Tomato Braised Tilapia

One of the best gifts I got from my hubbie has been my Dutch Oven. I used it for just about everything, and I came across this blog a month ago, Healthy Bites . I love it that it is all about healthy recipes, as this is what Comida Boa is all about too.

I made the Tomato Braised Tilapia, and can attest that this recipe is simple, easy and delicious. Braising is also a healthier technique to cooking fish, as opposed to frying it. It ensures the meat is fully-cooked, without being"rubbery".

I will not re-post this recipe, as I encourage you to visit this great blog. Below is a picture of the finished dish, though, so you know I tried this recipe on my own ;)

Enjoy!

Beijos,
Thais

Caribbean Baked Chicken with Mango

Happy Sunday! I want to share this great recipe because it is from a cookbook that I bought a few years ago, when I was doing the South Beach Diet. Now, I get it that the diet itself was not the most effective or smart one, but a lot of the healthy dishes that were associated with it are pretty good for you, with balanced nutritional ingredients and great flavors. This is one of them.

I followed the recipe pretty good- except when it came to the time of cutting up the jalapenos- I didn't listen to the part that says I should wear gloves. Let me tell you- I found out the wrong way when I had to remove my contact lenses that evening :) Also, when you use the baking pan, please line it with aluminum foil for easier cleaning of the dishes.

I love this recipe because it is a fun twist on your typical chicken breast recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Jalapeno chile peppers, halved and seeded ( wear plastic gloves when handling- I mean it!)

1/2 onion, halved

1 slice peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp jerk seasoning

1 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 mango, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Line a 13" x 9" baking pan and coat it with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, oil, vinegar, jerk seasoning, allspice and salt. Process until very finely chopped.

Rub the jalapeno mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts, skinned side up, in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170F and juices run clear.

Place the chicken on plates and scatter the mango on the side. Serve with steamed vegetables.

This makes 4 servings, each with 186 calories, 5 g of fat.

Love those jalapenos :)
Beijos
Thais

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Pears

Good Tuesday! I love cooking- and eating- Pork Tenderloin, because it is one of those cuts of meat that is tasty and good for you at the same time. There are a variety of ways of cooking it, and this is one of my favorite new recipes. Sometimes I think I need more than 30 days in a month to fit all the amazing recipes I find in these magazines.

This one is from Real Simple, which can be a real life saver a lot of the times. It is an easy recipe, and it is a one-pot recipe, in the sense that all of the ingredients are cooked on a rimmed baking-sheet.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into wedges

2 firm Bartlett pears, cut into wedges ( these need to be almost "green", in the sense that they need to be firm to withstand the heat)

2 tbsp olive oil

8 sprigs fresh thyme

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 piece pork tenderloin ( 1 1/4 pounds)

1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto

1 tbsp agave ( the original recipe calls for honey, but I used Agave instead)


Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes, pears, oil, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the pork in the prosciutto, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the pork completely. I used toothpicks to secure the prosciutto in place, it worked great.

Push the vegetables to the edges of the baking sheet, place the pork in the center and drizzle the pork with the agave. Roast until the pork is cooked through and the sweet potatoes and pears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing it. Serve with the sweet potatoes and pears.

This recipe serves 4 people. Each serving is 435 calories, 15 g of fat, 6 g of fiber.

I will post a few more recipes this week in preparation for Memorial Day weekend :)

Beijos,
Thais

Sausage and Spinach Risotto

Happy Monday! It has been- again!!- a while since I have posted, and life has been crazy busy, but fear not- I have been cooking, just not keeping up with cooking and posting at the same time. I made this recipe over a month ago, and just now I am posting- put it is a keeper! Simple, light, delicious and easy to make.

