Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

Have you ever been to Chipotle? If not- go. It's fast food, yes, but it's fast food with a heart. They use locally grown produce, they actually cook and chop their own food rather than it coming in bags, and they make this rice that seriously causes me to drool.

I had never been to Chipotle and truly never had an interest. But then... one amazing day in January... my niece was born. (And yes- these two stories do relate, so don't write me off for going off topic yet.) We went to see my niece at the hospital and we were all in love immediately. She's perfect. So we went around 11, and nobody wanted to leave... but it was getting close to 3... and EVIL STEPHANIE was starting to emerge. EVIL STEPHANIE is my dark side... and she only emerges when I haven't been fed in the past few hours. But she was quickly emerging and I didn't need to introduce her to my perfect niece. There was a Chipotle right by the hospital so we went there and I was ready to eat everything that wasn't tied down. When they gave me this chicken bowl thing with this rice on the bottom I swear I had almost a religious experience... I was in heaven.

I knew I needed to make the rice at home so I quickly googled and found this from one of my favorite bloggers. And it was so good you'd never know it wasn't from Chipotle. Honestly I thought it tasted exactly the same. Best of all, anytime I eat this stuff I will always think of my beautiful, wonderful, perfect niece Gracie, and how this rice saved her from meeting my dark side.

Source: Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
4 tsp vegetable oil


Directions:
1- In a small pot add rice, water, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates.
2- When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover for about 15 minutes.
3- Shut off flame, cover an additional 5 minutes.
4- In a medium bowl combine the lime juice, cilantro, and remaining oil. Stir well. Add to rice, stirring until well coated.


** 3/4 cup for 5 point plus

Unrolled Rollatini

When I did my last blog giveaway I asked you what you love seeing most on the blog. It's funny, being the woman behind the keyboard, typing up my little antics about food, and sending them out to the world. I never know what people actually make, or like for that matter, unless they comment. But even that doesn't tell you much because only a teeny tiny fraction of my readers comment (hey- what's up with that?! GUILTY! YES YOU!) so I am still somewhat in the dark. So I just go about my merry way, cookin' and yuckin' it up, and hope that you all like what you see. Well, when I asked what it is you like to see the answers were quite evenly divided: sweets and quick/easy dinners. I knew I liked you people... I knew it.

I'm a big fan of quick and easy dinners. Sure, sometimes I'll reach deep into my inner Martha Stewart and slave away in front of the stove for hours, but for the most part I really prefer food that does its own thing. And apparently you all agree. So here's a great "does its own thing" dinner for you!

I love eggplant. It's a new found love, especially since I used to be a veggie hater, but it's deep. I really love it when it's fried and covered in cheese... because pretty much everything is better when fried and covered in cheese. Eggplant rollatini is a love of mine and it reminds me of my mom. We always share it when we go out. I was really craving it the other day but I just wasn't in the mood to fuss with an eggplant so I bought some Trader Joe's breaded eggplant cutlets and threw this together lickety-split. And it was gooooood. I know from the picture you can't tell there's eggplant down there, but trust me, there is. It's hearty, it's comforting, and dare I say it tastes even better the next day?! I dare. And now I dare you to make this. Go on... shoo. And then send me the leftovers.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound box breaded eggplant cutlets (or homemade if you prefer)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1 tsp. Italian seasonings
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-1.5 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1-2 cups marinara sauce (depends how saucy you like it)

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the breaded eggplant cutlets according to packaging instructions and set aside.
2- In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg white, Italian seasonings, and garlic powder. Stir well.
3- Cover the bottom of an oven safe dish with marinara sauce. Add a layer of eggplant cutlets. Top with a generous layer of the ricotta mixture. Add some marinara and spread it over the eggplant. Sprinkle with parmesan and 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
4- Repeat step 3, layering eggplant/ricotta/sauce/parmesan/and mozzarella. The top layer should be just eggplant with sauce and some mozzarella.
5- Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble. Serve hot.

