Destiny Chocolate Chip Cookies

Originally posted by: https://www.thebakingchocolatess.com/omg-soft-batch-chocolate-chip-cookies-pure-nirvana/

14 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour + a few extra tablespoons, see ** in directions below--I used 2 extra tablespoons

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt or sea salt

3 cups chocolate chips ( any variation of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks)

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a few trays with baking paper or spray with non-stick spray.

2 ways to partially melt better. Place in microwave and partially melt halfway (watch to not melt completely) or use a a metal bowl, place the butter inside the bowl and place in the preheating oven. Leave it just for a few minutes, until the butter starts to melt around the outside (approx ½ of the butter melted). Take out of oven to cool.

Once the butter has cooled down, add both sugars and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and eggs, beating between each addition just until mixed.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt or sea salt and beat on a low speed, just until combined. If you find that the dough is wet, you probably need a little more flour

**If needed, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts coming together to start forming a ball and not sticking to the sides of the bowl as much.

I added 2 extra tablespoons of flour to the 2 ½ cups flour - if you use over 3 tablespoons, it's too much

Fold in the chocolate chips until just incorporated. 

Use an ice cream or cookie scoop (¼ cup for large, 1.5 tablespoons for medium) and drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, allowing room for spreading. Pat down cookies just a little and press additional chocolate chips on top of cookie dough if desired.

Bake one tray of cookies at a time, for 10-12 minutes for large, 8-9 for small. Don't over-bake and allow to cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 dozen large or 2 dozen small cookies.

Store cookies in air-tight container.

NOTES

Enjoy!I used 1 cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 1 cup Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips, and 1 cup 60% Ghirardelli Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips in my recipe.

Cod Fish Tacos

Posted by: https://www.skinnytaste.com/cod-fish-tacos/

INGREDIENTS

Fish:

• 4 pieces 4 oz each skinless firm white fish such as cod, (or snapper fillet, mahi mahi), fresh is best, if frozen thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoons lime chili seasoning, such as Tajin Classic

For The Sauce (make 1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup fat free Greek Yogurt
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1-2 tablespoons water, to thin
• 3/4 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning salt, such as Tajin Classic
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For The Slaw

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup white cabbage, sliced
• 1 cup red cabbage, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 corn tortillas, charred on the open flame 30 seconds on each side
• lime wedges, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Season fish with salt, ground cumin and Tajin.
• Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat.
• Toss the slaw ingredients and keep cold.
• Place on preheated skillet and spray with olive oil, cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side until fish is just opaque and charred. Break up in large chunks.
• Char the tortillas over an open flame on the burner or in a skillet about 30 seconds on each side, stack on a plate covered with a towel to keep warm.
• Assemble tacos. Place slaw on the bottom of each tortilla, top with fish and drizzle with sauce, serve with lime wedges.

Hot Mama Grade: B+

Hot Mama Notes: These were pretty good! I'm sure they'd be even better with fresh cooked fish and charred tortillas! I went for quick and easy. I had left over cooked cod frozen, so I cooked that in the microwave and added the seasoning. I didn't have the slaw ingredients, so I grated up some carrots and sautéed up some zucchini and yellow squash cubes in olive oil, season salt, and pepper. For the sauce, I substituted sour cream for Greek yogurt as I had none. I also omitted the thinning water, and used lemon juice instead of lime since I had none. I think lime would be much better! Still, the sauce was quite tasty! I love taijin! So flavorful! The kids liked these okay, so I will count that as a win! Woo hoo! Quick and easy dinner! 

Bizcochitos

Originally from: Junior League of Albuquerque cookbook, circa 1987… provided by Karen M. 

Hot Mama Grade: A 

 

Peppermint Brownies

Originally from Karen M.

Sara’s Peppermint Brownies

Brownie:

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup nuts

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 sq melted chocolate

1/2 tsp peppermint flavoring

Beat together eggs, butter, and sugar. Add in peppermint and chocolate, followed by

flour and nuts. Bake in 8”x8” pan at 350F for 25 minutes. Don’t overbake! Allow

brownies to cool completely before frosting.

-

Frosting

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp peppermint flavoring

Green or red food coloring, if desired

Beat together above ingredients, frost brownies in pan, refrigerate before final chocolate

layer.

-

1 square melted chocolate

1 tbsp butter

Melt together butter and chocolate, drizzle evenly over brownies, tip pan around until

completely coated. Refrigerate until chocolate is hardened before cutting.

Hot Mama Grade: A-

Hot Mama Notes: These brownies are very tasty. Intense mint flavor. They are VERY rich. I used pecans as my nuts. I think I might 1.5 or 2x the Frosting next time. Also maybe make the last chocolate layer thicker so it drizzles better. This recipe is not quick and easy, though. Thus A-. It takes a long time to bake, and I baked the brownies WAY longer than 25 minutes. Probably almost 15-20 minutes more. They were full on unbaked when I took them out at 25 minutes.

Maybe next time I will try to cover 100% at the final layer by tipping. I did not use good coloring, but that would be a festive thing to do at Christmas. 

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Originally posted by: https://thecozycook.com/sausage-tortellini-soup/

Ingredients

1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon oregano

1 pinch cayenne, optional

1 teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup heavy cream

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cups refrigerated tortellini, just under 10 oz.

Salt/ to taste

Instructions

Note: The mustard powder and hot sauce are so subtle in this soup but help enhance the other flavors, so although you may be hesitant to add them, I highly recommend it!