Now, for those of you who are FAN-atic about Top Chef, as I am, know that most of the contestants go home for not properly cooking Risotto. In the show episodes, it is either overcooked or undercooked. I now know the reason- it requires CONSTANT stirring to make it perfect. Mine was just that- perfect, but it took a lot of elbow grease, if you would. I got this amazing recipe from Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1 8 oz package pre-sliced cremini mushroom ( Trade Joe's has the best price for these)
5 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed ( about 2 links)- again, Trader Joe's was perfect
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice ( Trader Joe's)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 6 oz package baby spinach
1/4 cup shaved Romano cheese

Directions

Bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Keep warm over low heat. Heat a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add salt and mushrooms to pan; cook for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and set mushrooms aside. Add sausage to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add shallots and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Now comes the tricky part- add rice, cook for 1 minute, stirring- not kidding- constantly. Stir in wine and cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, scrapping pan to loosen browned bits.
Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture( the one you had set aside in the beginning) and cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Again, this is the dance you will be in for the next 20 minutes, so get your arms ready. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until each portion of the broth is absorbed, before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once this is done, remove pan from the heat, add mushrooms and spinach; stir until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Top evenly with cheese and serve immediately.

This serves 4 portions, each with 331 calories, 9 g of fat, 4 g of fiber.

No leftovers from this dish- Bryan really loved the risotto :) Now, bring it on Top Chef ;)

Happy Tuesday!! So happy to be posting this recipe- and to be blogging again! Life has been too busy, and I have had time to cook, but not cook and blog :) I had this recipe included in the April menu, and cooked a few weeks ago, but with traveling for work, I just now got around to posting it.

This recipe features a new-found love: Eggplant. I never cooked much with it, but let me tell you, this is one cool veggie that is so meaty, you need nothing else. This is a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-s-a recipe( yes, female gender for the word recipe in Portuguese, i.e. receita), and I will be making sure to include this in our summer menu. I plan on planting some Eggplant this summer ( kind of a tongue-twister, right? ;)

Enjoy! I got this one from Real Simple.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggplants ( about 3 lbs total) , sliced lengthwise- 16 slices total
1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce
2 large eggs
1 8oz container of reduced-fat ricotta
2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Divide the oil between two rimmed baking sheets. Dividing evenly, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheets ( as pictured above) and turn to coat in the oil; season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Bake the eggplant, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until soft and beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, and reduce the heat to 400 degrees. I had a few bites when it was in this stage- they are amazing this way :)

Meanwhile, in the bottom of a 9 x 13  baking casserole, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. I make my own- but any store-bought kind will do.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.

Place about 3 tbsp of the ricotta mixture on one end of a slice of eggplant, and roll it up, transferring the "rollatinis" to the baking dish.

Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This was enough for dinner and a few lunches ;) each serving is 355 calories, 24g of fat, 18 g of card, and 6g of fiber.

Have a great week,
Beijos,
Thais

Feta Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes

It has been very busy at work, at home and with everything else! I am posting this one, which has gotten to be one of my favorite recipes from this Glorious One Pot Meals cookbook.

I got a Dutch oven from hubbie for Christmas, and it has been an amazing gift. This is one easy recipe for a weeknight dinner, as long as you have 45 minutes to let this one cook in the oven. It also has one of my new favorite ingredients, whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe's.

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
One 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
1/2 to 3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/2 medium zuchini

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the inside and lid of the cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil. Drain the tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add water if necessary to get 1/2 cup of liquid. Reserve the tomatoes. Pour the couscous into the pot and add the tomato liquid. Stir to coat each grain and make an even layer. Pack the spinach into the pot. In a medium bowl, stir the tomatoes, shrimp, parsley, lemon juice and feta, and add to the pot. Arrange the zucchini slices on top ( like in the picture above). Cover and bake for about 45 minutes.

The amazing thing about this recipe too is that it is only 349 calories per serving, with 6g of fiber.
Enjoy!

