These made from scratch cookies are my little brother’s favorite cookies.  Since today is his BIRTHDAY, I decided to dedicate this post to him.  He was born 34 years ago today, on the same day Jimmy Carter was elected president.  Happy Birthday Jason!  And I’m so sorry your favorite cookies are disappearing fast.  Wish you lived a little closer.

Mix together in a large bowl and set aside:

• 4 cups plain unbleached bread flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cream together in large mixing bowl with electric mixer:

• 1 stick soft butter
• ½ cup organic vegetable shortening (original recipe calls for Crisco)
• 1 ½ cups sugar 

Add to the sugar butter mixture:

• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Flour mixture 

Mixwell forming a stiff dough.  Take half the dough and add 6 Tablespoons of cocoa and mix well.

Tear off 2 pieces wax paper about 18” in length.  Place each on a damp counter top (this holds the wax paper in place while you roll out the dough).  Dust wax paper with flour.  Place chocolate dough on one piece of wax paper, and the vanilla dough on the other piece of wax paper.  Roll out each ball of dough into equal sizes and proportions, trying to form a rectangle. Feel free to dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour as needed.  

The next step is a little tricky.  Pick up one of the sections of dough by grasping the corners of the wax paper.  Position it over the other section of rolled out dough and then flip the wax paper over, allowing the paper to release the rectangle of dough.  Lightly press the top layer to the bottom layer of dough.  Use a pizza cutter to even the edges of the rectangle.  Set the uneven pieces aside.  Then begin rolling the longer edge of the rectangle of dough away from yourself.  As you roll the wax paper and dough towards the opposite side, you will be able to peel the wax paper away from the bottom layer of dough, and also use the wax paper to smooth the dough as you roll all the dough into a spiral log.  Using a sharp knife, cut dough into ½” cookies and place each on an ungreased cookie sheet, about an inch apart.

Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool completely before removing from rack. 

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Are you looking for a hearty, cool weather meal that can be thrown together in minutes and simmered all day in the crock pot?  Then try this recipe, made with lean cuts of inexpensive beef sandwiched between Mom’s Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. These are perfect for Saturday breakfast, Sunday brunch, or a working late week night dinner.  Here are the 3 ingredients:

• 1 1/2 -2 pounds round steak or top sirloin steak cut into 3″x3″ pieces
• 1 stick real butter (no substitute)
• 1 Tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

Place cuts of meat in crock pot.  Sprinkle seasoning over steak.  Cut butter into 8-10 pieces and place on top of meat cuts.

Turn crock pot on low.  Simmer on low all day for an evening meal, or over night for breakfast or brunch.  Serve steak while warm with hot Mom’s Southern Buttermilk Biscuits.  Ladle buttery gravy over biscuits for more flavor.  Skip the gravy to avoid extra calories.  But do cook the steak with the butter – that is the secret to a wonderful tasting steak biscuit.

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This recipe makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve ever tasted.  They are full of fiber and made with whole wheat flour.  These cookies are bursting with chopped raisins.   Spiced with cinnamon, they make the perfect fall treat.

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.  Cream butter and both sugars together.  Add egg and vanilla.  Add oat mixture and mix until just combined then fold in the raisins and nuts.  Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.  Bake 8-9 minutes at 350 degrees.

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I don’t like to repost recipes, but my oven has been out for over a month now, and I am about out of crock pot meals and charcoal for the grill.  Since tonight is a crisp, cool evening, and the apples are ready to pick at the orchards, I am reposting our favorite apple pie recipe.  Tomorrow morning the repair man should be here with our new part.  As soon as he leaves, I’m heading to the apple orchard! 

Here’s one of my hubby’s favorite fall pie recipes. My daughter and I went to the apple orchard this week and bought a case of Winesap apples. Although Granny Smith is the standard apple for making apple pie, we are won over to Wine saps now. I quit counting the number of times my husband moaned with a mouthful of pie about how good it tasted. While I prefer to make my crust with organic ingredients, tonight I cheated with a frozen deep dish ready made crust. If you have your crust ready – all you need is about another 5 minutes of prep time and apple crumb pie is on its way to your taste buds!

• 1 deep dish pie crust
• 4 medium Winesap or Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, sliced, and diced
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place peeled, sliced, diced apples in a large mixing bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle over apples. Toss to coat apples with sugar. Pour into a deep dish pie crust.

Mix together and crumble on top of apples:

• ¾ cup plain flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup soft butter (no substitutions)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Bake 40-50 minutes at 400 degrees or until top is golden brown.

Garnish servings of pie with a little caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream of course.

Hello Fall!

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Apple Crumb Pie

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It’s true!  Only 20 minutes stand between you and the simplest,  most savory Marinara sauce ever!  This recipe takes about 5 minutes to throw together and only needs to simmer 15-20 minutes more.  That leaves just enough time to toss a salad, boil noodles or pan fry some slices of Ciabatta bread.  We make a meal with the sauce over bread, topped with  fresh grated Romano.  We call it our Italian “biscuits and gravy” meal.

• 1 can Hunt’s Tomato Puree
• 1 28 oz can  Hunts Crushed Tomatoes with Basil (or use plain crushed tomatoes and add 8-10 leaves chopped fresh basil)
• 1/2 stick real butter
• 3-4 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped fine (optional)

Over medium heat, melt butter in large skillet and let it brown slightly.  Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn garlic or butter.  Slowly add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, and sun dried tomatoes.  Also add fresh basil if plain crushed tomatoes are being used.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let sauce simmer for about 20minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over hot noodles or sliced pan fried Ciabatta bread with Romano or Parmesan cheese.

