World’s best oatmeal raisin cookie

My husband doesn’t like oatmeal raisin cookies at all, but I made these the other week (a real rarity in our house because I rarely bake – a batch makes too many sweets for two people!) and now he begs for me to make more!  He’s an oatmeal raisin convert!  They are the softest, moistest cookie I think I’ve ever had – the extra spices take them to the next level.  The secret: soaking the raisins.

Note: this recipe requires soaking the raisins for 1 hour and refrigerating the dough for 45 minutes.

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Combine eggs, vanilla and raisins in a small bowl; cover and let stand for 1 hour.
2. In a large bowl or using stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed wet ingredients.  Stir in the raisin/egg mixture, rolled oats, and nuts (optional).  Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased/unprepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until barely brown on top.

Wheat berry, grilled corn & spinach salad

We do our best around here to stay away from processed foods, lots of pasta, salt, cheese, and red meat. I seem to have a genetic tendency toward high levels of cholesterol even when staying away from cholesterol-high foods and my husband has some serious cardiac issues that we keep a close eye on.  So what do we eat?  We do our best to craft our meals around lean meats, fresh vegetables and fruit, low-fat dairy, and limit white flour and sugar.  My husband doesn’t miss the other stuff too much, and let’s face it – anything fresh and well-prepared easily wins out over something processed or from a package or a box.  An added bonus: he’s shed 30 lbs since our wedding day by only altering his diet!

Now that summer is here and grilled burgers, chips, and mayonnaise-rich salads are everywhere it’s getting a little harder to stick to!  There are still a low of BBQ-friendly foods and sides that are yummy, though, and this is one of my favorite salads, taken from my Mom’s recipe book.

Wheat Berry, Grilled Corn & Spinach Salad

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken

This is my husband’s all-time favorite dinner.  I think he would eat it every night if I made it.  It’s extremely easy and satisfies my craving for “something out of the ordinary.”  Added bonus: it’s a crock-pot meal!  Who doesn’t love to come home to a fresh meal, cooked and ready to go!

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed off
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 1-2 red peppers, chopped
• 1-2 4-inch stalks lemon grass (extra sections can be frozen, look for at an Asian market)
• 1 tbsp fresh minced or grated ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp ground tapioca
• light sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 can coconut milk (reduced fat or light is also okay)
• 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
• cilantro to taste

1. Heat oil in medium sauté pan.  Salt and pepper chicken thighs.  Brown chicken in hot oil, 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from heat.
2. Layer onion, red pepper, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic in crock pot.  Sprinkle with tapioca, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Place chicken on top.
3. Whisk together coconut and Thai green curry paste in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken in crock pot.
4. Cover; cook until chicken is fork-tender on high heat setting 3-4 hours, or on low heat setting 6-7 hours.
5. Discard lemon grass. Serve over rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

easy Friday night dinner

I realized on the way home from work that I was either going to have to stop at the grocery store, or we were going to have to get take-out, or we were going to starve.  I could go home, eat a Greek yogurt with a banana, and call it a night, but my better half doesn’t go for that kind of meal.  About the last thing I want to do on a Friday night is hit up the grocery store, and we’re making a conscious effort to eat well and cut down on our expenses.  I started mentally searching the cupboards from the drivers seat and figured I could create something out of leftover penne and frozen broccoli florets.  I don’t have a name for it, but my husband liked dinner a lot tonight.  Since it only took ten minutes it’s an instant favorite of mine, too!

I started frozen broccoli florets steaming in the rice cooker and a pot of water boiling for the penne, then I heated a little olive oil in a sauce pan on the stove.  I added lemon juice, five or six cloves of fresh pressed garlic, a generous amount of crushed red pepper and parsley, salt, and pepper.  I deglazed with a little dry white wine, let it simmer down a bit, then added Romano cheese.  Just after it melted I transferred the steamed broccoli to the sauce pan and tossed it until it was evenly coated, then added the drained penne.

Voila, leftovers repurposed into an easy healthy dinner in ten minutes!  Next time I would add red pepper and onion to the veggies, and maybe some grilled chicken.

The best part – my wonderful husband cleaned up the entire kitchen while I vegged the rest of the night!  :)

Asian Orange Chicken

I made this with Ryan tonight and it was SO GOOD and easy.  It was a healthier version of take-out Chinese.

Asian Orange Chicken

1 1/2 cups water
1 orange, juiced and zested
1/4 lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper