Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies

Guys, I've been sick for like a month. It's starting to get ridiculous. I am nauseous CONSTANTLY (don't worry I'm not pregnant). The good news though is that while it has curbed my appetite I can still eat a variety of things that aren't chicken soup, ginger ale, or saltines. In fact I probably ate about 14 of these little gems, and I will argue until I'm blue in the face that they made me feel better (even if that feeling was 100% mental).

Truthfully though, these cookies are amazing. I rarely eat the stuff that I bake. I'm not sure why because I like sweets and I LOVE baking them. Perhaps I just get sick of it because I am tasting everything as I go along, or I don't want to ruin it if they turned out bad. Regardless of the reason, I hardly ever eat my own treats. So the fact that I ate so many of them should speak volumes about their deliciousness.

But the #1 factor about these cookies is how EASY they are to make (this factor also makes them kid friendly parents). Which is partly why I am posting them just in time for the long weekend. For those of us not going anywhere (or for those of you having people over) these are a great treat to make to ensure you enjoy this much needed long weekend.

I grabbed this recipe from One Hundred Dollars a Month or more precisely...Pintrest. No matter how I got there it is a really really great recipe, but i do make one change and that is adding more Nutella. I couldn't taste it enough in my first batch and I think it will be great with just a little bit extra.

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies

 Ingredients
1/2 C Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 C CREAMY Peanut Butter (Jif is the natural choice)
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar, packed
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 C Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 C. Nutella (at least!)




Instructions:

 Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper**

Step 2: Using a bowl or your fancy Kitchenaid mixing bowl add the butter, peanut butter, both white and light brown sugars, beat until smooth.

Step 3: Add the egg, and your vanilla extract and beat until combined. 

Step 4: Add the flour, baking soda and salt and continue beating until all of the ingredients are combined. make sure to get all that flour that inevitably sticks to the bottom of the bowl mixed in!
 
Step 5: Melt your Nutella in a microwave safe bowl. Gently pour it onto your dough. I think a zig zag pattern works best. Use your spatula (I used my hands because it was easier) to fold the Nutella into your dough. 
 
Step 6: Refrigerate your dough for about 15 minutes (it makes it easier to roll into balls. 

Step 7: Roll the dough into balls however big or small you want but I'd stay on the smaller side. Spread them out on your tray about an inch apart from each other. Use a fork to push the cookies down a little bit

Step 8: Bake them in the oven for 8-10 minutes. When you pull them out let them cool on a wire rack until room temperature (unless you want them gooey of course!)
 
**If you have never baked cookies on parchment paper you are MISSING OUT! Try it it helps them not stick to the pan making it really easy to get off the tray for cooling, and better yet...less cleanup for you!
 

I recommend storing them in an airtight bag or container with a piece of bread. Someone once told me that the bread helps keep the cookies moist. I'm not really sure why that is or if it really works, but I did try that this time and it worked for me!!! 

Happy Eating!

xoxo Tanner

Grilled Pizzas

You know that time I said I would be better about posting and then wasn't? Yeahhhh...sorry about that. BUT my little weather app tells me this weekend in Dallas is going to be warm and GORGEOUS! Which is hilarious since it was freezing last night. Anyway, this grilled pizza receip is to die for and is a perfect way to kick off the warm (or excruciatingly hot?) season.

When it comes to pizza I will literally eat it all. Lunchable mini pizzas? Duh. Domino's? Check. That new (but i guess really not so new) garlic crust is the bomb. Lover's pizza? Check. Campisi's? Check. Grimaldi's? Double check. There are so many other great pizza places around this city and I'm sure plenty I've never heard of. Union Bear in west village is one of my new favorites and I highly recommend it to anyone.

But with all of these options it's easy to throw away home cooking and my favorite motto of fresh is best.  I know it's pretty hard to get motivated, especially when you have to make some sort of dough. It's time consuming for sure! But it tastes amazing, it's healthier, and it's a good way to get kids, other family members or friends involved in the kitchen.

