Molasses and Chocolate Cookies

It's been a little while since I posted a new recipe so I decided to switch things up from savory back to sweet for this one. I developed this recipe a couple weeks ago and was planning on saving this recipe for an ebook download but got such a positive reaction on Instagram that I am posting it now!

These cookies are chewy, salty, sweet, and have beautiful hits of chocolate! What more could you ask for in a cookie? 

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Molasses and Chocolate Cookies

by Kenzie Finch February-18-2018

Chewy cookies with hits of molasses and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1/2 C salted butter, softened
• 3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 C + 2 T granulated white sugar
• 2 T molasses
• 1.5 t vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 C candy coated chocolate drops*
• Kosher salt or fleur de sel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add molasses and mix until combined, scraping sides if needed. 3. Add vanilla and egg. Mix until incorporated. 4. While the mixer is stopped, add baking soda, salt, and flour. Beat until combined. 5. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in candies. 6. Place heaping tablespoon sized drops of dough on parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of space between the dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned on the edges. Immediately sprinkle with salt. Transfer cookies to wire rack for cooling. Keep in airtight container. * such as m&m candies, I used Unreal milk chocolate candy drops because I loved the natural colors

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 15 cookies

Listening to: Saint Motel

Chili and Lime Roasted Chicken Thighs

This chicken recipe will spice up your weekly routine and requires no pan searing (YES!). It's flavorful, unique, and so good leftover! I made it for my mom, who often gets sick of her usual weekly meals, and she was so into it! She doesn't eat the crispy skin but the chicken is still so flavorful when it's taken off. Personally, I love the crispy skin!

Chicken is easily overdone during the week so this recipe will change things up. Serve with some rice or cauliflower rice (if Whole30 or Paleo) and veggies for a perfectly balanced meal.

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Chili and Lime Roasted Chicken Thighs

by Kenzie Finch January-31-2018

Spice up your weekly chicken meals with this easy chicken dish!

Ingredients

• 1 t extra virgin olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on and trimmed of excess skin*
• 1 lime
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/4 t (optional) cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/8 t ground tumeric
• 1/8 t ground paprika
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 grinds fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle olive oil in a small baking dish (8x8 should be fine)2. Place chicken thighs, skin side up. Halve the lime and juice both halves evenly over the chicken. 3. In a small bowl mix together the remainder of the ingredients. Sprinkle mixture over the thighs and then use your fingers to massage it in. 4. Place dish in preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, no longer pink in the middle, and reached an internal temperature of 165 F. *the best way to trim fat is with clean kitchen shears

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 4 thighs

Listening to: the El Camino album by the Black Keys

Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Sauce for Two

Another healthy, easy dinner to add to your recipe arsenal. This one is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and dairy free BUT it is actually really good and hearty. It will warm your soul.

Roasted Broccoli + Tahini Sauce + Brown Rice + Toasted Sesame Seeds = Delicious 

Two recipes, one post, and one insanely good plate of food! The broccoli is delicious as a side dish and enough for four people or as a part of this meal for two. The tahini sauce is also fabulous over other roasted vegetables like cauliflower or brussels. Although the assembly is straightforward, I have included it below, followed by the two recipes. 

Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Sauce

Serves: 2 

Assembly:

Start your roasted broccoli and once it is in the oven, make your tahini sauce. Serve broccoli with brown rice drizzled with tahini sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds! There will be extra tahini sauce left over. 

My favorite brown rice is the Trader Joes frozen precooked brown rice that is ready in 3 minutes in the microwave. 

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Roasted Broccoli

by January-18-2018

Flavorful, roasted broccoli with red onions that is the perfect side to any dinner!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (or two heads) broccoli florets
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/8 t ground pepper
• 1 pinch garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl place broccoli florets and red onion slices. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and ground pepper. 3. Mix with your hands until each broccoli floret is thoroughly covered in mixture, don't leave a dry floret!4. Transfer broccoli mixture onto prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until broccoli is tender (check with a fork). Mix around broccoli once while cooking. 5. Serve hot with tahini sauce (recipe below) over brown rice or as is as a side.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 2-4 servings

Just look at those gorgeous greens!

