Strawberry Oat Bars

You know how sometimes your loved ones convince you to make that certain dish they are craving and you promise to cook it for them.  Then when the moment actually comes you just can't bring yourself to make it. So what do I do in a situation like that? I make it up to my family by sneaking in something else:) These soft, yet a little crunchy strawberry oat bars made it to this world when my Man wanted something completely different. They were gone within 24 hours and he didn't even remember that he was asking me for a different dessert. Mission accomplished!:) 

These oat bars are actually a healthier version of the cake that was my very first post of this blog (what a difference in pictures!:) I used old - fashioned rolled oats (not processed, quick cooking ones) to get all the benefits of the whole grain. It is good to know that you can add some dietary fiber, some Vitamin B1 and other advantages of whole grain to your meal without sacrificing the taste of the dish. These oat bars make a great dessert and can also be a satisfying snack or a breakfast option for somebody with a sweet tooth like me:)

Ingredients:

225 gr/ 8 oz butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

4 cups strawberries or any other fruit, stoned and cut in pieces

4 tsp corn starch

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C.

Combine 1 cup of sugar, flour, rolled oats, baking soda, salt and grated lemon rind in a bowl. Add butter and egg, then work the mixture with a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients. Make sure to break big lumps of butter. In another bowl add ½ cup of sugar, corn starch, lemon juice and prepared fruits and gently toss to coat evenly.

Put half the batter from the first bowl into a slightly greased baking dish. For reference my dish dimensions are 13"x10". Pour the fruit mixture over it. Spread the rest of the batter evenly on top of the fruits.

Place in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let it cool down completely and cut it into squares.

Enjoy! 

Strawberry and Cheese Skewers

I had this Dubliner cheese sitting around in the fridge for a couple of weeks. It was a part of a "doggy bag" from a family get together. I have never tried it before and I didn't know what to do with it. It is not the kind of cheese you put on a toast. The best description I can think of is that if Parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese had a baby, it would be Dubliner cheese.

When I don't know how to incorporate something into my cooking, I start thinking what I can pair it with on a skewer. I guess you can call it my comfort zone. I think my blog could have been called Life in Chocolate or Food on Skewers:) So as strawberries are in season right now and I have plenty of them, that pretty much made them an obvious choice to experiment with on these skewers. I added walnuts to compliment the nutty side of the cheese and honey to emphasize the tiny bit of sweetness the Dubliner has. I find that these skewers make great appetizers, and you can quickly transform them into a dessert by simply adding more strawberries.

Ingredients:

strawberries, cut in half

Dubliner cheese (mine is Kerrygold brand), cut in small cubes or triangles

raw walnut halves

honey

Pour some honey into a small bowl and keep a brush in it. Thread a walnut on a toothpick, follow by a strawberry and finish with a cheese piece. The walnut part is the trickiest and takes some practice because walnuts tend to break. Find the thinnest part of it and thread it using a screwing motion. Brush all the ingredients lightly with honey.

To use this dish as a dessert, add a second strawberry half after the cheese piece.

 Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad

Who doesn't enjoy indulging in a watermelon, cold, straight from the fridge on a hot summer day? I always have. As a child I could not wait till watermelons were in season. Where I lived, it was from mid August till the end of October. I also come from a city with an efficient public transportation system and where not every family owns a car. My family didn't own one and a watermelon was a really big and heavy thing to carry home on foot. When I got older, my mom confessed that she was doing her best to avoid buying watermelons:) From the mid August I would start saying: "Mom, watermelons are here, let's buy one." Mom:” No it’s too early, let's wait a little bit till the ripe ones get here”. Beginning of September:"Mom, what about watermelons?" Mom:” No, it's too early” This would go on till the beginning of November when it would be already too late. I still got a taste of wonderful regional watermelons at my grandparents or friends, but the story with my mom was the same every year:) 

A watermelon is an outstanding thing on its own, but if you were looking for a great combination for a salad, feta cheese would be your choice. It is a classic combination - the saltiness of feta cheese brings out the sweetness of the watermelon and vice versa. This particular salad is light and refreshing and is great for lunch or a snack. Usually I like my salad without a dressing, but if you want to add some acidity to yours, I recommend this simple dressing below.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula

1/4 cup red onion, sliced

2 cups watermelon, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

In a large bowl combine arugula and onion. In a small bowl mix together dressing ingredients and add to the large bowl. Top the salad with watermelon and feta cheese and serve immediately. 
Serves 2 

Enjoy!