Lemon Bars

WARNING - THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RECIPE!  It's just the best darn lemon bars I've ever had so I had to share it with you.  This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  Jessica's favorite recipe site.

I made these yesterday.  I still had a few lemons left that my sister-in-law brought me from California and I wanted to use them well.  In a way they could really be enjoyed and appreciated for all their yellow sunshiny glory.  I think this did the trick.  I like this recipe more than others because of the bottom stuff that the lemon stuff sits on (these are technical culinary terms).  Usually that's my least favorite part of a lemon bar.  It still was, but it was the best one I've had yet.  I like my lemon pastries very very lemony.  If you do not like yours quite so lemony, change the tablespoons of lemon zest to teaspoons.  Still lemony, just not as lemony.  The zest is what gives you the majority of the lemon flavor, not the juice, so leave the juice alone.  Seriously, don't mess with it.

Again I apologize for the lack of a poorly lit photo.  Someday I will be technology savvy.  It will happen if I keep saying it will happen.

Ingredients:
Bottom stuff:
1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar (plus extra to dust on top)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon table salt (I used coarse sea salt. Don't do that.  Just use regular table salt)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), at cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

lemon part:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons fresh grated lemon zest
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 large lemons worth)
1/3 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and lightly grease the foil.
2. Stir together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Add the pieces of butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Alternately you could do this in a food processor.  Just process 8 to 10 seconds then pulse until you get the texture you want.
3. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer on the bottom.  Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.  While it is refrigerating.  Place your oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
4.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes
5.  For the lemony goodness.  Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt and flour in a medium bowl and then stir in the lemon zest, juice and milk to combine.
6.  Poor the lemony goodness onto the crust (it's important that it's still warm!) and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the filling feels slightly firm to the touch.
7.  Cool the bars to room temperature and lift foil out of pan.  Sift some powdered sugar over the top and cut using a bench scraper.  You can obviously cut using anything you want, but the bench scraper makes them hold a nice clean shape and you know how I like my food to be pretty.

Apple Pie Oatmeal cookies

Here is a lovely plaguerized picture for you.  Trust me, it more accurately depicts the deliciousness of the finished product.  You're welcome.

These were really good and healthy enough that I thought them an appropriate breakfast food. In fact, they turned out a little more cakey than chewy and I thought about altering them a little and making them into a muffin.  More on that if I ever get around to it.

I've realized that I hardly ever make the recipe as I find it and always alter it a little here and there, so instead of copying and pasting and then telling you I did this different and I did that different, I've decided to just take the time to write the recipe I followed.  As always, you can substitute flours and sugars and butter for whatever flour I have and oil and agave, but then you may not feel as good about eating it for breakfast.

Ingrediants:
1 cup rolled oats (or instant works too)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave
1 cup finely diced apple of your choice

1. Whilsk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.  In a seperate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir in the agave.  Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.  Fold in the apple.  Chill for 30 minutes (don't skip that step, it's important).
2.  Preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (don't skip this one either, you will regret it).
3.  Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet and flatten slightly.  bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes.  Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

Blackberry crumble revisited

Tonight I made a blackberry crumble for Marky's birthday (and all the other July birthdays, but I made it because he doesn't care so much for cake) party tomorrow at North Fork.  The recipe for this little lady (yes she is a lady) can be found on my sweets and treats board on pinterest.  As is, I couldn't put it in healthy habits.

I staged it a little better than my last one.  See, I'm learning.  Anyway, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep Kristian out of it unless I made something else for him.  I have learned from past experience.  There is no stopping him.  I had used all my fresh blackberries, so I opened a can of peaches, drained it (mostly) and threw in some frozen blueberries (we also ate all the fresh blueberries).  The peaches were very sweet and so were the blueberries, so I skipped the sugar.  I did cut the peaches into more bite sized chunks.  Added a little vanilla to the mixture.  Than I put 1/3  cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup oat flour (just old fashioned oats taken for a spin in the blender), 1/4 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt into the food processor.  Gave it a little pulse to mix then slowly added olive oil to the mix while pulsing in the food processor till the consistency looked right.  I would guess at probably 2 Tablespoons.  I have some single serving ramekins that are a miniature of the one pictured above.  I divided the fruit mix between two of those and topped with the topping, then popped it all in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  I  would advise putting them on a cookie sheet as they got a little rambunctious there in the end and started bubbling over the sides. 

