Easing Back with Blueberry-Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars

There's a Newf in My Soup! is happy to announce Denise and Trapper have moved into a new cottage in Coronado. It was touch and go there for quite a few months trying to find the perfect cottage and yard, but things always seem to work out. We had to downsize quite a bit and it has been challenging finding a place for the things we chose to keep. Charming, cozy, and little bit of rustic make our 600-square-foot house feel like home. Best of all, we're happy to be able to stay in Coronado. I have a nice kitchen with a gas stove and dishwasher again, and Trapper is thrilled with his large yard. It's peaceful with lots of grass, big shady trees, rose bushes and citrus trees...and alley cats and fence-walking possums to scare away with his big Newfy bark.

We're in a quiet corner of the island, and only 1/2 block from the bay. Picnics at I Street Park, which is also prime viewing for the Parade of Lights and fireworks, and walks along bay are all pluses. For weekday morning coffee, we now frequent Tartine, a little French bistro and bakery, and save Starbucks for the weekend.

I've neglected the blog for over a month - in part due to packing and unpacking, but mostly due to lack of energy and motivation. Transitions are difficult.  I haven't been cooking or eating right, and haven't felt much like writing. I did cook a few blog-worthy dishes in the past month, and even took the time to photograph them, but the blog posts remain unfinished, in draft. One was Mike Isabella's Eggplant Caponata and the other was Tasting Table's Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Oyster Mushrooms and Sunchokes with Creamy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. 

Pan-Roasted Local Sea Bass and Eggplant Caponata

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Oyster Mushrooms and Sunchokes

Both of those dishes truly deserve to have their own blog posts.  The Eggplant Caponata is sure to make an appearance at Concert in the Park this summer. If you haven't tried Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes), you need to do so. They're one of the "trendy" foods right now. I enjoyed a sunchoke soup while in Yosemite and they are fabulous roasted in this side dish as well.

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To ease back into cooking and blogging, I decided to start with something simple and healthy. While sitting at Tartine one morning and browsing through the cooking magazines from the magazine rack, I came across several recipes, including this one, in the February issue of Food & Wine. I am in need of some energy to begin this new chapter in my life and while Tartine's warm scones are tempting, they are best resisted on most mornings.

These honey-flavored cereal bars with puffed rice and toasted oats, from Real Snacks by Lara Ferroni, make a great substitute for store-bought energy bars. They can be made with almost any mix of nuts and dried fruit. - Food & Wine

I chose to adapt the recipe to use the dried blueberries and sliced almonds I had on hand. I added lemon zest and cinnamon to intensify the flavor of the blueberries. I was unable to find puffed rice in two stores and used Kashi 7 Whole Grain Honey Puffs - a combination of buckwheat, triticale, rye, hard red wheat, barley, oats, brown rice and sesame seeds.

Toast the sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and rolled oats

After toasting, transfer to a large bowl

Make a caramel with butter, brown sugar, honey and salt

Add vanilla and cinnamon

Drizzle caramel over nut and oat mixture

Stir to evenly incorporate

Puffed rice or 7-Grain Kashi, blueberries and lemon zest

Stir in the puffed rice, blueberries and lemon zest until evenly coated

Scrape the cereal mixture into the parchment lined pan

Spread evenly, cover with another sheet of parchment and press down to compress

After a few hours, remove from pan and cut into bars

Blueberry-Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars
Adapted from Cranberry-Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars
Food & Wine, February 2013

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup flaxseeds
2/3 cup muscovado or dark brown sugar
½ cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups puffed rice cereal (I used Kashi 7 Whole Grain Honey Puffs)
½ cup dried blueberries
½ teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Spread the almonds, oats, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds on the sheet and bake until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, honey, butter and salt to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved and a light brown caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.

Drizzle the caramel all over the nut-and-oat mixture. Stir in the puffed rice, blueberries and lemon zest until evenly coated.

Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, extending the paper over the side. Scrape the cereal mixture into the dish and spread into an even layer. Cover the mixture with a second sheet of parchment and press down to compress it. Let stand until firm, about 2 hours. Discard the top piece of parchment. Using the overhanging paper, lift out the cereal square and transfer it to a work surface. Cut into 12 bars and serve.

To store, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap and eat within a few days or freeze.

We promise to cook and blog more

Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs, with Olives, Lemon and Fennel - Worth Every Gram of Fat

I've been talking about making Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with olives, lemon, and fennel, from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home, since Alec and Nina brought it to our Cooking Keller themed Concert in the Park last summer.  Talk about a gourmet picnic!

