Cookies

Last night I really wanted to make some chocolate chip cookies. Don't know why, but I made some anyway. Now the idea behind this blog was for me to cook out of my cookbooks. But I didn't have a cook book handy so, I just looked up a recipe online. Now it is just a normal chocolate chip cookie recipe, nothing special about it. So I am just going to but what I did instead of the recipe and what I changed.

Chocolate Chip and Mint Cookies

2 Sticks of butter (1 cup)
3/4 Cup of sugar
3/4 Cup of brown sugar
2 1/4 Cups of flour
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon baking soda
2 Teaspoons of vanilla
2 Eggs
2 Cups chocolate chips
1/2 Cup of mint chocolate chips

Pre heat oven to 350 and grease the cookie sheets

In a large blow blend together the butter and both sugars until it's well blended. Then add the eggs one at a time and blend, add vanilla and blend. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir til creamy. Added the chocolate and the mint chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.

Use a small spoon and scope out the dough roll into balls and set them on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minute or until they start to get brown on the bottom.

I'm sure late down the road I will have other cookie recipes. I know i really enjoyed this one and so did my boyfriend. So happy cooking everyone.

Chicken and Potatos

The more I get into this blog the more i am enjoying it. It's been fun to look through the cookbooks I have and try to figure out what sounds good to eat. So on this day I made a whole chicken. My boyfriends family raises chicken and he brought one to his house. Now this recipe was one I got out of Tyler Florence's Cookbook. My mom got me this a few years ago for Christmas. I haven't really cooked anything out of it, so I was a little excited to cook out of it. Now the recipe is for a rotisserie chicken, but I don't have a rotisserie. But lucky for me he added a little tip at the bottom for someone who doesn't have a rotisserie. I will but the whole recipe as written in case someone reading this had a rotisserie and wants to do it that way.

Tyler Florence
Dinner At My Place
Copyright 2008 by Tyler Florence
Meredith Books

Rotisserie Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, And Fresh Bay Leaves
Serves: 4 to 6
Time: 1 hour

1 5-pound certified organic chicken Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Meyer lemon, halved 1 Garlic head, cut through the equator (horizontally) 4 to 5 Fresh bay leaves 1/2 Bunch fresh thyme springs (about 8 sprigs) 1 Recipe Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Rinse chicken with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Season cavity well with kosher salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Tie bird with kitchen twine and skewer on a rotisserie rod. Rub outside with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a rotisserie about 45 minutes, until golden brown and juices run clear (180 F). After chicken has roasted for about 15 minutes, add the Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes under the chicken in a roasting pan. (Position the pan so the potatoes under the chicken drippings.) Remove chicken and potatoes from the oven. Tent with foil; let chicken stand for 10 minutes. Break chicken down into 10 pieces.

So for those of you who don't have a rotisserie; preheat you oven to 350. Place the Potatoes in a baking pan and put the chicken on top of it. Cook time will be 1hr. 30min.

Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Server 4 to 6
Time: 35 min.
2 Pounds fingerling potatoes 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves only 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only 1 to 2 Meyer lemons, cut into quarters Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Wash potatoes and cut lengthwise. Toss potatoes with oil. Toss with rosemary, thyme, and lemon wedges in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper, then roast potatoes under the rotisserie chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Stir occasionally to coat with chicken drippings and cook evenly. Season once more with salt and pepper before serving.

Now for the chicken and potatoes I prepared all of it in the morning before I went to sleep. I remember I made this on Tuesday, I work third shift and go to school during the day. I don't have a lot of time after classes and before I got to sleep to make dinner. But i figured making it before hand won't hurt. It didn't, it turned out just fine.
Now I couldn't find fingerling potatoes so i just got normal russet potatoes and cut them in quarters lengthwise. I also used dried bay leaves, i wasn't able to find fresh ones at the store that day.

It all turned out well, first time i made a whole chicken. It was fun, I'm sure i will do it again sometime soon.

Happy Cooking all

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

My boyfriends' mom got me a subscription to the Food Network Magazine. YAY! I enjoy it every much, i view that it didn't go against my agreement to not buy a cook book since it was bought for me. So this is my first recipe from there.
This is from the March 2010 issue.

Food Network Magazine
Cook Like A Start!
March 2010
Volume 3, Number 3
Hearts magazine


Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops
Active: 30 min
Total: 30 min
Serves:4

2 Large onions
1/3 cup New Mexico Chili powder
Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 colves garlic, smashed
8 thin-cut boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds total), trimmed
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Spanish rice, for serving (optional)

1. Roughly chop 1/2 onion and place in a blender with chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the oregano, cumin, cloves, and garlic. Puree, adding about 1/3 cup water to make a thick paste.

2. Slice the remaining 1 1/2 onions into thin rings and place in a bowl with the chili puree and pork; toss to coat.

3. Lightly brush a large cast iron skillet or grill pan with vegetable oil and place over high heat until almost smoking. Place 4 pork chops in the skillet and surround with half of the onions. Cook until the pork starts to blacken on the outside and is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining pork chops and onions. Serve with rice, if desired.

So I cooked this at my boyfriends house. Which means i didn't have a blender. So I just chopped everything finely and mixed it together with a spoon. It worked out fine because we still enjoyed it. As for the rice i just got a box of spanish rice from the store and added a can of tomatos.
Now when i first read this i didn't understand what blacking a pork chop is. So i tried to look up a hint or two about blackening meats. Didn't come up with a thing. But i will try to fill these blogs with tips and stuff. I will also be updating more, so happy cooking everyone. Hopefuly you will enjoy this meal also.