Strawberry Doughnuts

So ever since my first attempt at doughnuts I've been hooked! I love my doughnut pan and love researching fun new recipes to try with it. A few weeks ago we had a new addition to our family, a beautiful baby girl- my first niece, and I am simply smitten with her. When she was born I wanted to bring a few items over to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law to ease some of the burden of being home with a newborn. I decided to make them some form of breakfast, and decided to go with these doughnuts. They are a tad bit healthier than traditional doughnuts as in there is no glaze or icing, and they are a bit more muffin-like than a doughnut. I also liked that there was some fruit in them... because clearly fruit makes them healthy, right?! RIGHT?! These aren't your typical overly sweet doughnut, but they are still quite tasty. John and I were fans and I hope the new mommy and daddy were too!

Source: Stetted

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup diced strawberries
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 and grease doughnut pan.

In a small bowl, stir together berries and syrup. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients, then add milk, egg, and butter, stirring until just combined. Add berries. Fill each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until tops spring back.

Mushroom Stroganoff

First and foremost, congratulations to the winner of my last blog giveaway. The winning comment was:

The Fenner's said...

I have a hard time saying "No" to anything baked. I loved baking more than cooking, so I love sweet recipes!:) Just found your blog by the way! Love it!

February 17, 2011 5:56 PM

I hope you enjoy your items! But onto the food...

It's funny how much blogging has changed the way John and I eat. When I started blogging the list of things we didn't eat far surpassed the list of things we did eat. Mushrooms were definitely on the "do not eat" list. John and I were both anti-fungi people. Yet with time we both have learned to like mushrooms- so much so that I was willing to put this pasta recipe on the menu with mushrooms playing a starring roll.

I have never been much of a stroganoff person because stroganoff typically involves beef, and beef just isn't a favorite of mine. So this recipe jumped out to me when I saw it. Plus it never hurts to get some extra veggies in, ya know? I will say that while there is nothing wrong with this recipe, in fact it's quite tasty and John loved it, I'm still not a stroganoff person! For me it comes down to the sour cream- it's not a favorite of mine and it plays too much of a starring roll in this. However, the other ingredients really compliment it nicely and make for a very comforting pasta dish. Not to mention my undying love for egg noodles... I could eat them daily. If you are a stroganoff person this will without a doubt be a bit hit. It's a nice healthier version of a comfort classic.

Source: Adapted from The Svelte Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1/2  large onion, diced
10 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp flour
1 cup light sour cream
12 oz  wide egg noodles


Directions:
1- Heat salted water to a boil and cook noodles until al dente. 
2- In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Cook onions until slightly soft, then add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release some of their water. 
3- Add flour, stirring well to combine, then add white wine, salt, pepper,  and Worcestershire. 
4- Cook on medium until liquid reduces and begins to thicken and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. 
5- Add hot, cooked noodles and stir gently so sauce coats noodles.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is the last day to enter my "favorite things" giveaway. The contest ends at MIDNIGHT. So what are you waiting for? Enter here. ( CONTEST ENDED- WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY ON THE BLOG)

Food blogging is a funny little subsection of the world. You make "friends" and you form connections. Ironically, a couple years ago, a blogger I "knew" from blogging contacted me and said she just found out that she worked with my husband. It was so funny and such a small world. After that event Cathy and I would send goodies to one another through John. One of the goodies I received were these cookies. It must have been almost two years ago that I received these cookies but I have never stopped thinking about them. I don't know what took me so long to get around to making them but I'm so glad I did. They are goooooood. I love the added crunch from the oatmeal, and really peanut butter and chocolate are always a winning combination. I am so glad I finally made these because they were delicious and I will absolutely be making them again (and again... and again...)

