Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

 These bars were quick, easy and delicious. Just what we all need sometimes! I hadn't baked anything in quite a while, due to not having time, and these were easy to do on a weekend. They use ingredients I keep on hand, too.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
½ cup (128 g) creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups (318 g) packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with foil (optional- I don't use). Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. If not using foil, just spray your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

 
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl or a pot on the stove, melt the butter. Whisk in the peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until no dry streaks remain and the chips are evenly combined.

3. Press the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set in the middle and lightly browned on the edges. Don’t overbake! Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

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Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

I loved this soup- and so did my husband and son. I made it three times in three weeks, I think. It's vegan if made with veggie broth- which I did.  (But the feta garnish makes it non-vegan, obviously.) You could also use chicken stock. I used small white beans for this (navy beans, I think), but I think white cannelini beans would be better for this. I bought some so I have them on hand for next time. I made this No-Knead Bread with it; you do most of the work the night before. The two recipes go very well together. 

Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

adapted from By the Forkful

1 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
600g white beans (2 cans, drained a bit)
400g (1 can) chopped/diced tomatoes
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta to top (½ cup/125g)

Lemon juice, optional
Parsley, to garnish

Extra virgin olive oil, optional 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions have softened and then add in the diced carrot and celery and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the dried oregano, salt, and pepper, then stir in the tomato paste and cook it down for a minute or two until the sauce begins to turn fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the white beans, followed by the vegetable stock.  Add the bay leaves and then let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. (I put the lid on here.) 

2. For a thicker consistency, remove 2-3 ladles of the soup and blend it, then add it back into the soup for a creamier sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. (I've never done this, but it would be good.) Top the soup with crumbled feta, diced parsley, optional lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Tuna Melts

This is a simple recipe and maybe people don't need a recipe for this, but I did, lol, and I've made these often since coming across the recipe a few months ago. They're quick and easy, and it you want them easier, you can mix up the tuna mixture ahead of time, stick it in the fridge, and then use it when you're ready for it. You do have to toast all the English muffins before baking the sandwiches, and it's nice to have a 4-slice toaster for this. I used 4 English muffins for a total of 8 open-faced sandwhiches. 

Tuna Melts

adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 scant cup mayonnaise (try using 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons Dijon or honey mustard
1 (12-ounce) can water- or oil-packed tuna, drained (I just use chunk light in water)
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/4 red, white, or yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced parsley or 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp BOTH dried dill and dried tarragon, optional, but very good
freshly ground black pepper

salt, to taste (I don't add any- these are plenty salty with tuna, mayo & cheese)
4 English muffins, split and toasted ( to make 8 halves total)
1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (can use more or less)

1. Whisk together mayonnaise and mustard in a medium bowl. Add tuna, celery, red onion, and parsley and mix with a fork until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat broiler to high. Spoon tuna salad onto English muffin halves and place on a baking sheet. Top tuna with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. (Optional- heat oven to 400 F or 425 F and just bake these until cheese is melted. My broiler is weird and I don't use it.) 

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Molasses Sandwich Cookies

The fam enjoyed these Molasses Sandwich Cookies. I'm not a molasses lover, but even I thought these were good. The marshmallow filling really makes them. I used my regular-sized cookie scoop for these; next time I might use my smallest one, because these cookies turned out very tall and were super filling with regular-sized cookies! They're so good though. Using my medium scoop, I only got 13 cookies out of this recipe (so, 26 single cookies, sandwiched together to make 13).

Molasses Sandwich Cookies  

adapted from I Am Baker

Cookies:

2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup (84 g) molasses
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling

Filling:

½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) butter, softened
teaspoon almond extract
pinch kosher salt
2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme or fluff

Ginger Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

2. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture. Mix until fully combined. Shape the dough into 1-inch sized balls, rolling them into the granulated sugar. Place the cookies a couple of inches apart onto the lined baking sheet, flattening slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, letting them cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling:

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the almond extract and salt. Add in the confectioners' sugar, about ½ cup at a time. Once all the sugar is added, mix on high for 2-3 minutes. Once fully combined, fold the marshmallow creme into the frosting by hand with a silicone spatula. Spread the filling on the bottoms of half the cookies and top with the remaining cookies.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Chowder

This was a delicious and easy to prepare chicken corn chowder recipe. I prepped this the night before, but kept the potoates in an airtight container soaking in cold water. In the morning, I drained the potates in a strainer and just added them to the top, then plugged the crockpot in. I also just used whole, frozen chicken tender pieces and shredded them after cooking. This way I could make this on a work morning.

Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Chowder

adpated from An Edible Mosaic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders, breasts, or thighs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 large cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
3 large stalks celery sliced
20 ounces frozen sweet corn, no need to thaw
1 1/2 pounds yellow potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch
real bacon bits, for garnish

1. Drizzle the oil across the bottom of a slow cooker. Spread out the chicken in an even layer across the bottom. Sprinkle on the salt, black pepper, garlic, and thyme. Add the following in even layers: onion, bell pepper, celery, corn, and finally the potatoes. Add the bay leaf. Pour in the chicken broth. (Don’t stir.) Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender, on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. At the end of the cooking time, shred the chicken with two forks. 

2. Mix together the cream and cornstarch in a small bowl. If you’re cooking on LOW, stir in the cream/cornstarch mixture during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you’re cooking on HIGH, stir in the cream/cornstarch mixture during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

3. If you want the soup even thicker, you can puree 2 cups of it in a blender and stir it back in, or simply use a potato masher to partially mash the soup when it’s done cooking. (Note that this soup will thicken more as it cools.) Serve garnished with bacon.

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Butternut Squash Chowder

This butternut squash chowder was SO GOOD! I loved it!! You can use butternut squash or pumpkin in this. The sweet squash flavor is delicious with the savory Italian sausage. Here, I can buy pre-cut chunks of butternut squash. They're kind of big, so I have to cut them in half or smaller. But it's SO much easier than peeling and cutting a huge butternut squash. 

Butternut Squash Chowder 

adapted from Closet Cooking

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound bulk italian sausage
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (can use 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup flour 
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups butternut squashed or pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup sour cream)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

fresh sage for garnish, optional

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook, breaking it apart as it cooks. Push sausage to one side of the pan. Add the butter, let it melt. Add the onion to the butter and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes, flour, mix well and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the broth, and butternut squash, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Keep a lid of the pot, and stir the bottom occasionally so the flour mixture doesn't stick.

2. Turn off the heat, mix in the heavy cream and cheddar cheese and let it melt into the sauce. Mix in the corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! If you have fresh sage, you can garnish the soup with it. 

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Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

This curry was so delicious! This recipe is made with either butternut squash chunks or pumpkin puree. I made it both ways and both ways were delicious. The first pic, above, is with canned pumpkin puree. The second pic is with no pumpkin puree, and I used butternut squash chunks instead. (I used the same amount of chicken in both.) The squash/pumpkin added a delicious hint of sweetness to the curry. In the version with the puree, it also thickened the sauce very nicely. 

Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

adapted from Closet Cooking

For the chicken marinade:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala 
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

For the butter chicken:
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced  (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth 
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (or 1 cup heavy/whipping cream)
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed OR 1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste

1.  For the chicken marinade: Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and salt for 20 minutes to overnight.

2.  For the butter chicken: Melt the butter in a large pan (or saucepan) over medium heat, and cook the onion and chicken, about 10 minutes. (I included all the marinade and just cooked it with the chicken here.) Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and tomato paste, mix, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

3.  Add the broth, coconut milk OR cream, and butter nut squash (OR pumpkin puree), bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash/chicken is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves and butter, mix, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

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