Three more recipes to come this week,
Beijos
Thais

Rice and Beans with Chicken and Chorizo

Happy Monday! I had family in town and was way to busy to post this recipe here, but this is one of my new all-time favorites. I love chorizo, and it is a sausage that can overpower certain recipes. This recipe offers a beautiful balance between the chorizo and the beans. It also calls for yellow rice, which is a rice with saffron, a Spanish tradition. I had no leftover on this one. I got it from- wait for it- Cooking Light magazine :) Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 15 oz package lower-sodium yellow rice ( Vigo is a good brand, sold at Winco)
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomato
4 oz of Spanish chorizo sausage, diced and casings removed
1 15 oz can of lower-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
I use a rice cook to cook this rice to perfection :) while that is happening, heat a large skilled over medium-high heat, coat with "spray" olive oil from TJs. Add chicken, saute 7 minutes or until browned. Stir in tomato, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and chorizo, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in beans, cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and reduced a little bit. Spoon 1/2 cup rice onto each of the 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 cup chicken mixture.

Each serving has 307 calories, 5.1 g of fat, 4.2 g of fiber. Yummy and healthy recipe, this is a keeper!
Beijos
Thais

Authentic Italian Mushroom Pasta

Happy Monday! It has been a week since I posted last, so I am making it up with a pasta that is just simply divine. Now, I need to warn you- it is not light, as it uses heavy cream as one of its main ingredients- but if you need to splurge, this is one pasta worth splurging.

I learned this recipe over 10 years ago, when I was in college, at KU. I learned it from an Italian friend of mine, and he would make it often when he had friends over. It has become a favorite recipe of mine, but one that I don't make as often these days. It is also good to choose a good red wine to go with it, as it is part of the recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of buttoned mushrooms
1 6oz package of heavy cream
1 8oz cup of red wine ( I used Cupcake Vineyards Malbec)
1 tbsp of cayenne pepper ( or more if you like spicier)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 lb of Penne pasta

Directions
Start cooking the pasta, per package directions. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let it heat for 3 minutes, and add the mushroom. Saute for 5 minutes, or until light coated with the olive oil. Add the cayenne pepper to taste, and pour the heavy cream. Let it cook and simmer for another 5 minutes. It should start foaming/bubbling. When it does, lower the heat, add the wine, and let it simmer for about 10 more minutes. It should look like the picture below.

Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. When pasta is done, drain pasta, and add sauce to the pasta pan, as shown below.

Coat pasta well, and serve with shredded Parmesan cheese.
There is hardly ever leftovers from this pasta, but when there is- they make the best lunch for a busy weekday.

I hope you enjoy this one- Ciao Bella!
Beijos
Thais

Pork Tenderloin with mushroom sauce

Happy Sunday night! I am back from a work trip to Bend, and can post this great recipe I cooked last week on Wednesday. Surprise surprise, I got it from Cooking Light magazine. It is one of their budget recipe, for $2.45 per serving. It is one of my new favorites, because it is pretty lean and a great value.

I buy the Pork Tenderloin at Costco- because you buy 4 lbs for $19, and you can't beat that price. I cooked two 1lb pieces, and we had leftovers for lunch the next day.

This is the first time I cooked with Creme Fraiche- an acquired taste, for sure, but it turned out good in the sauce. I bought the mushrooms at Costco too, because then I had leftovers for this mushroom pasta I will cook this coming week.

Enough talking- let's get to the main subject- the food :)

Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 8 oz package button mushroom, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 cup fat-free lower sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup creme fraiche (sour cream will do as well, if you can't find creme fraiche)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to preheated pan. Add pork to pan, and roast for 10 minutes, then turn and roast for another 10 minutes. You should insert a meat thermometer and read at least 145 degrees, so you know it is cooked through and properly. In a separate saute pan, add the remaining olive oil and saute the mushrooms on medium heat, for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute until vinegar evaporates. Add broth and remaining salt and pepper, cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat, stir in creme fraiche and mustard.

Serve it with corn and sautee spinach ( I saute it with garlic and balsamic vinegar).

Love this recipe- will include it again in the coming months :) each serving has 257 calories, 15 g of fat, 3 g of carb.

