Simple Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Been craving an afternoon coffee and cookie break and received a text with this go-to chocolate chip recipe. It’s always hard for me to break from my beloved easy as can be blondies, but these cookies are moving up the ranks as favorites! A great cookie “base” to experiment with, too! 

Simple Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS 
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
Chocolate chips, measure depending on your preference

INSTRUCTIONS 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, cream the butter and the sugars. Add the egg and yolk, along with the vanilla and combine. Incorporate the dry ingredients. Stir in your desired amount of chocolate chips. Use a cookie dough scoop to evenly disperse balls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for roughly 15 minutes. This recipe makes about two dozen cookies.

Kale Caesar salad

Here’s my go-to Caesar dressing recipe, which has evolved over the years to be as simple and tasty as possible.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cloves garlic 
1 teaspoon of anchovy paste (just a big squirt!)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (a bit bigger squirt than the anchovy!)
Juice from half a lemon 
1/3-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
Dash of balsamic vinegar (learned this trick from @thepioneerwoman ) 
1/2 cup olive oil (plus more if desired)
Salt
Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large cup or appropriate bowl, add all ingredients. Combine using immersion blender (THE BEST kitchen appliance, in my opinion!). Add more cheese or olive oil depending on desired consistency. 

Super-fast cashew chicken

After indulging in some incredible take-out cashew chicken a few weeks back, I'd been craving it again.

I planned to make a recipe from an old favorite cookbook but then realized I didn't have any hoisin sauce, so I had to improvise. I checked out a couple of other cashew chicken recipes and decided to create my own.

Having trouble with the site I use to load my recipes, so here it is plain and simple:

Super-fast Cashew Chicken

Note: I eyeball everything--these measurements are approximate...add more of the flavors you like.

Ingredients:
About 1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken or diced chicken breast (I used a rotisserie chicken!)
3 large carrots chopped how you like them
4 celery stalks chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 scallions, white and light green parts chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews
Sesame seeds

Instructions:
In a large pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil (enough to lightly coat the pan). Add the carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the celery.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients from garlic through ginger.
Once the vegetables are crisp-tender, add the chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir, coating the chicken and the vegetables. The sauce will thicken a bit. Then, add the green onions and cashews to finish the dish, stirring everything together.
Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds for garnish.