Watch out, because these cookies are trouuuuuble

Start preheating the oven and pour yourself a nice frosty glass of milk, because it’s cookie time. It’s not often that I get the urge to bake cookies -- I’d much rather throw a lasagna in the oven -- but I’ve been playing around with this recipe in my mind for a little while. Glad I finally made it happen, as these cookies are so sweet and chewy and utterly addictive.

Oatmeal Pecan Butterscotch Cookies 
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup butterscotch chips

Place oven racks in upper third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl, beating with electric mixer until fluffy before adding eggs, beating to mix thoroughly. Add flour, oats, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt, mixing on low speed until blended. Add pecans and butterscotch chips until incorporated. Drop batter by the tablespoon about 1-1½ inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies appear golden brown but are still soft. Remove cookie sheets from oven, letting cookies stand for 2-3 minutes before moving them to cooking racks.

Ain’t no party like a Pyrex party

I’m getting into the habit of spending a lot of time in the kitchen at the start of the week. I like making one big mess and multiple meals in a marathon session because then it’s easier to focus on other projects and activities later in the week. It feels like I’m working smarter, not harder -- if I’m going to use a certain vegetable in multiple recipes, I’d rather do all the chopping at once and save myself the hassle of washing the cutting board and knife twice. With proper menu planning, it’s also a great way to get the most out of your groceries while everything’s fresh. Take, for example, the following two meals that I made, one after the other, a few days ago. Both recipes include chicken breast, cheese and green onion -- I was able to use a two-pound package of chicken, a 12-ounce bag of pre-shredded cheese and one bunch of onions without having to stash any pesky remnants in the fridge. Knocked out a good portion of my prep work while baking the chicken (375 degrees for 20-ish minutes) and tackled the dishes while my concoctions bubbled away in the oven.

First into the oven was a gooey cheese-and-rice dish, the recipe for which I got from my mother-in-law, Lynn (it’s a family classic). After that, the newest of my never-ending attempts at making things delicious by smothering everything in enchilada sauce.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake 
Adapted from a recipe that originally appeared in “Casseroles” by Beatrice Ojakangas 
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup uncooked white rice
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms
⅓ cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups nonfat milk
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese, divided
1 (2-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil with bouillon, stirring until bouillon cubes are dissolved. Stir in rice, bring back to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. In another medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and green onions and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and marjoram until blended. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese and pimentos and stir until cheese melts. Stir in chicken and rice. Pour mixture into glass baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole 
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup corn kernels
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 4.25-ounce can chopped olives
1 pack La Tortilla Factory green chile tortillas (or 8 corn tortillas), cut into strips
1 28-ounce can red enchilada sauce
2 cups grated reduced-fat cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first six ingredients in medium bowl. In a 9-by-13 baking dish, layer all ingredients in the following manner: enchilada sauce (first layer should be enough to lightly coat the bottom of the baking dish), tortilla strips, chicken mixture, handful of cheese, healthy drizzle of sauce. Top the final layer of tortilla strips with remaining sauce and cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil, bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove dish from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Make-Fast Mondays: Grilled Maple Soy Salmon

Just because winter’s in the air doesn’t mean you can’t pop outside for a few minutes to grill up this quick dinner! Pair this delicious salmon with a side salad, some steamed rice, whatever floats your boat.

Grilled Maple Soy Salmon 
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
2 half-pound coho salmon fillets, skin removed
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, sambal oelek and salmon fillets. Marinade for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill at medium-high heat. Remove salmon from bag and discard remaining marinade. Grill salmon for 8 minutes, flipping once. Sprinkle each fillet with sesame seeds before serving.

Much to celebrate!

I don’t write about life outside the kitchen too much on this site -- this is a food blog, after all! However, happenings outside of the blogosphere have been pretty darned exciting so I figure it’s time to bring everyone up to speed (which also explains why you haven't seen a ton of new posts in recent months). The two biggies?

1. Chris and I moved from Sacramento to Mountain View last year and are loving life in the Bay Area, and

2. We got married!

Our big day was everything we’d hoped and planned for -- so much joy and love shared with our families and friends. Now that things have calmed down and we’re settling into daily life as husband and wife, I’m really excited to get back into the kitchen and to create new, share-worthy recipes. First up is a new Make-Fast Mondays treat I whipped up the other night.

Open-Faced Salmon Sandwiches 
Dark rye
Sliced smoked salmon
Whipped cream cheese
Capers, drained and rinsed
Mustard (Inglehoffer Creamy Dill, if you can find it, but Dijon's also great)

Apply a good slathering of cream cheese to toasted rye slices. Add salmon, top with capers and a dollop of mustard, and enjoy.

Make-Fast Mondays: Merguez Pita Pizzas

Have you ever tried merguez? It’s my new favorite sausage and one I recently discovered thanks to a vendor at our local farmers market. This spicy lamb sausage tastes great grilled, and it’s also fabulous on these single-serving pita pizzas.

Merguez Pita Pizzas 
½ pound merguez, casings removed
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ cup thin-sliced red onion
½ cup feta
4 pita rounds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, brown sausage in frying pan over medium heat, using spatula or large spoon to break meat into crumbles. Remove from heat drain fat from pan. Place two pita rounds on two baking sheets. Combine tomato sauce, oregano and garlic powder in a bowl and whisk with fork until blended. Divide sauce among the four pita rounds, followed by the red onions, feta and merguez. Bake pizzas for 15 minutes, remove from oven and serve.

Get these barbecue chicken bowls in your life

One of the many reasons why I love my slow cooker? Throw some meat in with a little sauce, simmer for a few hours and BAM! Shredded, meaty goodness. I recently revisited the barbecue chicken aspect of this recipe and crafted up some seriously delicious bowls.

Barbecue Chicken Bowls 
You’ll want the following ingredients per serving: 
1 cup shredded barbecue chicken
½ cup fresh, raw corn
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup cooked pinto beans
Garnishes including finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro and sliced avocado

Combine ingredients in large salad bowl and enjoy!

Make-Fast Mondays: Focaccia Veggie Pizzas

Not sure about you, but little Loryll was a biiiiig fan of french-bread pizzas. This is my grown-up attempt take on this special, easy treat. I’ve balanced out the food groups just a little bit more -- less pepperoni and bread, with more veggies and still plenty of delicious cheese. 

Focaccia Veggie Pizzas 
1 16-ounce focaccia loaf
1 cup prepared pesto
1 ½ cups marinara sauce
2 large sliced Roma tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (I ended up with 10-12)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the focaccia horizontally so you’ve got two thin, flat pieces to work with. Place each focaccia slice on a baking sheet. Spread pesto sauce on one piece of the focaccia and top with half the mozzarella slices and all of the tomatoes. Evenly cover the other slice of focaccia with marinara sauce, remaining mozzarella and red bell peppers. Bake the pizzas for 10 minutes before removing them from the oven, slicing and serving.