The weather here has finally warmed up, the trees are leafing out and I’m happy to say that after 7 long months, we’ve at last been reunited with  our grill.  To celebrate, I decided to grill up some burgers, but got it in my head to throw some salmon on there instead.  (I may or may not have been feeling too lazy to thaw out the ground meat and form them into burgers). 

Well, folks, don’t let people tell you that laziness doesn’t pay off sometimes, cuz this “burger”, while a cinch to make, is better than any I’ve had in a while.  Oh, wait, no, there was  that bison burger my son made for us last summer that totally knocked my socks off.  But not counting that one, this is my new reference point for burger deliciousness.

Now, before you burger purists get your panties all in a twist, I DO know that technically this is not a burger.  But it’s just too good to simply be called a sandwich.  No, it’s grilled, it’s on a hamburger bun, it’s ludicrously delicious and I’m callin’ it a burger.

So here’s the easy part… grill up some skin-on salmon filets; mix up some guacamole, cook up some bacon so it’s crispy; heat up some burger buns (preferably on the grill).

Then just layer it all up on those slightly charred burger buns, slathering on as much guacamole and bacon as you’d like, and place the other bun on top of it all.  Admire your handiwork… and then I think you can take it from there.  Here’s the recipe…

 Bacon-Guacamole Salmon Burgers

Click here for a printable recipe

When grilling salmon, I always keep the skin on so it doesn’t dry out on the grill.  It makes a ton of difference in the flavor too.  After you grill the salmon, the skin will just slide right off.   You can use your favorite guacamole recipe for this, adding as much heat to it as you like.  I think a little heat is great with the salmon.  Your call.

Serves 4

4 6-oz salmon filets (skin on, pin bones removed)
8 slices of cooked, crispy bacon, cut in half
Guacamole (recipe follows)
4 hamburger buns

Guacamole:2 ripe avocados
¼ cup finely minced red onion
1/3 cup tomatillo salsa
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped jalapenos to taste (optional)

Remove the seeds from the avocados and mash, leaving a few little chunks.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and taste for salt, adding more salsa or lime juice if needed.

Set the grill to medium high heat and brush with oil.  Brush the tops of the salmon filets with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Grill the salmon skin-side down for 5 minutes and then turn over and grill skin side down for another 4 or 5 minutes, depending on how thick your fillets are.  You really don’t want to overcook them!  When the salmon is just cooked through, remove from the grill.  The skin will just slip right off.

Heat the buns, cut side down on the grill for a couple of minutes.

Schmear a generous amount of guacamole on each bottom bun.  Top that with two halves of the crispy bacon.  Place a salmon filet on top of the bacon and then a little more guacamole on top of the salmon.  Top that with a couple more bacon halves and then the top bun. 

Serve with lots of napkins.

Enjoy!

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Like most people, I’m all about ethereal desserts redolent with salted caramel or exotic fruits, speculoos-infused pastries or French macarons layered with some decadent ganache, but you know, sometimes you just want a bowl of pudding.  And here's one classy little pudding that isn’t so hip that it can’t deliver a truly comforting spoonful of homey deliciousness. 

A few weeks back I had a craving (yes, another one of those) that I just couldn’t put my finger on.  I absolutely knew I wanted pudding, but I so seldom indulge my sweet tooth, that I seemed to have lost the art of interpreting its signals.  OK, yes, I get it, you want pudding, but what KIND of pudding??  After numerous attempts to point out just about every pudding recipe I had and repeatedly receiving the negative head nod, I pulled out my recipe for coconut pudding and finally got it.  The big YES!  Coconut pudding was definitely IT!

I love this recipe. And I love this pudding.  I love it plain with just a bit of toasted coconut on top, but I also love it with a little layer of chocolate inside and maybe a few chocolate shavings mixed on top with the toasted coconut.

The big question when I went to make it was whether or not to put coconut IN the pudding.  In the end, I opted to keep the pudding smooth and creamy and just add coconut on top, and I think it’s best that way.  But if you prefer, you can stir a little coconut into the pudding itself for an extra boost of coconut flavor and texture.

