World Peace Cookies

adapted from Dorie Greenspan

I've seen these cookies on cooking blogs for a while now, always with rave reviews. They say if everyone were able to eat these cookies every day, world peace would be in our grasp. With that kind of praise, I had to break down and try them out.

The first batch I cut too thin and they turned into ugly (but delicious) hockey pucks. The second time around I was more generous with my slicing and they turned out soft with chocolaty amazingness. They really were a wonderful, rich cookie. I feel more peaceful already.

1 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

11 Tbsp unsalted butter (about 150 grams)

2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate

In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft then add sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix. It may look a bit crumbly, but don't be concerned. Toss in chocolate and mix until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, split it into two batches and gather each batch together forming them into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours (until hard). They can also be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 325. Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. Do not make them too thin, or they will become very flat when they bake. They may crack a bit when cutting them, just squeeze them back together. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes (13 if they were fresh out of the freezer). Let them cool until room temperature and serve.

Fruit and Feta Salad

This quick salad combines sweet and tangy, and is a great way to eat your fruits and veggies.


spinach

2 apples, diced

2 oranges, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup crumbled Feta

Dressing:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare salad ingredients and toss together. Mix up dressing and serve on the side.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I love oatmeal. It is so filling and there are so many ways it can be prepared. This is my all-time favorite way, full of flavor and so good for you.

1/2 cup 1 minute quick oats
1 grated apple
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
hot water
splash of milk

Mix together the oats, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Then grate the apple (skin on) and add that to the mixture. Add enough hot water to suit your oatmeal thickening preference. Add a splash of milk on top (optional)

calorie count: about 260 (300 if you add milk)

Mongolian Beef

adapted from Foodie Bride

This is a take on the popular Chinese restaurant favorite. It was easy to put together, and had a light spicy flavor. Next time I would probably add some fresh chilies to make it a little hotter, but as is this dinner is a crowd pleaser.

1 lb flank steak, sliced thinly
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tsp oil, divided
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup water
1cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (measured, not packed)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1 tsp chili powder)

Garnish with sesame seeds or sliced green onion

Pat steak slices dry and add to a bowl with cornstarch. Toss to coat and shake off excess starch.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.

Turn the heat to high and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef strips and cook until browned on all sides. Pour the sauce back into the wok and stir for several minutes, then remove from heat. Serve with rice and vegetables, garnish and enjoy!

Divine Tuna Sandwiches

Ben and I love tuna fish sandwiches. They are so filling and light and can be made in a snap.


Bread
2 cans tuna
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup pickles, chopped
Swiss cheese
lettuce
spicy mustard
tomatoes, sliced
avocado, sliced

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper and pickles. Spread mustard on one side of the bread and cover with a little cheese. Toast the bread until the cheese melts. Put together the sandwiches and serve.

Whole Grain Chocolate Banana Bread

from Whole Grain Gourmet

This bread was great, 100% whole grain and studded with sweet, chocolaty goodness. Mine came out a bit crumbly, and next time I may add a tablespoon of lemon juice or oil to help it hold together better. Still, the taste was great and I will definitely be making this again.


1/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 3-4)
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (King Arthurs has extra gluten to help hold it together!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips (dark is best!)

Preheat the oven to 325, and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
In a larger bowl, combine butter, honey and sugar and beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in the bananas and vanilla, being careful not to overmix. Slowly add the flour mixture.
Put the hot water in a separate bowl, and add the baking soda. Then beat it into the batter. Gently fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 for 52 minutes. A knife should come out clean when stabbed through the bread, if it is not, put it in for another couple of minutes.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Tuna Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

Adapted from Allrecipes

This is a great salad for those wanting to eat a light meal, but not lose out on flavor.


Large bunch of leafy greens
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans tuna, drained
1 jar Kalamata olives
crumbled Feta
1 cucumber, diced
3 tomatoes, diced

Dressing:
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Drain tuna and add salt and pepper. Combine salad ingredients, serving the tuna on the side. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

Polynesian Style Meatballs

adapted from Don't Forget Delicious

Ok, I know this is my third meatball recipe, but for some reason (pregnancy?) I have been really craving meat lately... These meatballs may be my all-time favorite, the flavor was spicy and unique and they were a cinch to put together.