 

They were delightful.  Kristian really loved them too, though he slightly ruined the nutritiousness of his by topping it with a hearty scoop (or three) of ice cream.  I won't say I didn't look on with envy.  All in all I would say this is breakfast worthy.  I don't know what I would call it.  Breakfast berry (or fruit) cobbler.  I was thinking that next time I would substitute some of the brown sugar for honey or agave, which would also cut back on how much olive oil I would need to moisten the topping, but may make it too gooey to spread evenly.  That will take some trial and error, I'll get back to you on that one.  Give this one a go.  If your making it for your family, use the blackberry crumble recipe and make the substitutions as you like.  You may not need to substitute the flour if you don't mind it in there, I just had to make it gluten free.  If you really wanted butter you could do half butter half olive oil.  The possibilities are endless.  Next time I get a fresh batch of berries, I'm making a full size one for breakfast.  It was fast and easy. 

 

P.S.  I've come to realize that I use parenthesis a lot (definitely more than the average person) in my writing.  They are so handy.

Seriously though people, make this one.  It's good. 

Blackberry Crumble

1 quart blackberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 heaping cup oats

1/2 heaping cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash slightly the blackberries, add the sugar and vanilla bean paste. Allow to mascerate while prepping the crumble topping.

In the bowl of a food processor (you can also do by hand), add oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in 3/4 stick of butter cut into chunks and pulse food processor until small pea size crumbles form.

Butter a shallow baking dish. Add berries to the bottom and top with crumble topping. Add the remaining butter to the top cut into small chunks.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Topping will appear to still be loose, but it will firm up when cool.

Serve warm on it's own or with a scoop of ice cream.

vanilla chai pudding

I tried a new food today.  I have heard of chai and haven't ever tried it.  I didn't really know what it was, didn't really care.  I found this recipe that was fast and easy and could be made the night before for a grab and go breakfast or a quick snack.  The main appeal to me at the time was that it was gluten, dairy, nut, chocolate, beef, egg and soy free.  Those are few and far between and that it looked fast and easy.  I did a little research on the thing, here's some interesting tidbits I found:

Unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be grinded to reap their health benefits.
Chia seeds have a nutritional resume that includes fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and protein. They’re what you want if you’re stranded on a desert island, or hunkered down in the outback for an extended period of time.
Eaten raw or tossed into salads, yogurt, smoothies, omelets and baked goods, these tiny black and white seeds have a mild, nutty flavor.
They contain up to 25 percent omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA (alpha-linolenic acid.) Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have more of these fats than salmon. They’re one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 in any food. Chia also contains high amounts of omega-6.
These EFAs (essential fatty acids) build new cells and regulate various processes of the body. Chia seed is the ultimate brain food, giving new credibility to the “chia head.”
These little bitty seeds support heart health and feed the skin, hair and nails.
Just one ounce of seed contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (the good kind) and 11 grams of fiber. The seeds contains all 10 essential amino acids that are a must for your diet, so they're considered a top source of complete plant-based protein.
To avoid the “chia trot,” start out slowly when introducing this concentrated source of fiber.

And then there’s that weight-control bonus. When chia seeds are soaked, they can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid. When ingested, chia seeds form a gel inside your stomach, which slows down sugar and carbohydrates, keeping electrolytes in balance and your belly satiated.
Trying to build muscle or conquer a triathlon? Chia to the rescue!

Interesting right.  Genny brought up the concern that chai tea is not word of wisdom approved.  I cannot find anything (in my limited research online) that says the same for the seeds.  I think we are a go. 

I made this simple concoction last night (the recipe can be found on my pinterest board "Healthy Habits) and stuck it in the fridge.  I went to pull it out this morning planning to take it with me for an after walk snack and inadvertently grabbed the jar of almond milk I made last night and looked at it and thought "this pudding didn't set up at all."  Read the label dummy, you label things for a reason, not as a hobby.  Anyway, I found it after lunch and gave it a go.  My first impression is that it's weird.  The texture is new and the taste is new.  My kids all had a few bites.  Laila loved it (no surprise there, the girl would eat pinecones if I let her), Solveig said she liked it after the first bite then changed to I kinda like it, I kinda don't.  Soren  took a bite, said it was good but that he didn't want to eat anymore.  I relate to Solveig.  It's new and going to take some getting used to, but I think I'm going to incorporate it.  I'm told you can purchase a big box at Costco for cheap (my source is a Ukrainian women whom I've never met before who's blog I happened to stumble across), so I'm going to look for it there.  I bought it in bulk at Winco yesterday (hidden in the jars of spices in case anyone goes looking) and it's a little pricey.

Has anyone else tried chai?  What is your experience?  Any recipes?  I'm you can also just throw a handful into a smoothie and can't taste it. 

P.S.  Jess, I'm coming for you.  You have to at least taste it.