Shrimp Fra Diavolo and Lemon Spaghetti

This blog has made me realize one thing: Apparently I have a lot of Giada love. It’s no secret that I like to watch “Everyday Italian”, but I hadn’t realized just how many of her dishes I make fairly regularly. This one is no exception.

I remember watching the episode where Giada makes this dish (along with Chicken Parm, pasta with tuna and something else) and thinking that it sounded delicious. This episode may have prompted me to buy her cookbook… I’m actually pretty sure. I’ve loved this dish from the beginning. Spicy shrimp in a wine-spiked tomato sauce, served alongside lemon spaghetti with a hint of pasil… YUM. This recipe has been passed amongst my family and now EVERYONE makes it.

The only challenge to mastering this is timing. I say go ahead and make sure that everything is chopped before you begin — it makes life a lot easier. While you’re chopping that last thing or tw, go ahead and put on the pasta water to get it boiling. While you’re bringing the water to a boil start preparing the Fra Diavolo. By the time you get to the step where the sauce has to simmer for about 10 mins your water should be boiling and you can cook the pasta. During this break where you don’t have to do any active cooking make the “sauce” for the pasta and that’s pretty much it!

This is definitely one of my go-to dinner party dishes OR on a lazy cooking night where I want something yummy and classy but don’t want to worry about getting any special ingredients — for the most part I have all of the ingredients on hand (except for fresh basil and parsley…. but in a SERIOUS pinch you could substitute dried).

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.

Lemon Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

(Recipes via Food Network)

Chicken Pot Pie

 

I like the IDEA of Chicken Pot Pie but rarely the execution. A lot of the recipes call for soooo much chicken, which I guess for some people is a good thing but I’m not such a lover of poulet. I guess I could choose the Vegetable Pot Pie option but I want a bit of chicken.

My other problem with Pot Pies is the amount of calories and fat. It always grosses me out when recipes say that one serving has over 600 calories in it… I fully never eat a “proper” serving so the idea of likely eating a 1000-1200 calorie slice of pie freaks me out.

All that boils down to the fact that I pretty much just wing it when it comes to chicken pot pie. My favourite recipe to start out with is from Whole Foods . There’s nothing all that special about it but I like that it’s easy to adapt.

I never used homemade pie crust. I just don’t have the energy for that at all… and some brands of pie crust are really good (Whole Foods or Our Compliments).  I also don’t use heavy cream.  I think that the flour thickens things up sufficiently so I use 2% milk instead.

Sometimes I find CPP bland so I make my chicken from scratch rather than use rotisserie and season it with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. For the recipe below I only use one cup of chicken instead of 2.

Since I love veggies I use an assortment totaling about 6 cups. For this particular CPP I used Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Celery, Parsnips and Peas.  I may have used mushrooms too but I’m totally blanking right now.  This pie was super yummy.  Next time I may try a Vegetable Pot Pie and add potatoes and corn… yum!

Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6 3 tablespoons butter, divided 1 medium onion, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and diced 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 2 cups rotisserie chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon dried thyme sea salt, to taste ground pepper, to taste 1 9-inch whole wheat pie crust 1 prepared pie top

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook over medium heat until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Add remaining butter to skillet and sauté mushrooms over medium high heat until they have given off their moisture and are tender, about 10 minutes.

Combine with vegetable mixture in skillet. Over medium high heat, stir the flour into skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock slowly, while stirring, and bring to simmer. Stir until nicely thickened. Add the chicken pieces, cream and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

With a slotted spoon, fill pie crust with filling. Pour in any remaining liquid until crust is almost filled to the top.

Moisten edge of pie crust and place pie top on top, sealing the edges with a fork. Cut slits into the top of the pie. Bake for 30–40 minutes until pie crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

(From Whole Foods)

Quiche

For reasons unknown I grew up eating quiche. It’s not something my mom would ever make from scratch, not something I remember eating in restaurants, but a large part of my childhood was spent eating quiche. I vaguely remember eating frozen mini-quiches by Schneiders… but who knows where that comes from.

My love of quiche has only grown over the years. I spent five months studying Paris where was everywhere. Literally. Pretty much every corner Patisserie made a quiche or two — which meant that I often had quiche for lunch. After I had my wisdom teeth taken out the first food that I wanted was quiche.

