Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

8 oz (weight) dark or semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 c butter
3 eggs
1 c brown sugar
1 c peanut butter
1 t vanilla
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t espresso powder
1 bag peanut butter chips

Melt chocolate and butter together, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar.
Add the peanut butter and vanilla, and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients, and mix well.
Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
Stir in the peanut butter chips.
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen (medium-small cookies).

Chicken with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Mustard

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1/4 c butter
1/4 c white wine or sherry
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
12 large mushrooms (about a pound), sliced
1 c heavy cream
1 T mustard (I had spicy brown this time, but Dijon might be better)
2 t dry tarragon

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a dutch oven.
Brown the chicken on both sides, then cover and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.
De-glaze the pan with the wine.
Saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until they are mostly cooked.
Add the cream, mustard, and tarragon.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Return the chicken to the pan, covering it with the sauce, and cook over low heat until the chicken is hot again.

Sumbitches ("the mother"'s cookies from HIMYM)

All the recipes for these that I found on the internet, started with a peanut-butter cookie dough, and added the chocolate and caramel.

I have never been fond of peanut-butter cookies, so I decided to start with a chocolate chip cookie dough... specifically, Smitten Kitchen's salted chocolate chunk cookies.

Changes I made:

Demarara sugar for the turbinado sugar

Left off the sprinkle of salt at the end

Instead of the 1/2 lb chopped chocolate, I used 4 oz dark chocolate chips and 4 oz peanut-butter chips.

I scooped the dough with a tablespoon measure, and wrapped and molded it around 2 mini Rolos, held bottoms together. (It took one whole bag, plus a few from the second bag.)

The batch made 30 cookies.

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Olives

This was my main inspiration. (Also this.)

Starting to simmer

4 chicken thighs
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 lb mushrooms, wiped clean, and any really big ones cut in half
1/2 of a large sweet onion, sliced
about 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c capers
18 kalamata olives, chopped (about 1/2 c)
9 double-stuffed (with garlic and jalepeno) green olives, chopped, (about 3/4 c)
about 1/4 c white cooking wine
about 2 T lemon juice
about 2 c water
parsley


Dry the chicken with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
Heat about 2 T olive oil in a skillet.  (I used medium heat.)  Place the chicken skin-side down, and let cook for 5 minutes, or until the skin is looking browned, and after the fat has melted and released into the pan.  Turn over, and cook another 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan, setting it aside, and add the mushrooms.  Stir them around so they are evenly coated in the fat, and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan, setting them aside.  Since the mushrooms have soaked up all of the oil, add another tablespoon to the pan, let it warm up, and add the onion.  Let that cook for 5 minutes or so, then add the garlic.  Once they look pretty well cooked, put the chicken back in the pan, and then the mushrooms around the chicken pieces.
Spread the olives and capers around, getting them down in as best you can, then add the cooking wine, lemon juice, and water.
Increase the heat to high, to bring it to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Uncover, taste, add salt and pepper if needed, and simmer another 15 minutes.

Vaguely Thai Soup

(all measurements are approximate)

1 T coconut oil
1 t sesame oil
1/2 onion, chopped
several cloves of garlic, minced
2 small-medium carrots, sliced thinly
a few small celery stalks with leaves, chopped
6 medium-large cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 cups water
2 T "better than bouillon"
2 t Thai red curry paste
2 T lemongrass paste
1 package of tofu, cubed
1 can of coconut milk
2 packages of shiritaki noodles, drained and rinsed

Nutella frosting

12 oz Nutella
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz butter

All the measurements were by weight.
Beat all of the ingredients together.
Pipe or spread on cake.
That's it.

This made enough for 12 cupcakes, frosted generously.
It was a bit soft, so I might try it with only 2 oz butter next time.
My brother asked me to make this for his next birthday cake.  It was delicious.

Pasta with Asparagus and other vegetables

1 onion
1 lb asparagus
1 red bell pepper
1/2-3/4 lb mushrooms
garlic-- several cloves
6 oz prosciutto
2 T- 1/4 cup fresh basil
1-1 1/2 lb chicken breast

1 lb dry pasta, such as farfalle

4 T butter
about 4 T olive oil
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
pecorino cheese, or parmesan


Cut the onion in thin half-moon slices.  Set it aside in its own bowl.
Wash and break the end off the asparagus.  Cut them into bite-sized pieces.  Put the tips in their own bowl and set them aside.  Put the stalks into a big bowl.
Cut the bell pepper and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add them to the bowl with the asparagus stalks.
Slice the garlic thinly and add to the vegetables.
Cut the prosciutto into small bits or strips and add them to the vegetables.
Mince the basil, and set it aside separately.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and set aside separately.

When ready to cook, boil water for the pasta, and cook it.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the butter and olive oil.
Saute the chicken until just done, then remove from the pan.
Saute the onion for a couple of minutes before adding the large bowl of vegetables.  When those are about half done, add the asparagus tips.
When the vegetables are almost cooked enough, put the chicken back in, and add the basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and cheese.

Toss everything with the cooked and drained pasta.
Serve with more cheese.

Dutch Butter Cake

I have made this recipe twice now.

The first time, I browned the butter, added a little vanilla, and baked it in an 8" square pan for 30 minutes.  It came out like shortbread--sort of crisp and crumbly.

The second time, I just melted the butter, added 1/2 teaspoon each vanilla, almond extract, and baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of milk.  I baked it in a 9" pie pan (lined with foil) for 20 minutes.  It cake out more moist and slightly chewy.

Both ways were good.

