Nutty Caramel Oatmeal Bars

I have zero motivation to get started on things at work this week, but at least we have a long weekend to look forward to! I did a little baking this weekend for my friend Liz’s surprise birthday.  I’ll get to the baking details in a bit, but first I should do a proper recap of the party! Despite the fact that her mom thought we were childhood friends, Liz and I only went to high school together for 1.5 years.  Nevertheless, she’s one of my closest friends, each a part of the other’s wedding, and I’m even credited with introducing her to her husband (he and I went to college together)! I don’t think she was terribly surprised by the party, perhaps because her sister-in-law had to keep her at brunch well past the time their plates were cleared, but props to her husband for planning such a great party.  There was great food (dips galore, meatballs, roast beef sammies, and more), we played a few drinking games, and I discovered a new favorite drink – McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider! Since her actual birthday is today – HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ(ZY) :) Feeling very lazy on Sunday evening, KK suggested Oven Baked Risotto with Caprese Chicken for dinner which we enjoyed while watching the Golden Globes.

Now... onto the baked goods. Liz and her husband tend to follow a Paleo diet, so these bar cookies weren’t necessarily Paleo-friendly, but I had some caramel squares I wanted to use up, so I went ahead with it anyway! I have several oatmeal/chocolate/nut/caramel bar recipes in my email archives, so I took inspiration from all of them, but mostly based them off of Blue-Eyed Bakers’ recipe.  I was going to skip the parchment paper step, but decided to double-up with parchment paper and cooking spray to avoid a difficult of melted butter and sticky caramel (you’re welcome, KK!).  I used a combination of milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips this time, but you can use semisweet, white, or even butterscotch chips to add a little variety.  My favorite part of these bars were the salted peanuts – they added just the right amount of saltiness to offset the caramel chocolate filling.  I baked these the night before the party, and allowed them to cool completely before cutting them.  These bars are very dense, so I do recommend cutting them into small pieces.  In an airtight container stored at room temperature, the bars will stay fresh for about a week, but I imagine the party leftovers will be devoured by my coworkers in a matter of minutes after lunch today!

Nutty Caramel Oatmeal Bars
Adapted from Blue-Eyed Bakers
Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 30-40 bars

Crust & Topping Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups salted dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups flour
2 ½ cups old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
⅔ cups sugar
⅔ cups packed light brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 ¼ cups (3 sticks) butter, melted

Caramel Chocolate Filling Ingredients
24 soft caramel candies
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup mini Rolos
¾ cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate, dark, or semisweet)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a glass 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, and line bottom and sides with parchment paper.

2. Mix together dry crust ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour in melted butter, and mix until combined.  Use ⅔ of the mixture to form the bar crust, pressing the mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown and soft.

3. Prepare the caramel filling while the crust bakes.  Melt caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir frequently to prevent the cream from boiling.  Once caramels begin to melt, but are still somewhat clumpy, add Rolos to the saucepan.  Continue stirring until both the caramels and Rolos are melted, about 7-10 minutes in total.  Let caramel cool slightly.

4.  Cool crust on a rack for 5 minutes.  Top with chocolate chips and cover with caramel chocolate sauce.  Crumble remaining crust/topping mixture on top of the filling.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes until top is golden brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Masala Macaroni

Happy Friday! This week certainly got away from me! Last Saturday, our friends hosted a Wildcard Playoff party at their house in north Jersey.  Their house is perfect for watching sports and, although we aren’t quite ready to move out of Apt. 3D, KK’s already set on having a similar “man cave” in our house one day.  Above their garage, our friends’ entertainment room has a 70” wall-mounted flat screen TV, and two 30”’ TVs mounted next to it.  I wish I had a picture of it, but you’ll have to take my word for it when I say it’s incredible.  The entertainment room also has a 3-side wraparound couch, built-in surround sound, and even darts! Needless to say, KK was in heaven! After the first game, we headed to south Jersey for a belated holiday party with KK’s cousins.  We had a white elephant gift exchange, an Indo-Chinese potluck dinner (the cousins requested I make Red Velvet Butter Cookies for dessert, but they were gone before dinner was even served!), and stayed up way too late! All in all, it was a fantastic weekend! Of course, I’m also looking forward to this weekend, which is just a few hours away :)

Since I didn't contribute anything Indo-Chinese to the family potluck last weekend, I thought I'd share an Indo-Italian dish with you instead.  Yes you read that correctly - Indian spices with Italian pasta! I was skeptical at first, but it was surprisingly a good combination!  Cooking the macaroni, or other small pasta, is the longest step of this meal.  But, let’s be real – cooking pasta doesn’t take THAT long! Unless I’m working from home or have a light day in the office, I can’t afford/don’t want to spend a long time in the kitchen, so the whole thing takes just over 30 minutes.  While your pasta cooks, everything else (chicken, veggies, and sauce) comes together.  One word of caution: make sure to continuously stir the onions and spices to prevent them from sticking to the pan or burning.  Once the pasta is done, the rest of the steps should be done, and all you need to do is toss to combine and serve.  Enjoy!

