Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
• 6 cups miniature pretzels, chopped

Instructions:

1. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and peanut butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just combined; stir in the peanuts.

3. Place the pretzels in a bowl. Using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter cookie scoop and working in batches, drop a few balls of dough in the bowl and toss to coat. Place the cookies on the prepared pans. Bake, rotating the pans after 10 minutes, until golden but still soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring to racks to cool.

Notes: So good. I love that salty-sweet combination!

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Tim Cooks: Sloppy Buffalo Joes

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

me: I think I have a recipe you might want to make for lunch.
Tim: Frozen pizza?
me: No, Sloppy Joes.
Tim: I LOVE SLOPPY JOES.
me: I know. These are a bit different. They are a buffalo chicken Sloppy Joe, from Rachael Ray.
Tim: Sigh. Do I have to listen to her yammering?
me: No, I printed out the recipe. I'll even chop the veggies.
Tim: Good.
me: :)


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground chicken
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 good quality burger rolls, split and toasted
• 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 large dill pickles, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with wooden spoon, cook 5 to 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onions and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cook 7 to 8 minutes more. In a bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer a few minutes more. Pile sloppy Buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

Liz's Notes: We made a half recipe.
Tim's Notes: Add some Tabasco if you like spicy food.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10

And here's Tim's artistic shot:

Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended:Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates)
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

Notes: This was WAY too salty. Almost inedible. Next time I will try the same flavors but skip the Montreal Steak Seasoning and just use a little kosher salt and pepper. A little lemon juice squeezed on after roasting may be good, too.

Liz's Rating: 5/10
Tim's Rating: n/a (didn't try)

Spinach-and-Feta Potatoes

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 4 baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
• 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 2 bunches spinach, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
  

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the potatoes until cooked through, about 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet; add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach to the mushrooms; add the feta and stir until mostly melted. Stir in the pine nuts and dill; season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut a deep "X" into the top of each potato and squeeze together to open. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to each potato then generously stuff each with the spinach mixture.

Suggested Beverage: Red wine (nothing sweet)

Rachael Ray's Notes: This meal for 4 costs $8.96, takes 15 minutes to prep and takes 50 minutes to cook.

My Notes: I don't really like baked potatoes, but this was really good!! It was also very filling. I ate one large baked potato with 1/2 the topping mixture and was very full. Notice that I said one large potato with 1/2 the topping mixture-- I think that the recipe works with two large potatoes, not four. I just kept the other two baked potatoes and will make breakfast home fries with them.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I don't think I've had a baked potato in 10 years, and I didn't think I'd like this, but I do.")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Southwestern Chili-Mac Salad

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray
Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 ears corn
• 2 cups elbow pasta
• 1 red onion, 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 15-ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice and cilantro; whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn until just tender, about 3 minutes; transfer to a cutting board. Return the water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the corn kernels from the cob and add to the pasta.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and chili powder and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain well.
4. Add the beef mixture to the pasta; season with salt and pepper. Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, sliced onion and vinaigrette and toss to dress. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the cheese.

Tim's Rating: 8/10 ("It was ok. It wasn't my favorite thing I've ever eaten.")
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Pho, Rachael Ray Style

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces rice noodles
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 pound deli roast beef, cut in 1/2-inch strips
• 1 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 2 cups beef broth (or one can)
• salt
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
• lime wedges

Instructions:

1. Add the rice noodles to a medium saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
   
2. Divide the cooked rice noodles, bean sprouts and roast beef strips among 4 soup bowls.
3. Heat the oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and divide among the bowls.
   
4. Garnish with the cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

Notes: Next time, I will use all beef broth (instead of using water for part of it) and leave the seeds in the jalapeño. I might also add garlic, ginger or something else to the broth to make it richer. We also only used half of the beef.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs

Inspiration:
Modified a recipe by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• salt
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• Black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, stemmed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
   
2. Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

3. While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

4. Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear

5. While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, add spinach and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

6. Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

7. Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Notes: The chicken meatballs are really, really good. The fennel shines in the dish. The sauce is also pretty good- not gluey like I was expecting.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 ("Can you make these again next week?")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Brown Butter and Balsamic Ravioli

(not my photo)

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 1 package, 12 to 16 ounces, fresh ravioli, any flavor filling
  
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
   
2. Salt water and drop ravioli in water.
   
3. Cook 8 minutes or until raviolis expand, float to top of water, and are al dente.
4. Heat a skillet over medium-low to medium heat.
   
5. Add butter to the pan and let it begin to brown.
6. When the butter has browned, add cooked ravioli to the pan and turn in butter to heat through.
   
7. Add balsamic vinegar to the ravioli and cook a minute or 2 longer to reduce the vinegar and glaze the ravioli. The vinegar will become thick and syrup like.
   
8. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to the pasta and remove the pan from the heat.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Rosemary-Balsamic Chicken Breasts

(not my photo)

Inspiration:

Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 to 8 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, just enough to coat chicken lightly
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 stems rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped, about 2 tablespoons
• Salt and coarse black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions:

1. Coat chicken in balsamic vinegar, then olive oil.
   
2. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
   
4. Add chicken breasts and cracked garlic to the pan.
   
5. Cook chicken 12 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar will produce a deep brown, sweet finish on the chicken as it cooks.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10