Scalloped Cauliflower and Ham

1 head of cauliflower, sliced fairly thinly
1/2 of a big sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 lb ham, cubed

1/4 c butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c flour
2 c cream
1 T dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 3 quart casserole dish.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Put half of the cauliflower evenly in the bottom.
Spread half of the onion on top.
Next, add the ham, then the rest of the cauliflower and onion.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, over medium heat.
Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to a minute.
Stir in the flour, and continue to stir until it is thick and bubbly.
Stir in the cream.  Add the parsley, salt, and pepper.  Stir it frequently until it thickens.

Pour the sauce over the casserole.  Add more cream so some runs down through the casserole.

Bake at least 45 minutes to an hour.  (Could be done in 45 minutes if you saute the onions before adding them, maybe.)

Homemade "Hostess" Cupcakes

I used this recipe as a help/inspiration.

Cupcakes:
1 batch of Cocoa Fudge Cake from the Betty Crocker cookbook, baked as cupcakes (made 2 dozen)

Filling:
1/2 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla
1 (13 oz) jar Kraft marshmallow creme

Cream the butter.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the marshmallow creme, and continue to beat until fully incorporated.
Transfer to a medium to large piping bag.

Ganache:
5 oz bittersweet chocolate (bars are better than chips)
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 t vanilla

Chop the chocolate roughly.  Put it in a food processor and process until fine particles.
Meanwhile, heat the cream to boiling, either in a small pan on the stove, or in the microwave.
Slowly pour the cream through the feed tube, with the food processor going.  Add the vanilla, and continue to process until smooth.  (You may need to stop the machine, scrape the sides, and continue.)
Transfer to a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.

Icing:
1/4 c butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1-3 t cream or milk

Cream butter.  Fully incorporate the powdered sugar.  Mix in the vanilla, and add cream or milk to make a piping consistency.
Transfer to a small piping bag with a small round tip (I used a Wilton #3 tip).

Assembly:

Core the cupcakes with a cupcake corer, and apple corer, or a paring knife.  If possible, save a slice from the top of the core to use as  "plug".

Cupcake corer--very handy!

Fill the cupcakes with the marshmallow filling, and top the filling with a "plug" of cupcake "crust".

Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the ganache, or use a spoon to spread it over the tops.

Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so, to let the ganache firm up.

Pipe the icing curlicues on top, and serve!

Leek Soup with Meatballs

Meatballs:
20 oz ground turkey
1 egg
1 t dry sage
1 t poultry seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
olive oil to fry

Soup:
Olive oil
3 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
1 celery root, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 lb mushrooms (white ones might make the soup a nicer color than crimini), cleaned and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dry sage
1 c smoked turkey stock
4 c water
about 4 T "better than bouillon" (or enough bouillon cubes for 4 c water)
black pepper
1/2 c-1 c cream (optional)

Mix the meatball ingredients.  Make small meatballs, and fry them in olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven.  Set them aside.
Add a little more olive oil if needed.  Saute the vegetables.  Add the stock and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer a couple of hours.
Blend with an immersion blender.  Add the cream and meatballs.

Baked Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

This turned out really well.  Both my husband and I enjoyed it a lot.

olive oil--about 2 T
1 onion, sliced in 1/2 circles (I used a good sized sweet onion)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, pepper, dry thyme

olive oil--about 2 T
3/4-1 lb mushrooms (I had white button mushrooms this time, but I usually have crimini)
salt, pepper, dry thyme

olive oil--about 2-3 T
4 large pork chops
salt and pepper

1/2 c "cooking" marsala wine
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 c milk (I used 2%)
1/2 c heavy cream (could have used less)
salt, pepper, dry thyme

Warm some olive oil in a large skillet (I used my 12" AllClad) over medium heat.  Add the onion, and break up the rings, and try to coat all the pieces with oil, stirring occasionally after that.  You may need to reduce the heat to low so it doesn't burn.  Add the garlic when you're done mincing it.  Continue to cook until the onions are very soft, and much smaller volume than they started.  You could even caramelize them if you have more patience than I do.  Add salt and pepper to taste when they are almost done, and about 1/4 t thyme.  In the mean time, clean and slice the mushrooms.

Set the onion aside in a mixing bowl, trying to leave as much olive oil in the pan as you can.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Add another 2 T or so of olive oil to the pan, and warm it over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and browned, and have released liquid and cooked it off.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and about 1/4 t thyme once they are browning.

Add the mushrooms to the mixing bowl with the onion.

Pour olive oil into the skillet, and brown the pork chops.  I seasoned each side with salt and pepper as I was browning them.  I had to do the 4 chops in 3 batches, because two of them were so big.  Put the chops into a casserole dish.

Put the casserole with the pork chops in the oven, and set a timer for an hour (45 minutes is probably plenty).

De-glaze the skillet with the marsala, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan.  Be smarter than I was, and mix the flour and milk before adding them to the pan, so you don't have lumps, and cook, stirring pretty constantly, until it is nice and thick.  Add the onion and mushrooms.  I recommend tasting the sauce to see how much more salt, pepper, and thyme it needs.  The sauce seemed excessively thick at this point, and I added 1/2 c heavy cream.  It probably didn't need it, but it was ok.

Pull the pork chops out of the oven, and pour the sauce over them.  If any are stacked, move them around so the sauce gets between.  Return to the oven until the timer goes off.  Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer, but mine was well over the minimum (I got 170-180).

Lots of protein soup

2-3 T olive oil
1 onion
1 kielbasa (12-16 oz, I think)
3 celery stocks
3 carrots
several cloves of garlic
1 chicken breast
1 c quinoa
1 (15 oz) can of white beans
rosemary
marjoram
8-10 c chicken broth
parsley