peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars

I needed a treat to take to someone after church today and knew I wanted to use up the rest of a jar of peanut butter.  It turns out this recipe is GREAT!

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars (adapted from spend with pennies)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x11 pan with wax paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla extract.  Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.  Add milk and incorporate.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Transfer batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 35 minutes or until edges are beginning to turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

indian chicken curry

Excellent chicken curry!

indian chicken curry (adapted from food network)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5) ounce canned petite diced tomatoes
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach (dang, I forgot!)
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
hot cooked jasmine rice or naan bread for serving

Combine the vinegar, tomato paste, garam masala, curry powder, garlic, tomatoes with their juices, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender.  Puree until well blended and only slightly chunky.
Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray.  Place chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.   Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on high for 6 hours.
Stir in the baby spinach until wilted, if using.  
Serve with cilantro, rice and naan bread.

philly chicken cheesesteak sandwiches

These sandwiches hit the spot!  I love a good sandwich but who wants a cold sandwich for dinner?  Not me.  These are hearty and cheesy and super delicious.  Surprisingly enough they were a hit with the kids.  Of course two of my kids stuffed spicy Doritos inside of theirs. :)

philly chicken cheesesteak sandwiches
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 hoagie rolls, both sides toasted in the oven or toaster
your favorite cheese- we used light Swiss and cheddar

Toast your hoagie rolls in the oven on a large cookie sheet (I opened them up and toasted both sides) or use a toaster oven then place toasted hoagie rolls on a large cookie sheet, making sure the insides of the rolls are facing up.
Set the oven to Broil.
In a large skillet heat the oil.  Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown the chicken on both sides.  When chicken is done, remove to a plate and cook the bell pepper and onion.  When the veggies are done add the chicken back to the pan and combine.
Spread 1/6 of the chicken/veggies mixture on each hoagie roll and top with cheese.
Broil in the oven until cheese is bubbly.

vietnamese pork soup

Great, simple soup.  I loved how tender the pork was and added some garlic chili sauce to add a kick.

vietnamese pork and noodle soup (Food & Wine)
1/4 pound linguine (I used whole wheat noodles)
1 pork tenderoin, cut into 1 1/2 by 1/2 by 1/2 inch strips (easier said than done)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (I omitted)
2 cups water
1/4 pound bean sprouts
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into thin slices
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
6 scallions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
1 cup lightly packed basil or cilantro leaves

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until just done. Drain the pasta.  Rinse with cold water and drain.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat.  Add the pork, scallions, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, water and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is done, about 10 minutes. Stir the cooked linguine, bean sprouts and lime juice into the soup.  Ladle into bowls, top each serving with some of the cucumber and herbs and serve with the lime wedges.

slow cooker chili lime pork roast

We enjoyed this chili lime pork roast in street tacos and it was awesome!  Super flavorful.

slow cooker chili lime pork roast (slow cooker gourmet)

3 pounds sirloin pork roast
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth

Mix together seasonings and rub on all sides of pork loin.
Heat oil in skillet and brown pork on each side for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to a slow cooker and add lime juice and chicken broth.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Slice or pull apart with forks to serve.

easy pumpkin chocolate chip blender muffins

My family thought these were awesome and we had no problem consuming a double batch.  I loved them because the recipe calls for really good, wholesome ingredients.  It make me happy when my kids are eating good stuff.  They are gluten free so we took some to a friend who is on a gluten-free diet.  He earned his Eagle last week so thought he deserved some hot, fresh muffins.

Note:  I wasn't sure about the "blender" part of this recipe.  It turns out I liked it better than I thought.  The clean up was simple.  The only thing I have to say is to be sure the oatmeal is not in the bottom of your blender when you blend the ingredients.  Keep wet ingredients on the bottom and dry on the top.  You'll be glad you did.

easy pumpkin chocolate chip blender muffins (mel's kitchen cafe)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plain Green yogurt (I used nonfat)
1/3 cup honey (or sugar or pure maple syrup)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips (the recipe says optional,  I say NOT!)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Set aside.
In a blender, process the oats until they are ground to the consistency of course flour.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and process until combined, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the batter in the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes until the top of a muffin springs back lightly to the touch.  Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.  They keep well for several days at room temperature in a sealed bag or container and freeze well too.

creamy chipotle chicken

Love this one.  Spicy and creamy. Mmmmm.

creamy chipotle chicken (real housemoms)
4 teaspoons olive oil divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 chipotle peppers, minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese (I used light)
2-3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken breasts with the salt and pepper.  Add to pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Remove chicken breasts from the skillet to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining two teaspoons of olive oil to the pan.  Add diced onion and cook stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and chipotle peppers and saute for 30 more seconds.  Add adobo sauce, chicken broth and cream cheese and stir until melted.  Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and turn to coat in the sauce.  Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 7-9 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.  Once the chicken is cooked through, turn off heat and stir in Greek yogurt.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve chicken breasts with extra sauce spooned over the top.