The added bonus is for those who might be lactose intolerant… we’re making this entirely with coconut milk – no dairy.  There are eggs, so we can’t claim to be vegan here.  But if you would like to use a vegan egg substitute and leave out the butter, you’re good to go.

So just in case your sweet tooth cravings are trying to lead you to something creamy, luscious, simple and homey with just a bit of sophistication, here’s just the thing….

CIRCLE B COCONUT PUDDING

Click here for a printable recipe

This pudding comes out super luscious and creamy.  I've combined a couple of recipes to create it, but there are a couple of options for you to consider.  The first is whether or not to add shredded coconut to the pudding.  I prefer to keep the pudding smooth and creamy, but if you'd like to add a little more coconut flavor and texture, you can stir some into the pudding.  I've also added a layer of chocolate, which, of course, makes this yummy and decadent.  A few chocolate shavings on top makes it pretty speical.  Coconut extract really boosts the coconut quotient, but try not to use coconut flavoring which has a more artificial flavor to it.

Serves 4

2/3  cup sugar
1/4  cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2  cups lite coconut milk (about 1 1/3 cans)
4  large egg yolks
2  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (not flavoring)
1/2 cup coconut flakes, divided

1.   In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Very gradually whisk in cocnut milk,taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks. 

2.   Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and s tir the butter, coconut extract, and vanilla into the hot pudding. 

3.   Pour the pudding into individual ramekins or dessert cups, or you pour it into one large bowl.  Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (to prevent skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

Toast the coconut on a small sheet pan in a 375 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes.  Keep a close eye on it because it can burn quickly.  Stir once or twice if it starts to get too brown around the edges.

If using the one-bowl method, before serving, whisk the pudding until smooth; divide among four serving dishes.  Top with toasted coconut.

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Here’s a stellar example of Meatless Monday at its finest… easy, healthy, simple, delicious, and as an added bonus, we’re going to do it all in one pan so your clean-up is going to be minimal. 

But the best part really is how good it is.  And you know it must be good or it wouldn’t be showing up on this blog.  Perhaps it does sound a bit, you know, pedestrian; perhaps a tad mundane, but I assure you it is not.  We love it ever so much.

Every time I make this (and believe me, it’s often), I wonder and marvel that these few, simple ingredients have created something so surprisingly tasty.  Alchemy at its finest.  A perfect example of “the thing being more than the sum of its parts.”  A can of black beans, a can of tomatoes, a bit of chopped pepper, some red pepper flakes, zucchini, some rice and the whole thing topped with cheese.  Perhaps it’s the little kick from the red pepper flakes, but whatever, I could eat it all day.

 And that brings me to its next virtue.  You really could eat it all day.  Everything in here is good for you, so feel free to help yourself to seconds.  And I promise you will want seconds. 

As if that’s not enough (because really it is), the whole thing gets cooked in one pan!   What’s better than super cinchy clean-up, I ask you?

AND here’s an added bonus about cooking the rice.  My favorite rice for this is brown jasmine rice and we all know that brown rice takes a little longer to cook than white rice.  I use my rice maker, but that can take 45 minutes.  When pressed for time, I just bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Dump in between 2/3 and ¾ cup of brown rice (jasmine or basmati are lovely in this).  Let it boil away, partially covered for about 22 minutes.  When it’s tender, drain it like you would pasta and throw it in the skillet with the rest of the ingredients.  It will be perfect, I promise.  I mean, how easy it that?

So let’s see, we’ve got healthy, easy, quick, simple and scrumptious with very little clean-up.  I guess my work here is done.  Here’s the recipe…

CHEESE-Y ZUCCHINI BLACK BEAN SKILLET

Click here for a printable recipe

There are so many great things about this dish, not the least of which is the fact that you can have it on the table in like 20 minutes (even faster if you already have your rice cooked).  And yet a word of warning... do not leave out any ingredients.  You might think that you don't like green pepper, but you MUST have the green pepper.  There is an alchemy that is created here between these ingredients that is truly more than the sum of its parts.  Oh, and if your diced tomatoes don't seem to have much juice, you can add a little chicken broth to the mix if you like.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I use brown jasmine rice)
1-1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini (baby zucchini are wonderful here)
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (I add a little more)
1/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper (I add a little more)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken stock (optional)
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup grated Cheddar, and/or jack or any good melting cheese(I add a little more)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, garlic, crushed red pepper and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and undrained tomatoes.  (adding a little chicken broth here is optional -see headnote)

Increase the heat to medium high and add the cooked rice.  Stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese, replace the lid until the cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy.

