Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies especially home made ones. I wanted a cookie that was a little less traditional, and while playing in the kitchen I came up with this mocha version which really complements the sweetness and chocolate.

1 stick butter
1 oz baking chocolate chopped fine
1/2 tsp coffee (Instant is fine)
1 egg
1/2 cup Splenda blend brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 bag Chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave at 45 second intervals. Once melted add in the chocolate and coffee and stir till they are melted and combined. Pour into a mixing bowl add egg, and sugars. Beat on medium speed till combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat with the mixer until it's sticky and combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spray two non-stick cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Spray non-stick cooking spray into an ice cream scooper (cool trick the cookie dough slides out really easy) and scoop half a scoop of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and release. Repeat till done. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Potato Salad With Basil Lemon Mayo

Lately now that I'm not working I sit home and watch the Food Network a lot I get inspired and go play in the kitchen. Yesterday I bought fresh basil and I'm always looking for ways to play with basil beyond pesto which, while delicious is pretty limited. I also try to find ways to get my husband to eat things he doesn't normally like and that's how I came to create this recipe. It's a non-potato salad tasting, potato salad that everyone will love and it's super easy.

1 small bag of red potatoes quartered, boiled and cooled

Basil Lemon Mayonnaise

Half clove elephant garlic minced
1 shallot minced
1 handful basil coarsely chopped
3-4 tbsps low fat mayonnaise
1/2 lemon
salt & freshly ground pepper
1-2 tbsps olive oil

Combine the first four ingredients and stir together to combine. Take the lemon and squeeze it into the bowl being careful not to get any pits in. Squeeze until all the juice is squeezed out. Save the lemon half. Add 2 or 3 turns of the pepper grinder and a pinch of salt. Using the stick blender, blend the mixture together till all the garlic and shallots are totally undetectable and all you see are little flecks of basil. Add the olive oil until you achieve desired consistency. Taste to make sure you like the flavor you can add more lemon or salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the cooled potatoes. Take the lemon half that you reserved from earlier and using a microplane or grater zest it over the potato salad. Cover in plastic wrap. Chill and serve.

Delish!

Campfire Cholent

This cholent is a fan favorite for resident's of Washington Heights. I came up with the recipe only about a year ago, but it is already a big hit in the neighborhood if I should say so myself.
We named this the "Campfire" cholent at the Mt. Sinai shul cholent cook-off this past winter, due to one major ingredient... baked beans.

• 2 cans pareve baked beans
• 1 container of vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup of barley- you can make it more or less depending on preference
• Pearl or regular onion chopped into chunks
• salt
• black pepper
• cumin
• 1 log of frozen kishke
• "Shabbos" meat

In medium to large size crock pot, combine cut up meat chunks, baked beans, 3/4 cup barley, onion, vegetable broth and spices. Stir to combine. Drop in kishke in it's second outer layer. Turn the crockpot to low. Start the cooking process either thursday night or friday morning and let the cholent cook on low till right before shabbat. Then turn the crockpot to warm and enjoy campfire cholent all shabbos long!

Easy Chicken Satay

I love peanut butter. It's so simple yet so tasty. I had been hearing about chicken satay and I thought what a delicious grown up way to eat peanut butter. I was on peanut butter and co.'s website and they had a chicken sandwich with spicy peanut butter and pineapple jelly and thus an idea was born. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups natural peanut butter smooth or chunky
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tbsps. lime juice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• red pepper flakes adjust for your own personal taste
• salt
• black pepper
• 4 tbsps pineapple jelly
• chipotle tabasco sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 chicken breasts pounded and sliced in strips

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a sauce pan. Heat and whisk till smooth. Place sliced chicken in a pan. Pour jalf the marinade over the chicken, reserve the other half. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Heat a table top grill or grill pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken pieces on grill and cook until white and juicy. Serve with reserved peanut sauce for dipping.

Cinnamon-Sugar Half Whole Wheat Challah

This is a recipe that I combined from two different places. I recently had really amazing challah, which was made with cinnamon and sugar by Rachel (Neuman) Fryman. I am using Aish.com's "Half & Half" Challah recipe and combining it with her cinnamon and sugar coating. (The half and half refers to half whole wheat flour, half white flour).

For those of your who love cinnamon buns, or sweet pastries, you'll love this challah!!

• 2 oz. (60 gm.) yeast
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups warm water
• 4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup honey
• 5-6 cups white flour
• 3/4 cup oil

Mix together yeast, water, honey, oil, and eggs. Add the sifted flour. Knead until dough does not stick to fingers. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Separate challah, if necessary. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Divide each ball into thirds and braid (see illustration, page 122). Let rise for 1 hour.

Spread and mix cinnamon and sugar onto large flat surface or tray. Roll each piece of risen dough into the sweet mixture and make sure the dough is sufficiently, but not overly, coated.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.), for 30-45 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes 6 loaves OR 2-3 large round challahs.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Flour
• Oil
• egg

Brush challah with egg, combine rest of ingredients and crumble over the top.

Mexican Spicy Fruit

My husband has been raving about this since he came across this on the streets of Los Angeles. We recently came across similar vendors here in NYC in Washington Heights, in the Dominican area. This is a great healthy snack that hits all the major tastebuds in your mouth: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. 

Your choice of cut up:

• Mangoes
• Pineapples
• Watermelon
• Or any juicy sweet large fruit

Salt

Mexican Spicy Chili Powder

Lime Juice

Plastic Ziplock style bag

Cut fruit into large chunks and place in plastic bag.

Liberally add salt, lime juice, and chili.

Fully close bag and shake! Make sure the fruit is covered by the added ingredients. Open the bag and eat with a fork or your fingers. Enjoy.

Spinach Salami Roll

I am a huge fan of the flavors of caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Both get sweeter throughout the cooking process and add amazing flavor to anything. I wanted an alternative to deli roll and I thought what if combined onions garlic and salami? I added spinach for color and to add a veggie and voila, I had a hit on my hands. It's so easy to make and you can roast the garlic ahead of time to save time when you actually make it. You'll find yourself coming back to this over and over because it's easy, tasty, and affordable.

Ingredients:

I cup Cubed Salami

1/2 Package frozen spinach

1 red onion caramelized

5-6 cloves roasted garlic

1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in warm water. 

1 sheet phyllo dough

1 egg beaten 

sesame seeds

Mustard ( any type you like)

Preheat oven to 350F. Caramelize onions and roast garlic. add onions to spinach and saute spinach till wilted. Add in garlic and salami and saute for 5 minutes. pour boillon and stir occasionally till most of liquid is absorbed. remove from heat. place mixture on phyllo sheet flod sides in and seal with warm water. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.  Bake for 35 mintes till puffed and golden.

To serve cut slices and place on a platter with a small bowl of mustard in the middle.