Culinary Goods

These were a disappointing 4. However, with that being said, keep in mind that I am not a fan of snickerdoodles or sugar cookies in general because I find them bland and flavorless. I tried these because I saw that they had pumpkin in them, which I am a fan of. I could barely taste the pumpkin, though, so they just ended up tasting like snickerdoodles. If you like snickerdoodles, you would probably enjoy these. I got the recipe off of cookingclassy.com Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Ingredients 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour  3 1/2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp cream of tartar I didn't have this, so just put in 1 tsp. baking powder, total 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1 cup granulated sugar I put in 3/4 C. 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar I put in 2/3 C. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg yolk 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I actually made these a few years ago, but thought about them when I made another coconut cupcake recipe a few days ago. These were really good, but the cupcake itself came from a cake mix and tasted very cake mix-y. Next time I'll use the cupcake recipe from the Coconut Cupcake recipe I just posted and still add the lime to it. I would give these an 8. The recipe came from ourbestbites.com Coconut-Lime Cupcakes Recipe by Our Best Bites 1 yellow or white cake mix (we’re hopelessly devoted to Duncan Hines) 3 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons coconut extract Zest of 1 medium lime 1 cup coconut Coconut-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting: 3 8-ounce packages full-fat cream cheese, softened (normally I’d say low-fat is fine, but in this case, it would be too runny) 3/4 cup butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar Juice of 1 medium lime 2 teaspoons coconut extract Garnish: Sweetened coconut Lime zest Instructions: Preheat oven

These were good- I gave them a 7. I really need to invest in frosting tips so I can pipe the frosting onto my cupcakes and have them look all pretty, but the frosting was still good despite that. The cupcakes themselves were good but didn't taste as coconutty as the frosting did. These would be fantastic if this recipe was combined with the coconut lime cupcakes from ourbestbites.com, which I will post shortly. That recipe uses a cake mix and you could tell, so they would be good with this cupcake recipe. I got this recipe off of cookingclassy.com. Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting Ingredients ½ cup packed sweetened shredded coconut 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour or cake flour (for a lighter cupcake) 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ¾ cup butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks) 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 2 large whole eggs, at room temperature 2 large egg whites, at room temperature 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 recipe Coconut Bu

I thought this would be much better than it was; it was a bit blah. I got the recipe off of cookingclassy.com. I would give it a 6. Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini Ingredients 1 (20 oz) pkg three cheese tortellini (preferably the refrigerated kind) 2 Tbsp butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp onion powder 1 1/4 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream I used half and half 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (undrained) 1 1/2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil I used dried basil 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dry) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 Tbsp finely shredded parmesan, plus more for serving Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional) Directions Cook tortellini according to directions listed on package. Meanwhile, in a large and deep skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add flour and onion powder and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While

  I got this recipe from annies-eats.com, and it was really quite good. This is a keeper and a great weeknight meal. It probably gets about a 7.8. I have noted my changes below in bold. Salmon Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Yield: about 4 servings Ingredients For the salmon: · 4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets, deboned · Olive oil · Salt and pepper I used a mustard honey glaze on my salmon, and it was awesome. I took 3 T. spicy brown mustard, 1 1/2 T. honey, 2 cloves minced garlic and salt and made a paste and then put that on the salmon before I cooked it. For the dressing: · ¼ cup olive oil · ¼ cup white wine vinegar I decreased this by 1 Tb. · 2 tbsp. low fat Greek yogurt I used buttermilk instead · 1 tbsp. honey · 1½ tbsp. Dijon mustard I used spicy brown, but dijon would be super good. · Salt and pepper, to taste For the salad: · Mixed salad greens and/or lettuce (about 16 oz.) · 4 hardboiled eggs, peeled · 1-2 ripe avocados · Thinly sliced red onion · Sli

I found this recipe on Annies-Eats.com, and it did not disappoint. These get a 7.7. To make them lower carb, you could really make the slaw a salad and then put the burger on top. John made these, but I asked him for changes, and he said he made none besides switching out the buns. Thai Veggie Burgers with Peanut Sauce Yield: 6-8 servings Ingredients For the burgers: ½ cup uncooked quinoa 2 tsp. olive oil, divided, plus more for pan 1 cup water or veggie broth 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (or 1½ cup cooked chickpeas) ¾ cup old fashioned oats ½ cup yellow cornmeal 1 tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 large egg 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper 1/3 cup diced red onion For the slaw: 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage 1 cup shredded carrot 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro For the peanut sauce: ¼ cup creamy peanut butter 2 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger ½ tsp. c

