teriyaki salmon

I originally found this recipe while scouring some boards on Pinterest and decided it sounded so good I would actually end my boycott of cooking salmon at home.  For the most part, I like salmon…when it’s done perfectly by a 5 star chef or my good friend, Vicki, back home in Michigan.  Aside from that, I’ve always been really skeptical of my own abilities to do it well.  Generally, I consider myself a pretty good cook, but salmon has always intimidated me.  I don’t know if it’s because it’s a strongly flavored fish, or because it’s too expensive to risk screwing up.  Either way, I’ve always shied away from it – despite all proven health benefits of eating more salmon.

The teriyaki is what intrigued me about this recipe.  It seemed like a flavor that would stand up well to the strong salmon flavor I’ve always feared.  And it do so beautifully.  The finished product was as delicious as it was pretty!  You’ll see, though, I used steaks instead of the suggested fillets, which was my mistake.  The steaks were much thicker and required extra care in baking, and they also had a lot more bones.  Next time I’ll definitely use the fillets.  Enjoy!

Teriyaki Salmon
adapted from My Father’s Daughter, by Gwenyth Paltrow (via Milk & Mode)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger
• 2 sprigs fresh cilantro
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives, for serving

Combine the soy sauce, white wine, sugar, honey, water, ginger, lemon juice, and cilantro in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool until it’s just warm to the touch. Pour into a plastic freezer bag and add the salmon. Turn the bag a few times to coat the salmon, and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (can also be marinated overnight)

To cook the salmon, preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray lightly with cooking spray, and arrange the salmon in a single layer with whatever sauce adheres to it. Broil 6-8 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork and is just cooked through. While it’s cooking, strain the extra sauce into a clean saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce until thick and syrupy.

To serve, drizzle the cooked salmon with some of the extra sauce and a sprinkle of chives.

lemon ricotta cookies

I was back in Michigan a few weeks ago and a good friend invited me for dinner, as she always does when I’m in town.  I never say no.  First, because she’s an amazing woman and I love spending time with her and her husband.  Second, she’s a freaking amazing cook!!!  Dinner was fabulous, as always, but the pièce de résistance was the cookie.  I kid you not, the cookie made me nearly forget a spectacular dinner.  That’s how good it was.

It was soooo good, I was still dreaming about it when I got back to Arizona four days later.  Blessed as we are in the desert with an abundance of citrus trees, and blessed as we are with generous neighbors who leave boxes of fresh citrus in their yard for the taking, it wasn’t long before I was in possession of some big, bright, beautiful lemons.  Not the scrawny, juice-less grocery store variety.  I’m talking about big, fat, tree-ripened fruit that leaves the heady scent of lemon in your palms when you roll them gently in your hands.

The best thing to do with lemons like that is to find a recipe that uses as much of the lemony goodness as possible.  The lemon ricotta cookie recipe does just that.  It calls for lots of fresh lemon juice and the zest of two lemons.  Seriously!  If you love lemon like I love lemon, you’re going to adore these.  The cookie is very cake-like: soft and moist, and full of lemon flavor.  The icing is just a flavor explosion in your mouth.  That’s weird, but it’s the only way I can think of to describe it.  The sweetness of the powdered sugar is complimented beautifully by the tart lemon juice, and it’s speckled with pretty yellow flecks of color from the zest of an entire lemon.  Heaven, I tell you!!

My husband ate one the night I baked them and said….no joke, “This might just be the best cookie ever!”  But, you won’t know until you make them yourself.  Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Recipe Courtesy: Giada De Laurentis and The Food Network

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before eating.

spinach and ricotta stuffed shells

Doesn’t everybody have a recipe like this?  I think a variation of this recipe has been handed down from generation to generation of cooks for decades.  But that doesn’t mean stuffed shells have worn out their welcome at our dinner table.  It means it’s one of those consistently good, go-to recipes everybody should have on hand in the event dinner inspiration is lacking.  I like this one because it reminds me of my mom, who taught me how to make it, and because it’s just a good, filling, comforting meal.  I use spinach, but chopped broccoli works well, too.  In fact, I think any green veggie, chopped or shredded, would work.