Masala Macaroni

Adapted from Hooked on Heat

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

12 oz. macaroni

2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-in cubes

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp dried parsley

1 ½ tsp dried oregano

1 tsp coriander

¾ tsp chili powder

Heaping ¼ tsp turmeric

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, then cook until no longer pink.  Plate, cover with foil to retain heat, and set aside.

3. When pasta water is boiling, heat remaining canola oil in the same skillet/wok.  Sauté onions, garlic, and spices until onions are browned and fragrant, about 5-8 minutes.

4. Add in the chopped tomatoes, and cook for 2-3 minutes to combine well. Add in veggies, shredded chicken and pasta, and stir-fry to combine well with the spices. Season with salt and pepper.

Ground Turkey Bolognese

As you know, I love one pot recipes (see: here, here, and here), so I was very excited when KK told me he’d found another one.  Not only was I excited about a new one pot meal, but I was also thrilled to recreate a Bolognese sauce like the dishes we enjoyed while on vacation in Bologna, Italy.  Although it isn't like our traditional favorite sauces – saucy and chock full of tomatoes – this sauce is just a perfect meal for a chilly almost-winter evening.  It is incredibly hearty, includes a few veggies, and the lean ground turkey keeps it somewhat healthy.  Make sure you use a deep skillet because everything goes into this one,  including the pasta.  I used my 5-qt. Dutch Oven, and it was filled to the brim.  Next time, I’ll consider using a stock pot just to make stirring a bit easier.  If the liquid in your pot reduces before the pasta is fully cooked, add ½ cup of liquid (water or more chicken broth) at a time until the pasta reaches your desired firmness.  I haven't asked him, but I think this first-time recipe jumped onto KK's Top 10 list of recipes because he told me how pleased he was with this dinner several times!!

Ground Turkey Bolognese

Adapted from Serious Eats

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. ground turkey

½ cup red cooking wine

3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth

28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

1 lb. spaghetti

Splash of fish sauce

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots, celery and red pepper flakes and cook 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.  Add red wine and allow to simmer until liquid is mostly reduced, about 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth and tomatoes, breaking apart tomatoes as they soften with a wooden spoon or potato masher.  Raise heat to high to maintain a steady boil; add pasta and cook according to the package directions.  Stir occasionally to prevent pasta and meat from sticking to the pan.

4. When pasta is cooked through, add fish sauce, spices and Parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Happy New Year!! Most of the blogs I read posted their Most Viewed/Top posts of 2013, but I’ll save that for the end of January to celebrate my first blogiversary! So – how did everyone ring in the New Year? Instead of waiting hours to see the Times Square ball drop, without food/warmth/bathrooms, KK and I hosted a party at our place.  We ordered dinner from Grimaldis, and munched on homemade goodies like buffalo chicken dip, spice cupcakes, pumpkin bread, and brownie batter dip.  Since my friends were all eager to bake, I just provided the basics – wine, cheese and crackers, hummus, a veggie platter, and Archer Farms Butter Toffee Caramel Clusters courtesy of Target (YUM!).  We were having too much fun catching up that we weren’t prepared with our champagne toast and noisemakers when the ball dropped.  Whoops! Thankfully, KK rewound the DVR so we could properly ring in the New Year (just a few minutes late!).  Sadly, I had to return to work today, but it’s already Thursday so the weekend is just around the corner!!

