Kitchen-Tested Oatmeal Cookies With Dark Chocolate

I’ll begin by saying that these cookies are chewy and so so good!

The recipe is found in a book I checked out of library, something I do often!  The book is  called #dinnermadesimple35dayingredients350easyrecipes by the editors of Real Simple. I should also mention that I have modified the recipe slightly by changing the instructions to the way I bake normally. I’ve also added cranberries and walnuts to the original recipe. The original title of this recipe is Salted Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, mine, Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cranberries, Walnuts.

Total prep and baking time: under 1 hour.  24 COOKIES

1. Set oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk one and a half sticks of room temperature unsalted butter with half cup granulated sugar, half cup packed light brown sugar in it  in a standing mixer. Set a timer for tow minutes while it’s whisking on medium and begin prepairing the dry mix.
3.  Combine 2 cups of rolled oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda , 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt in another bowl. Using a hand whisk mix all the ingredients well. Set aside.
4. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and one large egg room temperature to the butter mixture once two minutes is up. Scrape side with a spatula and  whisk for one more minutes until all combined.
5. Switch the head of mixer from whisker to beater at this point.  Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet while mixing on low. Set aside.
6.  Switch to using spatula at this point.  Add  1/4 cup of chocolate of your choosing, 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins,1/4 cup chopped  Walnuts . Gently mix the dough until everything is combined. Don’t overmix!
7.  Scoop the dough onto a cooking sheet, lined with parchment paper. You can use a spoon for this or a small ice cream scoop, which is what I used.
8.  Put cookies in the middle rack and set timer for 10 minutes. Check for doneness. It took 12 minutes in my oven. Take it out and let them cool.
9.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Sausage (vegan) And Egg English Muffin Sandwich

 

I have a love and hate relationship with #breakfastsausagepatty.

I love that smoky taste when combined with egg!  Taking a moment of silence in honor of that taste!

However, I hate the way it makes my stomach feel for hours after I’ve eaten it….yes hours!!  Wether it’s the added fillers (eek!) in the ingredients, or the fatty in the patty (:D), all I remember is that I pay for it in a painful way.  I regret eating a sausage patty almost every time!

So I’ve tried several vegetarian options, and as of right now, #Hilary’s is my most recommended.  It has an impressive ingredient list, along with similar smoky/ spicy sausage patty taste, and in the end, it doesn’t make me regret eating it!!  I am not saying it tastes like sausage patties, but it’s a close alternative.

I make it on #ezekielenglishmuffin using one egg and one patty. I make it as I get ready for work. So can you!  Viva breakfast ❤

Total prep and cook time: 8 minutes

1. Spray your pan and warm up one patty on medium heat. Each side takes about a minute (if not frozen).
2. Toast your English Muffin to your liking .
3. Fry one egg to your liking. I like mine medium so that it runs over the patty.
4. Assemble and gobble it up!
5. Bon appétit!

 

Weeknight Dinner For Two no. 4

If your weekend indulgence is anything like mine,  you’ve eaten everything your little heart desired, so, it’s time to whip up something to give the stomach a break.  As I’ve mentioned before, I create dishes based on what I have in my refrigerator and freezer.  This is what I came up with for this #MeatlessMonday.

Total prep and cook time: about 40 minutes

Lets begin!

1. Preheat oven to 375  while you prepare the potatoes and onions.
2. Slice  Half of an onion and put it in a bowl.  Cut up three medium potatoes and add to the same bowl.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ground garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon of Tumerick, and drizzle of avocado oil or any high heat oil that you have on hand.
3. Spray  a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and dump the mixture on it.  Spread everything evenly, and goes into the oven.
4.  Set your timer for 20 minutes. During this time you can make the sautéed green beans and boiled corn.  Every so often, give the tray a shake so potatoes crisp evenly.
5. Boil 1 cup of frozen corn ( I have this in my freezer) with 2 cups of water, salt/pepper and dash of cumin . Once the water has reduced to the top of kernels, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover it. Remove from heat when it’s cooked through (about 20 min). While this is cooking we can move on to sautéing the green beans.
6. Heat up your pan. Add 1 tablespoon of #avocadooil or any high-heat-oil.  Add your fresh green beans whole or cut in half, salt/ pepper, dash of onion powder, and let it sauté for about two minutes.  How you prefer the texture of the beans will determine  cooking time. At that point, turn off the heat and remove the pan.
7. Potatoes should be ready at this point and if it’s reached The crisp that you like, then everything is ready to be plated.
8. Bon appétit!

Note:  I keep varietal frozen vegetables in my freezer that I purchase from #Costco. Having them ready at hand, has really been a timesaver  and cost-efficient.

 

 

 

Weeknight Dinner For Two no. 3

I absolutely love #stuffedbellpepper for its versatility, hardiness, and healthiness.  Anyway you choose to make it, it’s a winner.  So here’s my version, for this time.  It’ll probably be different next time!!

