Our garden is producing like crazy. We put in six Swiss chard plants and only one made it. But, it's glorious. And, the romaine lettuce is so beautiful. Peas are coming on. We've got a few baby tomatoes. The mesclun mix is taking over. And, we've got almost a whole bed of arugula. A veritable bounty of veggies. Connie's been bugging me to please use the Swiss chard. I'd thawed a pound of lamb stew meat from our friend's at Viking Lamb to make Giggles, The Kitchen Witch's lamb stew for later this week. It's a dish that's better left overnight. That meant I still needed something for dinner... And, I really needed to be thinking about lunch too since what's left at the office is all frozen or canned.
I knew there was a lamb recipe in Carnivore (Michael Symon) that son David wanted me to make. My memory did not serve me well because I was convinced it was lamb stew. So, I hunted for the cookbook to compare that recipe to Giggles. Well, now, as I looked thru I saw a recipe for Orecchiette with Chorizo and Swiss Chard. Score. I didn't have chorizo but I did have about a pound of pulled pork. My guess was that I could toss about half a pound of that with the chorizo spices and be good to go. I went back to the chorizo recipe from Hoosier Mama. We made this a couple of months ago and totally loved it. And, since I was using pulled pork, I substituted pinto beans. There. I had a plan. Dinner for Sunday. Dinner for Monday. And, lunch for Monday was on it's way...
What did we think? We absolutely loved this. I wasn't sure the flavors would all work together but they certainly did. This was so easy to make and for us used mostly pantry ingredients or ingredients that could easily be substituted, my guess is it'll become one of our go-to meals.
Orecchiette with Chorizo and Swiss Chard
Ingredients:
1 lb dried orecchiette pasta (I used half as much)
1 lb fresh chorizo sausage, removed from the casing (see spices below if you're subbing pulled pork)
1 lb Swiss chard with stems, roughly chopped
1 c cannellini beans (I used pinto)
grated zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c chopped fresh leaf parsley
2 T unsalted butter
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
spices I used for the pulled pork:
2 t sweet paprika
2 t finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 t granulated sugar
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T red wine vinegar
Directions:
Start a large pot of water boiling. Once it's ready to go, add the pasta. Cook it for a couple of minutes less than the package directions. If you're using the chorizo, brown and drain it. If you're using the pulled pork, toss it with the spices and set it aside.
Either add the chopped Swiss chard to the chorizo or put a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet, heat it to shimmering and add the Swiss chard. Once it's wilted, add 1/4 c of the pasta water, the beans, pasta and butter.
If you're using pulled pork, add it at this time too. Cook all of that until the pasta is al dente. Then, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice, the parsley, extra virgin olive oil and the parsley.
Basic recipe from Carnivore. Chorizo spices from Hoosier Mama Book of Pie
I must've been a VERY good girl. Why? I got THE blog I wanted for Secret Recipe Club. You read that right THE blog I wanted. Last month, The Kitchen Witch got me. She said we shared the same tastebuds. She was SO right. Life was insane (ok, it's been totally insane for years!) and I didn't get a comment to her. Then, I got my Secret Recipe Club assignment. Whoop, Whoop! I now had an excuse to blow two hours reading a blog I wanted to read. REALLY wanted to read. Giggles is so right. We do share the same taste buds. We both love citrus. We're both adventurous eaters. So incredibly much fun to read her blog. I felt like I was curled up in the cabin of my dreams just relaxing and reading. Oh, and drooling :-)
So, what to make? Guiness Irish lamb stew? Marjitos? Candied orange olive oil cake? Lemon ginger elixir? Orange chicken? Did you notice how many have citrus? Yeah, me too. And, there are plenty more. Oodles to be specific - lol. Orange chicken it was. If I was going to get this made in time, one of us needed to run to the store the evening before our cooking adventure. I was going to be working in my Columbus, IN office so knew I'd be home late. Connie got the grocery list that I'd left on the counter. He got home from the grocery and got busy getting ready for our grandkids to visit. About 2am he flew out of bed. I heard the alarm being shut off then the back door opened then a racket in the kitchen. It was one of those you are better off waiting it out than getting in the middle of it deals. I waited. Upstairs he trudged. So, what happened? He says, "I never took the groceries out of the trunk." Ok, so we had rotten chicken. Fine, we'd stop on the way home from the office the next evening. Except when we left the office the rain was pouring. A bar of soap in the back yard and I'd have been able to take a shower! We got drenched just going to the car. At that point I made an executive decision. Giggle's orange chicken would be just fine with shrimp. And, you know what? It was. We loved it. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Now, I'll know I can make it with either shrimp or chicken and it'll be great.