These little pizzas are also a great idea for a small party or get together. Every time I have made these I've set up a pizza bar and invited friends and family over to dig in. You just need to make a bunch of dough discs and chop up your favorite toppings like pepperoni, sausage, bell pepper, olives, jalapeno's, onions, etc. and let your guests make their own creations. It's great because it can be hard to cater to and please everyone at a party. This way you most definitely don't have to.

Without further ado your recipe! The dough recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten but i changed it up a tad and grilled it instead of putting it in the oven :)

Tan Tan's Grilled Pizzas
 **The dough makes about 4-5 pizzas
 

Dough essentials:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey 

Olive oil*
4+ cups all-purpose flour

Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Toppings

My Homemade Pasta Sauce

Whatever you want!

4 C. Mozzarella

Mushrooms

Bell Pepper

Pepperoni (I buy from butcher)

Sausage

Jalapeno

Olives

Onions

Pinapple

Ham

 

 

 

*I recommend  O Olive Oil's Roasted Garlic You'll have to order it, but it (and all of the flavors) is amazing!

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl (I use my hands, but if you want use an electric mixer with a dough hook). Allow the yeast to dissolve.

 

Step 2: Add 3 cups of your flour a teaspoon or two of salt and begin mixing. I start with a spoon and as it begins forming into a dough I add 1 more cup of flour and also cover my hands in flour (it helps with the stickyness). Work the dough until it becomes smooth. You can add flour if kneaded (haha get it?)

Step 3: Continue kneading until the dough is elasticy. Then coat your bowl and the dough lightly in olive oil, cover it with a towel, and all the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. No need for a warm location it will be just fine at room temperature.

Step 4: While that is rising you can make your garlic oil that coats your pizzas. Using a small sauce pan add 1/2 C. of olive oil, the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes together. Simmer over medium low heat so all of the flavor blends together. Just be sure nothing is burning. Let it sit for roughly 10 minutes.

Step 5: Divide the dough into equal pieces. Cover them with a damp towel and let them for 10 minutes. Then take each piece and stretch it, knead it, flatten it, whatever you need to do to get the dough in the size and shape you want. (this is a great time for kids to get involved).

Step 6: At this point you should do 2 things. Turn on your grill and heat up a fry pan on your stove with a little olive oil. You are about to cook the dough just a tad on the grill and while that is happening you can cook the sausage or soften your vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms and jalapenos if desired.

Step 7: When your grill is ready to go. Brush ONE side of your pizza with the garlic oil you made earlier. Put that side down on the grill. (the olive oil will help it not stick to the grill). Try not to put it directly over flames if it can be avoided. You only want to let it cook for 5 minutes max. You want the bottom to appear lightly cooked. Then bring the pizzas back inside. Have everyone put their sauce and toppings on the cooked sides of their pizzas. I recommend toppings first then cheese on top. (as it melts the cheese traps the toppings so they don't fall off). Then bring them back out to the grill and cook through! You can gauge it based on the cheese. Once it is done melting start checking the bottoms of your pizza. I typically move mine to the little rack in my grill so it's further away from the heat to allow the dough to cook all the way through.

Then you can enjoy it!

I hope you don't let the fear of dough or the time consumption deter you from trying this recipe, because seriously you won't be disappointed! As always let me know if you have suggestions or if you try it another way! I'm always looking for new variations of my favorite recipes! Have a beautiful weekend!


xoxo & Happy Eating!

Tanner

Stuffed Peppers

It is GORGEOUS outside here in Texas and makes me think that pesky groundhog was wrong about six more weeks of winter. With excitement for spring but the threat of more snowy and cold days ahead I wanted to post a recipe that kind of covers both.

