This year while searching for recipes to bake up while home in New York I stumbled across this recipe that was feature on the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog during Cookie Week. I like chocolate and LOVE salted caramel so I knew I was going to have to make them. I did a test run of them for my coworkers this week and after eating one of these cookies one of them proclaimed that I needed to open my own cookie shop. Needles to say these cookies are delicious!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookies adapted from http://twopeasandtheirpod.com

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Soft caramel, rolled into little balls (I used Werther’s chewy caramels next time I think I’ll try a soft baking caramel)
• Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF; line 2 baking sheets with  parchment paper or silpats.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a medium sized bowl in the microwave . Once melted stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Pour into a mixer then add  yogurt and vanilla, mixing until combine. Add flour mixture in 3 parts and mix until moist. Wrap the chocolate dough around the caramel balls. Place balls on cookie sheets and sprinkle with sea salt.

*If your dough seems hard to work with stick it in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. I had the problem but did this and it make it much easier to work with.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

*My first batch of cookies had the caramel leak out the sides, while they still tasted delicious they weren’t as pretty. Make sure you cover the caramel with the cookie dough. I’m also thinking that next time I make these I may just use one piece of carmel  and stick it in the middle of the dough. If anyone tries this let me know!

Enjoy!

• 1 bag of frozen ravioli (I use Whole Foods whole wheat ravioli with soy ricotta cheese, it’s healthier and I swear tastes pretty darn good)
• 1 jar of vodka sauce (Bertolli makes the best I’ve found but use which ever you like)
• 1-2 cups frozen peas (use more or less to your taste, I like to add a lot of veggies to my sauce)
• 6 -8slices chopped lean deli ham, pancetta, or prosciutto
• 3 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil add the ravioli and reduce heat, NEVER BOIL your ravioli just simmer them until they float. The brand of frozen ravioli that I use takes 6 minutes. While the ravioli are cooking add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a large saute pan. Let the oil heat and infuse with the red pepper flakes. Add the peas, ham and garlic saute until softened then add the vodka sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes and become warm then add the ravioli. Mix together and serve. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays. Maybe it’s beacuse Fall is my favorite season and Thanksgiving incorporates many of autumn’s delicious food or maybe it’s because of the pecan pie. Since living away from home I’ve often had a “Friendsgiving” within a week or two before Thanksgiving. One year my roommate and I even hosted the event, which is one of my fondest memories from that apartment. Last night I went to a friend’s place for a “Friendsgiving” and brought this gooey, butterscotchy pie along with me. Let me tell you this pie was divine. Pecan pie is one of my favorite pies and I never thought that it needed to or could be improved. Boy was I wrong! The butterscotch added a whole other level of flavor, delicious buttery and sweet flavor to this classic pie. It reminded me of what Butterbeer from Harry Potter might taste like, making it all the better (HUGE HP fan). Seriously friends go out and make this pie for your Thanksgiving table. It will be sure to impress!

Butterscotch Pecan Pie

*Just barely adapted from Bakerella*

• 1 frozen 9-inch deep dish pie crust
• 11 oz package of Butterscotch Morsels
• 3/4 c light corn syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon if salt
• 1 1/2 cups of pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butterscotch morsels in a microwave safe bowl on 70% power for 1 minute or until melted. *They may retain some of their shape, it took mine 2 minutes in the microwave until they were fully melted. Although be careful not to burn.Transfer melted butterscotch into a large mixing bowl. Add the corn syrup, eggs, flour, and salt to the butterscotch. Mix well with a whisk until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour butterscotch mixture into the frozen pie shell. *Do not defrost the pie shell, keep it in the freezer until you are ready to use. Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out with little bits of filling attached to it. My pie took an extra 20 minutes to bake but something may be funky with our oven at the moment. Make sure to cover your edges with foil if they are browning to quickly.

* Even when an inserted knife comes out with little bits of filling attached the pie will still look loose and undercooked on the inside. The crust and pecans will be dark brown but the filling will not look completely set up. This is how it is supposed to be! I was worried at too first so I called my Aunt Annette (pastry chef and wedding cake designer) and she reassured me that it was in fact done and just needed to cool for 2 hours and “set up”.  

Let pie cool for 2 hours on the counter than refrigerate for 1 hour and serve!

ps. I know my pictures have gotten worse lately. My camera is on it’s way out I’m hoping Santa will bring me a shiney new one this year!