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Marinara Sauce

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Remember the previous Hawaiian Rib eye Salad post?  Well here is a variation of that recipe.  Makeup the meat mixture with steak, bacon, and pineapple – just as in the Hawaiian Rib eye Salad, then serve it all up in a soft taco shell with your favorite trimmings and a fruit salad on the side.  Mmm Mmm Good!

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I don’t want to say goodbye to summer just yet.  I love the season of grilling, fresh veggies, sweet and juicy fruits, and trying new combinations.  Here’s my latest concoction  – Hawaiian Rib eye Salad.  The steak can be grilled outside or inside on a griddle.  Bacon and fresh pineapple add a wonderful twist.  And the salad can be served in a pineapple half for a festive occasion.

• 1 pound of rib eye steaks (2-3 steaks typically make a pound)
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6-8 pieces cooked, crumbled bacon (save drippings)
• 1 cup fresh cut up pineapple (Cut whole pineapple into halves and hull out the pineapple flesh.  Save pineapple hulls for serving)
• Fresh salad greens
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tablespoon toasted coconut
• Vinegrette Dressing or Kraft Asian Sesame Dressing

Mix together the ginger, garlic salt, and pepper.   Rub ribeyes with seasonings.  Preheat an  iron griddle over medium high heat.  Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to the griddle, then add steaks.  Cook steaks 2-3 mintues on each side, or until desired doneness is acheived.  Remove meat from griddle and cut steak into 1″ pieces.  Return steak to hot griddle along with the crumbled bacon and pineapple.  Drizzle a Tablespoon of bacon drippings over meat and pineapple.  Stir fry mixture for 1-2 minutes.  Remove mixture from griddle.

Add lettuce or spinach greens to hulled pinapple halves.  Spoon steak, bacon, and pineapple onto lettuce bed.  Add bell pepper peices.  Garnish with toasted coconut and slivered almonds.  Serve with any vinegrette dressing or Kraft Asian Sesame dressing.

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Thanks De for this fantastic recipe.  These Garlic Cheddar Biscuits taste a lot like the ones Reb Lobster serves in their bread basket.  Good thing my oven is on the blink, else I’d be baking more of these.  And they would head straight for my hips!

• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup cold whole milk or half-n-half
• 4 Tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese ( I used sharp)
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted ( for basting tops of biscuits after baking)
• 1/4 dried parsley flakes (for basting tops of biscuits after baking)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ( for mixing with basting butter for tops of biscuits)
•  Pinch of salt

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine flour with cold butter in medium bowl using pastry cutter or a large fork. Don’t mix to throughly.  There should be small chunks of butter about the size of peas remaining.  Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic.  Mix by hand until combined, but don’t over mix.  Drop approximately 1/4 cup portions of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet using ice     cream scoop.   Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.   While biscuits are baking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the    microwave.  Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes.  Use a brush to baste biscuits as soon as they are removed from oven. Serve while HOT!

Makes one dozen biscuits.  

Left over biscuits can be wrapped in wet paper towel and microwaved for 30 seconds.  They soften up nicely.

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I admit I was a bit skeptical about cooking fish on a plank of cedar wood.  But I bought a couple of cedar planks and some salmon and gave it a try, just for my Taracooks readers.  This salmon was the most savory salmon I’ve ever tasted!  And it passed the family test too.  Although fresh salmon would probably turn out even better, I bought some wild caught Alaskan frozen salmon at Kroger when it was on sale BOGOF!

• 1-cedar plank
• 4 salmon fillets (approximately 6 oz each)
• 2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Soak cedar plank(s) in water for 1 hour prior to cooking salmon. 

If using frozen filets, thaw salmon according to package directions.  Preheat grill to 350 degrees.  Combine brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl.  Melt butter and brush onto fillets.  Rub fillets with dry rub mix.

When salmon has been prepared with butter and rub, place EMPTY, wet plank in grill and close lid.  Let plank heat for 3 minutes.  Using long tongs, turn plank over, then place rubbed salmon filets onto plank.  Close grill and cook for 12-15 minutes or until salmon is fully cooked.  Remove planked salmon from grill and serve immediately.  Serve with drizzled honey if desired.

My man took care of the grilling and he smelled so yummy – cedar and charcoal and fish!

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Cedar Planked Smoked Salmon

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Here’s a quick recipe that is a family favorite here at home.  To avoid MSG, I used mostly organic ingredients, and olive for sautéing. Chicken Lettuce Wraps end up being healthier choice than Chinese takeout.

• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (divided)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts – diced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped cashews (optional)
• ½ cup chopped water chestnuts (optional)
• 8-10 leaves of Romaine or Greenleaf lettuce, washed and dried

Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground red pepper, ginger, sesame oil, and 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce in a small bowl.  Whisk to mix and dissolve the brown sugar.   Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, add 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Coconut Oil.  Turn heat to medium high and add diced chicken.  Cook chicken 4-5 minutes until chicken is slightly brown.  Remove chicken from skillet or wok.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil to skillet, and then add diced onion, garlic, and remaining soy sauce.  Sautee onions, garlic with soy sauce for one minute.  Add browned chicken, liquid mixture, cashews, and water chestnuts.  Sautee all ingredients for another minute.

Serve over lettuce leaves alongside some home fried rice.

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Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps

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