Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. This recipe is from The Mennonite Treasury (page 173 in the edition I have).

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
2/3 cup white sugar (1/3 is plenty)

2/3 cup brown sugar (1/3 is plenty)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cups flour

1 tsp salt (if you reduce sugar, reduce salt!)

1 tsp baking soda

1 pkg chocolate chips (2/3 cup is a good amount)

2 cups oats
1/3 cup nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream shortening, add sugars gradually. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla.

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture.

Add nuts, chocolate chips, and oats last.

Drop by teaspoonsful on greased cookie sheets and bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Notes

I've made many variations of this recipe. You could replace some of the flour with bran. You could use a multigrain flour. You could use chopped up chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips.

Leftover Chocolate, Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe is based on the chocolate chip cookies my sister and I have made since we were kids. It's a great way to use up leftover chocolate. I made a double batch, so that's how I'll write it.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup of chocolate (chocolate bars chopped up, M&M's, Smarties, etc)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter until it's nearly white. Add sugars, beat it more. Add banana, beat it more. Add eggs, beat it more.

Add vanilla. 

Add in dry ingredients. Mix to combine.

Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet (or use parchment). Bake for 12 minutes.

Notes

You can use butter, shortening, margarine, whatever you prefer. I wouldn't swap out more than half of it when adding in banana or apple.

This dough freezes well. Fill a container with cookie dough balls, take out as many as you want to bake at one time. If baking from frozen, you may need to add 2 minutes to the baking time.

Breakfast Waffles

This recipe is inspired by, and uses Pioneer Meat farmer sausage. I adapted a tried and true sourdough waffle recipe.

Ingredients

1 stick of Pioneer Meat farmer sausage, scramble fried

1 tsp epicure Oh Canada seasoning

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded cheese

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sourdough starter

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions

Scramble fry one section of farmer sausage. You could even do half of one section. Once it has been browned, add the Oh Canada seasoning

Preheat waffle iron.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

In a separate, medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Gently stir until just combined. The batter may have lumps but there should be no dry spots.

Sprinkle desired amount of meat crumbles onto the waffle iron, top with waffle batter. Cook until golden brown.

Remove waffles to a cooling rack while you cook the remaining waffles. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven if desired.

Top with maple syrup.

Notes

epicure's Oh Canada seasoning is a blend of maple, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper

In place of farmer sausage, you could easily use fried bacon or breakfast sausages (scramble fried, well-drained)

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower

 crunchycreamysweet.com gets all the credit for this one. And my sister for telling me about it.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian or plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 medium cauliflower head

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Remove all leaves from cauliflower head. Cut cauliflower into florets, all roughly the same size. You can slice the large florets in half if needed.

Melt butter in a small bowl. Stir in garlic.

Place breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.

Dip each cauliflower piece into butter, then breadcrumbs.

Place each breaded piece on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until you use up all cauliflower.

Roast cauliflower for 35 to 32 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown.

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Another delicious must-try from tastewithnicki on Instagram. I've typed out her caption from her post. I will update after making it.

Pasta Salad Ingredients
2 1/2 cups dry macaroni noodles
10 oz bag of frozen corn 
1/2 cup cotija cheese (Parmesan works fine too)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 jalapeños, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne

Dressing Ingredients
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Notes

Corn: cook according to directions. I roasted mind in a pan with garlic powder and tajin for 6-8 minutes on medium heat

Mexican Rice Casserole

I was in the mood for a Mexican-inspired, rice-based casserole. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef or ground chicken

2 small onions

3 cloves garlic

2 cups rice

1 box of Campbell's concentrated beef broth

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1-2 cups black beans (depending if you like a little or a lot)

1-2 cups frozen corn

salt and pepper

Toppings:

sour cream

cilantro

green onions

tomatoes

avocado with lime

salsa or pico de gallo

Directions:

Fry up the ground beef/chicken as per usual. Add finely chopped onion and garlic towards the end of the frying process. Lightly salt.

While waiting for the beef, rinse the rice thoroughly.

Layer a 9x13 pan:

ground beef mixture

rinsed rice (lightly salt it)

pour the beef broth (I used 1 1/2 cups total) over the rice

add the full can of crushed tomatoes

sprinkle black beans and corn on top (lightly salt again)

add any other vegetables you prefer at this point

Cover with parchement. Bake at 350 degrees until rice is done. I needed about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Remove foil, top with shredded cheese. Broil.

Add toppings to taste.

Notes:

This can be made in a Dutch Oven as a one-pot meal.

Works well divided between two 8" square baking dishes. Bake both, put one in the freezer.

Barbecue Seasoning

I've never even considered a dry barbecue seasoning. Found this one and it's epic.  

myforkinglife.com/homemade-bbq-seasoning/

I used this seasoning for this Honey Jalapeño Chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Combine, store in an air-tight container. 

Notes:

Does it have to be the smoked variety of paprika? Yes. Absolutely.