Before I show you the recipe, here are a few of the photos of the epic water balloon fight Grampie had with Bradley and Rosie. Daddy David sat in a safe zone making the water balloons. He was also in charge of dousing anyone who didn't follow the rules. Mostly Grampie who kept forgetting to go back to his safe zone after throwing a balloon. Mommy Kara and I sat in another safe zone with our cameras. We were dubbed the historians. And, yes, that's our herb garden behind Kara.
Orange Chicken
Ingredients:
for the chicken:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cubed (I substituted shrimp)
2 eggs
1 T water
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c cornstarch
1/4 c flour
peanut oil for deep frying
for the sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 t crushed red pepper
4 green onions sliced, white and green parts separated
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 1/3 c orange juice
2 T cornstarch
1 1/2 T soy sauce
2/3 c orange marmalade
Directions:
This recipe comes together very quickly so you really want to have everything set up and ready to go. Your mis en place. You'll need two bowls for the sauce ingredients. Put the garlic, ginger, red pepper and whites of the green onions in one.
The balance of the sauce ingredients go in the other. Start with the cornstarch and rice wine vinegar. Stir them into a slurry then add the other ingredients.
Then set up two wide, shallow bowls (think pasta bowls) for the chicken or shrimp dipping. In one, put the egg and water. In the other, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
This is where you can add other seasonings if you'd like. I thought about adding some Asian seasonings but decided to try that next time. Put a smallish skillet on the stove with about a tablespoon of oil in it. Last, but not least, pour peanut oil (I used vegetable oil because that's what we had on hand) about 1" deep in a wide skillet. Now, Giggles recipe called for a wok or a deep fryer. I like the skillet because it gives me more control over turning the protein to make sure both sides get browned. If you've got a deep fryer and want to use it, that way you can get both sides brown at once... Turn the heat on under the small skillet. You want to use medium heat. Heat the oil to about 350. Now, you're ready to get going.
Dunk a handful of the protein in the egg wash.
Then, toss it in the cornstarch/flour mixture. Put it in the hot oil in the big skillet.
Put the garlic/ginger mixture in the small skillet. Once it's sizzling, slowly stir in the orange juice mixture.
Stir this occasionally. Turn the protein if you need to get both sides brown. The crust will be nice and shatter thanks to the cornstarch. Drain on paper towels. Once all the protein is done and drained, toss it with the sauce and serve over rice.
Top with a scattering of the green onion tops.
Strawberry season. Love it. Our friends Barb and Tom came to visit and brought us two quarts of strawberries from their garden. Perfect strawberries. My head was spinning with ideas. But, simplicity won. Two different salads then strawberry shortcakes won the day.
I had a package of smoked salmon that needed to be used up. And, we'd found halloumi cheese. What if I grilled strawberries and radishes and halloumi then picked lettuce and spinach from our yard and topped it all with smoked salmon and a mustard tarragon vinaigrette? Perfection.
My next salad was a little more simple. Spinach from our garden, strawberries, pecans, feta and a strawberry balsamic dressing. The dressing was strawberry balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and shagbark hickory syrup. Maple syrup or honey would make a fine substitute.
Along the way, we had a pretty tasty drink... Here's a hint. You'll find it on the blog I was assigned for Secret Recipe Club...
