WIAW: Happy 4th of July..and Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Hello there!
I usually like to start my What I Ate Wednesday posts with my favorite picture I've taken this week...and this one is one of my favorites EVER!  These are flourless chocolate brownie cookies with beautiful, crackled tops and a sprinkling of sea salt--I mean, come on!  Recipe will be at the bottom of the post.

So, it is July and Bizzy just wanted to say "Happy Birthday, America!"

She really loves pictures..can you tell?  She obviously is not a huge fan of the headband I got her, but that's okay ;)

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Breakfast: Cereal & Berries

For breakfast I had a cup of the new Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch.  It was pretty good, kind of like mixing Cheerios with Honey Bunches of Oats.  I had some strawberries on top..and I added almond milk after the picture.  I had some coffee on the way to work, too.

I woke up with indigestion (which is strange--does not happen often to me) that continued throughout the day, so I did not eat a snack..unless you count Tums!

Lunch: Lettuce Wraps

For lunch I prepared some leftover ground lamb (the possible culprit of the indigestion? maybe) with black olives, cheese and sour cream in a lettuce wrap.  Carrots and a few flatcrisp crackers on the side.

After lunch we went to Starbucks to get a tea.

This is their new blackberry mojito tea lemonade.  I did NOT like this the second time around.  I tried it last week and asked the barista to make it unsweetened and it turned out perfectly herbal with just a hint of sweetness from the blackberry and a pop of tartness from the lemonade.

So, the deal with this drink is there's tea and lemonade--both which can be unsweetened, leaving the only sweetness to be the blackberry syrup.

The lady who made it for me yesterday insisted that unsweetened was not an option.  I should have argued with her but I was in a hurry to get back to work.

Long story long, this was waaaaay too sweet and speak up for yourselves..even if you're late..or you will spend $4 on an undrinkable tea!

Aaaand...rant over!

Snack: Cherries & Granola Bar

My afternoon snack included beautiful fresh cherries.  I heart cherry season.

And a granola bar.

Dinner: Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Oh, my stars, these are some simple and delicious stuffed mushrooms!

 Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
serves 4

4 portabella mushroom caps
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage (I got the lean kind in a tube)--you could use any ground meat, really
3 wedges Laughing Cow-Swiss Lite
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup liquid egg whites (or two egg whites)
1-1 1/2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook your quinoa in the chicken broth.  I put mine in my cheap-o, little rice cooker I bought at Aldi a million years ago, and it cooks it perfectly.  Or you could cook it per the package instructions on the quinoa.  Cooking it in chicken broth adds alot of flavor!

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel.  Remove the stem and carefully scrape a spoon along the gills (underside) to remove those, as well.  Salt and pepper your mushrooms on both sides and set in a casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Cook your breakfast sausage, breaking it with a spatula as it cooks.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat.
Combine cooked quinoa, cooked sausage, cheese wedges, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan and egg whites in a big bowl and mix until combined.
Scoop a heaping cup of mixture into each upside down mushroom cap--if you have extra mixture, distribute it evenly among the shrooms or save it for your morning omelet the next day.  Top with shredded cheese.
Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

YUM!  I had a little spinach salad on the side.

*if you wanted to make this a meatless meal, add a can of beans or some crumbled veggie burgers in place of the sausage (and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for cooking quinoa)

For dessert, I had a big ole flourless cookie (as seen above).  They are so rich and sweet that you really only need one.  I'm kind of obsessed with the flourless cookies at Starbucks, but they are usually pretty crusty and dry from being out in the display case all I day (or just being old..I don't know for sure--I don't really mean to be dogging SB today, but whatever).  So instead of spending $2 for a dry, crusty cookie I made these fresh, chewy and choco-licious treats!

Also, they are a decently healthy cookie with NO flour and NO butter!  What what?!

Without further ado, here is where I got the cookie recipe--it's so easy!!  Barefeet in the Kitchen Blog

Thanks for reading and have a great Independence Day!

Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

It is a challenge to think of a post to frame a cookie recipe when you are trying to sit still in the office with just 2 hours before vacation.  I should explain that it has been years since I have had a vaca.  It's kind of a big deal.

So, cookies....cookies are like a vacation from your day.

Yeah, let's see where this goes.

Traffic sucks, bosses are terrible.  It's just the nature of the beast.  The beast being daily life.

Cookie breaks (especially when accompanied by coffee) can give you a few precious moments to reflect on the good in life.

When you bite into a chewy, slightly spiced cookie littered with chocolate chunks how can everything not seem okay?

I'm not really leaving you much of a choice.

You need to make these cookies, if only for your own sanity.

Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies

makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 to 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vanilla extract

12 oz bag of chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line some cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat while gathering your other ingredients.  Wait for it to get bubbly with a slight hint of brown deliciousness on the bottom of the pot.  Whisk it around and then pour it over the brown sugar.  After that dissolves, whisk it (whisk it real good) and then throw in the eggs and vanilla and whisk some more.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine that madness.  Fold in the chocolate chunks and scoop onto parchment with a cookie scoop.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Happy vacation, everyone me :)

Protein Enriched Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have been jonesing.

For cookies, duh.

I take a core class on Saturdays for abs and such, and the instructor is always saying, "make your body into a 'C': 'C' for 'crunch'."  

In my mind, "C" will only stand for one thing.  And that is cookie.

Anyone else jonesing for a bowl full of cookies?

This is the best "healthy" cookie recipe I have tried, to date.  So dense and chewy with the nutty flavor of browned butter and just a touch of sea salt to counter balance the chunks of chocolate.

Let's do this thing.

Protein Enriched, Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

makes 21 regular sized cookies

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (see my protein powder of choice here)

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 stick butter (I used Smart Balance)

1 cup + 2 tbsp loosely packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup egg substitute (or use 1 egg)

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup chocolate chunks

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat butter in a small pan on the stove (on medium heat) until bubbly, whisking occasionally. Once it starts to take on a brown color, remove from the stove.  

Measure the brown sugar in a small bowl and pour the melty, browned butter on top of it and whisk it up.  Add the egg and vanilla.

Pour the sugar, butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Add in the chocolate chunks and chips.

Line your pans with parchment (or spray them, whatever) and scoop dough with cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoon), pressing them down slightly with your hands.

Bake for 11-12 minutes and cool on parchment or cookie racks.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Eat the Love blog.

Secret Ingredient Cookies

Well, it is clearly not a secret anymore.  The secret is out.  These cookies are packed full of these:

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I made these cookies with no plan to share them on the blog.  Shame on me!

But they were so dang good, I had to post these for all to see.

The texture of these cookies is perfection.  I have no other words.

Secret Ingredient Cookies

Makes about 12 cookies (double if you want more)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1 egg

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter Cheerios

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter & sugars, then add egg and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients separately, then mix it all together.  Add in the cereal and chocolate chips last.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Seriously, if you are going to splurge on a cookie (or two), this is worth it!

recipe adapted from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

Shortcut Skinny Cookies

Are you hungry for cookies but watching your girlish figure?  I know I am :)

Let's make some super quick and healthy cookies!

These come together in a flash & would be great to take to a Valentine's get together.

Ok, does anyone else hoard cake mixes?  Maybe it's just me.  I always have like 5 (sometimes opened) boxes on hand for individual serving desserts or half batches of stuff.  It seems like I always have a coupon for cake mix, plus they are like $1 without a coupon.  How can I not buy them?

Shortcut Skinny Cookies

(makes 1 dozen~double for 2 dozen)

8 oz or 1/2 of a box of cake mix (I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Devil's Food)

2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp butter

1 egg

2 scant tbsp of vanilla (or chocolate if you have it) protein powder

Mix all of this stuff in a bowl until combined.  Try to get those lumps of cake mix outta there!  Use your tablespoon to scoop balls of dough onto a Silpat (or parchment or cookie sheet-whatever) & bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  I also sprinkled some pink and red sanding sugar to try and make them look Valentine's-ish.  It kind of faded into the dark chocolate color.  It would look good if you use vanilla cake mix, though.

