WW Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Image Via Weight Watchers

2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar, dark-variety
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp table salt
1 large egg white(s)
3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup



Preheat oven to 375ºF.


In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.


In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.


Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving. (1 Point Per Serving).

Bourbon Chicken

picture via My Kitchen Cafe

I made this Monday and it was Amazing. From start to finish this took less than 20 minutes. I was very nervous that it wouldn't be any good because the Curry Recipe from the same site wasn't spectacular. ( Perhaps, I didn't add enough curry powder to it.) I am also skeptical about using vinegar. But it was so good. Definitely Something I will make again and again. Also a Bonus, for half this recipe it's only 4 WW Points. Yeah.

Bourbon Chicken
from My Kitchen Cafe adapted from Blog Chef

2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (I only used 2 chicken breasts)
Cornstarch
2 Tbl. Oil

1/2 tsp. minced garlic or 1 clove minced
1/4 tsp. minced ginger (or ground ginger)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( I used chili powder)
1/4 c. apple juice
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbl. Ketchup
1 Tbl. Apple cider vinegar ( I used white rice, its all I had)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

* Here is a little trick for cutting meat that my dad taught me. Always cut perpendicular to the grain of the meat, raw or cooked. Otherwise, your just chewing the grain.

1. Cut fat off chicken. Cut into bite size pieces. Coat in Cornstarch. Pan fry in oil. Drain on paper towel.
2. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, bring to boil in a saucepan. Add chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will become sticky and think.

That is it. While this was going on we cooked rice (in the cooker) and steamed some vegetables (in the microwave). I love yummy, quick and easy recipes. Try it and you'll love it!

Sweet Chex Mix

I couldn't find a recipe for this on the Chex site. I had 2 recipes that were very different in amounts, so I just kind of guess and it turned out perfect.

1/2 Small Box Golden Grahams

1/2 Small Box Rice Chex (*Note: one recipe called for 1/2 box of rice and 1/2 corn)

1/2 Small Box Corn Chex

2 1/2 sticks Butter

1 C. (and a little extra) White Sugar

an over flowing 1/2 c. of Light Corn Syrup

dash of vanilla

1 bag of Shredded Coconut

Slivered Almonds

Cashews

1. Combine cereals, coconut and nuts.

2. Melt butter, corn syrup, sugar and vanilla in a Medium Saucepan. Bring to Boil, Boil for about 3 minutes.

3. Pour over cereal, combine until the sugar mixture is evenly distributed.

4. Let cereal sit on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet

5. Eat a bowl-full, feel stuffed and then put the rest in various tupperware and ship them out to friends and family before you eat the entire batch.

* I made this for the 3rd time this month for New Years. After I mixed it all together, I just kept eating and eating and eating. I kept thinking " Stop eating this, Stop eating it RIGHT NOW!" but what can I say? This will give you idle hands and as much as you try to stop eating it, you just can not do it. So, Really, the shipping it out in tupperware to other people is a crucial step.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Image from My Kitchen Cafe

Coconut Chicken Curry

slightly adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat)

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 red potatoes, cut into chunks

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

Jasmine rice (cooked)

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don't let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens. The sauce thickens upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner), too. Serve with Jasmine rice (or your favorite rice) and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Welcome

I finally started my Food blog. I orginally started a blog that was intended to be a food blog but was just a "sometimes about food blog". I've posted a few of the recipes I've put on my personal blog below. I'll update them with pictures soon. The transition wasn't as smooth as I imagined it would be.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is the recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am not a huge cookie fan. And I usually don't like these cookies unless they are very soft and ooey-gooey. These definitely don't disappoint.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips, or any chip you like

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. (these totally won't last 4 days. be.lieve.me.)

Oreo Truffles

So here is what I spent two whole evenings making for the Halloween Party we went to. They are Oreo Truffles and they are AMAZING. Chris said "I didn't now you could make an oreo anymore fattening." Well, I love a challenge! :) The first batch took a looong time to make. If you are going to make them here is what I suggest: 1. Don't use a whole brick of cream cheese. You don't need that much. 5 or 6 ounces should be just fine. 2. Put your cream cheese in a big bowl and microwave for about 35 seconds. 3. Throw whole oreo's into a blender, 8 at a time. Pour crumbs into bowl with cream cheese and mix together. 4. Repeat, combining again after each batch of 8 oreo's. It is so much faster than trying to do it all at once. Be.Lie.Ve me. 5. If you have a ice cream scooper that is perfectly round (think of the steel kind from pampered chef that have the handle that plops them out.) USE IT. 6. Candy coating: microwave a lot in a 'tumbler' size cup. Also, The Pioneer Woman gives a good little tut for the cake balls that you can apply when doing the candy coating. 7. See the brown ones in the picture? I didn't fully candy coat those. Bad Idea. They taste so much better with the candy coating, because you get two different flavors. They are delicious. I have probably had 20 or so since thursday night when I started the first batch. Here are some more pictures.