Iced Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

if your garden is anything like mine this year it is slow on tomatoes and huge on squash.

So here you have two varieties of zucchini cookies: yum!!!

zucchini chocolate chip cookies

3 eggs

1 c. oil

3/4 c. sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 c. grated zucchini

2 t. vanilla

4-4 1/2 c. flour

3 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. mix oil, sugar, sugars, zucchini and vanilla in large mixer.

2. stir in dry ingredients

3. mix in chocolate chips

4. bake at 325 for 12 minutes.

5. drizzle with browned butter frosting- a.maz.ing

For what we call "snicker doodle" zucchini cookies- skip the chocolate chips and sprinkle the cookies with cinnamon sugar. We leave these ones unfrosted.

Browned Butter Frosting

1/2 c. butter

2 -3 c powdered sugar

milk, to thin

1 t. vanilla

1. melt butter in small sauce pan until completely melted and begins to brown.

2. stir in powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency

3. add vanilla and spread on warm cookies

*** let me know which ones you tried and which ones you liked best! Have a favorite zucchini recipe you want to share? e mail it to me at justahintofsalt@gmail.com

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Red Peppers

2 t garlic salt

1/2 t black pepper

1 t dried oregano

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper (do not use green bell peppers- they will taste bitter)

1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper

1/2 bunch green onions sliced

1 c chicken broth

1 T balsamic vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Combine garlic salt, pepper & oregano in a small bowl. Brush chicken with olive oil and sprinkle spice rub over chicken.

2.Brown chicken in heated skillet (adding a little more olive oil to the pan if needed) for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake chicken at 450 for 10-20 minutes. (I cooked mine about 18 minutes with really thick chicken)

3. Add 1 T olive oil to the pan, add bell peppers and green onions. Saute until soft. Stir in chicken broth and balsamic. Bring to a boil and then simmer until it thickens a little bit. (If you want to hurry the thickening- add one 1T cold water to 1T cornstarch-stir to combine and then stir into balsamic mixture)

Serve peppers over the chicken.

This is best served on a bed of mashed potatoes!! Delish!

Rachel's Homemade Doughnuts

I have always wanted to try homemade doughnuts. For over 10 years I have been daunted by the task. Encouraged to make fun family traditions - we took this project on while the men in our family attended the Priesthood Session of LDS General Conference this weekend. It was so fun, and not too hard. I will make them again one day this week of spring break and maybe even work out the kinks enough to hand them out to the trick or treaters next Halloween.

Rachel's Doughnuts

8 T butter

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

2 1/4 t yeast
1 t salt
1 t nutmeg (optional)
1/2 t vanilla
3 eggs

1 c. mashed potatoes (the real thing- mashed nothing added to them)

5 1/2 c. flour


1. In a small bowl melt the butter and incorporate it into the milk.

2. Add sugar and yeast (You don't want your milk/ butter too hot, but warm enough for it to get the yeast going.)

3. Beat your eggs and gently stir into mixture.

4. Mix in nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Pour into mixing bowl with bread attachment.

5. Add mash potatoes and stir to combine.

6. Add flour one cup at a time kneading until smooth.

7. Let rise until double in size OR refrigerate several hours or overnight.

8. Roll out dough and using a glass or biscuit cutter - cut into desired size doughnuts and place on a lightly floured cookie sheets to let rise again.

9. Heat oil to 365, use a thermometer. Use Vegetable or Canola oil. Oil should be deep enough to submerge at least half the doughnut. (I'd use a large pot personally.) Flip doughnuts to cook evenly. It doesn't take too long.

10. Place cooked doughnuts on a large stack of paper towels. Turn them over 2-3 times to get rid of as much oil as possible.

11. Glaze while still warm- and enjoy them hot!!


Glaze:
1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar
pinch of salt

In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.


Chocolate Glaze:
3 oz. unsweetened choc, coarsely chopped ) or 9 T cocoa and 3T oil
3 T Butter
2 C. powdered sugar
2 Tcorn syrup
5 T hot water


In heat proof bowl or double boiler, melt choc and butter. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredient's. Whisk until smooth.


Maple orange Glaze:
1/2 c. Butter, melted
1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/4 c. Maple Syrup
2 T orange juice zest of one orange
3 drops red food coloring 3 drops of yellow food coloring


In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.

White Bean Chili

white bean chili- might just be my favorite, easy, comfort soup!

White Bean Chili

1 med. onion chopped and sauteed (or 2 T minced dried onion)
3-4 chicken breasts - I cook the chicken separately and add it at the end

2 (15 oz) cans White Great Northern Beans, drained
1/2 can Garbanzo Beans, drained - I find they get softer if I sauté them with the onions
1 can corn, drained (or 1 c. frozen corn)
1 -2 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 t cumin
1/2 t lemon pepper
1/2 t salt
3 cups chicken broth
(juice of one lime if I have one!)

Saute the onions and garbanzo beans in a little bit of butter. While they are cooking open all of your cans and pour them into a large pot on the stove. Add the spices, bring to a boil and then reduce heat until serving. Add chicken just before serving so it doesn't get to soft.

Or somedays I just put it all in the crock pot!

Then serve with sour cream, grated cheese, and chips! yum!!

This would also be a great food storage meal- just add canned chicken!

Chocolate Characters

1. choose your favorite character and print a picture that will fit on your cake. cover your picture with wax paper.

2. Melt baking chocolates. I find they melt best in a glass pan in the oven at 170.

3. Tint your chocolates with OIL CANDY COLORINGS. They come in most every color- but I just bought Red, Yellow and Blue and figured I could make most colors from those.

4. Pour melted chocolates into squeeze bottles (old mustard and ketchup style)- or for smaller amounts just use small bowls. Trace carefully around your picture with an outline color. (We used chocolate.) The details that are on the top of the picture should be done first.

5. Fill in the remaining space with other colors. The chocolates dry fast so don't worry about the colors blending. Let dry completely and then flip over onto cake and gently pull back wax paper.

Pizza crust 101

Hi girls! I tried to cut and paste the real recipe, but I had no luck. Ash, get with me on this if it is indeed possible. Here is a link to the actual CPK crust recipe that I have in my CPK cookbook. It must be made the day before, and per the exact instructions. I always double the recipe to make two 12" pizzas. The recipe is totally high maintenance, but the result is chewy, authentic crust. You will never go back to a same-day make dough again. Remember to place the dough on a pre-heated pizza stone.

This link also provides the recipe for the bbq chicken pizza. It is delightful! You must use more red onions than listed, and smoked Gouda is a must! The picture above looks to have bacon on it as well. That is a swell addition.

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/ccc/california-pizza-barbecue-chicken.html

This link below, will get you the the carbonara pizza recipe that I made just tonight. Add diced Roma tomatoes to the top for color. I really liked it. (Henry still likes the bbq chicken better, and was actually sort of a hater about this pizza.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Carbonara/Detail.aspx

FYI, I killed the yeast on the crust that I made last night. Make sure the water is not too hot.

Can I also give a little shout out to Saf yeast? I have failed so much in the past, but this yeast is fool-proof, if you don't kill it, that is. By it at Bowman's, and Dick's. (if you live in the Davis county bubble.) And to you non-Davis county-ites, you know what I mean.

Lettuce Wraps

My friend Ericka posted this on her blog about a year ago. We have made these a couple of times now- and my family loves them. I have made a few minor adjustments- like leaving out the water chestnuts (yuck!!). They are super easy. Try them and I might just be your new best friend : )

3-4 chicken breasts1 large carrot
(10 baby carrots)
1/2 lb mushrooms
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 head iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated

sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook chicken in large pan with a little bit of water until cooked thoroughly.

While the chicken is cooking dice up your veggies. A food processor makes this one of the easiest meals I have ever made. Carrots, red pepper, green onion and mushrooms should all be diced to about the size of a kernel of corn.

Remove the chicken from the pan- it will much easier to cut when cooled.

Saute veggies in 1T oil and 2 cloves of garlic (~1 t minced garlic) and 1/2 t sesame oil.

Mix together sauce ingredients and whisk to combine.

When veggies are soft, add diced chicken and sauce and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with rice and lettuce. (my kids liked the mixture both on rice and on lettuce. I liked adding a little bit of rice to my chicken & veggies on the lettuce).

ENJOY!! ( **I have also made this with 1 lb ground spicy sausage in place of the chicken. My 11 year old taste tester Kate LOVED them**)