So with all that said I’ve spent years perfecting my quiche recipe. For me, the perfect quiche involves either ham or bacon and an assortment of veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a broccoli and cheese quiche but give me a quiche loaded with broccoli, mushrooms AND zucchini and I’m in heaven.

The springboard for my recipe comes from a quiche recipe from the December 2005 issue of Gourmet (click the link for the original recipe). It’s a good recipe on it’s own except that it calls for too much liquid and fat… but it works. For my quiche I halved the amount of zucchini and added a variety of mushrooms and broccoli (I used frozen broccoli because I had it in the freezer. It worked well but I would use fresh next time). I may have added some extra bacon… because I have a love affair with the bacon.

Enjoy

My Totally Yummy Quiche!

1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust
1/4 lb sliced bacon, coarsely chopped (I use about 6-7 slices)
1 medium zucchini , halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 cup mixed mushrooms, sliced (I like white, portobella and cremini)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
2 oz Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 cup)

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Fit pie dough into pie plate and lightly prick all over. Bake according to package instructions, then transfer crust in pie plate to a rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

While crust bakes, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of fat in skillet.

Add zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat in skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to a plate.

Heat cream, milk, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan until mixture reaches a bare simmer, then remove from heat.

Whisk together eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream mixture until combined. Stir in bacon, vegetables, and cheese and pour into piecrust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer quiche in pan to rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.

Wild-Rice Stuffed Squash

You win some. You lose some. And sometimes you can change the outcome if you plan ahead.

I was flipping through a recent issues of Everyday Food and came up this recipe for stuffed Acorn Squash. I liked the IDEA of this recipe. I love squash. I love wild rice. I love nuts. And I figured acorn squash stuffed with a bunch of … well… stuff would be a winner. But then I started thinking things through. There was no “heft” to the recipe. I wasn’t really sure what would hook me to the dish while eating. Sure the mix of rice, dried cherries and pecans seemed interesting BUT what was going to warm and fill my tummy?

And the variations began rolling in.

My first decisions was to add chopped and sauteed mushrooms to the mix with a bit of dried rosemary. I also added a but more garlic and shallots than the recipe called for. The last change that I made was to not mix in the cherries, I just sprinkled them on top. I made that decision because I still wasn’t sold on the idea of the dried cherries. I ate a few while I was cooking (quality control, I swear!) and they were a tad too sweet. I enjoyed the sprinkling of them on top because I could really control my cherry intake and in the end it wasn’t so bad but I was glad that they weren’t all mixed in.

Would I make this again? Probably not by the book, but again as a jumping off point to greater things. Maybe a little broccoli, perhaps some cheese and call it a night. We’ll see…

WILD-RICE STUFFED SQUASH

• 2 acorn squashes (1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 box (6 ounces) wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash cut side down; cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add shallot, garlic, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, without stirring, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove rice from heat, and stir in cherries and pecans; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Season the inside of each squash half with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, mound stuffing into halves, and serve.

(From MarthaStewart.com)

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

 

Last year, in an effort to keep my Aeroplan account active I ordered a subscription to Canadian Living (something about a partnership between Aeroplan and Rogers Magazines).  I figured I’d go for Canadian Living because they have recipes.  Maybe not the BEST recipes, but recipes all the same.  Every month I find a recipe or two to clip for my files but I rarely get around to making them.  As I was flipping through the February 2008 issue I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Bread.

I made it the next day.

I have a love affair with pumpkin flavoured things.  Earlier this fall I bought a few pumpkins, cooked them and froze the pureed pulp for moments just like this.  The canned stuff isn’t bad but If I can have fresh I vote for fresh. For the most part I had the rest of the ingredients lying around with the exception of an orange and the chocolate.  But that was remedied by a quick trip down the street.

This loaf is kind of amazing.  The recipe calls for grated orange rind — normally I hate the orange/chocolate combination but in this bread it’s heavenly.   The only substitution that I made was using half whole wheat flour and half white flour.  I meant to throw in some ground flax seed, but I totally forgot.

One thing that annoyed me about the recipe is that it calls for semi-sweet chocolate, chopped.  I didn’t read the recipe through before going shopping so I just bought those one ounce chocolate squares and chopped them up.  You could easily just use chocolate chips and call it a day.  Not a big deal but would have made things a tad easier.

