The Cleveland Clinic says a balanced diet is eating a variety of nutritious, whole foods. They go on to further say “a good mix of foods, colors and macronutrients” will allow people to get the vitamins and nutrients their body needs. Okay, but can we throw in a delicious  cookie made with no processed ingredients?

I bake every week because a) store bought cookies lack flavor and b) life’s too short not to enjoy a sweet treat. Recently for my weekly cookie bake, I tried a recipe from King Arthur Flour for Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies. For the recipe you’ll need light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, table salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, almond extract, either cider or white vinegar, an egg, all-purpose flour, Dutch-processed cocoa, milk, white chocolate chips (mini or regular), and semi-sweet chips. As I prefer dark chocolate over white or milk chocolate, I used all dark chocolate chips.

The recipe begins by creaming the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, baking soda, vanilla and almond extracts, and vinegar until smooth and creamy. Next the eggs are beaten in. This is followed by incorporating the flour, mixing just until combined. Next, the dough is halved with one portion mixed with cocoa, milk and white chocolate chips. To the other half, semi-sweet chips. Using a teaspoon cookie scoop, the dough is portioned into balls. Taking one ball of plain and one ball of chocolate dough, the two are gently pressed together and rolled into a single ball; making sure you have two distinct colors after rolling. The cookies bake approximately 9 to 11 minutes.

What a delicious cookie! The cookies aren’t overly sweet and the cocoa powder adding just enough chocolate flavor. This cookie will be part of my baking rotation.

Last week I spent the day with my granddaughter as she was off from school due to the June primary. As she’s now getting older (and mature), what used to entertain her when Nana visited, doesn’t always work. However, I do know that she loves vanilla scones. I had recently seen a reel by Christopher Kimball from the cooking website and show of the same name,“177 Milk Street.” Mr. Kimball demonstrated a recipe by the late Julia Child for a easy to remember recipe for plain scones called “1-2-3-4 Scones.” The formula is:  1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons of cold butter. For my granddaughter, I supplied the unsalted butter and pre-mixed the heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract (for flavoring) at my house. She then was tasked with measuring out the balance of the ingredients and did the mixing. She kneaded the dough and shaped it into a disc before cutting into 8 pieces. After chilling the scones, she brushed the tops with the extra cream I brought.

The scones came out perfect. They had a nice rise, slight crisp exterior with a nice soft crumb inside. My granddaughter loved them.

Asparagus season is just about over. I took full advantage of the season getting organic asparagus at the Asbury Fresh market from Rolling Hills Farm. By now, my husband has had his fill of asparagus, but I ended on a lovely note blending this luscious green veggie with chicken and citrus. Lemon Chicken with Asparagus is a recipe from Melissa Clark that I found on The New York Times/NYT cooking app. For the recipe you’ll need one chicken cut into 8 pieces, fine sea or table salt, ground coriander, paprika, extra-virgin olive oil, asparagus (trimmed), bunch of scallions and soft herbs (mint, dill or parsley or combination of all). For the lemon dressing that garnishes both the cooked chicken and asparagus you’ll need a lemon, finely grated or minced garlic, salt, pepper, ground coriander, Dijon mustard and extra-virgin olive oil.

This recipe takes approximately 45 minutes to prepare with just 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of roasting in a high oven. Thirty minutes prior to cooking, the chicken is seasoned with salt, coriander and paprika. The chicken is placed on a sheet pan and drizzled lightly with olive oil before roasting in a 425° oven for 15 minutes. After the initial roasting time, the chicken is moved to one side of the sheet pan and the asparagus added to the other. The chicken and asparagus get drizzled with olive oil and the pan is returned to the oven to finish roasting.

While the chicken and asparagus cook, the lemon dressing is prepared with finely grated lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and coriander. The ingredients are whisked together followed by the addition of the Dijon and additional oil. When the chicken and asparagus are done, the dressing is poured over the meal and garnished with chopped herbs.This was a delicious meal. Roasting the chicken at high heat allowed the meat to remain moist and have a golden-brown exterior. The asparagus were crisp tender and slightly charred. The lemon-mustard sauce complemented the dish and added freshness and a tangy flavor. To go along with this meal, I made some home fries. To have the potatoes done in time, I used my cast-iron frying pan along with a lid so that the steam would cook the potatoes quicker. Overall, a delicious meal done rather quickly.  You could probably sub broccoli for the asparagus or even zucchini. If using zucchini, I would allow it to cook for about 10 minutes at the high temperature.

I took a gamble with the last recipe last week and prepared Easy Burritos from Ali Slagle, a recipe also from The New York Times/NYT Cooking app. I asked my husband if he would consider having this for dinner and he was agreeable. For the recipe you’ll need one pound of ground beef, an onion, cumin, smoke paprika (chipotle or ancho chile powder), dried oregano, a can of black or pinto beans, a tomato, lime juice or apple cider vinegar, hot sauce (optional), burrito size flour tortillas (10-inch diameter) and shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blended cheese.

This is a great dish that stretches your ground beef with the addition of black beans. The beef is pressed into an even layer in a skillet with chopped onion spread on top. The meat is cooked undisturbed until deeply brown on the bottom. Cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and salt and pepper then season the beef followed by breaking up the cooked meat into small pieces. The beans, and their liquid, and chopped tomato are added and cooked until the liquid evaporates. Off heat lime juice is added and seasonings adjusted.

