Nutella Hot Chocolate

I am a hot chocolate fiend. However I have started to notice that in my old age that hot chocolate keeps me up at night if I drink it too late in the afternoon. So instead of downing the Swiss Miss (ah the days of my youth!....or grad school) I now try to stick to yummy hot chocolate drinks and special occasions. This delicious Hazelnut Hot Chocolate fits the bill! It's easy and fancy enough for a special occasion.

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

(From Martha Stewart Living)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups milk

1/3 cup hazelnut spread (I like Nutella)

Directions:

1. Combine the milk and Nutella in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth. Divide between two cups and serve with whipped cream!

Spring Cocktail

Lillet is a French aperitif wine. I couldn't find the rose but the blanc was just fine. You cannot underestimate the gin in this recipe. I would recommend a very neutral tasting gin which obviously I don't have. I actually liked this cocktail better without the gin. The two different gins (Aviation and Barr Hill) I tried it with make it too floral. I also didn't invest in the edible flowers. Overall not bad but more of an acquired taste, at least when the gin is added.

Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail

(from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
2 ounces Lillet Rose (I used Lillet Blanc)
2 ounces grapefruit juice
1 ounce gin
edible flowers for garnish
Directions:
1. Combine the Lillet, grapefruit juice, and gin in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake, shake, shake!
3. Strain into glasses and garnish with edible flowers.

Pad Thai Fail!

I was so disappointed in this recipe because I was craving pad thai sooooo bad and this recipe is nothing like restaurant pad thai but I had all the ingredients....It lacked the depth and flavor of real pad thai. I was crushed. But then I had the leftovers for lunch and it was fine because I was over my craving and high expectations. Initially I was so upset over this "failure" to exactly replicate pad thai that Mr. Lawyer made me his famous peanut butter cookies....there are no more cookies left and I am sad.

Vegetable an Tofu Pad Thai

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
8 ounces dried wide, flat rice noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes)
3 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced, and patted dry
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Soak noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high, tilting to coat pan. Add eggs, swirl to coat bottom, and cook until just set, about 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a cutting board, loosely roll up, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add 4 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add tofu in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides, 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to cutting board.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, carrots, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add eggs and tofu and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Divide among four plates and top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.

Ginger-Spice Cookies

Evidently all I need is a weekend at home with no social obligations and a hurricane to get my kitchen/blogging groove back! I wasn't a huge fan of these cookies. They are good but I don't think I like the chocolate-ginger combination.  I was drawn to this recipe because of the spices! I've never seen cookies with fresh ginger in them. Mr. Lawyer was intrigued as well and requested this recipe when I changed my mind and was leaning towards my brown sugar blueberry cookies. Good thing he likes them because he's getting them all! Give these bad boys a try if you're adventurous and think you might like the chocolate-ginger combination....I will be sticking to my traditional gingersnap cookies.

Chewy Chocolate Ginger-Spice Cookies

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground, dried ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Sugar for rolling
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar until creamy and combined well. Add the fresh ginger, molasses, and vanilla, mix to combine. 

2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa, ground ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and salt. 

3.  Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and pulse until just combined. 

4. Fold in chopped chocolate. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or until very firm.
5. Preheat oven to 325*F and line baking sheets. Scoop dough into rounds and roll into a ball. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar and place on baking sheets. Flatten cookies before baking for 15-18 minutes. 

Around the World Part II!

I sense that May will not be a good food month. We have so many social obligations and dates out that my poor kitchen might get dusty! Plus I'm trying to extra be healthy when we are home so there are lots of salads! For example after our eat-fest last weekend in Syracuse we came home and had dinner out with friends Sunday to celebrate our engagement. Monday I wanted to detox and I made a huge salad and served it with Grandma's homemade applesauce. Tuesday Mr. Lawyer took me out to Rose Tattoo for an early anniversary dinner, Wednesday Amanda came over and we made mussels, tonight is Brad's graduation dinner, Friday will probably be a salad night, and then Saturday is a baseball game and Sunday is Mother Day's Brunch. Yikes!