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A couple of months ago my daughter offered me one of these date bars she had just made (she found the recipe here), and since that moment, I kid you not, my refrigerator has not been without a container of them.  As soon as we get down to one or two left, The Husband starts getting nervous and anxious and biting his nails and I have to assure him that I really am about to make the next batch.

I’m eating one right now while I’m typing this, just to get me into the most optimal state to explain their deliciousness.  Because boy howdy, are these ever good.  Like really really good and super easy to make.

There are only 5 ingredients and you will do no baking.  You will need a food processor, however, and a knife to chop a few dates, but that's about as complicated as it gets.

Five ingredients and none of them is sugar.  And I promise you will not miss it.  There is a small amount of coconut oil in the recipe, but other than that, we’re talking almonds, oats and dates.  It just doesn’t get much better than that, folks.

But let’s talk about dates for a moment.  For this recipe you really must use Medjool dates.  I have tried it with regular pitted dates and believe me, it’s just not the same.  This is just one of those instances where size matters…

And flavor.  Medjool dates are just so much more date-y tasting and basically luscious and if you want your date bars to be luscious, you will have to hunt down some Medjools.  I have found them at both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, but most large-scale stores carry them these days.

So basically we’re just going to process almonds, salt, coconut oil and dates together to create the top and bottom layers of the cookie bars, then puree dates and water together for the filling.  And then assemble thusly…

Line your baking dish with parchment paper...

Divide the ground almond mixture in half and press half of it into the bottom of your pan..

Spread the date puree over the top of the ground almonds...

Top that with the rest of the ground almond mixture...

And refrigerate.  I would recommend a couple of hours minimum in the fridge, but one hour will do if you’re in a panic.

There just aren’t many cookie bars in this life that make you feel good about eating two or three (or six), but here’s one that you can eat with impunity.  Or a good cup of coffee.  Here’s the recipe…

 NO-BAKE ALMOND DATE BARS

Click here for a printable recipe

Recipe from OhSheGlows

Be sure to use Medjool dates in this recipe.  Regular dates do not work as well.  And to make these gluten-free, just use gluten free oats.

Crust:
1.5 cups whole raw almonds
1.5 cups regular oats (old fashioned)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil

Date filling:

25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (~2.5 cups)
1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8 in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry.  Remove from processor, set aside 1/2 of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.

2. Grab your pitted and roughly chopped dates and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. You can add a tiny bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.

3. Sprinkle on the reserved half of the mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate in the fridge until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.

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I recently came across another food blog in which the author mentioned that the recipes presented in her blog were not the dishes that she cooked on a daily basis.  They were dishes that might intrigue or inspire, but the food cooked at home did not make it onto the blog.  She also mentioned that the recipes and dishes posted on the blog were often never made again. 

I thought that was interesting, (and totally cool, by the way), but it got me to thinking that I wanted you to know that the recipes here on the Circle B Kitchen blog are exactly what I cook every day.  This is a collection of my recipes and what I cook for breakfast, lunch or dinner on any given day.  Of course there are a few recipes that I might reserve for special occasions, but for the most part, this is the food we love and the food I love to cook.

And speaking of things I love to cook... that brings me to today’s installment of one of the Circle B Kitchen’s favorite recipes…. Lasagna rolls!

Lasagna rolls may or may not be easier to make than one big lasagna, but they’re certainly easier to serve; they’re a fun departure from the traditional and just different enough to make it a great dish to serve to guests or if you want lasagna for just one or two people.

The ingredients are more or less the same as traditional lasagna, but this is how we assemble it…

Just spread each cooked lasagna noodle with the ricotta cheese mixture,

Then top it with some cooked Italian sausage and a little more grated cheese and roll it up. 

Place each roll in a baking pan that has been coated with a little marinara sauce.  Top each roll with a little more sauce and grated cheese and bake until heated through and bubbly.

If you’re only serving a few people, you can do these in individual gratin dishes, or easily fill a large baking dish for a crowd. 