This past weekend, while browsing through cookbooks for Sunday dinner with mom, I came across the recipe again. It was cooler over the weekend, with May-Grey enveloping the island into the late afternoon, and something warm and comforting was very appealing.

A quick drive over the bridge to Whole Foods was in order, knowing they would have Ascolane or Cerignola olives at their Olive Bar, as well as beautiful fennel bulbs and chicken thighs.

I served the chicken on a bed of Cardamom Rice Pilaf, this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe. The flavors in this dish are truly amazing, due in large part to the crispy chicken skin, and onions, garlic and fennel sautéed in all that luscious chicken fat. Sometimes, you just need to close your eyes and enjoy!

Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon and Fennel
Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home
Serves 6

3 large fennel bulbs
12 chicken thighs (with skin and bones)
Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
12 Ascolane or other large green Italian olives, such as Cerignola
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 dried bay leaves
4 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup chicken broth
About 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Cardamom Rice Pilaf (recipe follows)

1. Cut off the fennel stalks. Trim the bottom of the bulbs and peel back the layers until you reach the core; reserve the core for another use. Discard any bruised layers, and cut the fennel into 2 by 1/2-inch batons. You need 3 cups of fennel for this recipe; reserve any remaining fennel for another use.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet.

3. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large ovenproof sauté or roasting pan that will hold all the thighs in one layer over medium-high heat. Add the thighs skin side down and brown for about 5 minutes. Turn the thighs over and cook for about 1 minute more to sear the meat. Transfer to the cooling rack.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fennel, turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring often, until the fennel is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

5. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in the olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest and thyme sprigs, then add the chicken broth. Increase the heat, bring the liquid to a simmer, and cook until the fennel is tender, about 1 minute.

6. Taste the broth and season with salt as needed. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, in a single layer. When the liquid returns to a simmer, transfer to the oven, uncovered, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

7. Turn on the broiler, and put the pan under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp and brown the chicken skin (I transferred the chicken thighs to a baking sheet for this step). Spoon the rice onto the serving platter and then arrange the chicken over the rice. Using a slotted spoon to allow some of the fat to drain off, transfer the olives and fennel mixture to the platter, and garnish with the parsley leaves.

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Cardamom Rice Pilaf
Adapted from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
Seeds from 7 cardamom pods, bruised lightly
1 cup basmati,or other long-grained white rice (I used jasmine)
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion and cardamom seeds in olive oil, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Add the rice, stir to coat with oil, and saute for another minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the liquid has almost absorbed and rice is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.


Cardamom seeds, shells, and whole pods



Cardamom Rice Pilaf Ingredients



Quinoa, Nice Getting to Know Ya

It seems most of my posts lately are related to my Daring Cooks and Daring Baker challenges, and French Fridays with Dorie.  But, they have all been fun challenges, with recipes worthy of cooking and sharing, so I hope it's all good. I would love to be in the kitchen more, cooking a few recipes from my cookbooks and cooking magazines (I did sneak in a link to the recipe for Tyler Florence's lamb chops and harissa sauce this week, from Tyler's Ultimate), but work gets in the way and we're getting ready for our move in a few months. Also, I did spend quite a bit of time this month preparing and photographing a few dynamite recipes for the Daring Cooks, and am thrilled to be hosting the May Challenge. I'll announce the challenge to the members on April 17, and then everyone will reveal their results on their blogs on May 14!

This week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad, re-introduced me to Quinoa, which I've only had once or twice in the past. Pronounced keh-NO-ah, or sometimes KEEN-wah, it is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds, and native to the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Although most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually related to leafy green vegetables like beet, spinach and Swiss chard. The Incas held the crop to be sacred, and referred to it as the mother of all grains and gold of the Incas. It was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using golden implements. To this day, it is an important food in South American cuisine.

In the 1980s, two Americans began cultivating it in Colorado. Since then, quinoa has become more and more available as people realize it is an exceptionally beneficial and delicious food. When NASA scientists were searching for an ideal food for long-term human space missions, they declared quinoa unrivaled in the plant or animal kingdom for its life-sustaining nutrients.

Photo from BYU College of Life Sciences

Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet slightly crunchy, and have a delicate, somewhat nutty flavor. While the most popular type of quinoa is a transparent yellow color, other varieties feature colors such as orange, pink, red, purple or black.

Organic Red Royal Quinoa from our local Boney's

In its natural state, quinoa seeds have a coating of bitter-tasting soapy saponins to protect against birds and other predators. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating, but it is still a good idea to thoroughly rinse the seeds to remove any remaining saponin residue before cooking. In South America, the saponin removed from the quinoa is used as detergent for washing clothes and as an antiseptic to promote healing of skin injuries.

