I like trying new recipes, but there are times when I crave a dish from my past. The trigger to making Bacon and Tomato Soup was seeing large, luscious-looking tomatoes at the grocery store. They reminded me of my childhood, when a tomato tasted like a tomato. I bought some and sliced them up as a side dish. They were so good that Bart and I ate them all in one sitting.
If I had more time, I’d make Julia Child’s Coq au Vin (Casserole of Chicken in Red Wine) recipe once a week. I have successfully recreated her Cheese Souffle—a dish I was terrified to cook for guests because at the time I was a newbie in the kitchen and worried it wouldn’t rise. I also treasure her Beef Bourguignon (Beef Stewed in Red Wine) recipe, and there’s no fear factor involved—just lots of steps and waiting around.
Whenever I think of granola bars, I think of school lunches. But with my new recipe for Chocolate Granola Bars, snack time can be much tastier. The secret ingredient is unsweetened cocoa powder.
These granola bars, which require no baking, are easy to make and even easier to eat. They are so good that they can even stand in for dessert—if you haven’t gobbled them all before before dinnertime.
No-Bake Chocolate Granola Bars – adapted from “Chocolate on the Brain”
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter + more for greasing
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1¾ cups granola
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, making sure two ends of the foil overhang the pan by about 2 inches so you can easily life the bars out of the pan later. Lightly rub the bottom and sides of the foil with butter and set aside.
Combine the butter, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a medium, heavy pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the granola, chocolate chips, walnuts (if using) and vanilla and stir to combine.
Scrape the batter into the pan and freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the top feels cool and firm. Carefully lift the ends of the foil and remove the granola mixture from the pan. Cut into 8 or 16 bars and wrap each one individually in foil or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator in a closed container.
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Save money by making
your own garlic mayonnaise: mix 2 tablespoons store-bought mayonnaise with 1/4
teaspoon chopped garlic, 1/8 teaspoon dried dill and a few drops olive oil. The
olive oil gives the mayonnaise a slightly golden hue and suggests it’s homemade.
See all my Money-Saving Tips!
Homemade soup is a perfect way to start the weekend, especially if you are making a big dinner on Sunday.
Butternut Squash and Radicchio Salad
The combination of the creamy squash, the crisp radicchio, the crunchy pistachios and the tart juicy pomegranate seeds really hit the spot. I dressed it with a Dijon- Shallot Vinaigrette. – from Blog supporter Grace Markarian
Peel, seed, and chop a
medium-sized butternut squash into uniform half-inch pieces.
Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil,
salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 half teaspoon cardamom.
Spread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a 375-degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Let cool.
Chop one head of radicchio into pieces similar in size to the squash.
Depending on how much salad you want to
make, mix one (or two) cups of chopped radicchio with one (or two) cups of
squash, and some of the vinaigrette (see below).
Top with 1/3 cup of roasted, lightly salted pistachios and 1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds.
Dijon-Shallot Vinaigrette
Slice or mince half a shallot. Place in bowl or glass jar.
Pour one tablespoon champagne
vinegar and one tablespoon lemon juice over the shallot and let sit for 5
minutes.
Add half a teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and 6 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk to mix or secure lid in jar and shake to mix.
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Apartment Has a Kitchen!
But guess what! My chocolate supply is holding steady. In fact, I made a batch of wonderful brownies yesterday. These Triple Chocolate Brownies, as I named them, distracted me from possibly feeling sad about the end of my favorite holiday.
Today I bought a 72-ounce bag of Costco’s chocolate chips. That should last a while and keep my sweet tooth happy.
Meanwhile, try making these brownies as soon as possible.
You won’t regret it.
Triple Chocolate Brownies – serves 8-10
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1/2 cup all-purpose
flour
1/2 teaspoon baking
soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, making sure two ends of the foil overhang the pan by about 2 inches so you can easily lift the brownies out of the pan later. Lightly rub the bottom and sides of the foil with butter. Set aside.
Combine the chocolate, water and butter in a medium, heavy pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is just melted, turn off the heat and add the cocoa. Stir until combined and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until no flour shows. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if using).
Scrape the batter into
the pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top feel firm and the
brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and cool on a
rack for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the ends of the foil and remove the
brownies from the pan. Cut into 25 squares and serve. Store in an airtight
container or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.
