Pretzel M&M Hugs

 

These take a fair amour of supplies- they are definitely not cheap or quick- it takes a while to unwrap all those hugs!  They are fun to make though, Kate and I had a good time last Christmas.  And they are really pretty!

Pretzel M & M Hugs*

pretzels, square or circle is ideal, butter crisps work well
hershey hugs (they're pretty melted, kisses would work too) 
M&M's (Christmas colors, or Valentine's, or whatever holiday you're close to) 
parchment paper


Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Align pretzels on cookie sheet in a single layer then top each pretzel with one Hershey's Hug chocolate. Bake in preheated oven for 4 - 5 minutes, until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting, the chocolates should still hold their shape). Remove from oven and carefully place one M & M in the center of each soft Hug and press down on M & M to spread the chocolate.

* You can do the same thing to make Turtles using Rolo's and pecan halves- yummy!  

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Kat turned me on to this recipe and I think they're really good.  I passed some out to coworkers and everyone was quiet!  Jason says that means they didn't like them.... and maybe I do just because I did the work and have a vested interest in liking healthy cookies.  :-) Oh well.  I think they were good.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies 

1 c instant oats

¾ c whole wheat flour (measured correctly)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ c maple syrup

¾ c grated carrots (about 1 smallish medium)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the carrots. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling longer, cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the entire surface of the cookie dough.)
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
3. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on the baking sheet. (If chilled longer than 1.5 hours, flatten slightly.) Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes: It’s incredibly important to measure both the oats and flour correctly, using the spoon-and-level method described in the links above. If scooped from the container using the measuring cup, you’ll end up with 1.5 times as much, which will dry out your cookies and make them crumbly. 

To make your own instant oats, pulse 1 cup of old-fashioned oats in a food processor 5-8 times. 

For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: ½ c (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, and ½ tsp (1g) xanthan gum. 

Melted margarine may be substituted for the coconut oil or butter. Regardless of which is used, be sure that the egg is at room temperature before whisking it in. A cold egg added straight from the fridge would rapidly cool the fat source, resulting in small blobs of semi-solid coconut oil, butter, or margarine. 

Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup. 

If the cookies are still really flimsy after cooling on the baking sheet for 15 minutes and threaten to break apart, let them cool completely on the baking sheet. That won’t let them crisp up too much, and they’ll still stay soft for an entire week! 

To hear more tips and see the texture of the cookie dough before and after baking, watch my video on how I bake my oatmeal cookies. 

Chicken Enchiladas

Walked my a colleague's classroom right before Christmas and she called me in and offered me some enchiladas.  It was early in the day, maybe 9:45 AM, and I wasn't even in a lunch food mood, but these turned me around.  I tracked her down and she was generous enough to share her recipe with me.  Just made it tonight for the family and everyone loved it, so it will definitely happen again.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb. shredded chicken
1 can of Las Palmas enchilada sauce
8 oz. shredded cheddar
8 oz. shredded monterey or colby jack
1 small can sliced black olives
corn tortillas
green onion, optional
cilantro, optional
black olives, optional

Combine the shredded chicken with about equal parts of cheese and maybe some black olives and cumin sprinkled in until it is all mixed.  (You can make the shredded chicken in the slow cooker in advance, or just buy the pre-made shredded chicken near the BBQ puled pork in the grocery store.  If you use the grocery store stuff, make sure you squeeze it out before mixing it up.)  Heat the corn tortillas on a skilled just until warm, if you feel like it.  I got carried away and forgot to do this part way through and it seemed to still work just fine.  Dip a tortilla in the can of sauce and then add a handful of the chicken mixture.  Roll it up and place it seam side down against the edge of a 9x13 pan.  (I use my big lasagna pan.)  Repeat with remaining tortillas and fill the pan.  I had probably ten going length wise and then two rows of two on the remaining side, and then half of two below it to fill the pan.  Pour a little bit more sauce over the top, cover with cheese (generously) and then sprinkle with black olives and green onion if you have it.  Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly.  It doesn't need to be covered and seemed to cook up just fine.  Let it stand for five minutes before serving.  I like to garnish with sour cream, green onion and cilantro, if you have it!

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Enchiladas

My friend Nicole turned me on to this recipe, originally from Mel's Kitchen, and it was delicious!  You make your own enchilada sauce out of the salsa, beef stock and juice that comes from the meat.  A tiny bit labor intensive, but not as much as you'd expect for something that tastes this good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (2-3 pound) chuck or sirloin beef roast
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup (8 ounces) salsa
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
• 10 6- or 7-inch flour or corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, add the beef roast. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily. 
2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place in a large bowl or shallow pan (like a 9X13). 
3. Pour the mixture from the slow cooker into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch (or flour) with about 2-3 tablespoons water (a bit more water if using flour). Whisk the slurry into the simmering liquid and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
4. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in with the beef and toss. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan. Toss the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses together.
5. Fill each tortilla with some of the beef mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up and place in the pan. I usually try and fit ten enchiladas in a 9X13-inch pan (if the pan is lengthwise, two rows of five). 
6. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas (you may not need to use all the sauce if you feel like it will drown the enchiladas or you may need to reserve some for an additional pan if you made more enchiladas due to a larger roast, etc.). 
7. Top with any remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and hot. Let the enchiladas rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
8. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired, and serve.