Malted Milk Cookies

2½ cups flour

¾ cup plain malted milk powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar; firmly packed

1 cup salted butter; softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

2 lg. eggs

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°.

In medium bowl combine flour, malted milk powder, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Blend sugars in a large bowl at medium speed. Add butter and mix, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla and condensed milk, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake 24-25 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along the edges. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

This recipe can be found here.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

¾ cup salted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 large egg

1½ tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 300°

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, lemon zest, coriander and poppy seeds. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture forms a grainy paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg yolks, egg, and lemon extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown along the edges.  Immediately transfer the cookies with a spatula to a cool surface.

This recipe can be found here.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2½ cups flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ cup sugar

¾ cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin, canned or freshly cooked

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup (2 oz.) walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 300°

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, blend sugars with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add the butter and beat to form a grainy paste. Scrape sides of bowl, then add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture and walnuts. Blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets, 1½ inches apart. Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool.

This recipe can be found here.

Mexican Corn Salad

Serves 6

4 cups fresh (or canned) corn kernels; about 6 ears

2 avocados, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 limes, zested and juiced

1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

kosher salt, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook corn until semi-charred on all sides. About 8 minutes.

Season with salt, then transfer corn to a large bowl.

Add diced avocado, garlic, bell pepper, red onion and parsley, then mix in chili powder, lime zest and juice, and mayonnaise.

Toss everything together until evenly coated, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Add cotija cheese and toss together, then refrigerate or serve immediately.

You can find the recipe here.

Quick Chili

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14-ounce) cans tomato sauce

3 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. ancho chile powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup chili sauce

Add the oil to a Dutch oven and set over medium heat. When hot, add the beef and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, then add the tomato sauce, chili powder, ancho chile powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a minute, then add the kidney and pinto beans and the chili sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.

This recipe can be found here.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium mango, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

½ cup diced red onion (about ½ medium onion)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

½ tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 medium avocado, diced

In a large bowl, combine the beans, mango, onion and cilantro.

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and then pour over the black bean mixture.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

When ready to serve, gently fold in the diced avocado.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe can be found in "Our Best Bites", page 13

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1½ cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375°

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. 

This recipe can be found here.

Nectarine Cobbler

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
4 cups sliced nectarines
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Garnish:
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder. Add the milk and the butter and beat until smooth.

To prepare the filling: In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.

Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the topping over the filling and spread carefully and evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until topping is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of topping comes out clean.

This recipe can be found here.

Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Sun-dried Tomatoes

10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup chicken broth

5 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic

2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

2 zucchini, cut into thin strips

salt & pepper

Slice the tomatoes into thin strips.

In a large frying pan heat the oil and stir in the onion.  Cook over low heat until it softens but does not brown.

Stir in the garlic, squash, and zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, their soaking liquid, and the chicken broth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Raise the heat slightly and cook until the veggies are just tender.

Serve hot or cold.

This recipe can be found here.

Enchilada Casserole

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans or pinto beans

¾ cup scallions, sliced

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced garlic; 1 tsp cumin

6 six-inch corn tortillas

1 can (11 oz) corn, undrained

1½ cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (14½ oz) pasta style stewed tomatoes

sour cream

Drain beans, reserving 1 Tbsp. liquid.  Put in medium sized bowl with scallions and spices.  Mash to make a chunky puree.

Cut tortillas in half.  Line the bottom of a 8 X 8 pan, with 4 tortilla halves, longside against the sides.  Spread half the bean mixture on top.  Top with 4 more tortilla halves.  Spoon corn on top.  Sprinkle with half the cheese and all the chilies. Top with remaining tortilla halves.  Spread remaining bean mixture.  Spoon tomatoes over beans and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 350° for 50 – 55 minutes.

Serve with sour cream.