Also, since I’m a big advocate of cooking with your kids, this is an easy one for budding chefs to have lots of hands-on time.  I’m a bit nostalgic at the moment, having just lost my mom so recently, but putting this together for dinner last night with my 6 year old was a little bit of a walk down memory lane, too.  I have really fond memories of helping my mom in the kitchen – to the extent what I was doing was actually helpful – and that’s a huge part of what I love about cooking now.  So, letting Kat slosh marinara to her heart’s content is part of my joy of cooking.  I should probably add it to the instructions:  Give your kid a spoon and let ‘em have at it.  Enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen jumbo shells, cooked according to package directions
• 1 15 oz container low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 8 oz package part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp parsley, dried
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3 c marinara sauce

Instructions:

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Cook jumbo shells as directed.  Drain on paper towel.  Thaw spinach and drain well, squeezing out excess moisture by the handful.  Combine with cheese, beaten eggs, salt, parsley, oregano and pepper.

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Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in 13 x 9 baking pan.  Fill shells with about 2 Tbsp of mixture.  Place filled shells (one deep) in dish and cover with remaining sauce.  Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.  Makes 6 – 8 servings of 3 – 4 shells.

Kitchen Notes:  This recipe freezes really well, too.  Thaw to room temp then bake as directed.

creamy italian white bean and spinach soup

I started this meal with something else in mind.  Originally, dinner was supposed to be Spinach and Leek White Bean Soup, since I’d purchased a couple of leeks previously to use in a recipe I never ended up putting together.  So I knew I needed to use them soon or they’d be inedible.  Much to my surprise, they already were inedible.  I’ll just call that a lesson learned in not buying local.

Of course, I discovered the leeks in their apparent state of decay only moments before I planned to slice them and saute them with a couple of cloves of garlic.  Brilliant cook and super-fast thinker that I am…I clicked on the next delicious looking link.  Problem solved!  (Don’t you just love the internet?).  Hence, Creamy Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup.  And, none of my ingredients looked like a 6th grade science experiment.

As for the results?  I sometimes rate the success of a recipe by how much I have left at the end of the meal (unless I’ve cooked for an army), and how long the leftovers sit in the refrigerator.  My second barometer is whether my 6-year-old turned her nose up at it sans any attempt to taste it,  if she  tried it and then turned her nose up, of if she ate.  And by “ate,” I mean, she didn’t just nibble with her front teeth, but actually got some on her real, actual taste buds.  Minus the spinach, she ate, and she said she liked it.  Maybe I was just being manipulated into a subsequent bowl of Dreyer’s Limited Edition Girl Scout Thin Mint ice cream, but….I actually believed her.

There were no leftovers, either, if that tells you anything, so I can’t say how this soup would age.  Based on our first and only eating, I found it flavorful and really delicious.  Given a couple of days to mellow in the refrigerator, I’m pretty sure it would have been spectacular.  Enjoy!

Creamy Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup (recipe courtesy Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (16 ounce) cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups water
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil. Cook onion and celery in oil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, continually stirring. Stir in beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
2. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture from soup and set aside.
3. In blender at low-speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth, (it helps to remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow steam to escape.) Once blended pour soup back into stock pot and stir in reserved beans.
4. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Nutrition Info per serving:

• Calories: 245
• Total Fat: 4.9g
• Cholesterol: 2mg
• Sodium: 1014mg
• Total Carbs: 38.1g
• Dietary Fiber: 11.2g
• Protein: 12g

***Kitchen Notes:  The original recipe calls for removing some of the bean and veggie mixture and blending it to create the creamier texture.  I didn’t go that far.  Instead, I used my potato masher and gently mashed the beans and veggies in the pan.  That left some of the beans whole, while also creating a thicker, heartier soup.  No need to go overboard, just 10 or 12 times through the pot.  Also, I used fresh thyme.  If you do, remember to use about 4x as much fresh as you would if you’re using dried herbs.  Also, you could turn this into a vegetarian soup by simply swapping out the chicken stock for veggie stock.

traditional irish soda bread

When I went in search of a traditional Irish Soda Bread, I discovered a couple of things.  First, “traditional” soda bread recipes come in all sorts of varieties: with butter, eggs, caraway seeds or raisins.  Second, traditionalists say there is nothing “traditional” about soda bread with butter, eggs, caraway seeds or raisins.  Who am I to argue?  I’m Scottish and the Scots put things like sugar and cream of tartar in theirs.  Horror of horrors!!