Let's all have an awesome week,
Beijos
Thais

Trader Joe's Pizza- toppings of your choice :)

Happy Saturday! How this week flew by, and I have three new recipes to post, but I am traveling for work and forgot my recipes at home. I will post them on Monday for sure. In the meantime,
I have this great alternative to your store-bought pizza, or restaurant pizza. I have the pizza stones, the ones you can buy from Pampered Chef, and they have been a lifesaver for making homemade pizzas. Now, I am not as adventurous as to attempt to make homemade dough, but Trader Joe's is here to the rescue :)

They have a Garlic/Herbs Pizza dough that is just plain awesome. I added some  shredded Gruyere cheese, tomato sauce, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes and- homemade pulled pork- and it was insanely delicious!

Ingredients
1 package of TJ's Garlic and Herbs pizza dough ( see picture below)

2 cups of shredded Gruyere cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
3 cups of BBQ pulled pork - Hubbie made this, but  TJ's also offer some great ones, in the frozen section)
2 cups of sliced buttoned mushrooms (Costco sells packages of 24 oz for $5.00)
3 tbps of tomato sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While it is heating, remove the dough out of the plastic bag, and leave it out for a minimum of 20 minutes, to breathe and rise. I used this time to prep the other ingredients, like shredding the cheese, slicing the mushrooms and tomatoes.

After 20 minutes has passed, roll the dough so that it fits over the pizza stone. Add a bit of flour to the stone, so that the dough doesn't stick on it. Spread the tomato sauce, then sprinkle the cheese, pork, tomatoes and leave mushrooms for last. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the dough is browned and crisp.

Happy to report that there were only 2 slices left for lunch the next day :))
Enjoy this gorgeous weekend,
Beijos,
Thais

Enchilada Casserole

Cooking Light is by far one of the best magazines I subscribe to. They never fail to bring some amazing recipes, and all with healthy ingredients and easy ways of preparing the food. This is one of the best recipes I made from my set of Cooking Lights recipes too, because it is a dish that had everything to be bad for you, but it is not.

The recipe calls for flour tortilla, but if you are a Top Chef fanatic- like I am- you know that on this season's first episode, the poor chef was sent home for making enchiladas with flour tortillas, as the traditional recipe calls for corn tortillas.

Ingredients
1 lb ground sirloin ( Safeway has a nice selection, 90% lean beef for a good price)
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free, lower sodium beef broth (TJ's has these babies)
1 tbsp 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 8oz can tomato sauce
8 4" corn tortillas
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion to pan; cook until onion is browned, and meat is cooker all the way through. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400.  In a separate saucepan, you will start making the enchilada sauce, so melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour, cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add broth, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to pan. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups tomato mixture to beef mixture, reserving 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Spray a 9" pie plate, and start layering the tortillas and beef mixture, ending with a tortilla on top. Spread the reserved tomato mixture, and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

This recipe serves 4, and each serving has 337 calories, with 32 g of carb and 5 g of fiber.

Enjoy this Valentine's Day week!
Beijos
Thais

African Peanut Butter Stew

Happy Saturday! I am back from vacation, and after taking a while to catch-up at work, I am ready to post some of the recipes from the February Menu. If you'd like a copy, please feel free to email me.
The first recipe on the menu was this fantastic- and I repeat Fantastic- chicken stew from the cookbook hubbie got me for Christmas. You will need the Dutch Oven, but it is well-worth its price.

Ingredients
Olive oil spray ( Trader Joe's has the best one so far)
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup white rice
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
2/3 cup milk
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp cayenne
Sea salt
3 tbsp peanut butter, creamy or chunky
3 or 4 tomatoes, diced or one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups of Butternut Squash (you can buy it pre-cut at Costco)
3 cups of fresh baby spinach

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450. Spray inside of the Dutch Oven with olive oil. Scatter the onion in the pot. Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot, add the liquid, and stir to make an even layer.

Place the chicken on the rice. Add the bell pepper.

In a measuring cup, whisk the milk, garlic, cayenne, salt and peanut butter until the peanut butter dissolves. Pour over the chicken. Layer in the tomatoes, butternut squash and spinach. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

This was a lot for two people- so you're guaranteed to have leftovers.
Enjoy! Again, if you'd like a copy of the menu and shopping list, email me.

