Molasses cookies
1 stick butter +1/4 C. canola oil
1/4 C. light molasses
1 C. sugar
1 large egg
2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves

Melt butter and oil over low heat. Remove from heat and beat in molasses and 1 c. sugar until blended. Whisk in egg. With spoon, stir in flour and remaining ingredients. Transfer dough to medium bowl and freeze 15 minutes until firm. roll into ball and roll in sugar. Cook 10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375. 

Chicken Picatta

Chicken Picatta
This is a fairly simple dish, delicious, and nice for company or something special. Very good over buttered angel hair pasta!

2 large lemons
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split in half horizontally, creating 8 thin breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
4 tbs. oil
1 small shallot, minced, or 1 small garlic clove, minced
1 Cup chicken stock or canned broth
2 tbs. drained small capers
3 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs. minced fresh parsley leaves.

Halve one lemon pole to pole. Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into thin slices; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtains 1/4 C. juice; reserve.

Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper. Coat with flour.

Heat pan over medium high heat until hot; add 2 Tbs. oil. Saute half of the cutlets, without moving them, until lightly browned on first side, 2-3 minutes. Turned cutlets and saute other side. Remove and transfer to warm oven (200 degrees). Repeat with remaining 2 Tbs. oil and cutlets.

Add shallot or garlic to now empty skillet and return to medium heat. Saute for a few seconds until fragrant. Add stock, heat to high, and scrape bottom of skillet for the brown bits. Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, lemon slices and capers and simmer about 1 minutes. Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until it melts and thickens sauce (mmmmm); swirl in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4-6. 

Bruschetta

 Bruschetta. 
This is probably my #1 favorite food! It's so simple: 
small loaf good baguette bread
soft butter
fresh tomatoes, preferably a mixture, even more preferably heirloom tomatoes
fresh basil--small to medium handful
1-2 garlic cloves
Parmesan cheese

Slice, butter, and lightly toast bread.
finely chop tomatoes (1-2 large, or mixture of several smaller), drain juices and seeds
chop basil finely
add finely chopped garlic
mix in Parmesan cheese
top onto bread and toast or broil again. 

I could eat this every day!

Rolled pasta with mushroom sauce

Rolled pasta with mushroom sauce

This was a delicious dish I made the other week. It's from The Culinary Institute of America One Dish Meals. 

Mushroom Sauce:
1/4 C. olive oil
3/4 C. minced onion
4 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 C. dry red wine (I think i substituted some chicken broth with a dash of vinegar)
2 C. diced plum tomatoes (fresh)
2 Tbs. mince marjoram leaves (hmm, I left this out too)
1 tsp. minced thyme leaves
salt, pepper

16 dry lasagna noodles
2 C. whole or part skim ricotta cheese
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 C. grated Fontina
1/2 lb thinly sliced proscuitto

1. To make mushroom sauce: heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender. Add the wineand cook over high heat until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and herbs, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer until the sauce has a good consistency, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noddles in boiling salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain the noodles thoroughly and rinse in cold water. Drain again.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.
4. Combine the ricotta and Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lay one noodle flat on a work surface and spread thenoodle with 2 Tbs. of the ricotta mixtures. Scatter about a tablespoon ofthe Fontina over the ricotta and top with a slice of prosciutto. Roll up the pasta and lay it seam-side down in a baking dish. Repeat until all of the noodles are filled and rolled.
5. Ladle the mushroom sauce over the noodles and bake the pasta until very hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let the past rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings.