Pecan Shortbread Flats

I'm so excited about this post because these are probably my favorite cookies of all time!  My Mom made these cookies a few times for Christmas when I was little.  She packed them in tins and gave them away as Christmas presents, but always left a few behind for the family to enjoy.  Well, I guess the rest of my family got to enjoy...I used to eat 5 in one sitting!

To this day, I will find old Christmas tins around the house and immediately open them, stick my nose inside and take a big whiff.   I can still smell the nutty, buttery aroma of the cookies that used to live in them and it brings me right back to Christmas time as an 8 year old girl in my mom's kitchen full of goodies.  Honestly, what's better than that?

This year, when my original idea of making Peanut Butter Candies for my friends fell through, I immediately thought of these cookies and how my Mom used to give them away in little tins.  I found some cute little Christmas tins at our local super store (hint, rhymes with Narget) and set off to buy the rest of the ingredients for the cookies.

I made my first batch and was so thrilled to find out that they were exactly how I remembered.  Buttery, crispy yet soft, and deliciously nutty.  Then, I made my 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th batches and was thrilled over and over again with the taste of each cookie (and if you were counting, yes, that's 5 cookies).

I'm pleased to report that I brought them into work today for my co-workers and they were a hit.  I hope you can give them a try as well...I assure you, you won't be disappointed!

Pecan Shortbread Flats
(Makes about 25-30 cookies)

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but not quite at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten plus 1 egg for egg wash
1/4 tsp. almond extract (vanilla would work also)
1 c. chopped pecans

Combine flour, salt, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Mix with your fingers until it forms flaky crumbs and lumps. Mix in the egg and almond extract. Continue to mix until it clumps; at first it may seem very dry. Shape into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to work with it. The dough may be crumbly; if it falls apart, press it back together. Allow to relax enough to become somewhat pliable before rolling out. Roll out a disk, one at a time, on a lightly greased surface (I sprayed my counter top with PAM spray) 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness, depending on how thick or thin you would like your cookies to be.

Roll up onto rolling pan, then unroll onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush top of dough with egg wash and then top with the toasted pecans.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, until the edges are just slightly golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Cut cookies into 2 inch squares.

Enjoy!

Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme and White Wine

You may remember my post from last week about the Sausage over Zucchini Ribbons?  And I promised to share the delicious recipe for the roasted mushrooms that I paired with it?  Well, here it is!

I based this on the roasted mushrooms recipe I found on Yummy Supper, but added a few more types of mushrooms and used white wine instead of rose.

Like I said in my previous post, this dish was the star of the show.  There are so many developed flavors from the thyme and the wine and the various types of mushrooms.  And roasting them all in the oven just tied them all together so much more!  I'll definitely be trying this recipe again, possibly in a similar way as prepared in Yummy Supper, over creamy polenta - yum!  (Oh, and I took her tip of pouring out the liquid halfway through cooking to avoid the mushrooms becoming too soggy...great advice)

Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Thyme and White Wine
2 cups mushrooms of your choice, I used chanterelles, shitakes, oysters and crimini. 
1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c. white wine

Preheat oven to 450.  Clean mushrooms with a washcloth just to remove any extra dirt.  Combine mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped thyme in a oven-safe skillet or roasting pan.  Add 1/4 c. white wine to the pan and place in the oven.  Roast for 15 minutes.  (Don't forget to pour liquid out halfway through!)

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Candies

As I was brainstorming on what tasty treats I could make for my friends this year for Christmas, I stumbled upon this recipe for Peanut Butter Candies from Natalie's Killer Cuisine.  They looked really good on the site and the recipe sounded easy enough.  Unless of course you're quadrupling the recipe to be able to make enough for all of your friends.  And I think ladies and gentlemen, this is where I went wrong.

The candies turned out looking very similar to the pictures and therefore looked rather scrumptious, but when I tasted one, my mouth puckered and my teeth screamed with sugar overload!  The best thing I can think of to compare this to, is eating a scoop of hardened icing - not to be confused with creamy frosting - but pure sugar icing off the top of a birthday cake.  Now, I know some people who love the taste of pure sugar, and would not hesitate to eat a scoop of icing off the top of a birthday cake, and they might actually squeal at the taste of these cookies (in a good way).  But, that much sugar is enough to last me an entire week - and I love sweets!

