Energy Bar Cookies

Perfect for healthy snacking. I keep mine in the freezer and take out a couple when I'm about to run errands, etc. Makes 24 cookies. Cook time: 20 minutes.

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2 ripened bananas, mashed 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower butter) 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups quick oats 1/2 cup chopped nuts (or 1/4 cup sunflower seeds) 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or raisins)

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Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Mix wet ingredients and salt. Stir in oats. Add a few tablespoons of milk or water if the batter is dry. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips until combined. Use small cookie scoop and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Arrange three chocolate chips on top of each cookie (optional). Bake for 20 minutes. Eat within 2 days or freeze.

Tip

I cook two cookie sheets at once (12 cookies on each sheet) and switch them after 10 minutes for even cooking.

Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu

  Quick and easy version of a fancy dish. Serves 3-5 people. Cook Time 10-15 minutes. 

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4-5 small chicken breasts, tenderized

1-2 T olive oil

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

¼  cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

½ cup panko

1 T Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

4 teaspoons olive oil

3 slices ham, diced (I like Hormel Natural Choice Ham)

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1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare chicken breasts by placing in a zip top bag and pounding them on each side with a meat tenderizer.
2. Combine cream cheese, shredded cheeses, and garlic salt in small bowl.
3. Combine panko, seasonings, oil, and diced ham  in a small bowl.
4. Heat olive oil in oven proof  non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts for 1 minute on each side. Remove skillet from heat.
5. Move chicken breasts to center so they are touching each other. Spread cheese mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle panko/ham mixture over the cheese.
6. Bake at 400 (in middle of oven)  until chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 F (about 6-8 minutes).

Tips

If you don’t have a meat tenderizer you can use the back of a cookie scoop or a rolling pin. You can use any type of shredded cheese to mix with the cream cheese, including swiss or parmesan. If your skillet is not oven proof, just transfer the chicken to an oven-proof casserole dish before topping and baking.

Layered Tres Leches Cake

Easy but fancy dessert. Perfect for summer dinner parties and potlucks.

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5 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk (2% or whole)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream

2-3 tablespoons sugar, to taste

fresh chopped strawberries (or other berries)

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Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray 2 - 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray (I use silicon pans). Beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar on high until pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla.

Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together and add to the yolk mixture, stir to combine. Gently fold in egg whites to rest of batter until just combined. Gently spread into the two pans. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and inserted toothpick is clean. Remove from oven, let cool, and poke holes all over each cake with a fork.

Combine evaporated and sweetened condensed milk in a pourable measuring glass and stir. Pour half of it over each cake (about 1 1/4 cup for each cake). Let cakes sit for about 20 minutes or until all the milk is absorbed. At this point you can also cover the cakes with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one day.

Meanwhile, beat heavy cream and sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Spread layer of whip cream between the two layers of cake and on top. Sprinkle chopped strawberries over the whip cream. Serve immediately (room temperature is preferred).

Adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/tres-leches-cake/

Pad Thai

This baby of mine has been a long time coming, but I finally have it perfected. This is one of my favorite Thai dishes and now I can make it at home! It requires a good amount of prep work but it only takes a short time to put it all together at the end. Most of the ingredients can be obtained from any grocery store. You may have to go to an Asian store to find the tamarind concentrate or order it online. I use a food scale to measure some of the ingredients in this recipe, but I put the approximate volume equivalents in here too for those that don't have one yet. Serves 2-4 people. Adapted from shesimmers.com.

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Prepare Noodles

7 oz Thai Kitchen Brand Stir-Fry Rice Noodles (½ of box, can find at Walmart) or other Thai brand pad thai style rice noodles

Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat, add noodles, cover with lid and let soak for 2 minutes. Drain off hot water and cover noodles with room temp water. Cover with lid and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain off water, rinse noodles with cold water, and set colander of noodles aside. Cut noodles with kitchen scissors to shorten to make stir frying easier in the end. Noodles should be soft but not mushy.

Sauce - makes ⅔ cup (or use equivalent a jarred sauce that you like (Double Golden Fish Brand is Good!))

60 grams Kikkoman soy sauce (reduced sodium is best) (¼ cup)

80 grams white sugar (5 ½ T)

40 grams brown sugar (3 T packed)

50 grams tamarind concentrate (2 ½ T) (I use this brand)

Bring to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Cover and set aside. 

