Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles with Veggies

Peanut Butter Noodles with Ramen

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 chopped bell pepper

1 chopped zucchini

1 carrot sliced into circles

Honey roasted peanuts for topping (opt)

4 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning).  

Cook noodles in boiling water according to instructions.  Meanwhile make your sauce.

Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes

2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Garlic rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

Mix all sauce ingredients in large saucepan until incorporated and hot.  Mix hot noodles with sauce to coat.    Set aside in serving bowl.  In same pan, add sesame Oil and garlic and veggies, and cook for 1 minute (just to warm).  Add ramen back to pan and stir to mix.  Put in serving dish.

 Can also add sauteed chicken or shrimp.  Add more pepper to taste.  Top with peanuts

 Serve hot (also good cold).

Thai Peanut Butter Pumpkin and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

10 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes (enough for 8 cups of broth)
2 sweet onions diced
1 Tbsp. ginger (minced fresh or dried)
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (you may prefer to add more, up to 1 cup)
10 oz. bagged Kale (cut, cleaned and ready to cook - I use the ones from Trader Joe's)
1 (15 oz.) can Pure Pumpkin
crushed salted peanuts for topping (optional)

Directions:

Add water, bouillon cubes or powder, diced onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and pepper.  Heat on high until boiling, add peanut butter and stir until combined.  Add kale.  Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir until combined.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve hot.  Top with crushed peanuts if desired.  Great served along side couscous or jasmine rice.

If you like the peanut butter flavor feel free to add more!  I like to keep things on the lighter side, so I stick to a modest amount of peanut butter.  However, it is delicious with more!

Smore Cookie Checkerboard Bars

Ingredients:

Your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (uncooked)
I suggest:  Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your favorite Brownie Dough (uncooked)
I suggest:  Decadent Double Chocolate Brownies

Graham Cracker Crust:  Graham Cracker Pie Crust (but leave in bowl mixed and follow directions below)

1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If your brownie dough uses melted butter, make sure to melt it in a 13 X 9 X 1(or more) inch baking pan.  If not, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a 13X9X1 inch pan and spread melted butter evenly across bottom of pan.

Plop the cookie dough in large tablespoon full in a checkerboard pattern in buttered 13X9X1 inch pan alternating leaving the spots for the brownie batter empty, as shown in diagram below.  Use all cookie dough.
    ------------------------
|   C   B   C   B   C   B   |     B = brownie dough
|   B   C   B   C   B   C   |     C = Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
|   C   B   C   B   C   B   |
|   B   C   B   C   B   C   |
    ------------------------

Mix 3/4 cup marshmallows into the brownie batter.  Spoon about 1/12 of the pie crust mixture into each empty space in your baking pan.  Press the pie crust lightly into each space.  Cover the pie crust with about 1/12 of the brownie batter.  Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 marshmallows on top of the brownie dough spots only.

Bake at 350 degrees until done about 35-45 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:  Great served warm topped with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce!

Amazing Checker Board Bars

Ingredients:

Your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (uncooked)
I suggest:  Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your favorite Brownie Dough (uncooked)
I suggest:  Decadent Double Chocolate Brownies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If your brownie dough uses melted butter, make sure to melt it in a 13 X 9 X 1(or more) inch baking pan.  If not, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a 13X9X1 inch pan and spread melted butter evenly across bottom of pan.

Plop in large tablespoon full in a checkerboard pattern in buttered 13X9X1 inch pan alternating between brownie and cookie dough, as shown in diagram below.  Use all dough.

    ------------------------
|   C   B   C   B   C   B   |     B = brownie dough
|   B   C   B   C   B   C   |     C = Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
|   C   B   C   B   C   B   |
|   B   C   B   C   B   C   |
    ------------------------

Bake at 350 degrees until done about 35-45 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:  Great served warm topped with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce!

This also works great with other combinations such as:

Peanut Butter Cookie - Chocolate Chip Cookie
Peanut Butter Cookie - Brownie
Blondie - Brownie
Blondie - Peanut Butter Cookie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S...and super simple to make.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust (you can also use a pre-made crust):
1 1/4 cup chcolate graham cracker crumbs or oreo crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. butter

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) brick lowfat cream cheese softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) light cool whip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in microwave or place butter in 9 inch pie pan, bake until butter is just melted.  Add butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar to pie pan.  Mix until well blended.  Press into sides and bottom of pie dish being careful not to burn your fingers.  You can choose to bake the crust for a slightly crispier texture or simply use the crust as is.  Optional:  Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.  Let cool.  

You may also use a pre-made pie crust instead.  Again, if you want a crispier crust, you can bake the pie crust at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.  Make sure to completely cool the pie crust.

When the pie crust is completely cooled:  In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese with peanut butter until well blended.  Add powder sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Fold in the cool whip until well incorporated.  Fold in the cool whip in until most of the small chucks of cream cheese mixture disappear.  Pour into prepared cooled pie crust and smooth top with a spatula.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before serving.  Enjoy!

May top with crumbled Reese's, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or any combo thereof!

Summertime Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Heavenly and lower-fat...say no more

Ingredients:

2 1/2 plus 1/2 cup skim milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 cup chocolate pieces (preferably dark)

1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:

In a medium saucepan on medium high heat cook 2 1/2 cups milk, sugar, salt and cocoa powder until milk is about to boil, about 5-10 minutes.  Mix 1/2 cup milk with the cornstarch until combined.  Add to heated milk-chocolate mixture, and cook until thick.  Turn off heat.  Add chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted.  Cool in refrigerator.  When completely cooled pour into ice cream maker and follow instructions of ice cream maker.  With my Cuisinart, I pour the mixture into the machine, and let churn 30 minutes.  Once ice cream is ready, barely stir in tablespoon fulls of peanut butter so there are large chucks within the mixture.  Place in freezer-safe container and cover tightly.  Let harden in freezer.  Prior to serving let sit out for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Puppy Treats for a Spring Doggie Birthday

Spring Has Sprung,

Time for Puppy Treats for Oscar and Zoey's Birthday

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Raspberry or Strawberry Jelly; or Applesauce (feel free to substitute Apricot or Peach Jam, but remember the pits from peaches and apricots are poisonous to dogs; do not use grape jelly as grapes are bad for dogs)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients and mix to combine. Place 1/4 of dough at a time onto a sheet of wax paper and roll or pat out into a 1/2 inch thick sheet.  Use a dog bone shapped cookie cutter (or other cookie cutter of your choice) to cut out the treats.  Please onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 16 - 20 minutes until very lightly browned.  The bones do not spread much, if at all.  My dogs love these, hope yours do as well.

Oscar (left) and Zoey (right)