Cocoa Fudge Cookies

Yum. That's all.

Thin cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers. They're so easy; you don't even need to get out the mixer. Just mix all the ingredients right in a saucepan! They're a pure cocoa delight; Zack called them a "hot chocolate cookie," which I think describes them well. Almost like a brownie, but so dainty and thin.

These would be perfect cookies for ice cream sandwiches (so that may be in the future), and I'm also contemplating substituting peppermint extract for vanilla extract to give these a thin mint quality.

If you want a recipe, again, feel free to comment on the post and ask. I'm happy to share. These are definitely worth sharing. Cheers.

Beef and Beer Chili with Jack Quesadillas

Here's a warm, fit-for-fall meal as promised. And this was really tasty. And easy! This soup doesn't have to be simmering for hours; it was ready in a matter of 30 minutes.

Just saute up some red onion, red bell pepper, extra-lean ground beef, and minced garlic. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and kosher salt. Then add dried oregano along with red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and a 12-ounce bottle of beer. Towards the end of cooking, stirring in some cornmeal helps thicken the chili a bit and a squeeze of lime adds to and brings out the flavors.

I went ahead and served this with some quesadilla wedges. A nice multi-grain tortilla adds even more heartiness. Just monterey jack cheese, and some chopped green onion and cilantro.

I could not believe how not heavy this meal was. I mean, beef and beer?! But this Cooking Light recipe is actually low in fat and high in fiber. And the flavor is great. It's a little spicy and the flavor of the beer really does come out. I used Sierra Nevada pale ale. Also, I've learned to keep recipes like this low in salt by using low-sodium broth and no-salt-added diced tomatoes. I also like to rinse canned beans as I drain them before adding to anything. It gives you more control in monitoring your salt content.

Well, I have some ground beef leftover. Prepare yourself for an interesting post (meal post (not to be confused with the cookie post that is also coming)). Dinner tonight will definitely be creative. I guess ground beef could make for several not so unusual meal options, but why would I do that? :)

Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Now that it's fall, all I want to do is find pumpkin and gingerbread recipes. I have a bookmarked list that goes on for too long. So here's pumpkin carrot cake. I didn't even know there was such a thing, but the internet reveals and confirms all things you weren't aware of. And thanks to Zack, for coming up with such an idea.

The best idea ever. Pumpkin carrot. Quite possibly one of the most delicious flavor combinations. They're both orange. Why wouldn't they go well together? And quite fitting for the Oregon State win versus Washington State this weekend (go Beavers). This cake also has an amazing cream cheese frosting with orange juice and zest. And it's better to frost a cake when it's completely cooled by the way. I know firsthand how excited you can get, but wait. It's for the best.

Wish I had gotten some pictures of the inside of this cake for the blog's sake. But hey, I'm sorry. There was just no time. Once you slice a piece of this, you're just trying to find the fastest way to get some in your mouth. You just want the instant gratification of rich, cinnamon-and-spice-everything-nice flavor. No time for pictures. No time.

Sesame Brown Rice Salad with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts

Yes, it's been awhile. But I've got a great recipe to share in this post. This dish has great flavor. The sesame oil, canola oil, and fresh lime juice dressing is really delicious. It has Chinese chicken salad written all over it. If you want something light and healthy, this is a good choice. I also think it would be really great for lunch.

Just cook your rice, add shredded cooked chicken, shredded carrot, green onion, dry-roasted peanuts, and cilantro. Then drizzle the oil mixture over the rice mixture.

Grain salads are perfect for making ahead of time, but I learned that the grains will absorb the dressing too much as they sit. To counteract this, you can adjust the seasoning just before serving by adding some fresh citrus juice, a pinch of salt, and some fresh ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

You may have noticed that we're backing off the pasta a little. I love pasta. So much. But I've got to learn how to cook some other things too, yeah? Keep your eye out for some more fresh and healthy, and also some warm and comforting fit-for-fall meals. I am loving fall here in Washington. We have had some gorgeous weather. Cold, crisp air and sunny skies, wind and swirling leaves, a little rain here and there. Pumpkin, anyone?