So there you have it, people…. Easy to make, easy to serve and incredibly luscious lasagna rolls. Here's the recipe...

LASAGNA ROLLS

Click here for a printable recipe

These are very simple to put together and a fun way to serve lasagna without worrying about whether it will fall apart when you cut into it.  You can easily leave out the Italian sausage if you would like to make this a vegetarian main course.  Because of its simplicity, be sure to use high quality ingredients.  I like to use Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio cheese blend and of course, some homemade marinara sauce.  Enjoy!

Serves 5-6

10-12 lasagna noodles
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
12 oz Italian cheese blend (see headnote)
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (or remove from the casings), cooked and crumbled
2 – 3 cups marinara sauce

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions (I cook them just a little under that) in boiling, salted water to which a little olive oil has been added.  Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water.

Mix together the egg, the ricotta cheese and grated cheeses and set aside.

To assemble, spread a little marinara sauce in the bottom of your baking dish.

Working with one lasagna noodle at a time, spread enough of the cheese mixture the length of the noodle, up to about one inch at the end.  Top that with a sprinkling of the cooked Italian sausage and then a little grated cheese.  Working from the cheesy end, roll the noodle up over the filling and place in your baking dish, seam side down.  Continue with the rest of the noodles.

Top the filled noodles with marinara sauce and a sprinkling of the grated cheeses and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.

Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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They say it’s spring…“they” being the people who don’t live in the Midwest.  I’m sure there are many of you enjoying sunshine and flowers and green trees and colors other than brown and gray.   I don’t actually know that, but I have to believe that  somewhere the calendar is telling the truth, and that the poetically lovely version of April is happening somewhere.  At the moment, we’re “enjoying” the decidedly unpoetic and rather dismal version of April that includes snow, wind and 32 degree afternoons in which the sun is something we remember from some distant time that just isn’t now.

But we soldier on…  The calendar says it’s spring, so we shall have asparagus!!  Despite the weather, somebody out there is growing asparagus and I, for one, will have as much of it as I can.  So if, like me, you need asparagus in your life right now, here are some of my favorite ways to indulge in spring’s firstborn…

We will begin with my very favorite way to eat asparagus.  It’s as simple as it is indulgent and can be from fridge to plate in a matter of minutes.  For each person, you will need 3 or 4 asparagus spears and 1 egg…

Saute the asparagus in a little olive oil (or butter), salt and pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is as cooked as you like.  A nonstick pan is best for this.

Remove the asparagus to a plate and crack the egg(s) into the pan. 

 Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still a bit runny, about 4-5 minutes.

 Place the egg onto the asparagus, season liberally with salt and pepper.  A little grated parmesan on top is wondrous.

Nextly is a new asparagus recipe that I recently happened upon and that we really liked.  In this one, you dip each asparagus spear in egg whites, then in a super tasty mixture of almond flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Then you just spray them with cooking spray and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.  De-lish!

Lastly, might I suggest that you roast or sauté some asparagus until tender-crisp, place them on your plate and then top with goat cheese and crumbled bacon.  You will be ever so glad you did.

If you’re in even worse shape than I am and need even more asparagus recipes, here are a few from some past posts that are divine and sure to bring spring sunshine into your life…

Asparagus roll-ups

Linguini with Asparagus pesto

Asparagus with New Potato Salad and Buttermilk Dressing

And here's the recipe for the Almond-Crusted Bake-Fried Asparagus Spears

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From the “Why make your own when you can buy them?” file I thought that today we would talk about marinated artichoke hearts.  I will start by saying up front that I'm not a big fan of marinated artichoke hearts in a jar.   At least not the ones found on most store shelves.   If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know how much we here in the Circle B Kitchen love artichokes, and marinated artichoke hearts can be incredibly awesome, but up until a few weeks ago, my enjoyment of them has been pretty hit and miss. 

It thus became obvious that I had to take matters into my own hands, and thanks to Saveur magazine, I have found the marinated artichoke heart that I think I’ve been wanting, missing and looking for.  And, as it turns out, I also found out why I haven’t so much liked the ones from the jar.....flavor!   As in missing.  None.  Nada.  Totally lacking in.

