Outrageous Brownies

To go along with my grilled pizza and Caesar salad I also made Ina's famous outrageous brownies. I've seen numerous reviews touting these brownies as the very best. I thought they would be the perfect ending for our casual meal. I liked these brownies, they were definitely good but I wouldn't say they were my favorite ever. They were really rich and sweet so it was hard to eat very many. Maybe that is a good thing! So far this recipe from Cooking Light remains my favorite brownie recipe. I'm hoping to try Dorie's French chocolate brownies soon. I would still recommend this recipe as most will probably really like them. The brownies were good and definitely a crowd pleaser. Also this is a great recipe if you need to make a lot of brownies. I just personally prefer a brownie with less sugar and a more intense chocolate flavor.

Outrageous Brownies
Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 ¼ cups flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not overbake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Panzanella (or Stuffing Salad!)

I was really excited when Melissa of It's Melissa's Kitchen chose Panzanella for this week's Barefoot Blogger's entry. I've eyed this recipe countless times in my Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook and just never got around to making it. This pick also seemed perfect for summer. We really enjoyed this dish. My husband was quite funny when he asked me about the "stuffing salad" I had made for dinner! One of my favorite things to eat in summer is tomato salad. One of the best parts of tomato salad is using bread to sop up the yummy vinegar/oil/tomato juice at the bottom of the bowl. This recipe combines the best of those flavors and a good combination of vegetables. I could eat a bowl of this salad for dinner all on its own. I halved the recipe since the original serves 12. This will be a summer menu staple in our house from now on. I served this salad with Ina's Butterflied Chicken recipe, the other August pick for the Barefoot Bloggers. The Butterflied Chicken review will post on August 28th! Trust me, you will want to make that recipe too!

Panzanella
Source: Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Caesar Salad with Pancetta

Over the past several days, I've been busy making all the August recipes for the Barefoot Bloggers. I will give you a spoiler and warn that all the recipes coming up were delicious. We have some new favorites to add to our collection! However, you will have to wait until August 14, 21, and 28 to see the yummy results! I can however post about some of the great accompaniments I made. Last night we had Ina's Grilled Pizzas which were fabulous. The grilled pizza update will post on August 21st. To go with these delicious pizzas, I served Ina's Caesar Salad with Pancetta as recommended in the Barefoot Contessa Parties. Both my husband and I and are guests (my in-laws) really enjoyed this salad. Definitely take the time to roast the tomatoes. My only complaint was the dressing was a bit too salty for me. I didn't read the reviews on the food network site warning of the saltiness until after I had already made the dressing. Next time, I would cut out the 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and try 4-6 anchovies. I would recommend starting with a small amount of the anchovies and tasting and adding both anchovies and/or salt until you achieve a balance that you like. As recommended by Ina, I substituted mayonnaise for the raw egg. Overall a great recipe to have in your repertoire!

Caesar Salad with Pancetta
Source: Barefoot Contessa Parties

3/4 pound pancetta, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 pints cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads romaine lettuce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the dressing:
1 extra-large egg yolk at room temperature* (I substituted 2 Tbsp of Mayonnaise as recommended by Ina)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
8 to 10 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good mild olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes and cook it in a skillet over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towels and drain.

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft.

Wash the lettuce leaves carefully and spin-dry in a salad spinner. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

For the dressing, place the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube (as though you were making mayonnaise), until thick. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and pulse 3 times.

Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan and toss. Divide the lettuce among 6 or 8 plates and sprinkle with the pancetta roasted tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.

All these ingredients can be made in advance. Be sure they're room temperature when you assemble the salad.

Brillante Weblog Award

Thank you so much to Horned Froggy at My Baking Heart for giving me the Brillante Weblog Award! Her blog is definitely an inspiration both for her wonderful looking recipes and her beautiful photography. I recently got a chance to met up with her at the John Mayer concert. Can't ask for more than someone who likes good food and good music!

