Almond Joy Bars

The other day I came across these  and instantly fell in love.  I altered the proportions a bit, added the almonds, and substituted some coconut flour for some of the regular flour.  These taste just like the candy bar only better.  The thick bittersweet chocolate layer is insanely good and the coconut shortbread crust takes the edge off the sweetness. 

You probably have all the ingredients lying around, so I would suggest making these asap.  And I'm not just saying that because I want company in my gluttony.  Although I would feel better if I weren't the only one pigging out on these this weekend.

Almond Joy Bars         ~~~adapted from Just a Pinch Recipe Club

oven to 350
1 stick, 8 Tbsp, unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup coconut flour (you can substitute regular flour)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
14 oz, (2 bags) sweetened coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
whole almonds
12 oz bittersweet baking chocolate squares, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp shortening (Crisco)

•  Line a 9x12 baking dish with foil that hangs over the edge (for easy removal and cutting) and spray with cooking spray.
• To make the crust blend the butter and sugar with the flours in a bowl using your fingers until the butter is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.  Work it for several minutes so that there is no loose flour left.
• Press the crust onto the bottom of the pan, using the back of a measuring cup to press it firmly and evenly.  Bake for 5 minutes.
• In a bowl mix together the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla.  Spoon the mixture over the crust and spread out gently so you don't disturb the crust too much.  
• Press almonds gently onto the surface of the coconut.
• Put the chocolate and the shortening in a glass measuring cup.  Heat it in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until it is just melted.  Stir until smooth.  Don't over heat.
• Working quickly, pour the chocolate over the coconut, spreading it out smoothly.  Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.

Notes: Because of the moist coconut and the crumb crust these look a bit shaggy when cut, but they are really really good!  You can use milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you want to.

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I find that's the most convenient way to stay in touch with my favorite blogs 
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Goodbyes and a Zucchini Walnut Bran Muffin

No matter how wonderful a visit is with my Dad and his wife, there is always the pang of the goodbye moment, and that's what lingers.  I thought I'd be beyond that now that I  have my own kids and we have our own poignant goodbyes, but the sight of my dad's emotion choked face as we pull out of the driveway in our rental car and head to the airport is always tough.  We roll down the windows and wave and try to keep eye contact until the first turn in the road separates us completely.

In the airport we said goodbye to our oldest daughter who flew 'home' to a different city.  Her goodbye style is different; I watched her steel herself and make her move before our boarding call forced the issue, leaving us to watch her from behind as she walked down the long terminal hall to her own gate. 

Tomorrow we'll say yet another goodbye to a daughter heading back to college.  She is neither sentimental nor stoic, she focuses on what lies ahead.  I can always sense the moment that she mentally makes the shift from being at home with family to being back in her newly independent world; it's somewhere between the last hug and the two steps up onto the bus.  She doesn't look back.  At least not yet.

I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic many mornings this past week in Florida with a cup of hot coffee and a muffin like this one. They're healthy but not too healthy. I based this version on my Buttermilk Bran Muffins. 

Zucchini Walnut Bran Muffins  
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/2 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• Mix the bran with the buttermilk and set aside.  
• Whisk the dry ingredients in a small bowl to combine and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar till fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, and add the vanilla.  Pour in the bran/buttermilk mixture and combine well.
• Add the zucchini and nuts to the wet mixture and stir.
•  Mix the dry into the wet until just incorporated, don't over mix. 
•  Fill 10 muffin cups and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool on a rack.  

These muffins are light and fluffy, and not too sweet.  They freeze well, too.

I just created a Facebook page for the View from Great Island...click on the *like* button 
(in the upper right corner) and you'll get my posts in your Facebook feed. 

I find that's the most convenient way to stay in touch with my favorite blogs 
since I go to Facebook every day anyway.

Home

Unpacking, rinsing sand out of bathing suits, and doing laundry.  The luxury of eating from amazing menus for 8 days has inspired me...restocking the kitchen today.

Atlantic Cod Cakes with Ruby Red Salsa

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We're heading down to Florida tomorrow and I wanted to leave you with an appropriately sunny meal.  I make a version of this dinner a lot during the warm months, and sometimes in the winter when I need a boost, it's a vacation on a plate.

