Soft Granola Bar Cookies

This cookie recipe is one of my favorites--soft, chewy, and a fantastic blend of flavors. Enjoy!

Soft Granola Bar Cookies (makes approx. 3 1/2 dozen large cookies)

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups butter (softened)
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 2 eggs
• splash vanilla
• 1 cup quick oats
• 2 cups granola cereal
• 1 cup chopped raisins or dried cranberries
• handful chocolate chips, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients.
3. In an even larger bowl, use electric mixer to blend wet ingredients (butter, OJ, eggs, and vanilla).
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients from #2 until well blended.
5. Mix in oats, granola, raisins/cranberries, and chocolate chips. Unless you have a stand mixer, you may have to roll up your sleeves and mix these ingredients in by hand to make sure they are well incorporated.
6. Form dough into approximately 1" balls and place on cookie sheets.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown.
8. Leave cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven.

Note: I almost always use dried cranberries instead of raisins. You could also use dried apricots, cherries, etc...just make sure they're cut up small!

Orange-Cumin Bread (Breadmaker Recipe)

Christmas was fantastic to me! Among other lovely kitchen implements, I was gifted with my very own breadmaker. Obviously, that means I need to share my favorite breadmaker recipe with you.  This recipe is (very minimally) adapted from a recipe in Marjie Lambert's The Bread Machine Book, which is full of absolutely amazing breadmaker recipes.

Orange-Cumin Bread (makes a 1.5lb loaf)

• 3/4 cup milk
• 6 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 Tbsp grated orange peel
• 4 1/2 Tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 Tbsp cornmeal
• 2 1/4 c bread flour
• 3/4 c whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast
• 1 Tbsp butter, quartered

1.  Add the ingredients to the breadmaker in the order recommended in your breadmaker's instructions (I've found it's usually liquid ingredients, followed by dry ingredients EXCEPT salt and yeast).
2.  Pour salt in one corner of the breadmaker.
3.  Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and put the yeast into that well.
4.  Put the quartered butter in each of the corners of the pan.
5.  Breadmaker settings: Whole wheat, medium or light crust.
6.  Press start!
7.  Remove bread immediately when it is done, and cool on a rack.

Note: I know you're supposed to let the bread cool completely before you cut it (blah blah blah), but if you can handle a bit of imperfection in cutting...take your first taste while it's still warm (not hot) from the "oven." Trust me, it's worth it -- but be careful not to burn yourself!

Six Bean Chicken Chili

I know, I know, I know. I've seriously dropped the ball here at The Candid Kitchen since I started my new job. That doesn't mean I've stopped cooking!  I've just been adjusting to the new job (loving it, by the by), moving and unpacking...and setting up my new kitchen!!

I put this gem of a slow-cooker chili together for my first mini-dinner party a week or so ago. It was amazing (and I'm thoroughly enjoying the leftovers!), so I figured I better share.

 (Disclaimer: this photo only pictures Six Bean Chicken Chili with two beans)

Six Bean Chicken Chili (serves 6-8)

• 1 lb ground chicken breast (you can usually find it at a meat market if it's not at your grocery store)
• 1 (15-16oz) can each of: black beans, chili beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, white northern beans, and pinto beans
• 1 carton (16 oz) of low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 red onion (minced)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 bunch green onions (chopped)
• 1 large red bell pepper (minced)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (as a thickening agent)
• To taste: freshly ground black pepper, chili powder, dried basil, cumin, red pepper flakes

1.  Heat olive oil in a skillet; add minced red onion and half of the garlic. Saute until fragrant.
2.  Cook chicken with olive oil, onion, and garlic until browned. Break into small pieces.
3.  Add Worcestershire, Louisiana hot sauce, and approximately 1 tsp each of pepper and basil.
4.  Drain and rinse beans.
5.  In a large (4 qt.) Crock Pot, combine beans, chicken, chicken stock, bell pepper, green onion, and the rest of the garlic. Add 1 to 2 tsp each of chili powder, dried basil, and cumin, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
6.  Add cornstarch, if desired, to thicken.
7.  Cook 6-8 hours on low. Add black pepper or salt as needed.

Note: I suggest serving this chili with sour cream and some mozzarella or monterey jack cheese.  You can also, of course, add different veggies as needed: a couple cups roughly chopped kale, chopped celery, zucchini, etc.

Easy Chicken Spaghetti

It's been far too long since I've posted! In my defense, I have been getting ready to start work again.  I was offered a job in my professional field (social work) and will start next Monday (hooray!).  I'm going to attribute my lack of cooking many new recipes to that eventuality, which does not bode well for my drive to keep building my repertoire once I actually start working.

In any case, this is yet another of my go-to recipes because the prep is pretty quick (and, in fact, it can easily be prepared well ahead of time and just popped in the oven an hour before I'm ready to eat).  This recipe is adapted from my dad's (fancier and more involved) chicken parmesan recipe. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Spaghetti (serves 3-4)

• 1 large or 2 smaller boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into small pieces
• 1 bottle of spaghetti sauce (my current favorite is Francesco Rinaldi's Three Cheese, but the bottle is about 4oz smaller than your standard Prego or Ragu)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 1/8 c grated parmesan cheese
• Whole wheat pasta (spaghetti, vermicelli, linguine, etc.)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375*. Spray an oven-safe casserole dish with nonstick baking spray.
2.  Place raw cut-up chicken in the casserole dish.  Cover with half of the minced garlic and minced onions, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp basil.  Crack pepper over chicken.  Stir with a fork.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine sauce, 1/3 c water, the rest of the onion and garlic, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp thyme, parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper. Pour sauce mixture over top of chicken.
4.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  At this point, stir chicken into the sauce and cook for 20 more minutes.
5.  Cook pasta to al dente per directions on box, and drain.
6.  Combine sauce and pasta and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Note: I also frequently add some red pepper flakes to this dish after cooking to give it a little spice. Makes AMAZING leftovers!

Individual Black Bean Pizzas

Whoa, yet another meal I prepared without a specific recipe?!  Shocking.  This particular recipe was inspired by my friend and fellow Real Food connoisseur Seth, who's been teasing me with tales of his Mexican black bean pizza for about three weeks now.  (Actually, I think he sent me a recipe awhile ago, but I couldn't figure out where I put it...so mostly that's my fault.)  Finally, I was left today without a plan for dinner, so I made up my own version of this crowd pleaser.

Individual Black Bean Pizzas (makes 12 small pizzas)

• 12 - 6" corn tortillas
• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 to 1 cup salsa 
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced and marinated in The Candid Kitchen's Fajita Marinade.
• 1/2 bell pepper, minced (I prefer red or yellow)
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 24 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
• Shredded lettuce, sour cream, and taco sauce or salsa to garnish

1.  Heat oven to 350*.  Lay tortillas out on 2 cookie sheets (6 on each) and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
2.  Combine black beans and salsa in a blender until a paste forms.  You'll need to use more salsa if you use a chunky version.
3.   In a stir fry or saute pan, cook chicken thoroughly.  Remove chicken from heat and shred with a fork.
4.  Top each tortilla with 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp of the black bean paste, approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp of shredded chicken, 2 sliced grape tomatoes, minced onion and bell pepper, and 1 Tbsp shredded cheese.
5.  Cook in 350* oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas are crispy.
6.  Cut each tortilla in half.  Garnish with lettuce, sour cream, and more salsa.

Note: You can certainly add more veggies to this recipe; black olives would probably be a popular choice but I personally can't stand them.