Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 dollops Gourmet Gardens® Garlic (or approximately 2 large cloves minced)
• 2 heaping tablespoons natural peanut butter 
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)

Directions:

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl.  Cut up the chicken in bit-sized cubes.  Put the chicken in the marinade and stir thoroughly until completely coated.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for  an hour (or longer).

Sauté over medium heat until cooked, approximately 7-8 minutes.

Serve over Jasmine rice.


Myrtle's Note:  So authentic!!!  Simply great!  Since I just love Thai peanut sauce, I doubled the sauce ingredients for the next time I make this.

Yield:  4 servings


Source:  http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/11/a-tasty-recipe-thai-honey-peanut-chicken/

Smoky Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• Smoked Paprika
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Cut up the cauliflower head.  If you are not like me (hating stems), cut the stems so that you create flat planes, which will help caramelize the stems.  Cut the florets on planes as well.

Place in a bowl or large measuring cup and drizzle with olive oil.  Turn over and over with a spatula until evenly coated, but not drenched.  Do this in batches if needed.  You will use more olive oil than you will for broccoli, so don't worry about that.  You want them to glisten a bit.

Place the large pieces on the pan and set aside all the small bits that break off.  I have found, in cutting up cauliflower, that if you stick a knife in the stem and twist it, the floret will split without small bits falling off.

Coat the cauliflower with a generous layering of smoked paprika and sea salt.  First, I put a small pinch of salt on each single floret.  Then, I shook the paprika over each floret.  You want to be really generous in this.  I thought for sure it would come out too salty, but it did not.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.  Whilst roasting, oil and season the broken off bits.  Then, add them to the pan and roast for an additional 15-25 minutes.  You want crispy, but not burned.


Myrtle's Note:  Frankly, I am not really wanting to be a cauliflower person, but I am trying to broaden my horizons.  Frankly, the resulting roasting, even after an additional 10 minutes, was more akin to  steamed than roasted.  So, I upped the temperature to match how I roast broccoli.  And, frankly, I completely ignored the directions as to how much olive oil and paprika.  I like to put my broccoli in a large measuring cup with olive oil and toss it so it gets a good coating, yet thin, all over.  Then I sprinkled on the spices.  The author was right in that being liberal in salting it is a good thing. I was liberal, for me, but still needed more.  So, I took off the recommended measurements.  Be brave.  Be bold.  Season away.

Yield:  4 servings


Adapted from:  http://theshiksa.com/2011/12/06/smoky-roasted-cauliflower/

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 whole eggs
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one.

Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Add it into the creamed mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mixing it until just combined. Mix in the oats until just combined.

Use your preferred size cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to drop portions of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until dark and chewy. If you'd like a crispier cookie, just cook a little longer!

Let them cool slight on the pan after removing from the oven, then transfer the cookies onto a plate for serving.

Myrtle's Note:  The. Perfect. Recipe.

Yield:  36-40 cookies

Source:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/08/brown-sugar-oatmeal-cookies/

Grilled Nectarine Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Nectarines
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus a bit more
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Sea salt
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley
• Mixed salad greens 
• 2 ounces, weight Gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or slivered almonds)

Directions:

Brush nectarine halves with olive oil, which will help prevent burning. Grill cut side down for 2-3, turning midway for crossed grill marks if arranging rather than layering the salad.  Turn over and grill another 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together Dijon, vinegar, and honey. Then, whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix once more.

[If using, toast slivered almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat until just turning golden brown.]

You can either toss all the greens in a bowl with dressing or built the salad on a plate and allow folk to dress their salad to taste.  There will be left-over dressing.  If tossing, also put in sunflower seeds or almonds.  

On the plate, layer greens, seeds/nuts, crumbled cheese, and cubed nectarines.  Alternatively, pile the greens in the center, with the nectarine on one side (uncut) and pile of cheese next to it.
Myrtle's Note:  I like to have a salad as a meal, so I basically changed this from four servings to two.  I am not a slivered almond sort of girl, so I substituted the sunflower seeds.  And, finally, my cousin suggested that I could have used goat's cheese, as a substitute, given the cost of Gorgonzola.  Whilst I the lower cost is appealing, I think the Gorgonzola is the better option.  The bread was made by a friend of mine, and I topped it with roasted garlic butter.  I build salads using the layer method.  Follow the link to see the artfully-arranged method!

Yield:  2-4


Source:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/01/grilled-nectarine-salad/

Israeli Chicken Sofrito

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium russet potatoes
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 large red onions
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• Sea salt
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley

Directions:

Wash, pat dry, cut in half, and dredge the chicken breasts.  Set aside.  Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Set aside.  Mince onion.  Set aside.  Mince garlic.  Set aside.

Heat one tablespoon each olive oil and butter in a dutch oven until very hot.  In two batches, braise the chicken for about 7-8 minutes, turning half way.  Set aside on a plate.  In the leftover olive oil and schmaltz, sear the potatoes, also for about 7-8 minutes, turning to brown all sides.  Set aside.

If needed, add additional additional olive oil and butter and sauté minced onions and garlic. Once they have browned, add all the spices.  Salt and pepper to taste.  I used 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.  Continue cooking for a bit, scraping the bottom of the pot to mix in all the browned bits. Then, add the stock (stirring well), bay leaves, and chicken.  Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.  Add the potatoes back and cook for about 30 more minutes.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe called for thighs with skin. I am a white meat girl.  So, I cut in half and dredged the breasts I used so there would be browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. I also switched the recipe from garlic powder to minced powder.  My enameled stock pot, even on the lowest stove setting, keeps up a rather vigorous simmer that is mostly akin to a boil.  That means I  sometimes cut the cooking time, as I did here.  Finally, I am hard pressed to figure out why this is not simply called chicken stew!  Tasty, though.  Very tasty.  Subtle, but flavorful.

Yield:  4 servings


Source:  http://theshiksa.com/2013/07/31/israeli-chicken-sofrito/

Peanut Butter S'mores Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter.  Then, add egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Stir in milk. Gradually add in dry ingredients, beating after each addition until combined. Chill dough in fridge for about an hour.

Using lightly floured hands, take about a tablespoon of dough and press it into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing it up the sides a bit. Dollop a teaspoon of Nutella into the center of the dough, followed by a teaspoon of marshmallow creme. Next, take about a teaspoon of dough, roll it into a ball, then flatten it into a disc and cover the marshmallow creme in each muffin cup. When you flatten the ball of dough, keep in mind that it will be a thin layer. If you make it too thick, it will mess up the ratio of the dough to s'more filling.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 16-18 cookies

Source:  http://www.culinarycoutureblog.com/2013/05/peanut-butter-smores-cookie-cups.html

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup apple, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 butter, melted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Directions:

Grease or line muffin cups and set tin aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Add milk, butter, and egg.  Stir until flour is moistened.  Fold in apples.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin pan.  Bake 23-28 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cool 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.  If desired, brush with browned butter and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar on top.


Myrtle's Note:  I added nutmeg, because it just belonged in there.  I also really like having a bit of something on top, so I browned some butter for that slightly nutty taste and then sprinkled a bit of cinnamon sugar ... because I always have an old spice jar of that mix ready and waiting my next yearning for cinnamon toast.

Yield:  12 Muffins


Source:  Land O'Lakes Baking and More (2010)