Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

When I saw these cookies on Pinterest I thought they looked very Christmassy!

Then I clicked on the link and saw how easy they were to make, and I knew that I HAD to make them as part of my Holiday Baking Extravaganza!

What you need,

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1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 box (4 serving) instant pistachio pudding

¼ cup flour

½ cup butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup dry roasted, salted pistachios, shelled and chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the cookie mix, the pudding and the flour.

Stir in the butter and eggs to combine.

Fold in the nuts and cranberries.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto the prepared pan. Press lightly to flatten.

Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.

Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

These cookies are amazing! Chewy and crunchy and such great green color!

They freeze beautifully!

I LOVE Christmas Cookies!

Jen

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Pan Crisp Salmon with Dijon Cream and Garlic Breadcrumbs

My freezer is still half full of salmon from this summer. We have been really enjoying it.

When I pinned this recipe from Jessica at How Sweet Eats I knew it was going to be a good one.

I was right, this salmon was divine!

The creamy sauce with crispy crumbs, perfection.

What you need,

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2 small salmon fillets, skin removed

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

½ cup Panko crumbs

1 ½ tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced finely

2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped

¼ cup chicken stock, or dry white wine

¾ cup low fat evaporated milk

1 ½ tbsp. Dijon mustard

Start by preparing the breadcrumbs. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add in 2 of the minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the breadcrumbs and toss to coat with the butter and garlic. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the crumbs turn light golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the fish, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Cook the salmon for 5-6 minutes per side until brown and crisp on the outside and cooked through. Remove the cooked salmon from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter to the pan, along with the shallot, the remaining garlic and the sage. Stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes until sizzling. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock or wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it is bubbling and reduced slightly. Whisk in the milk and mustard and continue to cook until the mixture bubbles around the edges and thickens slightly.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the salmon with the sauce and top with the breadcrumbs.

This recipe is going into my regular rotation. It was easy and fast and absolutely delicious!

Jen

Recipe from How Sweet It Is

Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Roasted Veggies and Quinoa

We are headed into the never ending eating season.

I have decided to try to eat a little healthier during the week, since most weekends from now until Christmas are going to be filled with way too many tasty treats!

This simple chicken dinner with 2 easy and tasty sides is the perfect way to eat healthy on a weeknight.

What you need,

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½ cup plain Greek yogurt

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

4 4oz. chicken cutlets, I just used 2 breasts cut into pieces and pounded flat

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

1 tbsp. + 3 tsp. olive oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

1 lb. button mushrooms or any mushroom you like, halved or quartered.

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl stir together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile cook the rinsed Quinoa according to the package directions. Fold in the toasted pine nuts and the parsley along with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and set aside

In a large bowl toss the sliced sweet potato and the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Season them with salt and pepper and the thyme springs. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the veggies, stirring halfway for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned.  Drizzle on the vinegar just before serving.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Wipe any excess marinade off the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through.

Serve with the roasted veggies and the quinoa.

I was very happy with how this meal turned out. It made me feel so healthy. Plus it was fast and easy!

It was totally my kind of weeknight dinner.

Jen

Recipe from Cooking Light

Gingerbread Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce

I got this recipe from my friend Tracy’s Mom. It is simply amazing.

At first I was a bit skeptical of the lemon with the gingerbread but holy man; I am here to tell you it is crazy good!

I love these oldie but goody recipes. I need to find more of them!!

What you need,

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For the cake,

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

¾ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup molasses

¾ cup boiling water

For the lemon sauce,

½ cup granulated sugar

4 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups boiling water

4 tbsp. butter, chilled

1 ½ tsp. lemon extract

To make the cake, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and stir to combine. Stir in the molasses.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

Pour the boiling water in and mix until you have a smooth batter.

Pour into the prepared pan, and bake for 35-45 minutes. Check with a toothpick, when it comes out clean it is done.

Let it cool completely on a rack.

To make the sauce, combine the sugars, cornstarch and salt.

In a medium sauce pan bring the water to a boil. Stir in the sugar mixture. Cook and stir continuously until smooth and the mixture thickens, this will take about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and the lemon extract.

Serve the warm sauce over the gingerbread cake.

This is to die for people. For real, I couldn’t stop eating it.

The sauce will keep in the fridge for a few days; you can just reheat it in the microwave on medium stirring at 30 second intervals.

This would really be a perfect dessert for Christmas dinner, it is light and it has so much great flavor.

I just loved it.

Thank you so much for sharing your recipe Marie!

Jen

Recipe from Tracy's Mom