African Kelli asked what my favorite cookie is, and though I certainly do appreciate a gingersnap (her #1), particularly a spicy one, my current love has got to be my Triple Threat Peanut Butter cookies.  Man are they yummy!  My husband would prefer me replacing the peanut butter chips with chocolate ones, but then they wouldn’t be a triple threat, and a double threat cookie with chocolate doesn’t have that ring, you know?

I am posting this silly picture of me playing Guitar Hero (I am TERRIBLE!), along with my friends Jeff and Rena, rather than one of a mouth watering plate of cookies because I am on a cleanse/anti-inflammation diet, and, sadly, there are no cookies allowed and no peanuts either.  So, just know that this is the kind of smile produced while eating this yummy bit of goodness.

Enjoy!

3/4 butter, softened

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened) – my all time favorite is Maranatha

1 cup sugar

1/2  t molasses

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

1 c flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour

2 c rolled oats

1/2 c chopped cocktail peanuts

1/2 c peanut butter chips (or chocolate if you don’t want a triple threat)

Mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed until combined.  Add sugar, molasses, baking powder, and baking soda.  Beat until combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Mix in flour by hand.  Stir in oats, peanuts, and the chip of your choice.

Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.  Carefully transfer to a wire rack (they fall apart easily when warm).

Eat up!

I never thought I was a greens person.  They’ve just never seemed terribly appealing, but then I decided I would try.  It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more variety in my diet, would it?  No, and certainly not when prepared in this fashion along with some tasty roasted chicken.  Yum!

This serves two.

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry

1 t dried herbs – I used a combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and oregano

1/4 t ground garlic

1/4 t salt

Greens:

1 large bunch of collard greens – about 1 pound

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 T butter

1 t olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Start heating the water for the greens – 3 quarts worth in a large pot.  Combine herbs and salt in a mortar and pestle, grind until very fine (optional).  Rub chicken with herb-garlic-salt mixture and bake at 375 until juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes.  Prepare the greens while the chicken bakes.

Make a chiffonade of the greens and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt.  Add greens to the boiling water, and boil on low with the lid on for fifteen minutes.  Drain the greens thoroughly in a colander, set aside.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter, olive oil, garlic, and onion.  Saute just until the onion softens before adding the greens.  Stir until garlic and onion are evenly distributed and the greens are heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  For extra flavor, pour the pan juices from the chicken over the greens before adding the chicken.

Sit out on the lawn and enjoy!

I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen over the past few days.  With such an abundance of delicious produce available at New Seasons, I went a little gonzo and made two kinds of jam: mixed berry and nectarine-apricot.  I saw the No Sugar Necessary version of Ball’s Pectin and the old reliable Sure Jell and tried one of each.  I definitely preferred the former, as it actually allows you to choose exactly how much sugar you use.  I used 1 1/3 cups in addition to some apple juice, and the end product was perfection.  The Sure Jell made a great jam, but it is really sweet in comparison, using a whopping three cups of sugar for the same amount of fruit.

As for the chowder, we had something like this while staying at Ojo Caliente.  They have a nice restaurant at the hotel with some great local cuisine as well as some odd choices, like Northwestern Salmon, hmmm…

I don’t really use recipes, making it up as I go along, so here is the approximate version.

2 poblano peppers

2 ears corn, kernels cut away from the cob

1/2 dried pasilla chile, soaked in warm water until soft, then diced fine

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

4 T flour

1 t chile powder

1/2 t salt

1 c chicken broth

1 c milk

1/2 c whipping cream

Roast peppers and corn at 400 degrees until golden brown, stirring and turning, so everything browns evenly, about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, saute the pasilla, onion, and garlic in olive oil until browned.   Peel and chop peppers when they are cool enough to handle.  Add to onion and garlic mixture.  Stir in chicken broth.

Mix dry ingredients together, then whisk into milk and whipping cream.  Pour over corn and pepper mixture, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps.  Bring to gentle boil, then simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

This tastes great with corn bread.  I have tried and failed at many recipes, so I recommend using the Jiffy corn bread mix.  Even though it isn’t organic (something I usually strive for), I’ve found nothing beats it, and it is super cheap.  Add some grated pepper jack cheese, freshly ground black pepper or chile powder, and you are good to go.  Muy delicioso!