Leahs Easy Excellent Cookie Bars Recipe

Made these the other day, perfect recipe to have a young chef learn their first dessert since its almost 1 of everything. I had only one egg in the house, needed something in my tummy fast and this was the result: It’s chewy, crispy and super delicious. I say it serves 9, but frankly I would say three people with having seconds and thirds it’s that good!

Ingredients:

1 jumbo egg or 2 medium eggs
1 stick butter (I used unsalted)
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
1 cup mixed semi sweet and milk chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 good teaspoon baking soda
1 greased 8×8 pan
1 oven on 350 degrees preheated

Directions:

In mixer, beat butter, then add sugar till well creamed.
Add egg and vanilla and beat till fluffy.
Add flour, salt, baking soda and beat on slow till mixed, then beat on high for one minute, scraping down sides of bowl if needed.
Stop mixer, and add coconut and chocolate morsels. Start mixer slowly to incorporate remaining ingredients.
Batter will be think, so pour and spread into greased 8×8 pan, and place on middle rack in oven for 25 minutes.
Once pan is out of oven, take knife, and slice around edges so it cools away from edges of pan, slice while still slightly warm, then let cool.
Perfect for freezing, these keep super well in sealed container and excellent for going into camp lunch boxes!
Mine never made it to the freezer, let alone a sealed container!

Oh Sherri – Your Chickens Great Recipe

I was so tired of leftovers, so off I made this for dinner last night, super easy yet creates a nice complex taste thanks to the reduced red wine sauce with mushrooms and a sprinkling of fresh lavender in the herbs de province. Served with steamed broccoli with toasted spiced walnuts and almonds, garlic and olive oil and oven roasted fennel with parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

Sliced thin chicken breasts (I sliced mine when they were semi-frozen to make it super easy and its far cheaper to do it yourself then to buy them pre-sliced thin)
1 box 8 oz. brown/baby bella mushrooms
1 medium onion or 3-4 shallots – diced/chopped
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup raisins (golden raisins or dried currents perfect too)
3/4 cup or less of red wine (I used an Australian Cabernet)
1 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoon “better than bullion paste – chicken flavor”
(or substitute water and bullion paste with one cup of low-sodium chicken broth)
1 good teaspoon herbs de province
1 good teaspoon of lavender (crushed in hands prior to putting in skillet)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Olive oil & butter
**Chicken coating
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
salt & pepper
**Marinade for chicken
1 egg
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
1 deep skillet

Directions:

In bowl for marinade, take egg and beat well, then add soy sauce and worcestershire sauce and mix till well blended.
Add sliced thin chicken breasts to marinade, let sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes and set aside while setting up everything else.
In second bowl, mix corn starch and flour with salt and pepper and set aside.
Slice up mushrooms into good sized pieces – since they ’shrink’ when cooking. I cut mine into four pieces each. Set aside.
In skillet, Add a drizzle of olive oil and butter. Take ONE clove of garlic and smash it with edge of knife, and put into skillet with olive oil and butter.
With remaining garlic cloves, mince and set aside.
Take out chicken slices, allowing liquid to drip off and dredge in flour mixture and shake off any excess – you want a light coating, not heavy.
Remove garlic from skillet once it starts to brown.
Place chicken in and allow to cook for only 1-2 minutes on each side.
You may have to do the chicken in batches as I did.
As each chicken gets light brown on each side, remove chicken and set aside on a plate, continue till all chicken is slightly browned. It will finish cooking in sauce. You may have to add a little olive oil.
Next, add chopped onions/shallots to hot skillet. Do not worry about browning on bottom of skillet. Allow onions to cook for 5 minutes, then add mushrooms. Add to cooking onions and mushrooms, pepper, lavender, herbs de province, garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add red wine carefully to hot skillet, scraping up all the bottom bits of ‘flavor enhancers’ and add raisins.
After four minutes of cooking, add water and bullion paste. Stir to incorporate.
Keep skillet on medium and allow sauce to cook for at least 15 -25 minutes to reduce liquid somewhat.
Add chicken breasts back into skillet, scooping up mushrooms and sauce and pour over chicken breasts and allow chicken to heat through (say five minutes).
Once liquid had reduced and chicken has heated through, then taste sauce for any needs for salt. Since the sauce reduces, you might be surprised there may be no need for salt as the reduced sauce really enhances the flavors and seasonings.
Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over chicken (or chopped scallions like I did and as photo shows)
Enjoys the oohs and ahhs of delectable chicken!

