Blueberry Pecan Bars

Austin John Edwards (rather unnecessary, but I love saying his full name) and I have been dating for a little more than 3 and a half years -- ever since Valentine's Day, sophomore year of college, in front of the Washington Monument. He is my best friend, and besides God, family, FDR, and Breaking Bad -- his favorite thing in the world is anything with blueberries. Since they're in season and quite bountiful this year, I decided to try my hand at this incredible looking recipe I found while perusing without abandon on Pinterest (the devil for people who know they have no time to waste; comparable to putting an alcoholic in a bar, or a female 20-something in a Target... yikes.)

I've admired Tracey's Culinary Adventures from a distance for a while now (translation: I follow her on Instagram.) When I saw the pin for her "Blueberry-Oat Bars," I nearly couldn't contain myself -- I just had to try. Plus, I knew that once I had one or two, Austin would show up, eat them all and I wouldn't have to worry about the looming expansion of my thighs. I'm actually glad -- as these bars were delicious and I would've ate them all without supervision!!! Here's the recipe, tweaked a little -- as I added toasted pecans (they bring a fantastic nutty crunch,) as well as made my own blueberry preserves from scratch instead of buying some in a jar. To differentiate my words from Tracey's, so you guys know, I made sure my comments were in bold. Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4 3/4 oz) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup blueberry preserves (my recipe below)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (you'll need 1 more cup for the preserves)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup chopped pecans  

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to use as "handles" to lift the bars out afterward. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. 

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly on low speed just to combine. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and then, with the mixer on low, add 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) of the butter, one piece at a time (no need to let one fully incorporate before adding the next). When you've finished adding the butter, continue mixing on low speed until the butter has been broken down into small pieces and the mixture resembles wet sand - this will take about 1 minute.

Transfer 1 1/4 cups of this crust mixture to another bowl and set aside. Dump the remaining crust mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust turn golden brown and it is set. 

Meanwhile, make the streusel topping: Add the oats and brown sugar to the bowl with the reserved crust mixture. Stir to combine. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the bowl and use your fingers (or a pastry cutter) to work the butter into the dry ingredients until combined. 

Make the filling by combining the blueberry preserves, fresh blueberries, pecans (toast for more flavor -- easy -- just put on a pan, and bake in oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees,) and lemon juice in a bowl. Use a fork to mash the blueberries - you want to break them down some, but still leave some visible pieces of berries. 

When you remove the crust from the oven, add the filling directly on top of the hot crust. Spread in an even layer (it will be a very thin layer). Sprinkle the streusel topping over the filling - I like to pick up a small handful and squeeze it together to form a large clump, then break off smaller chunks to sprinkle on top. Don't press the streusel into the filling!

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the filling bubbling and the streusel has browned. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bars cool to room temperature, about 1-2 hours. Use the foil handles to lift the bars from the pan and cut into squares for serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Natalie's Homemade Blueberry "Preserves:"
since you won't be preserving any of these bars! :)
Boil 1 cup water in a small pot on the stove. Add 1 cup fresh blueberries to the boiling water and after a minute, turn down heat to low and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir a little, then and let it simmer for 25 minutes until the blueberries get mushy and the water level reduces and is a deep blue/red. Mash the blueberries with a fork and let it simmer. After 5 more minutes, add a tablespoon of flour and stir slowly, until the blueberry mixture gets thick. Turn off heat and let cool.
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This is my very first "unhealthy" post -- posts I promised I'd include on Table Haven as a reflection of my balanced life (being healthy 100% of the time is not what's up -- 80 is cool.) I just try to be healthy when I can, and this includes making my own blueberry preserves instead of buying a sugar-laden one. Hey, you gotta pick your battles!

I'm glad I made these bars, because I honestly cannot describe to you how delicious these were. Tracey says on her blog that you could even use frozen blueberries that you thawed -- but nothing in my opinion lines up with fresh summer blueberries in season, vibrant in color & nutrients. This recipe makes about 16 bars (depending on how small/large you cut them.) Not to mention -- they slice neatly and look incredibly impressive -- perfect for end-of-summer cookouts. Do I hear Labor Day? Might have to make another batch -- as there are none left in my apartment, and Austin is happily reading a court transcript right now with a plate at his side, completely empty except for a conspicuous bunch of crumbs. Mission accomplished.

xoxo n

San Nicolaas Fish Tacos with Lime

San Nicolaas, Aruba -- I don't think dining gets any more "sea side" than this.

