About Carrie Zinnecker

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Oatmeal Crispy Bars

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One of my favorite cookbooks is The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather.  I won’t say any more about it except for this: If you don’t own a copy, as I have said before, go buy one…now!

I made these quick and easy oatmeal cookie bars this past weekend when our small group from church came over.  Originally I was going to make brownies from a mix since that would not require too much in the ways of time or effort on my part.  I just did not feel like spending any more time than I had to in the kitchen that day.  When I came across this recipe and realized how simple they would be, I had no choice but to make them.  Homemade is always better than a box.

The ingredients and preparation for these crispy oatmeal bars are both incredibly simple and easy.  You probably have everything you need in your kitchen.  The prep could be done with your eyes closed.  They bake for a measly 20 minutes and are ready to enjoy or drizzle with chocolate soon after making their exit from the oven.  Easy and delicious.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

I melted my chocolate chips in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup.  Zap the chips on high for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until the chips are smooth.  I didn’t do the best job of drizzling.  A few spots were more globbed on than drizzled.  Another good idea is to chill these after drizzling the chocolate to let them harden up a bit before removing them from the pan and plating them.  A few of my crispy oatmeal treats broke when I took them out, which is a blessing in disguise because that means more for me!  These treats are a simple and humble cookie, and they are definitely worth the time and energy it takes to make them.

Oatmeal Crisps

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray
  3. Melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan set over medium heat.  Stir 1 to 2 minutes, until brown sugar dissolves.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla.
  4. In a medium bowl stir together oats, baking powder, salt and coconut.  Add butter mixture and stir to combine.
  5. Spoon the batter into the pan and with fingers coated in cooking spray, press the batter evenly into the pan.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for 20 minutes and cut into bars.
  7. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars.  Chill in the fridge for a few minutes to let the chocolate harden.

Chicken And Fennel Flatbread Pizza

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Fennel in one of my favorite vegetables.  The flavor of fennel is quite similar to anise, but they are not the same vegetable.  It is delicious raw, sliced in a salad.  It is completely different in flavor when cooked in a casserole, like this potato and fennel gratin which is quite tasty.  It is incredible roasted with other vegetables when the edges get a bit crunchy and caramelized and the flavors mellow.  Fennel leaves look like dill in their delicate, thin, wispy green appearance.  These leaves are used as an herb.  The fennel bulb is used as a vegetable.  Fennel is one of the main ingredients in original absinthe.  I love fennel.

The use of fennel in this recipe is what caught my eye on the Eating Well website.  Yes.  I am posting yet another recipe from the site.  Everything I’ve made so far has been wonderful, so I’ll keep trying things until I hit a bump.  Then I’ll back off, but not until I find something that doesn’t make me want seconds.

These pizzas are not greasy or overly cheesy.  The vegetables add great flavor, and the chicken is much better for you than pepperoni or sausage.  There isn’t any sauce on the pitas, which I thought would make them a bit dry, but they were not even close.  The little bit of cheese goes a long way and you don’t miss the sauce.

I changed the recipe just a bit.  I added salt, pepper and minced garlic to the chicken before cooking it, and I cooked the vegetables and chicken separately.  On two of the pizzas I used feta cheese instead of provolone and sprinkled some red pepper flakes on the finished products.  A combination of provolone and feta would be better since feta doesn’t melt very well.

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Lemon Squares

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This afternoon I made these lemon squares from Eatingwell.com.  My mom makes the most incredible lemon bars.  I could probably eat an entire pan if no one stopped me and if I wouldn’t go into a sugar and butter coma afterward.  When I came across this recipe I had to see how it compared to my mom’s butter laden bars with tart and luscious filling.

Lemon bars must have a buttery, crunchy base, a smooth, lemony filling and a crunchy, sugary top.  I was hopeful that these bars would measure up.  There is a bit of butter in the crust to provide the richness, and the use of lemon juice and zest in the filling makes these bars incredibly flavorful.  The recipe calls for white whole wheat flour, but since all I had was regular whole wheat I opted for plain old all purpose flour.  I probably could have done half all purpose and half whole wheat, and will probably try that next time.

