Waffled Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of years ago, I decided to reinvent the chocolate chip cookie. Enter the waffle iron. Waffled chocolate chip cookies? Not too shabby and oh so fun.

Disclaimer: Again, not entirely sure what I based the recipe off of :/

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c + 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. oats

3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Whisk butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Incorporate chocolate chips.
2. Great waffle iron. Pour batter into compartments and close lid. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Nommmm.

Turkey Avocado Panini with Roasted Cherry Tomato Relish

I have to admit that for the longest time (aka my entire childhood) I did not like (aka refused to eat) sandwiches with cold cuts. I actually don't enjoy lunch - I don't appreciate it as a meal and thought I recognize it's physiological importance, I find it unnecessary and bland. That is until I discovered paninis. They changed my world and made lunch that much more complicated.

I have also for the longest time (aka my entire childhood and most of my adulthood) hated tomatoes. But, recently I've been on a quest to make myself enjoy them. I now love tomato with fresh mozzarella and basil or pesto. And then my good friend from college taught me that if you cook the life out of cherry tomatoes, they're rather enjoyable.

General rule of thumb: avocado makes everything better.

Ingredients:
Two slices of bread
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
A slice of swiss cheese
1/2 avocado
3-4 slices of turkey

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and roast cherry tomatoes for 15-20 minutes over medium low heat in a frying pan. Make sure they don't burn, but rather give up totally and shrivel
2. Pull tomatoes out of oil and clean pan. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Layer with all of the ingredients and toast until the cheese gets deliciously melty.

Now that's a sandwich.

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are kind of a classic. Actually, they're definitely a classic. And, this is America - so, bigger is better. Drop these suckers by the 1/4 c. They are big and delicious. A fun alternative to the standard, tried and true Toll House recipe. 

Disclaimer: I don't know where I originally found the original recipe

Ingredients

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 c. chocolate chips

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. 
2. Cream melted butter and sugars in a separate bowl. Beat in vanilla, egg and egg parts.
3. Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips. 
4. Drop by the 1/4 c. Bake at 325 for 15-17 minutes

Plum Galette

Because I discovered that galettes are fun and we had a bajillion plums and my best friend's family was visiting and they love plums. Enter the plum galette. 

Crust ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. Crisco
2 Tbsp. ice water
Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and crisco. Cut Crisco through with knife and combine with flour. Combine until Crisco is combined with flour mixture. Add water and roll out on a flat, flour coated surface. Lay flat on parchment paper

Filling ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds of plums

3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
2 Tbsp orange juice

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. raw sugar

Directions:

1. Quarter plums and mix with the 3/4 c. sugar, water, orange juice, salt and flour. Place in the middle of the pie crust and fold up the edges.
2. Brush pie crust with melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake at 400 for 45 - 50 minutes.
3. Serve with vanilla ice cream (duh).

Cherry Galette

One day we got cherries from the CSA. But, not enough cherries to make a pie, and they weren't sweet enough to just eat. The solution: cherry galette. Or a small, flat pie. 

Recipe adapted from Grandma's recipe book and Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Crust ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. Crisco
2 Tbsp. ice water
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. raw sugar


Filling Ingredients:
2 c. pitted fresh ripe tart red cherries,
3/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and crisco. Cut Crisco through with knife and combine with flour. Combine until Crisco is combined with flour mixture. Add water and roll out on a flat, flour coated surface. 
2. Mix filling ingredients and place in the middle of the pie crust.
3. Fold up edges. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar
4. Bake at 400 for 50 to 55 minutes until crust is golden (I would bake on parchment paper to minimize the mess.)

Peach Crumb Pie

Because sometimes you can't just make the same peach pie over and over again no matter how delicious it is. and a crumb topping makes everything, everything better.

Recipe adapted from Grandma's recipe book and Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Crust ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. Crisco
2 Tbsp. ice water
Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and crisco. Cut Crisco through with knife and combine with flour. Combine until Crisco is combined with flour mixture. Add water and roll out on a flat, flour coated surface. Lay in pie pan and patch cracks (let's face it, they happen).

Filling ingredients: 

5 c. sliced peaches (8 peaches, maybe - I mixed yellow and white peaches)

3/4 c. - 1 c. sugar

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

1. Boil peaches in large pot for 1 minute, then peel, core and slice. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and fill pie. Top with crumb topping (below). Bake at 400 for 45 - 50 minutes.
2. Serve with vanilla ice cream (duh).