To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. When cooking is complete, you will notice that the grains have become translucent, and the white germ has partially detached itself, appearing like a white-spiraled tail. If you desire the quinoa to have a nuttier flavor, you can dry roast it before cooking. Simply place it in a skillet over medium-low heat, and stir constantly for five minutes.

Dorie's Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad calls for your choice of various dried fruits, nuts, herbs and greens. She adds a touch of ground ginger to the lemon juice and olive oil dressing, and tops the quinoa with yogurt. I went more savory with ours, using toasted almonds, fresh orange supremes, asparagus, spinach, and parsley, and served it with pan-grilled lamb chops and harissa sauce, a recipe from Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time (recipe also here, and another version of harissa here).  

Quinoa, Asparagus, Orange and Almond Salad

Adapted from Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

4-6 servings

1 cup red quinoa

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups water

Supremes from 2 oranges

1 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted

6 ounces fresh asparagus, sliced diagonally into 2 inch pieces, and blanched

6 ounces baby spinach, sauteed briefly in a tablespoon of olive oil so it's slightly wilted

Juice of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 shallot, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon walnut oil

Place quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer, and run cold water over it while gently rubbing the seeds together with your hands, to thoroughly rinse off any residual saponin.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, salt the water, and add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, make the dressing by whisking lemon juice, shallots, parsley, olive oil, and walnut oil together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the quinoa in a sieve and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Add the orange supremes, almonds, asparagus, spinach and dressing. Toss gently, and serve.

We love the texture of the quinoa, its nutty taste, and versatility in mixing in various fruit, nut and vegetable combinations. I am looking forward to trying it Dorie's way, with dried fruits, ginger and yogurt.

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book, Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. Dorie always tells a personal story behind each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing.

Villains on Trial...Try 'em and Fry 'em

Our Third Annual Halloween Party, Villains on Trial...Try 'em and Fry 'em, ultimately blossomed into a full-blown Broadway production, worthy of a standing ovation.

On the morning of the party, when our home front decorations were in the process of being transferred over to our outdoor party venue next door, a torrential rainstorm hit. Last minute construction of Roy Bean's massive judge's bench, and the finishing touches on John's elaborate electric chair, were immediately suspended.

If you can envision a grown man about to cry, do so now. John was ready to cancel the party, and I questioned whether I should commence shopping and preparation of my hors d'œuvres and cupcakes. Thankfully, it was a fast-moving storm, the sun began to break through, and the party was back on track!

Guests began to arrive at six, dressed to the hilt in villain and villainess costumes. We mingled, sipped wine, nibbled on food, tried some villains, and held a costume contest for the little ones. Our Judge is working on an iMac movie, but here are a few photos from the evening...

"Forgotten it? Can a man dying of thirst forget water? And do you know what would happen to that thirst if it were to be denied water?"

"This trial... the whole world... it's all... show business." 

"I live for fur. I worship fur."

"Roy Bean. Judge Roy Bean. I am the law in this area."

"Can you see inside me?"

"On a similar note I must confess to you, I'm giving very serious thought... to eating your wife."

Catherine,  Holli Would and Alex

Kate "Ma" Barker, on the witness stand

"This is not gonna stop. It keeps going on and on."

"You play fair with me, I'll play fair with you."

"What are you gonna do? Charge me with smoking?" 

"I have a degree in psychology, it goes with the turf... Games are fun." 

"Then I'll sign it. A pen! Und stratz mit ze uldensackt. I'll sign it! Und stratz mit sei öldensackt, il der, der flutens... , der... , der... , und strippensackt! A pen! I'll sign it. Napaloni, de grosse peanut, de cheesy ravioli. There!"

"White Russian, no ice, no vodka... hold the Kahlua."

Nancy Patricia Pelosi and Harry Mason Reid

"I'm bigger than you and higher up the food chain. Get in my belly. "

"First she steals my publicity. Then she steals my lawyer, my trial date. And now she steals my goddamn garter." 

"I guess you can't think and drive at the same time, huh?" 

"Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!"

Costume contest for the kids, with a winner's trophy and treat bags

And, of course, we had a buffet table of amazing food, and many, many bottles of wine.  Here are just a few treats we enjoyed...

Cruella de Vil's Arancini di Riso 

Ma Barker's decadent Chocolate Voodoo Drunken Zombie Cake, adapted from various recipes, including this one

Cruella de Vil's Red Velvet Dalmatian Spotted Cupcakes

Until we meet again...

Pirates will be next year's theme if you want to start planning...I know John's brain is already churning! For now, I have my clean-shaven, green-eyed man back.

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