S'mores Brownie Bars

Last weekend when we went camping again, I was looking for another s'mores inspired treat to bring with us. I made the cookies, for our last adventure, so of course I wanted to do something different. I decided on a s'mores bar, and after browsing around a bit, I chose to combine two different recipes.

These turned out delicious, and exactly what I was hoping for. But let me just say, these were RICH! I certainly can't say I wasn't forewarned- the recipe I used for the brownies was called "Chewy Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies" after all. I'm not complaining (really!), but had I known exactly how sinful these were, I probably would have cut them a bit smaller!

S'mores Brownie Bars

Graham Crust:
3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 sticks of butter, melted
2 Tablespoons of sugar

Brownie Layer:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of all-purpose flour

Toppings:
1 handful of mini marshmallows
3 graham crackers, crumbled
2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9X13 pan with foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and mix until combined. Press the crust into the pan, and push out to all the corners until the bottom is covered. Bake for about 7 minutes, and set on a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, melt butter for the brownies in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, and stir until combined. Immediately remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl (doesn't need to be a stand mixer bowl, since these are all mixed by hand) combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined. Add chocolate mixture and stir to incorporate. Stir in flour until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan over the graham cracker crust and spread to the edges. (This will be one thick batter!)

Bake for about 18 minutes, and then remove pan to sprinkle toppings on the brownies. Try to "glue" down the graham cracker pieces with marshmallow to make them stick. Return to oven, and bake for about 6-8 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, and cut into 24-30 pieces. Enjoy!

Brownies adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here, and graham cracker crust from My Baking Addiction, original recipe here.

Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup

New Jersey has always gotten somewhat of a bad rap. TV shows like Jersey Shore and the Real Housewives of New Jersey certainly didn't help this, yet I can't blame it all on them. However, I love where I live. New Jersey has both beaches and ski resorts, forests, farms, and cities. We experience all four seasons, yet nothing too extreme. We're within a few hours drive from most major cities in the Northeast. And most importantly, New Jersey is the Garden State.

Laugh all you will, but until the other weekend I really had no idea how much produce came out of the Garden State. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of Jersey tomatoes in the summer, and I know there are a large number of blueberry and cranberry fields nearby too. But the farmers market H and I went to made me realize that those few things are far from all the area has to offer.

Now I've been to farmers markets before too, of course, but they've usually been small, mom-and-pop, side-of-the-road ones with just a few things to pick from. This one, however, was huge! Huge. I was surprised to see eggplants, pumpkins, pears, more types of squash, peppers, greens, and apples than I knew existed, all grown on the neighboring farms. And when I saw the you-pick schedule that included grapes, peaches, cherries, raspberries, and plums throughout the summer, I was blown away. Who knew? Clearly, not me.

I was definitely inspired, to say the least. All those fresh, cheap ingredients was like heaven for me. H had to stop me from going a bit crazy.

Two of the vegetables that I bought were kale and butternut squash. I've never cooked with either of these before, so needless to say I was excited. I did want to find a recipe that included both of them, and at times like that, I turn to allrecipes.com's ingredient search. There was only one recipe that included both of those ingredients (which made my decision easier) and it sounded good, so onto the menu it went.

It turned out really well! It was hearty, filling, and healthy, and the butternut squash gave it a great flavor. I got some crusty French bread to serve with it and absorb all that delicious broth.

Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup
(serves 8-10)

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cups of chopped kale
12 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of salt
black pepper

Directions: In a large stockpot, saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add carrots, butternut squash, and potatoes, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Add vegetable stock, kale, thyme, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for at least 45 minutes.

Take about 3 cups of the soup, and set aside. When slightly cooled, place into a blender. Puree until it reaches a thick liquid, return it to the stock pot, and stir. Serve with a crusty French bread, and enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Meal Plan Monday

Here is what is on the menu for this week:


Monday: Leftover Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Tuesday: Almond Crusted Tilapia with green beans and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Filets with Mushroom and Herb Mac and Cheese and Broccoli

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

Friday: Spinach and Artichoke Pizza 

French Apple Tart

One of my farm market finds last weekend was large basket of red delicious apples. They ended up being more than we could eat, so I went on a mission to find something to bake them into. Pies still intimidate me something fierce, so I decided to look for a tart. H loves fruity desserts, and probably would have been (secretly) disappointed had I baked them into muffins or cupcakes. I found a recipe for a French Apple Tart from Ina Garten, and since I've heard nothing but praise for her recipes, I decided it would work. To be honest though, it did still intimidate me, but I decided to bite the bullet.

