Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

A few weeks ago I hit an awesome sale on strawberries, just 99 cents for a package, so I picked them up thinking I would snack on them.  Well, I am a bad girl and put them in the fridge and forgot about them, until one Sunday night when trying to figure out dinner I found them and realized that they needed to be eaten, and quick!  Was I going to eat a whole container by myself that night, probably not, but I remembered seeing a recipe for these Strawberry Shortcake Cookies and figured at least they would be going towards a good cause! 

This is a Martha Stewart recipe, and she did not disappoint!  They tasted just like a strawberry shortcake minus the whipped cream, they were heavenly!  I did have a bit of a problem getting the strawberries incorporated into the dough, but I think it was my fault for bringing the dough together too much before adding the strawberries, so I had to mash pieces into the balls of dough.  I almost decided to throw the towel in because I didn't think they were going to turn out, but after tasting them, I would have been very mad at myself for missing out!  These really are best warm out of the oven and really should be eaten within a day or two of baking, but honestly, they are so good, you'll be lucky to have any left by day two!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart

12 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1-2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 c. heavy cream
coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. You can also use your fingers. Stir in the heavy cream until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in strawberries.

Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

Oh my goodness, it has been way too long since I have been able to post anything food related here, but my computer is working again (for the most part) and I am ready to get back to making a more regular appearance on here!

According to my camera, I actually made these back on April 12, so it seems that I am about 2 months behind in all my posting, which is a shame, because I have made some yummy stuff during that time!  These tostadas are actually a spin on a recipe that was getting posted all over the various blogs that I read, they were intended to be eaten as a sandwich, but being such a Mexican food lover, I have a hard time putting the concept of Mexican food and sandwiches together, plus I wanted something crunchy, so thus I served it tostada style!  But feel free to serve on a nice crusty roll if it is a sandwich that you crave!

This is actually a Rachael Ray recipe, and it actually took less than 30 minutes!  The basis is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, so that really eliminates a lot of time, but there is some prep involved with getting all of the chicken off of the bone.  (Quick Tip: It is much easier to pull the chicken off the bone and shred it while it is still warm, so if I go to the grocery store early in the day, I always de-bone and shred the chicken when I get home and then just refrigerate until I am ready to start cooking.)  This smelled delicious while cooking, and the end result confirmed it, the chicken mixture was creamy with a touch of heat.  For the shells, I just took corn tortillas and fried them in a little bit of oil until crispy, but you could always use pre-made shells or bake them until crispy for a lighter version.

Since it was just me eating this, I was able to package up two more portions for the freezer, which will be just perfect when I need a Mexican fix after a long day at work!

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray - September 2009

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 c. store-bought salsa verde
1/2 c. sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 tostada shells
4 slices Monterrey jack cheese (I just used shredded)

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Stir in the chicken to coat.

2. Pile the chicken mixture on the tostada shells. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa if desired....and of course....a side of beans!