Chicken and Pine Nuts

2 tsp. olive oil

½ c. pine nuts

1 bottle of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, cut into bite-size pieces

1 c. water

2 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp pepper

a light sprinkle of red chili flakes

½ tsp dried basil leaves

½ tsp dried thyme, crushed

Angel hair pasta

Lightly brown the pine nuts in a fry pan in the olive oil, stirring constantly.  When lightly brown, place pine nuts on a paper towel and set aside. 

3-4 boneless chicken breasts, grilled, heavily seasoned with garlic salt and pepper and cut into bite size pieces.

Put sun-dried tomatoes and oil, water, garlic and spices in a fry pan.  Bring to a boil and allow it to cook down a bit.

Put angel hair on to boil.  Cook until tender. 

Mix pasta, sauce and pine nuts together and serve immediately while warm.

Chicken Pillows

1/3 c. cream cheese
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
green onion
2 c. cooked/shredded chicken
1 can crescent dinner rolls (uncooked)

Let the cream cheese and butter soften, then mix in all the rest of the ingredients minus the rolls. Open the can of rolls and separate the dough into 4 rectangles (two triangles still attached). Divide the chicken mixture into four equal parts and spoon into each roll. Fold the dough over the mixture and seal the edges (like a turnover).

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the pillows look golden brown. Serve immediately with gravy.

Gravy:
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup chicken broth

Heat together until blended and hot.

Peanut Butter Balls aka Buckeyes

These are undeniably tasty but be ready to roll LOTS and lots and lots and lots of balls! I rolled mine to about an inch in size and never actually counted how many it made (seriously, a ton of balls). I'd half the recipe if I ever make them again...and I'll probably wait until my kids are in school ;).


1 lb. butter

2 c. powdered milk

2 c. peanut butter

1 bag (2#) powdered sugar

3 t. vanilla

Dipping chocolate (milk, dark, and/or white)



Mix ingredients together, form into balls, and freeze for ½ hour. Dip in melted chocolate.

Sushi - Maki

 Maki

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked sushi rice

Imitation Crab (any Japan Brand)

Seedless cucumber

Avocado

Seaweed

Bamboo Mat

Sauce for Rice – This makes a lot but you can refrigerate it and it lasts forever!

1 cup vinager

1 cup sugar

1 cup rice wine

½ tsp Salt

Prep: Cut cucumber into strips, discard the middle

 Cook rice then mix in about 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup or more of rice sauce depending on how sweet you want your rice.

Cover Bamboo Mat with plastic wrap and tape it to the bottom.

Place Seaweed on mat and fold seaweed 1 inch from the bottom.  Tear off the inch strip. (For this type of Sushi you don’t need as much seaweed b/c your not stuffing it with a lot)

Place rough part of seaweed up and spread the rice thinly onto it.  DO NOT PUSH DOWN HARD.  Just drag the rice around until there is a thin layer. 

*Notice Meehyun used the tip of the spoon to pull rice. Much easier!

Flip the seaweed over (rice will stick to seaweed). Make sure edge of seaweed in close to the bottom of the bamboo mat.

Put Crab, cucumber, and avocado (or whatever you want in your sushi) on the edge of the seaweed. 

 You can add Mayo (restaurants use mayo).  You don't really notice it's in there.

Use Bamboo mat to roll the seaweed over so that it covers all you put in the middle.  Tucking it under and then pull the mat out and then roll it a little more tucking it under.  Continue until the roll is completely rolled up.  Then while it is still in the mat be sure to squeeze the roll tightly to make sure it stays together when you cut it.  This will also help the stuff in the middle move to the outer edges so your end pieces have some yummies in it too!

 Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired

 To cut the roll cover it with plastic wrap and then cut. 

(you only have to use plastic when rice is on the outside)

Sushi - Kimbob

Kimbob

This is made the same way as the Maki but the rice is different and it goes on the inside of the roll and you can fill it with whatever you desire but we used the following:

Fried Tofu

Spinach (cooked or not)

Egg (cooked with chicken broth and salt)

Crab

Pickled Radish

To make rice:
You need salt, seasame oil and seasame seed. sprinkle salt lightly on the top of rice and add 2 Tsp of seasame oil (for 2 cups of rice) and add seasame seed as much as you want. Add more ingrients as you taste.