We had another quart left. Our grandkids were coming to visit. They'd get to Indy about 5:00 Friday evening. Connie had plans for that epic water balloon fight Friday evening. I did not want to spend the evening cooking and miss the festivities. So, Black Diamond BBQ it was. Beef brisket, pulled pork, rib tips, mac and cheese, green beans, greens and cole slaw.
YUM!!! Strawberry shortcake for dessert.
Saturday morning we headed to the Broad Ripple Farmers Market. Got to see our friends Susan and Paul, Connie and Rick and Liz, aka That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Lots of fun was had by all. From there we headed to the Children's Museum. Indianapolis has a world-class children's museum. The special attraction this time was the terra cotta warriors. Just amazing. They had a room set up where kids could sculpt a face. Turns out each of the 8,000 warriors had an individual face. They used molds for some of the body parts but the faces were individually done. Then, we were off to the exhibit about China where the kids had a great time in the kitchen. They even got to learn some kung-fu moves. Then, we were off to Sam's Gyros for a fun lunch. Enjoyed more by the adults than the children... But, as Daddy David said, someday they will be very grateful that we got them to try so many things and have adventurous taste buds. Last but not least, we went to see Civic Theatre's production of Pinocchio. Grammie and Grampie were tired by the time the kids headed home!
Folks tend to either love or hate Guy Fieri. I'm in the love camp. The man can cook. And, he LOVES flavor. Lots of big, bold flavors. Maybe a bit more heat than I like but that's easily resolved. I've been reading his new cookbook, Guy on Fire. Loads of great recipes and for me, great ideas. So, we had leftover pork tenderloin from the pork tenderloin we made last week. I found a recipe I thought would easily adapt to the ingredients I had on hand.
Those of you who believe in making a recipe the first time the way it's written will be disappointed to know that Guy's recipe was merely the idea. I didn't bread and fry the pork since I was using leftover pork tenderloin. I used hearty rye bread instead of baguette since that's what I had on hand. The mayonnaise was not homemade bacon mayo made with 2/3 c of bacon fat but instead was Hellman's Light with olive salad and garlic. And, instead of arugula inside the sandwich, I used only one piece of bread per sandwich and topped the sandwiches with dressed greens. So, I'm not really sure I should be giving credit to Guy for this one, eh? Whatever you think, We loved these sandwiches.
Then, there was dessert. Last week I made a new dessert - gooey bananas. Tonight, I kicked it up a notch - or three. The original recipe called for bananas, chocolate, toffee bits and mini marshmallows. We had a few strawberries left from the batch we picked in our garden. And, a handful of chopped pecans. Betcha they'd be good with the bananas. Yup, they were.
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Ingredients:
Hearty rye bread
Mayonnaise
Green olives with pimentos, finely minced
Garlic, a good sprinkle of garlic powder
Sliced pork tenderloin
Roasted red bell pepper, sliced
Bacon, not too crisp
Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
Salad greens
Sherry vinegar
Sugar, just a pinch
Extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
First, here's a look at how the ingredients were prepped:
Mix the mayonnaise with the chopped green olives and the garlic.
Toast the bread lightly.
Slice the pork tenderloin. Yes, we like ours pretty pink!
Fry and drain the bacon. I always sprinkle mine with garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper as it's frying.
Slice the roasted red peppers and the provolone.
Now, let's look at how the sandwiches were put together:
Schmear the olive mayonnaise on the toasted bread.
Top with sliced pork tenderloin.
Then, the sliced roasted red bell peppers
And the bacon.
Last, by the provolone.
Broil until the cheese has melted.
Toss the salad greens with a bit of sherry vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Thanks to Guy on Fire for the basic idea!
Our friends are retiring in droves. The first one who really got to me was Chris. Every once in a while we take a long weekend trip with Chris and Mark. All of the sudden, we didn't have to abide by a teacher's schedule. That's when it finally dawned on me that I have less than ten years to my own retirement. Oh, my. I absolutely love what I do so I'm not sure I'll ever totally retire. But, there will be a time I'll slow down because there are so many other things I'd like to do.
