Lori Lobenstine, founder of Female Sneaker Fiends baked these for MISS GDK and they were delicious.  She thought they would be a great recipe to make for Mama’s Kitchen in the autumn and Lori was kind enough to share her recipe and how these cookies came to be…

I was working at a summer camp during college, teaching a class on politics that I called “The Chocolate Chip Cookie Government”. (Long story.) My boyfriend’s mom knew I loved chocolate chip cookies, so she got me this book for Christmas. I’ve tried a lot of the recipes (all good!), but this one is the one that folks ALWAYS ask for. Even people who look puzzled when I first describe them turn out to be fans…

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour

4 tsps baking powder (not soda)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening (I use 1 stick of butter)

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin (I always use canned.)

9 oz good semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (or to taste)

(Some people also like to add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.)

Soften the butter and then stir in the sugar. Mix in the eggs and pumpkin. Stir well.

I love my mom’s ziti with chicken and broccoli. It’s the kind of dish that’s better when you reheat it because all the flavors meld together. I went to college in Philadelphia, about 2.5 hours from home so on some trips, I would bring back a tray of my mom’s ziti with chicken and broccoli. I would always share with my roommates but the unspoken rule was: don’t finish the ziti! Leave the last serving for me! Well, I came home one day and couldn’t wait to have my mom’s ziti. I opened the fridge, reach for the tray and realize it was EMPTY. Sacrilege! These days, I make my mom’s recipe and I don’t have any grubbing roommates who finish it off – and you can make it too…

INGREDIENTS
1 to 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – washed and cut into small bite-size pieces
1 Package of Frozen Broccoli
6 oz of Chicken Broth
1/2 cup of White Wine
10 pieces of Sun Dried Tomato – cut into small pieces
6 cloves of Garlic – minced

1. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. While you wait for it to boil, start making the sauce. (If the water boils before step 5, just turn it off and bring to a boil again – you want to wait for the pasta not the other way around).

2. Lightly coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil. Heat the oil and add garlic. Saute the garlic for 1 minute.

3. Add the chicken. When the chicken turns white on all sides add the sun dried tomatoes and saute. After a few minutes add the broccoli and continue to saute. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add wine and simmer.

5. When the wine is almost evaporated, add the chicken broth, cover the pan and simmer until the mixture is almost dry. (If your pot of water is boiling you can add the ziti to the water at this point).

6. When the ziti is done, drain the water in a colander. By this time the chicken broth should have evaporated. When the sauce is done. Add it to the ziti, mix gently and serve immediately. Add some red pepper flakes for some heat.

Buon Appetito!

I love lemon. It’s my favorite citrus fruit and I love it on just about anything – I even eat them plain (thin slices, mind you). Lemon and chicken are a match made in heaven and that’s why this week’s recipe, Chicken Piccata, is a dish that I make almost once a week. This recipe is so quick, easy and delicious so it’s also great for entertaining. If you don’t like chicken (or even if you do) you can swap out chicken for fish. I’ve made the Piccata recipe with Tilapia instead of chicken and it’s equally delicious. Of course, every chicken dish needs some tasty sides so I went with rosemary roasted potatoes and salad Shirazi. All of these dishes are super simple and fast to prepare.

Chicken Piccata Ingredients (for 2 people)
¾ pound of chicken breast or breast tenders
1 large lemon, squeezed
¼ cup white wine
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup of chicken stock (if you’re using bouillion cubes or powdered stock and it’s already measured out to be diluted in 1 cup, you can still use the whole packet/cube in ½ cup water and it will just be more concentrated.
1 tsp of capers
1 tbsp of butter
Fresh mint or dill
Flour
Salt
Pepper

1. Prep the chicken, trim fat, rinse with salt & water.

2. If you are using a chicken breast, cut the breast into tenders. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

3. Season both sides of the chicken with salt & pepper and coat with flour.

4. In a stainless steel pan, heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and pan fry the chicken (a stainless steel pan works best though non-stick is ok – just use less oil).