Yum yum!

These cookies are fluffy and cake-y.  But, just because they are light, doesn't mean you can eat them all!  I had to convince myself of that ;)

If your husband (or whoever) is anything like mine and does not like to try new things, cut these bad boys in half and pipe in some butter cream.  Tell him you made him some homemade Oreo Cakesters.  Use it as bribery to get him to take out the trash.  I won't judge.

Is anyone else going to miss Picnik (photo editor)? 

For the optional (and not "skinny") butter cream filling, follow this recipe (it rocks):

Butter Cream Filling

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp flour

1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Cook flour and milk in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, until it becomes like a thick paste.  It will look gross.  Don't doubt the process.  Just go with it.  Let it cool to room temperature.  Whip the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a whisk until fluffy, then add in the flour/milk mixture and vanilla.  Whip until awesome.  

Slice the cookies in half with a serrated knife, then pipe in the butter cream.  Use a piping bag if you are fancy.  I'm not, so I used a Ziploc with the tip cut off.  Yeah, that's how I roll.

Filling recipe adapted from All Recipes

If you are looking for some more healthy recipes, I created a tab at the top of the page specifically for healthy and yummy recipes :)

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

Hi!  I hope everybody out there had a great holiday weekend and enjoyed time with friends and family.

Also, I hope you are not too burned out on sweets.

Because I have a cookie recipe for you today.

Before I get to that, I'm sure you are interested to know that my nephew loved his Guess Who? game!  He is turning 6 years old today (I cannot believe it!).  Happy Birthday to one of my favorite people ;)

Ok, back to cookies...

These cookies are soft and sweet.  They would be perfect to take to a New Year's party or just to munch on around the house.

They are not too eggnog-y, though.  More like a Lofthouse cookie.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 scant tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, slightly softened

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup eggnog (I used Silk soy eggnog)

1 tsp rum exract

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.

3. In another mixing bowl, mix sugar and butter together. Add egg yolks and vanilla to the mixture and beat until smooth.

4. Finally, add eggnog and rum extract and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly add flour mixture into eggnog/sugar mixture until completely combined.

5. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove immediately and move to a cooling rack.

6. When completely cool, frost with eggnog buttercream.

Eggnog Buttercream

3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup softened butter or margarine

1/3 cup commercial eggnog

1 tsp rum extract

1. In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended.

2. Gradually beat in eggnog and rum until icing is smooth.

This made 3 1/2 dozen smallish cookies.

Recipe from Tidy Mom

Holiday Recipe Mini Round-Up

I don't know if you know this about me, but I read alot of blogs.  One might say I'm a blog-aholic.

But it's okay, because I can quit anytime I want.

Anyways, I have noticed on alot of the foodie blogs I read, that they are compiling lists of suggestions for stuff you should make for the holiday.

And I thought, "Why not me?"*
*(reference to a Dane Cook joke before he got all unfunny and sold out)

Here we go.

These three would be a great addition to a cookie tray or just lovely on their own.

Mint Oreo Truffles

Crispy Coconut Almond Cookies


Cookie Assortment from 1 Batter



If you are doing a Christmas morning breakfast or brunch, try one of these delish recipes.

Chunky Monkey Banana Bread 


Pumpkin Spice Latte Mini Muffins

 Vanilla Bean Scones


Ok, that's all for my little round-up.  Hope you have a great day :)

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

It's finally time to reveal my recipe for the cookie swap!

I sent packs of these cookies to three fellow bloggy ladies. I hope they liked them!



I modified two recipes that I've used in the past to create a crazy yummy confection of goodness. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when the recipe made 3 1/2 dozen instead of just 3 dozen--that means I got to keep 6 cookies for me!



So here's my recipe.

