Chocolate-Carmel Cookie Bars

I saw this on the Martha Stewart website and just had to try them. Don't be frighted off by the fact that you will being making the caramel, it's really easier than you think.

Crust
4 1/2 ounces butter, plus more for parchment
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Caramel

10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

3 ounces butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs sea salt like Fleur de sel



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a square or rectangular baking pan with parchment paper so it has over hang. I found that if you trace the bottom of the pan and then cut along two sides so that the parchment paper will hang over. Do the same thing for the other side of the pan. Butter the parchment paper but leave the over hang butter free.

Start by creaming the butter and brown sugar in a bowl until it is fluffy, then add the flour and salt. The blended butter, sugar, flour and salt should have a sandy consistency.

Press the mixture into the pan so that it is even. I used a spoon but you can use your hand if you would like. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the cookie gets golden brown.

While the cookie is baking start to make the chocolate caramel. Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl. 

In a saucepan heat the granulated sugar and water. Keep brushing the sides of the saucepan with water using a pastry brush so that sugar crystals don't form on the pan. Let the sugar water mixture bubble until it goes a nice caramel amber colour.

 

Take the pot off the heat and add the butter, salt and cream. Place the pot back on the heat and bring it back to a bubble and stir until smooth. Pour the caramel over the chocolate and stir until its all combined and let stand for about 10 minutes to cool. Pour over the cookie and store in the fridge for 4 hours or preferably over night. Top with Fleur de sel and cut into bars. 

Exam Time Meals

With the holiday's come exams. I have been busy with work and school and just have not had the time to post, so here are two posts together, both are simple and take around 40 to 50 mintes in tottal.

Spicy Italian Sausage Tomato Basil Sauce
This sauce is really nice and light and so simple to make. I put it over ravioli but it would be just as good on spaghetti or linguine noodles.

3-4 spicy Italian sausages
1 tin of diced tomatoes
1-2 good handfuls of fresh basil
1tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and add the sausage to the pan. The sausage will need to be removed from the casing, this may sound hard but it's really easy. To remove from the casing hold the sausage in the middle and squeeze until the filling starts to come out, then you just keep squeezing out the filling until it's all out. Like this ...

Break up the sausage so it looks a bit more like ground hamburger

While the sausage is cooking chop the basil. It doesn't have to be minced or even neatly cut as long as it's small it will be fine.

When the sausage is cooked add the tin of tomatoes and your basil. Add the salt and pepper to taest and simmer for as long as it takes to cook your pasta and then spoon over the pasta and enjoy.

Stuffed Peppers
This dinner is as easy as it sounds. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, take your favourite meat spaghetti sauce heat it up or make it and fill the desired amount of peppers with it and top with cheese. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes. To prepare the peppers all you need to do is wash them and cut the top off.

 

Butter chicken curry

Last night I made curry for dinner.... well not really made it came from a container all I had to do was cook the chicken and make the rice. That being said it is still really good and fast to make. All you have to do really is follow the directions on the curry bottle label and follow the directions for the rice. I like to use Jasmin rice instead of minute rice, it's fluffier and I find not as sticky. I love to have nan bread with my curry, the Presidents choice nan bread is really good and all you have to do is heat it up. I like to put a bit of butter and sea salt on it but its also great just plain. Nan is great for dipping in the curry or instead of pita chips with other dipps. 

Friday night shopping

Instead of making dinner tonight I went Christmas shopping so a nutritious dinner of popcorn and fries was had lol, 

Tuesday night chicken fingers

Tonight I made homemade chicken fingers with Cesar salad. I love chicken fingers but store bought ones just have to many chemicals and preservatives in them for my liking. I want know exactly what has gone into my food. The chicken fingers i make are from Jamie Oliver and they are so simple to make. You can make a bunch of them and freeze them for another night.

chicken fingers
2 flat chicken breasts
about 1 1/2 - 2 cups bread crumbs
zest of one lemon
1 egg
2 tbs milk
sea salt
pepper
dried oregano
dried thyme

Combine all the dry ingredients with the lemon zest.

In a small bowl whisk the milk and egg until they are combined. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch by 1/2 an inch strips. Dip the chicken into the egg to get it wet then transfer it to the plate with the bread crumb mixture,  cover with bread crumbs and press the crumbs into the chicken. Put the chicken fingers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 15 minutes.

For the salad I just use Romain lettuce, croutons and Cesar dressing.

Cesar Dressing

2-3 heaping tbs plain yogurt
1 heaping tbs grainy mustard
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp lemon juice
I like to use the cheese grater so that you don't get a big chunk of garlic in your salad.

Add all the ingredients together and stir. feel free to add more or less of anything so that it tastes right to you.

This is such an easy dinner and only takes about 30 minutes to make.

The Weekend

This weekend Justin and I went to London to visit his family. I had planned to take pictures of what i made for dinner but it was a total disaster. We made mushroom risotto, steak and a spinach salad. I couldn't find the leeks that I needed for the risotto so I had to use an onion..... don't it was not good at all the onion is far to potent. The steak was overcooked to my liking but that doesn't mean it was all that bad. The only thing that worked out was the salad. The salad was just spinach, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and goat cheese with a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. I recomen that you try the salad its one of my favourits :)

Thursday night dinner

So Wednesday I was bad and went out for dinner because I was so tired, Justin worked until 9pm and I just didn't feel like cooking. But tonight I made steak, mashed potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms. Justin barbecued the steak while I made everything else.

Mashed potatoes
4 small red skin potatoes
1 tbs butter or to taste
4 tbs goat cheese
1 tbs milk

You can peel your potatoes if you want but I prefer to leave the skin on because that is where most of the nutritional value is. Boil your potatoes until they are cooked, you will know they are coked when a knife is inserted and the potato slides off. Add the butter, cheese, milk and mash them to the desired consistency.
Normally I don't use goat cheese I like to use cream cheese and sour cream with no butter but I didn't have so I used what I did. They weren't bad but I didn't put in enough butter or milk so they were kind of dry. The mushrooms on the other had were great. I love mushrooms and could have just eaten them for dinner.

Sauteed Mushrooms
10 to 15 champagne mushrooms
1 - 2 tbs butter
1-2 medium sized garlic cloves

Heat a frying pan on medium high heat. Mince your garlic and add them to the butter in the frying pan.

When the butter starts to bubble add your mushrooms but don't crowd them, they won't brown if you crowd them.

If you do crowd them don't worry they will still cook and taste great, they will just be pale like this ...

I crowded mine :(
Over all it was a good dinner.