We'd had a busy week. Monday was Memorial Day so there was a family party at brother John's house. He did ribs on the grill I brought the other stuff. All too often he does the ENTIRE dinner and I feel like a freeloader so I was totally thrilled that he actually let me bring almost everything. I took David's cheese dip, Brown sugar shrimp from Gastro Grilling, brie with brown sugar and pecans, Casa d'Angelo Salad, Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl, vinaigrette potato salad, deviled eggs and Strawberry Torte.
Tuesday night we were actually home for burgers on the grill smothered with onions and mushrooms.
Wednesday was a retirement reception for our friend Phyllis Geeslin who has done such an incredible job as executive director of the Benjamin Harrison House. Thursday was dinner out with our dear friends George and Steve and Ellen. We were celebrating Ellen's retirement. Are you seeing the pattern here??? So, Friday evening we were going to celebrate our friend Brenda's retirement. Brenda and Janet used to sit behind us at Colts games. They were some of the first friends we made as a couple lo those many years ago when Connie and I first met.
My wonderful housecleaner, Debbie, hasn't been here for a couple of months. Between her mom's surgery and getting engaged and all kinds of things, life has interfered with her visits to my house. Needless to say with our schedules at work and the fact that it's spring and our yard is VERY needy, the interior has been sadly neglected. The dust is thick and it's obvious we have a dog and a cat cohabitating with us.
Now, what would you do? I've been out all week with the exception of one evening. I really wanted to eat dinner at home. But, we were supposed to go out with Brenda and Janet. And, my house wasn't quite ready for prime time. Good friends ignore the dust and the dog fur. Indeed they do! Instead of going out, we ate at home. What a lovely, relaxing evening.
I marinated pork tenderloin in a fabulous marinade from Cuisine At Home magazine. That's going on my list of go-to marinades. Then, I did fingerling potatoes in a foil packet on the grill.
And, corn on the cob with a mustard/maple/thyme glaze. I've made that before. It was the star of the show. We had a salad of lettuce and strawberries from the garden. It also had asparagus, orange segments and toasted pecans. Last but not least, I took an idea from Food Network magazine and ran with it. Bananas grilled with toffee bits, chocolate and mini marshmallows.
All in all, between Memorial Day and Friday, there wasn't a bad recipe in the bunch. I do love the story behind David's cheese dip. Son number one, David, pulled a deli container out of the fridge and told me he'd found this FABULOUS dip at the store. It was kind of expensive - like $8 for a pint - but he loved it. I tasted it and it tasted for all the world like swiss cheese, red onions and mayonnaise. I read the ingredient list and yup, that's what it appeared to be. So, next time we went to Columbus to visit the kids, I started at Sam's Club. There, I bought a mongo wedge of Jarlsberg and a bag of red onions. Shredded part of the cheese, minced the onions and moistened the whole thing with mayonnaise. Exactly alike. And, maybe 25% of the cost...
Here's where to find the recipes that I've already included in this blog:
Casa d'Angelo Salad
Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl
Strawberry Torte
Corn with Mustard/Maple/Thyme Butter
Now, on to the new recipes:
Brown Sugar Shrimp. This recipe actually had two dipping sauces with it. A cocktail sauce and a white horseradish. Both were good but I felt that both detracted from the shrimp. This recipe came out of a cookbook called Gastro Grilling. I've made it about halfway through the cookbook and want to try just about everything in it. Actually, we've made another recipe and it was equally fabulous. And, as you'll note, no photos...