Crispy Coconut Almond Cookies
a conglomeration of this recipe and this recipe

2 sticks of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp almond extract
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped, cocoa dusted almonds
3/4 cup toasted shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

First things first, toast your coconut. I used this lovely tutorial from Baking Bites.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Heat 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a small pan on the stove (on medium heat) until bubbly, whisking occasionally. Once it starts to take on a brown color, remove from the stove. OMG, you just made browned butter! You are awesome.

While you are working on browning butter, put remaining butter and sugars in a large bowl.

Pour the browned butter in a bowl and cream it all together. It will look like a Coke slushie. Just go with it.

Add your eggs (and the yolk) one at a time and whisk. Then whisk in your extracts.

Mix your flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl then add slowly to your sugar, butter mixture and combine.

Stir in your chocolate chips, chopped almonds and toasted coconut.

Try not to eat too much batter. This is a serious warning, because this is the kind of batter you would risk eating raw egg for. It's that good.

Scoop your cookie batter onto the parchment using a standard cookie scoop.

Bake your cookies in batches for about 12-15 minutes and cool on a rack.



You could also do a nice chocolate drizzle and sprinkle of toasted coconut to the top, but I had to get these packed up in a hurry. Not because I was behind on a deadline, but because I did not want to eat them all.



Many thanks to the bloggers who sent me cookies, too!
Monique from Ambitious Kitchen sent me some delicious peanut butter cookies with a Rolo baked in the middle.
Hannah from Fleur-De-Licious sent some yummy cherry-walnut Rugelach cookies.
And I just got some awesome fruit and nut cookies from Amy + Janesse at Two True Foodies.

1 Cookie Batter: 3 Kinds of Cookies

I like a variety of cookies. We used to get those assorted cookies at Sam's. You know what, though? These are better. They are fresher tasting and just more special than store bought.

This is a big batch of cookies that I am making ahead for a party. You could modify any cookie recipe to make different kinds of cookies. Like if you wanted to make the 4 cookies recipe, each cookie could have different stuff.

Here is the recipe I used.
Adapted from: Cookie Madness

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
Quick oats--optional

Add-ins of your choice. I used:
Bowl 1—1/2 cup white chocolate chips + 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
Bowl 2—1/2 cup chocolate chips
Bowl 3—1/2 cup each of M+Ms and candy corn, plus 1/4 cup chocolate chips

I mixed some oats in each batch because I found the dough to be too wet (from the butter, I guess). You could do this or just chill your dough (I’m too impatient for that!).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Light grease a couple of baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Cream together butter and sugars mixer until light and fluffy (I zapped my butter for about 30 seconds in the microwave because it was not at room temperature). Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda, salt and flour. Split the batter into 3 bowls. Add1/4-1/2 cup oats (optional) to each batter. Add white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to one bowl, chocolate chips to the 2nd bowl, and candy to the 3rd bowl and stir them up.

Drop the dough with cookie scoop onto the baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart, and bake for 12-15 minutes. This made 50 cookies (I froze 2/3 of the dough).

My Dad’s birthday is tomorrow (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!), so I made half a dozen of each cookie for him to share at work.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has been my “go to”chocolate chip cookie for the past 2 years. I saw the episode of America’s Test Kitchen when they made these and I was intrigued.

It’s all about science and what not, which I know very little about. But when I make these cookies, people think I’m a genius. I let them think that.

The only problem with making these “perfect” cookies is that all my other cookies pale in comparison. Whenever anyone in the family has a birthday, I ask, “Can I make you a cake for your birthday?” They say to me, “No, I want those cookies.” Seriously people, sometimes I want to make a cake! Ok, not really. Cake decorating is harder than it looks. I’ll just stick with the cookies.



Today is our final walkthrough of our first house before we close next week & I made cookies for the sellers and our agents (as my husband would say, “nerd alert!”).

Here’s the recipe. You should make these. They will become everyone’s favorite thing you make. They will be talked about for years to come.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Cook’s Illustrated May/June 2009)

1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whish for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use a #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

I actually used a cheap margarine this time, so the texture of the cookies was off, but they were still pretty great.



All packed up and ready to go.