I told them to smile and this is what I get. *sighs*

Do you remember when Amanda and I started doing our "Eating Around the World?" It seems we're much better about eating out than cooking it ourselves! Plus with both of our busy schedules planning a meal has been a disaster. Last night we finally got back on track! Way back in November we did Zorba's and made some greek food. A little bit ago we went to the Belgium Cafe (one of our favorite places!) and had some delicious mussels. Last night we finally got to make some! Mr. Lawyer and I had made these once in Syracuse with our friend Dave and they were super simple. Plus mussels are surprisingly cheap. This recipe highlights the mussels and is not as intricate as the Belgium Cafe's mussels. They have some crazy and amazing flavor combinations. One of my favorites is their Bloody Mary Mussels which you can only get for brunch. Next up: Thai! Because we already went out for it!

Mariniere Mussel Pot

(From Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (make sure to pick out any broken or open ones!)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine, or Belgian beer
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
1. Place mussels in a large pot. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. With water boiling, steam for 3 minutes. 

2. Add wine and bay leaf. Steam for 3 minutes longer. 

3. Add onion and celery, and steam until all the mussels open, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, and add butter; toss until butter melts. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Cupcakes!

Last Friday was the interns last day so of course they requested cupcakes! I made a batch of my yummy Vanilla Bean Cupcakes for the adults and tried a new chocolate one for the kids. They were very fudge-like but delicious. One kid thought they were too chocolatey and I might agree but they were still delicious! You can tell from the picture that they did collapse a little bit which made them a tad dense compared to the nice and fluffy vanilla ones. No frosting because I frosted them the next day at school.

Chocolate Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Peachy Pork

Good old Martha never lets me down when it counts. I had to find a new recipe for my dinner party because all of my go to recipes had already been sampled by the parental units! I know you're not suppose to try a new recipe when having a party but Mr. Lawyer vetoed all my other meal choices. Luckily this one came out pretty well! The dried peaches added a nice punch of flavor but the glaze was essential for pouring over the individual pieces. I had never stuffed meat before and thought the directions were a bit confusing so I just looked up a video on youtube. It was easier than I thought: just slice carefully and flatten a bit with a rolling pin.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the process but I had too many things going on. Mastering this simple skills really opens up a lot of yummy looking recipes! I will definitely be keeping this recipe but between buying a 2.4 pound pork loin and the dried peaches ($5!!) it will only be a special occasion meal.

Peach-Stuffed Pork Loin

(from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water
9 peaches, dried, or 6 ounces store-bought dried peaches
1 boneless pork loin (2 1/2 pounds), trimmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup peach jam
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Coarsely chop store-bought dried peaches if using. Add peaches to water; return to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand for 20 minutes. Remove peaches using a slotted spoon, and squeeze; reserve liquid.
2. Meanwhile, butterfly pork loin: Starting 3/4 inch from top of loin, make a horizontal cut into side, slicing through meat in short strokes and leaving about 1 inch intact at outer edge. Unfold meat (as if opening a book). Cut a vertical slit 3/4-inch deep at seam, and repeat to make a horizontal cut in the opposite direction. Pound to an even thickness with a meat mallet if needed.
3. Stir together a seasoning mixture of salt, pepper, and the cloves; sprinkle some over pork. Spread drained peaches over pork, leaving a 1-inch border on 1 short end. Roll up pork from short end to enclose filling. Tie together with kitchen twine to shape and hold in filling. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; dust with flour. Place in a roasting pan, seam side down.
4. Bring reserved soaking liquid, the jam, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer for 1 minute.
5. Roast pork for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 138 degrees, about 25 minutes more. Brush with glaze, and roast for 5 minutes more. Transfer pork to a platter; reserve juices in roasting pan. Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush with glaze again.
6. Pour accumulated pan juices into pot with glaze. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, and add remaining 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add liquid and bits to glaze. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer sauce for 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice.
Untie pork; cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.

Homemade Fish Sticks!