Prepare ahead or while noodles are soaking, and set aside:

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 large carrot, julienned

¼ small onion, minced or grated, or roughly chopped (big pieces for flavor but can easily be removed at end)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1-2 cups chopped broccoli florets

2 eggs, scrambled and chopped (optional, I usually leave out)

8 oz super firm tofu cubes prepared as below*) or 4-8 oz of cooked cubed or shredded chicken

How to Prepare Crispy Baked Tofu

Dry block of tofu with paper or kitchen towels. Cut into cubes. (Most blocks come in 16 oz, so you can freeze half of the cubes for a later time: just lay cubes on cookie sheet to freeze and store in a freezer safe ziptop bag.) Whisk together 1 T oil, 1 T cornstarch, 1 T soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce or Go-Chu-Jang sauce. Stir 8oz of cubed super firm tofu into sauce. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake on nonstick baking mat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 375 for 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to add to recipe. 

Toppings to Garnish When Serving (optional)

large handful freshly chopped cilantro

large handful of chopped or crushed peanuts

lime wedges or lime juice

Final Steps

Add 4 tablespoons of canola oil to deep nonstick skillet (mine is 3.5 quarts) or wok . Heat over medium heat until piece of onion sizzles. Add onion, garlic, and carrot, and any other vegetables and reduce heat to medium low or low (if garlic starts to burn), stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Onions should be tender and carrots and broccoli should be at least half cooked (can spray with water to steam and speed up cooking).

Raise heat to medium and add noodles, sauce, eggs, and tofu/chicken. Stir frequently over medium heat for 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Garnish individual servings with chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a squeeze of lime juice (optional). 

Notes
*Optional - increase amount of sauce to serve extra on the side.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

These cookies were my favorite growing up and remind me of my childhood. If yours don't turn out perfect, adjust the amount of flour by 1/4-1/2 cup. Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition, "Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies" (page 150.) Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

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1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups old fashioned oats

2.5 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5-2 cups butterscotch chips

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Preheat oven to 375. Combine softened butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until smooth, with hand mixer or stand mixer (fit with paddle attachment). Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add half of dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined, continue with rest of dry ingredients. Gently stir in butterscotch chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are just started to brown and there are a few golden spots on top (my oven takes 9.5 minutes). Remove from oven and let sit on tray for 3 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack. Store in airtight container. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies. Store in an airtight container.

White Bean and Bacon Vegetable Soup

Adapted from Pioneer Woman Bean With Bacon Soup. Tastes like a homemade version of Campbell’s Vegetable Soup but with white beans instead of alphabet pasta. Pairs well with cornbread muffins! Also, it's a savory dairy free, gluten free, and low carb recipe. Perfect if you need to take a meal to someone with those needs.

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves (or 2 teaspoons minced garlic)

2-4 cups beef broth* OR water with beef broth paste

1 small can tomato sauce (or 3 T tomato paste)

1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn, green beans)

1 can white northern beans (drained)

1 can pinto beans (drained)

1 can chili beans (NOT drained)

optional topping for serving:

cooked bacon, crumbled or store bought bacon bits 

*amount of broth depends on how much broth ratio you like in your soup

Directions

Wrap onion and garlic in a piece of foil and put inside a large stove top pot or an Instantpot. Add everything else. The foil wrapped ball will float. Bring to boil and let simmer covered for at least 20 minutes on stove or cook on high pressure for 15 minutes in the Instanpot. Remove the foil and carefully empty the onion and garlic and ladle some of the broth to a blender or large measuring glass. Use the blender or an immersion blender to puree the onion and garlic into the broth until smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir.

For thin clear both, leave as is. For thicker broth dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch in water and whisk into broth. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Top individual servings with crumbled bacon. 

Tool Box Cake

I made this cake for my son's birthday as he is obsessed with Bob the Builder and anything associated with building. He also loves tape measures. I included a picture collage below of how I assembled it. I used a loaf pan for the main cake, froze it, and trimmed the sides off. Then I made the sides of the tool box, the tools, and the tape measure with sugar cookies. I used this recipe which makes a nice firm cookie that will hold up well. I used a sharp steak knife to saw off the ends because they were a little too tall. I free handed the cookie shapes with a sharp paring knife. I used wilton gel to dye the frosting. I used a plastic straw for the handle.