Brown Sugar Shrimp
Ingredients:
shrimp, tail on, shells removed, deveined
bourbon
butter
brown sugar
Directions:
Put the shrimp in a bowl and pour bourbon over them. You don't necessarily need to fully cover them as long as you toss them every couple of minutes. We used frozen shrimp so didn't worry about refrigerating them. Marinate them for about fifteen minutes. Toss the bourbon or use it to cook with as long as your'e going to heat it but do not drink it! Pat the shrimp dry. Now, the recipe calls for dipping the shrimp in butter then refrigerating it again. I didn't have time to do that so here's what I did - Dip the shrimp in melted butter then roll it in dark brown sugar. Put it on a grill pan. Refrigerate it until you're ready to grill. Grill on both sides. You'll have lovely golden brown shrimp that just melt in your mouth.
Soy Marinated Chinese Pork Tenderloin. See the gorgeous char on that pork tenderloin? It tasted equally good. I can see this on ribs, burgers (pork, beef or turkey,) pork loin, pulled pork, chicken... Just about anything. Even a really meaty fish would be fine with this marinade.
Chinese Soy Marinade
Ingredients:
1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c purchased barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays and doubled this)
2 T sesame oil
2 T minced fresh ginger
2 T dry sherry or mirin
1 T chili garlic sauce
Directions:
Mix and marinate your meat for about an hour. Brush on as you're grilling also. If you've set some aside, you can serve this on the side as a dipping sauce.
Gooey Bananas. I saw this idea on Food Network Magazine's calendar of ideas at the front of the magazine. They called for splitting the banana and stuffing it with toffee bits, chocolate and mini marshmallows. Ummm, great idea but there's not enough STUFF. So, I peeled the bananas and laid them on heavy duty foil (you do NOT want to use a pan you've got to clean later or you will be scrubbing from now until next May...) Then, sprinkle them liberally with toffee bits, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Seal the packets and toss them on the grill. You'll need to peek and see how they're doing. Once the chips have melted and the marshmallows are nice and gooey, you're good to go.
I never expected to find a savory FIVE on a blog specializing in sweets. My Secret Recipe Club assignment came and I immediately clicked on the link. And, I saw sweets on sweets on sweets. Argh! What was I going to make? It was May 1st. At o'dark thirty on May 10th we were heading south. First to Nashville, TN to do a couple of client reviews. Then, down the Natchez Trace. Followed by one and a half play days in New Orleans. Followed by three days of NPC conference. And, home through Memphis to see some dear friends. Arriving Monday night, May 20th. Almost 24 hours AFTER my post is due. Better get my tookus in gear, eh? Hunt for a savory recipe that'd work. By the time I got done I had Asian Lettuce Wraps, Frito Chili Pie, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Funeral Potatoes.
How to decide? Connie LOVES Fritos. There used to be a chili parlor downtown named Charlie and Barney's. Their specialty was chili with Fritos and grated cheddar. I'd only eaten it once. Connie, dozens of times. Now, when we walk past what used to be Charlie and Barney's he always bemoans their demise. This was my opportunity to bring a bit of that taste back. But, I love the lettuce wraps at PF Changs. I've never tried to make them myself. And, Connie loves gnocchi. He's not fond of soup but maybe if I combined the two... I decided the Funeral Potatoes were an indulgence at this point and bought the ingredients for the other three dishes.
On top of all of the Secret Recipe Club frivolity, there's Nancy and Roy's party on Saturday. I'm in charge of a couple of appetizers and a dessert. Yeah, I know I could've chosen one of Heather's sweets. But, MANY months (ok, over a year ago,) I found a recipe for Payday Bars on another Secret Recipe Club blog. I've wanted to make them ever since. Since we just don't do sweets around here, this is my opportunity. Appetizers? What's better than pickle dip? Umm, not much. It's the bomb. And, yes, I got it from a Secret Recipe Club blog called Melissas-Cuisine. I'm also going to do my friend Betsy's Mexicorn Dip. And, La Brea Tar Pit Chicken Wings. I should've gotten two trays of wings because those things are always inhaled. But, there will be tons of other food there so nobody will go hungry. Me? I'll have a plate of Nancy's German Potato Salad. The best version of that I've EVER had. She always sends me home with leftovers. Now, that's a true friend!
Did I mention that on top of everything else I've been hungry for Aunt Bebe's Bean Bowl? The ingredients for that went on the list too.