These stuffed peppers are a recipe that I have adapted from Kayln's Kitchen. It's really wintery comfort food that is still on the lighter side. They have proved to be a very popular and easy weeknight meal over at my house. My dad has requested them multiple times. If you know my dad that truly speaks to their quality. He will eat everything but never seems to really "like" anything!

So one of the best things about this recipe is it's flexibility. You can really customize it to meet your family's tastes. You could substitute italian sausage for turkey sausage, ground beef with taco seasoning, or even just chicken you pull off a rotissiere chicken. Don't like corn? No problem just switch out the vegetables however you like! Experimenting with the flavors is half of the fun.

I've also been testing out different flavored olive oils. And it's amazing how it can impact the flavor of your dish. So far my favorites have come from O Olive Oil in California. They have been on my favorite "bargain" shopping website Ruelala a bunch, so I have been able to try quite a few of the flavors for a heavily reduced price. My personal favorites are the Jalapeno Lime and the Fresh Basil (I use this when making my Pasta Sauce recipe!. But there are several to choose from.

Another way to mess with this recipe is the type of rice you use. I use pearled cous cous, Kalyn's Kitchen uses brown rice, but you could really use any. I bet Zattarain's boxed Spanish Rice would taste pretty good as well.

If you mix up the recipe let me know some of the variations you try! I'd love to have a running list of great variations so that I can mix it up. If certain flavors work well for you feel free to post them in the comment section so everyone can benefit!

Stuffed Peppers

                   Ingredients

                  1 Box of Pearled Cous Cous

            4 Large Bell Peppers, any color

            1 Large Onion, Diced

            Olive Oil

            1 Lb. Spicy Italian Sausage

            Oregano

            1/2 Bag of Frozen Corn

            3 Green Onions, diced

            Parmesan Cheese

            Salt and pepper to taste 

            Panko Bread Crumbs

            2 tbsp. Butter

            Cabbage

Step 1: Chop the tops off of the peppers and pull out the seed balls. You can use a knife to carefully shave the bottom of the peppers so they will stand up. Cut is much as you can off of the discarded pepper tops and chop it up to use in your stuffing mixture.

Step 2: Cook to CousCous according to the packages instructions.

Step 3: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While your Cous Cous is cooking. Dice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan with high sides. (don't have one? a sauce pan works ok too!). Add the onion, green onion, diced peppers, corn, and oregano  to taste until soft and fragrant. 

Step 4: Remove the vegetable mixture and pour into a bowl and set aside. Using the same pan heat a tad more olive oil and cook the sausage until browned. Then add the vegetable mixture back into the pan and sautee for about 3-5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Step 5: Mix in about 1/3 C. of parmesan into the mixture until melted.

Step 6: Line your pan with a very thin layer of olive oil. Stuff each pepper with the mixture and set into your pan. Mix 1/2 C. of parmesan and 1/2 C. of Panko bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Pour on top of your peppers. (and by pour i mean use your hands to create a thin layer of it over the peppers). Bake the peppers for about 20 minutes or until the pepper is soft and the tops are turning brown and crispy.

Step 7: If you have extra stuffing you can cook it in it's own dish with panko and parmesan on top. I love eating it for breakfast!

Step 8: While your peppers are cooking. Use the same pan to melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Saute the cabbage until soft and slightly wilted. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Step 9: When everything is done make a bed of cabbage on your plates and lay the pepper on top and enjoy!

It may seem like there are a lot of steps, but there really isn't and it's fairly easy. If you do the chopping up front it will save you a lot of time as you work through the recipe. I hope you enjoy it, it's one of my new favorite recipes!

Happy Eating!

Tanner

Chicken Poblano Risotto

Being from Texas I love all things spicy. Really the spicier the better. I even ate a habanero pepper just to get a free drink at Freebirds. It wasn't so bad but I'm pretty sure I drank two large big reds before i could even touch my food ;). But despite my love of spice not everyone agrees, which can make cooking certain dishes tricky.

