Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

These little muffins are practically instant gratification because they bake so quickly. Also, you don't have to feel badly about indulging in more than a few because they contain whole wheat flour. Eat up!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the bottom of a mini muffin tray. In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, mix milk, oil, and egg; beat well. Add wet ingredient and chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Evenly divide the batter between the greased muffin cups and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for 1 minute, then enjoy!

Asian Honey Mustard Salmon on Spinach and Mushrooms

Ingredients

6 to 8 oz salmon cut into two fillets

salt and pepper

5 tablespoons creole mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy

1 white onion sliced

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 package clean sliced mushrooms

1 head garlic minced

1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach (or boc choy, which is a nice substitute)

1 tablespoon salt and pepper

1 tablespoon ginger

2 tablespoons soy

Directions

For the salmon, pat dry and massage in salt and pepper. In a small mixing bowl, combine creole mustard, honey, and soy. Place in a bag with salmon and marinate for half an hour.

Cook on 450 degrees 20 to 30 minutes in a baking pan coated with a little olive oil. Make sure the salmon is well coated with the marinade.

In a large saucepan, saute sliced white onion in sesame oil. Then, add and saute mushrooms, garlic, and spinach, with salt, pepper, ginger, and soy. Cover and cook until the spinach has cooked down.

Serve salmon on top of spinach. Enjoy!

Perfect Pie Crust

This is Martha's recipe. "Martha who?" You know who! The Martha. I'm not always thrilled with everything I sample from her baking handbook. The recipes tend to have a superfluous number of steps; however, I am positively delighted with this pie crust. The filling for the apple pie shown definitely requires some work, and I'm sure I'll revisit it at a later date. In the meantime, enjoy this crust for sweet and savory dishes. I used the crust for a meat pie, and it was superb!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles course crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn our the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Makes enough dough for one double-crust or two single 9 inch pies.

Shrimp 'n' Grits

Move over Bobby Flay! My husband has been working on perfecting his version of this dish ever since he saw Flay compete with a Georgian on Throw Down. This is one of the most delicious things you will ever eat. Seriously.

Ingredients

shrimp:

6 slices of bacon

1 lb peeled shrimp

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup chardonnay

1/2 cup seafood stock

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

grits:

2 servings of instant grits, preparing as directed on package with exchanging half the water with seafood stock

1 cup grated parmesan

1 stick butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

chopped chives, for flavor and garnish

Fry bacon in large saucepan; remove and add shrimp and seasonings. After 1.5 minutes, add garlic. Once shrimp are cooked, remove from pan. With heat on high, deglaze with wine and stock. Frequently stir contents of the pan until cooked down. Turn heat to low and stir in cream.

Cook grits. Whisk in butter until well incorporated. Then, continue to whisk in additional ingredients: parmesan, whipping cream, and seasonings.

Serve shrimp on top of grits. Top with sauce, chopped chives, and crumbled bacon.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think I make these cookies more than any other, which makes it odd that I haven't blogged about them yet. Then I realized, I couldn't blog about them earlier because they always disappeared too quickly to be photographed. They are truly delightful, and I am proud to say that it is a recipe that I perfected myself. Please enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 oz milk chocolate chips

Directions

Cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugars, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add egg; beat well.

Combine flour, soda, salt, and cocoa powder; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by 2 tablespoons, 3 inches apart, onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Eat warm or wait until cool.

Red Bell Peppers Stuffed With Venison and Chorizo

This dish is a pleasing combination of gourmet preparation with southwestern flavors and the satisfaction of comfort food. If you don't have access to venison, you could use beef; however, if you do have venison on hand, this is a great way to showcase the delightful flavor of deer meat. (Note: This recipe is very hot. If you wish to make it less spicy, omit one or two chipotle peppers. Unfortunately, you'll also be omitting some of the great smoked flavor the chipotles provide.)

Ingredients

For venison preparation:

8 oz. venison steak

6 cloves garlic, diced

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 750 ml bottle red wine

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup water

For peppers:

4 red bell peppers, cored

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced

4 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 link chorizo sausage, diced

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

6 green onions, chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup long grain rice

1/2 cup water

1/2 venison stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

4 oz. pepper jack cheese

Directions

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat in a stock pot. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and 6 cloves of diced garlic. Coat venison with the olive oil mixture; then, sear venison on all sides in the heated oil. Add wine and water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 2 hours.

Once venison is cooked, set aside and combine 1/2 cup venison stock with 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of rice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

While the rice cooks, begin cooking the diced chorizo in a large sauce pan on medium heat. Once cooked, remove the chorizo and deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine. Melt two tablespoons of butter on medium heat, then add and saute mushrooms. Next, add chopped green onions and cook for a couple of minutes before adding 1 can of diced tomatoes and diced chipotles. Then, add cooked rice, cooked diced venison, and cooked chorizo. Mix contents of the sauce pan well, adding 2 teaspoons of salt, then add 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Fill the hallowed bell peppers with the stuffing and top with about 1 oz. of pepper jack cheese per pepper. Roast peppers in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This dish is something I was call idiot-proof-delicious. Anytime to take something as versitile as a chicken breast, fill it with tasty items, and wrap it in bacon, you know it's going to turn out well. How could it not?

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded out for stuffing

6 slices bacon

6 stalks asparagus

2 to 3 oz. feta

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon dried basil (fresh basil would be a desirable alternative, if you have it)

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

6 sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil, sliced into strips

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 small shallot, diced

Directions

Blanch asparagus in boiling water until it becomes richly green in pigment, then shock in an ice bath. Prepare filling in a small bowl. Mix feta, basil, parsley, shallots, and pecans with a tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper the butterflied chicken breasts. Place blanched asparagus, two per chicken breast, in the center, or what would be the spine if it were a book, of butterflied chicken breasts. Next, layer strips of sun dried tomatoes, two per chicken breast, on top of asparagus, then evenly distribute feta mixture on top of the asparagus and tomatoes. Close the chicken breasts like book and wrap with bacon. Fasten the breasts and bacon into place with three toothpicks.

Heat a large frying pan with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium to high heat. When the oil is hot (a drop of water makes it pop) begin searing the chicken breasts. Sear breasts on all sides. Cook time is approximated 20 to 25 minutes, once the exterior is nicely browned and the bacon is crispy all over, the breast should be cook through.