Apricot-Pecan Rugelach

Filling:

1 12 oz jar apricot preserves

1 cup ground pecans

1 cup currants or raisins

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Dough:

½ lb cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp sugar

Combine pecans, currants, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl; set aside. Combine cream cheese, flour, butter and sugar in a large bowl and blend.  Divide dough into four pieces. Dust each with flour, shaking off excess. Roll each piece between sheets of waxed paper into a 10” circle. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread each circle of dough with apricot jam.  Divide filling among circles, spreading evenly. Cut each circle into 12 wedges.  Roll up each wedge from bottom edge to point. Arranged on baking sheets, point side down.

Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Store cookies in airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen.

Oreo-Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a fun cookie for children and adults alike. The Oreo cookie crumbs give these cookies a distinct look. NOTE: Dough must be chilled first before rolling into dough balls.

24 Oreos, divided

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Coarsely chop 12 Oreo cookies and set aside. Reserve the remaining 12 for future use.

With a hand held mixer, beat butter and both sugars together for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add in the eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix for an additional minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and coarsely chopped Oreo cookies. Chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

When dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Separate the remaining Oreos.  Scrape the cream filling from the cookie and discard. Place cookies in a food processor or blender and blend until they are a fine crumb. (Or place in a plastic bag and crush the cookies with a rolling pin.)  Set fine crumbs aside.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into 2 tbsp size balls. Roll each cookie dough ball into the Oreo crumbs.

Place the cookie dough balls in the baking sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown.

*Chips can be increased to 2 cups, and you can substitute dark or milk chocolate chips.

Roasted Veggie Fusilli

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 red onion, sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

8 oz fusilli

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss vegetables and oil; arrange on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes. While vegetables roast, cook fusilli. Toss roasted vegetables, fusilli and grated cheese. Garnish with basil.

Optional: Dollop with ½ cup part-skim ricotta.

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

While these cookies are excellent as is, I might tweak the recipe in the future with more coconut or a few drops of coconut extract.

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup butter (1½ sticks), softened

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

⅓ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1¾ cups (11.5 oz pkg) chocolate chips - milk, semi-sweet or dark

1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chicken Breasts with Dijon Sauce

I usually double the sauce ingredients in order to have extra to serve over a side dish of steamed asparagus.

2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved
salt, to taste
lemon pepper seasoning, to taste

3 tbsp margarine or butter

½ cup chicken broth

½ cup fat free half-and-half

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

½ tsp grated lemon peel (optional)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and lemon pepper seasoning.  In large skillet over medium heat, melt margarine; cook chicken about 5 minutes on each side.  Reduce heat; cover.  Simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Remove to serving platter; keep warm.

Add chicken broth to skillet.  In small jar with tight fitting lid, combine half-and-half & flour; shake well.  Stir into broth; cook over medium heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Stir in mustard, honey and lemon peel.  Spoon part of sauce over chicken; serve with remaining sauce.

Oven Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

The original recipe recommended serving the dish with red quinoa. But rice or barley can be substituted for the quinoa.

3 tbsp apricot preserves

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water

½ tsp ginger, optional

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 large green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red sweet pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick coins

6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk apricot preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and 1 tbsp water. Toss chicken with 3 tbsp of apricot mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Toss peppers, carrot and scallions with remaining mixture and spoon over chicken. Loosely tent with foil, venting at one end.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees and vegetables are tender.

Poundcake Muffins

These muffins are delicious as is.  Served with sliced strawberries and whipped cream (or ice cream) they would be even better!

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease nine 3 x 1¼ inch muffins cups (or use paper liners).

In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until well combined. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in dry ingredients just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffins tin to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack.  Serve warm or store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Note: These muffins freeze well.