It can be hard to find a way to find the spice you are looking for especially when cooking for a group of people or a significant other who may not like as much spice. This recipe is a good compromise. It packs a little bit of a punch, but it's relatively mild and you aren't trying to gulp down your beverage to compensate. (P.S. rumor has it that milk is the way to soothe those burning mouths).

From a practical cooking standpoint I won't lie to you, risotto, while easy to make, can take some time because it has to absorb all of the fluids you add to it. Still, it's a pretty easy weeknight meal and it tastes great leftover, so make a big batch!  Just remember to be patient, it won't absorb it all at once.

Today's recipe is one I found from Chika, a fellow blogspot user at For the Love of Dessert, and I'm obsessed with it! She was seriously a genius for coming up with this recipe.

When using other people's recipes I generally try to add a little bit of my own flair. So in this case I changed the chicken up just a tad. She used some frozen chicken fingers. I personally prefer to cook my own chicken, so I have adapted the recipe for you to cook chicken with some cayenne pepper to give it a little extra something something. But head on over to her site if you want to see how she incorporated her chicken.

One last side note before I get to the recipe. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT MAN RECIPE. There is zero reason boys would not eat this. Do they think risotto is too fancy? Just call risotto rice and they'll never know the difference...If you're having people over to eat for the Superbowl this is really great alternative to finger foods and chili. (Not to say those aren't fantastic options as well)(p.s. Go Seahawks! just this once).

Chicken Poblano Risotto

(Serves 4 and takes about an hour to make) 

1 lb. Raw chicken tenders

Olive oil

Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

4 C. of chicken broth

Crushed red pepper flakes

1 large poblano pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

3 green onions, diced

 1 1/2 C. Arborio Rice

1/2 C. pinot grigio**

1 C. Parmesan shredded

**I like the middle sister brand to cook with!

 Step 1: Chop the chicken tenders into bite size squares. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and the cayenne pepper. (be generous with the cayenne). Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a high sided skillet on medium high heat. Then add the chicken. Cook until all sides of the chicken turn white. Cut into one to make sure the inside is not pink.

Step 2: Remove the chicken and place on a plate for later. In the same pan Heat some more olive oil and add red pepper flakes and poblano pepper. (About 1 tsp. of the red pepper flakes). Cook until the pepper is soft and fragrant.

  

Step 3: Boil the chicken broth in a small sauce pan. Once it begins to boil turn the heat down to a simmer.

Step 4: Pour the poblano peppers onto the chicken. continuing to use the same pan heat a little bit more olive oil, the green onions, 2 tsp. red pepper flakes and the chili powder. Cook until fragrant and the green onion is soft. 

Step 5: Add the rice and coat in the olive oil mixture. Then add the white wine, and stir until all of the wine has been absorbed into the rice. 

 

Step 6: Begin adding the chicken broth a little at a time. Stir continuously after each addition. Once all of the chicken broth has been absorbed add some more. Repeat until all of the broth is absorbed by the rice.

Step 7: Add the Parmesan cheese, and then add the chicken and poblano pepper back into the rice mixture. Then enjoy! You can garnish with more red pepper flakes if desired.

I paired this with a salad and one of the Shiner cheer beers I've stocked up on ;) It's amazing and I hope you like it!

Happy Eating!!!

Tanner

 

Buffalo Chicken Cannolis

So I really debated posting these or waiting till football season, but I decided they were too good to hold off on. I've been going through a little of a spicy phase. I can't get enough! Especially jalapeños...don't know why, what an odd craving.

I found these little gems on one of my favorite blogs How Sweet It Is . They really have the best recipes ever! And these were no exception.

I personally thought these were a great week night meal, but they'd be great for game day. I wonder how buffalo chicken became a staple of game day flavors. I bet Hooters is to blame. Seriously though! So many recipes especially around football season use this flavor. Is it more "manly" to eat? Is it because it's spicy? Messy?