The oldest soda bread recipe I came across was quoted in a site known as The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread, and dated back to 1836.  It said, “…put a pound and a half of good wheaten meal into a large bowl, mix with it two teaspoonfuls of finely-powdered salt, then take a large teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda,% dissolve it in half a teacupful of cold water, and add it to the meal; rub up all intimately together, then pour into the bowl as much very sour buttermilk as will make the whole into soft dough (it should be as soft as could possibly be handled, and the softer the better,) form it into a cake of about an inch thickness, and put it into a flat Dutch oven or frying-pan, with some metallic cover, such as an oven-lid or griddle, apply a moderate heat underneath for twenty minutes, then lay some clear live coals upon the lid, and keep it so for half an hour longer (the under heat being allowed to fall off gradually for the last fifteen minutes,) taking off the cover occasionally to see that it does not burn.”

Frankly, I don’t know how anyone navigated recipes like this.  I need a little more instruction.  For instance, baking time and temperature would be helpful.  However, when you’re cooking with hot coals, I guess eyeballing it is the way to go.

Anyway, for our traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, I followed the recipe below (adhering strictly to tradition, of course).  The bread was wonderful; dense and comforting, still slightly warm from the oven.  But eat it within a day or two because it doesn’t keep well much longer than that.  Enjoy!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread (Courtesy Pennies on a Platter)

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 ounces buttermilk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450˚F.  Sprinkle flour onto the center of a baking sheet or stone. (I used my grandmother’s cast iron skillet)

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and pour in all of the buttermilk at once. Starting in the center and working towards the outside of the bowl, use your hand to mix, stirring until fully incorporated (takes only seconds). Turn out onto a well-floured surface.  Wash and dry your hands before continuing.

Flour your hands and gently roll out dough just enough to tidy it up. Flip the dough over and pat into a round about 1 1/2 inches deep. Place the loaf on top of the floured baking sheet/stone.

Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross in the round loaf, making sure to let the cuts go over the sides of the bread.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400˚F and let bake for another 20 minutes, or until just cooked. The bread is cooked with it lets a hollow sound while tapping the bottom. Cool on wire rack.

Kitchen Notes:  Don’t cool entirely.  This bread is best served a little warm…and it’s particularly good drizzled with honey or a little jam!

snickerdoodle bundt cake

We Lutherans love a good pot-luck.  Or, so I’m told.  Personally, most of what’s served in church basements can be pretty sub-par eats, at best. Obviously, the food is secondary.  The pot-lock?  Well…it’s more about the camaraderie, I’m certain; the closeness, the companionship…the reality you won’t have dishes to do after dinner!!

When I show up at the church pot-luck dinner, not only are the other diners happy for my companionship and closeness (come on, could that ever be in question?), they’re also very excited about this cake.  It’s pretty much the only time I bake it.  This time, though, I had invited a friend and her two daughters for dinner.  Her husband had traveled pretty extensively during the month of February and the “single mom” syndrome was setting in.  I figured she could use a home cooked meal  that didn’t involve her stepping foot in the kitchen.  This cake was dessert for my friend and her two daughters.  I sent them home with full bellies and a to-go bag full of leftover cake.  There were smiles all around.

I think one of my favorite things about this cake – aside from the fact the Snickerdoodle cookie is the center of many wonderful childhood memories – is the way the outside bakes into a crispy, sugary shell.  Beyond that, the inside is soft and moist, with a swirl of more cinnamon sugar.  One slice is all I’ll allow myself lest I completely lose my senses. True!  Now go forth and bake.  If you happen to swing through a good old-fashioned Lutheran pot-luck, I guarantee there will be some happy church ladies.  Enjoy!

snickerdoodle bundt cake

Ingredients:
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c white sugar (granulated)

Combine these ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set aside.

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c white sugar
1 c light brown sugar
3 eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c sour cream, at room temp

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven to 325. Generously spray a 9″ bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Be particular about coating all the indentations in the pan, as well as the center tube. Dust the entire inside of the bundt pan with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. You’ll probably only need about 1/4 cup of sugar, but you’ll want to make sure the pan is evenly coated – including the center tube. Save the remaining mixture and set everything aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat just the butter for 1 minute on medium speed. Add the white sugar and mix for about another 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and the blade and add the brown sugar. Mix for about 2 minutes or until the batter looks light brown and uniform in color.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating each for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beating well.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Add remaining batter to the pan and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting cake on to a wire rack to cool completely.

black bean soup with sausage

Healthy, delicious, comforting, filling.  Not to mention, it’s one of the handful of days our temps have fallen below 60 degrees all winter.  Generally, we’ve hovered in the low 70s.  Not exactly soup weather.  So, as soon as I saw the forecast, I threw some black beans in the pot to soak !

