Giada's Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise

Ingredients:


Beef:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed


Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Directions:


For the beef: 
Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, finely grind the cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and cook for a few seconds until aromatic and toasted. Put the spices in a small bowl. Chop the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Holding a chef's knife at a 45 degrees angle, scrape the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Add the garlic paste to the bowl with the spices. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and oil and stir until smooth. Put the meat on the prepared baking sheet and rub with the spice mixture. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees F, for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cover the meat loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.

For the mayonnaise: 
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mascarpone cheese, basil, curry powder, and paprika until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve: 
Slice the meat into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture into a small serving bowl and serve alongside the sliced meat.

Cook's Note: The spices can also be crushed by placing them in a small sealable bag and crushed using a rolling pin or the bottom of a small saucepan.

*www.foodnetwork.com

Roast Chicken

quite possibly the easiest but most delicious bird on this blog.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
• ¾ cups butter, softened (make sure it's soft)
•  3 whole lemons
•  4 sprigs rosemary
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees {convection bake}. If you’re using a standard oven, you can do 425.)

2. Zest two of the lemons. Strip the leaves off of one of the rosemary sprigs and chop it up finely.

3. In a bowl, combine softened butter, lemon zest, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and lay the patted-dry chicken on the foil, breast side up.

5. Use your fingers to smear the butter mixture all over the chicken, under the skin, and inside the cavity. (It's very important that you get into every nook and cranny.  Make sure you get butter under the skin.)  

6. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of one lemon all over the chicken. Place the six lemon halves (if they’ll fit!) and the three remaining rosemary leaves into the cavity of the bird.

7. Place the chicken into the oven and roast it for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until done. Skin should be deep golden brown and juices should be sizzling.  Let bird rest about ten minutes before carving and digging in so that juices can render.

*www.pioneerwomancooks.com

Easy Dinner: Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (breasts will work too)
• 6 ounce jar of your favorite pesto
• 1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk pesto, ranch mix, and chicken broth.  
2. Place chicken into crock pot, then pour wet mixture over chicken. 
3. Coat and flip chicken gently to combine ingredients. 
4. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

*www.picky-palate.com

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

a perfectly minty addition to the holidays!

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2. 1 1/2 cups sugar
3. 2 eggs
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1 tsp peppermint extract
6. 2 cups all purpose flour
7. 2/3 cup cocoa powder
8. 3/4 tsp baking soda
9. 1/4 tsp salt
10. 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks
11. 1/2 cup candy cane pieces *Another option: I used Andes Peppermint Baking Chips instead of candy cane pieces.  These are in baking aisle during holidays. (I only needed about 1/4 cup.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Beat butter and sugar, then add eggs, vanilla and peppermint and beat until light and fluffy.
3. In a large bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chunks.
6. Use cookie scoop (I used medium-sized scoop) to drop cookies onto ungreased baking sheet.  (This made about 3 dozen cookies.)
7. Press candy cane pieces/chips on top.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. (I baked for 10.)
9. Cool slightly then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

*www.apumpkinandaprincess.com

Mini M&M Cookies

super yummy!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup M&M'S MINIS®
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt together. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

4. Stir in the M&M'S MINIS® and mini chocolate chips. Form cookie dough into teaspoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

5. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

*www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Chipotle Chicken Chili

not sure this can be topped.  not kidding.  not smart to not trust me.  not cool.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole onion,diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 bottle (12 oz. bottle) good beer OR you can use low-sodium chicken broth (I used beer, and the chili's flavor is fantastic with it.)
• 1 can (14-14.5 oz. can) diced tomatoes (I used petite fire-roasted. Yum.)
• 2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• 1 can (14-14.5 oz. can) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14-14.5 oz. can) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14-14.5 oz. can) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• ¼ cup masa harina (*see below for my explanation....)
• 1 lime, juiced
• sour cream, for serving
•  shredded cheese, for serving
• cilantro, for serving
• lime wedges, for serving

Okay, so masa harina is a corn flour.  Bob's Red Mill brand makes masa, but I couldn't find it, so I purchased MASECA instant corn flour in the baking aisle at Dominick's.  Pioneer Woman says you can substitute for all-purpose flour, but I strongly suggest you do not steer in that direction.  The corn flour (masa harina) has a "tortilla taste" that makes the chili's flavor so fantastic.  Trust me.  Don't stop searching 'til you find it.  You'll be sad if you don't use it in this chili.

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then add the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onions soften. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Add 3/4 of the beer/broth (9 oz.), reserving the rest, then cook for a couple of minutes to reduce.

Add the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine, then cover the pot and SIMMER for 1 hour.

Combine the masa harina with the rest of the beer/broth (3 oz.) and stir to make a paste. Add this into the chili, along with the lime juice. Stir and cook for 10 more minutes or until thick.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and another squeeze of lime!

*www.pioneerwomancooks.com

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel

I'm warning you...

Consider yourself warned.

Thank you, but I'm going to kill you, Mrs. Murphy-Siebert!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat, half all-purpose.) 

