Delicious and nutritious chewy granola bars

I love to make homemade crunchy granola, but it's not really a food that travels well. As we prepared to go away for the weekend, I decided to give homemade granola bars a try. The good thing about homemade granola or granola bars is that you can fill them with whatever you like. Choose your favorite fruits, seeds and nuts; experiment with different combinations. For my chewy granola bars, I went with raisins, apricots, almonds, flax seed, unsweetened coconut and sunflower seeds. I also added some sea salt for a salty-sweet taste that's great any time of day.

A few tips: pack them into the pan well. They'll "stick" together a little better if you use quick oats, but I prefer less-processed old-fashioned oats. If you like sweeter granola bars, add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar to what I list below. The fruit adds some sweetness, as does the nut butter, but do what tastes good to you.



Chewy granola bars
adapted from kingarthurflour.com

1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar, optional (see "tips" at right)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
2-2 1/2  cups dried fruits and nuts*
1/3 cup peanut or almond butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, then lightly grease the pan.

Toss together all the dry ingredients, including the fuit and nuts.



In another bowl, mix the melted butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and water.

Toss the wet ingredients with the dry and stir in the nut butter. Combine until well-mixed and crumbly. Turn the mixture into the pan and pat it evenly in the bottom of the pan, pressing down. (If it's sticky, use a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper.)

Bake for 30 minutes, or until edges are browned.



Use a knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars while they're still warm in the pan. Carefully remove warm bars from the pan, and cool on a rack. Alternatively, remove from the pan before cutting into bars; it helps to cut in half first, then loosen the bottom of each half with a turner/spatula before turning out onto a sheet of parchment to cut into bars.



Wrap bars individually to store in plastic wrap or waxed paper; or place in a single layer on a plate, and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between. In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*I used 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/2 cup rasins, 3/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and a couple tablespoons flax seed.

Lobster salad with avocado, pesto and tomato vinaigrette

Lobster is one of those foods that makes any day feel like a special occasion. We're lucky enough to live in an area where we can get Maine lobsters any time of year, often for less per pound than the cost of deli meat. Usually I simply steam them and serve with drawn butter and corn on the cob. But I found a recipe for a lobster salad with Avocado, pesto and tomato vinaigrette and it's simply divine. Big fresh flavors from tomatoes, pesto and sherry vinegar combine with creamy avocado and succulent lobster for a first course that will impress any guests.

Make the pesto mayonnaise and tomato vinaigrette a day ahead to save time. The leftover pesto mayo makes great chicken salad - just toss a few spoonfuls with some rotisserie chicken and pile into pitas or on your favorite bread with sliced tomato, baby arugula and some shaved parmesan cheese.

Lobster Salad, Avocado, Tomato Vinaigrette
adapted from The BLT Cookbook by Laurent Tourondel

Tomato Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped, plus 1/4 cup diced
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Mayonnaise
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
2 Hass avocados, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lobsters, cooked and cooled, meat removed from the shells
1 cup baby arugula leaves

To make the tomato vinaigrette
In a medium saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped and diced tomatoes, thyme and sugar. Stir, cover and cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat, discard stem from thyme sprig, and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Process until well blended.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Add the vinegar and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. This can be made a day or two ahead.



To make the pesto mayonnaise
Place the egg in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil . Turn off the heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

Scoop out the egg into a blender. Add the mustard and red wine vinegar. With the motor running, slowly add the grapeseed oil in a thin stream. Blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

Put the basil, cheese and garlic into the blender (you don't have to clean it in between). With the motor running, add 1/4 cup of olive oil in a thin stream. Blend until thick and smooth.

Scrape the pesto into the bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and stir well about 15 minutes before using.



Make the salad
In a bowl, toss the avocados, tomatoes, onion, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on 4 dinner plates. Top with some of the arugula. Arrange the lobster on top of the arugula. Spoon the tomato vinaigrette around the salad and the use a small spoon to drop pesto around the outside.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.

The Ultimate Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

There seem to be as many variations of vodka sauce as there are Italian restaurants. Some are smooth; others have chunks of tomatoes. Some add peas and prociutto; others add sausage; still others add chicken or shrimp. The same goes for vodka sauce recipes, making it hard to choose one.



Find an updated version of my favorite vodka sauce on my new blog, white plate blank slate.

