Chocolate Chip-Pretzel Bars

I found this recipe online at Food & Wine.com a few weeks ago.  I thought my son might enjoy them. He did. I made these cookie bars for an end-of-school get-together for him and his buddies.  I got rave reviews on them.  One of my son's friends said "it tastes like a pretzel rolled in a cookie" which is exactly right.  



Chocolate Chip-Pretzel Bars

CONTRIBUTED BY GRACE PARISI

·         ACTIVE: 15 MIN

·         TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN PLUS COOLING

·         SERVINGS: MAKES 2 DOZEN 2-INCH SQUARES

            2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
 2 large eggs
 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups mini pretzels, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

        Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on the 2 long ends.
       In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light, 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chips and pretzels.

        Spread the batter in the pan and top with the sprinkles. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden; the center will still be a little gooey. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

        Run the tip of a knife around the side of the pan and lift the bar out using the parchment paper. Cut into 24 squares and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Sally's Sunny Vegetable Salad

This recipe comes from one of my favorite book series authors, Joanne Fluke.  I made this salad for an outdoor dinner we had with some friends that stopped in from out of town.  It was very successful.  Everyone really enjoyed this salad.  Kudos to Joanne Fluke!

SALLY’S SUNNY VEGETABLE SALAD

by Joanne Fluke

5 cups chopped broccoli florets

5 cups chopped cauliflower florets

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)

½ cup golden raisins or dried cranberries

2/3 cup chopped green onions (scallions)

½ cup white granulated sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons red wine or raspberry vinegar

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (or ½ cup bacon bits)

¼ cup shelled, salted and toasted sunflower seeds

Chop the broccoli and cauliflower florets into tiny bite-sized pieces.

Combine the broccoli and cauliflower in a large salad bowl.  Add the shredded cheese and mix it with your fingers.

Mix in the raisins or cranberries and the scallions.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, mayonnaise and vinegar.  Mix it with a rubber spatula or a whisk until it is smooth.

Pour the dressing you just mixed over the top of the salad.  Toss it or stir it with a spoon or spatula until the vegetables are coated with the dressing.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 or more hours until ready to serve. 

Sprinkle bacon bits on top.

Sprinkle with sunflower seeds on top of that.

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Chicken Schnitzel

This is a big favorite of my son's.  He has been asking for it for about two weeks now.  I finally made it and he loved it.  I didn't have any white wine so I just used extra chicken broth.  Apparently, it worked for him.

Chicken Schnitzel
from food.com

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
coarse salt
ground pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumb (made from 3 slices white bread)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 (6 oz) chicken cutlets, pounded to an even 1/4 inch thickness
4 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1.   Beat eggs in a shallow bowl with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
2.   In a separate shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
3.   Dip each cutlet into egg mixture to coat completely, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, patting it on to help it stick.
4.   For each 2 cutlets, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
5.   Cook 2 cutlets at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
6.   Transfer the cooked chicken cutlets to an oven-proof platter or pan, and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining cutlets and making the sauce.
7.   Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.
8.   Heat butter until melted and add wine.
9.   Heat 30 seconds and stir in broth and lemon juice.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Simmer 2 minutes.
12. Pour broth mixture over cutlets and serve.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Macadamia White Chocolate Cookies with Raspberry Chips

Frankly, I decided to make these cookies because I have had a bag of raspberry chips in my freezer for quite a while. I know they don't go bad but it was time to use them. I had white chocolate and macadamia nuts in the freezer, too. So, why not bake some of these. The recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I can't said that I have ever eaten raspberry cookies of any sort before but these are really good. I stuck to the recipe for the most part. I bought the raspberry bits from the Prepared Pantry website. They are quite tasty. 

Macadamia White Chocolate Cookies
with Raspberry Chips

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon raspberry flavor
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
3/4 cup raspberry bits


Preheat the oven to 350ºF.


1. Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside


2. In the bowl of your stand-type mixer and with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter together. Add the eggs and beat. Add the flavors.


3. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in the stand-type mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Add the white chocolate chips and nuts and beat in. Add the raspberry bits. Do not beat more than necessary.


4. Drop dough in rounded mounds about 1 1/4 inches in diameter onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and the edges start to brown. Do not over bake—the centers will be soft. Remove immediately and let cool on a rack.









Enjoy!






