Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love homemade cookies and so do my kids!  Ben doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but he does like peanut butter cookies.  I made the first batch without chocolate chips for him and then added the chocolate chips in for the rest of us to enjoy.  These are really tasty and super quick and easy!...my kind of cookie!  As a side note, I've always made cookies with semi-sweet chocolate chips but I happened to buy milk chocolate chips when they were on sale a few months ago and since this recipe calls for them I decided to use them.  I think they go perfectly with the peanut butter cookie - better than semi-sweet would.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt

1 bag milk chocolate chips (I wouldn't use an entire bag - maybe 2/3.  Half peanut butter chips / half chocolate chips would taste good too!)

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth.  Then add in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt and add to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Just cook until they start to brown and then take them out and let them cool a few minutes on pan before transferring.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

I did not plan ahead at all for Sunday's dinner and had to come up with something quick.  This meal came together in no time and tasted great.  We haven't eaten rice in a really long time and both Ben and I enjoyed our long lost friend.  (We ate rice a ton in the early years of our marriage!)  The recipe calls for green beans but I added broccoli instead.  You could use whatever vegetable sounds good to you.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced (I omitted.)
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (I used calrose - sticky rice.)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans (Can substitute broccoli or other vegetable(s).)
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

This banana bread is divine!  Before we left for Maui many people told us we needed to buy the homemade banana bread at stands along the Road to Hana.  Well, we began the Road to Hana too late and missed the banana bread!  This is how I imagine it would have tasted though.  I love the inclusion of sour cream in this recipe - makes it so moist.

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

1/2 c butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~3 bananas)
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool. 

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

I love my Abuela's recipe for macaroni and cheese and haven't really had a desire to try another one, but I came across this one and thought I'd give it a shot.  You can make the entire thing in one skillet and it's quite creamy.  Just be careful not to over do it on the cheese!  (I used too much because I didn't measure.)  You can also add ham and peas or any other variety of foods to dress this up.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I omitted - didn't have any.)
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
Ground black pepper to taste 

Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.

Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (May not need any additional water.) Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are seriously good!  (A little fattening, maybe, but sooo good!)  This is another recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we ate these with the grilled chicken the other night.  I used red potatoes since that's what I had on hand and I'm pretty sure I didn't use a full 5 pounds of potatoes.  I also omitted the green onions because I didn't have any.  After the potatoes were done boiling on the stove I whipped everything up with my electric hand mixer....this made the consistency really smooth.  Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds russet, red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

8 ounces light or regular cream cheese (I used Neufchatel - 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter (Could use less w/ still great results.)
1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them a few times and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash and mix well to desired consistency. Scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking pan. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and heated through.

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken

The sun is out and it's warm outside and that means it's grilling time at our house.  This grilled chicken marinade is delicious.  The combination of lemon and garlic flavoring is just right...Not to mention, it's super easy to whip up and if you cut the chicken into strips you can get away with marinating for only 5-6 hours in the fridge....instead of overnight.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

 

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken

Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound chicken breasts (Cut really thick chicken breasts down into smaller strips so they absorb the marinade better.)


Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag (or glass bowl with lid) and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Serve with sides of your choice or cut into bite sized pieces and add to desired recipe.