With more than 100 cookbooks in my collection, I like to "consult my friends" when choosing a recipe for something with a lot of variations. By "consult my friends", I mean that I check with Mario, Giada, Jamie, Ina, etc. I pull out a pile of cookbooks and compare the recipes. The result is inevitably something of my own making, combining the elements of each that I like. Thus the approach that led me to the ultimate vodka sauce...

This one has everything my husband and I love. It's rich and creamy, but has a definite tomato taste, with little bits of tomato throughout. Jeff likes meat, so it has sausage AND prosciutto. I like the color and texture peas add, so you'll find those in there, too. Try this sauce, but make it your own. Prefer chicken? Brown some chunks of chicken instead of the sausage. Like it smooth, use crushed or pureed tomatoes. Just don't forget the cheese...



Another thing that makes this the ultimate rigatoni with vodka sauce is homemade rigatoni. Flour, eggs, semolina and a little water turn into delicious fresh pasta using my new toy: the Kitchenaid Pasta attachment for my stand mixer. It takes 30 minutes start to finish and it's worth every second - but purely optionsal. The sauce rocks even without homemade pasta.

Now, onto the recipe for my ultimate rigatoni with vodka sauce... buon appetito (from this Irish girl!)

Vodka Sauce

serves 4
4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
4 Sweet Italian sausages
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of Italian seasoning (or oregano if you don't have Italian seasoning)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup vodka (cheap stuff is fine here, save the Grey Goose for martinis!)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lowfat milk
2 Tbsp. tomato paste (or more to taste)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed




Heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Cook the prosciutto until just starting to brown around the edges. Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, squeeze the sausage out of the casing into the pan in bite-sized chunks. Discard the casings. Cook the sausage until browned on all sides and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.

In a large skillet over meidum-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Do not brown. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes with their juice and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vodka and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cream, milk, Paremsan cheese, and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is absorbed into the sauce. If the sauce is too light, add more tomato paste. Stir in the prosciutto and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.



Stir in the sausage and peas and cook until heated through. Note: As this cooks, it gets thicker. If it gets too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to get the desired consistency. Season to taste - with the cheese, prosciutto and sausage you likely won't need salt. But I like to add some fresh black pepper.

Serve tossed with homemade rigatoni (below) or your favorite pasta. Top with extra grated Parmesan cheese.



Homemade rigatoni (optional, of course, but yummy!)
Recipe based on the one from the Kitchenaid pasta press instruction book

3 large eggs
2 Tbsp. water
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour OR 2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour PLUS 1/2 cup semolina
pinch of salt

Break the eggs into a glass measuring cup. If the total amount is less than 3/4 cup, add a little water to get to that amount.

To measure the flour, sift the flour first, then measure 2 3/4 cups - this is to ensure the right consistency.

Put the flour, salt and semolina (if using) in the bowl of the stand mixer. Attach the flat beater. Turn to speed 2 and gradually add the eggs and 2 Tbsp. water. Mix 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and exchange the beater with the dough hook. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand for 1 minute.

Pass walnut sized pieces of dought though the pasta press using the rigatoni attachment.

Cook in boiling water 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.

Quick and easy Vietnamese: Chicken Stir-fried with Lemongrass and Chile

Chicken is one of those things that's easy to always make the same way, so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. This one appears in my go-to Vietnamese cookbook: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen. It comes together quickly which is perfect for a weeknight. If you're pressed for time, chop the vegetables in the morning or the night before. Otherwise, this dish can be made is the time it takes rice to cook (and I used Jasmine which cooks in 15 minutes).



A key ingredient is lemongrass. For those unfamiliar with it, you can find it in Asian markets and some supermarkets. A stalk is about 14-16 inches in length and it's yellow-green in color. A caross section toward the bottom will show a bit of purple. Be sure to remove the outer layer and then chop fine - it's fibrous so chopping will ensure that doesn't impact the texture of your dish.



The list of ingredients might seem odd: Madras curry powder is typically in Indian food, coconut milk in Thai. But, believe me, it comes together in a uniquely Vietnamese way. If you like heat, leave the seeds and ribs in the chile. For a milder stir-fry, remove them. The original called for chicken thighs, but I had breasts in the fridge so I used those. This makes enough for 4 with rice (or, in our case, 2, with leftovers!)

