Summer Summer Summertime

If you want your peeps to bow down at your feet and cascade you with accolades, then this dish, dear lovely, patient readers is for you:

S'mores Bars.

Oh my goodness gracious. Even those crazies in your circle who claim they don't do sweets, will devour more than one of these chocolately marshmallowy graham-crackery delights while you roll your eyes and cackle in your best evil-cartoon-villain/domestic goddess Bwahhhhhhhhh.

Wait. You don't laugh at people who scoff at dessert? Oh well. My bad. I mean really, life is too short to skip dessert and to  not buy those fabulous shoes, so for the love of God, do both. Right?!?!

Not to be Braggy McBraggerson, but The Jersey Girl's family quite digs the S'mores Bars and in my attempt to be a responsible, timely blogger (ha ha ha ha), I am providing this recipe to you well before the official kickoff of summer, since word on the street is that the for reals S'mores snackypoof is supposed to be made by fireside while camping under late-night summer skies. Eek. Camping: Sleeping bags, canteens, bugs, flashlights. The horror...

Fortunately, this dessert can be made under your broiler in the comforts of your air-conditioned home. Leave the campfire for those outdoor aficionado loons.

I recommend letting the bars cool for a good hour. That way they firm up perfectly before cutting. The longer you wait to cut into them, the better.

My last batch was fan-freaking-tastic. I do think these are THE perfect dessert. My niece Sophia concurs.

S'mores Bars
From VeryBestBaking.com

22 whole graham crackers
8 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
5 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat broiler. Butter 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Break graham crackers into small pieces. Combine graham cracker pieces, 4 cups marshmallows and 1/2 cup morsels in large bowl.

Heat remaining marshmallows, remaining morsels, butter and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over graham cracker mixture; toss well to coat. Firmly press mixture into prepared pan.

Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are golden. Cut into bars.

Forget Me Not

Wowzas. The Jersey Girl is shocked, SHOCKED I say, that the following recipe has been omitted from my precious blog. Yes. There is no one to blame but myself, so please allow me to share with you the easy tastiness that is Broiled Salmon with Garlic, Mustard and Herbs.

We must not waste anytime and get straight to business.

In my efforts to help you plan your cooking plan, may I recommend making the mustard sauce well ahead of time so that when you want to cook the fish, the sauce is all ready and good to go. My fave!

I've made this recipe a bazillion times. You can totally swap out the fresh herbs for dried if you forgot to pick up the rosemary and thyme or if your market was out of the herbs that day. You know this happens to you. And there is no need to fret, dear readers. Just bust out the dried stuff. Use about 1/2 a teaspoon for each dried herb.

All ingredients are always on hand in my house - mustard, white wine, olive oil, garlic. You just need to get the fish and herbs that day.

I like to serve the salmon with basmati rice and a veg like asparagus or a rockin' baby spinach salad.

Broiled Salmon with Garlic Mustard and Herbs
From "Giada's Family Dinners"
By Giada De Laurentiis

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. dry white wine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Non-stick olive oil cooking spray
6 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 lemon wedges

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, both mustards, rosemary and thyme. Mix in the wine and oil. Set the mustard sauce aside.

Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with the non-stick spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets. Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and gold brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the fillets to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

A Chicken Scorned

He loves me; he loves me not.

That's the storyline of my chicken pot pie. 

Because, check it: If I wrote about this when I first busted out some chickie pot pies in January, I would be boastful Mom all smug and braggy like, "My Evan absolutely ADORED my chicken pot pie. He scarfed down the carrots, peas and corn wrapped in a velvety sauce with juicy chicken enveloped in flaky golden crust like nobody's bizness. He asked for seconds when coming up for air. He requested the left-overs the next day in between lining up his Matchbox cars and zoning out to "Jake and the Neverland Pirates." Ha ha, suckers. You all say toddlers don't eat, but you got it so wrong, playa."

And then: There was February.

That's when I made my second batch of chicken pot pies to document for my blog peeps. 

And how you say: My kid was so not feeling the chicken pot pie.

Well, he ate some crust. After I convinced him it was a cracker.

Enter frazzled annoyed you've-got-to-be-kidding-me Mom. Yep. That's more like it.

Rationalizing with toddlers is a fool's game. And we've all played it one too many times. So dinner that night was a Nutri-Grain bar and a handful of Cheerios. What do you want from my life, kid? Seriously.

At least The Husband ate the chicken pot pie. Because if these two male specimens who are lucky enough to live under my roof both dissed my food, there would be hell to pay. I'm talking about marathons of Beverly Hills Housewives and copious amounts of wine drinking and hours of shoe and J. Crew shopping ... oh wait.

So, you may notice when reading the recipe that it actually calls for turkey, hence the recipe name: Turkey and Pancetta Pot Pies. But The Jersey Girl did not have any turkey lying around the house, so I roasted up some chickens Barefoot Contessa style. Honestly, I recommend following these instructions whenever cooking up a dish that calls for already cooked chicken. It is SO much better than poaching. Ick nast. My other observance of note is that the recipe actually filled four ramekins for moi. I simply cut a rolled out store-bought pie crust into four equal parts to cover my ramekins.