7pm on a Wednesday night is logically the best time to start testing and baking recipes for Thanksgiving, right? This will be my first Thanksgiving, first holiday ever, away from my family. I guess moving 6 hours away and not getting much time off for work does that. Not only is it the first Thanksgiving away from my family it also happens to be the first time I’ll be spending a major holiday with Sam’s family ( Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day don’t count in my book, sorry!) The hostess has asked me to bring a pumpkin pie or two to complete their dessert menu. Of all the things I could make this happens to be something I really don’t enjoy eating. Dislike pumpkin pie, why that is so un-American of you! It’s so delicious how could you not! I hear this constantly from avid pumpkin supporters. I figured I better suck it up and make the pies and make a darn good one at that.We’re looking to impress here, I mean it is my first major holiday with his family. I can’t just go buy one from Costco or Whole Foods.

So far I’ve tested out two recipes that I others have liked so much I thought I’d share them all with you. A sweet potato pie recipe and a pumpkin pie cake recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

• 3 whole Eggs
• 15 ounces, weight Canned Pumpkin
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 12 ounces, fluid Evaporated Milk
• 1 package (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 TBSP maple syrup

Butter a 13 x 9 cake pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together 3 eggs, canned pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Stir in evaporated milk until combined. Pour pumpkin mixture into the greased pan. Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix. Spread out the chopped pecans then drizzle with melted butter and maple syrup. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Until toothpick comes out clean.

This pumpkin pie cake was actually pretty tasty and that means a lot coming from someone who strictly enjoys savory pumpkin dishes only. The cake tasted like pumpkin pie but in the form of a warm gooey cake instead. Enjoy!

Okay so it wasn’t entirely poor Sam’s fault. Maybe my disappearance also had something to do with the fact that I moved back to D.C., got a shiny new job(!), and met the love of my of life basically all at the same time. I was finding it hard to balance life, job, boyfriend, friends, family, and hobbies. Something had to give(sorry blog) but I’m back now, never to abandon you or my followers again! Je promets! Even though my poor blog was forgotten it does not mean that I haven’t been cooking, some serious cooking(!), these past couple months that I cannot wait to share. Get ready because here they all come!

Simply Roasted Chicken Breasts

4 split chicken breasts, bone in skin on

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 ribs of celery, roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

handful of fresh time

half of lemon, sliced

salt and pepper

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 c chicken stock, white wine, or water

Rinse chicken in water then pat dry. Put lemon slices in bottom of pan, lay chicken breasts on top. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, then rub olive oil on top. Loosely put the vegetables around the chicken, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and oil olive as well. Squeeze some lemon on top of the chicken. Pour which ever liquid you decide to use in the bottom of the pan, this is to keep the chicken moist while roasting. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the chicken reaches 180 degrees. Depending on the size of the breasts this could take from 1 to 2 hours. Bast the chicken periodically as you would a whole chicken during the roasting to process to keep it moist. Serve along side the roasted veggies and some mashed or baked potatoes, enjoy!

I’ve always loved ordering risotto when out to dinner but I’d never attempted to make it at home. Maybe it was the constant stirring or the fear of ruining one of my favorite dishes but I’m glad now that I gave it a shot. This was a fairly easy recipe, besides the already mentioned constant stirring, it was fresh and tasted lighted than some of the heavier risottos I’ve had before.

Green Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics

• 1 and 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 3 c chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1 c chopped fennel (half of 1 fennel bulb)
• 1 and 1/2 c Arborio Rice
• 5 and 2/3 c of simmering chicken stock
• 1 lb thin asparagus
• 10 oz frozen peas, defrosted
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 oz of mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbs fresh minced chives
• 1 Tbs fresh minced Tyme

Wash and cut the asparagus in 1 & 1/2 inch pieces, discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. Set aside. Heat the butter and oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the fennel and leeks, saute for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice and stir into the butter/oil/vegetable mixture until coated. Add 2/3 c of the chicken stock and 1 Tbs of lemon juice, simmer over low heat and stir until it had has been absorbed. Add the rest of the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly. Wait until the stock has been absorbed before adding more. This took me 30 to 45 minutes before the rice was tender and creamy enough. About ten minutes before the rice is done add the peas, asparagus, lemon zest, 2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper and the thyme. Continue cooking and adding the stock till the rice is tender. When done remove from heat. Mix the lemon juice and mascarpone cheese together then add to the risotto along with the parmesan cheese and chives. Let it stand for a few minutes then spoon into bowls and enjoy.