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Now, let’s get back to the healthy part. This recipe makes about 8 cups, or 6 main course servings.  The nutrition stats break out like this per serving: 178 cal, 4 g fat ( 1 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 689 mg sodium, 22 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 15 g protein. It’s low-fat, heart-healthy, and full of muscle-building protein.  It’s also pretty quick to put together and there’s even a slow-cooker option posted beneath the recipe.

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I serve it with some hunks of hearty, crusty bread, and it’s a wonderfully satisfying meal.  Make this a day ahead, if you can, and let the flavors blend overnight. Like a lot of soups, stews, etc., it tastes even better the next day.  Enjoy!

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BLACK BEAN SOUP w/SAUSAGE

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Ingredients:

1 cup dry black beans
6 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
8 oz fully cooked smoked turkey sausage or Polish sausage, chopped
3 Tbsp dry sherry (optional)
Low-fat sour cream or shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

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Preparation:

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1. Rinse beans. In a large saucepan or pot combine beans and the 6 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

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2.  In the same pan combine beans, chicken broth, the 2 cups water, onion, celery, garlic, coriander, salt, and ground red pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

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3.  Stir in sausage and, if desired, dry sherry. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until heated through. If desired, garnish with sour cream or shredded cheese and parsley. Makes about 8 cups (6 main dish servings).

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Kitchen Notes: I used 1/8 tsp of ground red pepper and that was plenty for me.  There was definitely some heat, but not overpowering.  If you’re a fan of crock pot cooking, you can adapt the recipe this way:

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Prepare as directed above in step one. In a 4 qt crock pot combine chicken broth, 2 cups water, onion, celery, coriander, garlic, salt, and ground red pepper.  Stir in beans.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.  Stir in sausage and dry sherry, if desired. Cover and cook on high-heat for about 30 minute more or until cooked through.

creamy chicken pot pie

There is something truly comforting about chicken potpie.  It’s one of those dishes you have to linger over: slicing, whisking, sauteing.  There is dough to mix for the crust.  There is butter.  And heavy cream.  It’s the kind of dish that says, “I slaved over this all afternoon because I love you!”

But let’s face it.  Some days, despite how much I love my family, I don’t have the time to slave over anything.  It doesn’t mean I love them any less.  It’s just that, well, I have other things to do.

Not to mention, the kind of chicken potpie you slave over generally is not that healthy.  I saw a recipe recently where a serving contained 33 g of fat (18 of them saturated), almost 1,300 mg of sodium, and 146 mg cholesterol.  In one serving!!  Based on my caloric needs, 18 g of saturated fat is an entire days worth of saturated fat.  Seriously now, if I served that to  my family, not only would they think I didn’t love them, they might actually think I was trying to do them in.

This recipe is a much, much better version of chicken pot pie.  Not only is it healthier for you (lots less fat and cholesterol), it’s also really quick to put together.  Like I said earlier, sometimes my schedule doesn’t leave me a lot of time late in the day for chopping veggies doing a lot of time-consuming prep work.  This recipe uses a bag of frozen mixed veggies which is a God-send when you’re pressed for time.  The most time-consuming thing was cutting the chicken breasts into 1/2″ cubes.  I probably could have done it faster, but I’m completely grossed out by raw chicken which always adds a little extra prep time).

The phyllo dough crusts bake up beautifully – lovely color and nice, crunchy texture, so you won’t even miss that heavy biscuit/pie crust topper.  My husband gave these a two thumbs-up: low-fat, heart-healthy, and delicious.  Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie (Courtesy Eating Well Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 10- or 12-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies (2-2 1/2 cups), thawed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 sheets 9-by-14-inch phyllo dough, defrosted (follow package directions)
• Cooking spray (olive oil or canola oil)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring often, until it turns white, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and shallots, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in vegetables and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in 1 3/4 cups broth and bring to a boil. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the pan. Return to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the chicken, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among four 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes.
3. Make 2 stacks of 3 sheets of phyllo each, coating each sheet lightly with cooking spray before stacking. Cut the stacks in half crosswise. Drape one half over each baking dish. Tuck in any overhanging edges.
4. Set the potpies on a baking sheet. Bake until the tops are golden and the filling bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes.