Because these babies have flavor!   And to create a flavorful marinade for our artichoke hearts it really doesn’t take too many ingredients… in addition to good extra virgin olive oil, we’re using lemon juice, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper.  Just combine everything but the lemon juice in a pan with your artichokes, simmer briefly, let them cool, add the lemon juice and either serve them right away or store in the fridge.  I keep a jar in the fridge and add to it when it starts to get low.

Now what to do with our beautifully flavorful marinated artichoke hearts?  Some favorite applications include tossing into salads; topping pizzas; stirring into pastas; layering into sandwiches (so good!); topping crostini; they’re great in omelets; stuffed into chicken breasts, baked into quiche or breads.  And, of course, we can’t forget the ubiquitous artichoke/spinach dip. 

I just like eating them out of the jar.  Here’s the recipe…

MARINATED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Click here for a printable recipe

Recipe courtesy Saveur Magazine

I have used both canned and frozen artichokes in this and they work equally well.  Adjust the lemon juice and/or red pepper flakes to suit your tastes, and as for storing them, I keep a jar in the fridge and replenish as needed. 

1  9-oz. box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (or the equivalent of canned)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Rinse artichoke hearts under cold water. Combine artichokes, oil, salt, thyme, oregano, and chile flakes in a 1-qt. saucepan set over medium-low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, 10 minutes.

2. Let cool to room temperature and stir in lemon juice. Serve or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.

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If there were an alcoholic beverage that tasted like burritos, The Husband would be dead in five hours.  No kidding.  He has many favorite foods among the things that I make for him, but there’s no doubt that in his world, the burrito reigns supreme.

And I rarely make them.  That last sentence isn’t really all that related to the first paragraph.  I’m not sure why I don’t make burritos that often, cuz I’m pretty darn good at it.  Maybe it’s because burritos are not pasta and I have not yet invented burrito pasta.  But I have promised The Husband, because he deserves this, that I will try and make him his favorite burritos more often

To that end, I recently put together a batch of these scrumptious burritos (they freeze beautifully) and thought I would share them with you.  Well, not exactly the burritos, but my method for making them.

We start out with the best pinto beans money can buy, which happens to be my homemade beans. Well, not exactly MY bean recipe (see below).  You can, of course, use your favorite refried beans from a can, but if you’re aiming for scrumptious, your beans better be dang good. 

We are also going to need some really tasty chicken thighs that have been simmered in our homemade Mexican seasoning blend and then shredded.  The other delicious ingredient we’re going to need here is some really good tomatillo salsa.  You can make your own, or use your favorite store-bought.

Now we just assemble…

Top a warm, soft flour tortilla with some of the beans, cheese, chicken and then tomatillo salsa,

Wrap them up by folding the sides over the filling and then rolling until the filling is all tucked into the tortilla.

Top with some more of the tomatillo salsa, cheese, sour cream, some sliced avocado (which I forgot in the photo) and a little chopped cilantro and you’re good to go.  Eat em now or freeze em for later, but if, like me, you have burrito people in your life, this is gonna make em ever so happy.  Here’s the recipe…

CIRCLE B CHICKEN BURRITOS

Click here for a printable recipe

These are some super scrumptious chicken burritos.  I have mostly provided you with a list of ingredients for you to assemble as you might prefer.  If you start with the tastiest ingredients, you will end up with some incredibly good burritos.  So I encourage you to start by making your own beans and your own Mexican seasoning blend in which to cook the chicken.   The beans can be made several days ahead and refrigerated and reheated until you're ready to assemble the burritos.

For the burritos you will need...
flour tortillas
beans (recipe follows)
shredded chicken (recipe follows)
grated cheese (I used a combination of jack and cheddar)
tomatillo salsa (store-bought or homemade - see recipe below)
chopped cilantro
sour cream
sliced avocado

To assemble the burritos, heat a flour tortilla in the microwave for about 11 seconds, or until soft and just warmed.  Place on your work surface and spoon some beans down the middle.  Top the beans with some of the grated cheese and then some shredded chicken and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the tomatillo salsa.  Fold the sides of the flour tortilla over the filling and then roll the tortilla up from the ends, completely enclosing the filling.  Place on a large platter and cover with foil while you make the rest of the burritos.  Top each burrito with some tomatillo salsa and grated cheese.  Warm the burritos in the oven until the cheese melts.  Top with chopped cilantro, sour cream and sliced avocado.