This summer, I had the pleasure of accompanying an aunt & uncle of mine to Aruba for a week with my big brother. One of my fondest food memories of the trip was this off-the-beaten-path fish restaurant an Aruban friend of ours had told us about (you know its good when the tourists don't know about it) that was eye-opening in terms of freshness. After we ordered "how many pounds" of today's catch we wanted, we sat down on the back deck where we witnessed boats pulling up and turning in their fish -- where men clothed in overalls rinsed, cleaned, and cut up the fish into fry-ready fillets. After about 10 minutes of hearing the sea water splashing below our feet, a huge bowl of fish fillets simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and lime arrived at our table. Literally, we were eating fish that was brought in 20 minutes prior, and it was the best food I had ever eaten. It showed me that with food, simplicity very rarely leads you astray. This fish recipe, even though not caught directly by myself 20 min prior, reminded me of that sweet Aruban experience that is sadly not experienced very often in America. I hope you enjoy it!

Servings: 5 tacos

What you'll need:

• 1 lb tilapia or cod (cost me $4 at the supermarket)
• 2 limes
• 5 tortillas (I bought a "hecha a mano"/made by hand brand, you can usually tell if they are chemical/additive free if they are refrigerated at the grocery store!)
• Salt/Pepper
• Cooking Spray/Oven
• Optional: Latin Leftovers (I had some tomatillo salsa, avocado and summer succotash left over that worked perfectly)

Instructions:

1. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place fish on sheet and squeeze some lime juice on top (save some of the juice for later.) Use the lime to rub/spread the juice evenly. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove fish from oven. Place tortillas on empty oven rack and let bake for 5 min.
4. While tortillas are heating up, use two forks to pull apart fish (trick to see if fish is cooked properly -- if it flakes apart easily!) Squeeze any juice you can out of the lime you used before onto the fish chunks; lightly toss.
5. Scoop the fish into the warm tortillas and top with any toppings you may like. Slice the remaining lime into wedges and serve with the tacos.

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For the toppings, this is where my recent 'Mexican Kitchen in August' trend/semi-obsession came in handy. I mean, who can say no to flavors like cilantro, fresh tomatoes, roasted corn, warmed tortillas?? I cannot be the only person whose mouth watered at that thought. Anyways, this recipe was so incredibly simple and delicious. Plus -- It was so great to have a meal I thoroughly loved but didn't feel guilty about. My table was a haven tonight!

xoxo n

3-step Salsa Verde

I must admit I've been on a little Mexican kick lately with my cooking -- does anything else better represent late summer to a Texan?? With the tomatillos I received in my produce delivery this month, I decided to try my hand at preparing salsa verde -- or "green salsa," which is typically milder than the red salsa we all know from restaurant tables -- you know, jammed in between the chips and the margaritas.

Tomatillos have a lighter taste, and even have notes of citrus -- which compliments the lime juice in this recipe beautifully. This salsa verde can be put on eggs, tacos, even grilled chicken if you want to mix things up with a nice flavor. What's even better in my opinion, tomatillos only have 11 calories each, and the salsa can be set aside and frozen for months (if you or I get a fresh summer tomato craving in the middle of January, for example -- I have a feeling it will be me.)

Servings: makes about 2.5 cups

What you'll need:

• about 10 tomatillos
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it!)
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• Salt & Pepper
• Cooking Spray/Oven/Blender

The Step-by-Step (Peel, Roast, Blend)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray flat oven pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Peel the papery peel off the tomatillos. After rinsing them with water (the peels tend to leave behind a little stickiness,) set the tomatillos on the pan.
3. Peel garlic cloves and place on pan next to the tomatillos. Rinse the jalapeno(s) and place on pan as well. Roast for 25 minutes.
4. After the 25 minutes is up, place the tomatillos and garlic in a blender. Set aside. Take the jalapeno(s) and slice open to remove the seeds (leave the seeds if you're a daredevil -- thats where the heat of the pepper is stored!) Place the jalapeno(s) in the blender, and blend.
5. Twist off the top half of the cilantro and place in blender, along with the onion. Squeeze 1/2 a lime into the blender, adding a pinch of salt & pepper, and blend again. Taste. If you feel, squeeze in the other half of the lime and blend again.
6. OPTIONAL: the more you blend, the more liquid-y the salsa will be. If you want your salsa to be more chunky -- blend the first 1/2 of all the ingredients together for 10 seconds, then add the other 1/2 of each ingredient together and blend for just 2 seconds. The first 1/2 will give the salsa the flavor foundation it needs, and the second 1/2 will give you the chunks you're craving!