Hayley enjoying her sushi!

You don't need to cover this roll with plastic to cut since the rice is on the inside.

Sushi (I forgot the name of these!)

Spicy Crab -

*All amounts were my guesses of how much b/c Meehyun doesn't measure so you may need more or less depending on what your little taste buds desire!

Mix the following to make the Spicy Crab:

Crab meat shredded

Chopped Green Onion

Sesame seeds (1 1/2 TBS)

Chili Sauce to taste

Mayo (1 TB)

Sesame oil (1 TB)

Soy Sauce (1 TB)

Then tear the seaweed in half and put rice on half as shown.

This is the spicy crab 

(which can also be added to top other rolls as seen in picture on the left side)

You then place spicy crab and what ever else you want in your wrap (remember I forgot what they are called!) I used cucumber, avocado, spicy crab and egg.  You then fold the wrap over covering the inner goods... and roll is as seen in following picture.

Then Enjoy!

Chocolate Valentine Cookies

I thought these cookies were so yummy. I rolled the dough out and used heart-shaped cookie cutters. They were a different twist to the traditional sugar dough cut-out cookies.

2 sticks of butter
1 C of packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 1/4 C of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (don't use if you used salted butter)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C cocoa powder

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In a different bowl and with a mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until it's fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture, in two or three batches, mixing well after each addition. Wrap dough in plastic or put in a zip loc bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 the dough on a floured surface and let it sit 5 or 10 minutes. Roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut with cookie cutters. Gather scraps and re-roll and cut again. Then repeat with the other 1/2 of dough.

Place cookies on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes or until set, but don't let them brown. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.

Dust with powdered sugar, frost with Nutella, frost with frosting, or do nothing at all. If you have letter stencils, you could use powdered sugar and the stencils and spell out LOVE or someone's name, etc.... on the cookies.

This recipe is from thepioneerwoman.com
They were super good!!

Butterscotch (more like Caramel) Pie

• 1 C Water
• 1 C Brown Sugar
• 6 Tbs Butter
• 3 Tbs Corn Starch
• 2 Tbs Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 2/3 C Milk
• 3 Egg Yokes
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Bring the water to a boil and mix in the brown sugar.  Melt the butter then add the sugar/water mix.  Mix the starch, flour, and salt in a separate bowl and then add it to the butter/sugar/water mixture.  Add milk slowly and stir constantly.  Add well beaten egg yokes and vanilla.  Continue stirring until it bubbles and thickens.  Pour into pastry and allow to set in the fridge.  Add whip cream when serving, ENJOY! : )

Baked Potato Soup

4 large potatoes

2/3 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

6 cups milk

1 cup (8oz) sour cream

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bake Potatoes at 350 for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely. Peel and cube potatoes.

In a large sauce pan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat; whisk in sour cream.  Add potatoes and green onions. Granish with bacon and cheese. 

The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... In the World

Seriously.  If you were at Krystal's baby shower, I think you will agree.  This recipe is from a blog that I follow (hereistherecipe.blogspot.com) and this lady has been on a quest to find the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and has spent years tweaking it.  I think she did it.  2 notes on this recipe.  First, it's good to remember that while cooking is spontaneous and inventive, baking is not- it is meant to be an exact science so follow the recipe, dang it! Second, don't try it if you are contemplating a diet- there's a lot of butter in it. And other yummy non-diet friendly stuff.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup, 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs. Ghirardelli chocolate chips (half milk, half dark)

Instructions:
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until just blended.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Mix in vanilla.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Now here is the secret to what makes these cookies so good (aside from the butter and the Ghirardelli).  Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (I just use a 1/4 measuring cup) to form dough into balls.  Yeah, they will look huge.  Don't be intimidated.  Freeze the dough (good up to 1 month) and bake the cookies as you want them at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes.  It's brilliant- you can always have a warm, gooey cookie.  Plus, it keeps the cookies nice and fluffy.

Enjoy!