Pork Chops With Apples in Port Wine Reduction Sauce Recipe

Easy quick dinner made up in a flash, serve this up with a veggie or salad. Healthy, tender and oh so good tasting, I was surprised how quickly it all came together. Double recipe for a family of four.

Ingredients

1-2 pork chops per person 3/4 inch thick – at near room temperature
1 large apple – use a granny smith or red delicious
salt and pepper
1 large onion sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup port wine (I used Sandeman’s)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ‘better than bullion paste’ chicken flavor (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly dried thyme
olive oil and a little butter
1 skillet
1 bowl

Directions

Sprinkle freshly cracked pepper on one side of pork chops and a little of the fresh thyme and set aside on a plate.
Slice onion thinly while skillet heats up on medium heat.
Drizzle maybe 1 tablespoon olive oil into hot skillet and add onions.
Cook onions for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
While onions are cooking, mince up garlic and set aside.
Once onions are cooked and slightly browned, take them out of the skillet, put in bowl and set aside.
Put skillet back on heat, add a little olive oil and a teeny amount of butter and place your pork chops (spiced side down into hot skillet. Cook 3 minutes on each side.
If you chops are thicker than 3/4 inches, you will have to cook them longer.
Chops are done when they have just lost their pinkish color. They will continue to cook a bit once out of the skillet. Sprinkle salt, pepper and additional thyme on the other side of unseasoned chops once you have turned them over in your skillet.
While chops are cooking, peel and slice thinly your apple.
Remove chops onto a plate and set aside.
Add apple to skillet and let brown, stirring frequently, let cook for 3-5 minutes, add a little butter if you have to. Add garlic and let cook ONE minute only, you do not wish to burn the garlic.
Add port wine carefully to skillet, scrape bottom to remove brown bits. Add onions back to skillet. Let cook for two more minutes.
Add bullion paste, and water and let reduce by a half. Add one small pat of butter to remaining sauce…taste for any need of salt or pepper.
Pour mixture over your pork chops and dinner is ready.
I was in such a hurry to eat this amazing dinner, I didn’t take a photo which is unusual for me…. – photo is from deliaonline, but looks very close to what my dinner looked like before I chowed down.

How to Make Fantatic Old Fashioned Coconut Brittle From Scratch

I love brittle, and this take on peanut brittle really does a nice job – super easy and quick. Looks gorgeous if you dip pieces in melted chocolate on one side and allow to cool. Perfect for a quick gift too. Add some nuts and you got a new naughty you need to avoid! hehe Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cookie sheet with sides
One pot with high sides to cook brittle in
candy thermometer (or wide glass of iced water to check for candy stages)

Directions:

Combine corn syrup, water and sugar in pot on top of stove on low heat.
Stir till sugar has completely dissolved.
Once sugar has dissolved, cook without stirring to hard ball stage – 265 degrees.
Add salt and butter and continue to brittle stage – 300 degrees (if you are using the iced water method to check for candy stage, brittle stage is when you pour a little of the mixture into the water, it creates threads that easily break when you pull it out of the water)
While this mixture is cooking on stove, toast up shredded coconut in oven on cookie sheet. Take out and let cool.
Remove brittle mixture from heat, carefully add coconut and vanilla extract and stir till combined.
Next, grease up cookie sheet with butter, an pour brittle mixture into cookie sheet.
When cool enough to handle brittle, take by the edges and stretch into a thin sheet.
When brittle is completely cooled, break it up into irregular pieces.
You can also add toasted or even roasted chopped mixed nuts or just one type of nut like cashews for an amazing extra flavor!
Makes 1 pound.