The verdict:  Yum.  Crunchy, sweet, buttery goodness topped with incredibly tart, sweet gooey lemon and a crunchy topping sprinkled with powdered sugar.  I will definitely be making these again.  Next time I will try to get some white whole wheat flour or use a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat.

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Citrus Shrimp & Quinoa Salad with Edamame

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There is new-to-me website that I have been frequenting recently and that I am really liking….eatingwell.com.

Many of the recipes sound not only healthy, but also delicious.  I am anxious to try some of the desserts, like these lemon squares.  Baked goods are not always the easiest to make tasty and healthy, so I’d like to find out if they’ve managed to mix tastiness and nutrition.

Tonight I made these garlic-y citrus shrimp and a warm quinoa salad with edamame and roasted red peppers in a lemony tarragon sauce.  I served this with whole wheat pita bread.  This meal is packed with protein, quite flavorful, fresh and totally satisfying.  I finished dinner feeling full, but full of really good food, so no guilt!

Another plus is that the meal was simple to prep and came together incredibly quickly.  Quinoa is so much better for you than rice, and it takes about the same amount of time as white rice, and half the time of brown rice.  It is similar in texture to couscous, but has a nuttier flavor and is more substantial.  Shrimp is one of the quickest proteins to cook.  A mere minute on each side is all you need, but any more time than that can yield  a shrimp that is overcooked and rubbery in texture.

The only change I would make is to leave out the walnuts.  I didn’t find that they added anything to the salad but crunch and more protein…which we weren’t exactly lacking here.

I will keep you updated as I try more recipes from this site.  I already have another EatingWell dinner planned for later this week; chicken and fennel flatbread pizza.  Yum.

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Creamy Cheesecake

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This recipe is from Fine Cooking.  I love Fine Cooking.  The website has great recipes, but the magazine is so worth having.  The articles are interesting, the recipes have never disappointed me, the photos are beautiful, and they always include fun home and kitchen finds that I end up pining after.  The only complaint I have is that I only get an issue once every 2 months.  Here is the link to the recipe.

Cheesecake can be so incredibly delicious.  It can also be totally overdone.  For example, there is a cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory that mixes together cheesecake and pieces of carrot cake, slathers the top in cream cheese icing and tops it all off with candied almonds.  No, thanks Cheesecake Factory!

I like my cheesecake pure and unadulterated.  Buttery graham cracker crust filled with luscious creamy filling.  No chocolate, no caramel, no fake fruity sauces, just cheesecake.  I don’t mind fresh berries sitting on the side of the plate with a sprig of mint, but don’t mess with my cheesecake.  Keep it simple.

This cheesecake is very good.  The graham cracker crust is just right, not too thick and not too thin.  The filling is incredibly creamy.  The sour cream and lemon add a great tangy-ness and it isn’t overly sweet.  I might have under-baked it a bit.  The very center of the cake was on the verge of gooey, but turned out to be OK.  I blame this on the recipe, though.  After the cake bakes for 45 minutes, you turn off the oven and let it sit for an hour without opening the oven.  So, I didn’t have a chance to check on it!  It wasn’t my fault!

Overall, very tasty cheesecake and something I will make again.  Next time I will bake it for 50-55 minutes.  Other than that there are no changes that I would make.  Enjoy!

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Pistachio Pavlovas with Lemon Curd and Raspberries

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These lovely desserts were the finale to our Easter meal this past weekend.  I did not make them and cannot take any credit for their deliciousness.  My friend Jackie found the recipe in Cooking Light and offered to bring them.  They were the perfect end to the meal. 

The meringues were light and crunchy, the lemon curd and raspberries were perfect partners; tart and sweet, and the pistachios added such a wonderful richness to the whole dessert.  To top it all off, they were beautiful.  This is an impressive looking dessert, and Jackie said that it wasn’t all that complicated or tedious.  She even let the meringues sit in the oven overnight and they were still perfect.

