Perfect Whole Wheat Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

My search is over.  I have finally created, after many trials, the perfect whole wheat chocolate chip cookie.  This cookie is crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  These are easy to make and unlike some cookies, are still extremely tasty after cooling overnight. They lose the crispy outside, but stay soft and chewy.  Oh yea one more thing...you would never know these are whole wheat.  Definitely try these.  Easy to make and easy to eat.  Good Luck keeping them in the house for more than 3 days.

 Ingredients

- 1 1/4 sticks of unsalted organic butter (softened)

- 2/3 cup packed organic light brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 egg

- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 heaping cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400º.  In a mixer, combine butter, sugar, salt and baking powder on medium speed until well combined and smooth.  Add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.  Next pour in flour and mix low until a loose dough is formed.  Hand mix chocolate chips in.  On a greased cookie sheet spoon 2 teaspoon scoops about 2 inches apart.  Cook for 6 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Pour a glass of milk and enjoy!!  Makes about 3 dozen mini cookies.

Notes on the Recipe:

- For thinner crispier cookies use only 1 cup of flour instead of a heaping cup.

- For perfect spooning use a 1 1/2 teaspoon (size 100) cookie scoop (Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop)

- Mini chocolate chips work great in this recipe but good luck finding mini dark chocolate chips.

Cucumber Salad

 

This recipe actually isn't my own recipe but more my wife's.  So we can call this one, direct from the Wife's Kitchen.  It is so good that I had to post it.  This is a tangy, lightly sweet cucumber salad.  I remember going to a great Brooklyn, NY diner when I was a child and they put something similar to this on the table.  Ever since I have been trying to match it.  To be honest, I think my wife has made it even better than the diner.  I wish I can take credit for it, but I can't.  It makes an amazing side dish accompaniment to any sandwich for lunch, or a nice night of grilling burgers and dogs. To be honest though, I can eat it with anything.  This will officially be the easiest recipe I have ever posted on The Husband's Kitchen so nobody has any excuse in not trying this recipe.  And even better, its Kosher, Gluten Free, and Extremely Low in Fat.

Ingredients needed for the BEST Cucumber Salad

- 4 Kirby Cucumbers (Cut thin)

- 1/2 Vidalia or Sweet Onion (Cut thin and in quarters)

- 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (1/4 cup per cucumber)

- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

- 1/8 cup cane sugar

- 2 pinches of salt

- 1 pinch pepper

- Fresh or Dried Dill to your liking (I don't like too much)

Put the Cucumbers and Onions with Vinegar, Oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and dill in a bowl.  Mix well.  Put in a air tight storage container or mason jar.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serve Cold.  

Notes on the Recipe:

- Though I am sure regular cucumbers would be just fine, there is something about Kirby cucumbers that make this even better.

- Make sure to use any variation of sweet onion or else it will make dish quite bitter.

- I find that if you cut the cucumbers and onions thin, the texture is better and the cucumbers absorb the flavors of the vinegar better.  I use the thinnest setting on my mandoline slicer to cut these evenly.

Healthy Eating and Good Eats!!!

Whole Wheat Blondies (ala mode optional)

Blondies were always one of my favorite types of cookies.  Or is it a cake?  Personally I am not really sure.  But it doesn't really matter.  All that matters is that they taste good.  One problem...They aren't the healthiest of options.  I haven't made them a whole lot healthier but added whole grains to the recipe to allow for a little less guilt.  Less guilty, but ALL the flavor of regular blondies.  This recipe is extremely easy to prep and entails only a few ingredients.  Try out the recipe.  I guarantee you will enjoy!!  And to all my kosher readers, this recipe is also kosher!!  Unlike some of my recipes, this has exact measurements.

Ingredients needed for less guilty Blondies

- 1 stick of unsalted organic butter (melted)

- 1 cup packed organic light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (The REAL stuff please)

- 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

- Whatever fillings you would like (I use white and dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix melted butter and light brown sugar until combined completely.  Slowly add egg and vanilla while constantly mixing to make sure egg doesn't begin to cook if butter is still hot.  Once mixed to a smooth liquid add the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add whatever fillings you desire.  There are 2 ways you can cook these.  Put dough in a greased 8x8 inch cake pan or do what I do:

Go out and buy one of these (Kitchen Essentials® from Calphalon® Bar Pan)

Bake blondies for 20 minutes if you like them to be moister/softer, or bake for 30 minutes for a more crispier/drier blondie. 

Notes on recipe:

- Filling suggestions: White chocolate chips, Dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, raisins, m&ms, reeses pieces, or whatever your heart desires.

- I certainly think the moister/softer blondie is better but feel free to try anything.

- Allow blondies to completely cool before cutting them or taking them out of the pan.

- One of my friends suggested this and it was great.  Put the blondies in the fridge and let them get hard.  You might be surprised but they happen to make for an even better treat.  And it take longer to eat.  Thanks Justin.