This cheesy soup was simply divine, and we even had all the ingredients already on hand! Usually, soups take awhile to simmer and come together, but this only takes ~20 minutes.  I recommend nuking the cream cheese in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften it up before blending together the sauce mixture.  This will help create the soup’s smooth consistency.  The original recipe lacked a bit of flavor, but that was quickly solved by added heaping teaspoons of cumin and chili powder.  Instead of seasoning the soup with salt while cooking, the chips added the right amount of saltiness at the end.  In fact, I continuously added crumbled tortilla chips to my bowl, making the crunchiness last throughout the entire meal!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Adapted from Some the Wiser

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tsp canola oil

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

10 oz. can enchilada sauce

15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed

10 oz. can diced tomatoes

¾ cup milk

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Cook chicken and onions 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through.  Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

2. Use a hand mixer or immersion blender to blend cream cheese and enchilada sauce together in a small bowl.  Mixture should be smooth.  Once chicken is cooked, pour cheese sauce mixture into the skillet.  Stir in beans, corn, diced tomatoes, milk, cumin, and chili powder.  Simmer over medium-low heat until heated through, about 7 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with crushed tortilla chips.

Chicken Gumbo

It's New Year's Eve! Hope you all have plans to celebrate with family and friends! KK and I are hosting a few friends at our place, so we've spent the day finalizing the menu and putting out a few festive decorations.  2013 was full of memorable moments! To name just a few: I took fabulous trips to Orlando, New Orleans, Italy, and Portugal; celebrated at three weddings; became an aunt x2 when my twin niece and nephew were born; and KK and I celebrated our 1st anniversary (the frozen cake was delicious!).  I can't wait to see what's in store for 2014!

Before we close out 2013, here's the other hearty meal KK added to the Christmas week menu when we learned my dad wasn't feeling well.  KK's had his eye on this gumbo recipe for quite some time, but hasn't been able to find the frozen cut okra at our local grocery store.  Although we were able to find the okra in Virginia, we had to flip the chicken-to-sausage ratio because Harris Teeter didn't have larger rotisserie chicken.  Nevertheless, I feel like the additional sausage made it feel more like gumbo and less like chicken soup.  The original recipe also didn't have enough zing for me, but my addition of Cajun seasoning added the perfect amount of flavor.  As recommended by Martha, I served this gumbo with a side of Jiffy cornbread.  My dad, KK, and I all had seconds, so I consider this dish a success! Plus, the leftovers make for a perfect lunch or dinner a few days later!

Chicken Gumbo

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

3 Tbsp canola oil

⅓ cup flour

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

14 oz. precooked smoked andouille sausage

16 oz. bag frozen cut okra

2 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

1.75 lb rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.  Add flour and whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes, until flour turns a pale golden color.  Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and oregano; season with salt and pepper.  Stir occasionally and cook 10-12 minutes; vegetables will just be starting to soften.

2. Half sausage lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch thick slices.  Add sausage, okra, water, and chicken broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then stir in shredded chicken and heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.  Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning.

Tuscan Sausage Soup

KK and I made it safely back to Hoboken on Friday.  I won't go into detail about the painfully slow 6-hour drive which was supposed to take only 4, but you get the picture! We spent most of yesterday putting away our Christmas loot, finishing up some organizational/cleaning-related projects, and got some errands out of the way.  Back in November, my optometrist mentioned that my Vision Plan included an allowance for frames that could be converted to tinted lenses... meaning massively discounted designer sunglasses! I'd forgotten about this great deal, but luckily remembered while we were in Virginia, so I made a beeline to Eyeshapes yesterday and picked out a fun pair which will be in my possession in 7-10 days!  Now, I feel like we're ready for New Year's Eve (we're hosting a few friends), and that I just need to make sure to fend off any lingering germs I may've picked up while visiting my dad!

This is another one of the soups I made while KK and I were at my dad's house for Christmas.  Feast on the Cheap's picture looked so creamy and delicious when I saw this on Pinterest, we just had to try it! To my surprise, there actually isn't any cream in the recipe! It's chock full of vegetables and chicken broth - just what my sick dad needed. The original recipe made enough soup for 12 (so really 8 if it's being served to my dad and KK), so we halved the recipe and it made 4 hearty servings.  As the sausage cooks, break it into bite-sized pieces.  Once you start adding vegetables to the pot, it'll be harder to find and break up the sausage bits.  Next, you'll add the carrots and onions because they take the longest to cook.  After this step, the carrots will be slightly tender on the outside, but still crunchy on the inside; the onions will be golden brown.  My pasta took longer than I thought to cook, so I've increased the length of the last step to reflect the required cook time.  By adding some crushed red pepper to each serving, you'll not only spice up the soup, but you'll also help open up the sinuses of anyone eating it! Enjoy!

Tuscan Sausage Soup

Adapted from Feast on the Cheap
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 tsp canola oil
1 lb. Italian sausage
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ quarts chicken broth
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. medium pasta shells
½ Tbsp dried basil
6 oz. spinach leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Directions
1. Heat canola oil over medium high heat in a large stockpot.  Remove sausage casings and cook in the stockpot until browned and crumbled. 

