Almond Cake

 

½ cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup flour

1½ Tbsp. almond extract

½ cup slivered almonds

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square pan or 8-inch pie pan.

Cream eggs and butter in a medium bowl. Add sugar, flour, and almond extract; pour into pan.

Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

This recipe can be found here. 

Beef Stroganoff

 

1 lb. top sirloin, tenderloin, or flank steak
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. real butter, divided
8 oz sliced brown cremini mushrooms
¾ cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup warm water
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules or 1 bouillon cube*
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup sour cream

Extra wide egg noodles, or rice, for serving

Slice steak into thin ¼-inch strips.  Slice against the grain of the meat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan.  Sauté for 5-8 minutes until mushrooms are browned and onions are very tender.  Remove mushrooms, onions, and garlic from pan and set aside.

Slightly increase heat on pan and melt the remaining Tbsp. of butter.  Add beef and sauté, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until pink is no longer visible.

While beef is cooking, whisk water, bouillon, flour, and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth.  Add this mixture to the beef and return the mushroom mixture to the pan as well.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes to thicken.  Remove pan from heat and stir in sour cream.  Add additional salt and black pepper to taste.  Serve over egg noodles or white rice.

This recipe can be found here.

Serenity Cookies

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Pull the butter out of the refrigerator to sit at room temperature 15 minutes before using.

Whisk together the flour, powdered milk, salt, baking soda, and allspice in a medium bowl, and set aside.

Add 10 tablespoons butter to a skillet and cook over medium heat until melted. Continue cooking and stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes until brown bits start to form in the bottom of the pan, the top is foamy, and it has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until melted.

Transfer the butter to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.  Add the sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter and mix to combine.

Add egg and yolk and mix for 30 seconds. Let rest for 3 minutes, then whisk again for 30 seconds. Repeat two more times. When done, the batter should be smooth, thick, and shiny – almost like caramel sauce.

Use paddle attachment to mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients for 1 minute. The dough will seem very soft.  Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Scoop the dough with a scoop about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 7-9 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Find the recipe here. 

Butterscotch Spice Crinkle Cookies

 

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2½ cups flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1¼ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

2 cups butterscotch chips

Powdered sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt and mix well. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll balls in powdered sugar to coat heavily. Place dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cookies begin to crack and edges are golden. Do not overbake. Cool slightly on cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

I added 1 cup toffee bits and 1 cup walnuts.

This recipe can be found here.

Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

 

1½ lbs country style pork ribs (boneless)

½ tsp. each, salt & pepper

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

½ cup+ BBQ sauce

 

Preheat your oven to 350° and trim any excess fat cap (an even layer of thick fat) from your boneless country style pork ribs as needed.

Season both sides of the country style ribs with salt and pepper, then arrange them on a couple of sheets of aluminum foil (large enough sheets to wrap around your pork ribs and seal securely). Place the foil with the ribs into a baking dish or onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Create the 'pouch' around your seasoned country style ribs, pulling up the sides so it will hold in the liquid, then pour the apple cider vinegar over the ribs. Seal the aluminum foil securely.

Bake at 350°F for 2 hours or until your pork ribs are fork tender.

Remove from the oven and open the aluminum foil carefully (vent the steam away from your body!). Transfer the pork ribs to a clean sheet of aluminum foil and drain the fat from your baking dish or sheet pan, then discard the used aluminum foil.

Move the ribs back into your baking dish and coat all sides of the pork ribs generously with the BBQ sauce. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven when done and allow the pork ribs to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Slather with more BBQ sauce if desired.

This recipe can be found here.

Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup caramel chips

1 cup toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and then set aside.

Add butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl. Beat over medium speed until nice and creamy, about 1 minute.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture, beating over low speed. Scrape the bowl then beat over medium speed for another 30 seconds until well-combined.

Add chocolate chips, caramel chips, and pecans to the dough and then stir to combine. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven and allow cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!

This recipe can be found here. 

No Bean 30 Minute Chili

 

2 lbs ground beef

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

30 oz canned diced tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

1½ Tbsp. chili powder

1½ tsp. paprika

1½ tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

4 Tbsp. garlic, minced

 

Add your ground beef to a large stock pot. Use your spatula to crumble the beef. Add in your chopped green pepper and onion. Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned.

Drain the grease before moving on to the next step.

Once your ground beef is cooked it's time to add the other ingredients to the pot. Stir. Cover and let simmer for 20 - 25 minutes.