Making individual dessert can sometimes me a pain, but these are incredibly easy to assemble.  I will definitely be putting this recipe away to make another time.  Thanks, Jackie!

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BLT Mac and Cheese

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This obsession I have with macaroni and cheese may never end.  It is just too good.  How can you not love it?

My most recent mac and cheese adventure was a BLT version with bacon, leeks, tomatoes, colby jack cheese, and a toasted bread crumb topping.  While this did not quite live up to the deliciousness of other macs, it was still very tasty.  I liked the subtle flavor of the leeks, juicy tomatoes, salty bacon and creamy cheese.

The inspiration for this dish came while I was perusing recipes and found a BLT pizza that used arugala as the “lettuce” in the BLT.  I thought it could be changed a bit to make mac and cheese.  I searched BLT mac and cheese and found quite a few recipes, the top result being one from Rachel Ray.  It sounds pretty tasty, and I will probably try it sometime and see how it compares to this one.  She uses cream cheese in her recipe, and does not make a roux at all.  I like making the cheese sauce with the roux, milk and cheese, but maybe she’s on to something with the cream cheese.  I’ll let you know once I try it out.

All the recipes I found had a few basics in common.  All used bacon and tomatoes, of course, most used leeks, and arugala was the lettuce in most recipes that I found.  I could not find arugala at the grocery store, so my leeks became the “L” in this BLT.

Bacon, Leek and Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
  • 1 lb. short tubular pasta, such as penne
  • 12 slices of bacon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 12 ounces shredded cheese, cheddar, Monterey jack, etc
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts
  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • ¾ to 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and place cooked pasta in a large bowl; set aside.
  3. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, leaving drippings in the pan, to paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.  Chop bacon into ½ inch pieces then place in the large bowl.
  4. Slice leek in half lengthwise, then submerge halves in cold water to rinse out any dirt.  Remove from water, pat dry and slice into ½ inch pieces.  Saute the leeks in the skillet with bacon drippings over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, just until it softens up and place in the large bowl.
  5. Cut tomatoes into ¼ inch slices.
  6. In a sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Once it’s completely melted, add the flour and whisk to create a roux.  Allow to just come to a boil and then slowly stir in the milk, then the garlic. Allow the milk to come to a simmer and thicken, whisking frequently to avoid clumps. Once it thickens up to coat the back of the spoon, turn off the heat. Carefully stir in the cheeses until melted. Add the garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste.
  7. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and other ingredients in the large bowl and mix well to combine.
  8. Spread half the pasta mixture into a pan, then layer half the tomato slices on top.  Cover with the rest of the pasta, then the rest of the tomatoes.
  9. In a small skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat.  Add the bread crumbs and stir until the crumbs are slightly golden brown.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the casserole.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and the top has browned slightly.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Daring Bakers: Orange Tian

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This orange tian was not one of the prettiest desserts to ever come out of my kitchen, but it was one of the most refreshing and tastiest.

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

I had not heard of an orange tian before.  I hadn’t heard of any kind of tian before, actually.  My lack of knowledge demanded a Google search.  A search of “tian” will give you some interesting results.  According to wiki, tian (Chinese: 天; literally “Sky or heaven, heavens; god, gods”) is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the cosmos and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion.

In the culinary world, however, tian is a French term “describing a type of cooking vessel used in the Alpes-Maritimes area of France. It is traditionally made from red clay and can be either glazed or unglazed. A modern tian can come lidded or not and sometimes has a looped handle on one side.

The vessel is used to cook a traditional braised vegetable stew also called tian. The unglazed vessels, filled with root and winter vegetables along with wine or rinds of cheese, were placed in the hot ashes of a fire and left to stew all day in gentle heat, somewhat like a Dutch oven.”  You can read more here on wiki.

