Eagle Brand Milk: Magic Cookie Bars

I can't believe I never posted these bars.  These bars are the dessert of my childhood.  My mom made these for us all of the time, and even to this day, if I see a version at a bake sale, I have to have them.  I don't know what it is, but something about these screams comfort.

Magic Cookie Bars

From Eagle Brand Milk

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1⅓ cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.

Makes 2 dozen

Pioneer Woman: Original Chicken Spaghetti

When I made this casserole several years ago, I doctored it a bit by adding Rotel and making some other changes that gave it more of a King Ranch chicken kind of vibe.  These days I'm feeling more like the O.G., so I decided to post both versions.  Either way you go, this is a people pleaser.

Note: I used one can cream of mushroom and one can cream of chicken.

Chicken Spaghetti

From Pioneer Woman

2 cups cooked chicken (from one whole boiled chicken)
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two-inch pieces
2 (10½-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup

3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided use
¼ cup finely diced green pepper
¼ cup finely diced onion
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook one cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups.

Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350°F for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Makes 8 servings

David Lebovitz: Sweet Lemon Marmalade

Every winter there's a giant pile of every kind of citrus you can imagine at my local fancy grocery.  It's hard for me to walk through without grabbing something I haven't tried before.  When I saw that they had sweet lemons, I knew I needed to make something with them, but the selection of recipes is slim.  Luckily I can count on David Lebovitz.  This recipe makes a sweet marmalade that isn't bitter like regular orange and just plays nice with breakfast.

Note: Use citrus limetta for this recipe.  David Lebovitz's original recipe calls for "bergamots", but the fruit he is using is c. limetta, not c. bergamia.

Sweet Lemon Marmalade

From David Lebovitz

8 sweet lemons (about 700g), organic or unsprayed

3 cups (600g) sugar
4 cups water, plus more for blanching the sweet lemons
pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons limoncello

Rinse and dry the sweet lemons, trim off the stem ends, then cut each in half and pluck out the seeds.

Slice the sweet lemons as thinly as possible.  If you have trouble getting them very small, after slicing, you can use a chef’s knife to chop them to the right size. Don’t use a food processor, as that will make the marmalade muddy.

Put in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes, then drain well.

Return the sweet lemons to the pot, add the sugar, 4 cups of water, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the sweet lemons, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade begins to set using the wrinkle test: turn the marmalade off and put a dab on a plate that’s been in the freezer then check it after five minutes; if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it’s done. If not, continue to cook, repeating this step, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Depending on the heat, the marmalade will take at least 30 minutes to reach this point, although if you’re used to making other jams, it will look slightly more liquid than others when done. You can also use a candy thermometer; the marmalade will be done when the temperature reaches around 218ºF (103ºC).

Once done, stir in the liqueur, if using, then ladle into clean jars and twist on the lids. Once cool, store in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least six months.

Tuna or Salmon Poke Rice Bowl

So I know I already made Hawaiian poke, but this time I wanted to make something that is more like the poke bowls I get at a local restaurant.  Since I'm a sushi person, I love anything that involves a big handful of fresh uncooked fish, so I'm a big fan.  After asking some questions about their "poke sauce", I learned it was a combination of soy sauce, ponzu, and sesame oil, so that makes everything much simpler.

Note: It's easier to cut up the fish when partially frozen.  Also, poke bowl is really a DIY type of dish.  Add as many (or as little) sides and toppings as you like!

Tuna Poke Rice Bowl

For the poke:
¾ pound sushi grade tuna, or salmon, or a mix, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ponzu
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (optional)

1 tablespoon finely grated carrots (optional)

Diced jalapeño (optional)

For the bowl:

Baby spinach leaves
Cooked short-grain white rice
Krab salad
Seaweed salad
Spicy mayo (optional)
Eel sauce (optional)
Fried onions
Furukake
Avocado
Masago

Mix together the fish with the soy sauce, ponzu, and sesame oil.  Season with the salt, then add green onions, cilantro, carrots, and/or jalapeño, if desired.

To put together the bowl, line a dish with spinach leaves, then add a scoop or two of cooked rice.  Start layering the poke, krab salad, and seaweed salad on top of the rice.  The remaining bowl ingredients can be added, as desired, to make the bowl that sounds delicious to you.

Makes 1 bowl

Cooking with Janica: Bacon Lover's Duck Egg Quiche

Somehow I managed to luck out and become the recipient of a very special carton of duck eggs.  Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, and the yolk is especially rich, so I immediately set out to find a recipe that would really let these beauties shine.  And boy, did I ever.  This quiche is so rich you can only eat one slice, but so good that you'll wish you weren't so limited.  I would definitely serve this again for a special brunch occasion.

Bacon Lover's Duck Egg Quiche
Adapted from Cooking with Janica blog

12 ounces applewood smoked bacon (about 13 or 14 slices)
1 shallot, diced

1 premade pie crust
3 duck eggs
⅓ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
½ cup whole milk

Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

5 ounces Gruyere, shredded

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cook the bacon until crisp. Leave the grease in the pan. Drain bacon on paper towels and chop when cool.

Heat the grease up over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and cook for 2 to 5 minutes until translucent.  Mix the bacon and shallots together and evenly fill the bottom of the pie crust.

In a large bowl, mix together the duck eggs, crème fraîche, whole milk, thyme, salt, and pepper. Once combined, mix in the shredded gruyere.

Gently pour the mixture over the bacon and shallots. Spread evenly.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted and removed. Cut and serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings