Shortbread.

Shortbread Cookies

• 1 stick of Butter
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of flour

1. Cream the butter and sugar, then add in the flour 1/4 cup at a time
2. Once you have a slightly stiff dough, turn out on a floured surface, roll to about 1/4" thick, and cut
3. Bake at 350 for 10 - 20 minutes (depending on your oven, how big you cut them, and how soft/crispy you like them)

Once upon a time, I wanted to make something dessert-like, but I didn't want to go to the grocery store.  I had no eggs, baking soda, or baking powder, and the only oil in my cabinet was olive oil, so I wasn't sure what I'd really be able to make.  But, after a few minutes of consulting with the internet, I came upon a shortbread cookie recipe made with just butter, sugar, and flour.

I've slightly adjusted the recipe and have been making them for years, now, with a few flavor variations, but lately I've been on a real experimental flavor kick, which was originally prompted by the fact that Mark got a dehydrator for Christmas (Thank you, Ellen!).  It opened the door to me for adding flavors into the cookies from powdered ingredients, like pineapple or strawberry.

"Pineapple Upside Down Cake" Shortbread Cookies

One flavor I've been trying to perfect is inspired by Carrot Cake.  With shredded carrots, cinnamon and vanilla in the cookie, cream cheese drizzle and walnuts on top.  ....Almost there.

"Carrot Cake" Shortbread Cookies

The ones I'm happiest about so far are inspired by a cake my mom has made for as long as I can remember: Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cake.  She always made it in a bundt pan, and there was no icing or anything, so it was just a brown ring of cake...until you cut into it.  Then it was this glorious pistachio green, with chocolate chips scattered throughout.  And the flavor...SO good.

Pistachios

So for my cookies, I decided to make Pistachio with Chocolate.  The color baked out a bit, but the ground pistachios made the dough a fabulous green.  A little almond extract also went in, as well as chopped pistachios and chocolate drizzle on top.  Doesn't beat mom's cake, but...Yum!

Pistachio Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Maple Bourbon.

Last night was Ham Steaks with Maple Bourbon Sauce, with Potato Soup (with local cheese) and roasted green beans.

I found this recipe for a Maple Bourbon Sauce, and decided that it might make for some yummy Ham Steak.  I just brushed it on both sides of my ham while it was cooking in the skillet.  I liked it a lot.  I feel like I would use it again on pork chops, or even chicken.  

Chicken.

Roasted chicken breasts with mushroom sauce, with a salad a la Mark that contained mixed greens, pear, dates, pecans, and for the dressing just a drizzle of oil and a squeeze of orange juice.

Roasted Chicken Breasts

• 2 bone-in chicken breasts
• Olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Heat the oven to 450
2. Pat your chicken breasts dry, then rub on olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper
3. Heat a skillet on high heat for a few minutes
4. Add your chicken breast-side down to the dry skillet
5. Let it sizzle for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then flip them over and transfer your skillet to the oven (um...unless it's not oven-safe; then put it in a pyrex or something)
6. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temp of 165-170
7. Mine took about 20 minutes, but depending on how big the pieces are, you might check them at 15
8. Let them rest for about 5 minutes before digging in

Mushroom Sauce

• Mushrooms, sliced (I had about a 1/2lb)
• Salt and Pepper
• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken Stock, White Wine, or if you cook them in the chicken skillet, you can get away with plain ol' water
• I also highly recommend garlic, but I was out, so skipped it last night

1. As soon as you take the finished chicken out of the skillet to rest, add your sliced mushrooms to begin to sauté in the same pan
2. If you need more fat in the pan, just add a little butter or olive oil
3. Once the mushrooms are as tender as you'd like them, scootch them over to one side of the pan
4. Melt a couple of Tablespoons of butter on the empty side of the pan, then whisk in a spoonful of flour
5. As soon as you have a paste, whisk in your liquid - wine/stock, etc. (I added about a cup)
6. Once it's smooth, stir in the mushrooms and allow it to slightly thicken
7. Pour it over your chicken breasts and eat

Tilapia Tacos.

