Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am starting to plan my Christmas baking.  I may mix in some dried cherries with the cranberries for a sweet and sour mix.

2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 C. butter, softened
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
12oz. white chocolate chips
1 C. sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture, beating after each addition until well blended.  Stir in chips and dried cranberries.  Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 14  minutes or until light brown.  Slide cookies to wire rack to cool.

Quick Beef and Barley Soup

I have mentioned once or twice that I love soup.  This is a perfect meal...protein, fiber, veggies.m plus it helps to keep you warm when Mother Nature decides that it's winter!

8 oz. sirloin steak, trimmed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
 1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 C. quick cooking barley
4 C. reduced sodium beef broth
1 C. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Sprinkle steak with 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the steak and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 2 tsp. oil, onion, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes more.    Add carrot and cook, stirring for 2 minutes more.  Add tomato paste and thyme and cook, stirring, , until vegetables are coated with tomato paste and are beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add barley, broth,water, salt and the remaining pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook until the barley is tender, about 15 minutes.  Return the beef and any accumulated juice to the pot and heat through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar to taste.

Pumpkin Chipotle Pasta Sauce

I made this tonight.  I am going to write the recipe as I found it on allrecipes.com and then I will note how I plan to change it the next time I make it.  It was good as written but it was a little hot for me.

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. minced sweet onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 C. chicken broth
1 C. pumpkin purée
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1/3 C. low fat milk
1 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil; whisk in the pumpkin purée, chipotle peppers in their sauce, milk, sage, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Allow sauce to come to a simmer, then lower heat to hold a simmer until serving.

I served mine over pumpkin and cheese gnocchi.  I will cut down to 1 pepper and I think I will add 1/3 of a cup of ricotta cheese to cut the heat and thicken the sauce some.  I may also increase the pumpkin to 2 cups.  Tonight I baked chicken breasts and served them with the pasta and sauce.

Quick Cassoulet

I've been looking for quick recipes I can whip up between when I get home from the office and Chris gets home.  This looks like a good possibility with a salad or maybe some corn bread.

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
 1/2 lb. smoked sausage
1 15oz. can low sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz. can low sodium cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, stirring until onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add sausage and cook, stirring, until fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add kidney and cannellini beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard bay leaves.  Sprinkle parsley before serving.

Fast Skillet Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe was in the latest issue of Cooking Light and it is served with polenta rounds.  This would be a great dinner that I could pull off after work and not be eating at 8 pm!

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp.  finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh,y ground black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1 C. thinly sliced onion
1 C. thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 8oz. package pre sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 C. dry red wine such as Chianti
1/2 C. coarsely chopped fresh basil, divided
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes

Combine 1 1/2 tsp. oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and black pepper in a small bowl stirring it with a whisk.  Rub oil mixture evenly over chicken.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side.

 Remove chicken from pan.  Add remaining oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is reduced by half.  Stir in 1/2 cup basil, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes; cook 1 minute.

  Return chicken to pan; turn to coat.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Sprinkle with remaining basil.

Serves 4; per serving, 337 calories, 10g. fat, 41g. protein, 16g. carbs, 4g. fiber, 109mg. cholesterol, 3mg. iron, 465mg. sodium, 71mg. calcium