Mexican Pinto Beans

This is a recipe I got from Cousin Katie whose neighbor saw her eating beans from a can and promptly took her inside and showed her how to make real Mexican pinto beans.  I will forever be grateful to this neighbor and Cousin Katie, because these are the exact beans I've been looking for all my life.  If you, like me, prefer not to use lard, you can substitute shortening and create the same silky, lovely texture in the beans.  I use Earth Balance shortening, but you could use Spectrum or even Crisco, if you like, but do not leave it out.  There are no beans without it!

1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lard or shortening (see head note)

Wash the beans and then cover them with water by a couple of inches and let them begin boiling. Once they begin boiling, add the salt.   Partially cover and let them simmer for four hours or so, adding additional water, if necessary.  You can tell when the beans are thoroughly cooked when you blow on them and the skin peels.

Once they are done, add the lard or shortening.  Mash to desired consistency and taste for salt (I used another ½ teaspoon).  Let them simmer another few minutes and then let sit a few minutes before serving.

For the Chicken
1 pound of chicken thighs will make about 6 burritos

Sprinkle the chicken liberally with the Mexican spice blend and place in a large saute pan in which you have heated 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Let the chicken cook on the first side for about 6 minutes and then turn the thighs, cover, and let cook over medium-low heat for another 7 or 8 minutes.  Remove the heat and let sit for about 5 or 6 minutes.  Shred the chicken using 2 forks (you can do this right in the pan) and set aside.

Mexican Seasoning Blend

1 ½  Tablespoons of chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ teaspoon cayenne powder

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  I usually double or triple the recipe to keep it on hand.

Tomatillo Salsa

Adapted from Rick Bayless

Makes 1 ½ cups

• 4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 poblano chile, or if you like heat, 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped
• About 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
• ½ small white onion, finely chopped
• Salt

Set a large (10-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (if a non-stick skillet is unavailable, lay in a piece of foil). Lay in the garlic and tomatillos (cut side down). When the tomatillos are well browned, 3 or 4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. (The tomatillos should be completely soft.)

Scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender or food processor, and let cool to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the chile, cilantro and ¼ cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish and thin with a little additional water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.

Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon.    

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I’m in a bit of a celebratory mood today. No, I’m not celebrating the arrival of spring, although that would be wondrous were it true. It is snowing at the moment, and I fear that spring is perhaps a ways off yet for those of us in the Midwest.

I am actually celebrating something much more significant and momentous than the onset of spring. If you have read my little bio, then you know that we are incredibly lucky to live within minutes (or even closer than that) to our 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren (oh, and a couple or very groovy sons-in-law). A couple of years ago we moved my parents here from California, but that still left our son, his wife and our new grandchild in Boulder, Colorado. We always figured two out of three isn’t bad and Colorado’s not THAT far away.

But as I said, all that changed a few months ago, and right now we are traveling to Boulder to help said son and very groovy daughter-in-law pack up and make the big move to Nebraska. Pretty cool, huh? They’re going to be building a home only steps away from us, so this is one VERY happy Grandma!

So to celebrate this happiest of occasions, we’re going to talk about scallops. Not just any scallops, mind you. No, we’re talking about Scallops Provencal, which I believe totally rock the scallop world.

What began as one of Ina Garten’s recipes, has been re-made to suit my own beliefs about how scallops should be cooked. And yes, I was as surprised as you might be to find so many problems with the original recipe. Most of Ina’s dishes are spot on.

Be that as it may, I will give you my recipe, along with a link to the original, and you can see what changes were made and decide for yourself how you might wish to proceed. But I was totally in agreement with Ms. Garten as to the ingredients (OK, I did add a little fresh thyme). But the simplicity of this recipe is what I love most here… it was rather mind-boggling to us how only a handful of ingredients could create such incredible flavors.

