Salted Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These cookies put on quite the show tonight. They really deserve an Oscar nod for their outstanding performance as best actors in the lead role of our kitchen tonight. I doubt that anything I write will ever do these cookies justice. Just make them. Promise me? I'm speechless...

...Okay, not quite speechless. If you've ever been to Brussels, Belgium, you know that every other storefront is a chocolate shop. Traveling with my fellow foodies Ariella and Katie, we undeniably went into every single chocolate store in the entire city, multiple times, and tried all of their free samples, multiple times. And then the next day, we did it all over again. Towards the end of our second chocolate adventure day, we were craving something so unbelievably salty, I probably would have opted to take a drinking straw to the Atlantic Ocean. And then...we found frites: a paper cone full of piping hot french fries, topped with a spicy mayo so messy and delicious, we had plenty of leftovers on our fingers long after the frites were gone. That salty, heavenly cone was the sensational refresher we needed to recharge our Belgian candy holiday. Now, after a week of hard work and a busy weekend of play, these cookies have completely refreshed my palate for the week ahead. I'm ready for you, October!

Ingredients

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 stick butter, soft
2 tbsp dark corn syrup
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour (of your choice)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chunks
Sea salt for topping

Directions: Makes 10-15 cookies, depending on size

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add brown sugar, white sugar, and butter to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and corn syrup to the mix and combine.
4. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and beat until all the ingredients have combined. Then fold in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon.
5. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, use an ice scream scoop to place dough, a few inches apart. You can alter the size of the cookies to however you like, but they do spread a little while baking.  Top each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, for medium sized cookies (15-17 for large, 10-12 for smaller). Let cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled (or if you're like me, still ooey-gooey and warm!), let your tastebuds feel the magic that is this cookie experience. You better enjoy!

...My roommates can barely handle their first tastes...

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

It's officially my favorite time of year. If fall is not your favorite season, and the autumn chills leave you aching for summer, get cooking! If you're not a self-proclaimed chef, fall is the perfect time to start your journey. It's a season full of colorful, rustic flavors just ready for you to set free! 


Sweet potatoes are on my list of favorite fall staples. Here is a simple recipe for sweet potato lentil soup, perfect for a chilly september night. 











Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 celery stalks, sliced
4 large carrots, sliced
1 cup pearl barley, dry
1 cup lentils, dry
48 oz. vegetable stock
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1tsp rosemary leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cracked peppercorn
2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf

Directions: Serves 6-7
1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot or slow cooker of your choice, and cook on high for 5 hours, or until vegetables are cooked through. Grab a bowl, light a candle, and enjoy!

Yum! Avery can't wait to dive into fall!

Peanutty Tofu Wraps

If tofu isn't normally your thing, this wrap might change your mind. First of all, peanuts and tofu tend to go together like spaghetti and meatballs, or like Max Grossman and Face-in-a-hole. Second of all, peanut butter has a way of making everything taste like candy. This tofu is tossed in a spicy peanut sauce that is so tasty, don't be surprised if your tastebuds beg for seconds!

Ingredients:

Filling:

1/3 cup quinoa, cooked

2 cups chopped broccoli 

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 16oz. package extra firm tofu, drained, cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Sauce:

1/2 cup Organic Powdered Peanut Butter

1/3 cup warm tap water

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon ginger

3 tablespoons your favorite Thai Peanut Sauce

*4-5 flat tortillas of your choice

Directions: Serves 4-5

1. Cook the quinoa as the package instructs. Meanwhile, boil the broccoli in a saucepan of boiling water. When broccoli is cooked, remove the pan from heat and add the shredded carrots to the pan (still in the hot water). When you are ready to add this to the tofu skillet, drain the vegetables first.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the tofu. Cook the tofu cubes until lightly browned on all sides.

3. Meanwhile to make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine powdered peanut butter with warm tap water, and stir until thickened. Then add the rest of the ingredients and combine until smooth.

4. Add drained broccoli and shredded carrots, and cooked quinoa to the skillet. Coat in the peanut sauce, and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

5. Arrange about 1/2 cup of the tofu mix in the center of a flat tortilla. Roll up and dig in!

Tony Award winner Max Grossman gives this recipe a thumbs up!

Pecan-Crusted Salmon

Here's another weekly favorite of mine. This recipe is so low maintenance, you'll be shocked at how tasty it turns out! I've adapted it from a recipe I found on www.howsweeteats.com, and cut it down to just one serving. Who says you can't treat yourself to a delicious table for one? This honeyed, nutty, flavorful salmon has swooped right into my go-to salmon meal slot. I hope you try it and see what all my hype is about! 

(I could hardly wait to eat it, I had to snap this picture before the steam cooled!)

Ingredients:

1 4-oz. salmon filet

1/4 cup your favorite BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce)

1/4 cup pecans, coarsely ground in a food processor

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Olive Oil Spray

Directions: Serves 1

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Wash the salmon filet, and pat dry. Brush both sides of the salmon with BBQ sauce. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine ground pecans and cinnamon. Proceed to dip the salmon filet in the pecan-cinnamon mixture, to coat both sides.

4. Coat a skillet with olive oil spray, and heat on medium. Cook the salmon on each side until the pecans turn golden-brown.

5. Remove the salmon from skillet, and place on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Bake the salmon for 13-15 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a utensil. Yum!

Sweet and Spicy Turkey Chili

I love this recipe. With a full schedule during the week, I like having a hearty meal waiting for me when I get home from class. That's easier said than done, of course, and sometimes it just feels so much easier to reach for that box of Honey Bunches of Oats (What's that face for? I'm in college!). But this recipe is great because if you make it on Sunday night, it will last you most of the week. And, you can freeze a bowl or two for those days when you run out of cereal :) This recipe is instantly-gratifying, and by instantly, I mean it's ready in about thirty minutes-- no crock-pot, other-slow-cooker-that's-not-a-crock-pot, or countless hours required. So gather your chili ingredients, block off a half hour of time, and get ready to please your tastebuds for many-a-weeknight. 

(Recipe adapted from www.chow.com)

Ingredients: 
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

1lb. ground turkey

5 mini red bell peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons salt, plus more if desired
3 tablespoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne peper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 14-oz. can chickpeas
1 bay leaf
Optional: shredded cheese for topping (of your choice)

Directions: Serves 4-5
1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in the pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are soft.
2. Turn the heat up to high and add the ground turkey to the vegetables. Breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, cook the contents of the pot until the meat is no longer pink.
3. Add in the salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the turkey and vegetables. 
4. Add in the tomatoes in their juice, plus the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Once the pot is simmering, add in the chickpeas, and return to that simmer once again. Reduce the heat to low and add in the bay leaf. Let this cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Feel free to taste and add spices as you wish.
5. After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf and serve!