Hearty Cabbage Soup

Hearty Cabbage Soup

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 to 3 stocks celery chopped
1/2 tsp. Chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 15 ounce can of white beans dried and rinsed
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp thyme
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 head cabbage chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 15 ounce can of chopped fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Heat olive oil on medium and add onion carrots celery chili powder salt and pepper. Stir 4-5 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in beans, garlic , and thyme for 30 seconds. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, cabbage, and red pepper flakes and cook until cabbage is wilted. Serve with fresh parsley on top.

Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1b butter (2 cups)
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 1/2 cups flour
4-6 cups chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating for five minutes after each egg. Add vanilla.
2. Combine salt, baking powder, and flour in a bowl. Add one cup at a time to the butter mixture. When the flour mixture is incorporated and the dough is still a bit moist and sticky, stir in the chocolate chips. I recommend refrigerating the dough for at least two hours before baking.

3. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes.

Buttery Croissant Rolls

Buttery Croissant Rolls

2 cups warm water

3/4 cups melted butter (Plus more for brushing on the dough)

3/4 cups sugar 

1 Tbsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast

6-7 cups flour 

Combine the water,  yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl with the bread hook attachment. When the yeast is bubbly add the melted butter the eggs and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth a minute or two and then add the salt. Start adding the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is pulling away from the edge of the mixing bowl. The dough should still be moist and sticky. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rise for about an hour and a half until the dough has doubled in size. Turn out the dough onto clean counter and divide the dough into three equal balls. Roll each ball out into a circle with the dough a third of an inch thick. Cut each circle into 12 slices like a pizza. Roll the slices up into a croissant shape starting with the thick end of the triangle and place on the baking sheet with the tip of your triangle tucked under to keep the croissant shape from unrolling. Rise for another hour and a half covered with greased plastic wrap. When your rolls have doubled in size, bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and then brush the tops with butter as they come out of the oven.

Royal Icing

Royal Icing

3 ounces of egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low speed until well Incorporated and shiny. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 5 to 7 minutes until stiff glossy peaks form. If the icing is too thick add milk 1/8 teaspoon at a time.

Sugar Cookies

One of our favorite holiday traditions is decorating cookies together. There’s nothing like watching the creativity and personality come out of children in such unique ways! My favorite thing about this recipe is that the dough doesn’t spread out all over the sheet when you bake the cookies so that you can retain all of the unique cookie cutter shapes that you have!

Sugar Cookies

2 c butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond emulsion (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
5 1/2 - 6 c flour

Cream butter and sugar together for five minutes, then add one egg at a time beating for 2 to 3 minutes after each egg addition. Add the vanilla and almond emulsion. Combine 5 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt, and add Flour mixture one cup at a time to the creamed butter mixture. Add the extra half cup of flour if needed. Bake at 350°for approximately eight minutes. Cool and ice with royal icing or cream cheese frosting.

Cashew Coconut Creamer

Cashew Coconut Creamer

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup raw coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

1 T vanilla or hazelnut extract 

Approximately 1 cup coconut or almond milk

For extra sweetness add either honey or pure maple syrup.

Soak cashews coconut and dates in purified water for four hours or overnight. Drain out the water and put in the blender with the extract, milk, and syrup or honey. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes. I use a vitamix blender. Freeze what you don’t need in a ziplock bag pressed flat.

Mediterranean Tacos

I found this recipe after reading Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. I loved the book, and I’m obsessed with the recipe I found on her blog for these tacos. The flavors are off the charts! I made a few changes to the recipe and I usually only do one chicken breast to make it light and vegetable foreword.

Mediterranean Tacos (thechicsite)

1 tomato diced

1/2 cucumber peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion diced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 container of hummus
1-2 chicken breasts cooked stovetop with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, then sliced or diced
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
Green or black olives
Artichoke hearts
Feta cheese

1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to marinate.

2. Cook chicken with spices, rest it for 5 minutes and then slice it.

3. Warm the pita breads in the oven and then top with hummus, lettuce, marinated vegetables, green olives, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. Devour!