This recipe came from cookingclassy.com, and it was really good. I give it a 7.8. Now, this is not low carb. Once I got over that and realized it would have to be an entire meal replacement, I felt better about it. I put my changes in bold below. Pina Colada Oat Breakfast Smoothies Prep Time: 3 minutes Yield: 3 servings Ingredients 2 cups diced pineapple (preferably fresh), chilled I used frozen 1 1/2 cups coconut almond milk blend I used 1 cup coconut milk, 2 cups almond milk 1 cup cold water I left this out 1 (5.3 oz) coconut greek yogurt, such as Chobani I left this out, but it would be good with it 3/4 cup oats (old fashioned or quick) 1 large very ripe banana peeled and frozen I used frozen, and I also added about 3/4 cup frozen strawberries. Oh, and I added 1/4 cup of coconut. Directions Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately. Recipe Source: Cooking Classy http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/04/pina-colada-oat-breakfast-sm

John’s aunt brought this salad dressing to Thanksgiving, and it was awesome. It goes on a pear salad typically, and I put the link below to the allrecipes.com recipe where I found this dressing. This gets an 8.5.  She said she does double the sugar, but I’m not sure that’s even necessary. I put changes in bold. 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar I think honey would be better 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard she uses a spicy brown mustard 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt fresh ground black pepper to taste recipe retrieved as part of a salad recipe found 1/27/15 on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roquefort-Pear-Salad/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=roquefort%20pear%20salad&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

This was the best version so far of the cookingclassy.com original recipe. In addition to the changes below in bold, I also added about 1/2 cup of nutella. These were very sweet, but they were probably a 7.8 and they held together better. Microwave Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 3 minutes Yield: 9 bars Ingredients 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (I've tried and love both) I used coconut oil, and this a strong flavor, so use butter if you don’t like coconut 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar I took this out altogether 1/4 cup honey 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups quick oats 1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal I used rice chex instead 3 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips I left these out   Directions Add coconut oil or unsalted butter, brown sugar and honey to a 2 quart microwave safe bowl and heat mixture in microwave on HIGH power for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir (stir until butter is melted if using b

This was another version so far of the cookingclassy.com original recipe. In addition to the changes below in bold, I also added about 1/2 cup of cookie butter. These were very sweet, but they were probably a 7.5 and they held together better. Microwave Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 3 minutes Yield: 9 bars Ingredients 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (I've tried and love both) I used coconut oil, and this a strong flavor, so use butter if you don’t like coconut 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar I cut this in half 1/4 cup honey 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups quick oats 1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal 3 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips   Directions Add coconut oil or unsalted butter, brown sugar and honey to a 2 quart microwave safe bowl and heat mixture in microwave on HIGH power for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir (stir until butter is melted if using butter), then return to microwave and heat on HIG

So, Stef got me hooked to cookingclassy.com, and I have to admit, it’s a pretty fantastic blog. The first recipe was good. These have more sugar that I can have, so I prefer the granola bites, but for kids, they are super fast and probably as unhealthy as the boxed kind. They get a 7.5. My one complaint is that they did not bind well, and I did not alter these much, as you can see from my changes in bold. Microwave Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 3 minutes Yield: 9 bars Ingredients 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (I've tried and love both) I used coconut oil, and this a strong flavor, so use butter if you don’t like coconut 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar I used 1/4 cup 1/4 cup honey 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups quick oats 1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal 3 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions Add coconut oil or unsalted butter, brown sugar and honey to a 2 quart microwave safe bowl and heat