It's got that super easy, super healthy 'salad for dinner' feel, but the fish cakes are surprisingly satisfying. They're crispy on the outside, moist inside and fall apart at the touch of your fork.  In this recipe they get a little kick from the horseradish.  

This is one of those meals that brings out lots of creativity.  You can use any kind of fish or shellfish for the cakes, change out the bed of greens to anything you want, and make endless varieties of fresh salsa to go alongside. 

I love these because you can get them all ready ahead.  Make the salsa and form the fish cakes and keep everything in the refrigerator until you're ready.

Then all you need to do is prep your plates with the greens and you've got dinner in the time it takes you to saute the fish cakes, which is really fast. 

Cod Cakes
makes 6 cakes
1 lb cooked cod (You can use salmon or haddock, or any cooked fish you like)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cups Ritz Cracker crumbs (or regular) plus 1/2 cup more for coating the cakes.
2 Tbsp finely minced parsley
1 Tbsp horseradish
1 Tbsp mustard
a pinch of celery seed
a pinch of dill
salt and fresh cracked pepper

• If you are starting with raw fish, just poach it gently until the fish flakes.  Drain well.  
• In a mixing bowl break the fish apart a bit and add the rest of the ingredients.  With your fingers or a spoon gently mix everything together, breaking the fish up but keeping some texture. 
• Using a scoop or a spoon, form into 6 equal balls and roll the the reserved crumbs. The mixture will be wet so form and roll them gently.  Place the cakes on a plate and flatten them slightly into a disk shape.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fry.
• Heat several Tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan and fry the cakes until golden on each side and hot throughout.  
• Serve over your favorite fresh greens, with a wedge of lime and the salsa on the side.  I also like to top them with a dab of sour cream, tarter sauce, or even some of that Thousand Island Dressing I made the other day.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Salsa
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
1/4 red onion, finely minced
1/4 bell pepper, or 3 mini bell peppers, any color, finely minced
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh mint (You can also use cilantro or parsley)
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and fresh cracked pepper

•  Cut the citrus sections in smaller pieces, and combine everything in a bowl.  Check the seasoning and serve or store.

 

See you next week!

Cocoa Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberries

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My baby, aka college sophomore, got home yesterday for spring break.  The 'mom' hormones are in high gear and I have the overwhelming urge to welcome her with a special breakfast.

These choco-pancakes aren't as unhealthy as they sound...they're made with part whole wheat flour, Ovaltine, yes, Ovaltine, and they're topped with fresh fruit, so they're kinda/sorta nutritious.

I had Ovaltine leftover from making Joy the Baker's amazing Frosted Brownies last month, but if you don't have any, (which is just another way of saying you didn't heed my advice to make those amazing brownies, because if you did, you'd have Ovaltine, but, whatever) just use cocoa powder, your pancakes will be even more chocolaty.  If you've decide to throw health concerns out the window you could also add in some mini chocolate chips. 

Cocoa Buttermilk Pancakes
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Ovaltine or unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp melted butter, cooled
a splash of vanilla

• Mix the dry ingredients together.
• Mix the wet ingredients together and combine the two, mixing just until everything is incorporated.  Don't over mix, lumps are good.  If the batter seems too thick, add more buttermilk.
• Cook the pancakes on a hot griddle and serve with sliced strawberries and maple syrup.

This daughter has always been the strawberry lover in the family so I know these will be a hit.

The only problem is, she won't be up till mid afternoon.

If I'm lucky.

Beef Bourguignon: Ina Garten, # 39 on Gourmet's List of Women Game Changers

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This week we're up to #39 on Gourmet's list of the 50 Women Game Changers in the world of food: Ina Garten---White House nuclear policy analyst turned food phenomenon. Ina founded the Barefoot Contessa, a Hamptons New York gourmet specialty shop, is the author of seven cookbooks, and has hosted her own series of Food Network shows since 2002. Thanks to Mary from One Perfect Bite for organizing a group of us cooking and blogging our way through this list, one dish at a time.  Check back every Friday for another story and recipe from the list, and e-mail Mary if you'd like to join the group.

I have to say right up front that I am a little biased...Ina Garten is by far my favorite game changer.  She's like Martha without the ego, Julia without 'the voice' and the crazy techniques, Nigella without the suggestive spoon licking,  Rachel without the hyper-chatter, and Paula without the gooey this and gooey that.  She's kinda perfect.  In a good way.