And yes, I'm glad I did! Of course it didn't turn out as beautiful as the one in the picture, it was still delicious and not as difficult as I expected. And H loooved it, which of course, made me happy as well :) 

French Apple Tart
(serves 6-8)


For the dough:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar
12 Tablespoons of cold butter, diced
1/2 cup of ice cold water

For the apples:
 4-6 Granny Smith apples (I used red delicious, which worked as well)

1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons of cinnamon


Directions: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix. Add diced butter, and pulse 10-12 times for 4 second intervals, or until butter is no larger than the size of peas. With the motor running, slowly pour ice cold water down the feed tube until dough starts to form. Dump onto a floured work surface, and knead into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough onto a floured work surface and trim to about a 10x14" rectangle. Place on baking sheet, and place in refrigerator while you prep the apples. Wash and peel apples, and slice them vertically into 1/4" slices (removing the cores). Arrange them in overlapping slices over the dough. Sprinkle the whole cup of sugar all over the apples, then cinnamon, and then arrange the diced butter on top of that.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples start to brown slightly. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly. Loosen tart from parchment paper with a metal spatula. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Adapted from Food Network, original recipe here.

Ham and Potato Soup

It's finally started to get a bit chilly in these parts, and my fall comfort food cravings have officially begun. Finally! Thick, hearty soups are one type of food I've been excited to make.

When I came across this recipe for ham and potato soup, I thought, "this looks delicious, but where's the cheese?" (which I may think more often than I'd actually like to admit). I made a mental note to add a bunch of cheddar cheese to the recipe when I got around to making it.

Well, wouldn't you know, when I was making my grocery list for the week, I totally forgot the fact that I was planning to add cheese and ended up not having any on hand. And the last thing I wanted to do on the cold, rainy, perfect for a thick, filling soup type of night was drive out in the rain to pick up some cheese. Even I have my limits. So no cheese. We'll have to see how this goes.

Well, fear not! This recipe turned out pretty darn good, even without the cheese! The flavors were awesome, and it was stick-to-your-bones comforting. 

Ham and Potato Soup
(serves 6)

4-5 large potatoes, chopped
1 small bunch of celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cups of cooked ham, finely diced
4 cups of water
1 packet of (sodium-free) instant beef broth
1 teaspoon of salt
black pepper

5 Tablespoons of butter
5 Tablespoons of flour
1 cup of skim milk
1 cup of half and half

Directions: Place potatoes, onion, celery, and ham in a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add salt, pepper, and instant beef broth. Bring water to a boil, and keep at a rolling boil until potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

When potatoes are tender, heat butter in small saucepan and when it's melted, create a roux with the flour, whisking often. When fully mixed, add to boiling potatoes and veggies. Stir to combine, and mash the potatoes with a fork a bit to smooth them out. Add the milk and half and half, stir to combine, and let boil for a few minutes more. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes, original recipe here.

I apologize for the slightly less than appetizing photo, but I swear it was delicious! I've learned that creamy soups are a bit difficult to photograph...

One Year Ago Yesterday...

 

I married my best friend. I absolutely cannot believe it's already been a year!

We enjoyed a low-key weekend together at home. No trips or anything fancy, just some quality time together. We slept in, went to the farmers' market, had a picnic, watched baseball, went hiking, had some wine, and enjoyed a candlelit dinner at home- perfect. I look forward to many more years together!

Meal Plan Monday

Happy Monday everyone! Here is what is on the menu for this week:


Monday: leftovers from this weekend

Tuesday: Turkey Meatball Sandwiches and Caesar salads

Wednesday: Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

Thursday: Butternut Squash Vegetable soup with French bread

Friday: TBD from farmers' market finds