2. Add carrots, onion and garlic; saute until tender and starting to turn, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, pasta and basil.  Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until pasta just becomes tender, about 7 minutes.

4. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 8-10 minutes; pasta will finish cooking.  Season with salt and pepper, top with grated Parmesan, and serve warm.

Chicken Fajita Sandwiches

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!! We spent the weekend in Delaware with KK’s family.  It’s so exciting to see our twin niece and nephew growing bigger and bigger every time we see them! KK’s parents came too, so we had an early Christmas with the whole family.  It was a balmy 65 degrees on Saturday, so we took the twins outside for a bit to enjoy the weather!  Since they aren’t old enough to open gifts, KK and I had to help them out.  We got them some developmental toys and some of my favorite childhood books – The Polar Express (a seasonal favorite), The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book, and Goodnight Moon.  I can’t wait to read with the twins as they grow older!

After our stopover in Delaware, KK and I continued down to my dad’s house in VA.  We did some last minute shopping, visiting with old friends, and a lot of cooking! We spent Christmas Eve with our family friends who live just 15 minutes away from my dad’s house.  It wouldn’t be Christmas without taking the obligatory “kids picture” next to the fireplace.  KK, being the newest “kid” in the group, enjoys looking at the collection of these annual photos displayed at their house; it’s fun to see how we’ve changed over the years! We had quite the spread of food this year – veggie platter, fancy cheeses, and artichoke dip to start with; salad with goat cheese and mustard dressing, sherry chicken, and homemade mashed potatoes for dinner; and Rice Krispie wreathes, lemon bars (a family recipe not to be shared online - sorry!), and Guinness Carbomb Cupcakes for dessert.  My dad selected a few different red wines for dinner, and saved a special bottle of V. Sattui 1998 Vintage Port to have with dessert.  Everything was delicious and we all left thinking we’d never eat again!

True to our word, we skipped the big Christmas morning breakfast because we were too full from the previous night.  After opening stockings and presents, we played with our new electronics (Boom Urchin for KK, Microsoft Surface for my dad, and Canon PowerShot for me) for awhile.  After venturing out to see Gravity, we were finally ready for a proper meal.  Taking advantage of my dad’s grill, KK decided we’d have grilled chicken for Christmas dinner – Chicken Fajita Sandwiches to be exact.  Since the original recipe was for 2, we doubled the chicken, veggies, and marinade ingredients (already represented below).  The marinade was incredibly flavorful; I could taste the Corona, and the blend of spices worked very well together.  If you don't have Corona, I suggest using another light-yet-flavorful beer like Heineken or one of the Abita brews.  Make sure you seal the vegetable foil packet well; you don't want to loose any of the juices and steam that are brewing together to cook the vegetables.  We used sesame kaiser rolls, and served the sandwiches with Harris Teeter Sweet Potato Crinkle Cut Fries (coated with several dashes of Cajun seasoning before they baked) and leftover salad from Christmas Eve.  It was another filling meal, but we still had room for breakfast pancakes this morning!

Chicken Fajita Sandwiches

Adapted from Nibble Me This

Time: 30 minutes + marination time (2-4 hours)

Serves: 4

Marinade Ingredients

1 cup Corona

½ cup canola oil

½ cup lime juice

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp coriander

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Other Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1.5 lb. boneless chicken breasts, butterflied

2-4 slices Pepper Jack cheese

4 kaiser rolls

Chipotle mayo or mustard, for serving

Directions

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl, preferable one with a spout.  Place sliced vegetables in a gallon Ziploc bag, and pour ⅔ cup marinade over the vegetables.  Place chicken in a separate Ziploc bag, and coat with remaining marinade.  Squish bags to coat vegetables and chicken thoroughly; refrigerate 2-4 hours.

2. Preheat grill to 400.

3. Drain excess marinade from the vegetables.  Place vegetables on a 12" x 24" piece of aluminum foil.  Fold foil over to make a packet surrounding the vegetables.  Grill until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes per side.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and grill 4 minutes on one side.  Flip and top each piece with some the cooked vegetables; cook an additional 3 minutes.

5. Top each piece of chicken with cheese, close grill, and cook for an additional minute until cheese melts. At the same time, toast kaiser rolls.  Assemble chicken sandwiches immediately, topping with additional vegetables; if desired, spread kaiser rolls with chipotle mayo or mustard.