I would like to pass this award on to some other great blogs:
Joelen's Culinary Adventures
Lauren's Kitchen
Amy at Sing for Your Supper
Tara at Smell's Like Home
Noodle Nights and Morning Muffins

Turkey Burgers

I've never made a turkey burger before. After seeing several recipes for turkey burgers, I decided this would be a nice light change to making a regular burger and a good light summer meal. I forgot to take a picture before we ate. I hate posting without a picture but the recipe was so good I definitely wanted to post it. These were really flavorful and quick to prepare and cook. I can imagine we will be having these on a regular basis. Turns out they are toddler friendly too! I'm also excited to try some other recipes with different variations of seasonings. Per the recipe instructions, these can also be made ahead and frozen. I served these on spelt bread with broccoli and fruit salad. If you haven't tried spelt bread, I highly recommend it. We are hooked on the Whole Food's brand. We tried another brand and weren't thrilled with it but the Whole Foods one tastes remarkable like sourdough when toasted.

Turkey Burger
Source: Everyday Food

Serves 4

• 6 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread (I used spelt bread)
  
• 1 pound lean ground turkey (7 percent fat)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 4 tablespoons prepared mango chutney, preferably Major Grey's, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup mesclun lettuce mix
• 1 medium tomato, sliced

1. In a medium bowl, tear 2 slices bread into small pieces. Add turkey, sour cream, 3 tablespoons chutney, 1 tablespoon mustard, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Shape into 4 firmly packed 5-inch round patties.
2. Freeze on a baking sheet until firm, about 30 minutes, then wrap each burger in plastic; place all burgers in a resealable freezer bag, label, and date. Freeze up to 2 months.
3. To cook: Thaw burgers overnight in the refrigerator. Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place burgers on a rimmed baking sheet; broil until firm and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
4. Lightly toast 4 slices bread. Dividing evenly, top each with lettuce, burger, and tomato. Stir together 1 tablespoon each chutney and mustard, and serve alongside burgers.
   
   Note: When burgers are wrapped separately, you can defrost as few or as many as you need.

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots

I had some apples I needed to use and recently saw this recipe in the Everyday Food Cookbook. I think part of me wanted to make this recipe wishfully thinking it would bring on fall weather in the midst of our heat wave! This recipe was good but not a 10/10 like many of the other recipes I have made from the Everyday Food collection. I served this with mashed turnips and wilted spinach. Again-thinking fall!

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots
Source: Everyday Food

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound medium shallots, halved or quartered lengthwise (pieces should be about 3/4 inch thick)
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 pork rib chops (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes more.
2. Add apples and wine; cover, and cook until apples are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
3. While apples are cooking, season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, spoon warm apple mixture over chops.

Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Olives

I'm finally getting back into the kitchen after a very busy weekend. I just have to say if you haven't seen John Mayer live in concert you are missing out! Also, if you haven't seen the Dark Knight that is a must see too. Back to this recipe. I just don't think I can rave enough about Everyday Food and their recipes. Like Ina's recipes, this magazine seems to produce one winning recipe after another. I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw it being prepared on the Everyday Food show on PBS. This recipe was restaurant quality and literally took only minutes to prepare and 40 minutes total cook time. Also, its not very messy to make. I only used one baking sheet, a knife and a set of tongs. My husband said this fish dish was better than most restaurants and convinced him that he likes cod. Based on the recommendation of the fish monger at Whole Foods, I purchased a wild caught black cod. The cod came out very light and flaky and had a delicious buttery taste. The addition of the roast vegetables added a wonderful combination of flavors. If you haven't tried cod or you just love cod this recipe is a must.

Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Olives
Source: Everyday Food, September 2006

Serves 4

• 2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 cod fillets, (6 to 8 ounces each)
  
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, whole or halved
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives (I used green olives)
  
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with garlic, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down. Bake, tossing potatoes once, until beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rub fillets with remaining teaspoon oil; season all sides with salt and pepper.
3. Remove baking sheet from oven. Add tomatoes and olives to potatoes; stir to combine. Push vegetable mixture to one side; place fillets flat on baking sheet, next to vegetables. Return to oven, and roast until fish is cooked through and potatoes are brown and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer fish and vegetables to serving platter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges if desired.