Taste. Add extra salt or pepper if that's your preference. Top with green onions, avocado, cilantro, or onion. Enjoy!

This recipe can be found here.

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

 

1½ cups white sugar

1 cup butter

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups flour

⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 cups peanut butter chips

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease or line cookie sheets.

Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat the first egg into butter mixture. Beat in the second egg along with vanilla extract.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into creamed mixture until just combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice

 

1–2 Tbsp. butter or oil

2 ribs celery, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

2–3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried dill

8 cups chicken broth

¼ cup uncooked rice

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

2 cups finely chopped kale leaves

2–4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

 

Heat large stock pot to medium heat.  Add oil or butter.  Add chopped celery, and onion.  Saute 3-4 minutes until tender.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds more. Stir in salt, pepper and dill.  Add broth, stirring to scrape any bits off the bottom of pot.

Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Add rice and stir occasionally until cooked through (about 20 minutes.)

While soup is simmering, wash kale leaves and use a sharp knife to remove leaves from stems. Holding leaves tightly together, finely chop into very small pieces.

After rice is cooked through, add chicken and kale and stir for 1-2 minutes until chicken is heated through and kale is wilted.  Remove soup from heat and stir in lemon juice to taste. (A little grated lemon zest would be good, too!)

Makes about 8 cups of soup, and even though it’s broth-based, with the rice absorbing liquid, it can become quite thick the longer it cooks.  If you’d like to thin it out a bit, or extend serving sizes, feel free to add more broth to your liking.

This recipe can be found here. 

Almond Toffee Bars

 

CRUST:

1½ cups flour

½ cup powdered sugar

⅔ cup butter

 

FILLING:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg. toffee bits

1 cup sliced almonds

 

Cut butter into flour and powdered sugar till well mixed. Press into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 325° for 18 minutes.

Beat together the milk, egg, and extract till smooth. Stir in the toffee bits and almonds.

Pour over hot crust and bake an additional 23-25 minutes or till crust is lightly browned and topping is bubbly.

Let cool before slicing.

This recipe can be found here.

Sweet & Salty Fritos Cookies

 

2 cups flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

6 oz. chocolate chunks

4 oz. toffee bits

1½ cups crushed Fritos

Preheat the oven to 375°.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate large bowl beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well mixed. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks, toffee bits, and crushed Fritos Original Corn Chips.

Roll the dough into 2-inch balls and place on the baking sheets, press down slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.   Do not overbake.

This recipe can be found here.

Butterscotch Toffee Cookies

 

1 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2¾ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1½ cups butterscotch or caramel chips

8 oz English toffee bits

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Add vanilla extract and eggs and continue beating at high speed for about 5 minutes longer, occasionally scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. Your dough should be noticeably lighter in color and very fluffy.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture by the spoonful, mixing at low speed, and incorporating each flour addition until all have been combined.

Beat in the butterscotch chips and the toffee pieces, just until combined

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick baking spray.

Use a cookie scoop to form balls from the dough and space 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are spread evenly across the top and are lightly golden brown around the bottom edges.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool.

This recipe can be found here.

Chickpea Mediterranean Couscous

 

1 zucchini

8 oz heirloom grape tomatoes

¼ oz fresh thyme

4 scallions or green onions

4 cloves garlic

1 lemon

1 (3.4 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. butter

1½ cup Israeli Couscous

1½ cups veggie stock

1 cup Feta cheese

 

Wash and dry all produce.  Put oven racks on the middle and upper portions of the oven and preheat to 425°.

 Trim zucchini, then cut into ½ in cubes.  Halve tomatoes.  Strip thyme leaves from stems.  Trim, then thinly slice scallions, keeping greens and whites separate.  Mince garlic.  Half lemon.

Toss zucchini, tomatoes, and half the thyme leaves on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven on the middle rack until tender (about 20 minutes) tossing halfway through.

 Toss chickpeas, paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on another baking sheet.  Roast on the upper rack until crisp (about 20 minutes) tossing halfway through.

 Heat butter, garlic, and scallion whites in a medium pot over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, add couscous and remaining thyme leaves.  Toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing until couscous is lightly toasted (about 2 -3 minutes.)

Stir in veggie stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until couscous is al dente (10 -12 minutes.)

Add half the veggies, half the feta, and a squeeze of lemon to the pot and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

 Divide the couscous between plates, and top with chickpeas and remaining veggies.  Sprinkle with scallion greens and the remaining feta.

This recipe can be found here.