Speedy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

This cookies are great for kids to help with because they only have 6 ingredients and they have a soft delicious center. They are also perfect for the times when you don't have butter in the house for old-fashion cookies.

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat all but chocolate chips together in a mixing bowl until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Use a teaspoon to drop dough onto 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on pans before moving to a cooling rack.

Makes 20 cookies.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1/2 c white flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats or multi-grain hot cereal mix

1 TBSP milled flax seed

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBSP raw local honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 lowfat buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract (you can use vanilla if you don't have almond)

Heat a skillet or griddle on medium heat.

Mix first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Form a well in the center.

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk in a small bowl. Add honey, eggs and extract. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined to make batter.

Spray pan with cooking spray right before pouring pancakes. Pour by 1/3 c. onto pan. Cook until bubbly, flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until both sides are browned.

Between the whole grain base and the oats and cinnamon, these are pancakes your can feel good about serving to your family!

 

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Quick Oatmeal Yogurt Pancakes

Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles

Pumpkin Waffles

Quick Banana Waffles

Breakfast Pinwheel Calzones



Ham and Cheese

 Dough: 1 cup of warm water (105-110 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 c white bread flour

1 c whole wheat flour

2 TBSP steel cut oats
1 TBSP flax seeds

Savory Pinwheels:

12 slices honey ham

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

your choice: dried mustard, coriander, or onion powder (optional)

or

Sweet Pinwheels:

1 8oz package cream cheese

1 TBSP honey

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

your choice: cinnamon or ground ginger



Sweet Fillings

Add all ingredients for the dough to a warm mixing bowl. Mix until combined and the dough is sticky and clings together (in the mixer it will all cling to the dough hook and clean the sides of the bowl, by hand you will have a formed ball). Knead for 10 minutes (on low mixer speed or by hand). Spray the ball of dough with cooking spray and turn so its all coated. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and stick in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees for 1 minute ONLY and shut the oven off. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Put mixer bowl back on the mixer and knead (or punch the dough down) for 2 minutes. Sprinkle a large cutting board or clean counter top with flour and roll dough out to 1/4" thickness in about a 13"x9" rectangle.

 

Savory Pinwheels: Spread ham slices across dough, leaving 2-3" empty the lengthwise. Cover ham with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with mustard, coriander, or onion powder if using.

or

Sweet Pinwheels: In a mixing bowl, beat cinnamon or ginger, honey and cream cheese until fluffy. Mix fruit and nuts in by hand. Spread across rolled dough, leaving 2-3" empty the lengthwise.

 

With floured fingers, begin to roll the dough upwards towards the empty space at the top, pinching the ends to hold the toppings in as you roll up. Once you have wrapped all the topped dough, pull the empty dough (kind of tightly) and stretch it over the roll and pinch down to seal everything together.

Lay the roll on a baking sheet, seem side down. Add 2 TBSP of water to 1 egg and beat. Using a pastry brush, coat the roll with egg wash.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and the sesame seeds are toasted. Let cool (at least until room temp) before slicing.

Great for lunches too!

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Everything Bagel Pinwheel Calzone

Homemade Pizza

Ciabatta Rolls

Grindah Quesadillas

Pull-Apart Pizza Bread

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)

2 eggs

1 medium/large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 cups chopped celery (about 3-4 stalks)

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 TBSP buffalo sauce
2 slices bread, cut into 1/2" cubes or 1 cup breadcrumbs
2-3oz crumbled blue cheese/Gorgonzola

Beat egg and buffalo sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, celery, onion, and bread crumbs and still to combine. Add chicken and mix until just combined (over handling the meat will make it tough). Add blue cheese and gently fold in.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 75 minutes. Baste with additional buffalo sauce if desired or serve additional sauce on the side.

This is a very moist meatloaf thanks to all of the veggies, which make up about half of the loaf's volume. I served it along some ranch style mashed potatoes and fresh sweet corn:

8 small potatoes
1 cup ranch dip (or 1/2 packet ranch seasoning and 1 cup sour cream)
1 TBSP butter
1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Cook and drain potatoes as you normallly would. Mash or whip with remaining ingredients, starting with 1/4 cup buttermilk and adding more until potatoes reached the desired consistency. YUM!

