Chocolate Chip Cookie

Kinda gloomy outside so for this Saturday, I decided to stay in and bake some cookies instead.  I had to improvise a bit again based on what I have in my cupboard :p

Ingredients:
1 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 cup hot chocolate powder (I used peppermint hot chocolate powder)
1 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt together until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time and beat well. In another bowl, mix together flour, chocolate powder and baking soda.  Gradually add the flour mix to the butter mix - mix/beat until well blended.  Mix in chocolate chips to the batter (add as many as you'd like).  Drop by rounded teaspoon onto a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 min. Cool slightly and then transfer onto a wire rack.

I split the batch into halves where 1 half, I used mint chocolate chip and the other other half I used white chocolate chip.

Verdict: Not very sweet which is to my liking :) A bit more cakey than my usual cookies but still good nonetheless.

Cream of Broccoli and Cheese

Hubby calls and wakes me up from my nap to say he was coming home from work...crud, what am I going to make for dinner?  I have 30 min to put something together!

We ended up having meatballs that I previously made and froze as well as baked salmon steaks (salt, pepper and miracle whip), garlic bread and Cream of Broccoli and Cheese soup.  Hubby was quite impressed with how quickly I was able to put a meal together :o)

Ingredients:
1 crown of broccoli - cut into pieces
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp chicken broth (bouillon)
1 tsp white pepper
2 large handful of shredded cheese

In a medium sized pot, boil water and add broccoli - cut until tender. Put broccoli, water and 1/2 cup of milk in a blender and blend/puree (depending on how smooth or chunky you want the soup to be). Using the same medium sized pot, melt butter and add flour to create a roue.  Let the flour cook for about 3 min on medium heat (stir as it's cooking). Add evaporated milk and milk - as the soup thickens, add thyme, bouillon and white pepper.  Let it simmer for about 5 min, stirring occasionally.  Add broccoli puree to the soup and simmer for about 10 min on low-med heat (stir occasionally) - be careful to not let it boil.  Turn stove to low heat and add shredded cheese.  Allow the cheese to melt and stir. Soup is ready to be served.

Grilled Eggplant

Yes, so another eggplant recipe as it was on sale at T&T for $0.69/lb :)


Ingredients:
1 eggplant - thick slices
pinch of coarse salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
pinch of pepper

Sprinkle the salt over the eggplant slices.  In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, oregano and pepper. Brush mix over the eggplant slices and place on a fry pan over medium heat. Flip the slices over after 2-3 minutes and brush remainder mixture on. Continue to grill/fry until tender.

Eggplant Patties

Hubby hates eggplant but I love eggplant so this week, I bought a bunch since it was on sale.  Good thing hubby has a work meeting today - eggplant for dinner for me!

Usually my staple eggplant dish would be a simple stir fry, but today I decided to make an eggplant patty.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant - peeled and cubed
1 cup crumbled crackers
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1.5 tsp of dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, cook the eggplant in boiling water until tender.  Drain well and place in a bowl to be mashed.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Shape into thin patties and cook in a heated skillet/pan with oil.  Brown each side and serve.