Remove the casings from the sausage if you purchased links. Cook and crumble the sausage and diced onions over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the sausage is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

Add basil, oregano, cayenne, hot sauce, mustard powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Add the kale and tortellini and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (If your tortellini needs longer cooking time, add the tortellini first, then the kale during the last 5 minutes.)

Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Start with ¼ tsp and add more after that if needed.

Transfer to serving bowls and serve! (This is great with Garlic Bread with Cheese!)

2-3 cups of Spinach can be used instead of kale, stir it in once the tortellini is cooked and let it wilt, about 30 seconds.

Hot Mama Grade: B+

Hot Mama Notes: I used 3 cups spinach as I don't care for kale. I used Louisiana hot sauce, and put 2 pinches of cayenne. I used spinach cheese tortellini by.  It was a 20 oz package, and I used short 2/3. But in hindsight, I should have put all of I the package in there!  I had no red pepper flakes. This soup is very creamy. I think I would like it better with less cream (maybe 1/2 c less), and instead add potatoes to thicken the broth. My boys liked this okay, but honestly, they probably would have liked plain tortellini just fine, too, ha! The spiced sausage is very good! A good dish, but not sure I will make it again!

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Originally posted by: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/15057/overnight-blueberry-french-toast/

Ingredients

French Toast Casserole:

• 12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• 12 eggs, beaten

• 2 cups milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ⅓ cup maple syrup

Blueberry Sauce:

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• 1 tablespoon butter

• Lemon juice, some

Directions

1. Prepare casserole: Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in the dish and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle blueberries over the cream cheese, then top with remaining bread cubes.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup together in a large bowl until well-combined; pour over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove casserole from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Bake casserole in the preheated oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking until center is firm and surface is lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare blueberry sauce: Mix sugar, water, and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in blueberries, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all the blueberries burst, about 10 minutes. Stir in butter.

6. Serve portions of casserole on plates and pour warm syrup over top., 

Hot Mama Grade: A-/B+

Hot Mama Notes: I made a half portion in a 9x9 inch pan and covered it with foil. I used 8 slices of bread, a wonder-type honey wheat variety. I used frozen blueberries. I almost used frozen strawberries, but then I found the blueberries in the freezer! :) decided to add 1/8 c powdered sugar on top after reading the reviews, but I don't love cinnamon, so I didn't add that. 

This turned out well. I do think a thick Italian bread would have been better, but this was fine. I think whipping the cream cheese with powdered sugar would be a good plan, so that you can carry an even layer vs chunks of cream cheese. My oldest loved it and had seconds. My youngest thought it was too sweet (I am surprised!!). I am glad I made a half batch to try it out. I will say I don't think it is any less work than making French toast in the morning, but it is nice to have it done all at once! 

Comments to incorporate:

Use Italian bread from the bakery (French bread seemed like too much crust), or brioche, or challah. I also whipped 1 1/2 bricks cream cheese w/ 1/4 cup confectioners sugar and spread it over the cubed bread. I used frozen blueberries (thawed) and only 10 eggs. I also made sure to press the bread down so that everything got french toast consistancy. The syrup is delicious!! I made 1.5 times and poured 2/3 of it over the dish and the other 1/3 was put on the table for those who wanted a little bit more.

After placing the first layer of bread, sprinkle with cinnamon for more flavor.  After reading many reviews, I decided to mix 1.5 blocks of cream cheese with 1/4 c. of powdered sugar and then spread it on the bread. I thought it was still hard to spread, so next time I will add a little milk to thin it out. Maybe also a dash of vanilla.  I used frozen blueberries (thawed) & they worked well. You could also definitely use more than a cup in the middle of the french toast.  After placing the 2nd layer of bread, sprinkle with cinnamon again. I thought the blueberry sauce was lacking a certain wow factor, so I added a little fresh lemon juice

Before refrigeration.

After baking. 

My photo. 

Their photo:

Goulash

Originally posted by: https://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/old-fashioned-goulash/#mv-creation-110-jtr

HOW TO MAKE GOULASH

1. The macaroni is cooked separately, so follow the directions on the box to cook that.  Because you bake the pasta for a few minutes to blend all of the flavors together, you want to under cook the pasta by 3 minutes. 
2. Use a large skillet or even a dutch oven to brown the ground beef and onions together until the beef is cooked and the onions are soft. 
3. After the onions are soft stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute until it starts to get fragrant.
4. Add in Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes and mix until everything is combined. You can really use any combination of tomato products that you have.  If you don’t like chunks of tomatoes, just use all sauce.  If you have fire roasted tomatoes in your pantry, use them!
5. Add in the seasonings and taste to adjust.  Start with just a little salt and add more if you think it is necessary. 
6. Once everything is cooked stir in the cooked pasta and cheese until everything is combined. 
7. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is hot and bubbly.  If your pan is not oven safe transfer to a casserole dish to bake. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans petit diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook macaroni for 3 minute less than the box directions.  Drain. 
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Add ground beef and onions to the pan.  Break beef apart, cooking for 6-7 minutes until browned.  Drain any fat.  
4. Mix in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. 
5. Add in worchestershire sauce, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Mix until combined.  
6. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Mix in cooked macaroni and cheddar cheese. If skillet is heat safe, you can place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Or transfer to casserole dish and bake.

Hot Mama Grade: A

Hot Mama Notes: My eldest chose this as a recipe to make for a school potluck themed for the great depression. He made it himself. The kids love this meal! I will definitely make it again. It looks simple and easy while still being tasty!