Topping ingredients:

1/3 c. sugar

3/4 c. flour

6 T. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly. Top the pie.

Plum Upside Down Cake

How many variations of plum desserts are there? We're well on our way to finding out.. This time my childhood best friend was visiting and we whipped up a plum upside down cake - with only minor burns ensuing. The plums created a delicious pseudo frosting and the sponge cake was perfect.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart and Drizzle and Dip

Ingredients
10-12 red or purple plums
6 Tbsp. butter
9 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Directions

1. Cut plums into quarters and remove pits. heat 6 Tbsp. butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until it sizzles. Add plums and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add 9 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon. Cook stirring frequently, 10-15 minutes. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Remove pan from heat and save syrup.
3. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 by 2 inch round cake pan. Arrange cut fruit with cut edges down. 
4. Return syrup to medium heat and boil until thick with large bubbles. Immediately pour over fruit and set aside.a
5. Preheat oven to 325. Beat 1 c. butter and 1c. sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond extract and eggs one at a time, allowing to fully combine between each addition.
6. Pour over plums and cook 1 hour.
7. Let cool, run a knife around the outside edge and invert.

Peach Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

I'm on a quinoa craze right now. At first, I was terrified of quinoa. I mean, how do you even say "quinoa" ? As it turns out, it's keen-wah. Regardless, I'm a starch and carb-loving midwesterner at heart. Quinoa wasn't one of my things. Until I tried tabouleh, recipe to follow in weeks to come. Now, I'm on a craze and decided to have it for breakfast with some of our CSA fruits.

Ingredients
1/4 c. quinoa
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 peach
hand full of sliced almonds
1 dash cinnamon
1 dash vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1. Mix quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until all of the water is evaporated. 
2. Fluff quinoa and move to a separate bowl. Mix in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and milk. Top with fruit and almonds. Enjoy warm!

Guacamole (for a crowd)

My guacamole brings all the boys to the yard. (except that I broke up with boyfriend a few weeks ago, but he really did like that guacamole.) Anyways, my roommate used to say that in college and then demand I make guacamole. So this is my treasured guacamole recipe. I think nothing is better than a few simple, fresh ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 avocados
2 garlic cloves, minced.
salt
3/4 lime, juiced

Directions:

1. Peel, pit and mash avocados. Add garlic, salt and lime juice. Serve with chips. NOM.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

A couple summers ago I was a personal chef for an elderly couple. The first meal I ever took them? These delicious pan-seared Parmesan crusted pork chops. And the recipe is practically fool-proof...practically, of course. I've made them time and again for various occasions. They're even easy enough to cook in a dorm/college apartment kitchen with a half-sized stove.

Disclaimer: I have no idea where my mom got this recipe, but I got it from her.

Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops
1 1/2 c. unseasoned panko crumbs
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. flour
salt & pepper
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. ground sage
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Beat eggs and pour into a separate. In another plate, mix panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and sage.
2. Dredge pork chops in flour until completely coated, followed by egg and finally Panko mixture.
3. Melt butter and mix with oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook pork chops for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Transfer pork chops in pan to oven and cook for 20 minutes. (Note: Pork chops should reach an internal temperature of 150.)

Peach Pie

Peach pie (aka summer incarnate) is one of my favorites. I say that a lot. I guess I like food (aka why I'll never have a six pack). But, back to peach pie. My grandma's crust recipe and our fresh CSA farm peaches. Yuuuuuuum. A dash of cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg and just enough sweetness.

Recipe adapted from Grandma's recipe book and Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Crust ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. Crisco
2 Tbsp. ice water
Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and crisco. Cut Crisco through with knife and combine with flour. Combine until Crisco is combined with flour mixture. Add water and roll out on a flat, flour coated surface. Lay in pie pan and patch cracks (let's face it, they happen).

Filling ingredients: 

5 c. sliced peaches (8 peaches, maybe - I mixed yellow and white peaches)

3/4 c. - 1 c. sugar

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

1. Boil peaches in large pot for 1 minute, then peel, core and slice. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and fill pie. Bake at 400 for 45 - 50 minutes.
2. Serve with vanilla ice cream (duh).

Canadian Bacon & Scrambled Egg Pancake Muffins

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. More often than not, I would rather eat breakfast food than anything else. As such, I love trying anything new. And anything in a muffin pan. Enter my new love interest: Canadian bacon and scrambled egg pancake muffins. Dipped in syrup. Done.

Recipe adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens, April 2012

Ingredients:
4 slices of Canadian bacon, cut in sixths
5 eggs
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook bacon in large skillet until it's brown on both sides. In a small bowl lightly beat 3 eggs, 2 Tbsp. water and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook eggs in a hot skillet over medium heat without stirring until eggs begin to set on the bottom and around edges. With a spatula, lift and fold for uncooked portion to flow underneath. Cook until set but still moist. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
2. Brush twelve muffin cups with cooking spray. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Combine milk, oil and remaining two eggs in a separate bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Fold in scrambled eggs and cheese. Spoon into muffin cups.
3. Place two bacon pieces on each muffin. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until light brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan on rack. Run a table knife around edges of muffins to loosen; remove from pans. Serve with syrup. Serves 12.