Chicken Stir-fried with Lemongrass and Chile
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
2 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 Tbsp. Canola or other neutral oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 large Jalapeno, or other hot chile, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (about 3 Tbsp.)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Chopped cilantro, to garnish

In a bowl combine the salt, sugar, curry powder and fish sauce. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.



In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shallot, chile, and lemongrass and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the chicken to the mixture and stir to coat with the aromatics, then let it cook undisturbed for about 1 minute until nicely seared. Flip the chicken over to sear on the other side.

Add the bell pepper and coconut milk and lower to a simmer. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. As the coconut milk reduces it will simmer vigorously. The chicken is done when the coconut milk is barely visible. Check the seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Serve with steamed rice, such as Jasmine, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Restaurant review: Ristorante Da Benito in Union, NJ

It's been awhile since I posted a restaurant review. It's not that we haven't been going out, we've just been hitting our favorites - Emma's for pizza, Ginger Sushi, and Splash of Thai. But Valentine's weekend came along and Jeff decided to take me to Ristorante Da Benito in Union, NJ. He'd read about it in the Star-Ledger and it got rave reviews so we made a reservation and headed out.

Upon entering we were seated in the small dining room by the charming maitre d'. The dining room is fairly modern with a small bar. A large screen tv and the paraphernalia over the bar seemed a bit out of place in the otherwise upscale surroundings. Customers around us were dressed in everything from jacket and tie to jeans and sweatshirts. We landed in the middle and I'd say we had hit the right note for attire.

We were promptly served water and bread with delicious olive oil, as well as two small bruschetta topped with a vegetable and cannelini bean mixture. A nice start to the meal, the bruschetta was full of flavor and the creamy texture of the beans combined nicely with the crunchy bread and surprisingly good tomatoes (it is February, after all!)

We shared two appeatizers: one a cold stacked grilled eggplant, tomato and goat cheese. It had some baby arugula and was topped with a few caramelized onions. Drizzled around the plate were an aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. The flavors were fresh and bold - I loved the tangy goat cheese with the creamy eggplant! Our second appetizer was a special: a portabello mushroom cap filled with minced veal. This was served warm over baby greens. It, too, was delicious, but topped with a bit too much marjoram. The luxurious texture of the minced veal helped me past that small imperfection, however.

Entrees were served quickly. Mine was a bowl of homemade pappardelle with bolognese. It may have been the best bolognese I've ever had. I would say there was a bit more sauce than I would have preferred, but every bite was delicious. Jeff ordered veal over Swiss chard with white wine, grape tomatoes and ricotta salata. The veal scallopine were cooked to perfection - fork-tender, but a bit caramelized around the edges. I particularly liked the Swiss Chard - so many places put a heap of Spinach (I love Spinach, but was very please to see something different). All in all, both dishes were outstanding.

The menu features a number of pasta dishes as well as several veal, beef, chicken and fish entrees. There was also one lamb dish on the menu.

Our final decision on Ristorante Da Benito is that it was a nice change for a special occasion, but we'll stick with Bel Paese in Cranford when we want Italian - it's closer to home, less expensive and the food is superb. But if you're in Union looking for a nice evening out, you wan't be disappointed.

Kicked up salad: Crispy prosciutto, baby beets, and field mushrooms

Salads are one of those things my husband can usually take or leave. So I've made it my personal challenge to occasionally present him with an unusual salad that I hope will dazzle him into loving salad as much as I do. OK, maybe dazzle is too strong a word, but I do enjoy making unusual salads to complement our meals. Last weekend, I got a couple of steaks for dinner and was making simple potato pancakes. To add some flare (and vegetation) to our carnivorous feast, I chose Curtis Stone's Salad of Crispy Prosciutto, Baby Beets and Field Mushrooms from his book, Cooking with Curtis. The book is divided by season and each section features a few ingredients. The prosciutto section definitely caught my attention. The gorgeous crispy slice also caught my husband's attention: mission accomplished!



This is a great accompaniment to a simple meal. It went great with our grilled steaks and would go equally well with another grilled meat or fish. It's hearty and packed with flavor: sweet beets, salty prosciutto, earthy mushrooms, and a little tang from some sherry vinegar. My modified version follows... (If you can;t find baby beets like, me, use a few small ones and just cut them before serving. Just know that your roasting time will be a little longer...)

