Chocolate chip cookie

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (180 grams) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Directions:

Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick.  Put 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature. Cookies may be frozen up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 12 minutes.

*Room temperature egg + egg yolk are preferred for even disbursement.  Typically, if a recipe calls for room temperature or melted butter, it's a good idea to use room temperature eggs as well.  To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.  

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Black-Bean Veggie Burgers

*We adapted this recipe from www.thefrontburnerblog.com along with several other black bean burger recipes online.

Ingredients:

(makes 8-10 burgers)

• 4 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 4 carrots, grated
• 1 cup dry rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp of chipotle powder
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Cheese and condiments to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Toast ½ cup pepitas and 1-teaspoon whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet. Next, add the oats, toasted pepitas and toasted cumin seeds to your food processor and grind until coarsely chopped. Grate the carrots; place them on a double layer of paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add the carrots to your mixture in the food processor.  Add 3/4 of the beans, all the spices, and the olive oil.  Once all of this is in the food processor, mix it all together.

Coarsely mash the reserved beans in a large mixing bowl. Add the contents of the food processor to the crushed beans.  Stir to combine.

Oven: Form into 8-10 medium sized patties.  Place patties on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once half way through the cooking time.

Grill: If you want to grill these, pre-bake them at 300 degrees for 30 minutes and then put them on the grill to brown a little bit.

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spaghettini and gooey mozzarella meatballs

TOMATO SAUCE

2 cans of plum tomatoes, each 28 oz
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
5½-oz can tomato paste
1 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
½ tsp salt and pepper
Pinch of chili flakes
1 bay leaf

1 lb spaghettini

MEATBALLS

1¼ lb ground beef
2 slices day-old bread, cubed
¼ cup 2 per cent milk
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup grated parmigiana reggiano
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt and pepper
12 cubes firm mozzarella, about ⅓ of a ball

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1. Purée tomatoes and their juices in a food mill or food processor. Strain through a sieve. Discard seeds.

2. Heat olive oil in an ovenproof pot. Set over medium heat. When hot, add onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, bay leaf, parsley and chili flakes. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf.

3. To prepare meatballs, place bread cubes in a bowl. Pour milk overtop. Soak for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out extra moisture. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix using your hands. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350º F. Divide mixture into 12 portions. With wet hands, form a portion into a patty, then push a cube of mozzarella into the centre and form meat into a ball around the cheese. Repeat with remaining meat and cheese. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Coat a large skillet with oil and set over high heat. Add meatballs. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning often. Carefully add meatballs to sauce in ovenproof pot. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

5. Boil spaghettini in salted water until al dente. Drain well. Add to tomato sauce and meatballs. Gently stir. Divide among dishes. Top with grated Parmesan.

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summer macaroni and cheese

1 ear fresh corn
1 medium red pepper, diced, about 2/3 cup
1 small zucchini
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Butter or nonstick cooking spray
1 cup uncooked small elbow macaroni
1 Tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 cup goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 375°F Grease a quart baking dish with butter, oil or nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Remove the corn from the cob and place in a bowl. Add the diced red pepper. Slice the zucchini, creating four long strips with green and discarding the center of the zucchini. Dice the green strips and add to the other vegetables. Heat a large non-stick pan, add one tablespoon of butter and cook the vegetables until tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Set aside.



Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until outside is cooked but center is still firm. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water; set aside. 

In saucepan over medium-high melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Over low heat whisk in the milk and stir until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese and dry mustard. Stir in drained pasta and vegetables. Spread pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

macaroni & cheese tips

1. When it comes to macaroni and cheese, the more cheese the better. My rule of thumb is double the volume of cheese to uncooked macaroni. There is no such thing as too much cheese.

2. If you want to add a crunchy topping Panko bread crumbs are ideal, because they are crisp right out of the bag (or box).

3. Undercook your pasta. If you don’t, it will be overcooked by the time you finish baking it. Drain it well and rinse it with cool water or it will keep cooking while you are assembling your casserole.

4. A pinch of dry mustard adds intensity and makes cheddar cheese taste even sharper.

5. Two cheeses are better than one! Three cheeses are even better than two. Different cheeses add more complexity. In addition to the classic cheddar try parmesan, gruyere, goat cheese or even brie.

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Watermelon Slush

"fabulous and so easy.....add a shot of gin for the adults!!! "

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups diced watermelon
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1/2 cup water

PREPARATION

1. Blend watermelon, lime juice, sugar, ice and water in a blender until smooth.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 48 calories; 0 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 137 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: A natural sports drink with vitamins A and C, potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1/2 fruit

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Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites

Sweet satisfaction in seconds!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 1/4-ounce squares bittersweet chocolate
• 4 teaspoons almond, cashew or pistachio butter
• 
  

PREPARATION

1. Top each chocolate square with 1/2 teaspoon nut butter of your choice (almond, cashew, pistachio).

NUTRITION

Per serving: 79 calories; 6 g fat ( 2 g sat , 1 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 6 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 12 mg sodium; 20 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Nutrition Note: What you get: Magnesium, copper, chromium.

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Peanut Butter & Pretzel Truffles

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped salted pretzels
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

PREPARATION

1. Combine peanut butter and pretzels in a small bowl. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 20 balls (about 1 teaspoon each). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze until very firm, about 1 hour. Roll the frozen balls in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

• Tip: To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

NUTRITION

Per truffle: 64 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 1 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 2 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 53 mg sodium; 65 mg potassium.

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