Chocolate Chip Chipotle Cookies

Okay, this one might not be as heart healthy...But its cookies! And we should never apologize for cookies. Unless you don't tell someone what is in these and make them eat them anyway... Then apologize. A lot. And get that person a glass of milk stat!

Chocolate Chip Chipotle Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Chipotle Olive Oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.

Heat the oven to 350degrees.

Cream the butter, oil and sugars together until it is nice and creamy. Add the egg.

Sift the dry ingredients together, except for the chips. Slowly add to the wet ingredients, stirring well until everything is well combined. Fold in the chips.

On lightly greased cookie sheets, place little balls of dough 1 inch apart. You probably want to make these a little smaller than usual cookies. Bake about 12 minutes.

Cool for at least five minutes. Serve, with a warning.

Grapefruit and Avocado Shrimp Satay

Grapefruit, Avocado and Shrimp Satay

1 lb cooked shrimp, thawed if frozen
1 ruby grapefruit
1 avocado
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp White Grapefruit Balsamic

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup Peanut or other nut butter
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish

Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. I like this sauce very thick, so if you want it a little thinner, add up to 1/4 cup of warm water.

Heat the Sesame Oil in a large saute pan to a medium high heat. Toss in the shrimp and stir. The shrimp should be in a single layer or you won't get the right caramelization on each one, so cook these in batches if you have to.

Cook the shrimp 1/2 - 1 minute per side, adding a little more Sesame Oil if you have to. Make sure that they have been thoroughly thawed if you are using frozen shrimp or they will be more tough than tender.

Add the Grapefruit Balsamic to the shrimp and set on high heat for around 30 seconds. Stir constantly.

Dice up the avocado and segment the grapefruit. Toss with the shrimp and drizzle with the sauce.

Be Good to Your (Sweet)Heart Month!

February is national heart health month. It is also the month of romance, courtesy of Valentine's Day. The two do not necessarily coincide in food trends! Smart food meets decadent? Well, not so much.

I have some recipes this month I think you'll like. I'm trying to throw them together so that they are pretty healthy, pretty easy, and pretty good for date food.

Some things, like the bacon wrapped chicken thighs I made last week, will have to wait for next month. That is not heart healthy!

This month has gotten off to a rocky start. Power has been out for a lot of people in PA, including me. It has given a slow start to the recipes. I know there is more snow coming. I'll try to get a little ahead in the writing so that even if I lose power again, you will still have a recipe to read. No promises though.

Coupon!

Ha, fixed!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It has been quite a week. My power has been out for 3 days now, so it is a bit hard to cook on my electric stove-top (they promise power by tonight!). I grabbed a few things yesterday and my food processor and came to the store to use our power. Hope that everyone else is making out better than me!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
3 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

Put the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the roasted red peppers and mix slowly, adding the olive oil in a steady stream until everything is incorporated and well blended.

If your power is still out, grab a tub of prepared hummus, a jar of roasted red peppers and some Garlic Olive Oil. Mince the peppers and stir well with the hummus and a drizzle of the olive oil.