Sit Down and Eat!

Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

I happened to catch an interview with Olympic swimmer Micheal Phelp's mom last night.  She was describing what it felt like when she saw him for the first time after his very first gold medal win.  She cried as she recalled him striding up to her, beaming, with his gold medal in one hand and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the other.   It was a great story of Michael and his single mom and what an inspiration she was for him.   

And then later all I could think about was the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  He won his first gold medal in Athens in 2004. Isn't PBJ a classically American thing?  Do they even have peanut butter in Greece?  Did he bring the peanut butter and jelly with him?   Or is that part of the Olympic hospitality, making sure every country's home food is represented in the Olympic village? I could go on all night speculating on what I would want for my Olympic food, but instead I decided to whip up a batch of The Barefoot Contessa's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

These are rich and delicious and they are everything you love about peanut butter and jelly, all grown up.  I didn't have salted peanut's on hand so I did without but I know the salty crunch of the peanuts would have made a wonderful addition. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, The Barefoot Contessa


1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Cranberry Cheddar Cheeseball

I just posted this over on the Pioneer Woman's Comments section for her Big Dairy Recipe Contest.   I don't even have a photo, so you have to trust me that this is super easy and delicious.   I made this up one day when I was making my standard cheeseball and wanted to add some color.

Cheddar Cranberry Cheeseball - fast and easy!

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I like it sharp, but whatever blows your skirt up)
1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise
1 small onion, shredded
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 - 1 cup finely chopped pecans, depending on how much you love pecans

Use a food processor to finely finely chop the cranberries, then shred the onion, then shred the cheese.  Don't bother cleaning the prep bowl between ingredients - this is supposed to be FAST. Just dump them in a mixing bowl as you go. 
Mix in the mayo.  Mound it all on a pretty plate and coat with the chopped pecans.  Chill for at least 3 hours.  It will firm up.  Serve with crackers. 

- You can form the mixture into a ring and then put some cranberry chutney in the middle if you are feeling really fancy. 

-If you have any left over, you can also put it in an oven safe dish and bake for about 20 minutes at 350.  Serve with crackers of chunks of french bread.  Amazing.

Enjoy!

Bacon Raisin Broccoli Slaw

My kids love bacon, raisins and broccoli so this one was a slam dunk.  Its fast and easy and it is a huge hit at barbecues and potlucks.

2-3 cups broccoli slaw (this stuff comes pre-mixed at the grocery store and is a big shortcut)
OR
2-3 cups small brocolli florets

1 cup crispy crumbled bacon (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup small diced onion
1 cup raisins
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Whisk together mayo, vinegar and sugar.  Add broccoli, onions, bacon and raisins and toss.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 

Enjoy.

Blueberry Crisp

We do it every season.

My husband and I both get so excited about the arrival of blueberries that we buy and buy and buy until our refrigerator over-floweth.  We went away for a few days so in my last minute clean out of the fridge I threw a few pints of surplus berries in the freezer.  This morning while trying to retrieve some frozen chicken breasts those frozen blueberry pints just kept getting in the way.  I knew I had to make use of them.

As much as I love to bake.  I have to admit I have never made a blueberry pie.  It is one of my husband's favorites but I find that the homemade versions I have tried are often wet and the crust is soggy and leaden.  I also honestly didn't feel like dragging out the food processor to make pie crust.  So I decided to make a Blueberry Crisp.  I have a fool-proof crisp that I use on apples and I knew it would transfer well.  I decided to use cornstarch and heat the blueberries on the stove to help bring out and thicken the juices.  I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The berries thickened up beautifully and the crisp added that crunch that made it a perfect summer dessert.

Blueberry Crisp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Approximately 4 cups of frozen blueberries (3 pints)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 butter

Put blueberries, sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until they start to bubble slightly and let them simmer for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up.  The sauce will cling to a wooden spoon.  Take off the heat and mix in the lemon juice.  Pour the blueberry mix into a casserole dish. 

In another bowl, mix then oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and salt.  Blend in the cold butter with fingers or a pastry blender until the whole thing is combined to a crumbly mix.  Sprinkle over blueberry mixture. 

Bake for 30 minutes until topping starts to brown.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

That crisp mix is great on an apples, just add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  I will definitely do this again with peaches when they come in, and add a bit of almond extract.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous Guacamole Salad

It is rare that I get so excited about yet another salad.  But this one hit the perfect hot summer night spot with me.  It is another Barefoot Contessa recipe and the flavors practically jump right out of the bowl.

I can't take full credit.  I found the recipe and collected some of the ingredients.  But my husband ran with it and did all of the chopping.  It was spicy and limey with the cold fresh crunch of summer vegetables and the creamy delicious avocado. 

Guacamole Salad, Barefoot Contessa 
I found the recipe here

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.
Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.  (I am going to say this serves 6 as a side dish and four as an entree salad)

Don't skimp on the lime juice or the salt - together they really amp up the overall flavors.  The black beans added just the right amount of protein to make this our entree, paired with crusty slices of Jim Leahy's No Knead Bread (below - yes, I made that!)  which I made the first time the other day. 

I know, I am just two years behind the curve on that recipe but I promise to make up for it by making it as often as we can scarf it down.   I am a bread making novice and this one is a gentle beginner recipe.

Enjoy.

No, no, NOOOOOOO!!!!

Say it isn't so!