It could have been the quadrupling of the recipe, it could have been not using enough peanut butter (although it says not to make it too thick), or it could just be that I can't eat that much sugar in one bite.  There could be a number of reasons these candies didn't turn out as I expected, but all I can say is, if you love sugar - this is the recipe for you!

Needless to say, my friends are not getting these candies for Christmas.  I've got another idea in mind that you'll hear about later this week!

Sausage over Sauteed Zucchini "Ribbons"

In an effort to cook a dinner WITHOUT carbs (yes, I know - crazy), I scrounged up a few ideas from various food blogs.  I found a great idea for Sausage over Zucchini Ribbons from Taste of Pace. 

The combination of the mildly spicy sausage with the sauteed zucchini ribbons was a great complement, even though the zucchini was not quite what I'd call "ribbons," more like thin slices.  

Unfortunately, I made the choice at the grocery store to buy turkey sausage over pork sausage, and I think this was a mistake.  Turkey sausage does not do it for me.  The pork sausage (while a little more fattening) just has SO much more flavor.  I think I would have traded the carbs for a little extra fat, in this case.  So, in my recipe below, I've included pork sausage instead of turkey.

I served this with some roasted mushrooms (recipe to come later), that were DE-licious, and by far the star of the show. 

Sausage of Sauteed Zucchini "Ribbons"
(serves 2)
3 pork sausage links, casings removed (try not to mess up the shape of the sausages when removing the casings, you don't want this to turn into ground sausage when cooked in the pan)
1 large zucchini, cut or sliced lengthwise into thin ribbons
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Saute pork on all sides until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Drain any excess grease or sausage remnants from the pan and add zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper, then saute until cooked through and slightly softened, about 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your zucchini. 

To plate, cut the sausage into 1-2 inch pieces.  Pile the zucchini in the middle of the dish and top with the sausage. 

Enjoy!

Panko-Breaded Chicken Tacos

So, I arrived at my favorite local food store with nothing in mind of what to cook for dinner. I ventured over to the meat counter and found some plump chicken breasts that had been breaded in various spices and panko crumbs. I ordered up one breast (they were huge, and plenty to split between two people) and then kept on my way. I was trying to think of something fairly light and healthy, but with still a good bit of complex flavors, and I stumbled upon chicken tacos. They're easy, quick and you can make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like!

I picked up a pack of tortillas (I wanted to try the whole wheat and corn, but S.'s not too fond of the corn tortillas, so we settled on flour), then grabbed an avocado, a tomato, an onion, some cilantro and a lime. And finally, picked up a small carton of sour cream to top it all off. I already had some black beans and leftover corn from my Corn, Black Bean and Tomato Salsa recipe that I could throw together for a side dish.

The tacos ended up being pretty tasty (and a little messy), and next time I think I'll try them with a type of fish instead. Maybe tilapia, or something that has a pretty mild flavor.

Panko-Breaded Chicken Tacos
(serves 2)
1 large chicken breast (or two small ones), coated in olive oil and breaded with panko crumbs, salt and pepper
4-6 tortillas (depending on how much you can eat)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
half of a small onion, diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, squeed of its juices and diced
1/2 avocado, pitted and diced
1 lime
2 Tbsp. sour cream
handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350, and heat an oven-safe skillet with olive oil over med-high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the chicken. Sear on one side for 2-3 minutes until browned and it can be easily lifted without sticking to the pan. Flip chicken and move the pan to the oven. Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until chicken is done. Pull out of the oven and remove from pan to rest.

Place the pan that the chicken cooked in back on the burner over medium heat. Scoop out any loose crumbs left behind from the chicken, but leave the oil and any brown bits that are stuck to the pan (these add lots of flavors). Add the onion and the bell pepper, and sprinkle with salt. The moisture from the onion should be enough to loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, scrape around with a wooden spoon and try to unstick these bits of flavors. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the pan, and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

To assemble tacos - slice the chicken in thin slices on a cutting board. Heat the tortillas in the microwave, with a paper towel covering them for 12-15 seconds. Add a few slices of chicken to a tortilla, then top with the onion and pepper mixture, some tomatoes, some avocado, a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Serve with slice of lime that can be squeezed over the tacos before eating.