Decorator Cream Cheese Buttercream - 5 variations

I optimized this recipe recently and now I use it for everything from sugar cookies to cakes. I think traditional buttercream is too strong and most cream cheese frosting recipes are too soft for decorating. This has just the right amount of cream cheese and as long as you add the right amount of milk it's also perfect when using a piping bag. I prefer to use a hand mixer with this recipe instead of a stand mixer. It provides better control and you won't have to scrape down the sides. 

Basic recipe below is vanilla (originally posted here), These updated variations include chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, and strawberry (or other freeze dried fruit).

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1/4 cup salted butter (room temp)

2 ounces cream cheese (room temp)

1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (white or dark)

300 grams powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoon milk

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In a medium mixing bowl, whip butter and cream cheese together with hand mixer until smooth. Mix in salt and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix with hand mixer at high speed until it clumps together and a stiff ball starts to form. Mix in milk in teaspoons or drops to achieve desired consistency. I always check my consistency with a butter knife. Since this frosting has cream cheese in it, it should be refrigerated if not consumed the same day.

Variations (may omit or reduce vanilla, according to taste preference):

Chocolate - Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Peanut Butter - Replace 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
Lemon - Add 1/2-1 teaspoon lemon zest and use lemon juice instead of milk.
Strawberry (or any other freeze dried fruit) - Add two tablespoons of crushed freeze dried fruit powder (use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to crush the freeze dried fruit in a ziptop bag).
Coconut - 1/8 teaspoon coconut flavoring extract

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

The perfect summer recipe during blueberry season!

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1.5 cups white flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil (or grapeseed)

1 large egg

milk (up to 1 cup volume with egg and oil)

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 ounces fresh blueberries

coarse sugar (for topping muffins)

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Preheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add oil, egg, and milk up to one cup total volume in measuring glass, add vanilla. Stir to mix in egg. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with fork until just combined. Fold in blueberries with a spatula. Spoon into approximately 8-9 muffins cups. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Slightly adapted from Inspired Taste.

No Cook Vegetarian Taco Salad

This is my favorite summer go-to dinner recipe. Black beans replace ground beef for as an easy and healthy variation. No cooking required! Keeps the kitchen cool and is ready to serve in just 15 minutes!

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mixed greens, torn into bite size pieces

1 (15-ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1/2 package taco seasoning mix (.5 oz)

tortilla chips (plain or flavored)

shredded cheese

avocado (sliced or diced)

sour cream

salsa, or catalina dressing

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Combine taco seasoning mix with black beans. Top torn lettuce with beans, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, etc. Serve with sour cream and salsa or dressing. 

Easy Restaurant Style Salsa

1/4 small onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno (from jar or fresh)

1/2 tablespoon sugar

2-4 tablespoons RealLime brand lime juice (or fresh)

1/4 teaspoon cumin 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, cores removed and well drained*

1 cup cilantro leaves (stems removed)

1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

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Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, sugar, lime juice, and cumin to food processor and process until everything is well minced. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula a few times. Add the tomatoes and cilantro and pulse about 10-15 times, depending on how chunky or smooth you like it. Salt to taste. Eat or freeze within one week. Best to refrigerate before serving.

*I use a small pairing knife or kitchen shears to cut out the stem ends of the tomatoes. I prefer to use Hunt's brand No Salt Added Whole Tomatoes.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman Restaurant Style Salsa.

Spanish Rice

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2 tablespoons olive oil or canola

1 1/2 cups white rice (jasmine works well)

1 small onion, minced or grated*

2 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed

1 beef bouillon cube, crushed

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce + water up to 3 cups total volume

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Heat oil in large saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Add rice and onion. Brown rice and chopped onion until about half of the rice grains are turning light brown. Stir frequently to prevent burning/sticking. You don’t want to burn them but you want them pretty toasted. This is important for the final texture of the rice (slightly dry and not sticky). Add bouillon cubes and water/tomato sauce mixture and stir. Bring to boil, reduce to low simmer, cover, and cook for 18 - 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff rice and serve.

*I like to chop my onion really small in a food processor or grate them with a cheese grater so I get the flavor but mask the texture. 

Lasagna Soup

This soup tastes exactly like lasagna but you can make it in a fraction of the time and it uses a lot less cheese. Cooking the noodles separately will give you a clearer broth and thinner soup. If you cook the noodles in the soup they tend to soak up too much of the broth. Serves 4-6 people.

