Ohh la la!

I've been cooking quite a bit lately. Now that we live in SLC and that we don't have someone else who automatically cooks dinner every night :( (It was nice while it lasted) And I've found some yummy recipes!

This one is something I've been wanting to try ever since eating one at "The Chocolate" in Orem. If you don't know what a pizookie is, you better make this and find out! Basically it's a delicious cookie made in a larger pan--I used a 9 1/2" pie plate-- and then just as it's warm out of the oven, you scoop vanilla ice cream right on top and enjoy. It's soooooooo good! (p.s. I think I cooked mine longer than 15 minutes. Just go by what looks done to you.)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Pizookies

1 cup unsalted butter

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup sugar

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. Pour the melted butter in a large bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, egg yolk, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract to the sugar-butter mixture. Mix.

Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips (can be omitted or increased depending on taste).

Scoop onto baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet, OR spread dough on the bottom of 4 9-inch pie tins. (Each pie plate will serve about 4 people) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve cookies or cool and store. Pizookies are topped with vanilla ice cream and served warm.

People who know me really well know that I loooooove curry. Especially Thai curry. There is something about the coconut sauce that tastes incredibly good to me! I could drink it from a cup (it would be better than v8 juice, so it's not that strange!) or lick up every drop on my plate. It's that good. And I have been trying different recipes for YEARS, trying to find one that comes close to what we get when we eat out. Without success. Until now...

This recipe is one I had tucked away all along, courtesy of Amberly and finally got around to trying. Ryan liked it so much that he ate WAY more than necessary and made himself sick. It's that good. And not only that, it was EASY. A cinch! No intimidating ingredients, nothing you have to go to the Asian market for. Try it, and I'm sure you'll love it too. ( I did change it just a little. I don't have fish oil on hand, nor do I ever plan to. I just added a bit of salt. I also think it would be simple to add more veggies like carrots, green beans, snap peas, zucchini. Wa-laa. Tastee!)

Thai Curry

1 Tbsp canola or peanut oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 each, red and green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 cup canned coconut milk

Thai Green Curry Paste (available on the Asian aisle)

Dash of salt

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp lime juice

1 lb chicken breast in thin slices

2 Tbsp raw peanuts, toasted (if desired) and chopped

3 cups cooked rice

Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add onion and peppers and stir-fry until just tender, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Return the pan to medium heat and add the coconut milk. Heat until it begins to bubble. Stir in the curry paste (start with 1 generous Tbsp and add more if desired) and simmer 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and lime juice and bring to a low boil. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and vegetables and continue to simmer until the meat is just cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Garnish with peanuts and serve over rice. Can also be made with beef, but I would suggest a red curry paste instead of the green.