On a flat surface, shredded cheese placed in the center of the tortilla followed by the ground beef topped with more shredded cheese. The tortillas are rolled up tightly to seal them. In a non-stick skillet, the burritos are cooked seam side down until golden all over.

The wrapping was easier said than done for me. This was the first time I’ve made burritos and I think they could have used less filling for better rolling. Despite my shortcomings, once they were browned all over in the skillet, the melted cheese acted like a glue to hold them together. My husband surprised me by really enjoying them. I used ancho chile powder that I purchased at Spice and Tea Exchange which gave the burritos a smoky flavor and a hint of sweet notes. The burritos were filling too with the addition of melted cheese and beans. This is a wonderful meal for those busy weeknights when dinner has to be done in a hurry.

Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by King Arthur Test Kitchen

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 9 to 11 minutes

Total: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: about 40 cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup (131g) granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (113g) butter, softened

1/2 cup (92g) vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional

1 teaspoon cider vinegar or white vinegar

1 large egg

2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup (21g) Dutch-process cocoa

2 teaspoons milk

1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips, mini or regular

1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips, mini or regular

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) three baking sheets. If you don't have three baking sheets, that's OK; you'll bake the cookies in batches.
2. To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, baking soda, vanilla and almond extracts, and vinegar, beating until smooth and creamy. 
3. Add the egg, beating again until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. 
4. Mix in the flour, stirring just until combined.
5. Divide the dough in half; if you have a scale, each half will weigh about 390g. 
6. Mix the cocoa, milk, and white chocolate chips into one half of the dough. 
7. Mix the semisweet chocolate chips into the other half of the dough. 
8. To shape the cookies: Use a teaspoon cookie scoop to portion the chocolate chip cookie dough onto one of the baking sheets; the balls of dough can be close together. Repeat with the white chocolate chip dough.  
9. Cover the baking sheet and refrigerate the dough balls for 30 minutes. 
10. Working with one chocolate chip dough ball and one white chocolate chip dough ball at a time, gently press the two together and roll them into a single ball, being careful not to completely blend them.  
11. Place the marbled dough ball onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, leaving 2" clearance among the cookies. 
12. To bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until their edges are set and the middles are still slightly soft. 
13. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the pan until they're set enough to move without breaking. Storage information: Store cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Julia Child’s 1-2-3-4 Scone Recipe

Demonstrated by Christopher Kimball of “177 Milk Street”

Prep: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Total Time: 35-37 minutes

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

1 cup of heavy cream

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Pinch of salt*

Preparation

Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter to processor, pulse until pea sized. Place ingredients in bowl. Add wet ingredients; knead just to combine. Shape in ½-inch thick disc. Cut into 8 portions. Place on parchment lined baking sheet; chill 15 minutes. Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes. Rotate midway through baking.

*Donna’s Notes – I tried to find a version of Mr. Kimball’s recipe, but was unable to. In his TikTok video. Although not mentioned in the video, if you click on the “More” button, you’ll see video notes where it mentions the addition of a pinch of salt. If you would like to add fresh or dried fruit, I would suggest a cup at most. If you’re adding a citrus zest such as lemon or orange, 1 teaspoon.

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

“This Simple Dinner is Based on Asparagus,”

By  Melissa Clark

“A Good Appetite,” The New York Times

May 7, 2026

Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (3½ to 4 pounds) or use chicken parts

2 teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more as needed

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup torn soft herbs, such as mint, dill or parsley (or a combination)

For the lemon dressing

1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Prepare the chicken: Season chicken all over with salt, coriander and paprika. If you have time, set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces on one side of a sheet pan and drizzle lightly with oil. Roast for 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from oven and pile the asparagus on the other side of the pan, top with the scallions, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Drizzle chicken and  asparagus with a little more oil. 
4. Return pan to oven and continue  to roast until chicken is golden and cooked through and the asparagus is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (If the breast pieces are done before the dark meat, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.)
5. While the chicken cooks, make the dressing: Finely grate the lemon zest into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the same bowl. Add the garlic, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the coriander and whisk well. Whisk in mustard and olive oil. Taste and add more salt, mustard or oil, if needed, to make it bright and very tangy.
6. Drizzle lemon dressing over chicken and asparagus, coating everything well, and serve topped with fresh herbs.

Easy Burritos

By Ali Slagle

The New York Times, December 28, 2025

Total Time: 50 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 burritos

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or chipotle or ancho chile powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons lime juice, or apple cider vinegar

Hot sauce, for drizzling (optional)

6 burrito-size (about 10-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, press the beef into an even layer to fill the skillet. Sprinkle with the onion. Cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until the meat is deeply browned underneath, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Break up the beef into small pieces, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the beans, including the liquid, and the tomato and simmer, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture starts to sizzle, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the tortillas on a clean work surface. Sprinkle half the cheese across the center of the tortillas, left to right, leaving a 1-inch border. Top each with ⅔ cup of the beef-bean mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Drizzle on hot sauce, if using.
5. Fold the tortilla’s short sides over the filling, then fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling. Tightly roll away from you until the burrito is sealed. Repeat with the other tortillas.
6. When ready to eat, in a nonstick skillet over medium, place the burritos seam  side down. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Tip - To make ahead, prepare through Step 5. Let cool slightly, then wrap in  aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, remove the foil and wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel. Microwave, seam side down, until warm, 1 to 4 minutes. Remove the towel and continue to Step 6.