Source: Cathy's Kitchen Journey

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup white sugar 
1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy will both work) 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 egg 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup rolled oats 
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.(Flatten the cookies because these don’t spread.)
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cheddar Wafers

A couple weeks ago I sat down on the couch, exhausted, and proclaimed that I was "Sick of cooking and NEEDED a break!" John, being the love that he is, said "Ok babe- take a week off. No cooking, just relax." I agreed that maybe a break was needed. I had just made a few orders of cookies with royal icing for party favors, make a huge meal for my mom's birthday, meals for my beautiful new niece's birth, plus all the regular cooking for John and I. Well... let me tell you how long my break lasted. AN HOUR. Yes- 1 hour. I sat on the couch, threw my feet up, and then the "itch" hit. I immediately threw on my apron, got in the kitchen (aka my mecca) and made these cheddar wafers. Needless to say I didn't need a break... and I'm slightly addicted to mushing flour with my hands.

These cheddar wafers were fun to make. I have been trying to make more and more of John's snacks for work from scratch rather than packing him pre-made goodies. I typically have a formula for what I pack John and aside from nuts I always pack something crackery or chipy (yup...those "y"s again... sorry). These fit the bill nicely. And get inventive- if you don't have a small cookie cutter (which I didn't have) use any small circular shape. I used the top of a squeeze bottle that I use for my royal icing.
These had a subtle cheese taste. Next time I might up the seasonings, but even with the amounts listed they were great. A nice alternative to preservative laden crackers. Give it a try.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway! It ends on Saturday the 19th at midnight. You can enter here.

Source: Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Whisk together the butter and eggs. Add the cheese. Stir well. Add the baking powder, garlic powder, peppers, salt, and flour. Mix well.
3- Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.
4- Using a small cookie cutter, cut the dough. Place on a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.
5- Reroll the scraps and cut until all the crackers are formed.
6- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Makes about 3 dozen wafers.

500th post- Favorite Things Giveaway

So, believe it or not, my last post officially marked my 500th post. 500 times I have sat down with my laptop, opened a "new post" tab, and put my fingers to work. 500 times I've gone in the kitchen to cook up a new recipe. 500 new recipes, 500 back stories, over 500 pictures. I can't believe it. And really, I can't believe how much support you all give me. This blog started off with 2 readers and has grown into something I am so proud of that truly words can't even describe. Every time I get a comment or an e-mail or a facebook message from you it makes my day. I blog for me, but without YOU it just wouldn't be the same. So thank you, from the bottom of heart, for reading the past 500 posts, for sticking around, and for turning this blog into so much more than I ever hoped it would be.

But now.... the moment you've all been waiting for... the BIG giveaway. If you follow my facebook fan page you had the chance to enter a few giveaways there at the beginning of the year. But this is the FIRST EVER giveaway here on the blog, so I figured I better make it a good one.

Have you ever seen Oprah's Favorite Things? You know, where she gives away a car, and a house, and a country? Well, this isn't going to be quite like that, but it is going to be my much less expensive favorite things! Unless Oprah wants to jump in and sponsor a bigger giveaway, I'm always up for that! But assuming she doesn't, here's what's up for grabs.

The winner of this giveaway wins ALL of the following items. Each of these items has helped me to create many of the past 500 posts. Some are new favorites, some are old steadies, but none the less, all are well loved.

(Disclaimer: All items are coming from Amazon.com, and some are limited quantity, so if for some reason one is sold out by the time the giveaway ends, I will replace it with a very similar item.)

Joseph Joseph Scoop Colander- this was a Christmas gift this year and I use it all.the.time to scoop pasta out of boiling water, remove potatoes from a pan, etc. Very useful.

A Wusthof pairing knife. Honestly, I've been drooling over Wusthof knives for some time now and just started my collection, so let me help you start yours.

Wilton 3 tiered stacking cooling racks- I use these daily. I use them for baking, I also use them when entertaining to create makeshift shelves in my fridge. They work beautifully for making extra shelves when you have a lot going on in the kitchen. And they unstack too.

My microplane- I use this constantly to zest lemons, grate cheese, etc. 

My doughnut pan- my new BFF! I don't have a mini one, like this, I have a full sized, but I want the mini one too, so I'm living vicariously through you.

To enter: Leave a comment in the comment section telling me the type of recipes you most enjoy seeing on my blog, or food blogs in general. Do you like pasta? Sweets? Savory? Lay it on me!