Salad of Crispy Prosciutto, Baby Beets and Field Mushrooms
2 bunches baby beets or 4 small beets
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices prosciutto
2 portabello mushroom caps, each cut into 6 strips
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
bunch of baby arugula

Preheat oven to 350F. Lay the beets on a roastingtray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in hot oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and keep warm. (If using larger beets, peel the skins off the roasted beets once they've cooled a bit.)

Place the prosciutto in a large non-stick rying pan and allow it to go crispy. Once crispy, turn it over and remove it from the pan. Leave to cool until required. Using the same pan, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook in the excess fat from the prosciutto for 2-3 minutes. (You may need to add a little extra butter or olive oil.)

Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the shallot to the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Pour the dressing over the arugual and toss gently. Arrange the arugula, beets and mushrooms on 4 plates. Top each with a piece of crispy prosciutto.

Serves 4.

An Ad Hoc Valentine's Day: Roasted Monkfish over Leeks and Romesco Sauce

My love affair with Ad Hoc at Home continued this weekend as I prepared Thomas Keller's Roasted monkfish with baby leeks and Romesco Sauce. Romesco is a Spanish sauce made with tomato, red pepper, bread, and a few other ingredients. It's a sauce I've made many times before, typically served on grilled scallions. Keller's recipe was slightly different so I tried his for a change. It was delicious - a bit sweeter than my other recipe.



I couldn't find baby leeks, so I got some regular leeks, trimmed the roots leaving the bottoms intact so the leeks didn't fall apart and then follow the recipe in Ad Hoc for Baby leeks. The fish I did exactly as he said, but cooked mine a bit longer - the pieces of fish were quite thick as you can see from the picture. Flown in fresh that morning, this was the best monkfish we've ever had. I thank both my fish guy who special ordered it for me as well as Chef Keller!

Pair this fish with other sides or sauces if you prefer. It's a great preparation that would go nicely with any number of combinations. Bottom line, follow Keller's method and you simply can't go wrong! I cut the recipes in half and made a few modifications, so my version are below. The fish is exactly Keller's but with half the ingredients. The others I modified a bit...

Roasted monkfish
adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

2 8-ounce monkfish tail fillets
Canola oil (to coat the pan)
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed, skin left on
3 medium rosemary sprigs
Romesco sauce, warmed (see below)
Baby leeks (see below)

Remove the fish from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it just smokes. Season the fish with salt then place it in the pan, presentation side down (the rounded side). Cook until the first side is pale golden. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the second tablespoon and let that melt (adding them at the same time could lower the temperature in the pan). Once the butter has browned, tilt the pan and baste the fish as you continue to cook it until it is a rich golden brown on the first side, 1-2 more minutes.

Turn the fish over and cook, basting continuously with the butter, until it is a rich golden brown on the second side, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary to the pan, and continue to baste the fish as the aromatics flavor the butter. Cook until the temperature in the center of the fish is 145F. (Keller says 1-2 minutes, mine took about 5).

Spread the Romesco on a plate. Top with a few leeks. Then place the fish on top. If you want, finish with some good extra virgin olive oil and Maldon Sea Salt.

Baby Leeks

12 baby leeks, or 4 regular leeks, trimmed and halved lengthwise so they don't fall apart
3 Tbsp. chicken stock
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath. Set out a cooling rack and line with paper towels.

Trim the dark green parts from the leeks and rinse well under warm water. Blanch the leeks for about 6 minutes until just tender. Immediately transfer to the ice water bath to cool, then place on the rack to drain.

Remove the outer layer from each leek. Bring the stuck to a simmer in a medium saute pan. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time to make an emulsification. Add the leeks and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Romesco Sauce

1 dried sweet chile (I used New Mexico, but Nora or Pasilla would also work)
3 plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
3 crustless 2-in cubes country bread
1/8 cup slivered almonds
1 Tbsp. sherry vinager
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
3/4 tsp. piment d'espelette (I used a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of smoked paprika instead)

Preheat over to 400F.

Remove the seed and stem from the chile. Put it in a small bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 30 minutes.

Put the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and garlic ina roasting pan and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn the tomatoes and pepper cut side down. Roast for one hour, until the vegetables are well-browned with some charring. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Remove the skins from the tomatoes and pepper. Discard the outer layer of the onion. Reserve any liquid in the pan.

Heat some canola oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the bread and toast until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add the nuts and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.

Drain the chile. Put it in a blender with the tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, and reserved liquid. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 cup. Refrigerate covered for up to 2 weeks.