Kitchen Notes:

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 3 months. Do not thaw before baking; bake at 400°F for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Equipment: four 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes

Nutrition

Per serving: 382 calories; 11 g fat ( 3 g sat , 6 g mono ); 69 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 30 g protein; 4 g fiber; 660 mg sodium; 618 mg potassium.

caramel nutella crumble bars

Nutella is a staple in my pantry.  Believe me, I have no illusions it is or ever should be considered a health food, unlike this California woman who, apparently, couldn’t read a nutrition label.  But I keep a jar handy.  Just in case.

That is….just in case I get the urge to make something sort of sinfully delicious and then give it away to people I know.  You know, lead me not in to temptation, and all.  (Sorry, friends, you’re in charge of your own temptations).

Kat was not a fan of these.  She actually said there wasn’t enough Nutella.  In a certain way, she’s right.  The caramel is clearly the star in these squares of chewy, crumbly deliciousness.  There’s just more of it.  If you feel the urge to add more Nutella, have at it, but I thought it was just the right amount.  The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup, but I followed the recipe as adapted and used closer to 1/2 cup – just eyeballing it.

The pastry is truly more of a shortbread – crisp and buttery, and I thought that was delicious, too, since there’s plenty of chewy goodness in the filling.  Although Kat’s review wasn’t glowing, I gave some away to her first grade teacher and the Caramel Nutella Crumble Bars drew raves.

If you can’t resist the temptation, February 5, 2012, is apparently World Nutella Day, so be prepared.  If you click on the link, you’ll find another link to over 700 more Nutella recipes.  Lead me not in to temptation, yes.  But it doesn’t say anywhere I shouldn’t lead you into temptation. Enjoy!!

Caramel Nutella Crumb Bars
recipe courtesy: Buns in My Oven

For the crust & topping:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the caramel & Nutella filling:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Nutella, depending on how thick you want your Nutella layer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper.

For the dough, beat together butter, sugar, and salt (on medium speed w/paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Slowly add 2 1/4 cups of the flour, beating (on low) just until the dough becomes smooth and the flour is incorporated.

Evenly press 3/4s of the dough in the prepared baking dish to form the bottom layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the crumb topping and filling.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour to the remaining dough and work together (I just used my pastry blender for this) until coarse and crumbly. Do not over mix.

For the caramel filling, place the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and condensed milk in a saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. When the mixture begins to boil, whisk frequently until it darkens and begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator and spread with Nutella. You may need to warm the Nutella in the microwave for a bit to soften it up enough to spread easily.

Pour the caramel filling over the Nutella layer and spread evenly with a spatula.  Sprinkle on the crumb topping and bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling is a dark brown color and hot and bubbling.

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then cut into 24 2″ squares.

quinoa? for breakfast?

Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals.  Whether it’s scrambled eggs, steel-cut oats, or a simple bowl of Special K Red Berries, breakfast rocks!  Not quite a year ago, I came across an article on Epicurious about eating quinoa for breakfast, along with a tasty sounding recipe, which I tucked away for later.  Much later, apparently, because I didn’t get around to trying it (or a variation thereof) until last week.

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The combination of flavors was quite delicious.  Quinoa has a subtle nutty flavor that was complimented well by the sweetness of the banana and the tartness of the dried cherries.  But what I like most about quinoa for breakfast (in addition to the fact it’s uber healthy) is that it’s a blank canvas.  Don’t like bananas?  Substitute diced apple or pears, instead.  Prefer berries?  Toss in some blueberries or blackberries.  What’s that?  You don’t care for processed brown sugar?  Drizzle in pure maple syrup or organic honey or agave, if you please.

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You can, quite simply, write your own recipe.  If you do, though, please share it.  I’m a sucker for breakfast!  Enjoy!!

Breakfast Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole or low-fat milk, plus more for serving
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar, plus more for serving
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
• 1 banana, sliced
• dried tart cherries, optional
• toasted walnuts, optional

Directions:

1. Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.
3. Toss sliced bananas on top and sprinkle generously with additional brown sugar.
4. Place quinoa with bananas and brown sugar under a pre-heated broiler just long enough for the brown sugar to start to soften (not too long or your bananas will turn to mush).
5. Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnamon, banana, and dried cherries or toasted walnuts.