Tilapia Tacos with Sautéed Zucchini

I originally wanted to make blackened Tilapia sliders for dinner, but alas, we had no milk for my bread recipe.  So, since flour tortillas are so super quick, it was time for Tilapia Tacos.

Flour Tortillas

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Oil
• 2/3 cup Warm Water

1. Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough
2. Divide into 15 - 20 small balls of dough
3. Roll very thin (as thin as you can), then peel off and put in hot, dry skillet
4. Heat on each side until golden brown spots appear

Tilapia

• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Lightly coat both sides of fish with spices
2. Heat a small amt. of olive oil in a skillet
3. Cook Fish 2-3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat, or until fish is white and flaky
4. We broke it up and served it in the tortillas with guacamole, a squeeze of lime, and mixed greens

Eggplant.

Eggplant Parmesan

Yum.  Eggplant Parmesan (Sort of).

I cut my eggplant into 3/4" slices and salted them for about 30 minutes to remove the excess water.  After brushing off the salt and giving them a good squeeze (that part was therapeutic, somehow), I dredged the slices in flour, then egg, then grated parmesan (actually it was Romano), and then flour (with salt and pepper).  Then pan fried them in olive oil until golden brown.  We served it on fresh pasta with a simple tomato sauce and topped it with more parmesan (I mean Romano.)

Burning.

Burn a Hole in your Esophagus Chili

Mark had made jerky several weeks ago, and using his "Barbecue Bible," found a recipe for a Chipotle Adobo marinade for the meat.  It was really good, so when we had some stew meat from naturalfarms, we decided to make a steaky chili with some of the same chipotle adobo flavors.

Jalapeño, Red Onion, Garlic

We started pretty simply, with chopping a pepper, an onion, and a few cloves of garlic.  Then browned the meat, added our spices and veggies, and once the meat was cooked through and the vegetables were getting tender, we added the beans and sauces.  One of the sauces was blended chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  It's a delicious, smoky flavor...but it's made out of smoked jalapeños.  I don't think we considered just how hot it might make our chili.  Holy Moly, the flavor was great, but let me just say, the fresh jalapeño might not have been needed.

• Beef Stew Meat, or cut-up Steak (about 1 lb)
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped, ribs and seeds removed
• Orange Zest (about 1/2 an orange)
• Orange Juice (1/2 an orange)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• Red Wine Vinegar (just a splash or two)
• 1/2 can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, blended (or you could chop the peppers)
• 1/2 cup of Tomato Sauce
• Lots of milk (to drink to ease the burning)

1. Brown the steak in your chili pot, and add salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin
2. Add jalapeño (really, this jalapeño is probably overkill), onion, and garlic
3. Once vegetables are beginning to get tender, add the zest and juice, stir around for another minute
4. Lower the heat a bit, and add the beans and liquids
5. Let it simmer for as long as you're willing....then eat!  

Say goodbye to all feeling on your tongue.

Pasta with Peppers and Sausage.

Pasta with Peppers and Sausage

• Turkey Link Sausages (I used 5)
• 1/4 - 1/2 an onion, sliced
• Sweet Peppers, Sliced, with seeds and ribs removed (I used about 5 or 6)
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• Butter
• Flour
• White Wine (or chicken/vegetable stock)
• Grated Romano Cheese

1. I cooked Turkey Link Sausages in the skillet then removed and sliced them up.
2. I then sautéed onion, garlic, and sweet peppers, until tender, and added the sausage back in.
3. Roux time! In one side of the pan, I added a couple of tablespoons of butter, and as soon as it melted, I whisked in a T of flour. As soon as I had a paste formed, I whisked in some white wine, stirred everything around to coat, and let the sauce thicken up a bit.
4. Once the pasta was cooked al dente and drained, I tossed everything together, and served it in bowls with grated Romano on top.

Sweet Peppers, Onion, Turkey Sausage Links, Garlic, Romano Cheese

Fresh Pasta