Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

I have been on a bit of a baking kick lately, adding pureed vegetables to baked goods.  This was one wonderful recipe.  I actually read comments online and decided to make these in a 13"x9" so that we had thinner, crispier bars.  I also used frozen blueberries instead of preserves.  We shared them at a dinner party and they were a hit.

* image from The Ginger Snap Girl

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Nonstick cooking spray 
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread, chilled
1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves
1/2 cup spinach puree 

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir to mix well.  Add the margarine and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix, bits of margarine will still be visible. Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked), 13 to 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl. Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars. * Recipe from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

Bigoli al'anatra

image from flickr.com

The freezer is emptying out quickly in preparation for the 2013 share. I have been terrible at posting. It is so easy during the season to sit down weekly as a part of the rhythm. This time of year weeks and months pass and I don't even realize it. Most of our meals have been using sauces that I create from frozen cubes of vegetables. We put them over cous cous, brown rice, pasta, quinoa, etc. 
This is one of my very favorite dishes from Italia. I actually modified it a bit and used the slow cooker. I cooked the whole duck for 4 hours on high, then removed skin and bones and cooked another hour. Then we shredded the meat and broth in our blender. It is also very difficult to find bigoli in the U.S. so I used bucatini, which is very similar. It is a thick spaghetti with a hole (like a straw). It was so wonderful. Our kids actually loved it. I used a bag of heirloom celery and frozen pureed tomatoes.

Bigoli al'anatra (Duck Bigoli)
4 duck legs and thighs, skin removed
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces red wine (Chianti preferred)
1 (28-ounce can) tomatoes, peeled whole
1 cup chicken stock
2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Wash the duck legs and remove all fat. Pat dry.  In a heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until smoking. Add the duck legs and cook until brown on all sides and remove, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, chicken stock and dried mushrooms and bring to a boil. Add the duck legs and return to a boil, lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Remove the duck legs and allow to cool. Pull all meat off the bones and return to pot, without the bones. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Fill a large pot with 6 quarts water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook bigoli until "al dente", about 8 to 9 minutes. Heat the sauce, drain pasta and toss in pan. Toss to coat and serve immediately. * Recipe from Mario Batali

Vietnamese Slow Cooker Chicken with Bok Choy

image from verygoodrecipes.com

A recent find that we enjoyed using bok choi frozen from the summer's share.

Vietnamese Slow Cooker Chicken with Bok Choy
About 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (note: you can use bone-in thighs but will need to cook the chicken about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (divided)
About 1 1/2 pounds bok choy (usually 2 smallish or 1 largish head)
salt and pepper
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and arrange them in the bottom of a slow cooker. Combine the next five ingredients (through the canola oil) in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon on the brown sugar; whisk until well blended. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. Meanwhile, wash and chop the bok choy (you will use all the green part and some of the sturdier white part -- discard the base as you would with celery). When the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the slow cooker temporarily and add the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar to the cooker liquid, stirring to dissolve. Stir in the bok choy until it is a bit coated with the sauce, then place the chicken on top of the bok choy. Replace the lid and cook on HIGH for about another 8-10 minutes or until the bok choy is tender. May be served over brown rice. * Recipe from Kitchen Ninja - adapted from Mom's Kitchen Handbook and A Year of Slow Cooking