Boston Cream Pie Cookies

 Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour.

½ teaspoon baking powder.

¼ teaspoon salt.

½ cup unsalted butter, softened.

¾ cup granulated sugar.

1 large egg.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix.

2 cups cold milk.

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

⅓ cup heavy cream.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each slightly and create an indent in the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the vanilla pudding by whisking together the pudding mix and cold milk until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

To make the chocolate topping, heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Assemble the cookies by spooning vanilla pudding into the indent of each cooled cookie. Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the pudding and let it

 set before serving.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup – A Refreshing, Comforting Classic

 Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked rice (white or Arborio rice works best)

1 lb cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 large eggs

Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley or dill for garnish (optional)

Directions

Sauté the onions and garlic: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the broth and rice: Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Stir in the rice and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the egg-lemon mixture: While the rice is cooking, whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a bowl until well combined.

Temper the eggs: To prevent curdling, slowly add a ladleful of hot soup to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Add one or two more ladles of hot soup, still whisking, until the mixture is warmed.

Combine everything: Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the soup pot, stirring constantly. Add the shredded chicken and heat gently over low heat, making sure not to let it boil.

Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill if desired.

Simple Garlic Shrimp

 

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

salt to taste

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon caper brine

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 4 equal pieces, divided

⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

1 teaspoon water, or as needed

Directions

Gather all ingredients.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Place shrimp in an even layer on the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring.

Season shrimp with salt; cook and stir until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 1 minute.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in lemon juice, caper brine, 1 piece of butter, and 1/2 of the parsley; cook until butter has melted, about 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low and stir in remaining 3 pieces butter. Cook and stir until butter has melted, sauce is thick, and shrimp are pink and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; continue to cook butter sauce, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if too thick, about 2 minutes.

Season with salt to taste; serve shrimp topped with the pan sauce and remaining parsley. Enjoy!

Pretzel S’Mores Bites

 INGREDIENTS

100 pretzel snaps (square pretzels)

25 regular sized marshmallows, cut in half

8 oz semi-sweet melting chocolate (dark is ok too)

3 graham cracker sheets, finely crushed or pulverized

INSTRUCTIONS

Place baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Arrange fifty pretzels in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving about 2″ between each pretzel.

Place half a marshmallow on top of each pretzel.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake until the marshmallows begin to brown. Oven times may vary, but I watched carefully for about 10 minutes.

Remove pretzels from the oven and top each one with a second pretzel, allowing to cool for a couple of minutes.

Melt chocolate according to package directions.

Dip each marshmallow pretzel into the chocolate about halfway and place onto a lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle crushed graham crackers crumbs over each pretzel bite while the chocolate is still wet.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio: A Simple Italian Classic

 Ingredients:

12 oz (340 g) spaghetti

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

6-8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

Salt (for pasta water and seasoning)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.

Prepare the Garlic Oil: While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the garlic turns golden brown and crispy (about 2-3 minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter.

Add Red Pepper Flakes: Once the garlic is golden, stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds to release their flavor.

Toss the Pasta: Add the cooked, drained spaghetti to the skillet, along with about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated in the garlic oil. If needed, add more pasta water to create a smooth, slightly glossy sauce.

Season and Garnish: Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and toss everything together one final time.

Serve: Serve the spaghetti hot, garnished with extra parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Taco Spaghetti To Die For

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef*

1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning

1 (10-ounce can) Ro*Tel® Mild Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies

1 tablespoon tomato paste

8 ounces spaghetti

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Roma tomato, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat.

2: Stir in Ro*Tel®, tomato paste, spaghetti and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.

3: Remove from heat and top with cheeses. Cover until melted, about 2 minutes.

4: Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and cilantro, if desired.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

3 eggs

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into cubes

Olive Oil

Marinara (jar or homemade)

Instructions:

In a large bowl mix beef through pepper. Form into 2″ balls. Press a cheese cube in the middle and seal the meat around it.

Heat 1/2″ olive oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs and then set aside on plate.

Pour marinara sauce into pan; bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or on top of a hoagie