I could have chosen a million different dishes to make in honor of Ina, but I chose Beef Bourguignon because it represents a lot of what she's all about.  I would classify Ina's style as simple, classic American comfort food, influenced by a passion for French life and cuisine. She and her husband Jeffrey made a four month sojourn to France early in their marriage that inspired a lifelong love of all things French. Throughout her career Ina has explored French cooking and has infused a French attitude towards food into her classic American dishes.  Here she's taken the venerable Beef Bourguignon, a dish that Julia Child taught us to make in excruciating detail, and simplified it... made it more friendly.

Her recipes are so well loved that they have a tendency to morph into family favorites and become so entrenched in our kitchens that we claim them as our own...her Parmesan Chicken has become one of 'my' signature dishes, the way so many recipes from the Joy of Cooking or Fannie Farmer have been been assimilated into our food culture over the generations.  Part of the reason for this is that Ina's recipes are almost always foolproof.  You can count on them.

For me, anyway, the appeal of Ina's cooking style is that it's not overly 'branded'; it's not regional, ready in 30 minutes, diet-friendly or swimming in butter.  From coconut cupcakes and lemon curd to lentil soup, it's real food for real people, and whatever Ina is cooking is always exactly what I feel like eating.

But Ina's franchise is as much about a lifestyle as it is about recipes.  It's the dreamy Hamptons New York world of cute little butcher shops, cheese mongers and creative florists whom Ina calls upon to help her craft parties, gatherings, or even just a special dinner for two.  It's a world where you walk outside your kitchen door into a sprawling herb garden, your adoring husband (and biggest fan) is always arriving home from work or a business trip just in time for his favorite perfectly roasted chicken, and neighbors pop over eager to barter something amazing in exchange for a batch of your brownies. 

And somehow Ina manages to convey all this without a hint of superiority or entitlement. Maybe it's her self-effacing giggle, that adorable upturned nose, or the swing of her impossibly shiny bob.  She's your dear friend next door, the aunt you always wanted, your best inner self.

Beef Bourguignon      ~~~Ina Garten
serves 6
oven to 250
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

 Notes:  I was too chicken to ignite the cognac, I just let it evaporate 'naturally'.  I also added the carrots along with the mushrooms towards the end of the cooking process instead of in the beginning with the onions.  I really don't like mushy carrots.  I skipped the bacon (I was out) and used half the bottle of wine.  It all turned out wonderfully.

Did I mention that I love Ina?

Check out these other bloggers who are exploring Gourmet's 50 Women Game Changers along with me---
Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef
Miranda of Mangoes and Chutney
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits,
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Lovely Things
Nancy - Picadillo
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
Kathy- Bake Away With Me 
Alyce - More Time at the Table
Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Minneola Orange Cake

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The minneola is a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin orange, you'll know it by its distinctive nub at one end.  They're sometimes called tangelos, or Honeybells and they're known for being very juicy.  They have a pretty color that's a little more reddish than the classic orange.  Minneolas were on sale at my grocery store, and even though I'm excited about spring (5 more days!) I hate to see citrus season go.  Use any variety you want for this yummy cake.

This recipe is written in weight measures, so I weighed them out and then I used cups to remeasure the amounts, so they're pretty accurate.  My conversions are in red.  The ml measurements should also be on one side of your liquid measuring cups.


Minneola Cake         ~~~adapted from Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escape via Almost Bourdain

250 g (2 sticks plus 3 Tbsp) lightly salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

250 g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar

4 medium eggs

1 1/2 tsp finely grated zest (I zested the whole Minneola)

250 g (2 cups, but slightly under fill the second cup) self raising flour

85 ml (1/3 cup) freshly squeezed Minneola juice
1/2 tsp orange extract, optional

For the icing:

125 g (about 1 cup, but I used extra to be sure I had lots of icing) icing sugar

5 tsp ( I used a bit more) freshly squeezed Minneola juice

• Preheat the oven to 170C. (350) Grease and line a 22-cm clip-sided round cake (I used a 9" cheesecake pan with a removable bottom and just greased it) with non-stick baking paper.
• Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until very pale. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating very well between each one. Beat in the orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix in well, then slowly mix in the orange juice.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer, inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of lightly buttered foil.
• Leave the cake, in its tin, to cool on a wire rack, then carefully remove the sides and base of the tin and peel off the paper. Put it onto a serving plate.
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the orange juice until you have a spreadable consistency. Spread it over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides, and leave to set. Serve cut into slices, and store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

This buttery cake has good citrus flavor.  It's not as dense as a pound cake, and I think it would make a great layer cake or cupcakes with a proper citrus frosting.  The batter was easy to put together and had a beautiful silky texture.  It's a keeper.