The Creative Cook

Lasagna Hamburger Buddy

This meal makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner for your family.  I can remember my mother buying a box of Hamburger Helper way back in the early 1970's when it first came on the market.  She left it sitting in the pantry so long that when I finally decided that I would make it for dinner myself, the box was full of weevils. Yuck!  I could not get that out of my mind.  I have no idea what we ate that night but I probably didn't eat much of whatever it was.  In any event, you don't have to go to the supermarket to buy a box of Hamburger Helper.  It is probably a lot healthier and tastier if you make it yourself.  You can make almost any variety of Hamburger Helper yourself with a little forethought and planning.  What you need to have on hand to create homemade helpers: Ground beef, various herbs and seasonings and other basic pantry items (such as sugar, salt, and corn starch), pasta, rice, potatoes, canned tomatoes, and cheese. (You can buy large bags of shredded cheeses to shortcut this step, or buy blocks of cheese and shred it yourself.) Some varieties also call for Frito's or nacho chips, and most call for milk because it makes a creamier sauce. Keep a large box of dry milk in the pantry so that you are never out of milk.

Homemade Hamburger (Helper) Buddy Basics:  When creating your own helpers, keep in mind that most packages of Hamburger Helper include about 1-1/2 cups of pasta plus a packet of sauce seasonings, sometimes dried tomatoes, and sometimes a packet of dried cheese, depending on the variety. If there’s anything more unappetizing than dried cheese, I can’t imagine what it is. Some varieties use rice or dried sliced potatoes instead of pasta. Whatever you’re using for the starch base in the dish–1-1/2 cups is a good rule of thumb when making homemade helpers (except rice, which works better with only 1 cup of rice added). The total amount of liquid that should be added will equal about 3 cups in total.

Lasagna Hamburger Buddy 

(Copycat Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2-1/4 cups hot water

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 cups lasagna broken into small pieces or small egg noodles

1 cup stewed or diced canned tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Prepare a spice packet including:

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

After browning and draining the ground beef (one pound), in the same skillet add water and milk and tomato sauce, seasonings, and simmer (about 10-20 minutes). Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded, near the end, sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese during the 5-minute standing period.  Serve.

Enjoy! 

The Creative Cook

Cavatappi & Meatballs in Lemon-Basil Sauce

I had a Pampered Chef party at my house a few weeks ago.  The Pampered Chef representative brought a few of her cookbooks and shared this recipe with me.  This recipe is from one of the Pampered Chef cookbooks.  It is NOT my personal recipe, it is a Pampered Chef recipe. We all enjoyed the mean and it was a big hit with my boys.  I am definitely going to be making it again!

CAVATAPPI & MEATBALLS IN

LEMON-BASIL SAUCE

Pasta & Meatballs

8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2-1/2 Tbsps Sweet Basil Rub*

2 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese

2 slices white sandwich bread

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 lb. ground chicken

1-1/2 tbsp. olive oil

Sauce

1 lemon

1 small yellow onion

3 garlic cloves, peeled

½ tbsp. Sweet Basil Rub*

1 tbsp. olive oil

1-1/4 cups chicken stock

½ cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

¼ cup mascarpone cheese **

½ tsp. each salt and sugar

1 cup fresh parsley

1.       Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.       Meanwhile, for meatballs, process onion, garlic and rub in Manual Food Processor until onion is finely chopped.  Grate cheese.  Remove and discard crusts from bread, tear bread into pieces.

3.       Combine bread, onion mixture, egg and cheese in large bowl; mix until a smooth paste forms.  Add chicken and mix gently but thoroughly.

4.       Heat oil in 11- or 12-inch skillet (do not use stainless cookware) over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Scoop meat mixture, forming 24 meatballs, into skillet.  Cook uncovered for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.  Remove meatballs from skillet.

5.       To prepare sauce, juice lemon to measure 1 tbsp.  Process juice, onion, garlic and rub in Manual Food Processor until onion is finely chopped.

6.       Add oil and onion mixture to skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until onion is softened.  Add stock and wine; cook 2 minutes.  Stir in cheese, salt and sugar.

7.       Return meatballs to skillet.  Stir in pasta.  Cook, covered, 2-3 minutes or until hot.  Chop parsley.  Sprinkle parsley over pasta.

*2 tbsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp paprika, ¾ tsp. salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper can be substituted for the Sweet Basil Rub.

**2 oz. softened cream cheese can be substituted for the mascarpone.

Rotini or penne pasta can be substituted for the cavatappi.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook