le bon appetit

ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies

2011-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from the Ghirardelli website. A favorite of Nathan's because he gets to adorn these cookies with M&M's. For a super soft cake-like cookie (pictured below), I substituted some of the granulated sugar with instant vanilla pudding.

YIELD:

24 large cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color.
Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll into 2 inch balls and press down with a fork.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: If you like cookies with a more cake-like consistency, substitute the 3/4 cup granulated sugar with a 3.4 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding mix and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add the pudding mix and sugar (in step 1) and follow above directions.

gullivers cream corn

2011-09-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

This creamed corn is thick and sweet. This is not a low-fat side-dish, but once in a while, live it up! Very tasty with a holiday prime rib or turkey dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (20 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
white or cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Place corn kernels, whipping cream, milk, salt, flavor enhancer, sugar, and white or cayenne pepper in a large stockpot. Bring to a slow, low boil beginning on medium heat, stirring frequently. Simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
Melt butter in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Stir into the corn until well blended. Enjoy!

xiu mai

2011-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Most people think of Chinese dim sum when they think of siu mai. Vietnamese xiu mai, however, simply means meatballs. My mom used to make this for breakfast on the weekends. It's best served with fresh french bread, which I would dip into the xui mai broth...yum! Since my mom gave me this recipe, I eyeballed everything and don't have exact measurements.

INGREDIENTS:

ground pork butt
tomatoes, diced
yellow onions, diced
olive oil
fish sauce
oyster sauce
ground black pepper
soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Combine ground pork, olive oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper to taste. Mix in a generous amount of diced onions.
Form 2 inch sized meatballs and place in ceramic rice bowls (3-4 meatballs per bowl) or any bowl that can withstand being in a steamer.
Saute diced tomatoes and remaining diced onions with a little bit of soy sauce.
Steam the meatballs until they are halfway cooked (approximately 8 minutes). Add a generous amount of the sauteed tomato/onion mixture on top of the meatballs and finish cooking (an additional 8 minutes).
Serve with french bread.

Note: With the same pork mixture, you can also make stuffed tomatoes. Cut a tomato in half and remove the seeds to create a "tomato bowl". Fill the bowl with the pork mixture. Heat a little bit of canola oil in a saute pan and pan fry the stuffed tomato (meat side down) on medium heat until the top is browned. Flip the tomato over and continue cooking until the pork mixture is no longer raw on the inside. Serve with a side of rice and a dash of soy sauce.

banana bread pudding (aka banh chuoi)

2011-08-31T22:13:00.001-07:00

This recipe is great when you have stale french bread and overly ripe bananas. It's called banh chuoi in vietnamese and tastes like banana flavored bread pudding.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 loaf stale french bread
3-4 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon condensed milk
1 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the banana and bread in 1/2 inch diagonal pieces. Combine 1/4 cup butter, eggs and sugar. Stir in milk and vanilla extract.
Soak the bread and banana in the butter/egg/milk mixture. Arrange a layer of bread in the bottom of a buttered loaf pan. Cover with a layer of bananas, followed by a layer of bread, another layer of bananas, and finish with a layer of bread. Pour the remaining butter/egg/milk mixture into the pan.
Dilute the condensed milk with the hot water and mix with 2 tablespoons butter. Drizzle over the top and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Note: Place a foil lined baking sheet under the pan to catch any overflow of liquid that may seep out of the pan.

Franks RedHot buffalo chicken dip

2011-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

This dip goes great with beer and is perfect for that superbowl party.

INGREDIENTS:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Franks RedHot buffalo sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into a baking dish. Stir until smooth.
Mix in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot buffalo sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
Bake 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or vegetables.

pistachio chocolate chip bundt cake

2011-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Very moist pistachio cake recipe that I got from my co-worker.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of french vanilla cake mix
1 box of jello instant pistachio pudding
8 oz. sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons almond extract
1/2 bag mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, with an electric mixer. Stir in mini chocolate chips by hand.
Spray bundt pan with Pam and add cake batter. Bake 50 minutes.
Cool and remove cake from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (if desired).

hong's potato salad

2011-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

A favorite amongst my family and friends. This recipe is super simple and great for any barbeque.

INGREDIENTS:

5 lbs potatoes
12 eggs
mayonnaise
1/4 onion, very finely minced
salt
granulated sugar
ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Wash potatoes thoroughly. If the potatoes are large, cut them in half to speed up the cooking time. Boil the potatoes with the skin on. In a separate pot, boil the eggs.
Once cooked, peel the eggs and potatoes. Cut the potatoes and eggs into approximately 1 inch size pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs and minced onions. Sprinkle in salt, pepper and sugar. I find it easier to mix these ingredients together before adding the mayonnaise. This ensures everything gets incorporated evenly.
Add mayonnaise to achieve the desired consistency. Add additional salt, sugar, pepper to taste.

Note: I like to mix everything when the potatoes are still hot, so I don't wait for the potatoes to cool before peeling and cutting them. Be forewarned, this is not easy on the fingers.

banana muffins

2011-08-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

A super easy recipe that I can quickly whip up when I have overly ripe bananas.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

peanut butter truffle brownies

2011-08-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and peanut butter all wrapped up into one indulgent bar. Start with a no-fail brownie mix, then add layers of peanut butter and melted chocolate chips. This brownie is ultra rich, so a small piece goes a long way.

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie Base

1 box brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

Filling

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Topping

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.) Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Cut into desired size.

chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

2011-08-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

If you like peanut butter, this cookie is soft and oh so peanut buttery.

YIELD:

24 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the corn syrup, water, and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll into 2 inch balls and press down with a fork.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: If you don't have shortening, substitute the shortening for 1/4 cup butter. I also used less than 2 cups of chocolate chips (quantity and type of chips depends on your liking). For extra peanut butter flavor, substitute some of the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.

ghirardelli double chocolate cookies

2011-08-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe can be found on the Ghirardelli website and is to die for! Slightly crusty on the outside and rich and gooey on the inside. If you like chocolate, this cookie is worth every calorie.

YIELD:

24 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounce(s) semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 ounce(s) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In double boiler over hot water, melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir into chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts (optional).
Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into two logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long. As dough will be quite soft, use plastic wrap to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet; store in airtight tin up to 1 week.

Note: I found that using the suggested amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips made the cookie too rich, so reduce the quantity as necessary. Also, to make a different variation of this cookie, substitute half of the semi-sweet chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.

soft oatmeal cookies w/ chocolate chips & raisins

2011-08-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it slightly. These oatmeal cookies are soft and delicious. Slightly salty and not too sweet. Even Linh (who does not usually save room for dessert) likes this cookie.

YIELD:

24 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown suger, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (or 2 3/4 cup for a thicker consistency)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.
Mix in oats, chocolate chips, and raisins.
Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll into 2 inch balls and press down with a fork.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.