I know this picture looks like birdseed, but these tasted much better than they look. I made the mistake of cutting down the honey, which apparently acts as a binder, which is why mine were crumby and falling apart. I liked them and gave them a 6.5. I got the recipe off of cookingclassy.com Also, they're called Energy Bites on their website, which is stupid, so I changed the name. No-Bake Chocolate Energy Bites Prep Time:  10 minutes Yield:  About 20 bites Ingredients 1/2 cup no stir almond butter  1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Up to 4 tsp warm water, as needed 1 cup old fashioned oats (raw) 3/4 cup toasted or raw coconut (I used sweetened) 1/2 cup flaxseed meal 6 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions In a mixing bowl, stir together almond butter, honey, vanilla and cocoa powder. If mixture seems too thick stir in 2 tsp warm water to thin. Add oats, coconut, flaxseed meal and chocolate chips

This was really good. It was easy to make, tasted really fresh and had lovely flavor. Jared and I both gave it an 8. I got the recipe off of cookingclassy.com Lighter Orange Chicken Yield:  About 3 servings Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into small 1-inch pieces 1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp orange zest  1/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp low-sodium chicken broth 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 3 Tbsp honey 2 1/2 Tbsp granulted sugar I left this out 3/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp dried ginger 2 Tbsp white vinegar 1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional) 2 Tbsp cornstarch Chopped green onions and sesame seeds, for serving Directions Heat a wok over moderately high heat. Add canola oil and once hot add chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook chicken, tossing occasionally, until it has cooked through, about 5 - 6 minutes. Transfer to

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com, and I liked it. They get an 8.5. I did change it quite a bit, but I have noted my changes below in bold. I don’t think I’m going to experiment further—these are a keeper. Also, I typically like my cookies almost underdone, but on these, they need to be browning on the sides to caramelize the nuts and sugar. I took some out right at 9 minutes and they didn’t taste as good. Perfect White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Yield: Makes 3-4 dozen cookies Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened I used 50% canola oil, I like the texture better 3/4 cup granulated sugar I reduced this to 2/3 cup 1 cup packed light brown sugar I reduced this to 3/4 cup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour I would take about 3 Tbs. out and then add as necessary, I used less than this 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 12 ounces white chocolate chips I used 11 oz. for 1 1/2 batches, so I decreased this by about 5

I took the pistachio-cherry granola recipe from last week and just swapped things out to make a raisin-pecan version. It was also super good, and gets an 8. These are quick and awesome It makes about 3 tupperware this size per batch.   Raisin-Pecan Granola by Bruce Weinstein, Mark Scarbrough from Fine Cooking Issue 132 3 cups (9-1/2 oz.) rolled oats (not steel-cut or quick) I used 4 cups 1-1/2 cups rolled barley flakes I used 2 cups of a rolled grain cereal instead of this, which contained a variety of rolled grains. 1-1/2 cups rolled wheat flakes I used 2 cups of a rolled grain cereal instead of this, which contained a variety of rolled grains. 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios I used pecans instead 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ I used a full cup 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar I only used 2 Tbs. 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. kosher salt 2/3 cup toasted pistachio oil (for a lighter flavor, substitute a neutral oil like canola) I used c

I love granola, and this recipe did not disappoint. It gets an 8. The original recipe came from an issue of my Fine Cooking magazine, and I have noted my changes below in bold (add coconut, it makes it better).   Cherry-Pistachio Granola by Bruce Weinstein, Mark Scarbrough from Fine Cooking Issue 132 3 cups (9-1/2 oz.) rolled oats (not steel-cut or quick) I used 4 cups 1-1/2 cups rolled barley flakes I used 2 cups of a rolled grain cereal instead of this, which contained a variety of rolled grains. 1-1/2 cups rolled wheat flakes I used 2 cups of a rolled grain cereal instead of this, which contained a variety of rolled grains. 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios I used a slight bit less 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar I only used 2 Tbs. 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. kosher salt 2/3 cup toasted pistachio oil (for a lighter flavor, substitute a neutral oil like canola) I used canola oil 2/3 cup maple syrup 1 Tbs. pure

These weren't too bad; I would give them a 6 and would definitely make them again. I got the recipe off of 100daysofrealfood.com ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour, pastry or white winter wheat recommended ½ cup white flour (or can use all whole-wheat instead) ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), slightly colder than room temperature 1 egg ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ cup chocolate chips INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a hand-held whisk including the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large, separate bowl use an electric mixer to cream the butter. The butter is the KEY ingredient in this recipe and for best results it must be “slightly” colder than room temperature. I usually take my stick of butter out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a half hour or so before making the cookies. If your butter gets too soft/warm you can