This was one of the more pleasantly surprising recipes I’ve made in a while. I like lentils but only have had them in middle eastern and indian dishes before. This dish not only tasted pretty amazing but I was told by Jan (family friend who has graciously open her home to me) that if I cook food like this I won’t ever be able to leave. The recipe was simple and used basic ingredients but when combined produced something really delicious.

Lentilles du Puy

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris

• 1⁄2 pound (1 cup) French green lentils (lentilles du Puy)
• 2 Tbs of olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped carrots (3 carrots)
• 1 1⁄2 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Tbs red wine vingear

Place the lentils in a bowl with boiling water, cover and allow to set for 20 minutes then drain.

While the lentils sit heat the oil in a saute pan and add the onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Depending on the lentil it may take longer. If they are not tender enough continue to simmer until desired tenderness. Add the vinegar and season, to taste. The vinegar adds a great shot of flavor at the end!

I served mine with a roasted salmon fillet seasoned with just salt, pepper, and olive oil. The paring tasted great together but this dish stands well alone too.

Chicken Tacos

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbs of olive oil

1/3  c salsa (any kind you’d like. mild, spicy, salsa verde, ect.)

1/3 c water

pinch of crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

small corn tortillas

1 small tomato chopped

small handful of cilantro chopped

1 lime sliced into wedges

Heat pan with oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper add to the hot pan. Brown quickly on both sides. Add the crushed pepper flakes for heat (I like things spicy, have you tried my chili recipe?), the salsa and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Allow the chicken to simmer for 30 minutes until very tender. Once the chicken has become tender remove it from the heat and begin to shred the chicken with a fork. Once shredded I transfer it to a bowl and mix with some of the salsa mixture from the pan. *Save the rest of the salsa mixture to spoon over the tacos. Once the chicken is ready I warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are warm and pliable.  Spoon the chicken into tortillas and top with the tomatoes, cilantro, the salsa mixture and squeeze some fresh lime juice over top. Garnish them anyway  you please. You could add some cheese or onion on top as well, I’m sure it would taste great. Serve with some spanish rice or black beans and you have a fast and balanced meal.

I’m not sure about everyone else but I have disliked chili since I was a child. Even with my distain for the dish I was feeling very American with the super bowl and all this past weekend and decided to make it. I realized something great, I LIKE chili. Although I detest kidney beans and large amounts of chili powder I made this chili work so much so that I had a second bowl.  After reading up on how to make it and going over several recipes I came up with my own and decided on my plan of attack. Chipotle peppers. These smokey, spicy and delicious little joys made this dish complete. Another trick I learned from a friend is to add the spices in three “drops” as she called it to ensure the spices wouldn’t become bitter or not develop enough.

Chipotle Chili

2 lbs of ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion chopped

5 cloves of garlic chopped

7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped with tops and seeds removed. (This is where you get the heat for this dish. Add as many or as few of these peppers to achieve the spiciness you like)

14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and mild green chilies

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can of pinto beans

Drop 1 of spices:

1 Tbs of onion powder

1 Tbs of chili powder

2 Tbs of garlic powder

1 Tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder

Brown the ground meat, drain the fat out, return meat to the pot. Add the onions and garlic, when softened add both cans of tomatoes, the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, pinto beans and bring to a boil. Add the spices then cover and reduce heat. Allow to cook for one hour.

Drop 2 of spices:

2 Tbs of chili powder

2 tsp of cumin

1/4 tsp of black pepper

1/4 tsp of white pepper

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

1 chicken or beef bullion cube

1/4 tsp of brown sugar

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Add the second drop of the spices and mix into the chili. Continue to cook for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then add the last drop of spices.

Drop 3 of spices:

1 tsp of cumin

salt to taste

Recover and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and chopped scallions. Corn bread is always a welcomed side as well!

*Chili is so hard to rate and review since everyone seems to like it different. This happens to be my favorite because I prefer the smokey and spicy flavor of the chipotle pepper over the taste of chili powder. If you like the chili powder taste add more or change the spices around however you like!