Ultimate Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

One of my ultimate favorite comfort food to make is cornbread, more specifically...Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread.

After several trial and errors, I've made the ultimate Jalapeno Cornbread which is absolutely divine. It's moist, slightly sweet, packed with cheese, and a hint of spice. I'm pretty sure this is the recipe that I will be using from now on :o)

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

3 1/4 cups cornbread mix (Krusteaz Honey Cornbread mix)

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup milk 

1 (14.75 oz) can sweet corn, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 Tablespoons chopped Jalapeno

1 scant tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place milk, oil, egg and cornbread mix in medium bowl. Stir until moistened. Mix in corn, chopped jalapeno, sugar, and cheese. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Divide batter lightly greased 9X13 inch pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.


**11/10/2015 - This is by far Dr. Sweetpea's favorite cornbread recipe. I didn't have canned sweet corn available tonight when I was making this as a side, so I added 1/2 cup of canned crushed pineapple, and it was amazing!!! Definitely another way to change up this recipe.***

Almond Crunch Cookies

Do you have a cookie recipe that has been used so many times over the years that the newspaper clipping is tattered, wrinkled, and about ready to fall apart??? I DO!!! When I was a child, my mom found this Almond Crunch Cookie recipe in a newspaper column and made it yearly for Christmas Cookies. This newspaper recipe has been used sooooo many times that the edges are held together by scotch tape. I firmly believe if a newspaper clipping or index card recipe has blotches, rips, tape and splatters collected over the years...it's a recipe for something absolutely amazing.

I have fond memories of sitting next to my mom at the kitchen table and rolling the dough into balls and then rolling them in slivered almonds. After the cookies were baked my mom would make an incredibly rich cup of Hot Cocoa to go along with the cookies. Nothing beats drinking hot cocoa to wash down the cookies when it's snowing outside in December. I know my childhood years in the kitchen with my mom were so special to me and the reason why I'm so passionate about baking.

So why am I making these cookies in April?!?! Well, these cookies are just toooooooooo good to make once a year. Plus, I couldn't wait until December to eat these again :o)  If you love almonds, these cookies are absolutely sinfully delicious. 

Almond Crunch Cookies 

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup almonds, ground in blender or food processor

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer just until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and almond extract. Beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, add ground almonds and flour. Mix just until blended. Do not overmix. If necessary, refrigerate dough 30 minutes or until firm enough to shape. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in sliced almonds, coating balls thoroughly. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around edges. Immediately transfer with a broad spatula to a cool, flat surface covered with wax paper, let cool. 

Glaze:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Scald cream in small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and corn syrup. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Gently mix glaze until smooth, careful not to introduce too much air into the chocolate. When cookies are cool, drizzle or dip the cookies while glaze is warm. Refrigerate on waxed paper until glaze has set, about 10 minutes.

Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Spicy Vodka Sauce

One of my favorite pasta dishes is Pasta alla Vodka, I absolutely love it. So when I came across a pasta recipe with vodka AND sausage last week I knew it would be an instant must try. However, since I was healing (ever so slowly) from wisdom teeth extraction I decided to wait a few more days to give this recipe a whirl. I went grocery shopping for all the ingredients today and made this dish for dinner...and Ohhhhhhh Myyyyyy Gooosh this is GoOoOoOoOoD!!! It's definitely a calorie bomb but it's most definitely worth it because it is absolutely heavenly. Plus, the recipe is also from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Sunny Anderson. This recipe does make a lot even with four people eating it as a meal. As for the leftovers? It's my lunch tomorrow at work :o)

Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Spicy Vodka Sauce 

(Source: Sunny Anderson)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound chicken sausage, casings removed*

1/2 cup roughly chopped onion

1 jalapeno, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup roughly chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with basil**

1/3 cup vodka

1 cup heavy cream

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan over medium heat melt butter with oil. Add chicken sausage and brown, 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon. Add onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook 3 minutes more. Generously salt the pasta water and add the rigatoni. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, add tomatoes to the sauce and bring to a simmer, for about 10 minutes. Add vodka and cream and cook a few minutes more. Toss in cheese and chopped parsley. To serve, drain the pasta well and add to the sauce. Mix until pasta is nicely coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*Regular Italian Sausage can be used in place of the Chicken sausage