1 lb ground pork

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs (or quick oats)

1-3 tsp chili sauce (depending on how much heat you like)

3/4 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

2 tsp mustard

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz pineapple chunks, plus juice

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together pork, egg, oats, chili sauce, ginger root, mustard, soy sauce and salt. Roll into balls and brown them in a frying pan on the stove. Once browned, put in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked all the way through)

In the same frying pan, heat the pineapple + juice and onion until just boiling. Add in the bell pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, stock and cornstarch and mix together. Add to the pineapple mixture and stir to combine. Boil for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Add meatballs back into the pan and toss to coat. Serve over hot rice.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

adapted from Make Healthy Meals

I love pancakes. They remind be of Saturday mornings in the summer when my dad would come in from mowing the lawn, turn on oldies music and make a special breakfast for all of us kids. We would sleepily stumble down the stairs, lured in by the good smells and music.
In trying to be at least a little bit healthier, I have been experimenting with different whole wheat/oat pancakes and these have been the best recipe thus far.

Makes about 8 medium pancakes (serves 2)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp oil

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Then add in the wet ingredients one at a time, stirring after each addition. Heat a skillet to medium, add a little bit of oil or Pam and pour about 1/2 cup of batter on to the surface. Once bubbles appear on the surface, check the bottom of the pancake. If it looks lightly browned, flip it over and cook the other side.

Mini Cheesecakes

adapted from Mango & Tomato

Who doesn't love cheesecake? It is so decadent, I can never eat more than a small peice but that small peice packs in a punch. These were so good and went very quickly.

I decided that baking them into mini cheesecakes would help with portion control, and though it really didn't help THAT much, it made it much easier to put half locked up in the freezer for another day. Out of sight, out of mind right?

Crust:
2 cups of mashed oreos (or other cream filled cookie)
1/4 cup butter, melted

OR

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake:
24 oz cream cheese (I used lite)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 359. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into cupcake cups. Set aside.
Combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Then add the eggs one at a time, and gently incorporate them into the mix. Try not to beat it. Then add the heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all of the air bubbles to the surface.
Bake for about 30 minutes. You are waiting for the cake to hold together, but still have a little jiggle in the center. Take them out of the oven to rest on the counter to cool. Once they are room temperature, put them into the fridge to chill.

To prevent cracks: Don't beat the eggs. Let the cakes cool slowly before putting in the fridge. Also, placing a dish with water underneath your pan called a "water bath" will help it bake more evenly, preventing cracks.

Slow Roasted Lamb

Adapted from Dinner Diary

This recipe does not have many ingredients and is simple to prepare. It happily cooks for 4 hours while you go about your day and when you go to retrieve it, the meat just falls off the bone.

Lamb:
1 lamb shoulder (about 4 lbs), with the bone in
1 bunch fresh rosemary (or 2 Tbsp dried)
1 bulb garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves
olive oil
salt
black pepper

Sauce:
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dried mint

Preheat your oven to 400. Using a sharp knife, cut gently into the fat layer of the lamb creating a criss-cross pattern about 1" apart. Pour some olive oil over the lamb, massage it in with your hands and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, rubbing in the seasoning well.

Lightly coat the bottom of your lidded casserole dish with olive oil and scatter about half of the rosemary and garlic at the bottom. Place the lamb into the dish, top with the other half of rosemary and garlic and put it in the oven, covered. Turn down the temperature to 325.

Cook for 4 hours.

Remove the lamb from the dish and cover it with foil to rest. Reserve the juices, skimming off the fat and discard any large sprigs of rosemary or papery garlic skins. Mash the garlic cloves into the liquid and transfer to a sauce pan. Combine the flour and stock, and pour it into the sauce pan, allowing the liquid to boil (stirring constantly) for about 5 minutes. Then add in the the capers, mint and red wine vinegar and boil a couple of minutes more, then pour into a gravy dish for serving.

The lamb should be tender enough where it falls off the bone. Gently pull it apart with two forks and serve with potatoes, green vegetables and plenty of sauce. Divine.

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal

Just like Elvis, I have always been a fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. It is such an ingenious combination, and it makes an easy transition into oatmeal. This is a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that will keep you going until lunch.


1/2 cup quick 1- min cooking oats
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a sprinkle of chili powder (slightly less than 1/8 tsp)
a sprinkle of salt
1 Tbsp peanut butter
boiling water (at least 1-2 cups)
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 medium mashed banana

Boil water on the stove. In a bowl, whisk together oats, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt. Add the peanut butter in the center, but do not stir.
When the water boils, add water to oats mixture a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Stir until peanut butter melts, then add vanilla and mashed banana.

Calorie count: approx 400