The Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 flour
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer's work bowl, and cream until light and fluffy. In the meantime, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed mixture. Next add vanilla gradually increasing speed until incorporation.

With the mixer set to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening and combine well. Stir in the chips.

Chill the doug for at least 1 hr. or overnight.

Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Source: Alton Brown, foodnetwork.com

Nutella Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 cup Nutella

2 sticks Softened Butter

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine flour and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl cream, butter, nutella and sugars. Add eggs one a time; mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll into one inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for two minutes before cooling on wire rack.

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 shallot
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
4 cups heated broth
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, cut diagnolly into 2-inch pieces.
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Zest of one lemon
Salt
Pepper



Directions: Place large pot over low-medium heat and add olive oil and butter, spreading evenly to coat pan.


Once the butter is melted add shallot and stir until soft and translucent.


Add Arborio rice and wine, mixing to coat rice.


Once wine is absorbed add one cup of broth and reduce heat to low and let simmer.


As liquid is absorbed, continue to add 1/2 cup of broth until all but one cup of broth has been added and absorbed.

To final cup of broth add lemon juice, then slowly add to pot along with asparagus.

Once absorbed, remove from heat; add cheese and zest. Mix until combined.

Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for five minutes before serving.

Best Pizza Crust

I've always assumed that if I was going to be making homemade pizza on a weeknight, I needed a dough that would come together, rise and be ready for baking in under an hour. Enter this recipe from Eating Well. The truth is, Doug and I like that recipe. It's healthy and fits the bill- giving us a homemade pizza in under an hour. But, I have to be honest, I don't know how many more appearances this dough will be making in our house. While I won't go as far as to say I'll never use this recipe again, I think it's safe to say we have found a new 'go to' crust recipe.

I have had this recipe from William Sonoma's Essentials of Baking book on my list of things to try for a while. Honestly, I don't know why I kept putting it off. I guess, I thought that the additional rise time made this a more tedious recipe. I could not have been more wrong. Honestly, this recipe is so easy. The only thing that it requires is one day of planning so that the dough can set overnight. Trust me, for the resulting dough, it is worth planning the following night's dinner even if you are a 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of person. :)

This dough is absolutely incredible. Crisp on the outside, with a nice chew on the inside. It rises beautifully when baked and the result is a light and airy dough that will bring your pizza to the next level. Since there is only two of us, I halved the original recipe to yield one 14 inch pizza. Although, I have to admit that I have made this twice in the past week so perhaps making the original recipe from the beginning would have been a better decision ;)

The overnight rise is not necessary but I really encourage it. The developed flavors are really wonderful. So plan ahead and make this soon. I promise it will not disappoint.

1 package active yeast
1 cup + 2 tbsp. warm water (115-120 degrees F)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. honey


Directions: In kitchenaid bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water for five minutes or until foamy. Add flour, salt, oil and honey.

Using the dough hook attachment knead for 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour if necessary.

(If using your hands, combine ingredients in bowl then pour dough onto flat flat service and knead).

Place kneaded dough in large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow to rise in warm, draft free spot for 1 1/2-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Punch down in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with pizza stone inside(if you own one).

Allow dough to come to room temperature then roll into round ball. Let rest for ten minutes.

Roll dough into desired shape/thickness on lightly floured surface and top with favorite toppings.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before cutting with a pizza cuter.

Source: Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Baking

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes with Mint Frosting

Over the July 4th weekend, while the 'boys' were out golfing, Mrs. Doug and I decided to avoid some retail therapy and spend time quality time together in the kitchen.

Doug's birthday is in early July and since we are usually visiting his family over the 4th, we always celebrate that weekend. We thought his 'party' would be the perfect excuse to whip up something sinfully delicious, together.

We had a little trouble deciding at first but as soon as Mrs. Doug showed me the recipe for Cookies & Cream Cupcakes from 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix, I knew we had a winner. Doug would love those. To up the delicious factor, we decided that rather than go with plain vanilla frosting, we would make the frosting mint with crushed Oreo throughout.