Deadline to enter: Midnight, Saturday the 19th.


ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, CONTINENTAL US RESIDENTS ONLY. 


Good luck!

Bacon Pierogie Bake

This is my 500th post! Can you believe it?! Be sure to check back tomorrow, I'm going to have a special post dedicated to my 500th post, plus a very exciting giveaway, so check back then.

Back in the day before I knew how to cook a favorite dinner of John and I's was a box of frozen pierogies, tossed with some butter, toasted up in a frying pan, topped with parmesan cheese, and served with a salad. This meal is a bit of a throwback to the old days... quite appropriate for a milestone post like this one, no?

This recipe is fabulous. I think it's meant to be served as a side dish and you most certainly could do that, but I chose to serve it as a main course with a simple light caesar salad. I loved how colorful and bright it was. Call me crazy but if my dinner is pretty I tend to like it more. What can I say, I like colorful things! The sauce is light and creamy, the pierogies are tender, and the whole dinner comes together in no time at all. A winner for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) package frozen potato and onion pierogies
2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thin sliced green onions
1 small plum tomato, seeded, and diced
Pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the frozen pierogies in the dish.
3- In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan.
4- Add garlic to the drippings, cook for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Add the broth, stir continuously until it's all incorporated.
5- Pour the sauce mixture over the pierogies. Top with the cheddar cheese.
6- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the tomatoes and bacon, and return it to the oven. Bake for 5 additional minutes.
7- Remove from the oven sprinkle with green onions and black pepper. Serve hot.

Peanut Butter Brownie Pie

Look. Let's get real for a minute. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and if you are even halfway alive you are aware that the world (and certainly the blogosphere) is exploding with pink, red, and hearts. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater of Valentine's Day, I'm not making an intentional boycott of all things heart shaped here on Stephanie Cooks, I'm just getting to the real meaning of the day: CHOCOLATE. John learned early on to save the flowers and go straight for the milky chocolate goodness.

I made this dessert for my mother's birthday and I am willing to bet it was my biggest hit yet. My family raved and raved about this, and I must say I understand why. The brownie layer was dense, fudgy, and chocolate rich. The peanut butter mousse was a light contrast to the dense brownie. Paired together it was like I died and went to heaven.

One bit of advice. Use a deep pie crust. I did, and I still couldn't fit all of the peanut butter mousse on top. Which means I have a nice container full of this stuff to use up... get ready, I'm sure I'll come up with a way. OH and if you're not sick of me, one MORE bit of advice- make this for your Valentine. Show someone you love them with this. Nothing says "I love you" like rich fattening desserts... believe me on this one.

Source: Slightly adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago?

Ingredients:
1 deep dish pie crust (I used a frozen one)
1 15.5 oz. brownie mix
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container (8 oz.) whipped topping

Directions:
1- Heat oven to 350.
2- In a large bowl combine the brownie mix, egg, oil, water, and peanut butter chips. Stir well to combine and until completely incorporated.
3- Pour into pie crust, bake for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through. (Cover pie crust with tin foil after 20 minutes if it starts to burn)
4- Cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for an hour.
5- In a stand mixer combine the cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until completely incorporated.
6- Fold in the whipped topping, until completely combined.
7- Top the brownie with peanut butter mousse and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve cold.

Sweet Soy Glazed Chicken and Onions

I've got a thing for making "Chinese" food at home. It's weird too because I don't go out for Chinese often, or even order it in that frequently. But I do love making it at home, and best of all I love eating it at home.

This recipe had been stored in the deep, dark, depths of my Google Reader for a long long time now. I wasn't sure what to make with chicken, but I knew I wanted something Chinese-y, so I searched "soy sauce" and this baby popped up. OH.MAH.GOSH. It was so good. It was so much better than I ever expected. I figured it would be adequate, but no, this far surpassed adequate. It was perfect. The chicken was nice and tender, the sauce perfectly coated it, and the onions added just the right amount of flavor. I can assure you I will be making this again... probably soon.