5. When the chicken is cooked through fully remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

6. Deglaze the frying pan with the garlic and white wine. It will steam up a lot, when the steam subsides, stir the garlic and wine and stir in all the bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. After about a minute, add the lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Stir.

7. Add the chicken to the sauce and coat the chicken with the lemon sauce for about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and set aside.

8. Add the butter and mint (or dill) to the sauce. Stir it all together. When the butter is totally melted the sauce is ready.

9. Pour over the chicken and serve.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes Ingredients

Potatoes
Fresh Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash the potatoes and cut up into bite-size pieces.

3. Coat the potatoes with olive oil, add fresh rosemary (you can use dried but it’s not nearly as tasty or fragrant) and salt & pepper.

4. Cover with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Uncover and let the potatoes brown a bit.

5. When they are as golden as you like them, they’re ready!

Salad Shirazi Ingredients (serves 2 people)
2 Persian Cucumbers
2 Plum Tomatoes
1 Slice of white onion, chopped
1 Lime, squeezed
1 Tsp Olive Oil
Dill or Mint
Salt & Pepper

1. Rinse all the vegetables and cut up into bite size pieces. Rinse the herbs and finely chop.

2. Add olive oil, lime, salt & pepper.

3. Mix.

Buon Appetito!

I have a thing with chain restaurants – I don’t really like them because it essentially equates to processed food. If given the choice, I would always pick an indie restaurant. But alas, sometimes when visiting the family and making our way to the suburbs, there aren’t that many options other than chain restaurants. On one family occasion we went to P.F. Changs – it was ok, I mean I practically live in Chinatown so it was not the real deal at all, but it was ok. The best thing I had there was the lettuce wraps – they were amazing! They were crispy, fresh, delicious – quite the opposite of food that I think of when I think of the chains. My recipe for lettuce wraps is inspired by the ones I had at P.F. Chang’s – I just freestyled it based on what I saw and tasted and I think my version came pretty close. Since each person puts together their own wrap, there’s lots of room for winging it with whatever particular ingredients you like. Feel free to switch things up and experiment. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cooked chicken – shredded (this is a great way to use left-over rotisserie chicken)

Green Onions – chopped
Shredded Carrots
Cucumber – de-seeded and cut into thin slices
Cilantro – finely chopped
Ginger – 1 inch piece peeled and finely chopped
Iceberg Lettuce
Teriyaki Sauce
Vegetable Oil
Sesame Oil
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
Equal parts of all of the following (I used 1 tablespoon of each):
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Sesame Oil
Dijon/Spicy Mustard

1. Combine all the ingredients to make the dipping sauce and whisk until the mixture combines. Set aside.

2.  It’s really important to prep everything for this dish – cooking is the very last step.  Make sure you chopped the scallions, cilantro & ginger and sliced the cucumbers.

3. Prep the lettuce leaves for the wraps.  Cut the head of lettuce in half.  Carefully peel back each lettuce leaf and try not to tear it.  Rinse each leaf under cold water, drain and set aside.

4. Shred the cooked chicken or cut into very small pieces. Saute the shredded chicken with half of the green onions, half of the cilantro, all of the ginger and a splash of teriyaki.  I’m sorry I don’t have a particular measurement for the teriyaki, you just want enough to evenly coat the chicken. Saute for just a few minutes to get all of the ingredients hot.

5. Now, you’re ready to wrap! Get all of your ingredients together to fill the wraps: lettuce leafs for filling, chicken, shredded carrots, the remainder of the cilantro and green onions, cucumber, dipping sauce, and Thai sweet chili sauce. You can add anything you like here – I think red bell pepper, cashews or peanuts or crispy noodles would work well too.

6. Hold the lettuce leaf in the palm of your hand and fill it with whichever available ingredients you want. Wrap and enjoy! Buon Appetito!