**I used two (14 oz) cans of diced tomatoes with basil

The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Over the years I've tried many many many maaaany different Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes. Some cookies turned out rock hard and others turned out flat as a pancake. Since I'm a fan of cookies that are chewy in the center and crisp around the edges it has been a journey to find a recipe that I love...buuuut now I can finally say the journey is over!! I was thumbing through the Grand Central Bakery Cookbook a few days ago when I found a marvelous recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. It is EXACTLY what I was looking for in a cookie!! I think this will be my go to recipe from now on :o)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar 

2 eggs

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups  rolled oats

1 package (or about 2 cups) of chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl mix all of the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips). Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed, then add the chocolate chips. Place scoops of cookie dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown but the center is slightly undercooked. Tap the pan a few times on top of the stove to remove any invisible air bubbles, then let the cookies finish cooking on the hot pan before removing.

*Edit: To prevent your dough from spreading like crazy while baking make sure the oven is preheated. Also, let the dough sit for a good 10 minutes before scooping cooking dough, this will let the dough thicken up a little bit.

Wisdom teeth

The weekend is when I'm usually super excited to be in the kitchen and cook. It's how i usually destress from a long work week. However, this weekend is slightly different, folks. I had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday and definitely not in the mood to do any sort of cooking :o( Plus, I'd be very tempted to eat it and I'm scared to eat anything hard for the next couple of days.

Good news is that I'm looking into various soft food recipes to try while I'm healing. I'm hoping to post some of those in the upcoming days :o)

Pasta Salad

Spring is the perfect time for pasta salad :o) Especially since farmers markets are starting to pop up all over Chicago and the surrounding suburbs with fresh vegetables.

My favorite pasta salad is one that has evolved from a variety of pasta salads I've had in the past and the combination of the dressing I use makes it pretty unique :o)

Pasta Salad 

1 box tri colored pasta

1/2 - 1 cup Caesar salad dressing  

1/2 - 1 cup Italian salad dressing

1 cup sliced grape tomatoes

1 cup sliced sweet peppers (I used mini orange sweet peppers) 

1 small can sliced olives

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes 

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Once its cooked, run pasta under running cold water. Toss the other ingredients together with the pasta :o) Eat away! 

Apple Pie

One of my favorite desserts (and my boyfriends favorite) is apple pie. Nothing beats the sweet and cinnamony filling inside a brown and crunchy crust. So when I was asked to make apple pie?  I most certainly did. I used a traditional apple pie recipe and added some dried cranberries to add a touch of texture and tartness....and this pie went from ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY!!!! I think from now on I will always be adding dried cranberries to my apple pies from now on.  I can't believe I've been missing out on this for so long.

Cranberry Apple Pie 

6 cups coarsely chopped, peeled apples (6 medium)

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup - 1 cup dried cranberries

Pie crust (I have a pie crust recipe posted a while ago)

Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom. 2 In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust. 3 Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Rotisserie Chicken Taco

I think I have an addiction to tacos. I've collected so many different taco meat recipes over the last several days that I'm tacoed out.  I had about 15+ taco recipes in front of me last night when I decided to make the Chichi's Chimichanga recipe created by Food Network. The only change I made was using the meat to make tacos instead of Chimichangas (I was too hungry to wait for the Chimichanga to bake in the oven). 

As for the flavor?!?! I'm soOoOoOoO glad I made this recipe because it is DELICIOUS!! It's so flavorful, and the chicken meat is soooooo moist. I think this is THE recipe I'll use for Chicken Tacos from now on :o)

ChiChi's Rotisserie Chicken Taco Meat 

2          tablespoons vegetable oil

1           white onion, chopped

3          cloves garlic, chopped

1           jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)

1 1/2    teaspoons chili powder

1/2       teaspoon ground cumin

1/4       teaspoon ground cinnamon

Kosher salt

1           small tomato, chopped, plus more for topping

2          tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4       cup sour cream

Various taco toppings

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt; toast 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove from the heat and make your tacos using flour tortillas and your favorite taco toppings :o)

Creamy Tomato Pasta :o)

I love pasta, especially pasta with tomatoes, cream and sausage. I came across a recipe by Tyler Florence which had all three of my favorite ingredients in a pasta dish. It is ridiculously delicious and it is very riiiiich. I'm sure it's mostly because of the sausage and the sheer amount of cream that goes in the recipe.

If you're looking for a meal that fills you up but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. This recipe is it :o)

Spicy Italian Sausage, Cream, and Peas Pasta 

4 links spicy Italian sausage*

1 pound dried penne

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves  (I used about 2 teaspoons of dried basil leaves)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups peas, blanched (I was so hungry, I forgot to add the peas...oops!) 