For convenience, we used a cake mix but you could certainly make these using your favorite white cake recipe. The frosting is homemade and so easy to make. I strongly recommend making your own frosting but if you prefer to use canned, go with vanilla and just add extract/Oreos. We halved the original frosting recipe, which was just enough to frost all our cupcakes. Because the cupcakes themselves are sweetened with the cream from the cookies, it's best not to go overboard on the frosting amount. Although, if you are a huge frosting fan(or just in need of a mega sugar rush) then increase the frosting recipe as desired.

These cupcakes were delicious and a big hit. Everyone agreed that Mrs. Doug and I make a pretty good team in the kitchen- as if there was any question about that! :)

Cake
1 box White or French Vanilla Cake Mix
3 egg whites
1 1/4 water
1/3 cup oil
2 cups Oreos, broken into small pieces

Directions: Combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil and beat until well blended. Gently fold in crushed Oreos.

Fill prepared cupcake tin with batter; 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Once completely cooled frost.

Source: 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix

Frosting:

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 tsp. mint extract
2 drops green food coloring(optional)
3/4 cup Oreos, finely crushed

Directions: In a medium bowl, beat butter until fluffy.

Gradually add 1 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well.

Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla followed by remaining powdered sugar and food coloring.

Gently stir in 1/2 cup crushed cookies, adding additional milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Adapted from: Better Homes and Garden

BB: Chinese Chicken Salad

Am a little late in posting this or what?

My sincere apologies to the entire BB community. I actually made this back in April when it was chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen but I didn't have a chance to post before the accident. A shame because this was a great recipe. Doug and I both thought this was absolutely delicious.

Based upon some of the comments my fellow BBers were making, I decided to reduce the amount of oil and added just enough to achieve the consistency that we prefer. As you can tell, my salad was not overly dressed but rather lightly coated- just perfect to offer tremendous flavor while keeping the salad light. The original recipe from Ina can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! or linked here. Thanks again McKenzie for the great choice!

On a similar note, I regret to say that given the current situation we are in, I have opted out of participating in BBers for the short term. I am looking forward to rejoining the group in future though. Not only do I miss my being in the kitchen but the BBers have been making some amazing recipes over the past few months(ones I hope to make up in the future). Be sure to check them all out here.

Chopped Chickpea Salad

So it's been a while. (Nice ice breaker, right?)

I've debated how I was going to write my first post 'back', rehearsing it in my head, typing it, erasing it. Do I just start posting recipes again? Do I explain my hiatus? I don't know, I felt torn, I want this to be primarily a resource for food related recipes and conversation but since food is such a big part of my life, it's only natural that this blog becomes personal as well. Knowing that the former is the priority though, I'll keep the non-food related chatter short and simple: seven weeks ago someone very close to Doug and I was involved in a serious accident. The good news is that they will be ok, will recover 100% and will be able to indulge and critique my cooking for a long, long time. Thank god. The bad news is that 400+ mile weekly traveling to be with family has put a damper on my time in the kitchen and ultimately NNMM has suffered. I can't say that I will be back 100% from now on, as we are still planning to continue to travel through the summer, but I will be posting here and there and hopefully come Fall be back full time.

I have really missed blogging though and do have some great recipes that I can't wait to share. The first of which I am posting below. This chopped chickpea salad is fabulous and perfect for all the upcoming summer parties. Inspired by my favorite sandwich at Tom Colicchio's gourmet sandwich shop chain, 'Wichcraft, the flavors of this salad are light and fresh and can be eaten as is, atop crackers, fresh greens or as I get it at 'Wichcraft, sandwiched between two pieces of your favorite bread (make sure to drizzle the bread with additional olive oil).

1 can chickpeas, drained and washed
1 clove garlic, pressed, minced or grated
1 1/2-2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest(zest of 1/2 medium-sized lemon)
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions: Pour washed chickpeas in a medium bowl and add or grate garlic into bowl.

Add 1 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil and using a potato masher, coarsely mash chickpeas (do not over mash- you want a coarse chop as opposed to a paste.)

Add kalamata olives, roasted peppers, lemon juice, zest and parsley. Mix to combine, adding more olive oil if needed.

Let rest for a few minutes before serving to let the flavors blend.

Serve cold or at room temperature on crusty bread, crackers or as is.

Can be stored in the refrigerator in tightly sealed container for two days.


Inspired by: 'wichcraft