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Since you blend it hot to get the "roasted" flavors to come together, I would suggest making this the night before throwing a party -- so it can refrigerate before serving. Not only is this salsa super easy, but it makes you look super amazing/cool for not pouring it out of a grocery-store bottle! (I garnished it with a fresh cilantro leaf for even more coolness points.) Even more so, you're taking full advantage of all the health benefits that come along with fresh summer produce and herbs! Nothing in this salsa is artificial, and you can definitely taste that with every chip. Have a great late summer!

xoxo n

August Honey Chicken & Succotash

Growing up in Texas with Jamaican parents was an experience. One of the best lessons I've ever learned is to understand and to appreciate people's ethnic differences and cultures -- and one of the easiest ways to do this is to be fearless of food. We were always in our "normal" supermarket, but as kids, we always found ourselves trailing behind my mom as she felt, squeezed, and even smelled peppers in the nearest halal market, searching for the perfect one. My mother knew that in order to find ethnic, you had to go ethnic (I'm talkin a lamb hanging upside down in the front window.) She was so fearless, yet when I was little, I hated these trips. Why are we wasting our time when I could be at home playing Roller Coaster Tycoon? Now, I catch myself wandering into hispanic markets in Upper Columbia Heights, poring for fresh produce and rare finds the way I remember those outings to be.

Last week as I wandered into Pan-Am Grocery on 14th Street -- the setting was the same -- lots of families congregated outside, ready to pack their bounty into their vehicles, Spanish words flying. I was so excited. As I made my way inside, I found the best summer produce I've ever seen at prices that would put the Giant down the street to shame. This succotash was born. Adapted from a Women's Health magazine I had read that day at the hair salon, I subbed the white wine vinegar for balsamic for that extra savory/salty kick. Delicious on its own, you can top the succotash with any meat -- I chose a simple baked chicken with honey.

Servings: Four

For the Chicken:

• 4 small chicken breast cutlets
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 tablespoon water

Stir together honey & water. Add salt & pepper and transfer to a plastic bag. Throw in chicken, zip bag, and make sure the chicken is coated with the honey mixture (shake bag if you must.) Refrigerate anywhere from an hour to overnight before baking it in an oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

For the Succotash:

• 4 ears of corn
• A red bell pepper
• 1 cup frozen edamame beans (check frozen section of grocery store!)
• 1/2 a peeled yellow onion, sliced into thick slices
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking Spray
• Salt/Pepper
• Optional: Grill Pan & Basil

I used a grill pan to prepare the vegetables -- I found a low cost one at Target here. If you do not have a grill pan, no worries -- you can simply roast the vegetables in the oven instead and it will still be delish. Chop them up and put in a pan -- 20 min at 450 degrees.

If you are using a grill pan, spray with cooking spray and let heat on the stove for 5 min. Starting with the corn, grill for about 3 min at a time, then use tongs to rotate them. If you rotate then let sit, you'll get those beautiful grill marks. When you've cooked the corn on all sides, remove from heat and keep warm. Do the same with the red pepper and onion slices, being sure to respray the cooking spray when needed.

Cook the edamame beans in a small pot of boiling water for 5 min. While this is cooking, chop the grilled vegetables and cut the corn kernels from their cob's. Throw everything together in a bowl, and drain/add the edamame beans when they're done. Add the tablespoons of balsamic and olive oil, then a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir the succotash together. Voila!

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It's discoveries like Pan-Am that I'm grateful for. All the produce used for this succotash cost me less than $5, not to mention the satisfying feeling from the cultural curiosity my parents would be proud of. With fall coming up, I can't wait to scrounge around to see what I find! Who knows, maybe I'll even blog a lamb dish :)

xoxo n
Picture by N.Neilson



"Good Morning Avocado" with Toast

What better way to start your day than with a beautifully ripe avocado? This thought popped into my head this past Friday as I had a little more time than usual to prepare my breakfast (I was working from home.) After experimenting with this easy (and delicious) recipe, I'll definitely be eating this more often! You can even make it the night before and heat for a quick morning!

The avocado gets super smooth as it roasts in the oven -- blending with the egg -- and even becoming spreadable (perfect for the toast!) Not to mention, the vitamins and healthy fats are a big energy booster that will keep you full throughout your morning. Doesn't get better than that.

Servings: Two (an avocado half and slice of toast)

What you'll need:

• An Oven (seems obvious -- but I didn't have access to one for a whole year in college -- a travesty!)
• Basic Flat Pan that you can roast something on (like a cookie sheet)
• Cooking Spray
• One Ripe Avocado (see 'Avocado 101' below)
• 2 eggs
• 2 slices of bread (I usually buy bread with either high fiber or lots of grains)
• Salt/Pepper
• Seasoning of your choice (I used a little of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb)
• Optional: Fresh Lemon juice, Basil & Butter