Lemon Risotto with Three Cheeses and Grilled Asparagus

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I'm celebrating the imminent arrival of spring with a light, lemony risotto.  This is my favorite way to eat and I always revert to it when I'm cooking just for myself.  No meat, just the luscious green of the asparagus that's been singed to bring out its flavor, the harmony of three Italian cheeses, fresh thyme added at the very last minute, and of course the glorious lemon.

The risotto gets its golden color from a pinch of saffron added to the broth as it simmers.  Saffron has a subtle flavor, but I mostly used it for its color, to echo the beautiful lemon.  When it came to  naming this recipe, it was a toss up as to which element should get top billing.  The lemon won out in the end because it gives this risotto its character.

I don't think risotto deserves its reputation as being a nightmare to cook.  If you get everything prepped ahead of time, it's actually kind of relaxing.  Once you get into the ladle and stir rhythm it's basically on auto-pilot.

The high starch content of arborio rice makes risotto naturally creamy, but in this case it's enhanced by the rich marscapone cheese which makes it almost custard like.  If you want to make this really special you can add some shrimp.  Grill them (with the tails still attached) along with the asparagus and add them both to the risotto at the end.

Lemon Risotto with Three Cheeses and Grilled Asparagus
serves 4
oven to 450 (for roasting the asparagus)
1 lb asparagus
1 small onion, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup arborio rice
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup Marsala wine (or any dry white wine)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
pinch of saffron
2-3 oz marscapone cheese (about 1/3 of the 8 oz tub)
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/ 3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
fresh thyme sprigs
salt and fresh pepper

• Wash and trim the bottom third off the asparagus.  Lay it out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Roll the asparagus in the oil to coat.  Roast in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.  You can also use a grill, or the broiler.  Just don't overcook it.  Remove to a cutting board and slice on a diagonal into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.
• In a small saucepan heat the stock and water to a simmer.  Add in the saffron threads.  Keep it hot on the stove.
• In a heavy wide bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Saute the onion and shallot for about 5 minutes until translucent, do not brown.
• Add in the rice and stir to coat the rice with the oil and butter.  Cook for a minute or two.
• Add in the lemon juice and stir until absorbed.  
• Add in the wine and stir till absorbed.
• Using a large ladle or a cup measure, scoop about 2/3 cup hot stock into the rice and stir until it is almost completely absorbed.  Make sure you have the heat on high enough so that the slow simmer never stops, but not so high that the rice sticks.
• Continue adding the broth as soon as the previous cup has been absorbed, when you can drag the spoon along the bottom of the pan and the rice parts with no thin liquid immediately filling in the gap.
• When you start to get toward the end of the broth, taste the rice to see how much longer it needs.  Just like with pasta, you want it al dente...not mushy.  I usually have about a cup of broth leftover.  This will usually take about 35-40 minutes, give or take.
• At the end, turn off the heat, add the cheeses and the asparagus.  Gently strip the leaves from several sprigs of fresh thyme and add in as well.  Stir to combine and melt the cheeses,  Check your seasonings, add more salt and pepper if needed.  If the cheese has absorbed liquid and the risotto is dry, add a bit more broth.  I like to serve my risotto a little on the wet side, in shallow bowls.  It tends to thicken as it sits.  Garnish with thyme and lemon zest.

Notes:  There are a couple of secrets to success: have your broth at a simmer when you add it to the risotto pot, you want the rice to stay at a simmering temperature, that way the rice absorbs the liquid at the right speed.  Don't over cook the asparagus, and only add it to the risotto at the very end.  It will be tender yet still firm.  Risotto is traditionally stirred with a wooden spoon but I like to use a large silicone spatula which makes it really easy to keep the starchy rice from sticking and/or scorching on the sides and bottom of the pot.

Happy spring!