Freelancing Momma

The best chocolate chip cookies. Ever.

So, the other day, this cookie image found its way onto my Facebook timeline:

In case you were wondering, those are Nutella-stuffed Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yeah. Crazy.

You can thank the genius Monique at Ambitious Kitchen for that...and for the extra 10 lbs that are bound to collect around your butt and thighs after you eat them.

Obviously I had to make these and, since my best friend's birthday had just passed, I thought what better occasion than a belated birthday gift?

I'm not quite sure I was successful at browning the butter (I was really worried about it burning, so it was still pretty yellow when I took it off the heat), but it didn't seem to matter.

They were as delicious as they sound. The Nutella definitely added an amazingness to the cookie, but I might even say the coarse salt made it.

I gave my BFF half the batch and I threw the rest in the freezer...you know, so I don't eat them all at once. Right now, I think I have about four left. I made them on Tuesday.

(Photo by Ambitious Kitchen)

Flank Steak Fajitas

I've been seriously slacking on the recipe front. Sorry. I just haven't made anything fun and exciting lately.

The flank steak fajita is one of my go-to beef dishes -- for days when I'm particularly unimaginative and lazy. I like it because it's relatively quick, and I usually have most of the ingredients in my fridge...except for sour cream. We're always out of sour cream.

But I digress. Anyway, I'm not really selling it very well. It's delicious. And a big hit at our house.

Ingredients

1 Flank steak

Soft tortilla shells

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c soy sauce

garlic

salt

pepper

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow onion

cheddar cheese

salsa 

sour cream

Fajita Seasoning:

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Preparation

Mix together olive oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cut slits in the flank steak (against the grain, one inch apart) and pour the mixture over it. Let it marinate for a couple of hours.

Combine all the fajita seasoning spices together.

Directions

Cut the flank steak in half. Heat a cast iron skillet (or whatever frying pan you have) on medium high heat. When it's hot, throw the flank steak on -- 5 minutes per side. Repeat with the second half of the flank steak. Put the meat aside.

Cut the red and green peppers lengthwise into strips. Cut up the onion and throw all the veggies into the skillet with some olive oil over medium heat. Stir often until everything is soft...just shy of the perfect fajita consistency.

When the veggies are just about done, cut the meat into strips and throw them in there too. Add the fajita seasoning and a cup of water and let everything simmer until all the liquid is just about absorbed.

While that's going on, take the opportunity to grate some cheese...and set out the salsa and sour cream.

And there you have it. Fajita Night!

Summer Corn Soup

One of the toughest things I've found about being a mom -- especially one who works -- is the whole "healthy meal" thing. We've started getting an organic fruit/vegetable delivery from Mama Earth Organics, which I guess is a good start, but this week we received four cobs of corn that I had no idea what to do with (we just had corn on Tuesday!)

The solution? This Summer Corn Soup recipe that I adapted from Seasons and Suppers. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself! And the best part? Addy can eat it too!

Ingredients

• 4 large ears fresh sweet corn, shucked, silks removed
• salt
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 diced leeks (white parts only)
• Italian seasoning (to taste)
• Paprika (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• dollop of sour cream (or Greek yogurt), for garnish
• 1/2 cup finely diced fresh tomatoes, for garnish
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. With a sharp knife, cut the raw kernels off the ears of corn. Don't cut too close to the base of the kernels, as you want to leave a bit for the next step. Set corn kernels aside.
2. After the kernels have been cut off, stand one cob on end in a shallow dish and use the back edge of the knife to scrape the cobs and extract as much “milk” and solids as you can. If you messed this step up, don't worry. You can always add real milk later on. Set this corn milk mixture aside as well.
3. Break the cobs in half and put them in a heavy, large pot (at least 4-quart size). Add 5 cups water and 1 tsp. salt and over high heat, bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes then discard the cobs. Pour this stock into a bowl and set aside.
4. Set the same pot back over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add in the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly, until fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium, add the leeks and sprinkling of salt and stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally to prevent them from browning, about 5 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, black pepper and cayenne and stir. Add the corn stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium low. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add most of the corn kernels, reserving about 1 cup. Simmer the soup for another 10 minutes.
5. Puree with an immersion blender. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Add the reserved corn kernels and corn “milk” (or throw in some regular milk) and simmer just long enough to take the raw edge off the corn, about 5 min. (*I just turn the heat off the pot after adding and let the hot soup cook it slightly. I find it’s the best way to preserve some great crunch to the corn while allowing it to cook just slightly.) Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, garnished with a small dollop of sour cream and the tomatoes and basil.