Tonight I had the palate of a five year, a slightly fancy five year old but not by much. I also haven't been real grocery shopping in forever and a half. I was going to declare a "fend for yourself" night but then I remembered we still had a big bag of frozen tilapia (and some ground turkey, that's it! I should really take advantage of this and clean the freezer). So homemade fish sticks and mac & cheese it was! (Long live Wegman's Spiral Mac & Cheese!!) I went with lemon pepper seasoning because we just had Old Bay Fish Tacos the other week. It was yummy. I saw one recipe that added some parm cheese into the breading, that might be even better! I whipped up some tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for dipping.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1 large egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup panko
1 tablespoon Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into wide strips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Place egg in a wide shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine panko, Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay, and oil. Dip tilapia into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes

Canned Meat is Creepy

A little while back the Mother Unit gifted us with five cans of chopped clams (and a frozen chicken). I was a little grossed out by the clams because in all honesty, canned meat of any sorts is a little weird. But I found a recipe where they are delicious and not creepy canned meat! This recipe was quick and yummy. We also had everything in the cupboard already (Score!). Except the capers, which I omitted because I haven't found a caper dish I truly enjoy unless the capers are fried. It also wasn't spicy enough for us so at the end we added some hot chili oil to the mix for a little kick. It was perfect.

Bucatini with Red Clam Sauce and Hot Pepper

(from Martha Stewart Magazine)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Red Pepper Flakes
1 can (14 ounces) whole plum tomatoes, chopped plus 1/2 cup juice
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams, drained, reserving one cup clam juice
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained (Omitted)
3/4 pound bucatini or other pasta (I used linguini)
Directions:
1. While bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, heat oil with garlic oregano, and a large pinch of red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-heat. Cook until fragrant and garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, and the reserved clam juice. Bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in clams and capers, and cook until heated through.
3. When water boils, add pasta to boiling water, and cook until almost al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain (save one cup water!), and transfer pasta to skillet. Gradually stir in 1 cup pasta water, about 1/2 cup at a time, and cook over low heat, tossing until pasta has absorbed some sauce and is well coated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Perfection. Yet Again.

Nothing like manhandling a chicken into roast perfection. I've got this chicken thing down pat, didn't even need to look at the recipe this time! Although still freakish about disinfecting the kitchen after the manhandling occurs. The other thing I've got down is convincing someone that it's gentlemanly to pick all the meat of the bones for future meals because I abhor it. If you haven't tried this recipe (which I constantly advocate for) you must find a chicken and roast it immediately. Need convincing? From the mouth of Mr. Lawyer himself: "I love that this chicken doesn't need gravy." Truth. Super moist, super delicious. The recipe is here: Martha Stewart's Perfect Roast Chicken.

My mission of eating more fruits and veggies is going well. Our delicious chicken was accompanied by my easy Farmer Market Squash Saute minus all the cheese and some not as healthy cranberry sauce.

Lefties and Veggies!

Tonight was Leftover Part II! Served up with a side of brussels sprouts. The leftover fajita makings went straight into a quesadilla (I used my throw it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minute recipe). I am madly in love with the brussels sprouts recipe. Well it does involve maple syrup so what's not to love? It's a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy. Mr. Lawyer inhaled a bunch of them and if you can get a boy to eat a ton of veggies it's a keeper right?

Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Cayenne

(from Martha Stewart's Food Everyday)

Ingredients:
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss brussels sprouts with olive oil; season with salt. Roast until brussels sprouts are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine syrup and cayenne pepper. Drizzle brussels sprouts with maple syrup mixture, stir to coat, and roast 1 minute.

Getting the Quesadilla prepped!

Holy Grail of Chicken

Third time is still the charm! I have successfully roasted my third "Perfect Roast Chicken" using my Martha Stewart recipe. I cannot tell you how wonderful (and easy!) this recipe is. The first bite was so juicy and delicious it practically melted in my mouth. Phrases such as "this recipe is so freaking amazing" and other happy eating noises were issued. Mr. Lawyer had thirds and then when I was finishing my salad (I always talk while I eat so it slows me down, plus he inhales his food) he just started going at the poor chicken all caveman style from the serving platter. That good. The downside of the recipe is your house will smell amazing and you'll be ravenous before it's done!
Normally when I re-make a recipe I just link to my previous post but this one is worth completely reposting. I cannot urge you enough, next time you have a roasting chicken give this recipe a shot! Plus it's economical, around ten bucks for the bird and you'll have left overs for days to experiment with.