It was also mind-boggling how quick and easy it is to throw this together. It really can be done in like 20 minutes, tops. And you can either serve your scallops right out of the pan with some good bread to sop up those pan juices, which are so amazingly scrumptious. Or you can place your scallops on top of some angel hair pasta and let those pan juices seep down in and create one of the best pasta sauces you’ve maybe had in a while.

Either way, if you’ve got some celebrating to do, scallops provencal just brings the party home. Here’s the recipe…

SCALLOPS PROVENCAL

Click here for a printable recipe

Recipe Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 pound fresh sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (optional)
½ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper1
lemon, cut in half

Directions

Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Brown lightly on 1 side without moving them (this takes about 2 minutes), then turn and brown lightly on the other side (another 2 minutes).

Remove the scallops to a plate and set aside.

Melt the rest of the butter in the pan and add the shallots and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce the wine a bit.

Add the scallops back into the pan along with the parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes or so to finish cooking the scallops and allow the flour to thicken the sauce a bit.

Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Optional serving suggestion…

Cook ¾ lb of angel hair pasta for 3-4 minutes in well-salted water, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Drizzle liberally with olive oil or butter and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in a good handful of parmesan cheese, lots of cracked black pepper and chopped parsley.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl and top with the scallops, allowing the pan juices to mingle with the pasta. Drizzle with a squeeze or two of lemon juice.

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Whooo boy.   Not sure I've got much more to say than that.  I mean, you mix luscious dark chocolate with yummy granola and a little flaky sea salt and what’s not to love, you know?  So instead of mucking up this lovely moment of reverie with a bunch of words, maybe I should just show you how to make some incredibly scrumptious chocolate bark…

First you must start with some excellent chocolate.  Some dark, some light, whatever, it just must be of excellent quality…    

Then you're going to want some very excellent granola...

...and some nice flaky sea salt (or any favorite finishing salt will do)...

Then you will be melting your excellent chocolate over a pan of simmering water...

Until it becomes silky smooth and totally gorgeous...

Then you will stir in some of that yummy granola...

And spread it all out on some parchment paper...

Then sprinkle it with your flaky sea salt and a little more granola...

and then stick it in the fridge for an hour...

When it comes out, use a sharp knife to break the bark into shards that you can then share with someone you love or...

someone you like a lot.  Or no one.  Your call.  Here’s the recipe…

CHOCOLATE BARK WITH GRANOLA AND SEA SALT

Click here for a printable recipe

Recipe adapted from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

I made a few changes to the original recipe, which I would definitely and highly recommend.  Firstly, I increased the amount of granola from 3/4 cup to 1 cup. You could even add more if you wanted.  I used my recipe for homemade granola, which was awesome in here.  The cranberries and raisins were SO good with the chocolate.
Secondly, the original recipe had you adding the salt in with the melting chocolate, which, to my mind, completely defeated the purpose of using a flaky finishing salt.  So I recommend sprinkling the salt over the finished bark before topping it with the granola.  I omitted the crystallized ginger and cocoa nubs, as I didn't think it really needed them.   Other than that, use whatever combination of dark/light chocolates you want, just make sure it's high quality stuff.  Enjoy!

Yield: One 9-by-13-inch sheet

Cook Time: 7 minutes (plus 1 hour to chill)

Ingredients:

Nonstick pan spray
¾ pound semisweet chocolate (62%), chopped
¼ pound bittersweet chocolate (82%), chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (or to taste)
1 cup granola (here’s my recipe), divided
2 tablespoons cacao nibs, optional
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped crystallized ginger, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick pan spray. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, allowing the ends of the paper to hang loosely over the short edges of the baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, add the semisweet and the bittersweet chocolates.  Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and place the bowl on top of the saucepan (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir the chocolate often until it is completely melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl with the chocolate from the saucepan.

3. To the melted chocolate, add ¾ cup of the granola and stir to combine. Pour the chocolate-granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread the mixture in an even, ¼-inch-thick layer. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate with the sea salt and remaining ¼ cup of the granola, the cacao nibs and the crystallized ginger, if using, and refrigerate until hard, about 1 hour.

4. Remove the bark from the refrigerator and use the parchment overhang to lift it out of the baking sheet and set it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to break the chocolate into pieces, then serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  (I'm sure it will last longer than that in the fridge if you keep it in an airtight container.)

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