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray some cooking spray on a flat pan (like a cookie sheet) -- Set aside.
2. Take avocado, and place it on top of a cutting board or clean counter for stability. Hold the neck (the skinny side of the oval-shape) with your fingers and use a knife to cut all around, while feeling the pit (rock-like ball inside the avocado) the whole time with the tip of your knife. Once you've made a full circle (downwards and back up towards your fingers,) gently pull the two halves apart.
3. Stab (literally) the pit with the tip of your knife and wiggle it out of the avocado half it chose to hold on to. Put aside.
4. Optional Step: With your fingers, gently spread a few drops of lemon juice on each avocado half (this keeps it from browning -- the citric acid in the lemon stops the oxidation process -- aka the avocado being exposed to air for the first time and turning colors.)
5. One at a time, hold each avocado half straight up (neck side up just like before.) Take your knife and cut a very small slab off the "back" of the avocado (the skin side) and place the avocado on the pan, back side down. You'll know you cut the slab properly if you touch the avocado half on the pan and it doesn't wobble, but lays there secure.
6. Crack one egg directly in the dip of each avocado half. Chances are -- there will be some runoff over the sides -- no worries!
7. Sprinkle the avocado with a pinch of salt and pepper. If you have additional seasoning, such as my garlic & herb seasoning from Mrs. Dash, sprinkle a pinch of this on too.
8. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes if you like your yolks cooked through (only 15 minutes if you like it runny.)
9. When the avocado has 5 minutes left to roast, place your two slices of bread directly on an empty rack in the oven.
10. To serve, make a circle with your knife around each avocado half -- to scrape away any egg that has bubbled over onto the pan. Place an avocado half on the plate. Cut each slice of toasted bread in half, and layer on plate next to the avocado. 
11. Optional Steps: Slice a basil leaf into little strips, and sprinkle on the avocado. Smudge a little butter on the toast.
12. Have a wonderful morning.

xoxo n

Recipe adapted from Women's Health

Pictures by N. Neilson

Avocado 101

Known as "the alligator fruit" in some countries, due to the look-a-like skin (who knew?)

When to buy: Avocado is slightly soft, but doesn't have any dark sunken spots

Use as a topping for black bean soup

Mash into your favorite salad dressing for extra creaminess/nutrients

Slice & Add to tacos or enchiladas

Easy Guacamole: Mashed Avocado + Store-bought Salsa

Summer Spaghetti

For my first recipe post, I just had to share this deliciously rustic spaghetti I made this week! Chock full of vegetables, you won't even miss the meat -- and your stomach will thank you! The seasonal ingredients in this dish are the wonderful summer cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini -- all to make a delightful sauce Romans themselves would get jealous of.

Servings: Two (feel free to double up the ingredient amounts for lunch later in the week!)

What you'll need:

• 1 cup Marinara Sauce (I like Trader Joe's brand, $1.99 a bottle)
• 2 oz spaghetti pasta (about 1/4 of a package; I used TJ's brown rice brand, but any will work!)
• Salt/Pepper
• A little Olive Oil or Cooking Spray
• Fresh Garlic chopped into really small pieces (don't fret: garlic powder works too)
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 handful fresh spinach (if you have only frozen (still just as nutritious,) be sure to microwave/drain first!)
• 2 handfuls fresh cherry tomatoes (about 15 small tomatoes)
• OPTIONAL: 1 grater (can get a small one for about $10 at Target!)
• OPTIONAL: fresh basil and mozzarella cheese if you have it (I used a stick of light string cheese!)

The Step-by-Step:

1. Heat a pot of water on the stove until it boils. Add a pinch of salt and stir it in until it dissolves. Add the pasta and cook approximately for 6 minutes (or whatever it says on the side of the package; some brands differ.) Once the time is up, drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Chop the zucchini, tomatoes, and the eggplant into small chunk-like pieces. (optional step: chop only half of the zucchini, and grate the other half into the sauce later -- see picture!)
3. In a smaller pot, heat some olive oil (read: one spoonful) or spray with some cooking spray.
4. Season the oil (or spray) with some garlic powder, or fresh garlic chopped into really small pieces (in culinary speak, "to mince")
5. After about 30 seconds of heating the garlic (to the point where you can smell it wafting,) pour in the marinara sauce. Stir well.
6. Add in the chopped vegetables (optional: grate in the zucchini!)
7. Stir in the spinach and basil -- Wait 5 minutes until the spinach is totally wilted and in the sauce.
8. Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir. Taste. Keep adding a pinch at a time, stirring and tasting until it suits you (don't go overboard!)
9. Take one cup of the spaghetti noodles and spoon half of the veggie sauce mixture on top.
10. Optional -- grate mozzarella on top of sauce. Lay a fresh basil leaf on top of the cheese.
11. Enjoy!

xoxo n
Recipe and picures by N. Neilson

Did you know?

Zucchini is a nutrient-rich vegetable that peaks in summer. It also is mostly WATER -- making it perfect to sneak into sauces completely undetected. I grated it into this recipe (see pic above) when I made it, and it tasted like plain tomato sauce to me! But my stomach was happy!