Perfect Roast Chicken

(Martha Stewart!)

Ingredients:
1 six-pound roasting chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 lemon
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dry this time around)
Directions:
1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1.5 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve and serve!

Breakfast for Dinner

Poor Mr. Lawyer has been a good sport about my healthy eating kick in light of current events but as he frequently tells me "I'm not done with you yet!" so he really doesn't have a choice. We've made a conscious effort to include more veggies and cut back on outrageous amounts of meat. We have always done a good job in the junk food department, we don't keep soda in the house or have a ton of unhealthy munchies.
Despite his willingness to play along he might have been startled by the alarming amount of greens that suddenly took over our fridge but those suckers cook waaaay down I tell you! I was skeptical about this recipe as well but it came out surprisingly well. We had breakfast for dinner and the only thing that it needed was a dash of hot sauce (I like Sriracha but he prefers Tabasco), it was filling and, in my opinion, yummy considering it was mainly a bunch of greens (there were no leftovers). I liked the taste of the swiss chard over the kale but having a mix of multiple greens is the way to go (keeps it interesting!). I would add more mushrooms the next time around and Mr. Lawyer requested throwing in some kind of sausage but that would defeat the purpose of being healthy would it not?

Fried Eggs with Greens and Mushrooms

(Martha Stewart Living)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
Coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 cups cooking greens (cut into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons), such as collard, chard, mustard, or kale
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
Garnish: finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Heat a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon salt until golden and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in garlic, then greens and water. Cook, stirring, until greens wilt. Add unsalted butter, and stir until melted.
2. Push greens to make 4 wells. Crack 1 egg into each. Season with salt. Cook for 4 minutes. Let stand until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes. Garnish with cheese.

From this to that!

Zucchini or Pickles?!

Last weekend while reading at the shore I saw this delicious looking bundt cake in my Martha magazine. This weekend I was actually home to make it! But first, I have to make a disclaimer: I will never love any zucchini bread, cookie or cake as much as I love my Grandpa Norm's recipe (although I am madly in love with Martha's Zucchini Cookies). Due to this fact I thought the actual cake part was lacking in flavor. My recipe has more cinnamon and vanilla in it. But Mr. Lawyer is devouring it so I guess it's not a real problem, just a personal preference. The orange glaze is absolutely amazing. I will definitely be saving it for some other dessert creation, like muffins. I thought zucchini and orange was an odd combination but it grew on me. The candied zucchini is okay, really just for garnish but it doesn't add any necessary flavor so it could be skipped. I don't have a mandoline to make nice pretty ribbons like Martha so I used my food processor and mine ended up looking like pickles! Oh well.

Zucchini Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze and Candied Zucchini

(from Martha Stewart Living)

Cake Ingredients:
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2.5 cups flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds (omitted, didn't have them)
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional (omitted, didn't have it)
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium zucchini
3 large eggs
1.5 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Cake Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 and grease pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
2. Grate zucchini and size dry. You will need around 2.5 cups.
3. Stir together eggs and sugar, then stir in melted butter, zucchini, orange zest and juice. Stir in flour mixture. Transfer batter to pan.
4. Bake for one hour. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer cake to plate. Cool before brushing on glaze and adding candied zucchini.
Orange Glaze Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 pinches ground cardamom, optional (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Milk for thinning if needed
Orange Glaze Directions:
1. Whisk together sugar and cardamom
2. Whisk in zest and juice until it has the consistency of thick honey. If too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time.
Candied Zucchini Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 zucchini
Candied Zucchini Directions:
1. Slice zucchini into ribbons using a mandoline. I don't have one and used the slicing disk on my food processor.
2. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and add zucchini. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until translucent. If you place a circle of parchment paper over the top, it helps keep the slices under the liquid.
3. Let zucchini cool in syrup and then arrange zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let dry for 1 hour.

Macadamias, I love you

Yesterday we had Brad and Christine over for dinner. I promise I'll take a break from cooking my wonderful turkey burgers. It's just like my tortellini, I find something I like and then make it a bunch!

