Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
* 1 cup chopped nuts

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Thanks to: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTLE-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx

Meatless Lasagna

MEATLESS LASAGNA adapted from ( Recipes for a Small Planet)

lasagna noodles, cooked

1 med onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28oz canned tomatoes

1+ lb. mushrooms, chopped (I use a variety. Recipe calls for white button)

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup ricotta

1 cup cottage cheese (I have used 2 cups of cottage cheese & no ricotta before)

1 egg

1/2 cup parm cheese

3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

any herbs you may have on hand (Recipe calls for dried oregano, basil, & parsley)

Pre-cook noodles, set aside. Saute' onions & garlic. Add tomatoes, herbs, mushrooms and kidney beans. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese and egg. (I also add some Locatelli or parm to the mixture, your choice.) Layer lasagna. A tiny bit of sauce, noodles, 1/3 of remaining sauce,1/3 of the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 mozz.cheese, 1/3 parm. cheese, noodles. Repeat with 2 more layers, ending with parm cheese. Bake @ 375* for 30 minutes.

The "Hearty Vegetable Lasagna w/ Mushrooms" can be found on: justveggingout.com. I did make a few changes. I added a ricotta layer when layering, although it's not necessary. Used a variety of mushrooms...shitake, portabellas, white button, etc. Changed out the yellow squash layer, using zucchini slices instead. Used 2 eggplants, not just one. I have a mandoline, so I used long slices of all of the veggies, instead of small slices as pictured on the site. Another big change with the veggies is I did not saute' them in a pan. I baked the slices in the oven til they were soft, about 10 minutes. This is my new favorite. Enjoy!!! (thanks Nathalie)

CHRISTMAS TREATS

Cookie sticks surprise!

1 pack of cookie sticks, plain or flavored
chocolate bar for melting
candy sprinkles
mug or tall glass
plastic wrapper
ribbons

Melt chocolate over low heat. Dip in the cookie stick and sprinkle with candy. When all sticks are done, put in a mug or tall glass. Wrap in the plastic wrapper and tie with nice ribbons. Ready fro gift-giving!.

BEEF AND VEGE SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING

BEEF AND VEGE SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING



Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes

Dressing:
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs water
1 tbs oil
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 small red chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger

Salad:
1 tbs oil
500g beef scotch fillet steaks
1 small carrot, cut into thin straws
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
11⁄2 cups snow peas
1⁄2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup finely sliced Spanish onions
1 avocado, sliced
11⁄2 cups snow pea sprouts
2 cups baby English spinach
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped macadamias
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped coriander

1. For the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake well.
2. For the salad: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the steaks and cook on high for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked the way you like it.
Remove the steaks, allow to cool then slice thinly.
3. Combine the beef strips in a large bowl with the carrot, cucumber, peas, capsicum, onion, avocado, sprouts and spinach. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
3. Served sprinkled with the nuts, mint and coriander

THANKS TO: http://onmangrovemountain.blogspot.com/2009/11/local-food-recipes.html

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

1 3oz package orange flavored gelatin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
1 18-0z can sweet potatoes, drained

In skillet, mix gelatin, spice, 1/3 cup water, and dash salt. Add butter. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Add potatoes. Cook covered till potatoes are glazed, about 15 minutes. Serves 4

Chicken Steak

1 kilo chicken breast, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2-3/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 can cream of mushroom soup

1. Brush each slice of chicken breast with olive oil. Dredge in the bread crumbs. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes so the bread crumbs can coat the chicken better.
2. Season remaining bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken again in the bread crumbs. Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and fry the chicken batches, about 1-2 minutes each side.
3. remove from skillet and keep warm while prepareing the sauce. Reserve oil inskillet.
4. For the gravy. reheat oil, add butter. When butter melts, stir in flour. Over low heat continue stirring until mixture is smooth and no lumps appear. Slowly stir in cream of mushroom soup. Let simmer, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and thick.
5. Plate the chicken. Pour gravy on the chicken.

Brunch Pizza Recipe

Brunch Pizza Ingredients:
1/2 lb	Boiled Ham, sliced
8 oz	Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese,
	Grated
2	Eggs
1/4 c	Low-fat Milk
pn	Dried Oregano
	Pizza Crust, prepared or
	Homemade

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Brunch Pizza Instructions:

Pat the pizza dough out on a 13- by 9-inch pan, baking, sheet or a round pizza pan.
Cut the ham into strips and put them on the dough.
Sprinkle on the cheese.
Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl and beat to blend.
Pour the eggs over the dough and sprinkle on the oregano.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
One Serving = Calories: 277 Carbohydrates: 15 Protein: 19 Fat: 15 Sodium: 785 Potassium: 206 Cholesterol: 145 Exchange Value: 1 Bread Exchange + 2 Medium-Fat Meat Exchanges + 1 Fat Exchange Source: Holiday Cookbook, American Diabetes Association, ISBN 0-13-024894-0, by Betty Wedman, M.S.,R.D.
Posted from the Echo's Library 04/19/94 by Frank Skelly

SOURCE