Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are excellent.  Chocolate and gooey caramel goodness.  :)

INGREIDENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
24 Rolos
1/4 cup granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla then mix until combined. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt & cocoa powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing well between each batch. Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge or 20-30 minutes in the freezer. Scoop out ~1 Tablespoon dough and wrap it around a Rolo candy. Roll dough in sugar and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating pan half way through. Enjoy!

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

We sometimes struggle with what to serve for a side dish.  I like to vary it up every once in a while and try new things.  I always forget about cauliflower and how good it can be, so I was quite excited when I came across this recipe.  These little cakes are awesome and so creamy inside.  I added a little more cheese on top right before I served them.  Definitely a keeper!

INGREDIENTS
1 head cauliflower
2 large eggs
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c panko
1/2 t cayenne pepper (more of less to taste)
salt
olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Cut cauliflower into florets & cook in boiling water until tender about 10 minutes. Drain. Mash the cauliflower while still warm. Stir cheese, eggs, panko, cayenne & salt to taste.
Coat the bottom of a griddle or skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Form the cauliflower mixture into patties about 3 inches across. Cook until golden brown & set, about 3 minutes per side. Keep each batch warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

Chicken and Rice/Orzo Soup

It was really cold and rainy the other night, so this soup was wonderful and the kids really liked it.  I used Orzo pasta, because it’s what I had in my pantry, but white or even wild rice would work out nicely as well.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock or broth (we use low sodium)
1 cup of water
1 cup long grain white rice OR orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken broth and water- bring the liquid to a boil. Add in the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender-about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Seasoned Black Beans

We eat a lot of tacos in our house, because they are quick, easy and the boys love Mexican food.  Instead of mixing black beans in our tacos, we thought that we’d give this recipe a try and serve the beans as a side dish.  I added corn for a little color as well.  The seasoned beans were good and something that I’ll add to our taco nights more often.

INGREDIENTS
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or use cooked dried beans)
1 clove garlic minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS
In a  pan cook and onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add oregano and cumin and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add black beans and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, to allow flavors to blend. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice, stir and serve.