recipe: barefoot contessaINGREDIENTS
· 2 cups old-fashioned oats
· 1 cup sliced almonds
· 1 cup organic coconut chips (unsweetened)
· 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
· 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
· 2/3 cup honey
· 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
· 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
· 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
· 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
· 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
· 1/2 cup chopped dried papaya
DIRECTIONS
· preheat the oven to 350°. butter an 8 x 12 inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
· toss the oatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. (be careful not to burn!). transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
· reduce the oven temperature to 300°
· place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the oatmeal mixture. add the dates, apricots, and the papaya and stir well.
· pour the mixture into the prepared pan. wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown. cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.
· serve at room temp or cut into individual portions for a quick snack or breakfast on the go.
These granola bars are chewy and crunchy at the same time. They are wholesome and full of 'good for you' ingredients. You can mix up the dried fruit portions and add your favorites. Barefoot Contessa's original recipe called for dried cranberries, but I didn't have any in the pantry, so I subbed them out for dried papaya. I ate on these bars for two weeks and will be making another batch soon! They're yummy.
recipe: Barefoot Contessa
INGREDIENTS
· 1/2 lb. fresh salmon
· good olive oil
· kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
· 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
· 1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
· 1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
· 1/2 cup small-diced yellow pepper (1 small pepper)
· 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
· 1 tbsp. capers
· 1/4 tsp. hot sauce
· 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
· 1 1/2 tsp. crab boil seasoning (Old Bay)
· 3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
· 1/2 cup good mayo
· 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
· 2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
DIRECTIONS
· preheat oven to 350°
· place salmon, skin side down, on baking sheet. brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked. remove form oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap heat. allow to rest for 10 minutes and then refrigerate until cold.
· place t tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. olive oil, onion, celery, red & yellow peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook until veggeis are soft. (15 to 20 minutes) cool to room temp.
· break the bread slices and process in food processor until you have about 1 cup of bread crumbs. place bread crumbs on a sheet pan and toast for about 5 minutes until slightly browned.
· flake chilled salmon into a large bowl. add the bread crumbs, mayo, mustard, and eggs. add the vegetable mixture and mix well. cover and chill for 30 minutes inthe fridge.
· shape into 10 (2 1/2 to 3 oz.) cakes
· heat remaining 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. add the salmon cakes and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. drain on paper towels and keep them warm in a preheated 250° over. serve hot.
Frying the salmon cakes for a few minutes kept the outside crispy while the inside of the cakes turned out moist and delicious. The extensive list of ingredients in this recipe is completely necessary. These salmon cakes have the most amazing flavor. That Contessa knows what she's doing! I just do what she tells me.... I served the salmon cakes with the dijon aioli sauce I bought at Williams Sonoma after Christmas. It was perfectly smooth and tangy, perfect for a fish cake.
The freshness of the tabouleh balanced the dish well. Sorry I do not have a recipe for the tabouleh. I basically followed the directions on the box and just added mint, parsley, feta, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil.
recipe: Ina Garten (better known as the Barefoot Contessa)
I found the most gorgeous butternut squash at the market recently. I just knew I had to do it justice and what better way to showcase an ingredient then in a creamy, cheesy risotto.
INGREDIENTS
· 1 butternut squash (2 lbs.)
· 2 tbsp. olive oil
· kosher salt and ground black pepper
· 6 cups of chicken stock
· 6 tbsp. unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
· 2 ounces pancetta, diced
· 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
· 1 1/2 cup arborio rice (10 oz.)
· 1/2 cup dry white wine
· 1 cup parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
· preheat the oven to 400 degrees
· peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. you should have about 6 cups.
· place the squash on a sheet pan and coat with olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once until very tender.
· meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. leave it on low to simmer.
· in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. (we did not have pancetta or shallots, so I improvised with turkey bacon and yellow onions instead- still tasted great!)
· add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. stir and simmer the stock unitl absorbed (5-10 minutes).
· continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock.
· continue until the rice is cooked through but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.
· remove the risotto from the heat, add the roasted butternut squash and parmesan cheese. mix well and serve.
This was my first attempt at cooking risotto. I have always enjoyed it when other people make it. I just assumed it was too labor intensive and was a little scared I would mess it up. Risotto is so easy and it tastes good with everything- it just takes an ounce of patience- which I am pretty sure I have. We had this left over for days! This recipe triples its size while cooking. I know it's a winner when JJ wants to eat all of the left-overs. He is not normally a left-over kind of guy.
Hope you enjoy.
Mangia!
recipe: barefoot contessa
