Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Candy corn has always been a little bit of a struggle for me. I think it’s so cute and Fall-ish, and I’d love to have a cute little bowl of it sitting on my counter during October, but I really, really hate how it tastes. However, I’m happy to report I’ve found the solution to the candy corn problem – candy corn cookies!!

This is a pretty easy recipe. It’s perfect for baking with kids, and it makes adorable little cookies to serve at a Halloween party!

{Recipe adapted from Kaitlin in the Kitchen}

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

3 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

red food coloring

yellow food coloring

extra white sugar for coating

Directions:

1. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until well-mixed.

2. Add egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until mixed.

3. Add baking soda and flour, one cup at a time. Mix until combined.

4. Divide dough into three even pieces. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly-greased plastic wrap. Press one piece of dough evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan.

5. Put each of the remaining two dough pieces in a separate bowl. Mix yellow and red food coloring with one piece to create orange dough. Press the orange dough evenly on top of the un-colored dough in the loaf pan. Mix yellow food coloring only into the third piece of dough to create yellow dough. Press the yellow dough evenly on top of the orange layer.

6. Refrigerate the dough overnight.

7. Flip the loaf pan over and empty the dough onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment paper/plastic wrap. Slice the block of dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut each slice into six candy-corn-shaped wedges, and place the wedges on a cookie sheet.

8. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes.

9. Toss cookies in white sugar to coat, and cool on a wire rack.

(butter, sugar, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest)

(dough before adding flour and baking soda)

(finished dough)

(non-colored layer in the loaf pan)

(mixing 1/3 of the dough with red and yellow food coloring)

(orange layer)

(yellow layer)

(dough block, after chilling overnight)

(1/4-inch thick slices)

(cut into wedges)

(on a baking sheet)

(toss in white sugar after baking)

(sugary!)

(cool on a wire rack)

(yummy!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Asian Turkey Meatballs

I think ground turkey is a really underrated meal ingredient. It has all the simplicity of ground beef, but it's healthier (and also tastes yummy)! I love to make Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers or Turkey Lettuce Wraps with it. I think turkey pairs really well with Asian flavors (like in these Asian-Inspired Turkey Sliders), so I was pretty excited to try this recipe for Asian Turkey Meatballs, and it didn't disappoint! 

This recipe makes about ten meatballs, so feel free to half it if you're doing it for just two people (but it makes really good leftovers if you save the extra sauce, so don't feel bad about having extras!). 

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

(meatballs)

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

5 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

(sauce)

2 scallions, chopped

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine turkey, panko crumbs, eggs, salt, 5 chopped scallions, ginger, cilantro, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp sesame oil. Mix with hands until well combined.

2. Separate meat mixture into about 10 pieces, and form each piece into a ball with your hands (each meatball should have about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture). Place the meatballs in a baking dish.

3. Bake meatballs at 500 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. For the sauce, mix together lime juice, water, 4 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp sesame oil in a bowl. Add in 2 chopped scallions.

5. After meatballs are cooked, put them in a serving dish and drizzle them with the sauce. This pairs great with a green veggie (broccoli or green beans or something), and you can drizzle some extra sauce over the vegetables as well! 

(meatball ingredients)

(meat mixture)

(meatballs before baking)

(sauce)

(meatballs out of the oven!)

(drizzled with the sauce)

(yum!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Baked Broccoli Bites

Oohhhh boy. This is a FUN recipe. I love anything bite-sized, and I love anything that makes vegetables taste good, and these are definitely both of those things! The original recipe called them something like "Broccoli Bites for Kids," but I'm not a kid (well, not technically at least), and I love them! Plus, they're SUPER easy to make! 

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

12 oz package of frozen broccoli, thawed and drained

1 1/4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 eggs

salt & pepper, to taste

1 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Use your hands to form the mixture into small patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet (lightly greased, or covered with parchment paper or a Silpat).

3. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, flipping the patties over after the first 15 minutes.

(broccoli thawed and drained)

(ingredients)

(mixing it all up)

(patties!)

(after the first 15 minutes in the oven - flip them over!) 

(all done!) 

(yummy broccoli goodness!)

(crispy and warm and broccoli-y and cheesy and delicious!)

Ta-da! 

Enjoy!

Indian-Style Basmati Rice

If you're going to try out my recipe for Indian Butter Chicken (or any other Indian main dish), you've got to make this rice to go with it! Just a few little tweaks make it way better than regular rice! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 cup basmati rice (they have it by the regular rice in our grocery store) 1 2/3 cup water 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cardamom 1 tsp cumin 1/3 medium onion, diced
Directions: 1. Place rice into a bowl and add enough water to cover the rice. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes, then drain. 2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin. Cook and stir for about a minute.  3. Add the onion to the seasoning mixture and saute until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). 4. Stir the rice into the saucepan. Cook and stir for a few minutes, until the rice is lightly toasted. 5. Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. 6. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve! 

(oil, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and onion)

(after adding rice)

(after adding water and bringing to a boil)

(all water has been absorbed! The spices may make a little pile like this, but it'll all mix up when you fluff with a fork)

(fluffing)

(all done!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken

We really like Indian food around here. It's usually fairly healthy (as long as you don't glop a ton of sauce on your plate), and it cooks pretty quickly, and it tastes yummy! This is the recipe that got me started making Indian food at home, Indian Butter Chicken!

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 2 tsp ground ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp garam masala (it's a spice blend... you can find it at most big grocery stores!) 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cardamom 1/2 tsp coriander 1 6oz can tomato paste 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup half-and-half 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes 3/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp butter
Directions: 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and jalapeno. Stir often and cook until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).  2. Add in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook for another minute, stirring continuously.  3. Put the skillet mixture into a blender or food processor. Add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet.  4. Add the half-and-half to the sauce in the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the chicken pieces. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened. 5. Cut the butter into chunks and stir it into the sauce until melted. Serve the chicken and sauce over hot rice. 

(onions, ginger, and jalapeno)

(onions, jalapeno, garlic, and spices)

(into the blender...chicken broth and tomato paste added)

(blend until smooth!)

(sauce goes back in the skillet...)

(adding half-and-half)

(adding chicken, salt, and pepper)

(cooking the chicken)

(stirring in the butter)

(all ready!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!