This loaf is going into my regular rotation!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE LOAF 

1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pinch ground cloves
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in pumpkin and orange rind.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Stir into pumpkin mixture alternately with 1/4 cup water, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of water. Fold in chocolate.

Spread in parchment paper-lined or greased 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan. Bake in centre of 350 F (180 C) oven for about 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely. (Make Ahead: Store for up to 3 days or overwrap with heavy duty foil and freeze in airtight container for up to 1 month.) Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices.

Source: Canadian Living Magazine, February 2008.

Vegetable Tian

I tend to go to the gym a lot which is made easier by the fact that all of the machines have TVs attached to them. 9 out of 10 times I end up watching The Food Network. I guess it’s the masochist in me. Running hard while watching Paula Deen fry butter in butter with a touch of bacon fat always makes me laugh.

My best workouts tend to be when I get wrapped up in an episode of Barefoot Contessa. I love her and her yuppie Hamptons life. I want to have picnics on the beach in Quoge! I want to make Jeffrey treats for when he returns to the Hamptons! I want to hang out with gay designers with a penchant for Ralph Lauren! But alas, this isn’t my life and I settle for Ina.

The other day she made a Vegetable Tian. I had never heard of one or seen one before but it sounded delicious to me. Layers of thinly sliced tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini on top of sauteed onions? Delicious! Then I remembered that she has the recipe in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook… so out I went to buy the ingredients for my Tian.

It looks like a pain in the arse to make but it really wasn’t that bad. And the results were incredible. I’m not kidding when I say I could have eaten the entire dish by myself. I guess that wouldn’t have been that gross… it’s just vegetables, right? This is going into my regular rotation. For the record I served this with a lemon-herbed salmon… yum.

VEGETABLE TIAN

Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Sauteed Mushrooms with Polenta

Sometimes you just want something totally simple that warms your heart. This pretty much does it for me! A few years ago (and by a few I’m thinking at least 4 years ago) I was on Dean’s Colloquium trip to Italy where we went to Venice, Verona and I want to say Vicenza. We ate a lot of crappy group meals on that trip including one stop in Verona where we had polenta, sauteed mushrooms and gorgonzola. At the time it was pretty awful. The gorgonzola smelled like old gym socks that had been soaked in something disgusting. The polenta and mushroom part wasn’t so bad but it wasn’t great either. No one in the group ate it, but I managed to pick around the polenta and mushrooms and have an OK meal.

Not sure why but a few years later I wanted to recreate that meal — but not gross. I’ve always been a fan of polenta and of course, of mushrooms. Gorgonzola has never been my favourite cheese but I’ve grown to appreciate it over the years. I really just like the idea of a creamy, porridge-like bowl of polenta topped with earthy herbed mushroom and tangy gorgonzola.

Over the years I’ve done a few searches online for similar recipes but could never find one that was perfect. I had a feeling for the flavours that I wanted so I just decided to go for it.

Here’s the rundown. I’m not really into measuring… everything that follows is a rough guide.

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS WITH POLENTA

Mushrooms (I use a mixture of white, portabello, shitake and cremini … whatever I can find at the market), sliced
Onion, chopped
Garlic, minced
Olive oil
Rosemary, dried or fresh
Thyme, dried or fresh
Chicken broth (if you have it around)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Gorgonzola

Your favourite polenta recipe (I use This One by Giada)

* Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil to soften

* Add mushrooms, a few pinches of the herbs and salt and pepper. Sautee for a few minutes.

* If using, add a bit of broth to the mixture to make a light sauce in the pan

* When the mushrooms are cooked, plate the polenta, top with crumbled gorgonzola and the mushroom mixture. The heat from the polenta and mushrooms will melt the cheese and make it gooey and yummy.

Salmon Baked in Foil

This a dinner party favourite for me. Simple, delicious and impressive. Always a winner. This also happens to be another Giada creation — I guess at some point I had a love affair with her first cookbook and can’t shake a few of her recipes.

This is also one of the few recipes that I don’t do any variations on. The recipe is great as is. What’s even better is that I usually have the ingredients on hand (except for tomatoes). I also noticed for the first time that the recipe says that you can use canned tomatoes. I NEVER do. It seems like a waste. Fresh tomatoes are so much more lively and have a brighter flavour than any canned tomatoes. So I opt for fresh — even during the winter.

One variation that I’ve been meaning to try is tossing a few capers into the mix. I’m a big fan of capers. And if you were feeling REALLY frisky maybe some chopped black olives. Also if you’re in a pinch and don’t have shallots substitute some onions and garlic. Believe me, it works.

I normally serve this with orzo and garlic sauteed broccoli, but in the photo above I served it with mashed white beans and sauteed swiss chard. The white beans were unimpressive, I just couldn’t get the right consistency no matter what I did.

Salmon Baked in Foil (via Food Network)
4 (5 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 chopped shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Christmas Dinner 2007

Because I’m a NUT I decided to prepare xmas dinner all by myself. Not SUCH a big deal since it was only for three people BUT I totally got into the idea of having a full spread out of a magazine. And that’s what I did… and for the record it was perhaps the best xmas dinner we’ve had yet. Not to toot my own horn or anything.

Here are the recipes…
Lemon Herb Turkey with Lemon Herb Gracy (from Bon Appetit)

Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots (from Bon Appetit)

Cranberry Ginger Relish (from Everyday Foods)

Simple Stuffing w/ Mushrooms (from Everyday Foods)

This was my first time making a turkey. Actually, it’s my first time eating a turkey in a good 15 years (we normally do a chicken instead). And I have to say, the turkey was GREAT but a bit of a pain to prepare. The moistness and great colour comes from the fact that you have to place a lemon herb butter UNDER the skin. My idea of fun is not to be stuffing my hands under the skin of a turkey. So that totally sucked. But it was worth it because the turkey was delicious. I also made the gravy that accompanies the recipe. I NEVER eat gravy, just the idea of it grosses me out. But I ate my mashed potatoes with a little bit of crazy and thought it was kind of yummy. Not to eat everyday but I was really into the theme of “Christmas Dinner” so I played along.

I’m a huge fan of brussels sprouts, particularly when you saute them with bacon. However, I was having dinner with a non-pork eater so I had to find another route. I thought caramelized shallots sounded like a winner. This recipe was totally simple and worked out well even for the troublesome one who claimed to not be a fan of brussels sprouts in general. As you can see in the picture my shallots aren’t that caramelized. I waited a LONG time and they would caramelize and I just couldn’t take it anymore! So they are softened an on the verge of moving towards caramelized if anyone asks.

I became obsessed with making cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving. It’s the easiest and most brilliant thing ever. I’m not kidding. So easy to make and so much better than the canned stuff and it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup. Last time I made a plain cranberry sauce but this time I wanted to kick things up a notch. A lot of recipes call for alcohol but I decided to go with ginger. It was a perfect companion to the rest of the meal.

Ever since I was little I’ve LOVED StoveTop Stuffing in the Chicken Flavour. I’ve always known that it was so wrong but always thought that it tasted so good! So for the first time in recent history I decided to actually make stuffing — almost from scratch (the bread was storebought). In the actual magazine there was a variation using mushrooms which is what I ended up making and it was great.. but I love love mushrooms so I’m biased. Was it better than StoveTop? Sure, if you like that homemade non-dehydrated foods… but it’s all personal preference. But since I’m more aware of what I eat these days I think next holiday I’ll (sadly) pass on the StoveTop.

BLACK-BOTTOM COCONUT BARS

These bars aren’t new to me at all but have become part of my Christmas treat arsenal. For the past three years I’ve given these as a gift to my sister and she literally devours the entire tin every time.

I love that this combines two of my favourite desserts (coconut macaroons and brownies) in one delicious bite. Which gets me thinking… maybe next year I’ll try doing them in mini-cupcake pans and make them kind of like those two-bite brownies. I think that could be adorable.

The recipe comes courtesy of Martha Stewart via Everyday Foods magazine. Here’s a link to the recipe.  This is one of the few recipes that I don’t make any changes to whatsoever.  I follow the recipe exactly and it turns out delicious every time.  Next time, just for kicks, I may add mini chocolate chips to the brownie part… but maybe not.  I think I’d also consider experimenting with alternative flours and sugars.

BLACK-BOTTOM COCONUT BARS

• FOR CHOCOLATE BASE
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• FOR COCONUT TOPPING
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

Directions

1. For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
2. Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.
4. For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).
5. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.
6. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.