Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Sorry for the bad photo- I had to snap it on my cell phone. I made these tonight after my friend brought them over to our Mom's Night In the other night and they went faster than our wine! They are so good.
* note- These are so soft and yummy- I think the secret is not smashing them down with a glass as stated in the recipe. I just dropped balls in the sugar/cinnamon coating and let them bake for 8 minutes exactly.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles


Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Dash of allspice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Warm Skirt Steak Salad

ingredients:

1 pound skirt steak or flank steak
12-15 cherry tomatoes
12-15 sweet yellow tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, cut in half
2 shallot, finely chopped & divided
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese

a Bag of you favorite salad mix

directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. 

Place the steak on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the tomatoes, asparagus, shallot and garlic.  Cover everything with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place the steak and veggies on the top rack of your oven.  

 

After about 7 minutes, flip the steak over and continue to cook for another 5-7, depending on how you like your steak cooked.  

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes or so.  You want it to cool slightly more than a normal "resting" time, so the lettuce doesn't completely wilt.  

While that is resting, fill a serving bowl with the bag of salad.  Dress with your favorite oil and vinegar or other salad dressing.  I used a balsamic vinegar and the other shallot, along with some salt and pepper. 

Slice the steak against the grain, and place on top of the salad.  Add tomatoes and other veggies.  Top with the blue cheese/gorgonzola.  

ENJOY!!

adapted from a recipe I saw on pinterest, cheeky kitchen

Tortilla Meatball Soup

Ingredients



2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on the cob
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.


2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.


3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside. *Watch these! I burned 300 of  them*


4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).


5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

*I added an additional chipotle pepper, chopped, in the soup as well as the meatballs*


Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light


OCTOBER 2011

Menu #73

Monday: Grilled Turkey Breast with Peanut Sauce

Brown Rice

Steamed Vegetable

Tuesday: Chicken Cilantro Enchilada's

Black Beans

Spanish Rice

Wednesday: The Works Pizza

Green Salad

Thursday: Spinach Lasagna

Garlic Bread

Friday: Out

Menu #72

Monday: Angel Hair Pasta with Broccoli & Bacon in Alfredo Sauce

Tuesday: Chicken Cilantro Enchilada's

Black Beans

Spanish Rice

Wednesday: Beef Kebabs

Wild Rice

Thursday: Spinach Lasagna

Garlic Bread

Friday: Honey Pecan Chicken

Potatoes

Fresh, Steamed Green Beans

Menu #71

Monday: Macaroni & Cheese

Cut up Fruit

Tuesday: Drip Beef Sandwiches

Roasted Potatoes

Wednesday: Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Garlic Bread

Thursday: Pork Chops

Roasted Root Vegetables

Friday: Chicken & Veggie Packets

Bread

Chicken and Mushroom Goulash with Gnocchi

I am back posting for a second time to share one of my favorite recipes from Rachael Ray. I have tweaked it a little bit over the last few years but I have mainly kept it the same. My whole family loves it and the kids always gobble it up. I brought this to a recipe exchange earlier in the year and it won first prize, so you know it is good!

• Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2/3 palm full
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream or reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup parmesean
• 1 package fresh gnocchi, in refrigerated section of market, 12 to14 ounces

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken. Brown the meat 3 to 4 minutes, push it off to the sides of the pan then add mushrooms, garlic, onions and peppers to the center of the pan. Cook the vegetables 10 minutes then mix them together with chicken and season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir in stock and tomato sauce and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to low, simmer and cook 20-25 minutes then stir in sour cream and turn off heat. Add parmesean. Adjust seasonings, to your taste.

While chicken goulash cooks, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt boiling water and cook gnocchi until they puff up like pillows and float, 5 minutes or to package suggestions. Drain gnocchi and add to chicken just after you stir in the sour cream.

Here's Rachael Ray's picture, I will take a better picture on Tuesday when
I make it for our family. :)

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