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Red Pepper Flakes**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sausages in a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden and just cooked. Cut sausages at an angle into bite-size pieces*. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm (al dente). Set a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and garlic and auté until translucent and fragrant. Add tomatoes and basil; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, then fold in cream and continue to simmer until rich and creamy. Add sausage, blanched peas, pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fold together and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Serve topped with a shower of cheese and garnish with basil. 

*I cut my cooked sausage pieces into small bite sized pieces. 

**I added about 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes to add spice. I like a little heat in my pasta :o)

Creamsicle Cookies

When I was growing up, one of my favorite frozen treats to eat on a hot summer day was a Creamsicle and the Flinestone Orange Pushups. I seriously have an addiction to fruit flavored popsicles with a creamy taste, so it wasn't a surprise that I went through a box of those popsicles in two days (my dentist was not my biggest fan during my childhood years).

So when I saw a cookie recipe for cookies that taste like a Creamsicle, I knew it would be amazing. This cookie has a hint of orange from the orange zest and the creaminess comes from the white chocolate chips. It's a orange frozen treat but in cookie form :o)  Be forewarned that these cookies are addicting, I had 3 cookies straight out of the oven.

Creamsicle Cookies 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange zest (zest from 2 oranges)

2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Teriyaki Chicken Taco

Tacos made with Teriyaki Sauce?!?!? Yes please!

I love tacos and when I saw the Teriyaki Chicken taco recipe I knew it's a must try! It's sweet, tangy, savory with a hint of Pineapple. Everything you love about Teriyaki Chicken is wrapped into a taco :o) It's a tad bit time consuming but well worth it. Plus, if you're looking for a shortcut, just use your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce to marinate the chicken instead of making the pineapple teriyaki sauce. 

Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki Tacos 

(Todd Wilbur Recipe) 

1 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup canned pineapple chunk (chunks sliced into quarters)

1/4 cup pineapple juice , from can of pineapple chunks

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

12 chicken tenderloins

12 (7 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese

4 cups iceberg lettuce , chopped very thin or shredded (optional)

1 1/2 cups canned pineapple chunks (chunks sliced into quarters)

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)

1/2 cup chopped green onion (green part only)

Sour Cream (Optional) 

Make the teriyaki sauce by whisking cornstarch into the water in a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes or until thicker. Let sauce cool before you use it for marinating.

When the sauce is cool, measure out 1 cup of sauce and set it aside. Use the remaining sauce to pour over chicken tenders in a medium bowl. Cover chicken and let it marinate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better. When chicken has marinated, preheat a large skillet over medium/low heat. Wipe the pan with a little oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (and toss out the marinade) and sauté chicken in the pan for 8 to 10 or until chicken is cooked through and browned on both sides. Slice each chicken filet into 3 or 4 pieces and spoon all the chicken into a medium bowl.

Microwave the leftover 1 cup of teriyaki sauce in the oven for 30 to 60 seconds or until it's hot. Pour the sauce over the sliced chicken in the bowl.

When you're ready to build the tacos, preheat another skillet over medium heat. Toss a tortilla into the pan for a minute, then flip it over and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese across the center of the tortilla. Let the tortilla sit in the pan for about a minute or so (until the cheese starts melting) then remove the tortilla and immediately spoon the equivalent of one chicken tender into the tortilla (3 or 4 chunks of chicken). Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of leftover teriyaki sauce from the cooked chicken bowl over the chicken in each taco. Arrange about 1/3 cup shredded lettuce over the chicken in each taco. Follow that up with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pineapple chunks, 1 to 2 tablespoons diced tomato, and a couple pinches of chopped green onion. Repeat process for remaining tacos.


*You can use your favorite bottled Teriyaki Sauce if you don't want to make the sauce at home.

Picnic Food

What is one of the best things to do outside when the weather is nice? Have a picnic! It's been incredibly warm for the last few days, especially for March. So it's most definitely picnic weather and I made two quick recipes for my picnic.

I love love love love loooooooooooooove the Sonoma Chicken Salad Sandwich from Whole Foods, and I was lucky enough to find the recipe last year. It is the only Chicken Salad recipe that I use and I'm doubtful that I'll find something better.

And what's a picnic without Potato Salad??? I'm quite picky about potato salad but when I saw the Neely's recipe, I knew it was a must try. It is the best potato salad I've made at home so far.