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Buffalo Drums(ticks)
Buffalo Tilapia
Buffalo Chex Mix
Buffalo Turkey Burgers
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Best Meatloaf Ever

Weeknight Pasta Puttanesca

If you have some time on your hands, search around for the origins of this dish .... quite amusing if I may say so.

2 TBSP olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 TBSP anchovy fillets (about 1/2 of a 1.5oz jar)
1 tsp chopped cherry peppers (or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper )
1/2 cup pitted and chopped olives ( I prefer about 8 oil-cured black and 6 kalamata from the olive bar)

1/4 cup drained capers

1 lemon (zest and juice)

1 14oz can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)

1 14oz can tomato sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 cup rough chopped flat leaf parsley
3/4 box whole grain or whole wheat thin spaghetti

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining.

While the pasta water is heating, start the pasta sauce by heating a skillet (that has a lid) to medium/high heat. Add olive oil, and once oil begins to ripple add garlic, anchovies, and red peppers and cook until garlic is golden. Reduce heat to medium if needed to prevent garlic from burning.

Add chopped olives, capers, lemon zest and juice, tomatoes, black pepper, oregano and parsley. Add 1/2-1 cup of the cooking liquid to suit desired sauce consistency. Bring to a slight boil and reduce heat to allow sauce to gently simmer 10 minutes until thickened and items have begun to melt together. Add back to the pasta and toss well, serve with a grating of Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings

STATS:

300 calories

48g carbs

9g fat

9g protein

9g fiber

976mg sodium

Quick Apple Cinnamon Millet

2 cups cooked millet
4 apples
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 TBSP raw sugar

1/4 cup walnuts

Core and slice apples thinly. Mix with cinnamon and sugar, and microwave 5-10 minutes until apples are soft. Mix in millet and walnuts and serve warm.

Jam-filled Protein Muffins

1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 1/2 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 scoops non-sweetened vanilla flavor protein powder

1 egg
1 cup (8 ounces) plain nonfat greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

3 TBSP natural jam or preserves (no added sugar)

Heat oven to 400 and spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix wet (except jam). Form a hole in the center and add wet ingredients into dry. Stir until just combined.

Split HALF of the batter between the 6 muffin cups. Add a 1/2 TBSP of jam to each in the center, and then distribute the last half of the batter over the jam. Firmly bang the pan on the counter after adding batter each time to flatten, and release any air bubbles.

Bake 15-18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and move to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing.

160 calories (per 3" large muffin)

21g carbs

2 g fat

16 g protein

334 mg sodium

Summer Pesto

1 bunch cilantro, washed and dried
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 limes, zest and juice
1/4 cup roasted sunflower kernals
4 TBSP olive oil

Put first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse while slowing streaming in olive oil.

This is delicious in place of your usual pesto. Try it on pasta salad, over sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, grilled meat, or on sandwiches.

Monkey Quesadillas

These are definitely more of a sweet treat than appetizer, but warm, gooey and perfect for hungry little kids.

Per serving:

1 high fiber/whole wheat tortilla
1 TBSP peanut butter
1 TBSP chocolate hazelnut spread

1/2 banana

Heat an indoor grill, grill pan, or skillet on medium-high heat. Spread peanut butter on one half of the tortilla, and chocolate spread on the other. Spray pan with cooking spray and lay tortilla down.

Thinly slice banana and place over the peanut butter side. Once bottom of tortilla is brown and crispy, fold in half with chocolate side over peanut butter and banana. Use a pizza cutter to cut into thirds.

Roasted Artichoke Salad

3 cups cooked millet (see cooking directions below)

2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 14oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
3 scallions, thinly chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about 1 fistful whole)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts

In a serving bowl, whisk lemon, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper until combined. Add millet and stir well to coat. Set aside.

Set broiled to high. Spray a small baking sheet with cooking spray and spread artichokes in a single layer. Spray the tops with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 5-10 minutes until slightly charred. Add to millet.

Wipe small baking sheet and spread walnuts out. Toast under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. Add to millet.

Add scallions, cilantro and cranberries. Let stand at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Stats:

210 calories

33g carbs

6g fat

6g protein 

4g fiber 

193mg sodium  

HOW TO COOK MILLET

Heat a deep skillet on high heat. Add 1 cup of dried millet and toast 3-4 minutes until golden, being careful not to let it burn and lowering the heat if necessary. Add 2 cups boiling water and reduce heat to medium. Cook 20-25 minutes until liquid absorbed and fluff with a fork.