Jan’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jan’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• 3 cups Quaker Oats
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well
5. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, walnuts; mix well
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
8. Cool 1 Minute on Cookie Sheet; remove to wire rack.

Makes about 3.5 - 4 dozen cookies, enjoy!

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The best bar cookies, they've been called "crack on a plate"!

These are wonderful bar cookies. When I take them to work, for the break room, they disappear before lunch.  One of the booksellers calls them "Crack on a Plate."!  I took it as a compliment.


JP's Peanut Candy Bar

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups Reese’s Peanut Butter chips
• 2 cups salted peanuts
• 1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
  
  DIRECTIONS:
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  Mix together the cake mix, 1/3-cup butter and the egg. Press into the bottom of one 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, pour chocolate chips evenly over top of cake. Return to oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread to cover, allow to cool.
  
  In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook corn syrup, 1/4-C. butter, vanilla and peanut butter chips until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal and peanuts. Spoon mixture evenly over top of cake and spread to cover. Cool before serving. Cut into small pieces, it's very rich.
  

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Easy Three Bean Salad

This recipe is very easy to double, for a crowd.

Easy Three Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup), soaked in ice water to take the edge off the onion
3 celery stalks, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 cup loosely packed, fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar (more or less to taste)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Assembly

· 1 In a large bowl, mix the 3 different types of beans, the celery, onion (drained of soaking water), parsley, and rosemary.

· 2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

· 3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing.

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Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 to 6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed through your fingers or coarsely chopped
• 1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini or 4 servings dried tortellini
• Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
• 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed


Directions
1. In a 3-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
3. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper.
4. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

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Black Bean Enchiladas

We had these for dinner last night, and they were delicious.  I make Chicken Enchiladas frequently, but sometimes it's good to go meatless.

Black Bean Enchiladas

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen white corn
• 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - I like a Cheddar Jack mix
• 1 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce, mild, I like La Victoria.
• 10 white tortillas, 6 to 8 inch.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray bottom and sides of  a 9x13 baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, black beans, corn, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
3. Warm 2 tortillas at a time, in the microwave, for 20 seconds.
4. Scoop a scant 1/2 cup of the veggie mix into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and place in the pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, warming and filling, until the all the mix is used. It should make 9 or 10 enchiladas. Pour the entire contents of the can of Enchilada Sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle it with the remainder of the cheese.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. 
6. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

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Impossibly Easy Chicken 'n Veggie Pie

The original recipe was Impossibly Easy Chicken and Broccoli Pie.  I used mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, green beans; because broccoli has too much potassium for Bob to handle.  I think this would be great with Swiss cheese, too.

Impossibly Easy Chicken 'n Veggie Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups  frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained (from 12-oz bag) Or use the same amount of mixed veggies
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
½ cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs or 1/3 cup fat-free egg product
2-4 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Step one

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Layer the veggies, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the chicken and onion in pie plate.

Step Two

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, salt, pepper, eggs and Tabasco with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Step Three

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 3 to 4 minutes longer or just until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes to let it “set”.

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Italian Chicken

I pinned this recently and decided to make it last night.  It sounded so easy, that I didn't even reference the pin, when I went to cook.

Ingredients:

• Enough chicken pieces for your family.
• Sour Cream
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese
• Italian Style Bread Crumbs.

I had a huge 1 pound chicken breast.  I set the oven to 350°, cut the chicken breast into cutlets, and sprayed my baking pan with cooking spray.

Next, place the chicken pieces into the sprayed pan, top each piece with about a Tablespoon of sour cream, then about 1/2 T. of shaved Parmesan Cheese.  Now, sprinkle everything with Italian-style bread crumbs.  That's it for the prep!

Bake for 40 minutes and serve with pasta of your choice and a green vegetable.

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Citrus Chicken

This is a really easy entree'.  You marinate the chicken at least two hours, up to overnight, then bake it!  I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breast, for less fat, and halved the marinade ingredients.  I served the chicken with rice pilaf and a green vegetable.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. crushed garlic
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 t. black pepper
• 2 t. dried oregano leaves
• Chicken parts to equal 3 or 4 pounds

Method:

Put the marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag, shake to mix.
Add the chicken pieces, close the bag and refrigerated at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Place chicken pieces in a baking dish.
Cook uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, checking for doneness.

Enjoy!

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Tuscan Chicken Soup

This is easy, and so good.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 medium yellow onion (medium dice)
• 5 medium carrots (peeled, washed, and medium dice)
• 4 stalks celery (washed and medium diced)
• 1 zucchini (washed and medium diced)
• 3 cloves fresh garlic (chopped finely)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Kosher salt-to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper -to taste
• 1 cup very small pasta, I used Ditalini.

Method:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and saute onions, celery, and carrots over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes.
2. Add zucchini and garlic; saute until tender about 4-6 minutes. 
3. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken. 
4. Simmer soup for 20 minutes. 
5. Add the pasta and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
6. Season with salt and pepper.  

Serve with with grated parmigiano reggiano and rustic bread!

Make 8 servings.  Be prepared to add more broth, when you serve leftovers, the pasta really soaks up the liquid.

adapted from Peanut Blossom.

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Chicken Taco Chili

If you're on Pinterest, it was hard to miss this recipe a couple of weeks ago.  It sounded delish, and I wanted to try it.  I hesitated because of all the sodium.  We're pretty low sodium, here at the Prytz house.  I modified the recipe and it's delicious.  This is my recipe.

Chicken Taco Chili

1 large yellow onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can vegetable broth
Frozen white corn, enough to fill an empty bean can
16 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 packet chicken taco seasoning (much lower in sodium.)
1 t, chili powder
2 boneless skinless chicken breast.

Put all the ingredients in the crockpot.  Don't layer, just dump them in and stir it up, a bit.  Cook on High for 6 hours, or on low for 10 hours.  Before serving remove the chicken breast and shred the meat, using two forks.  Makes 8-10 servings.

We ate from this recipe for several nights.  I served it in shallow bowls, over rice.  It was filling and healthy.

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