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.