Did you buy tahini for this recipe and are not sure what to do with the rest of it? Scroll to the end of the post for some ideas!

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Tahini and Lemon Sauce

by Kenzie Finch January-18-2018

A simple tahini sauce perfect over vegetables and rice.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C tahini
• 3 T lemon juice
• 1/8 t garlic powder
• 1/8 t cumin
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 T warm water

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until combined. 2. Keep in glass container in fridge. Keeps for up to 5 days.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 5 mins Yield: approximately 1/2 cup

Need more uses for the tahini you purchased for this recipe?

Tahini and Chocolate Bars

Most hummus recipes call for it, I like this Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Tahini Puppy Chow from Molly Yeh

Some ideas from Cooking Light

Tahini Bars

These rich, thick bars are reminiscent of blondies but I am not going to call them blondies because their consistency is totally different. They are dense and crumbly, but in the best way. 

Before learning about Molly Yeh's obsession with tahini baked goods, I only knew tahini as an ingredient for hummus. Tahini is toasted sesame seed paste or "butter." However, when eaten alone, tahini is not totally savory but nutty and unique. This past year for food bloggers has been a year of tahini: tahini cookies, tahini bars, tahini blondies, and more. I have finally hopped on that train and heavily adapted this recipe to create a delicious bar that is drizzled in chocolate. 

This year, I will be restarting Thursday Thoughts soon but for now I will share some of my New Year's Resolutions! I love resolutions but prefer to refer to them as goals.

Some of my New Year's Goals:

·      Read two books per month, one book is for fun and the other is for personal growth or business development. This month I read The Book Thief and am currently reading Big Magic. The Book Thief was amazing and I highly recommend it

·      Post three recipes on the blog per month, sharing lots of savory, dinner recipes

·      Create some boundaries with my phone, especially scrolling though Instagram

·      Complete weekly 15 Minute Planner sessions, this has been a very useful tool for me so far

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Tahini and Chocolate Bars

by Kenzie Finch January-15-2018

Rich tahini bars drizzled with semi sweet chocolate

Ingredients

• 1/2 C salted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 C light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 C tahini
• 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 T warm water
• 1 T sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper: cut parchment paper so that it fits into the dish with two sides overhanging. 2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium between additions. Add vanilla and tahini. Mix until combined. Scrape down sides. 3. With the mixer off, add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix on the lowest setting until combined. Scrape down sides. Turn the mixer back on to low and add the warm water until just combined. 4. Transfer dough to prepared dish and smooth down with a spatula. Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over the dough.5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center is no longer shiny and it is cooked through. 6. Cool in the dish for 5 minutes then, using the parchment paper overhangs, transfer the bars to a cooling rack. 7. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat on high for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted. Drizzle chocolate over the bars. Let cool.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8"x8" pan

Listening to: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audiobook

Chicken and Lime Soup

The new year is here and I am trying to help you keep to your resolutions with this unique but delicious Chicken and Lime Soup! The soup is fresh and chocked full of great veggies! Serve with cubed avocado or chips to make a meal! 

This soup is gluten free and dairy free which makes it a crowd pleaser for all! It's also Whole30!

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Chicken and Lime Soup

by Kenzie Finch January-6-2018

Flavorful, fresh chicken soup!

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 t Italian seasoning
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 2 scallions/green onions, minced (green and white parts)
• 1/4 C fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. In a stockpot, heat oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, and jalapeno. Stir, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. 2. Add garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and stir. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil.3. Once boiling, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. 4. Add green onion and lime juice. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Season with salt to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving. 5. Serve with cilantro. Also great with cubed avocado and tortilla chips. As with most soups, this is best if made a day ahead.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

P.S. Sweet recipes coming your way! If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Listening to: Max Frost