Source: Crepes of Wrath

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 an onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Green onions, sliced small (optional)


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line and/or grease a 9×13 baking pan and add the cut-up chicken and sliced onions. Set aside.

2. In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Make sure you keep stirring everything so it doesn’t burn while it cooks.

3. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to make sure everything is well coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until everything is cooked through. Serve over rice, with noodles, or with steam veggies. Top with green onions, if desired.  Serves 2-3.

Buttermilk Waffles

So a few weeks ago I asked on my facebook fan page if anyone had a recommendation for a waffle iron and waffle recipe. I quickly took notes, ran to the store, and got a lovely waffle iron. Is there anything better than waffles? Well, yes... chocolate... but you get my point.

I received many awesome suggestions and bookmarked most of them for later use. I didn't go with any of the suggestions (John would laugh at this- I always ask him for restaurant suggestions and then ignore his opinions... what can I say?) but these waffles were great. I was really looking for a simple, classic recipe. Nothing fancy, nothing exciting. Just a classic waffle. And these were perfect. I love that I now have a bag of these in the freezer for later use. Yum.

Source: Martha Stewart

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil or cooking spray for the waffle iron

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 275 and set a cookie sheet on the lower rack.
2- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, and eggs; add flour mixture, and mix just until batter is combined.
3- Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions; brush with oil or cooking spray. Pour batter onto iron (amount depends on iron size), leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides (spread batter if necessary). Close iron; cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to rack in oven to keep warm; repeat with remaining batter.

Cinnamon Glazed Doughnuts

Hi, my name is Stephanie, and I am here to confess my sins some facts about me.  You just need to know these things.

1- I buy butter, sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract at Costco. Yes- I buy metric tons of them, and go through multiple Costco trips of each a year. I'd buy flour there too if it wouldn't take up half my house.
2- I collect random cooking items, like doughnut pans, just because.
3- Sometimes, at 8:00 on a Thursday night, I just need to bake. And sometimes that results in doughnuts.
4- I'm on the school nutrition committee, yet I fed these doughnuts to my students. This clearly was not nutritious. In my defense I only gave each kid 1/3 of a doughnut, which probably makes me the meanest teacher EVER. (Right guys?! I know you're reading this! My students just discovered my blog and now read it daily, much to my dismay and humble embarrassment.)

So back to the business of doughnuts. If you're a fan of my facebook fan page this picture must look quite familiar. And let me tell you, these things are good stuff. It was my first time making doughnuts and these were a success. They are super pretty and quite easy to make. They were a bit... cakey... but that wasn't an issue. They tasted like a cross between a cupcake and a doughnut, and pardon me for asking, but can you imagine anything more amazing?

If you don't have a doughnut pan they are a cheap investment. (Really cheap if you convince your sister to buy them for you for the holidays like I did- Thanks Melly!) But in all honesty, they are about $10 a pan and you will use them over and over again. Well worth the investment, and much healthier than frying them.

Source: Doughnuts adapted from For The Love of Cooking, Glaze from this post

Doughnuts:
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450.
2- Stir the dry ingredients together. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk then whisk together for 1 minute. Add the oil and continue to whisk until well combined.
3- Grease the muffin tins. Fill each 2/3 of the way. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely before icing. Yields 10 doughnuts.


Icing 
Ingredients:
1 1/8 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tbsp. light corn syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp. water


Directions:
1- Whisk the first four ingredients together. Add the water slowly until it reaches the desired consistency. 
2- Spoon over the doughnuts. Top with sprinkles, if interested. 

Garlic Spaghetti

My Sunday routine is pretty set. I tutor in the morning, I come home, I cook and bake all day, and I avoid doing laundry like it's the plague. That's just the way it is here in my little ol' house.