Cooking with Friends: Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Shells and Red Velvet Cake

Last night, Zack and I got together with friends for dinner. I think it may turn into a regular thing, which would be cool, because they have a really nice kitchen (and we happen to like them too). And they have a dinner table. Which is also good for having people over to eat. Sitting on the floor Asian-style around our coffee table would probably only be fun for so long.

So Zack and I made a trip to Central Market for groceries, I made a red velvet cake, and we took a box of ingredients over to our friends' to cook stuffed shells together. The cake was actually adapted from Ina Garten's Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe. We thought a cake would be more dinner party-like in comparison to cupcakes. And boy, was it party-like. There's something about red velvet. Why is it that a few drops of red food coloring just make a cake like nothing else? So smooth. So moist. And this cream cheese frosting just tops it off perfectly. I'll definitely make this recipe again. Cupcakes or cake.

About the spinach-artichoke stuffed shells. Let's just say, cooking in someone else's kitchen is a little high stress, because you just don't know where anything is. And then your pan of olive oil gets super hot because you can't seem to chop things fast enough, so then your garlic almost gets burned. Eventually, you're just shouting out orders because that's the only way anything is going to get done in a timely fashion. Yep, I make a great guest. Ha ha. No, it was really fun. Everyone helped out and we made these greatest tasting stuffed shells. They were really good. If you like spinach-artichoke dip, you'll like this filling. Ricotta, lemon zest, thyme...so delicious. And all laying in an amazing marinara sauce. San Marzano tomatoes all the way, baby. If you haven't tried San Marzano tomatoes, you have not lived. Definitely the best canned tomatoes, and they make the best sauce. Some fresh basil, and boom, you've got a great sauce.

It was a really fun night. So here's to great food, and great people. And thanks to Naomi and Jim for being the first people (besides Zack) to partake in my still-kind-of-amateur cooking.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

So this recipe must be good. Because it survived the absence of a sort of crucial ingredient. Who puts brown sugar in cookies anyways? Apparently, I don't. When the cookies weren't really browning the way cookies usually do, I looked over my ingredient list, and sure enough, I had forgotten the brown sugar. You can't blame me. I mean, it was hidden at the top of the second column...apart from granulated sugar.

When these little miracles came out of the oven, I had to try one. To make sure I hadn't completely wasted a solid amount of baking ingredients. After the third cookie (they were little, okay?), I realized they couldn't be half bad. I mean, I kept eating more as if that would help me determine if they were good or not. But I couldn't be sure until Zack came home and tried one. Sure enough, he thought they were great!

If these were good without brown sugar, I can't wait to make them with it. These drop cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Does it get better than that?

Grilled Pork Sliders with Honey BBQ Sauce and Herbed Sweet Potato Fries

If you want meat or a solid, filling dinner that doesn't make you feel "stuffed" and "heavy," this is it. Grilled pork sliders with the always delicious sweet potato fries. Low-fat, high-fiber. Did you know that sweet potatoes are single handedly the most nutrient-rich item in the produce section? Thanks, to Rachael Ray for that fun fact. Think about that next time you're at the grocery store.

These barbecue pork sandwiches really are easy. The marinade is simply barbecue sauce (obviously), and a little dark rum and honey. Boil, cooking until reduced for about 2 minutes. Take your pork tenderloin, grill, turn, baste with sauce, repeat again, and cook until a thermometer reads about 165-170 degrees depending on how pink (or not pink) you like it. Toast some nice whole wheat buns and build your slider. Drizzle some more of that yummy sauce over it too. Man, it's good. Make sure you have really good pork and buns for this number. You know how it is...chefs are always saying to use high quality ingredients particularly when there are few of them, so just do it. You won't be sorry.

Sweet potato fries. These are good. Anyone who knows me well, know I love sweet potato fries. I'll take one over a regular one any day. They're sweet for goodness sake. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And have you seen that color? So vibrant. Must mean it's good for you, right? I cut mine nice and skinny (versus fat, steak-like fries) this time. Coat in olive oil, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Ah yeah. You'll be smelling these in no time. Cheers.