Melanie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, softened *not melted!*

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Mix butter, shortening and sugars – do not over mix. (The key to this recipe is minimal mixing – try it with a wooden spoon instead of a mixer.) Add vanilla and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add them next. Mix until everything is combined. Add one package of milk chocolate chips. (Guittard is my all time favorite. The milk chocolate chips are large and so smooth and creamy… yum!) Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are barely brown. Serve warm out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk… YUM!

Spinach Ravioli in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Italian salami, finely diced, or pulsed in a food processor
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 -ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained, juices reserved
5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds frozen spinach-and-cheese ravioli
1 ounce ricotta salata or parmesan cheese, grated
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Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salami and garlic and cook, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands and cook until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juice, basil, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer while you cook the ravioli.

Add salt to the boiling water, then add the ravioli and cook as the label directs; drain. Divide the ravioli among shallow bowls, spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with more basil.

Monterey Chicken

Monterey Chicken

Author: Melanie

 

*Sometimes I marinate the chicken breasts before cooking and they were great. You don't have to though. Marinade: ¼ c. olive oil, 2 T. soy sauce (or lemon juice or red wine vinegar), 2 tsp. McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning.  We only marinade about 30-60 minutes so it's not too salty:)

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ c. BBQ sauce
• ¼ c. real bacon bits
• 1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
• 1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)--OR use diced fresh tomatoes
• sliced green onions
• pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten.
3. Season with pepper.
4. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil.
5. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, ¼ c. cheese, ¼ c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits.
6. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 & ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 Tbsp
• 1 (11.5 oz) jar salted caramel sauce (I like Smuckers Brand Simple Delights, but Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel is great, too!)
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Lastly, beat in the four (4) cups of flour until a soft dough has formed. Press HALF of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate the remaining dough.
3. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on. In a small bowl, combine the caramel sauce and remaining 2 Tbsp flour until blended. Pour the caramel mixture evenly into the crust, then crumble the remaining dough on top to cover the caramel layer. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and remember that there's salt in the caramel sauce, too :)
4. Return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the caramel is bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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Chocolate Fondue

12 1oz. milk chocolate bars
1/4 cup milk
10 large marshmallows
1/4 cup whipped cream

Combine broken up chocolate bars and milk, stir until melted.
Add marshmallows--stir until melted.
Stir in cream.