Awesome Orange & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and enjoyed spending time with their loved ones as much as I did.  If your Christmas was anything like mine, you ate, ate, & then ate some more.  Today's recipe is one that I found in a cookbook my mom had hidden away at her home.  The recipe was quick and easy to make but the best part of it all is that it's almost vegan - ALMOST.  But it can easily be made into an all vegan recipe; matter of fact the recipe was for a vegan cookie, I just altered it a bit.  All that aside, it is an amazingly awesome cookie that tastes like a citrus chocolate burst as described by the hubs.  Try making them for your new years eve party or any party and share your thoughts with us!  After doing all this eating, can you guess what everyones new years resolution is in my house?!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp pure orange extract
1/3 cup soy or almond milk
1 TBSP maple syrup (I used light agave nectar)
2 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (I used 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate but will use 1 cup next time)
Zest of 1/2 of an orange (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the oil, sugar, extracts, soy milk, & maple syrup.
3. Sift in flour, baking soda, & salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.  The dough will be VERY sticky!
5. Spoon tablespoon-sized portions of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Flatten slightly and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and baked all the way through.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Enjoy!

Close up view of the cookies

 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

This is the perfect weather for hot chocolate! This recipe is a little different from your standard hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate uses cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a little kick! It sounds weird, but trust me it is so good! Try this with your family and friends this holiday with some yummy cookies!

Ingredients
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2 cup fat free half and half
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 TSP ground cinnamon
- big pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
- Heat milk and half and half over a gentle heat until hot. Add semi sweet chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
- Add cinnamon and cayenne pepper and bring to a gentle boil.
- Pour hot chocolate through a sieve straight into mugs. Serve hot, and garnish with cinnamon sticks!

Serving size- 4

Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend and stayed warm.  This recipe is somewhat of a continuation of the recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago.  Try it at home and I hope it's as big of a hit in your place as it is at ours.

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. pack of mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh organic baby spinach
1/4 - 1/2 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp (maybe a bit more) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pinch Mexican oregano
Black pepper to taste
Corn tortillas (8-10)
Avocado Cream Sauce
Mexican blend cheese (roughly 1/4 - 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a skillet, add black pepper, Mexican oregano, & mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium to low heat.
2.  Stir in spinach and continue to cook until it is wilted (eyeball it).
3.  Add orange bell pepper and poblano and cook for another minute.
4.  Remove mixture from heat and place to the side to cool down.
5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6.  In a separate skillet, spray Pam, and lightly cook corn tortillas over medium to low heat for 15-30 seconds.
6.  Place corn tortilla flat in a plate, add a couple of spoonfuls of vegetable mixture in the middle, add a light amount of cheese (just enough to bind everything), roll the tortilla, and flip over to keep it closed.
7.  In a baking dish or pan, cover the bottom of the pan with Avocado Cream Sauce, and place tortillas side by side in a row.
8.  Add remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas, add light amount of cheese, and sprinkle red bell peppers on top.
9.  Cook in the oven until cheese has melted (roughly 10 minutes).
10.  Enjoy!    

Peppermint Bark

I hope everyone is staying warm out there! I have been stuck in the house for three days due to a crazy winter/ice storm here in Dallas! This weeks recipe is fun, real easy and really great with the holidays around the corner. Make fun gifts for friends and family, just double or tripe the recipe and wrap in individual bags! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients
- 12oz semi sweet chocolate
- 12oz white chocolate
- 2-3 candy canes
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Directions
- Place candy canes in a Ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin, hammer or whatever you have handy!
- Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil.
- In a double boiler melt semi sweet chocolate chips until completely smooth, add peppermint extract and mix. Pour melted chocolate into lined baking pan, set aside for 20 minutes until set.
- Melt white chocolate in a double boiler until smooth (watch the chocolate constantly, it can burn quicker than regular chocolate). Pour over the set semi sweet chocolate. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over white chocolate. Set baking pan aside until chocolate has set.
- Break the peppermint bark into small pieces. Enjoy!

Avocado Cream Sauce

Hello friends. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed spending time with loved ones.  This was an exceptionally exciting weekend for both Krishma and I because both of us celebrated milestones in our lives.  Krishma got ENGAGED!!! CONGRATS & YEAY! We (all of her girlfriends) couldn't be more excited for her!

And my husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary - or the wooden anniversary as it is more commonly known.  To celebrate this monumental event in my life, we celebrated by eating LOTS & LOTS of food.  Matter of fact, I am going to have to workout extra hard this week because I'm pretty sure I packed on some major LBS from all the goodies I devoured!  One of the biggest hits of the weekend was spinach & mushroom enchiladas with an avocado sour cream sauce.  It was the perfect blend of creamy & spicy goodness.  I don't say this often but it is a must try!!! Try it at home and do let me know what you think of this awesome-sauce!

Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
3/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup water
1 & a half serrano peppers
Salt
Dash of lime juice
1/2 - 3/4 avocado (I used a little over a half but not quite 3/4)

Directions:
1.  Blend serrano peppers, cilantro leaves, avocado, & lime together in a blender or food processor.
2.  Mix in sour cream, water, half & half, salt, & lime juice until smooth and thick in consistency.**
3.  Pour in a container, cover, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using.  The longer the sauce sits, the better because it will give the flavors a chance to really develop. 

Yields roughly 2 cups (slightly more). 

**You may have to add more or less water depending on how thick you prefer the sauce.  It should be the consistency of gravy.  Keep in mind the sauce will thicken up as it cooks.

Below is a picture of the final product. Oh & don't worry folks, the recipe for the enchiladas and the salsa will follow soon. #YUM! :)