Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

So as some of you may know I am part of the Iron Chef Challenge and because this Challenge "secret ingredient " was  Clabber Girl Baking Powder; I thought it would be best to come up with a cookie that uses this ingredient.  So I was looking at the label and I noticed it was a little girl on the can. So I thought to myself, I want to make a recipe that brings back a childhood memory. I remembered hot summer afternoons with my 2 sisters and swimming in my grandmothers pool. It was one of those fantasy pools before big rocks and grottoes were cool, for a pool.  It had a waterfall and  a slide made of river rocks and a beautiful river rock pool and patio.

My Mom and Grammy would always make a platter of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches cut in triangles like tea sandwiches and it was always served with homemade lemonade from her beautiful garden. It was always a special time for me and my sisters and cousins.  So I thought to myself why don’t I make a cookie that has Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Made in two different ways. 

When I was a kid my grandmother would make home made Raspberry Preserves and Cherry Preserves. So I couldn’t decide which way I would make them so I created 2 kinds because she always served 2 kinds of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies Ingredients:

½ Cup Butter softened

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon Clabber Girl Baking powder

3 cups Oat Flour you make at home

½ cup Raspberry preserves

½ cup Cherry preserves

Make 3 dozen cookies.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Take Butter and cream

Add sugars.

Add Eggs

Next add Peanut Butter

Baking Powder and Oat Flour

Now scoop out ½ the cookies and put Thumb Print in center.

Next add a teaspoon of cherry preserves to each cookie.

With the remainder of dough poke holes in

Add Preserves then close up the dough.

Scoop out so its scattered in dough like this.

Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees on Convection.

Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy

Sheila Fretz-

                                     

NOW EAT THIS! DIET, By Rocco Dispirito

About a week and a half ago The Rocco Dispirito of "Now Eat This!", Contacted his followers via Twitter and asked if we would like to win his new book called "Now Eat This! Diet" and of course I said; " I want to win your new book! Please pick me."

Well that’s what happened @ Rocco Dispirito did pick me and asked me to Blog about this book. Which of course I am now!

However, because he wants me to talk about a recipe book I will not be able to share the recipes. Now Eat This! DIET is fabulous and the Pictures of the food make you want to eat the book. Unfortunately, I am unable to give you the recipes, because you need to go out and buy a copy of his new book. But I will give you pictures of me making one of his delicious recipes.

I made Chicken Pesto Pasta with Gluten Free Pasta and it was so yummy and delicious that I had to share it with you!

                               

Please go out and get this book for yourself you will truly enjoy his most delicious and Low calorie Options Recipes.


Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Spicy Chicken Tortilla or Spicy Chicken Dumpling Soup your choice

Its been a crazy week already where did the weekend go. I woke up this morning thinking it was the April 11th, however, I was wrong. I lost a day! Has that ever happened to you? I know it happens to me especially when your weekend is filled with many events to go to! When I have days and weeks like this I want to make something quick and easy and just get the meal on the table. So today I’m go to share with you my chicken tortilla soup recipe.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

2 cups Cooked shredded chicken

1 Can (14.4 oz )Diced Tomatoes

1 cup of your favorite salsa

1 32 oz box of Chicken broth

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

1 cup of your favorite vegetables (corn, carrots or green beans) you pick

Tortilla Chips for Garnish about a 1/4 cup per bowl

Cheddar Cheese or Mexican blend Grated cheese about 2 to 3 tablespoons per bowl.

( Optional) You can also add dumplings instead of tortilla Chips  follow directions on

 Gluten FreeBisquick box

Equipment

One Large stock pot

1 ladle

In a large Stock pot place Cooked Shredded Chicken.

Add Diced Tomatoes

Your favorite Salsa

1 Box of Chicken Stock

Your favorite vegetables, this is a good way to mask vegetables. 

Season with Salt, Pepper and Cilantro

Serve on a bed of tortilla chips and Shredded cheese.

 Or make with Dumplings and sprinkle with cheese you decide!

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Chicken Tostada

My favorite meal is a Mexican Meal I love our local Mexican Restaurant and it’s a tradition that every time that my hubby and I go we always order a tostada salad before our dinner to share. It is a fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans with a balsamic glaze salad dressing on the lettuce and beets as a garnish on a bed of the tostada . So the other day at lunch time I was craving the tostada from Casa Vega so I thought to myself. We made Chicken tacos the other night so I can make this at home; but if you have leftover rotisserie chicken that will work too. I didn’t have any refried beans so I used chicken as the base with a salsa on the top.

Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetite.

Chicken Tostada Ingredients:

6 Corn Tortilla for each person

1 1/2  cup cooked chicken about a 1/4 cup for each tostada

1 1/2 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce about a 1/4 cup per tostada

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese about 1/8 cup per tostada

6 tablespoon salsa 1 tablespoon per tostada

1 Teaspoon Butter

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

　

　

Balsamic Glaze Dressing Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon Brown Gulden's Mustard

1/4 cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Equipment:

Medium Size Bowl to mix Balsamic Glaze dressing in

Frying pan

Paper Towels

Heat up chicken either in microwave or in a frying pan. I used my All Clad Mini Frying Pan.

Next take Olive Oil and butter and melt together in a frying pan. I used the same one for heating up the chicken. Take Tortilla and place in All Clad frying pan an fry until golden on both side.

After done wrap in paper towel.

Mix dressing together Balsamic Glaze Dressing by putting all ingredients in a bowl except the olive oil and whisk together.

When completely combine emulsify with Olive Oil. Poor all but 1 tablespoon per tostada in a jar and save in
 refrigerator.

 

Take Romaine lettuce and Toss in 1 tablespoon of dressing per tostada

Place cooked Tortilla on plate add chicken

Add Lettuce that has been tossed in dressing.

Add Cheese then Salsa.

If you like you could also make this on a Friday with a half of can of tuna or with refried bean and topped with julienne beets.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

　

Sheila Fretz

Raspberry Ricotta Chocolate Chip Brownies Gluten Free

In the beginning of 2011 @scatteredmom had a fabulous giveaway with The Vanilla FoodCompany; and yours truly won. I love all of these items. So of course I had to share in the wealth of the baking goodies and give you a recipe and encourage you to try these products also.

So I created these yummy chewy good brownies with Vanilla Food Companies Products and a little help from Cornaby Farms.

Raspberry Ricotta Chocolate Chip Brownies Ingredients:

½ cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1/8 cup aged Balsamic Vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bourbon

3 eggs total ( 2 for chocolate mixture 1 for cheese mixture)

1/4 cup corn starch

3/4 cup Oat flour

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup Ricotta Cheese

2 oz package of Cornaby’s Raspberry Fruit spread.

Cooking Spray

Equipment:

1 Pot

1 9 x9 (baking pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a non stick pot melt butter then add cocoa powder and whisk together.

Next add sugar

Add  Balsamic Vinegar

Add Vanilla.

Take 2 eggs and whisk in a separate bowl add about 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture to temper then add back to chocolate mixture.

Next add Corn Starch and Oat flour and Whisk together then set aside.

In a large bowl whisk 1 egg with  ricotta

Add sugar until smooth

Then add 1 cup chocolate chips.

Take a 9 x9 pan spray with cooking spray. The poor in chocolate mixture. Next dollop 9 to 12 dollops of cheese on top.

Then a drop or two of raspberry on each cheese dollop.

Take a knife and draw 3 U’s One right side up One Upside down One Right side Up

Now turn pan 1/4 turn and do the same until it looks like this.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until you insert a tooth pick and it comes clean.

Bon Apetit and Enjoy

Sheila Fretz