Cool, Creamy, Tart: Perfect Lemon Bars

I recently had occasion to bake on the hottest day in San Francisco's recorded history. Though I believe I was hallucinating from the heat, I somehow managed to pull it off - as a Deadhead and former professional pastry chef, I was up to the task. Normally, I cut these into 2-3" squares, but these were for my punky sister's birthday party, so I cut them into bite-sized cubes, which served cold, were just right for a sweltering summer soiree. 

These can be made ahead and kept frozen for up to a month. You can also juice the lemons ahead of time, and keep it frozen in 1C portions. Then, when the mood strikes, you're one step closer to enjoying these bad boys (next time you're presented with a ton of lemons, think LEMON BARS!)

For a quick video on the technique, see Ina Garten's version. But I prefer my recipe, as it has less sugar and flour in the filling, and less butter in the crust, but you'll never miss it. Use meyer lemons for a more dynamic citrus flavor, but any lemon (or mix of citrus juice) will do.

This 9x13" batch makes 12-20 squares (depending on how big you want to cut them), or can be cut into minis as shown above. 

For the Short Dough Crust
6oz unsalted butter, softened but cold (1 1/2 sticks)
3oz sugar (3/4C)
1 egg
1/2t vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
9oz unbleached all-purpose flour (a bit more than 2C)
3/4t baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg til combined. Add the vanilla. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Dump the dough into a 9x13 baking dish, and with floured hands, press the dough evenly to a 1/8" thickness, making sure to go up the sides a bit. Chill the dish for 30 minutes, or covered, overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350'. Bake the shell for about 15-20 minutes, just until set and starting to get golden. Remove the shell, and set on a cooling rack. 

The Filling
2C sugar
5 extra large eggs
2T lemon zest
1C lemon juice
3T unbleached all-purpose flour 

Whisk together the eggs and sugar, add the zest and juice, then the flour. Pour the filling into the warm shell, and return to the oven. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until set (if you give the pan a little shake, it doesn't jiggle). 

Cool the bars completely in the pan. I usually freeze them to make cutting easier, but you can also keep them in the fridge overnight. Either way, wrap them well. 

I use a bench scraper or thin but sturdy metal spatula to loosen the edges. To cut even bars, use a ruler or measuring tape to mark 3-4 bars on the short side, and 4-5 bars on the long side (yielding 12-20 bars). 

Dust the bars with powdered sugar just before serving. Store extras in the freezer for up to one month. 

На здоровья! 

Thai Coconut Braised Spinach with Chick Peas

Until today, if I were offered a choice of beef stew or vegan stew, I would have gone with beef. 

Now, unless Julia Child floats down from the sky with a bowl of her boeuf bourguignon, I'm sticking with this vegan bowl of heaven on earth. 

A friend shared the Treehugger recipe on Facebook the other day, and I, predictably, adapted it. There is nothing wrong with the original recipe, mind you. The ingredients are simple, and once combined, may fool you into thinking you're eating at a fine Thai restaurant. That said, I only changed two ingredients because I didn't have what was called for. Instead of sundried tomatoes, I roasted some cherry tomatoes, which I'm sure weren't as flavorful, but were ok. I also substituted chili-garlic paste for the chili flakes. This was a good decision, as the paste added depth of flavor quickly. The last thing I did was serve the stew over half a roasted acorn squash. I just wanted a little more "meat" to the dish, and the squash was a perfect choice. 

Shopping List (Serves 4)

2 acorn squash , split in half lengthwise & seeded 

1C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1# baby spinach

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1T ginger, minced or grated 

1T chili-garlic paste

1 lemon, zested & juiced (I prefer Meyer lemon here)

1 14oz can light coconut milk

1 15oz can chick peas, drained & rinsed 

olive oil

S&P

ground ginger 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400'. Lay the squash halves hollow-side up on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, coating all sides with your hands. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. On another sheet pan, spread out the tomatoes cut-size up. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until caramelized but not burnt. 

Heat a 4Qt. or larger heavy pot, add about 3T olive oil, then saute the onions until they begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute. Stir in the chili-garlic paste and lemon zest, then add the chick peas, cooking for a few minutes. 

Next add a handful of spinach at a time, stirring and allowing it to wilt. Continue until all of the spinach is incorporated into the mixture. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with S&P and ground ginger. 

To serve, place a half acorn squash into a bowl, and ladle in some of the stew. Top with some of the roasted tomatoes. 

(Do not eat the squash skin. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon as you eat the stew.)