And as mentioned above, I also served mine with some canned black beans that had been heated on the stove, and some loose corn kernels, microwaved and topped with butter.

Enjoy!

Corn, Black Bean and Tomato Salsa with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro

This recipe is one of my most absolute favorites! It's easy, delicious and can be altered however you feel necessary. I prepared it this past weekend for a get-together to watch football with some good friends (Thanks D&B!) And like so many other salsas, the flavors just get better after they marry for a day or two. (Aside from the avocado, which should be added just before serving to avoid browning).

I have to give credit to my mother who gave me the idea originally, I just made a few tweaks along the way.

Corn, Black Bean and Tomato Salsa with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro
(This is one of those recipes that you can throw in as much or as little of each ingredient as you like - depending on your tastes and your appetite, the below amount will feed 6-8 people as an appetizer)

Half a bag of frozen silver queen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, drained
7 or 8 roma tomatoes, cut in half and seeded, then chopped
half of a purple onion, diced finely
1 avocado
Juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Combine corn, beans, tomatoes and onion in large bowl. (Can refrigerate up to 24 hours at this point) When ready to serve, peel and pit the avocado, then dice and toss into the bowl. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the avocado and stir all together. Then, add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve alongside tortilla chips, pile on top of a burger, or just spoon it into your mouth, whatever suits your fancy!

Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup in the Crock Pot and Grilled Havarti Sandwiches with Arugula and Creamy Mustard

Tis the season for warm, comforting soup! And what is more classic than a traditional tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich? You can't go wrong!

Last week, S. and I went to an outside showing of "A Christmas Story" downtown by the river - one of the many fun events that our town plans throughout the year.

I knew I wouldn't have much time to make anything decent for the picnic after work, since the show started at 7:15, so at lunchtime I decided I'd throw some stuff in the crock pot for a creamy tomato soup that would cook all day while I was away. After work, I came home and finished up the soup and then grilled up some havarti cheese sandwiches with arugula and a creamy mustard sauce.

We dressed in our warmest jackets, grabbed our blankets and gloves, packed up our picnic and a good bottle of red wine, and headed downtown to watch the show. It was a great evening of good entertainment (how could you go wrong with "A Christmas Story") and comforting food. The tomato soup was deliciously creamy and warm, and I really enjoyed the sandwich, but S. felt the arugula was a little too bitter. Next time, I'll leave it out of his. :)

But, what a great way to kick off the Holiday season!

Creamy Tomato Soup in the Crock Pot

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes in puree
1 c. pureed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 tsp. of a mixture of dried herbs and spices (I used basil, oregano, 1 bay leaf, Italian seasoning, cumin, curry powder and paprika)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, plus more for tasting if needed
Couple dashes of cooking sherry, plus more for tasting if needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth or bouillon
1 cup heavy cream

Combine tomatoes, puree, onions, carrots, garlic, brown sugar, dried herbs, Worcestershire, cooking sherry, salt, pepper and broth in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or until vegetables are very soft. Turn heat off and let mixture cool slightly. Remove bay leaf and puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Add cream, stir and reheat for another 30 minutes. Serve in individual bowls.

Grilled Havarti Sandwiches with Arugula and Creamy Mustard
serves 2
4 slices hearty bread of your choice
2 Tbsp. Creamy Mustard (**recipe follows)
2 thick slices of Havarti cheese
1/2 c. of arugula
salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil spray

Heat skillet pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil spray. Spray 1 side of each slice of bread with the olive oil, and spread the creamy mustard sauce on the other side of each slice. Layer 1 slice of bread with the havarti cheese and a small handful of arugula and then season with salt and pepper. Top with other slice of bread and grill over medium heat 4-5 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted. Repeat with 2nd sandwich.

**Creamy Mustard Sauce**
Combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. mayonnaise with 1/2 Tbsp. spicy mustard and mix well.

Enjoy!

Turkey Mousaka

One of my favorite restaurants in town, serves a great Mousaka, which is a traditional Greek dish of layered vegetables and ground meat. The particular dish that I love is layered with crispy eggplant and spiced ground lamb cooked in a thick tomato sauce mixture and drizzled with a creamy greek bechamel sauce - DELICIOUS!