One of my favorite all time snacks/appetizers is Bruschetta (pronounced Broo-ske-tta). The flavors are simple and it’s a healthy way to start a meal or stave off hunger – not to mention that it’s easy to make.  Last Friday, my mother reminded me that it was Lent and that I shouldn’t eat meat so I put together a vegetarian meal: Bruschetta, Spaghetti with Pesto and an Arugula Salad. Whether you’re vegetarian or just want a light, fresh meal, these three dishes are simple to put together and great for entertaining.  Read the full story to see the recipes, tips and photos.

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One of the fundamentals of Italian cooking is knowing how to make a good pasta sauce. I’ve already covered tomato sauce and pesto, so the next up is ragù alla bolognese, or simply, tomato sauce with ground meat. There are many variations – a healthier option uses ground turkey, while the truly sumptuous includes a trio of ground meats – beef, veal and pork. The husband doesn’t eat pork, so these days, I’m making my ragù alla bolognese with ground beef but feel free to substitute as you wish. This sauce is perfect with a larger pasta like penne, or as a component of lasagna or baked ziti. I made the recipe below and for 2 people, you’ll get about 4 servings out of it. It freezes well and makes for a great quick dinner. Read the full story for the recipe, tips and photos.
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One of my favorite things about Valentine’s Day are all the sweets involved – whether it’s chocolate, cookies, candy or cake, I love all of the C’s! It’s always nice to give the gift of sweetness, and in this economy, it’s an inexpensive way to give your honey a nicely thought out personal gift. Everyone likes sweets – the best bet is to go with your loved one’s favorite dessert and give it a Valentine’s Day spin. If they love cake, then add some red food coloring to your icing to make it festive. If they tend to like healthy snacks, dip some fruit in some chocolate. Or if they are a good ol’ chocolate chip cookie monster, then get some heart shaped cut outs and go crazy. Whatever you do, your personal touch will make this a very special (and yummy) gift. Don’t forget to put lot’s of love in whatever you make!

Happy Valentine’s Day!
xoxo GDK

P.S. – It’s true what they say – the way to a man’s heart is definitely through is stomach

Read the full story for the recipes, photos and tips.
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I know you’re not supposed to admit that you like Pigs In A Blanket after the 4th grade but I’m not afraid to say it, I love Pigs In A Blanket. They’re the perfect snack and always a crowd-pleaser. With the super bowl coming up, they are great for a gathering, are very easy to make and are ready in half an hour. Read the full story to see the recipe and photos.
P.S. – If you’re looking for more Super Bowl snacks you may want to check out my favorite Spinach & Artichoke Dip recipe. Read the full story

I love crab cakes, but they’re one of those dishes that are different every place you go. Lucky for me, the ones I make are my favorite. The recipe I use is one by Emeril Lagasse (BAM!) but I’ve made a few adjustments to my taste. The recipe is layered and a bit involved, but it’s worth every minute. I usually make a big batch and then freeze them – once you defrost and heat in the oven (or toaster oven) they make a yummy dinner without the fuss of making them.  One recipe yields about 10 crab cakes. Read the full story for the recipe, tips and photos.

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A few years back I tried a dish in a restaurant that at first sound did not sound very tempting, but once I tried it, it was all I could think about. It was a halibut fillet served in a broth of olives, onions, and tomatoes. I was too hesitant to try making this dish from scratch because I had never had anything like it before. I was happy to find that Giada De Laurentiis had a similar recipe so I tried it immediately. As with all recipes, the first time I try it I follow the instructions to a tee so I can figure out how to make the dish. After the first time, it’s a bit of freestyle and I start adding ingredients, cutting out ingredients and changing measurements to my taste.  What follows below is Giada’s recipe with my tweaks. Little stars “*” in the ingredients mean I either added the ingredient or changed the measurement. This dish is truly unique, but so hearty, healthy and delicious. It’s perfect for summer and winter as it’s equally refreshing and comforting. I hope this gets you to try something new – you won’t regret it, I promise! Recipe after the jump.
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