 

1. Cook the #bulgur (so hardy) first by bringing  to boil 1 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 a cup of bulgur in a small pot. Once water is reduced, turn to medium-low and keep the lid on as it continues cooking.  About 10 minutes or until you see a brown rice-consistency. You can substitute rice or quinoa if you wish. 
2. Brown half cup of lean turkey meat in a pan.  Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as you stir.
3. Add two medium-sized chopped tomatoes, followed by adding my (or your) seasonings to the ground meat. Cook For Two minutes.
4. Combine half the amount of the cooked bulgur to the mixture and stir. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.  At this point you can chop a handful of cilantro and add to the mixture.
5. 
6. Begin assembling the #stuffedbellpeppers.  Cut each bell pepper’s top to create a lid and using a spoon, clean the inside to make room for stuffing.  Gently spoon in the mixture inside the Bellpeppers, but leave room to fit the pepper-lid on top. Sit them inside a deep pot.
7. Add a splash of water for steam cooking the peppers. Keeping the lid on, turn heat to medium-low. Set timer for 30 minutes or longer depending on how you prefer the texture of peppers to be. We like ours a bit on the crunchy side, so 30 minutes is sufficient.
   

   

Note: This amount had some leftover meat mixture which I added back to the pot. You can also use it to stuff one more bell pepper or do as I did.

Hope you give it try and love it as much as I do.  Please share if you have other versions so I can make it.

 

 

Weeknight Dinner For Two no.2

1. Sauté one cup of lean #groundturkey in a pan. Add salt, pepper,and garlic powder.  Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as you stir.
2. Once the turkey meat is browned, it is time to add my version of marinara sauce by using the ingredients shown below. Give it a good stir and turn down the heat to medium-low. Keep an eye on it until the sauce reaches  the consistency you like.At this point, you can bring a pot of water to boiling point and cook the #pennepasta.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, and combine with the sauce. Turn off the heat and keep the lid on.  It’s time to make the Red Cabbage Slaw as side dish.
3.  For the slaw: chop or shred half of a small red cabbage, toss it with some dressing, and top it with sprinkles of #sunflowerseeds.  Let’s make the #vinaigrettedressing:  please note that I do not measure my dressing.  I add and taste as I go. Combine the ingredients shown in the picture, whisking the oil last. Taste and adjust if needed.
4. 

Time to serve. Dinner is ready!

Total prep and cook time: about an hour

Note: This recipe will have leftovers, even though it says “dinner for two”.  We always have some left for later.  Bon Appetit!

Class and Old Charm #theoldwarsaw

 

 

My recent dining experience at The Old Warsaw, one of the oldest restaurants in Dallas, wowed me! I was impressed from the moment I walked into the Foyer, where I was first greeted by the fragrant bouquet of fresh flowers and the stunning chandelier, then, the friendly host, who sat us nearby the fireplace and the black piano.

Here are a few things that left lasting impression on me:, the antique chandeliers and fresh flowers throughout the dining room, the pianist and his sweet tunes, the well-dressed patrons celebrating different occasions, the wine cellar, the romantic ambiance, and the delicious menu.

My gripe is this, with the popularity of Gastropubs (which I’m a fan of), and opening more casual dining eateries being on the rise, future of old charm, class, and chivalry is becoming…… let’s say, antiquated (in my opinion).  I still find myself searching for settings such as The Old Warsaw that offer charm and class. I am happy to have found a few to keep in my repertoire.

Hence the reason I’m Sharing this one for your next celebration, whatever it may be. Try The Old Warsaw in Dallas.

Be sure to dress nice. Men wear your jackets. Ladies, this is your night! Go before 7:00 for a quite atmosphere, or after 7:00 for more liveliness.

Viva class! Viva chivalry! Viva good food!

 

 

 

 

 

Weeknight Dinner For Two no.1

 

 

Did you overindulge this weekend (I did!) and now looking for a healthy option that doesn’t taste like cardboard?  Are you looking for a quick dinner recipe that doesn’t require meat of any sort?  Do you crave something simple, yet delish?  Let’s do this #meatlessmonday.

Recipe makes two servings.

Total prep and cooking time (after cooking rice): about 30 minutes                                                             

1.  Begin cooking your #brownrice sometime in the afternoon or an hour prior to making the cabbage dish.  Rice cooker is vital for time-concern.  I recommend investing in one.  One cup of brown rice per cup and a half of water, pinch of salt and press start.
2. 
3.  Once the rice is completely cooked and ready, you may begin preparing the sautéed cabbage which will take about 15 minutes to cook.
4. Chop or shred half of medium cabbage to your liking and add to an evenly sprayed (or oiled) pan. Sauté for one or two minutes on medium heat.  You can add my suggested seasoning ( garlic powder, Tumeric, onion powder, salt and pepper) or your own, but onion powder is a must.
5. 
6. Put a lid on it (doesn’t it feel good to say that sometimes?) and turn it to low heat.  This helps the cabbage to steam-cook while retaining all of its flavors and nutrients.
7. About 10 minutes, or once you see the cabbage seems softened,take the pan off heat, remove the lid and let it sit while you prepare your dish.
8.  Spoon some rice onto a plate and add the cabbage on top. You can eat it as is, or step it up a notch by sprinkling #sesameseed and a drizzle of #sesameoil on top.
9.     Dinner is ready! Bon A petit!!