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.

dutch oven cheddar jalapeno bread

My oldest found this recipe and gave it to her dad because he is currently LOVING baking sourdough bread in his dutch oven.  He tried this right away and it was DELICIOUS!  Cheesy and spicy and rich!  The only annoying thing was that it was a recipe found on you tube and wasn't written out so we had to start and pause the video multiple times while jotting down the recipe.  This ought to be much easier (the recipe written out is at Tasty.com)!

dutch oven cheddar jalapeno bread (YouTube)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1 jalapano, seeded and sliced (for the topping)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups warm water
1 packet instant yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, cheese, 2 jalapenos and salt.  Stir well.
In a separate bowl, combine the warm water and yeast.  Add the water and yeast to the flour mixture and stir until the dough comes together.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
With a spatula fold the dough around the edges of the bowl toward the center.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Put the Dutch oven and lid into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. 
Lightly flour a work surface.  Take the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface.  Flip over and carefully brush away excess flour.  Fold the edges of the dough towards the center 8 times then flip over the dough and transfer to a piece of parchment paper.
Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil, so the cheese will stick.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.  Using a sharp knife, score the bread with an "X".  Arrange the jalapeno slices on top of the cheese.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment to lift the bread into the pot.  Cover the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 20 more minutes, until the bread is golden brown.
Carefully slide the bread out of the pot and onto a wire rack.  Remove the parchment paper and let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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grilled portobello mushroom burgers

Wow!  Hall of fame.  I never thought a mushroom burger could be so good.  But then again I'd never tried one before.  It was just about the best burger I've ever had.  Super gourmet and without the guilt.  Even better, my husband made dinner. :)

grilled portobello mushroom burgers (adapted from Skinnytaste)
2 portobello mushroom caps
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning
2 thick slices red onion
2 slices Provolone cheese
2 thin slices tomato
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
2 whole wheat buns

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, oil, rosemary and steak seasoning.
Peel off the tops of the Portobello mushrooms and scoop out the gills.
Place the mushroom caps in the bowl and toss with the sauce, using a spoon to evenly coat.  Let stand room temperature for 20-30 minutes, turning a few times.
Heat the grill or indoor grill pan over medium heat.  When hot, brush the grate with oil or lightly spray the grill pan.
Place the mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting.  Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until tender, brushing with marinade frequently.
Top the mushrooms with cheese during the last minute of cooking.
While the mushrooms cook, grill the onions about 1 minute on each side and grill the buns until toasted.
To finish, place the spinach and grilled mushrooms on the buns and top with the grilled onions, sliced tomato and avocado.