In this case, a tian is a dish composed of layers of ingredients.  Many that I have found in my searches are vegetable tians and can be either hot or cold.

No vegetables or rinds of cheese are found this in this dish.  This tian is a layer of orange segments, whipped cream, and orange maramlade with a base of rich pate sablee.  The layers create not only a lovely presentation, but a great combination of flavors and textures.  It tasted incredible.

This challenge, not unlike other challenges, was not without its share of hiccups.

  1. I over baked the pate sablee resulting in a large cookie that cracked upon removal from the baking sheet.
  2. I am no pro when it comes to segmenting oranges, so there were a few stray pieces of membrane in there.  Check out this video on you tube for some tips.
  3. The whipped cream with the gelatin was super confusing, and I’m not sure if I did it right.  I think it should have set up more?  I just had to kind of go with it.  It turned out OK…I think.
  4. I used a sheet pan to form the tian that I was sure would fit in the freezer.  I was wrong.  So, I had to transfer the dessert to another pan by sliding the silpat from the big pan to a smaller one.  Sounds easy, right?  Well, both pans had lips and so in this moving process some of the juices escaped and my cookie got a few more cracks.  At least the cookie would end up at the bottom.

After that, I let the tian set for about an hour.  When I flipped it out onto a platter it was beautiful!  Not perfect, but not falling apart either.  So, while this orange tian was not a complete success, it was not a failure.

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Twisted Root Burger Co.

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OMG.  I never say that phrase (or type that phrase for that matter)…well, not until now anyway.  But the lunch I had at Twisted Root deserves it.  This place is incredible.

I visited my sister Sarah in Dallas last week since it was my spring break and her “weekend” is Thursday and Friday.  I had a great time.  Going to work on Monday was pretty much horrendous.  What happened to sleeping in?  Getting coffee and surfing the web at a coffee shop down the street?  Spending the morning shopping and then going to lunch and getting more than 25 minutes to enjoy it?  After lunch, why wasn’t I perusing design stores where everything was out of my price range?  Why am I not spending my evenings going to watch live music at a tiny bar in Greenville?  Alas, I must work to afford to do the fun things.  Such is life.

Twisted Root is in Deep Ellum and is probably a place you could pass up if you drove by.  At least at the time we were there.  It was 2pm on Friday afternoon and the street the restaurant is on was not exactly hoppin’.   Deep Ellum is an area near downtown in east Dallas.  Across the street from the restaurant was a tatoo place, a bar and a few other random shops.  Sarah had been there before and told me about how great it was, so we went there after a tiring morning of shopping.  Our original plan was to head to a vegan restaurant, but our hungry stomaches demanded MEAT!  So, we ate a big juicy buffalo burger complete with cheese and bacon.  There is nothing vegan about that!

It took us almost an hour to travel the 6 miles to the restaurant.  I hate traffic.  Amarillo has spoiled me.  15 minutes tops to anywhere.  The time we sat in stopped traffic on I-30 was totally worth the wait.  We were both famished so the food tasted especially delicious.  The house made pickles, juicy burger, curly fries and root beer float with house made root beer would have been good even on a full stomach though.

Here is the before and after of our meal.  We split the burger, an oder of fries and the float.  The perfect sized meal.  Full and happy…not full and uncomfortable.

We had one of the special burgers for the day: Applewood bacon with a spicy ranch mayo.  Sarah ordered the buffalo and added cheddar cheese.  It was crazy good.  The fries were my favorite kind…spiced curly fries.  I got some of their pickles to nibble on, and they were incredible.  The bread and butter ones were to die for.  I would special order them and eat only them for dinner if they would send them to me here in Amarillo.  Yum.

The root beer float was also incredible.  The Twsited Root root beer is available in their fountain drink machine, so you can just help yourself to as much of its goodness as you desire!  If you ever find yourself in Dallas, you should make the effort to go here.  You will not be sorry.  Here is Sarah, finishing off the last little bits of root beer float.  I’m fantasizing about it right now.  So.  Very.  Good.

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