Soft Maple Sugar Cookies 

Sweet Community Rating:	Not yet rated!
Prep time :	0:15
Bake/Cook time :	0:08 to 0:10
Yield :	22 cookies
Chef :	Jessica Segarra

Description

Maple is one of the most under-appreciated flavors, but not for long! These sweet and soft maple sugar cookies pack a double whammy with maple flavoring in the cookie as well as the icing - making them the perfect Fall dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour* 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 

1/3 cup vegetable oil 

1 1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar

1 large egg 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon maple extract 

2 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar

2 tablespoons water 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon maple extract 

Sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter, vegetable oil and sugar until well combined.   Mix in egg, vanilla extract and maple extract.
4. Add flour mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing until completely combined.
5. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving room for spreading. Lightly flatten dough balls with bottom of a cup into a disk shape.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until edges are set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on baking pan.  Transfer to a cooling rack.
7. For icing: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract and maple extract until smooth.
8. Using a spoon, smooth icing onto top of each cookie. Quickly sprinkle with sprinkles if desired and let set for 10 minutes, or until hardened.
9. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Peanut Chicken Zucchini Noodles

Peanut Chicken Zucchini Noodles

yield: 2 GIANT SERVINGS OR 4 REGULAR SERVINGS

prep time: 30 MINUTES

total time: 40 MINUTES

Mixing up weeknight dinners with this wildly flavorful and healthy Asian inspired peanut chicken and veggies dish! Keep in mind that the sauce ingredients are each important for the flavor. I do not recommend substitutions.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you'll need more for the peanut sauce below)¹
• 2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (I use red)
• 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced (I use red)
• 3 large zucchini, spiralized into noodles⁴
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (about 2-3 cups)²
• Toppings: 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped green onion

PEANUT SAUCE

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil¹
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar³
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha or any hot chile sauce

Special Equipment

• Spiralizer (I love the Inspiralizer!)⁴

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, cabbage, and pepper slices. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are a little tender. (I usually begin the peanut sauce, step 2, during this time.) Once tender, add the zucchini noodles and shredded chicken to the skillet. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the zucchini is a little softer and chicken is warm. Turn off the stove and remove from heat. Set aside. (*If your skillet isn't quite big enough, you can do this step in batches.)
2. Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the peanut butter has melted and everything is combined. I usually use 2 teaspoons of Sriracha, but use the amount of heat you like.
3. Once the sauce is heated through, pour over chicken/vegetables. Toss everything around until combined. Place on a serving dish (or not!) and top with sesame seeds, cilantro, peanuts, and green onion. Serve immediately.
4. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat to your liking.

Recipe Notes:

1. Sesame oil is KEY in the signature flavor of this dish. I highly advise against using any other oil; the recipe will not taste the same. You can find it in the Asian section of grocery stores.
2. I simply boiled chicken until cooked through-- about 12-15 minutes, then shredded it. If you have leftover shredded, chicken from another recipe, use that! Or buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred the meat.
3. Rice vinegar is also KEY in the signature flavor of this dish. It's a sweet and delicate vinegar you can find in the Asian section of your grocery. Do not use white wine or white vinegar-- they're much too harsh. Rather, you can use cider vinegar because it is more mild but your sauce will not taste the same. Again, rice vinegar is best.
4. My spiralizer recommendation: I love the Inspiralizer! If you do not have a spiralizer, just cut the zucchini into super thin strips instead. Or use 1 pound pasta. If using regular pasta, you'll want to cook it before using.

The Best Chili on Earth

Megan Porta

The BEST chili your lips will ever taste. I promise. 

Contributed by Megan Porta from pipandebby.com.

Published Feb 15, 2012

Serves: 12

Total time: 8-9 hrs (crockpot), 2.5 hrs (stovetop)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef, turkey or venison
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 46-oz. can tomato juice
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded cheese and sour cream, for topping

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from skillet, but do not clean.
2. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
3. If cooking the chili stovetop, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If using a slow cooker, add meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or slow cooker, depending on which you are using. On stovetop, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours. In slow cooker, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve warm with cheese and sour cream.

Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Chicken Tacos

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken Tacos

Recipe from : Will Cook for Smiles

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 -8 tacos

Author Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

• Chicken:
• 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 3 Tbsp sriracha sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Salt
• Tacos:
• 6-8 taco shells
• 1 avocado peeled and pit take out
• 1-2 cups mixed greens
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• Sauce:
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp finely minced cilantro
• 2 tsp lime juice
• Salt
• __
• 1 Tbsp sriracha + 1/2 Tbsp honey for topping

Instructions

1. Combine sriracha, honey, salt, and lime juice for marinating the chicken. Mix and slather both chicken breasts with the mixture. Let it marinade for about 15 minutes. (You can also let it marinade for longer in the fridge.) You can prepare the chicken on the grill or in a skillet on a stove top. Cook on both sides until done. Take off heat and cool a little bit, until you can handle it enough to cut.
2. In a small sauce bowl, mix together sour cream, finely minced cilantro, lime juice and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix together 1 Tbsp of sriracha and 1/2 Tbsp of honey. (You can always make more if you like more sauce and more heat.) Set aside.
4. (To drizzle sauces, I usually add them to separate small zip-lock bags and cut off little tips when I'm ready to drizzle. That way I don't have to wash a million squeeze bottles or use pricey piping bags.)
5. Slice chicken and add some to each taco shell.
6. Add some diced avocado, greens, and green onion on top of chicken.
7. Drizzle with sour cream sauce and honey sriracha on top.
8. Serve right away.