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping: optional (I only used about half of the streusel.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8x 5-inch loaf pan.  

Beat sugar with oil until blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Continue beating until light and fluffy.  

Mix in pumpkin on low speed.  Add in dry ingredients on low speed and mix well. Pour into prepared pan.  

For streusel topping mix, combine with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.  Spread topping over entire loaf.  Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling.

*www.thecharmofhome.blogspot.com

Kickin' Chicken Marinade

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs of chicken (breast, thighs, drumsticks, wings ~ bone-in or boneless) (I used tenders for quicker cooking time.)
• 1 cup Frank's RedHot Original
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice (fresh is best, but bottle will work)
• 2 cloves of garlic, miced or pressed 
• Lime - cut into slices

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, mix RedHot, olive oil, lime juice, and garlic.  Place chicken in a pan, bowl, or ziploc bag and pour marinade over top, making sure the chicken is submerged in the marinade.  Marinade for four hours in the fridge.  Remove chicken from marinade and grill according to the type of chicken you select.  The chicken is great with fresh lime juice squeezed on top!  (We dipped ours in ranch dressing!)  Enjoy!  

*www.sweetlittlebluebird.com

Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (Just buy a 32 oz. box to add more if needed.)
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots, diced small
• 1 cup chopped celery, diced small
• 3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes, diced small
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4-5 cups broccoli crowns, diced small (about 2 heads of broccoli)
• 4-6 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 16 ounces) (I used half sharp and half colby mix.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard

DIRECTIONS: 

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes, and onion. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to get tender.
2. Add the chopped broccoli. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. The pan is going to be very full of vegetables and it might seem like it isn't "soupy" enough since the vegetables overpower the broth but I promise it will all work out when you add the cheese mixture.
3. In a separate large skillet, saute the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the grease and wipe out the skillet.
4. Melt the butter (in the same saucepan you cooked the bacon in) over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture is bubbling and is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheddar cheese one handful at a time, adding another handful after the cheese that has been added has melted. Stir in the salt, pepper, and dry mustard.
6. Slowly stir the cheese sauce into the hot broth and vegetables, whisking to combine well. Stir in the reserved bacon and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. If you want the soup a bit thinner, stir in a little extra broth or milk a bit at a time until you get your desired consistency.

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos

Ingredients:

2 lbs. flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped (I thinly sliced mine into half moons.)

1 green bell pepper, chopped (I thinly sliced.)

1 red bell pepper, chopped (I thinly sliced.)

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
for spice rub—
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
for serving—
corn tortillas
avocado slices
cilantro
your favorite salsa
limes

Directions:

Mix all spices together in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak—be generous here! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.

Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours. *Don't worry, it will produce its own liquid; I promise!

After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.

To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

*www.eatliverun.com

Honey Beer Bread

I'm sooooooo mad at you, Amy's Family Favorites!  

Needless to say, this was very yummy and took less than five minutes to make!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I used Blue Moon.)
• 4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted
• Shredded cheese, optional 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (If your honey is pretty thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in!) (Mix a heaping handful of shredded cheese into the dough if you're a cheese lover like me.  It was worth it!)

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan.  Next, spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.  (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you'd like.)

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, (I baked mine for 50) until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

*www.gimmesomeoven.com

Chipotle Chicken Chowder

It's soup season!  Yummy!!

Ingredients:

1 large onion, minced
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
2 colored bell peppers, chopped (I used one red and one orange.)
1 chipotle chili, chopped and seeded (These are the canned chilis found in the adobo sauce.  Only use ONE chili!)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 heaping cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth (1 can)
5 cups low-fat milk (*Make sure it's low-fat or soup will be too thick.)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 small red potatoes, chopped
1 small can corn, drained (I used 11 oz. frozen corn.)
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I used rotisserie.)
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies to taste (I used about 1.5 teaspoons.)
Shredded cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot. Saute the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and chipotle chili until the veggies are tender. Add the flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and cook until the flour is smooth and the broth is starting to thicken, about 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a low simmer. Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring quite frequently to make sure the milk isn’t burning. Add the chicken, corn, black beans, and a small amount of adobo sauce (from the canned chilis) at a time, and any additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheese. Serves 8-10.

*www.ourbestbites.com

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces) (*I used 1 cup semisweet chocolate and  1/2 cup dark chocolate.)
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
•  2 cups powdered sugar, divided (plus 1/2 cup for cookie coating)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 2 large  baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips ON HALF POWER in a glass bowl in microwave, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.  If needed, repeat process. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Then, on a low speed, add these dry ingredients into the "marshmallow cream" mixture.

Next, add remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the lukewarm chocolate mixture in glass bowl.

Add chocolate mixture to "marshmallow cream" mixture and blend well.  (Dough will become very stiff.)

Place remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in separate bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool for approximately 10 minutes on cookie sheet.  Transfer to rack and allow to cool.  Makes about 24 cookies.  Best news ever?  Each cookie is approximately 72 calories, and they're pretty rich, so you'll only need one to hold you over for an hour.  Yum.

*www.picklee.com