Jessica's Joyful Kitchen

Pumpernickel bread slices 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (pickled good too) 3 hard boiled eggs Caper berries 2 medium tomatoes, core, seeded and diced 2 teaspoons chopped, fresh chives Salt and pepper Toast the bread and spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream cheese on top of each piece. Put a slice of smoked salmon, a couple of slices of onion, egg, and about 1 tablespoon of chopped tomato on top of that. Sprinkle with capers, chives and season with salt and pepper. Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger

Smooth and creamy with a delicious combination of flavors – artichokes, white beans, lemon, parmesan, and basil. I’m excited to take this to a tapas potluck tomorrow :) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 (12-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, beans, cheese, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is chunky. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Spoon the artichoke mixture onto pita chips or crostini and serve. Recipe courtesy of Giadia at Home

Cookies: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Mix shortening and sugar. Add in egg. Mix. Add milk and mix. 2. Add in dry ingredients and stir. 3. Blend in the zucchini and vanilla. Using a small scoop, drop onto a greased baking sheet. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350* for about 12-15 minutes, until the bottom gets browned. Makes about 20 sandwiches. Cool and sandwich cookies with cream cheese filling. Filling: 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Recipe courtesy of Real...

* Need to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  Chicken Batter: 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces) 1 ½ tablespoons flour 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch 1 egg salt and pepper (to taste) 1 medium onion (sliced) Sauce: ½ cup chicken broth 8 oz can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon ginger (minced) 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon cornstarch fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish) I used basil Step 1: Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. In a bowl mix together flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, egg, salt and pepper. If batter is too thick add a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Dip chicken pieces into batter, coat well and sauté chicken pieces in batches in a hot wok, until golden brown. Keep warm until needed.  Step 2: Add a tiny bit of oil to your wok and stir fry slices onions for about 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, ...

3/4 pound spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti 2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets 2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed 2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 scallion, cut into pieces 3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts Cook the pasta in a large pot of water according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and sugar snap peas and steam for 2 minutes more. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Make the sauce by pureeing the peanu...

• cooking spray • 3 cups old-fashioned oats • 1 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, etc • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup • 3/4 cup dried cranberries, raisins, coconut, etc 1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. In a medium bowl, combine the above ingredients; except fruit. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until granola is toasted. I baked mine for about 1 hour, but I like it nice and toasty so start checking it after 45 minutes. 3. Remove granola from oven; toss in fruit and season with additional salt. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack; let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Show

¾ cup (167 g) salted butter, softened ¾ cup (160–200 g) dark brown sugar, packed (use dark for richer flavor) ¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola or neutral oil 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour 1½ tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (or substitute ground ginger) 1½ cups (150 g) old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup (90 g) butterscotch chips ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins ⅓ cup (45 g) chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup (167 g) salted butter with ¾ cup (dark brown sugar) and ¼ cup (granulated sugar) until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon of canola oil, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and we...