How I Managed to Make Peppermint Truffles

I really love peppermint and dark chocolate together. When I was a kid, my grandma made this peppermint ice cream dessert at Christmas, and that's probably what started my love of this flavor combination. We called this Christmas-time dessert "pink dessert," and it consists of chocolate-covered rice crispies and peppermint ice cream. She would laugh and laugh about how much we all liked it saying "it's such a simple recipe."

As soon as Starbucks transitions from Pumpkin Spice Lattes to Peppermint Mochas, I become a frequent customer. I can't get enough! This flavor combination reminds me of Christmas at my grandparents' farm with my dad's family. But it's also plain old super-delicious!

My sister pinned a recipe for four ingredient peppermint truffles, and it caught my attention. You can find the recipe at http://houseofyumm.com/peppermint-truffles/. So earlier this week, I thought I'd try making them. The recipe promised to be easy, and I had some time.

However, as this was my first attempt at making any kind of truffles, I ran into some problems. At first, the middle of the truffle (the ganache) was way too hard. There was no way I was going to be able to scoop it and make little peppermint balls. And I also thought it needed more peppermint. A lot more peppermint. So I added more heavy cream and more peppermint extract. Then the ganache was not firm enough. Ugh. So I added more white chocolate. Finally, I had the right consistency!

I borrowed a melon baller from my mom, which made the truffles just the right size. Also, since these truffles are supposed to be kept in the refrigerator, I didn't want the chocolate to turn white like it does when it has been heated and then refrigerated. That meant added coconut oil - a staple in my pantry.

Here's the 5-ingredient recipe I ended up with for Peppermint Truffles:

• 4 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 10 ounces white chocolate chips (weigh it - it's about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dark chocolate would also be really good)
• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil

1. Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate chips. Add the peppermint extract and heavy cream. Stir until all chips are melted and ingredients are combined.
2. Transfer peppermint ganache to a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
3. Remove the ganache from the fridge.
4. Melt the semisweet or dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Add the coconut oil and mix well.
5. Scoop one truffle center at a time and dip into the melted chocolate. Place the chocolate-covered peppermint ball onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all the peppermint ganache has been used and dipped, put cookie sheet back into the fridge until the chocolate has hardened.
6. Transfer the truffles to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

I got 16 truffles from this recipe, but the first two I made were quite big. I'd think you would end up with between 16 and 18, depending on how big your balls are. Let me know if you make them!

Greek Chicken

About a year and a half ago, I had a friend stop through town on her way from Chicago to Minnesota. She made dinner for my family and me. We liked the recipe so much that we asked her for it. She said, "Oh, I found it on Pinterest. I'll send it to you." It was called Marinated Greek Chicken Skewers, and it was supposed to be made on the grill. Unfortunately, the day she came, it was cold and rainy, so she had to adjust her plan and made them on the stove in a skillet instead.

Greek chicken cooking in the skillet

My husband and I make the recipe fairly often, but we've never made it on the grill. We also tend not to plan ahead well enough to allow us to actually marinate the chicken. One of these days, we'll include that step. In the meantime, here is our version of the recipe:

Greek Chicken
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless
3 bell peppers, any color
Marinade ingredients:
2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (we use the organic lemon juice from Costco)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced (we use jarred minced garlic)

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and set aside.
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Put the marinade and chicken into a zippered plastic bag and set aside for 30 minutes. (This step can be skipped, if you don't have time for it.)
4. Wash the peppers and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and marinade. When the chicken is cooked on the outside, add the peppers.
6. Cook until the chicken is done - about 10 minutes.
7. Enjoy over rice!

Salmon Burgers

My family usually eats pretty healthy meals. We use whole food ingredients, and we try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. With our busy schedule, though, it is sometimes difficult to eat as healthy as I'd like. Last night, I didn't start making dinner for my husband and me until 8:30pm! Yuck. I don't like eating that late.

However, I was able to whip up these delicious salmon burgers and have them on our plates in about 15 minutes. I was so hungry and tired, that I didn't even take a picture!

I served them with some leftover sourdough bread and steamed broccoli. They would've been delicious with a creamy dill sauce, but I'll have to try that another day. This recipe could easily be doubled or tripled.

Easy Salmon Burgers
1 can (6 oz.) skinless boneless salmon
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used what I happened to have in the cupboard, but you could easily use quick oats.)

Mix all ingredients together and form two patties. Heat 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

What is your go-to quick meal for busy nights?

Coconut Chocolate Chip Scones

My kids have a book by Mercer Mayer that says the most important ingredient in any recipe is love. So, when I make something for my family and they respond positively, I often ask if I put enough love in it. This is especially fun when both of the kids have helped me make something and we are seeking feedback from Einar.

One of our favorite breakfast treats is chocolate chip scones. Years ago, my sister shared her recipe with me. She got it from her Betty Crocker or Joy of Cooking or some other fairly standard cookbook. We really like this recipe - it's easy, quick, and most importantly, tasty!

Over the past year and a half or so, my husband and I have been using coconut oil more regularly, and so I thought I'd try using coconut oil instead of butter in this recipe. Now, I am not a huge fan of coconut, but I do like coconut milk-based curries. I was hesitant to use unrefined coconut oil because of its mild coconut flavor. We were delighted to discover that using unrefined/virgin coconut oil gave a nice hint of coconut flavor, which was a nice complement to the semisweet chocolate chips I use.

If you want to experience these delicious scones for yourself, gather up extra love and follow the recipe below.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Scones
1/3 cup unrefined/virgin coconut oil (I use Spectrum brand)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
4 to 6 tablespoons half-and-half

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt into a medium bowl. Cut coconut oil into these dry ingredients with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in the egg, chocolate chips, and just enough half-and-half so the dough leaves sides of bowl.
Lightly knead 10 times. (I do this right in the bowl.)
Divide into 8 equal pieces. Gently form each piece into a ball and then flatten to about 1/2" thick.
Place on ungreased baking stone, leaving room between each scones.
Bake until golden brown, about 17-19 minutes. (If using a cookie sheet instead of a baking stone, decrease cooking time to 10-12 minutes.)

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or glass of milk.