Soooo without further a due...my picnic food for today....Sonoma Chicken Salad Sandwich and Potato Salad! Not the most healthy food to eat but oh so tasty :o)

Sonoma Chicken Salad 

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise*

4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

5 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted

2 cups red seedless grapes

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate. When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

Tip: If you don't want to go through the hassle of cooking chicken, use the meat of one rotisserie chicken. Adding 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder makes adds an extra layer of flavor.

*You can also use 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt to cut down on the fat and calories

Neely's Potato Salad 

5 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs, 2 chopped and 1 sliced

2 heaping tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained

1/2 cup salad dressing, (recommended: Miracle Whip)

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

Paprika, for garnish

Salt

Boil cubed potatoes until they are tender. Drain and cool. In a large bowl add celery, onion, 2 eggs and pickled relish. Add the salad dressing, yellow mustard and sugar. Stir well. Place the sliced egg on top of potatoes and sprinkle with paprika and salt. Let the potato salad chill in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours or overnight.

Cheddar Biscuits

Several posts ago, I posted a biscuit recipe from Clinton Street Bakery. That was my go to recipe for biscuits until...today.

I came across this Cheddar Biscuits recipe a while ago but haven't tried it until this morning. I am pretty positive these biscuits trumps the previous biscuit recipe. It's light and fluffy on the inside, touch of melted cheddar cheese flavor, and crunchy on the outside with a touch of garlic. It's the perfect biscuit recipe :o)

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits 

2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix

3/4 cup cold milk

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Bush on Top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix. Drop approximately 1/4cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.


*If you're making jumbo sized biscuits you will have about 8 biscuits. 

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ever bite into a cookie and think "OMG this cookie is heaven in my mouth!!!". The type of cookie where you know you should stop eating them but you keep going back for more?

Well, these cookies are IT. These cookies are tart, sweet, crunchy, and packed with deliciousness. The white chocolate adds a slight creamy/sweetness flavor. The cranberries adds the tart flavor and the walnuts adds the crunch. 

This is the one of the Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal cookie recipes I have used over the years. I've tried many recipes prior this one, but they don't compare in flavor and texture :o) 

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans 

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cranberries in a small bowl and pour hot water over them, enough to cover. Let them sit about 5 minutes to soften a bit. Then drain and place on paper towels to get the excess water off. In a small bowl, place the white chocolate chunks or chips, dried cranberries, oatmeal, and nuts. Set aside. Place butter and sugars in mixing bowl and beat 2 minutes, until smooth. Mix in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into the butter/sugar mixture, mixing just til thoroughly blended. Stir in the white chocolate/dried cranberries/oatmeal/nut mixture. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, spacing 2" apart. Press each cookie to flatten slightly ( it will be kind of like a hockey puck shape). Bake 14 minutes or til bottom edges are a nice golden brown but don't overbake as it could dry them out too much.  Let cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

*If you like coconut, go ahead and add 1 cup of shredded coconut to the dough. 

*I got 50 small cookies from this recipe. Since mine are smaller, I baked them for 8 to 10 minutes. 


*I can't emphasis the importance of a preheated oven prior to baking enough. It prevents your cookies from spreading like crazy. 

Comfort Food!! Chili Rice

I'm a firm believer that February/March is the perfect time for comfort food. It's after the hustle and bustle of the holidays and it's right before Spring. It's  cold outside and all you want is something that is packed with flavor and filling.

Usually I love mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, any casserole, thick soup, and anything that is southern inspired with spice. My boyfriend request Red Beans and Rice and after searching high and low for a great recipe, I came across something else. It's Chili Rice, it's a mixture of Gumbo+Jambalaya+Red Beans and Rice. 

And I have to say it is absolutely AMAZING. It is definitely a lot tastier the day after because all the flavors have melded together. This is a keeper :o) 

Chili Rice - by Guy Fieri 

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 red onion, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 green bell pepper, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 cup Roma tomatoes, diced

3/4 pound ground beef or turkey

2 cups long-grain rice

8 ounces kidney beans

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water   

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons green onion, sliced, for garnish

In medium stock pot over medium heat, add oil, onions and peppers and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes and ground beef. Cook until meat is browned. Add rice to mixture and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, coating rice with the oils from the pan. Add beans, chicken stock, water and seasonings, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork and garnish with green onions.

*For the water, instead of 1 1/2 cups of water, I used 2 cups to thoroughly cook the rice.