Salted Caramel Butter Cookies

Cookies
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 1/2 sticks of butter

Cream together butter and sugar and then add yolks and vanilla

Slowly mix in flour

Scoop and make a valley and then chill for 30 min. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min then cool completely

Now for the caramel
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter
3 tablespoons of cream

In a small sauce pan whisk together butter and sugar.  Heat over medium low heat until bubbling and then cook 1 min longer.  Remove from heat and then whisk in cream. Cool for 15 min

Spoon caramel into valley and then sprinkle with course sea salt and let cool completely

Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cups of cocoa powder (I love Hershey's Special DarkO
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract
1 teaspoon of espresso powder

Whisk together espresso, cocoa, and flour

Whisk together softened butter and then sugar and add in egg and peppermint until fluffy

Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Scoop with a small cookies scoop about a tablespoon and flatted.  Then refrigerate for about 30 min

Bake at 375 for 15 min.  Cool completely.  Melt chocolate chips in freezer bag in microwave and drizzle onto cookies and then let cool so the chocolate can firm up.

Chocoalte Mint Patties

These took only 10 min of active time

1 pound of powdered sugar
4 oz of softened cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

Whisk together cream cheese and powdered sugar and roll into small balls

Make a valley with a measuring spoon and then refrigerate covered for at least an hour

Melt some chocolate chips in a freezer bag in the microwave.  Cut off a corner and squeeze into valley.  Chill to harden up chocolate.

Magic Bars

These are super easy and quick.  You can add nuts and or coconut too.

1 stick of butter
1 bag of butterscotch chips
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
3ish cups of graham cracker crumbs

Melt butter in pan in oven while it is heating to 350.  Once it is melted pour in graham cracker crumbs and pat down

Sprinkle chocolate chips and then butterscotch and pour milk over.  Bake at 350 for about 30 min until golden around the edges.

Lasagna Roll Ups

Its  a nice alternative to lasagna.  Kinda like a Italian Enchiladas.

Let's start with the sauce. 
1 28 oz of crushed tomatoes
1 onion
6ish mushrooms (even if you don't like mushrooms dice them small, they add nice flavor)
1 can of tomato paste
1 pound of sausage
1/4 teaspoon of red peppers
3-4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
3ish tablespoons of italian seasoning
fresh basil would be great but I forgot to get it at the store

Brown meat, finely chopped mushrooms, and onion in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until meat is brown and onions and mushrooms are soft

 

Zest in garlic, add tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer

Stir in seasonings and simmer for about 20 min.  Add some water if it is too thick

Now on to the filling
1 box of lasagna noodles
baby spinach
2 eggs
16 oz of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of grated Paresam
mozzarella for topping

While sauce is simmering cook noodles.  They need to be hot to roll up.  Now start mixing filling.  Take ricotta and thoroughly mix in eggs and then add in Parmesan and some salt and pepper

Drain noodles.  Spoon a little sauce to the bottom of a pan.  Spread some of the ricotta on noodles and the add some spinach.

Repeat the process until all the noodles and filling are gone.  Pour sauce over roll ups. Sprinkle with mozzarella.  Bake at 375 for 30 min and then turn of broiler for a couple min to brown cheese.  Be sure to watch or you will burn it. You can freeze it and then bake it longer until it is bubbly.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Lime Cilantro Rice

Lets start with the rice since it takes the longest to cook.
1 cup of rice or more depending on how much you want
1 jalapeno
1 punch of cilantro
2ish limes
salt and pepper to taste

Seed and finely dice up pepper  Add rice to a medium sauce pan with some butter or oil and brown.  Add in pepper and diced pepper.  Cook until slightly golden. Add 2x the water for the amount of rice.  Bring to a simmer and then cover on a low heat for about 20 min or until tender.

Roughly chop up the cilantro.  When the rice is done stir in cilantro, squeeze in lime juice and then salt and pepper to taste.

Now on the the chicken  Make this while the rice is cooking

Its a simple breaded chicken
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of cayanne pepper
4ish chicken tenders
1 cup of milk
1 egg
panko bread crumbs

Whisk together flour and pepper and separately whisk egg and milk.  Dip chicken in milk and then coat in flour.  Dip in milk and then cover with panko. 

Pan fry with a little oil until golden brown about 4-5 min per side

Now on to the sauce
3ish chipotle peppers
1 tablespoon of honey
13 cup of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of katechup
3 tablespoons of apple cider vengar
3 tablespoons of hot sauce
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Whisk together all the ingredients except peppers into a cold sauce pan and then heat over medium low heat. 

Food process the peppers and then whisk into sauce and bring to a simmer.  Add water to reach desired consistency

Spoon sauce onto chicken.  Place some rice in a slighly warmed corn tortilla.  Add a piece of chicken and sprinkle with feta.  I topped with a thin source cream with lime zest in it.

Lasagna Soup

This is a cross between and lasagna and a soup

Here is what you need:
Pasta any kind is fine but a small shape is best
1 28 oz can of diced toamtoes
1 can of tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 pound of italian sausage
8 oz of ricotta cheese
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (not in pic)
mozzarella to top off
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in a medium sauce pan over a medium heat.

 Dice up an onion and add to meat and cook until tender

Add seasonings, garlic, and tomato paste and cook for about a min

Add tomatoes and 6 cups of water and bring to a simmer for 30 min

Grate Parmesan cheese and mix with ricotta and then dolop in the bottom of a bowl

 Top ricotta mixture with hot pasta and then label on the soup.  Sprinkle on mozzarella and then let rest for 5 min so the cheese can melt.