I saw these cookies in my magazine last month and had been wanting to try them but Mr. Lawyer banned me from baking yummy treats because "you're making me fat!" psh. Portion control baby. Don't eat 1/3 of the rum cake for breakfast. Yeah. That totally happened.
Not only did these cookies look good but I just wanted an excuse to have macadamia nuts in the apartment. I developed a love-hate relationship with these cookies. First off, Martha dipped half of each cookie in chocolate. I don't have a good track record with dipping cookies in chocolate (please reference my cookie massacre) so I took the Jackson Pollock approach and just splattered chocolate all over them and it looked pretty awesome. While I was chilling batter and cutting them I swore up and down that I would not be making these again. But then I ate one and I can't quite put my finger on it. And now I might make them again because I keep eating them. It's a weird lemony shortbread sorta macadamia cookie. If you didn't know it contained macadamias I'm not sure you would realize it right away.

Chocolate-Dipped Macadamia Cookies

(Martha Stewart, Everyday Food)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon course salt
1/2 macadamia nuts, toasted and finely ground
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
2. Add egg yolk, lemon zest and juice, and salt and beat until combined. Beat in buts. Add flour and beat until combined.
3. Form dough into a 4.5 inch log, wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices, bake until golden at edges about 14 minutes. Cool completely.
5. Melt chocolate (microwave at 30 second intervals), dip half of cookie into chocolate, set on parchment paper to set. Or drizzle all over the place.

I did gooood!

The other month the Mother Unit brought me a chicken that has been taking up space in my freezer and mocking me. I have never cooked a whole chicken. In fact the largest thing I have ever cooked was a turkey breast in the crock pot, which is kind of cheating because it's a crock pot. Plus my semi-irrational fear of cooking meat and/or kitchen germs has limited my experimenting in the past. Eventually I came across this Martha Stewart recipe. Martha and I get along pretty well in the kitchen world but the craft world is another story. She got me pretty good with the Easter Egg Debacle of 2010. Psh. So I decided to give this recipe a go except that it was called the Perfect Roast Chicken. Bold Martha, Bold. That's a tall order is it not? But guess what? WIN.

I am my worst critic and can always find something wrong with my dishes but this was perfect. Nice, juicy, flavorful, looked beautiful, smelled amazing and it had veggies and gravy all built in. Granted the veggies were a bit heavy but that's because they cooked in chicken fat.

Perfect Roast Chicken

(Martha Stewart!)

Ingredients:
1 six-pound roasting chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick (I also added some carrots and potatoes)
1 lemon

4 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
Directions:
1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1.5 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees.and the thigh 190 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. (I did not do this step, I served up the onions, carrots and potatoes and they were yummy!) Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

Now please excuse me while I go disinfect my kitchen. I'm sure I missed a spot and it's now a salmonella haven.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I seem to have an obsession with alcoholic cupcakes. These Irish Coffee Cupcakes are more mellow than the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes in both alcohol content and sweetness but still pretty amazing (although not as much fun?!?....). Both cupcakes are best the day they were made and okay the next day as the alcohol begins to evaporate from cake and frosting so it loses a lot of the flavor. I can't pick a favorite between the two recipes because they are both amazing! But this is obviously the sophisticated adult cupcake while the Irish Car Bomb Cupcake is the drunken college kid cupcake.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

(Martha Stewart Magazine)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
1/4 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon whiskey
Instant-espresso powder, for dusting
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

2. Pour hot water over espresso powder; let cool. Combine espresso with milk. 

3. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture.
4. Fill about 15 cupcake cups and bake 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
5. Make the frosting: Whisk together cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form. Add whiskey; whisk until slightly stiff peaks form.
6. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting; dust with espresso powder.

mmmm...Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Zucchini Cookies? Yes!

When the Lawyer is away the Jenni will bake.
In addition to the yummy cheese straws, I decided to make some oh so delicious zucchini cookies from my Martha Stewart Magazine. Keeeeeper! Oh Martha how I love you. Even though most of your crafts I attempt turn out horribly...like last years Easter Egg stenciling dying shenanigans. Your recipes on the other hand, gold. Solid gold. Like this one.

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

(Martha Stewart Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature and divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:
1. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.

Love it.