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1/4 pound lean ground beef, cooked and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, grated

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups beef broth (1-32oz box)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 tsps dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

6 ounces noodles, lasagna noodles broken into bite size pieces or bowtie pasta

8 ounces ricotta cheese

1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

shredded mozzarella cheese

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Brown ground beef, drain, and set aside. Bring pot of water to boil for the noodles. 

Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic, over medium to medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender and just starting to brown. Add enough beef broth to cover bottom of pan and tomato paste and whisk until smooth. Add remaining broth, entire can of petite diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and ground beef. Add basil, oregano, and sugar and stir well. Bring to low simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile boil noodles, in prepared pot of boiling water, until al dente; drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning in small bowl and set aside. Add noodles to soup, stir, and serve immediately. Garnish individual servings with a dollop of the ricotta cheese mixture and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

Adapted from: cookingclassy.com

Chili Cheeseburger Macaroni

Very easy and kid friendly meal. The cellentani noodles are a lot of fun. They are basically a long elbow in a corkscrew shape. Barilla brand makes them and you can find them at Walmart. Serves 4-6 people.

1/2 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 box beef broth (4 cups)

1 small can tomato sauce OR 1 can petite diced tomatoes

1/2 T chili seasoning packet mix

1 packet taco seasoning mix (reduced sodium if you can find it)

1 lb small pasta (cellentani, rotini, small penne)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

sour cream (optional garnish)

Combine cooked, drained, ground beef in extra large skillet with broth, entire can of tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix. Bring to boil and simmer over medium low or low, covered, for 5 minutes. Add noodles and continue simmering, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

*Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk continually over low heat for 1 minutes. Slowly add milk while whisking. Once it begins to thicken add the cheese and stir to melt. Remove from heat and keep covered. Once the noodles have cooked for 10 minutes, add the cheese sauce to noodle mixture and carefully stir until incorporated. Continue cooking on simmer, covered, until noodles reach desired tenderness. If sauce is too thick, you can add more beef broth or water.  Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to casserole dish before serving on the table. Top individual servings with a dollop of sour cream (optional).

*Update: You can also just add all the sauce ingredients at the end without cooking them separately and stir well. It works just fine and a little less work :)

    Adapted from Six Sisters.

Indian Curry and Yellow Basmati Rice

Chicken can be substitute for cubed tofu. Spices can be found at Asian and Latin American stores for much cheaper than a regular grocery store. Serves 4-6 people

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1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp dried ground ginger)

1 jalapeno seeded and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 cups chicken broth

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup coconut milk (or cream or evaporated milk)

3 medium chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

3 tablespoons white sugar

3 tablespoons butter

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Heat oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add onion, ginger, and jalapeno. Stir frequently and cook until onions are tender and clear, at least 5 minutes. Add remaining spices and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Scrape entire contents into a blender.

Add chicken broth and tomato paste to blender and blend until smooth, at least 1 minute. Pour back into pan. Add coconut milk and bring to low simmer. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and sugar. Cover and stir occasionally until chicken is cooked and sauce starts to thicken. Add butter and stir until melted. Adjust sugar and salt to taste. Serve over yellow basmati rice (see recipe below) or any preferred rice.

Variation: Replace half of chicken with fresh cubed pineapple.

Time Saver: Use a heaping tablespoon of jarred minced jalapeno instead of a fresh jalapeno.

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yellow Basmati Rice

Pairs well with any Indian curry or just as a flavorful side dish.

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2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups basmati rice

3 cups chicken broth

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Heat the butter, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and salt in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir and heat until the butter has melted.

Add the rice to the pot. Stir constantly and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice and spices.

Add 3 cups of chicken broth. Place a lid on top, increase the heat to medium high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer (with the lid in place) for 15-20 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Check at 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with fork, salt to taste, and serve.

Adapted from budgetbytes.com.

(Rice recipe updated 9-19-16, reduced amount of rice to 1.5 cups)

Whole Wheat Pecan Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cup bran flakes cereal*

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg 1/2 cup honey (or 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup loose packed brown sugar)

1 1/4 cup whole white wheat flour or all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional, add into batter or sprinkle on top)

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Preheat oven to 400. Crush cereal a little bit with rolling pin or heavy utensil, like a potato masher or ground beef masher. Combine crushed cereal, milk, oil, vanilla, egg, and sugar/honey in a medium bowl. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine with a long fork until no dry flour remains. Fill 10-12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 for approximately 15-17 minutes or until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out dry. Best eaten within 1 day. To reheat, spray with water and warm in microwave.

