Basil Vinaigrette

An easy salad dressing and a great way to use up extra basil before it goes bad. Goes nicely with a simple salad of romaine, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.

-1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
-1 tablespoon roasted garlic
-1-1/2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-3/4 cup olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.

My Friend Janet's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know we all love Meghan and Margie's chocolate chips, but this recipe is worth a try, too. These cookies turn out quite differently.

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
3. Mix butter and all sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips
5. Roll dough into balls using a scant 1/4 cup for each ball. Place them 2.5 inches apart on baking sheets.
6. Bake 15-18 minutes, cool on baking sheets.

Chris' Favorite Salad

This salad was in a dream I had the other night! So, I decided to give it a try and Chris declared it to be the best salad I have ever made -- wow!

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed into bite-size pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 red pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds chicken, poached and shredded
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed
fresh mozzarella
basil leaves, torn into small pieces
romaine or red leaf lettuce

olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine eggplant, tomatoes and red pepper in a bowl with a generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Mix well. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and roast for 25-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Make a simple balsamic vinegarette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix very well.

Portion out lettuce into individual bowls. Top with garbanzo beans, vegetable mix, chicken, cheese and basil. Finish off with the homemade dressing.

So delish and so healthy!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies!

Yes, just FOUR ingredients!!!

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Mix all four ingredients until smooth and well combined. Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies may seem a bit soft, but they are best that way (especially once they cool!)

Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

I made this for dinner last night and Chris loved it! I'll definitely add this to my brunch repitoire!

Ingredients

3 cups peeled and grated Idaho potatoes, squeezed dry in towels or frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed and squeezed dry in towels

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon teaspoon salt

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half(I used 1 cup of skim milk and 1/2 cup whipping cream)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

4 ounces baked ham, chopped(I used crumbled bacon)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round glass pie pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, butter, Essence, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and toss to combine. Add the Parmesan and toss to combine. Press the potato mixture into the prepared pan, spreading with your fingertips to evenly cover the bottom and up the sides. Bake until the potatoes are set and golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the half-and-half, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the Gruyere and ham, stir, and pour into the prepared potato crust. Bake until the center of the custard is set but still slightly soft, puffed, and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and serve.