Raspberry Jam Bars

 

• ½ cup pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife (this could also be part almond flour)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil so that it overlaps the sides and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder. Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, a few minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Place ⅔ of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread it in an even layer. Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won’t stick to the foil. Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won’t cover the entire surface; that’s okay. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
4. Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into bars.

Portobello Mushroom dinner

• Portobello mushrooms (as many as you think you can eat, usually 1-1 ½ per person, keep in mind that they get smaller as they are cooking)
• 2-3 green onions
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or fresh sliced mozzarella
• 1 T of butter or vegetable oil

Wash and slice the mushrooms and chop the green onions. Heat a frying pan and spray with vegetable oil and add onions and mushrooms, stir frequently to cook evenly and to keep from sticking to the pan. Cook until mushrooms are tender and soft. To hasten cooking, cover the pan with a lid. When the mushrooms are cooked turn off the heat and add cheese. The cheese should cover all of the mushroom and onion mixture. Allow cheese to melt and serve hot. A yummy change of the recipe is to use fresh mozzarella sliced and lay it on top of the mushroom and onion mixture and serve when melted. Good on top of brown rice.

Morel Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

•  5 cups water
• 1 cup dried morel mushrooms
• 2 large handfuls of garlic chives
• 4 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb asparagus, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, simmer the morel mushrooms and garlic chives in the 5 cups of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain the mushroom broth into a bowl, and reserve the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms, and discard the garlic chives. 

In the saucepan, brown the butter, garlic, and rice. When lightly browned, deglaze with the lemon juice and white wine, and begin adding a cup of the broth at a time. After each cup, stir and wait for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next cup. When about halfway through adding the liquid, add the asparagus. When the rice is fully cooked and all the broth has been added, remove from heat and fold in the cheese and morel mushrooms. Salt and pepper as desired.

Makes approximately 4 servings.