Triple Chocolate Cookies

Have I ever mentioned how much K loves to help me bake? These are his favourite and he always asks to lick the paddle afterwards even though I keep telling him no (due to the raw eggs). We made them the other day and shared them with his teachers at daycare.

Looks kinda like poop, eh? But OMG so good. These are my fave cookies to eat when I have a hankering for chocolate or even chocolate cake. K calls these the "black cookies" cuz they're so dark in colour. I had ran out of white chocolate chips so I only used 1/2 cup of them in this batch. Doesn't matter. It still tastes amazing. :)


Triple Chocolate Cookies
(makes 4 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsps instant coffee or espresso powder (optional)
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsps butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee or espresso powder (if using), baking powder and salt over a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a non-plastic microwave safe bowl, melt 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips for 1.5 minutes on high, stirring half way, until melted. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and regular sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add melted chocolate. Mix well until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides.
5. Pour in flour and cocoa mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides.
6. Using a spatula, fold in remaining 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.
7. Use one spoon to scoop dough roughly the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons or so) onto the baking sheets and use another spoon to scrape dough off of the spoon. Space dough 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just set and centers are still soft.
8. Allow cookies to cool on pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
9. Serve with ice cream, milk, or coffee, etc.

Chicken Cobb Salad

It's almost summer, so that means more salads! I swear it's the only time when I actually crave salads and can eat them without a grimace. This one is pretty darn good too. And filling. Until I realize I'm missing carbs. You see...I have a problem; if there aren't a lot of carbs in a meal, I'll believe I'm hungry until I eat a lot of carbs. But at least now I'm mixing in brown rice, red rice and black rice in with my Jasmine rice so it's healthier. :D

Anywho, this is an awesome salad. Definitely one of the staples we're going to have more often of.


Chicken Cobb Salad
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 2 medium avocados, diced
• 1 341ml (12oz) can of corn niblets
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts, rinsed and chopped
• 4 eggs, hard boil and diced/chopped
• 4 green onion stalks, finely diced
• 1/2 - 1 cup ranch dressing
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Brown in the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook for about 6-7 minutes each side until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through in the middle.
3. Meanwhile, divide romaine lettuce into 4 large bowls (or plates). Divide avocados, corn, tomatoes, black beans and eggs and arrange on top of the lettuce, leaving space for the chicken.
4. Once chicken is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes before chopping into bite size pieces. Divide and add to the salad.
5. Sprinkle the bacon bits and green onions on top of salad.
6. Drizzle with ranch dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve alone or with garlic bread.

Asian Beef Stew

You can use beef ribs or stewing meat. Usually I'll use stewing meat because we're lazy with the bones. But I had extra beef ribs cut into cubes already that I needed to use up so I used the ribs. It makes the sauce way fattier but more flavourful. It's even better when served the next day. :O

Note: If you like your carrots soft, then just put them in when you start braising. Otherwise leave them out and only put them in when you have only 30 minutes left in the braising time.


Asian Beef Stew
(serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs beef stewing meat, cut into 2 inches cubes
• 1-2 Thai chilies (optional)
• 1 bulb garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsps ginger, minced
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 398ml (14oz) can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp rock sugar
• 3-4 cups beef broth
• 2-3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 Tbsps canola oil
• Salt, to taste
• Cilantro and lime (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium high heat. Add in chili (optional), garlic, ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Cook until fragrant.
2. Mix in onion, five spice and tomato paste. Cook until onions start turning translucent.
3. Stir in beef, diced tomatoes, fish sauce, rock sugar and enough beef broth to JUST barely cover the beef. Bring to a boil.
4. Cover partially, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. 
5. Stir in carrots. Cover partially and simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. (Optional) Garnish with cilantro and lime.
7. Serve with rice or French bread.