On Sunday night, we were trying to figure out what to cook for dinner and I remembered I had a pound of fresh ground turkey breast in my fridge that I'd bought on special the day before. A little tired of the traditional turkey burger that we would normally prepare with ground turkey breast, I decided to try a little twist on my favored Mousaka dish. I would use the ground turkey instead of the lamb, do my best to remember the ingredients from the menu description and finish the dish with some creamy havarti cheese melted over top.

I knew it was a risk, seeing as how I was having to create a recipe from scratch based on the description and tastes that I remembered from the restaurant menu, and knowing that the ground turkey breast was at risk of falling flat on flavor compared to a hearty, spiced ground lamb. And, I was fairly correct in my assumptions.

The dish ended up a little watery and the eggplant was not quite cooked through. The turkey did lack in flavor compared to the lamb and the bechamel sauce didn't quite turn out as expected. (Sigh) I think next time I try this, I'll add a few more spices to the turkey mixture, perfect my bechamel sauce, and increase the cooking time in the oven (I've increased the cooking time in the recipe below, based on another recipe I found online).

Oh well, you can't win them all!

Turkey Mousaka
(serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 medium eggplant, slicedsalt and pepper to taste
1 med. onion, finely diced
1 large clove garlic, chopped


1 bay leaf
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. caraway seed
1/2 can crushed tomatoes in puree1/2 cup bechamel sauce (*I made up my own recipe, but I'd recommend using the recipe linked here)
2 slices of havarti cheese

Directions:
Season the ground turkey breast with salt and pepper and cook through over medium-high heat, in the olive oil. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan, turn the heat up and add the slices of eggplant. Pan-fry each side until crispy. Remove slices from pan and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to the pan (and more olive oil if necessary), saute until onions are translucent. Season with salt, oregano and caraway seed. Then, add the crushed tomatos (in puree) and the bay leaf. Let this mixture come to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, and prepare the bechamel sauce.

When tomato sauce mixture has thickened, you can begin to layer the dishes. You'll need 2 oven-safe personal sized casserole dishes. To layer the first dish, spoon a small amount of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the dish. Then, top with a layer of sliced eggplant, followed by a heaping spoonful of turkey mixture and a drizzle of the bechamel sauce. Then, repeat each layer 1 more time, ending with the drizzle of bechamel sauce. Repeat this process for the 2nd dish and place in the oven to cook for 20 minutes in the oven. Then, add the slices of havarti cheese to the tops of the dishes and cook for another 15 minutes, until cheese on top starts to brown.

Important step - Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes before eating to let the juices redistribute and settle. (Another step I left out)

Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Lemon, Arugula and Pecans

A few nights ago when I was trying to decide what to cook myself for dinner, I was left staring into an empty pantry. It was pretty late and I was in no mood to run to the grocery store, so I was forced to pull together a meal using whatever I could find. The result - Creamy Pasta with Lemon, Arugula and Pecans.

I used the corkscrew pasta and pecorino cheese that I had leftover from my Corkscrew Pasta with Lemon-Broccoli, Pecans and Toasted Breadcrumbs, the leftover lemon from my Lemon Poppyseed Cookies, some arugula from a salad earlier in the week and some other staple items I had - including garlic, ricotta cheese, pecans and red pepper flakes.

For what I could pull together at the last-minute, I was pretty impressed!

Creamy Pasta with Lemon, Arugula and Pecans
(serves 1)

Ingredients:
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 c. corkscrew pasta
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 c. arugula
1/4 c. ricotta cheese (I used part-skim, but you could use whole milk as well)
handful of toasted, chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. of freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for topping

Directions:
Bring 1 quart of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente. Draind pasta and add ricotta cheese and lemon juice while still hot.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant and slightly golden, about 30sec - 1 min. Add red pepper flakes and lemon zest and saute until fragrant, then add arugula and let cook down slightly.

Mix the arugula mixture with the ricotta, lemon pasta and add toasted pecans and pecorino cheese. Mix together until combined, then plate pasta and top with a little more freshly grated pecorino romano cheese.

Enjoy!