If this really is a manly meal I can't really complain my college roommate Allie and I are all about buffalo chicken or "buff chick" as we so lovingly refer to it. It's just so good! There was this pizza shop around the corner from our apartment in the bronx they had the BEST buff chick pizza. I'm pretty sure I have a picture of me eating a slice at 3 in the morning compliments of Allie...

no time to wait till I got home...

Anyway, I recommend EVERYONE try these cannolis and not just on game day.

Buffalo Chicken Cannoli

20 Flour tortillas (I bought fresh ones from Rosa's)

24 ounces Canola Oil (or whatever you like to fry things in)

2 1/2 C. Cooked chicken shredded or diced

1 whole large celery stalk, diced or minced

1/4 C. mayonnaise

1/4 C. Prepared hot wing sauce (more if you want)(I used Frank's Red Hot)

1/4 C. Blue cheese crumbles

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Step 1: I just folded the tortillas over to make a shell and secured it with a tooth pick. (**advice: make sure enough of the toothpick is visible so you can get it out after you fry them!). 

Step 2: Use a pan or pot that can fit about an inch and a half of oil in it. Heat it so it gets super hot. You know it's ready if you can flick a tiny bit of water on it and it crackles and bubbles. Place the tortillas in the pan 2 or 3 at a time. The tortilla will bubble. I recommend taking it out popping the bubble inside the shell and putting it back in. You don't want to not be able to stuff the center. Drain them on a paper towel.

Step 3:  In a mixing bowl toss the diced chicken and celery. In a second bowl mix the mayonnaise and hotwing sauce together. (This is the stage you can add more hot wing sauce to get a spicier or more mild flavor). You do want to try to make it a little hotter than you actually want it because this taste will mix with the chicken and celery which will minimize the heat. When it's where you want it mix in with the chicken and celery. Stir in some of the blue cheese if you want (or you can just serve it in the left over hot wing sauce later).

Step 4: Stuff the cannoli shells with the chicken mixture. You will likely have to go from both ends to fill the shell. Do your best to push it to the center. Then you are done!

I served mine with bell peppers but you could make any side to go with them, or put them on a try with hot wing sauce and blue cheese in the center!! 

Enjoy!!

<3 Tanner

A Soup Every Man will Appreciate: Cheddar Ale Soup

Unless they are sick there is nothing harder then getting a guy to eat soup for an easy weeknight meal. Unless it's La Madeleine Tomato Basil...I don't know what it is about that soup that EVERYONE loves! Still, sometimes it's just to hard to come home and make a full meal every night. Soup (plus or minus a grilled cheese on the side) is an easy fix for that and a healthier alternative to a frozen dinner. Plus most of them take minimal effort. Unfortunately, for those of you with spouses or significant others eating soup somehow makes them less manly.

This recipe though was found AND COOKED!!!! by one of my guy friends Braden. He suggested this soup with potato nachos (a recipe for another time) one night to watch the playoff games. I have to admit when he told me it was a Cheddar Jalapeno Ale soup I was a little suspicious (rightfully so I think), but I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was! Beware that it definitely has a kick too it. It's a great fall/winter soup because it's a little thicker and heartier than say a chicken noodle.

Don't knock it till you try it because it was truly very good. Now that could change depending on what beer you use. Braden used the Alaskan Amber. If you want one that will for sure taste good I'd go for that. Stay away from anything too light or fruity. I wouldn't be surprised if Shiner went really well with this recipe. Be sure to comment if you try a certain beer you like!

You could also pair it with a beer bread or a sourdough to dip in the soup! Without further ado here is the recipe. Good luck!

<3 Tanner

Cheddar Jalapeno Ale Soup

1/2 Lb. bacon, 1" slices

2 stalks celery, diced

2+ Jalapeño peppers, diced (**we used 3)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs. butter

1/4 C. flour

12 oz. Ale

2 C. Chicken Broth

1/2 C. Heavy Cream

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 Tbs. Worcestershire

2 C. Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Cayenne to taste

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Step 1: After slicing the bacon go ahead and cook it IN the pot you are going to make the soup in. When done scoop it out onto paper towels. Drain the pot, but reserve 2 Tbs. of the grease and keep it in the pot.