- The Bar Pan works amazing.  I highly suggest it.  It can also be used for easy less messy brownies. Oops did I say brownies.  Not really supposed to mention those while talking blondies.  

Enjoy!!!

Grilled Chicken Marsala

Traditional Chicken Marsala is usually battered or pan seared using a flour based breading which adds a lot of fat and calories.  Traditional Recipes also use a large amount of butter.  My mission was to eliminate these ingredients to create a healthier but still tasty and enjoyable dinner.  I believe I have succeeded but only my fellow fans and chefs could be the ultimate test on the verdict.  Make this recipe and let me know what you think.


Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Marsala:


- 1 Package Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- 8 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
- 2 Large Shallots (Minced)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- 1 bottle Sweet Marsala Wine
- 1 Carton Chicken Stock
- 2 Package Baby Bella Mushrooms (Sliced)
- 1 box Farfalle Pasta
- Parsley

First thing needed to be done to make this recipe is to marinate the chicken for grilling.  To do this, mix the chicken with Olive Oil (enough to coat all the chicken), 8 minced cloves of garlic, and a liberal amount of salt and pepper.  8 cloves seems like a lot but it will be well worth it as it will flavor the chicken tremendously.  Let marinate for about 1 hour.  


When the chicken has 15 minutes left to marinate begin heating water for pasta. While waiting for water to boil, heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large saute pan.  Add shallots and saute until sweated.  Add mushrooms and let simmer until softened, mixing once every minute.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Once softened add 1 1/2 cups of Marsala Wine and heat on high flame until boiling.  Continue to boil until reduced to half the original amount mixing occasionally.  While waiting for this to happen, add pasta to boiling water and then begin to grill the chicken.  Because the chicken is marinated in oil, there will be a lot of flare up when chicken goes on grill.  Be sure not to forget to put the extra garlic from the marinade on chicken once on grill.    The chicken will cook very quickly.  Back over at the saute pan, once wine is reduced, add chicken stock 1 cup at a time.  Wait until stock reduces to add more.  You should use no more than 3 cups depending on how saucy you want the chicken.  This will take a while.  Add about 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and minced parsley to sauce.  Taste the sauce as you go.  If its losing the Marsala taste add more wine in small amounts.  Once you are happy with the consistency and amount of sauce (it should be thick), reduce to a simmer and add the grilled chicken.  You now have two options.  You can simmer over a flame or put in oven at about 300 degrees until ready to serve.  Don't forget about your pasta during all this.  You want the pasta to be Al Dente.  This means it should still be a bit firmer then fully cooked pasta but not hard.  Put chicken over pasta and pour sauce over.  Enjoy!!  You will be surprised just how fulfilling this dish is. 

A couple of notes on the recipe
-  You can also cook chicken on an indoor grill pan but olive oil will not burn off so you will end up with more of an oily chicken.  This is not necessarily bad but just be aware is will add fat to the dish.
-  I like to add a little bit of grated Parmesan cheese to the top of the dish afterwords as it adds an extra flare to the dish.
-  If possible go to a liquor store and use a real Marsala wine and not one from the cooking wine aisle of the supermarket.  It will make a world of difference.  I use sweet Marsala wine as opposed to the dry type.

Healthier, Kosher, Whole Wheat Rugelach

 

From the look at the picture you might be saying to yourself, This looks too complicated...There is no way I can make this...This is going to take a long time.  If you are thinking any of these things, you are wrong.  The recipe I am about to explain to you is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made.  On top of that it was fun and allows you to become creative in the kitchen.  If you are a lover of Rugelach and wouldn't eat it because you know how bad it is for you, PLEASE try this recipe.  As an added bonus I made sure this recipe is kosher considering this cookie is traditionally a Jewish pastry.  Now remember, I do not measure when I bake and cook, so some of the ingredients listed are estimates of what was used.  It is up to you, the cook, to figure out the exact amounts.

Ingredients needed for these amazing cookies

For Dough:

- 1 8oz package of low fat cream cheese

- 1 stick of organic butter

- 3/4 cup of organic cane sugar

- 2 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour

For Filling:

- 1/2 cup cane sugar

- 1/8 cup cinnamon

- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

- Finely Chopped Walnuts

- 1/8 cup canola oil 

Miscellaneous:

- 1 egg

- Confectioner's Sugar

Cooking Instructions

To make the dough, using a hand mixer, first cream the cream cheese, butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Next add the flour in 3 equal increments.  Start by mixing with a spoon.  Once it gets too hard to mix, wash your hands, and dig in.  You will know you have added enough flour once the dough becomes less sticky and pretty firm.  This is when you cover and put in the fridge for an hour.  