February menu- ready to go

Good Sunday! I have been planning ahead, and have the February meals planned and ready to go.
I plan my meals to only cost $400 or less per month, for cooking at least 20 days out of the month. If you'd like a copy of the menu and list of ingredients, please email me.

Dutch Oven- Rosemary Chicken recipe

I am still catching up from the Holidays. For Christmas, I got a fabulous Dutch oven. My husband was skeptical about these heavy things, so he also got me a cookbook- Glorious One Pot meals- that I could draw inspiration from. Little did he know that he was about to get amazed by the power of the Dutch oven :) we have cooked with it three times now, since Christmas, and every single recipe has turned out amazing.

The best part about the Dutch oven is that you can put all the ingredients in one pot, put it in the oven, and forget about it for 45 minutes, while it does its magic. I highly recommend it. And the meals tend to be complete, with proteins, veggies and whole grains. Per-fect, as my friend Beth would say ;)

Ingredients
Canola or olive oil spray
1/2 medium onion, cut into 1-inch slices ( I cheat and buy the pre-cut onion at Trader Joe's in the freezer aisle)
1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 small red potatoes
1/2 small acorn squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 to 10 mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of fresh green beans
4 to 6 small fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions
So, with these guys, it is all about layering, the order that you place the ingredients in the pan make all the difference. First, heat the oven to 450( the conventional oven, that is ;)). Spray the inside and lid of the cast-iron Dutch oven with canola oil. Scatter the onion slices in the pot. Place the chicken on the onion and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes around the chicken, add the mushroom and squash. Cover with green beans and add the rosemary sprigs throughout the pot. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until you can smell the aroma of a wonderfully cooked meal.

The chicken came out perfect- tender, juice, not overdone or underdone, just perfect. I would highly recommend investing in one of these Dutch ovens. Target and Costco have more affordable options than your typical LeCreuset. This recipe is also only 339 calories per serving, with only 3g of fat.

Beijos,
Thais

Tomato and Basil Tarte Tatin- Simply Baking TV show

I am so in love with this new TV show. The hostess is a doll, and her food looks amazing. I made this recipe over the holidays and it was a major hit. She also teaches you how to make puff pastry from scratch- which was not that bad. I followed the recipe, but if you don't have time, store bought puff pastry will work as well.

I highly recommend you to tune in to her show- she is a doll and fun to watch :)

Ingredients
2 boxes of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Large pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp of honey
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
All purpose flour, for dusting
1 lb store-bought or homemade puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Small bunch of fresh basil or mint leaves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in the skillet with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper, and honey and sugar. Arrange together as tightly as possible. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the bread crumbs. On a well-floured surface, roll out a circle of puff pastry the same size as the top of the skillet. Place the puff pastry over the tomatoes, tucking it around them so the tomatoes are encase.

Brush the pastry with the lightly beaten egg on the top only. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is well puffed and golden brown. If your skillet cannot go in the oven, just use a round pie dish for this step. Using gloves, bring this pie dish/skillet over a sink, and flip it over, with the tomatoes on top. Let it cool, and once it is ready to serve, cut up the basil in small chunks and sprinkle them over the top. Add salt and pepper as required.

Lorraine is fun to watch, and obviously loves to cook, which is inspiring to an amateur home cook like me :) her accent is also a huge plus, if you ask me ;)

Beijos,
Thais

Chocolate Chip Cookies- allegedly the Double Tree cookie recipe ;)

Good morning,
Oh, it has been too long since I last blogged, and now I have a bunch of recipes I want to share with you. The first one is this amazing cookie recipe I got about 6 years ago, and have been making it ever since during the Holiday season. I realize this is a bit late to make it into last year's Holiday season, but early to next one, right?

They are delicious, and a great treat to give to family and friends. I never found someone who said no to them :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet choc chips
1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely grinded

Directions

Grind oats in a food processor until fine. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture and blend well. Add chocolate chips and nuts and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.

Chill the dough overnight for best results- this also gives my husband a chance to eat some of the dough ;)

Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Cool on racks.

Enjoy! More recipes to come this week,
Beijos
Thais