*Note: Once the bran flakes are crushed it should be about 3/4 cup. I save the crushed flakes and  crumbs at the bottom of the bran flakes cereal bag in a jar over time, and then use those for this recipe and I measure out 3/4 cup.

Adapted from recipe on back of box of Millville Brand, Bran Flakes Cereal.

Guest posted November 17, 2015 on Unconventional Kitchen.

Christmas Mint Fudge

This easy fudge recipe came from my mom. She made these at Christmas when I was growing up. I added the creme de menthe baking chips and it gives the fudge a perfect hint of sweet mint flavor. These are easy and tasty treats to share with friends during the holiday season.

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18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (good quality)

1 (12-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Andes Creme De Menthe Baking Chips

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Line 8x8 pan with foil. Combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously with a silicon scraper or wooden spoon until all the chocolate chips are melted. Transfer to foil lined pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the Andes mint baking chips over the top and lightly press them in with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or until set. Remove foil and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container.

Copycat Baked Spicy Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

I LOVE Chick-Fil-A and even worked at one in college. Unfortunately I live far away from one now, way too long to drive when I have a craving. So after discovering this recipe, I decided I needed to figure out how to make it myself. Plus this is baked, so it's a wee bit healthier! Reduce or omit the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you don't want it to be spicy. Makes 6 sandwiches.

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6 (4-ounce)s chicken breasts (flattened)

2/3 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

1/2 cup dried parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon white or black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

6 hamburger buns

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

smart balances spread

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Preheat oven to 450. Mix dry ingredients in ziplock bag. Whisk egg and milk with a fork. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture using a fork, letting excess drip off, and place in the ziplock bag. Shake and transfer chicken to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of chicken. Drizzle melted butter over the chicken, using a tiny spoon. Bake for 6 minutes, turn and bake for 6 minutes more, or until chicken is done (165 degrees internal). Remove chicken from oven and set the pan on the counter. Turn off oven. Lightly butter the inside of the buns with smart balance. Place buns in oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to lightly toast. Serve chicken on toasted buns with your favorite dipping sauce and two pickles slices :)

Inspired by and adapted from here and various online Chick-Fil-A copy cat recipes. 

Crispy Oven Baked Fries

1 1/2 pound light russet potatoes (cut into french fries)

3 tablespoons canola oil

pepper

salt (kosher or seasoned)

dried parmesan cheese

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Preheat oven to 475 and adjust oven rack to approximately 5 inches below the top heating element. Soak french fries in bowl of HOT tap water for 10 minutes. Drain water and dry potatoes thoroughly with clean dish towels. 

Spread 2 tablespoons of oil over large cookie sheet (12 x 16 inches). Toss the french fries in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread potatoes onto the baking sheet making sure the fries are in a single layer and not on top of each other. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then turn and stir fries with spatula. Repeat. Then repeat every 5 minutes until desired crispness is achieved. Total baking time should be between 25 and 35 minutes. Season fries with additional salt and dried parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Adapted from here. Main changes were reduction in amount of oil and change in location of oven rack.

Oriental Chicken Salad (Applebee's Copycat Salad)

Dressing

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup mayo

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon honey mustard (optional)

Salad  Romaine lettuce (chopped)

cabbage (purple and or green, chopped)

breaded chicken breast (sliced)

mandarin oranges

sliced almonds

crunchy rice noodles

Adapted from here.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Cooking time may need to be adapted for your elevation/humidity levels. If the cookies are dry and crumbly reduce the cooking time by 15-30 seconds. If the cookies do not harden, increase the cooking time by 15-30 seconds. Makes approximately 20 cookies.

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1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

pinch salt

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup quick oats

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Stir the first set of ingredients (sugar through salt) in medium saucepan over medium heat. Once you see the first bubble forming, start the timer for 1.5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the timer goes off, immediately remove the pan from heat and stir in peanut butter. Stir in oatmeal for one minute or until it starts to thicken a bit. Scoop quickly with small cookie scoop onto wax paper. Let cool at least one hour until set. Store in airtight container.

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