Stir fry lettuce wraps

These were so good, even my two year couldn't get enough.  I just stir fried some meat and veggies added a little soy sauce and we had a tasty meal wrapped up in some romaine lettuce leaves (that's all I had, I would normally use butter lettuce).  Also, I just used whatever vegetables I had lying around, you could substitute with whatever you prefer.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 carrots (chopped)
3 green onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups chopped kale
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 tsp ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
Lettuce for wraps

In a large skillet, add olive oil and turkey, season with salt and pepper. After the meat is cooked through, set aside in a bowl.  Add vegetables to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, add ginger and soy sauce and then the meat back into the pan.  Cook for another couple of minutes and take off the heat.  Fill the lettuce leaves and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili

This hands off meal, is so tasty and easy.  I serve it over rice, with sour cream and tortilla chips.  It's perfect for a busy day, when I don't really have the time to cook.

Green Chicken Chili over rice:

Sauce:

Whole Green chilis (28 ounce can)
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 yellow tomato
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 frozen corn

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and pour sauce on top.  Cook on low for six hours, with about 30 minutes left, shred chicken and add corn.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER

My "go to" cookie has always been the Nestle Toll House recipe on the back of the package of chocolate chips (with the addition of extra vanilla and a pinch of extra salt).  I always have the ingredients on hand, and it's incredibly easy, especially if you make them into bars...basically pouring all of the dough into a small cookie sheet.  Anyway, I was intrigued when I saw a recipe for "Chocolate Chip Cookies Reinvented" in an issue of Cooks Illustrated.  I was blown away at how much better this recipe could be...the only changes were browning the butter (which gave the cookies a toffee-like flavor), upping the brown sugar in the recipe, and the elimination of one egg white.  These are my new "go to" cookie, the are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside...the perfect cookie!   Anyway, try them out and enjoy!

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12- inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use#24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking seet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been loving this healthy dessert blog called Chocolate Covered Katie.  We LOVE dessert in our family, and I really like the idea of making healthier desserts, since we eat them so often.  These were super easy and they are gluten, dairy, and egg free.  I modified them a bit by sticking a dark chocolate chip in the center, and I used half craisins and half raisins because I didn't have enough raisins.

You can find the recipe here.  Enjoy!

Lentil Soup with Wheat Berries and Beets

The only soup I can get away with making in my house is a hearty soup, with lots of substance.  Rarely would I make soup without meat in it, but this soup is so hearty, that you don't even miss it.  It's perfect on cold, rainy day (which I'm thinking we'll have many more of until mid-June).  

1 1/2 cups lentils (rinsed)
1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 1/2 cups corn
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large beet diced
3 celery stalks diced
1/2 onion diced
2 carrots diced
8 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Kirklands no salt seasoning (or any other seasoning mix you would like to use)

Saute all of the vegetables in olive oil for 5 minutes, add the lentils, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat and add in the wheat berries and corn.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

Maple Syrup Herb Rubbed Steak and Roasted Veggies

This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous!  It's going to be perfect for a barbeque, so dust off your grill, thaw out some steaks and try this simple steak rub!  I also roasted vegetables to go along with this meal, I was going to throw them on the grill (wrapped in foil) as well, but I really wanted to include my asparagus, and the cooking times for the different vegetables wouldn't have worked out.  Roasting them allowed me to add in the asparagus for the last fifteen minutes instead of having to cook them the entire time, which would have resulted in soggy asparagus.  Anyway, here is the recipe for the rub!



2 steaks
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh rosemary






 To roast the vegetables (I used potatoes, carrots, onions, and asparagus), cut them about the same size and place on a cookie, bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.  If using asparagus, add that in for the last 15 minutes.

Sauteed Chicken with Herbed Brown Butter Sauce

This dish was amazing!  It's modified from a recipe I saw in Cooking Light magazine.  The browned butter in the title caught my eye.  I love browned butter, in savory and sweet dishes.  I served the chicken with garlic, buttered orzo pasta and a salad. If you are looking for a quick, but flavorful chicken recipe, definitely try this one!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place flour in a shallow dish (season with salt and pepper); dredge chicken in flour.

Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan.2. Add butter and lemon thyme and parsley to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns.  Add shallots; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve on top of chicken