While the dough is in the fridge, its time to mix the filling.  This is where you can get creative.  You can come up with and unlimited number of fillings.  Some traditional ones are, chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, walnut, and apricot preserves.  For my recipe, I have made a combination of Cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts.  Simply mix the dry ingredients of the filling listed above.  Then add the canola oil and mix until it covers the entire mixture evenly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Take the dough out of the fridge and split into 3 even amounts.  Take one of the dough balls and roll into a circle.  You want this to be about a 12 inch thin circle.  Next, spread the filling on top of the dough covering the radius as best you can.  Once this is complete cut the dough with a sharp knife into the following:

Starting on the thick side roll each section of the dough inward and place on a nonstick pan covered with cooking spray.  Brush the top of each cookie with a beaten egg.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top of the cookie begins to brown.  Repeat with 2 other dough portions.  Let cool, dust with confectioner's sugar, and enjoy.  And I know you will.  Recipe yields about 48 cookies.

Cinco De Mayo Ground Chicken Tacos

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!  Translation, Happy 5th of May!!  For the occasion I have made chicken tacos.  Tacos that are so easy, so low-fat, and so tasty, you would never believe it!!  You just need to try making them for the proof.  Yes some of the ingredients are already made for you but it is still an amazing quick and easy alternative to Taco Bell!!

Ingredients for Ground Chicken Tacos:

99% Fat Free Ground Chicken (What I Use)
Taco Seasoning Mix (What I Use)
Guacamole (My famous Guacamole will be posted at a later date)
Low Fat Mexican Cheese (What I Use)
Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Corn Tortillas


To make the tacos is very simple.  In a saute pan with a small amount of Olive Oil, cook ground chicken into crumbles.  Mix 1/2 cup of water with seasoning mix.  Add to cooked chicken.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  While simmering, put cheese, guacamole, salsa and shredded lettuce into serving bowls.  Heat corn tortillas until they start to become slightly stiff (Will only happen in oven).  Put the chicken in a serving bowl and you are ready to enjoy your Cinco de Mayo (or easy any night) dinner.  It may not sound like much but they really do fill me up.  All I need is 2.  


A couple of notes on the recipe
-If you cannot find the 99% Fat Free ground chicken, regular ground chicken will work but will increase the fat considerably.  And take it from me the 99% fat free kind tastes great!!
-I use organic seasoning mix, and I recommend it highly.  Regular seasoning mix have all sorts of additives such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils.  Stay away from them.
-I promise, I will post my famous guacamole that everyone talks about.  Just need to find the right day.  For now you can use any store made guacamole or try making it yourself.  There are many recipes out there.
-Make sure to heat the corn tortillas.
-Usually people would drink a nice cold beer with tacos.  I do something a little different.  I accompanied my tacos with an amazing wine which I will feature in this weeks Wine of The Week.  It is perfect for Mexican food.

BBQ Salmon on a Cedar Plank

It has been REALLY HOT where I live in New Jersey the last couple of days.  This type of weather has brought on the feeling of summer early so why not fire up the grill!!!  Today I am making BBQ Cedar Planked Salmon.  It may sound too gourmet for the simple weeknight dinner but this happens to be an extremely easy dish to make.

Ingredients for BBQ Salmon on a Cedar Plank:
Any kind of Salmon Fillet (About 6 ounces per person)
BBQ Sauce (What I Use)
Cedar Plank
Spray Bottle

Its that simple.  First and most important, you must soak the plank in water for 30 minutes or more.  I usually let my salmon marinate in the BBQ Sauce while the grill heats (Medium Low Heat) and plank soaks.  There is a trick to using the cedar planks and it is important to follow.  You must use indirect heat to cook the salmon.  If you aren't aware of what this means then basically it is to turn on the two burners that are not directly underneath the salmon causing the heat to circulate around the fish while it cooks.  This will help in the cooking process in 2 ways.  First, it will slow cook the salmon which will make the salmon have an amazing buttery consistency.  Secondly, it will help decrease your chances of the cedar plank catching fire.  That is why the spray bottle is in the ingredient list.  There is a chance the wood could catch fire.  How do you know when the salmon is cooked to your desire?  I usually keep the salmon on the grill for 20 minutes.  This cooks it to a medium well, though there is no real way to tell if it is the way you like it cooked unless you use a food thermometer or cut into it.

I served this dish with Grilled Chinese Eggplant in a Sweet Chili Sauce and Parmesan roasted fingerling potatoes.  I will save these recipes for a later date so keep checking back for those.

A couple of notes on the recipe
-  Cedar Planks can be rather expensive.  At my supermarket they charge $11 for 2 small planks.  I advise buying them online.  Amazon sells them for much cheaper.
- You can use any type of salmon that you prefer.  In the picture above I used 1 fillet that was Farmed Atlantic Salmon and 1 King Salmon Fillet.
- For more on indirect cooking Click Here