"I love recipes that don’t require mixers, beaters and lots of bowls. These squares really should be called Date Nut Brownies because of their soft and chewy texture. The combination of dates, nuts and brown sugar make them reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding. These moist bars will make anyone a fan of dates which are one of the best natural sources of potassium."
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour (4.5 ounces)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.
Beat butter, sugar, salt, soda, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, scraping the bowl and mixing until well combined.
Beat in flour, dates, and nuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Using wet hands, press the dough and smooth batter into an even thin layer.
Bake the squares until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Cut into 2” squares and dust squares with confectioners’ sugar.
– Recipe courtesy of Cook Like James
This time of year in Maine the soft shell lobsters are “in” season and are very plentiful and inexpensive. You ask what is a soft shell lobster? Is it like a soft shell crab, do I eat the whole thing, shell and all? No, no, not all all similar. In order for a lobster to increase their size, ie. “grow” they have to shed their old hard shell. Two weeks before this happens they form a soft, thin shell under their hard exterior. Once the thin shell is formed under the hard shell they dehydrate, shrinking the soft membrane shell which contracts to the lobster’s meat, then the pressure builds until the old hard shell breaks open and the lobster pulls it’s new body out. First they pull out the claws then the tail and finally the body. Once this happens they fill themselves up with sea water. They balloon up with water, especially in the claws which are half water and the tail is about a quarter filled with sea water. The cooked meat of a soft shell is bright red and more tender then a hard shell lobster. The new shell looks exactly the same in coloration but it is as thin as syran wrap.
In the world of taquerias there are potato tacos (tacos de papa) and then there are potato tacos. And if you’ve never had one, it’s exactly what you think: tender chunks of potatoes are cooked with onions and spices and nestled inside a corn tortilla and topped with shredded lettuce and salsa.
When I pulled out the pocket folder filled with recipes I’ve gathered from cooking classes I’ve attended over the years, I was surprised to see that some of the recipes dated back to 1984. That was the year I started taking classes from Andrea Halgrimson in her cozy little kitchen in Fargo. I had two young sons at the time. Gathering with a small group of food-loving people in Andrea’s kitchen was always a special night out for me.
Let start by saying that the flavor in this breakfast bake is absolutely fantastic. We couldn't stop eating it. My husband came out of his cave (office) four times while I was making this. The aromas were just so hearty and comfort-food-smelling, he couldn't stay away.