Well, the past few weeks my schedule has been completely thrown off! My father, who is the best EVER, has been redoing our kitchen and guess what day he comes? Yup, you guessed it... Sunday. So since he's been here sanding and grouting and laying tile I have been exiled to the living room. Since I can't actually cook and bake my Sundays away I've been watching others do it on the Food Network. The other day Melissa d'Arabian was making this simple spaghetti recipe and I just knew I needed to make it. I was immediately enticed when I saw that she slow cooked the garlic for 30 minutes before adding the tomatoes. I added it to our next weekly menu and made it.

 I am happy to report that this dinner was excellent! I halved both the oil and the butter because it called for an insane amount of each, and it was still unreal. The recipe below is what I did, but if you feel like playing fast and loose with the rules (and your hips) feel free to click on the original and make the original. I'm sure the extra oil and butter make it that much more rich and delicious. This is a great weeknight meal and perfect for when you want a simple meal.

Source: Adapted from Melissa d'Arabian

Ingredients:

9 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb.- 1 pound spaghetti, cooked (I used 1/2 lb. of perciatelli- it's long and thick with a hollow center)
1 tbsp. dried basil

Directions:

1- In a saucepan combine the garlic and oil. Heat over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2- Add the butter until melted. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and season with salt and pepper.
3- Heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4- Toss in the cooked spaghetti. Serve hot.

Thick, Chewy Granola Bars

These are the best granola bars in the world. Yes. I am making that broad of a claim. These are the best granola bars I have ever, ever eaten. And trust me- I've eaten my fair share of granola bars.

Let's get into it, shall we? These are soft yet firm. I'm not sure how, but they are. The edges bake up crisp. The possibilities of mix ins are endless. They are quite healthy and you can feel good about eating them. They are pretty. They are the best granola bars ever.

What I really love about this recipe is that you can keep the base ingredients the same but change out your sweetener, change your mix ins, and next thing you know you have a whole new recipe. I think the only thing that I didn't love about these is that I gave half of them to my dad- I wish I kept them all! We went through them so quickly that I am already thinking about the next batch I'm going to make.

Just a little tip- I took my nuts and put them in the food processor to pulse them down to little bits. I kept the fruit whole but I chopped up the nuts and I really like how the small pieces of nuts spread throughout. If you don't have a food processor you could always put them in a zipper bag and roll them with a rolling pin. It's worth the extra effort.

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you want them
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts- *List of suggestions below (I used 1 cup mixed craisins/raisins, and 1 cup cashews/almonds/pumpkin seeds -altogether, not each- pulsed small)
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup (I used honey)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan with nonstick spray.

Over low heat melt the butter. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter/peanut butter mix, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. 

Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. 

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. Cut with a serrated knife.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, raisins, peanut butter chips, cashews, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried apples or even chocolate chips. 

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Look, I'll admit it- I'm obsessed with chipotles in adobo. It all started with this carmelized chipotle chicken and then steadily increased with this pulled chicken. What was once an unheard of ingredient in my house has become a pantry staple. And with that said, any recipe that appears in my Google reader using chipotles in adobo is immediately added to my "must make" list.

This dinner was excellent. The day I planned to make it I was feeling cranky lazy uninspired and was contemplating just ordering in Thai food... but then I remembered my New Year's resolution to cook more and waste less... so off to the kitchen I went. And my oh my- am I glad I did. This dinner had a perfect blend of flavors. Spicy and sweet. Delicious. It was a big hit with John and I. The sweet potatoes were amazing. I guess I'm finally warming up to those funny orange potatoes and getting over my white-potatoes-only thing. Give this a shot- it's a really tasty and satisfying meal.

Source: Pink Parsely

Ingredients:


4 sweet potatoes (10 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbs olive oil
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs honey, plus more for drizzling
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
chopped cilantro, for garnish


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon.  Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 teaspoons of the paste.  Toss with the sweet potatoes.

Scatter the potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan, and bake 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with the remaining paste.

Stir the potatoes.  Carefully place the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes, and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through (registers 165 on an instant read thermometer), about 15-20 minutes longer

Divide the potatoes and chicken evenly among serving plates and drizzle with remaining honey and garnish with cilantro.