Sunday, August 23, 2009

Simple Chocolate Icing


Here is a simple but delicious chocolate icing.  I like to use it to frost some tasty homemade cupcakes.  It's similar to a chocolate ganache. There are only two ingredients in this recipe and no butter at all.  For the chocolate chips, I used Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Read on! *Note: The pictures show the recipe being doubled.*

3/4 cup chocolate chips, dark chocolate is best
1/4 cup sour cream

Melt the chocolate (picture 1) over medium heat.  Once it is completely dissolved (picture 2) remove it from the heat.  Add the sour cream (picture 3) and whip until smooth and creamy (picture 4).  Enjoy!





Sunday, August 16, 2009

Tubetti Pasta with White Cream Sauce and grilled Chicken

This meal was created one cheerful spring day when we met at my house for a get-together and dinner.  We decided that cream sauce on pasta and grilled chicken would go well together.  Yum!

*Makes about two servings and some left-overs*

For the Chicken:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Seasoning of your choice, we used lemon-pepper
3 T. olive oil, extra-virgin
2 cloves garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat your grill pan.  Pour on the oil and heat that.  Without crowding the chicken begin to add the strips.  Using a spatula, turn the chicken, occasionally sprinkling with your seasoning, until the strips are cooked all the way through.  To make sure that they are, slice through the center of your largest piece.  If it is still pink, continue cooking.  Turn onto a plate.     


For the White Cream Sauce:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. Milk
Lemon Juice, add as much as you like or as little as you like.

In heavy skillet, heat butter until melted; remove from heat and add flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly until smooth. Add milk slowly, stirring and return to medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add enough lemon juice to please your taste buds.  

For the Pasta:  
We used a pasta called tubetti.  They are little straight tubes.

Cook one box according to the packaging directions.  

Serve your pasta on a colorful plate with the cream sauce poured over and a few slices of chicken on top.  Enjoy!  
-The Cookies, Leah & Emma    






        

Garden-Fresh Bean & Tomato Salad

This super fresh salad is a refreshing summer side. It was inspired by a similar recipe that I read about. I tweaked it, added some ingredients and went on to create my bean and tomato salad.

1 small can, 12 oz. or so, cannellini beans
1 large handful grape or cherry tomatoes
handful basil leaves
the juice of one lemon
3 T. olive oil, extra-virgin is best
fresh ground peppercorns
salt to taste

Chop tomatoes in half (note: I like to use red and yellow tomatoes. It makes the salad even more colorful), drain and rinse beans, and chop the basil into thin strips. Mix those ingredients in your serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk your evoo, (extra-virgin olive oil), lemon juice, salt and fresh ground peppercorns. Pour over the salad, mix and garnish with a sprig of basil. Enjoy!
-The Cookies, Leah



Saturday, August 15, 2009

The BEST Pesto in the World

Pesto is one of my favorite foods. Consequently, I have tried many different recipes. This one is by far the best!

2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBS romono
2 cloves pressed garlic
3 TBS softened butter
2 TBS pine nuts

Blend first 4 ingredients. Take out of blender. Add butter and grated cheeses.

This makes enough for one pound of pasta. I like to make a double batch and freeze what ever I don't use, it keeps in the freezer for a long time!
-The Cookies, Emma