Heaven Sent Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) (softened)
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter to mixing bowl, then add sugar and mix. Then add almond and vanilla extract, and eggs and mix. Then add baking powder, salt and flour and mix thoroughly. Next, add the white chocolate chips and semi-sweet mini morsels and stir them in with a spoon till mixed in. Place cookie dough about a heaping tablespoon for each drop onto the cookie sheet and bake for approximately 9-13 minutes. Let cool when finished with your batches and enjoy!

© 2010 (Erika) Cooking Divas

Baked Fire Roasted Peppers Rotini

Ingredients:
1/2 bag frozen Quorn Chik'n Tenders (bag is 12 oz., only use 6 oz)
14.5 oz Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted with Chipotle Peppers Petite Diced Tomatoes
28 oz. crushed tomatoes with basil
12 oz. of frozen mixed peppers (red, yellow and green strips)
1/2 tsp of honey
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/3 tsp of fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of granulated garlic
8 oz of whole milk mozzarella (crumble into pieces or cut them up in tiny pieces)

Cook a box of whole wheat rotini, follow directions on pasta box and put to side. Make sure not to overcook it. You will have a little left over pasta.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a stainless steel skillet or saucepan on stove and heat to medium heat. Add the Muir Glen tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, mixed peppers, fennel seed, honey, granulated garlic and chik'n tenders to the saucepan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes till thoroughly cooked. Make sure to stir. When sauce is cooked, turn off the stove and let it sit for a couple of minutes to cool down a bit. Then place the rotini into an 8 x 8 in. stoneware pan till it is almost 2/3 full. Then add the mozarella and romano cheese to the pasta. Now add the sauce mixture to the pasta and mix one more time till it's well mixed. Place the stoneware pan into the oven and cook for approximately 10 minutes uncovered. Take out let cool a bit and serve.

© 2010 (Erika) Cooking Divas

Potato Pancakes

4 large potatoes shredded
1 diced yellow onion
Set aside
In a small bowl combine 1 egg beaten
1 tspn salt
2 tbspn flour
1/2 tspn black pepper
Sprinkle of garlic powder
In a medium skillet heat 4 tpsn olive oil
Fry til golden brown
Serve with sour cream on side (optional)

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas

Delicious Caramel Apple Bread

Preheat oven 350
In a medium bowl combine
Cut up 25-30 caramels
Add 1 tspn flour(to prevent sticking)
Set aside

In a mixer combine
3 cups flour
1 cup butter or margarine
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
6 eggs (can be 3 white)
2 tsp ground all spice
Mix until blended
Core, slice, and chop 3 granny smith apples, add to flour mix, as well as caramel mix
Add to a greased 9x5 pan (you maybe able to make a couple of loaves pending on the size of pan)
Bake for an hour and 10-15 minutes
Let cool about 30 minutes

Icing is 1 cup confectioners sugar and 1/3 cup water mix
Generously apply to top of bread

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas

Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake

In a medium bowl combine
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple sauce
2 tbsp water
1 egg
1/2 tspn salt
2 peeled and chopped apples
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Combine set aside

Crumb topping
In a small bowl combine
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup oats (chopped nuts alternate)

In a greased bread pan or cake pan add half the cake mix, add a thin layer of crumb mix, procede to add the remaining cake mix on top, and once again crumbs on top(so its a layered cake) spray a little butter spray for goldening purposes

Bake 350 for 45-50 minutes, let cool 15 minutes before serving

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas

Quick Delicious Meatloaf

Use 1 package of chicken or ground beef chopmeat
Chop 3 cloves garlic
1/2 yellow onions diced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 egg
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp parika

In a separate medium bowl combine
1 1/3 cup ketchup
3 tbsp worstershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder, mix well
Add half of the ketchup mix to the meat mix. Combine by hand
place on a greased, foiled pan
Layer the remaining ketchup on top of meatloaf

Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas

Creamed Spinach

In a lightly oiled pan saute 1 pound chopped spinach, with 4 cloves garlic
Add 1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup grated parmesan oreginato
Cook about 10 minutes, until cheese has thickened

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas

Vegetarian Creamy Carrot Bean Bisque

Ingredients:
6-8 carrots (chopped finely, food processor pulsed recommended)
1 large onion (chopped finely, food processor pulsed recommended)
3 large stalks celery (chopped finely, food processor pulsed recommended)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (15oz) can organic kidney beans or organic cannelini beans
1 tsp lower sodium soy sauce
4 cups water (filtered if you can)
2 tsp Better than Bouillon organic vegetarian vegetable base
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves (then chop finely)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
optional: bag of gourmet caesar croutons to sprinkle on top of soup when served

Directions:
Heat a stainless steel stock pot at medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Make sure to stir frequently, so that the bottom doesn't brown. Saute for 10-15 minutes, adding dried thyme and bay leaves. Saute another 5 minutes. Add water, bouillon base, soy sauce, honey, and beans. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Make sure the lid lets out a little of the steam from the pot. Now add parsley and ground pepper and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Take out the 2 bay leaves and throw them out, make sure not to burn your fingers. Check to see if the carrots are tender and if they are, then you are ready to turn off the stove. Let the soup cool a bit and add the heavy cream. When it is a bit cooled, you can add your soup to a food processor or a blender and puree the soup till it's nice and creamy. You can serve this with the optional gourmet croutons on top. Enjoy!

© 2010 (Erika) Cooking Divas

Yummy Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat oven 400
In a medium bowl combine:
2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tspn baking powder

In a small bowl combine:
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup apple sauce
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp brown sugar
Combine with flour mix
Add to greased muffin pan, sprinkle couple of chocolate chips on top of muffins
Bake 20-25 minutes
Cool 15 minutes before serving

© 2010 (Theresa) Cooking Divas