After about 45 minutes or so, vegetables should be brown on edges and slightly softened.

Transfer dutch oven to the stovetop and add 2 cans of chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (stick blender), thoroughly puree all contents of the saucepan. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be careful putting hot liquids in a blender as they can cause the lid to come flying off sending your yummy soup all over your kitchen. (You can vent the lid a little to help reduce the chance of this happening.)

Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Salmon with Lemon Ginger Sauce

I found this recipe at Mon Petit Peche Mignon when I was looking for a new salmon recipe to try. I think this recipe pushed me from an "I don't like salmon" kind of girl to an "I like salmon" girl. This was a great recipe. As per the comments on the blog, I cut the sauce recipe in half and even then I still had a ton of sauce! But the sauce was so good, I'm glad I had a lot. But I definitely suggest cutting the sauce in half if you are only making one or two filets. This recipe was fresh, light and healthful. I really enjoyed it and will certainly be making it again.
Ingredients
Source: Mon Petit Peche Mignon

Skin on salmon filets (however many you need; I just used one for myself)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
juice of one lemon
1 cup chicken stock
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger (I used 1 tsp. ground ginger as that was all I had on hand)
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (I omitted)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold water
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
handful of fresh cilantro or chive (I used thyme)
Directions
Prepare Salmon as you normally would. I preheat oven to 425°F, coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with a bit of low sodium chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and cook until onion starts to get translucent. Add lemon juice and continue cooking 1 minute over low heat. Pour in chicken stock, Tabasco, ginger, and season well. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with water in a small dish and then stir into sauce and cook for 1 minute over low heat. Add milk- if your milk is cold, spoon some of the hot sauce into it before adding to the pot so that it does not curdle. Bring to a quick boil, then remove from heat. Throw a handful of cilantro or other fresh herb into the pot and stir to distribute.

Correct the seasoning and spoon generously over salmon.

Couscous with Butternut Squash and Sage

I found this recipe on foodgawker and thought it would be a great side dish for dinner. I was excited about it because I love the squash/sage combination but didn't really think to put it with couscous. But turns out, it works out SO well! It was a really hearty side dish that was totally healthy (after I doctored the original recipe at least). This is one that my husband and I both liked very much and will certainly be making again.

Ingredients
Adapted from Oui, Chef

1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock (I use a combo. of both)
1 small butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size cubes
4-6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange butternut squash on sheet in a single layer, spray with a bit more cooking spray and top with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until squash is very tender.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water or stock to a boil. Add shallot, garlic, couscous and sage. Stir once, cover and set aside for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove cover from saucepan and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add cooked butternut squash. Stir everything together gently and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.