This pot pie is delishly awesome. And, I do firmly believe that the little kiddos will love all of its golden wholesomeness. Carrots, peas, corn and pie. These beauties are just screaming Norman Rockwell. I will definitely try enticing my wee little one again with this dish. My chicken pot pie will not stand for rejection. Even from a cutie patootie with adorable dimples.

Have at it, my lovely Domestic Gods and Goddesses:

First up, how to roast some chicken Barefoot Contessa Style. You gots to do it this way!

Roast Chicken Breasts the Barefoot Contessa Way (Demonstrated in pretty much all of her cookbooks)

2-3 chicken breasts (skin on with bones)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

On a sturdy baking sheet, line up the chicken. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in a 350-degree oven. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, shred or dice the meat. Toss the bones and skin. Voila. Cooked chicken for your soups, stews and whatnots.

Turkey and Pancetta Pot Pies
"Weeknights with Giada"
By Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 6 according to Giada; 4 according to The Jersey Girl

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 ounces finely diced pancetta (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups (about 14 ounces) 1/2-inch cubed roasted turkey breast meat
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (9-inch diameter) unroll-and-bake pie crust
1 egg, beaten

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and discard any fat left in the pan.

Add the butter, shallots, carrots and thyme to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked pancetta, the heavy cream, turkey, peas and corn and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes, until heated through.

Using a ladle, fill 6 (10-ounce) ramekins, each 2 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches in diameter, with the filling mixture.

Using a 3-inch-round cookie cutter or glass, cut the crust into 6 circles and place one on each ramekin on top of the filling. Using a pastry brush, brush the crusts with the beaten egg.

Please note: The Jersey Girl cut the rolled out pie dough into four equal parts with kitchen shears.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the crusts are golden and the filling is bubbling (if the crusts become too dark, cover the pies loosely with aluminum foil). Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

A Pop of Color

Oh my God, yous guys.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin' into my future. And well, I never blog. For reals, the blog is always on my brain but there just are not enough hours in my day. I know, I know. One doesn't REALLY need to be up watching Downton Abbey in marathon form until 1:30 a.m. But at least it's intellectual and British and historical and....

Right. The weather here in Jersey SUCKS. I mean, could it BE more dreary? - said in my best Chandler Bing voice I could possibly muster at this hour all alone on my couch while the Jersey Girl fellas are sleeping soundly - that is snoringly - in their comfy cozy cribs. So in honor of all things springy, summery and just all around more joyful than the dreariness that is February, I bring to you some Key Lime Bar action. Because a burst of vivacious green is what the world needs right now, no?

In a funny twist, one of the most popular posts on my groundbreaking, revolutionary, awe-inspiring blog is my Nigella Lawson Key Lime Pie write-up. Seriously. This gem is blowing up the culinary blogosphere with millions of hits. It's like so totally viral...Not really. But when I scour my blog posts to see if anyone actually stops by here, I am quite struck by how many people really do discover moi by searching Nigella and key and lime and pie.

This Key Lime Bar recipe comes to you thanks to another culinary goddess, Martha Stewart. While lovely Martha doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy inside like my idol Nigella (who I know I will run into when The Husband takes me on our next getaway to London.  A girl can dream, right?), I must say the gal does know a thing or two about making a fab dessert.

I'm sharing  a link to the recipe here, but for all y'all who rock recipes the old school way - like in a cookbook - I highly recommend "Martha Stewart's Cookies" cookbook. It is awesome on many levels, including sharing with a snuggly toddler who wants to point out cookie shapes before saying night nights.

Some deets about the recipe: The bars are super duper low-maintenance. I always find citrusy desserts require mucho prep time due to zesting and squeezing and all that. With the Nigella key lime pie recipe, there's the whole matter of beating up egg whites until your arms fall off. So, comparatively speaking, I think Martha makes an easier go of the key lime variety dessert. And of course, if size matters to you, the bars can feed more peeps simply because there are more portions - 18 vs. 8.

And on to the matter of key limes. The Jersey Girl used your average lime, because key limes were not to be found in my market that day. Curses. I used about 5 limes, but limes are tricky suckers. Sometimes they yield only a teeny tiny bit of juice, so buy at least 8.

The recipe calls for 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs, but it gave no indication as to how many crackers I would need to grind up in the handy dandy food processor. I'm not gonna lie: This kind of annoyed me. Come on, Martha. Help a sista out. Anyway, according to Betty Crocker 21 graham cracker squares yield 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. You're welcome.

These bars are fabulous. You are viewing mine ungarnished. But you must, and I mean MUST, make the whipped cream for them. It balances the sugary sweetness of it all. I always chill a glass bowl and some beaters for a few hours before rocking out my whipped cream.

Key Lime Bars
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

For the crust:
1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 23 key limes total)

For the garnish:
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.

Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make garnish: Cut into 2-inch squares. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime. Ungarnished bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Party like a Vegetarian

Throwing a soiree but need a dish for the token vegetarian in the house?

Why not give Giada's white bean dip and homemade pita chips a whirl?

I mean, really. What do you have to lose?

You know you're considering a crudite with some dip that NOBODY will eat. Girl, please.

And you can make the dip part ahead and it requires like four ingredients: cannellini, lemon juice, parsley and garlic. And some olive oil, salt and peps, natch.

Sure, you can buy a bag of pita chips, but these homemade chips are fantabulous. So worth the effort. Just toss with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and voila. Delish chips in a few minutes after a bake in the oven.

Yay.

Now, please don't misinterpret The Jersey Girl. Carnivores and herbivores alike will devour your non-meaty dip, trust. In fact, my main squeeze The Husband, known to house a brontosaurus or two, frequently makes a kind request that I whip this dish up when we're throwing a shin-dig. It's also fantastic to make when you receive an impromptu invite to a gathering. Why is that? Because I ALWAYS have a can o' beans in the pantry.

I often serve the dip with some fresh carrots or bell peppers in addition to the pita chips. Delish.

My one piece of advice when making this is to set your timer for about 6 minutes on the pita chips. Check them, and then put them back in for a few minutes if need be. I feel like the time allotment in the recipe could possibly lead to burnt chips. 

• White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
• From "Everyday Italian"
• By Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 6 pitas

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the

• mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

• Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

No Respect

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap.

But saute a bit of shallot and pancetta and you've gotta be out of your freakin' mind if you don't inhale these suckers.

At least this is my humble opinion.

The Husband: "That's a complete waste of pancetta."

He made this statement BEFORE eating the Brussels sprouts that I lovingly Catholic-guilted him into eating.

He DID go for seconds on his own accord. Honest to goodness. Yay, Husband!

I also informed my Moms that I will be schlepping over my fantabulous Brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving, which believe it or not, has totally turned into my most fave holiday in my old age.

It used to just be a day during which I nursed a massive hangover and tried to block out the hours upon hours of football being forced upon me.

But now, I unabashedly look forward to all that family time of eating and drinking and reminiscing with some laughing and crying thrown in for good measure. Wayyyyyyyyyy less hectic than Christmas, fo sho.

I use Italian bacon aka pancetta, which I always keep on hand in the freezer. But the recipe works with regular old Americana bacon, too. Obvi.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

3 slices pancetta, chopped

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
• Salt and pepper, to your taste
• 1 cup chicken broth

Brown pancetta in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove pancetta to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked pancetta bits.

That Girl

You know those annoying posters on food Web sites who say they made the recipe BUT they changed this, this and that? God, those people are the WORST.

Yeah. I'm THAT girl today.

So the recipe I'm rockin' out to y'all involves grilled bread, but The Jersey Girl lives in a grill-less house. Say what?!?

I know.

It's a long, boring story that I've probably mentioned previously on my dusty blog. In a nutshell, The Jersey Girl's humble abode stands atop Jersey land that is surrounded by blueberry fields (natch) and when the wind howls across our terrain, it's pretty fierce and strong and insanely loud and it decided to take down The Husband's shiny meat-cooker one too many times. Therefore, my better half's cooking pride and joy swims with the fishes in a Jersey landfill somewhere over the rainbow. Of course a grill will be in the mix, when Deck Project Jersey Girl Style 2013 comes to fruition. (See, Husband. I'm writing about the fantasy deck to make it seem.... real.)

So I made my Grilled Bread with Prosciutto by using the oven's broiler. It's totally fab as are all the Barefoot Contessa recipes that I try. Totally recommend with a glass of wine. Really, what doesn't go with some vino, that is the question. Serve at your next cocktail party, mmmmkay?! Cause you know, parents of toddlers are ALWAYS throwing cocktail parties. (With themselves and Elmo.)

I am including some pics of the yumminess as well as my almost-2-year-old yumminess, Evan. He's been loving the whole Halloween scene. He rocked his pirate costume three times. (Totally worth the dollas. Thanks, Party City!) And we took him on a hayride extravaganza in Egg Harbor City on the Saturday before Hurricane Sandy. The romp in the hay - awesome; the storm - not so much.

In case you were wondering, all The Jersey Girl familia is safe and sound.

Grilled Bread with Prosciutto
(Makes 6 slices)
From "Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?"
By Ina Garten

6 slices good Tuscan round bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1 large garlic clove, cut in half
Good olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn in pieces
2 ounces smoked mozzarella, grated
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals or turn gas grill to medium-high heat.

Grill the bread for 2 minutes until golden on one side. Place the bread grilled side up on a platter and immediately rub the cut side of the garlic clove over the surface of the bread. For really garlicky fettunta, rub hard. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over each slice of bread.

Place the torn prosciutto over the grilled side of the bread and top with the grated mozzarella. Return the bread to the hot grill, cover the grill, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes - just long enough to melt the cheese and rewarm the toast. (Be sure the vent is open so the fire doesn't go out!) Drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper and serve hot.

Please note: The Jersey Girl made her toasts using her oven's broiler.