Step 2: Add celery and jalapeños and cook until they have softened and are fragrant. Then add the garlic and thyme and stir for a minute or two.

Step 3: Add the butter and stir till it melts. Slowly add the flower stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Step 4: Add your beer of choice along with the chicken broth. While stirring be sure to wipe down the sides of the pan with your spoon so nothing is sticking. Add the bacon and cook for about 10 minutes. 

Step 5: Add your heavy cream, worcestershire and cheese. Cook until all the cheese is melted, but be sure that the soup doesn't reach it's boiling point!!

Step 6: Flavor as needed with the salt, pepper, and cayenne and serve it up! 

Enjoy!!!

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Crab Cakes

This is a little bit of a summery dish, but sometimes in the middle of the cold winter something light and (semi) fresh is just what the doctor ordered. These crab cakes are actually really easy to make. Even using the canned crab they still taste amazing. The seafood selection is not anything to brag about here in Lubbock, but they do have fresh? crab. It's just easier and a huge time saver to buy the canned lump meat. And like I said it taste good. BUTTTTT of course my motto is fresh is best so it's up to you.

I like to serve these with a salad. I usually just use romaine, green onion, feta, yellow tomatoes, a little salt and pepper and Brianna's Real French Vinaigrette dressing. Let's side bar about that for just a second. My aunt Nancy introduced me to Brianna's. I have tried a couple different ones and I love them all, but the Real French Vinaigrette is her best in my opinion. It's light and delicious and so far out of all the salad's I've made is everyone's favorite dressing. I literally could eat this salad every single day. Annndddd maybe I do, so shoot me :)

Ok but back to the crab cakes. They only take about 20-30 minutes total time in the kitchen, which is awesome!! Especially when there is a ton going on. That kind of time frame makes it so no one has any excuse to heat up a frozen dinner anymore. And 1 serving of this recipe is only 4 weight watcher points!!!!!

Give them a try, you won't be disappointed. And it's SO EASY! They only look hard to make, It's basically just mixing everything together forming little patties and pan frying. It doesn't get too much easier than that.

Crab Cakes

16 oz. "fresh" lump crabmeat, drained

4 large lemons

4 oz. diced pimiento, drained

2 green onions chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (less WW points if you use the light kind!)

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 cup pank bread crumbs

Canola Oil

Step 1: Forge through the crabmeat and make sure that no pieces of the shell got left behind. It's not that big of a deal if you miss one though

Step 2: Zest the lemons and cut them in half. Juice the lemons so you get 1/4 of a cup, but I just squeeze them right into the mixing bowl. It's up to you! Stir together zest, juice, pimento, onions, egg, mayonnaise, old bay, and mustard. Stir until everything is mixed together completely. Begin mixing in the crab and half of the bread crumbs.

Step 3: Gently form patties from the mixture. You can make them as big or as small as you like, but make sure they are firmly packed so they don't fall apart in the pan. Right before you are ready to put them in the pan coat the patties in the remaining breadcrumbs (you might need a little extra panko for this)

Step 4: The recipe said to cook them in 2 Tbsp. of hot oil in a non stick skillet. I personally think they cook better if you use more oil than that. I make sure the entire pan is covered in the oil and is about an 1/8 of an inch thick. This will mean you may have to drain the pan because any panko that falls off will start to burn. I just think the extra oil makes them cook faster and more evenly without burning, but that's just my experience with them. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until they turn golden brown in color (you can pretty much eyeball this - does it look cooked? Then it probably is!) 

Step 5: Drain the Crab cakes on a paper towel to get off the extra grease. 

Serve them with lemon wedges and you are done!!!

Hope you enjoy! <3 tan tan