We left the office before five. I know, don't faint, we really did. First to Sam's. Then to Marsh. I made two lists - outside of the aisles and inside. We divided and conquered. In two hours we were home with the car unloaded and a glass of wine in hand. I chopped and Connie opened cans. Two saucepans with half ground turkey and half ground beef were cooking away on the stove. Prep work was done for Saturday's festivities. The chili for the Frito Pie was simmering away, ready for Friday night before we go see Les Miserables at Civic Theatre. The meat for the Asian Lettuce Wraps was just about done. Connie's beloved Boston Bruins played at 7:30. It was 7:10. We'd left the office at 4:30 and could actually sit down at the dining room table and eat dinner before the game. YAY!
The head of lettuce went in one bowl. The filling in another. Candles were lit. Game on. Connie says, "Wow, this is something I used to love to eat at PF Changs." I laughed and agreed. So, what would you give them? He says a four maybe a five. No, a five. I was going through the same thing. What finally made this dish a five was the fact that I'd not change a thing. They were just perfect as is. Not only was the flavor great, but these were super easy to make. And, in our case, they had all pantry ingredients.
Now, you're probably wondering where in the world I found these wonderful things? You can click here to see Heather's recipe: Asian Lettuce Wraps. Her blog is itsyummytomytummy. I wish I could tell you a lot about Heather but she doesn't share a bunch about herself in her profile. She's got two kids. And, I think they live in the Midwest. And, she makes some killer lettuce wraps :-)
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 - 1 1/2 c shredded carrots
1 - 1/1/2 c finely diced mushrooms
1/2 c finely diced onion
2 T minced garlic
1 small can diced water chestnuts
1 t red pepper flakes (the original recipe called for 1 T but I'm a baby when it comes to heat)
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 t sesame oil
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, brown the beef, turkey and onion.
When it's almost cooked through, add in the mushrooms and carrots. When everything is done, add the balance of the ingredients. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Serve the filling in lettuce leaves.
It was time for a party on Roy and Nancy's deck. Two anniversaries, three retirements and three 60th birthdays among the group of us. We decided a pitch in would be fun. My assignment was an appetizer and a dessert. I couldn't make my mind up. Connie wanted me to make LaBrea Tar Pit chicken wings. I was thinking about pickle dip and mexicorn dip. Why not make all three? Dessert was easy. For months now I've had the "Payday Bars" from Melissa's Cuisine on the tippy top of my list. Along with Butterfingers and Mounds Bars, Paydays are my three favorite candy bars. I found the "Payday" Bars when I was assigned Melissa's Cuisine for The Secret Recipe Club. That's the month I made the pickle dip which has become a staple of our appetizers.
So, it was decided. La Brea Tar Pit chicken wings. Pickle Dip. Mexicorn Dip. And, "Payday" Bars. We were due at Roy and Nancy's at 3:00 Saturday afternoon. Friday night we chopped up two cups of hearty garlic kosher dill pickles. We also shredded two cups of pepper jack cheese and a quarter of a cup of parmesan. Otherwise, nothing was prepared in advance. The Bruins had a playoff game Saturday at 12:30 so we headed home from the office about noon. Connie chopped the tips off six pounds of wings while I started the sauce to cook them in. Once the wings went in the oven, I started in on the pickle dip and the mexicorn dip. Finally, fifteen minutes til time to leave and I was ready to start on the dessert. Peanuts in a 9 x 13 pan. Filling in the saucepan, melted. Poured. More peanuts. Cover everything with foil and pop it in the car trunk and head out for our 30 mile drive.
The highlight of the party was Janet imitating a race horse jockey and a race horse at the same time. Alas, none of us got a photo of that. I did, however, get a photo of Janet and her last minute Derby hat. And, the paparazzi snapping photos.
Nancy's brats and German potato salad were fabulous as always. We also had baked beans and broccoli salad. Then, it was time for dessert. Turns out I was the only one who'd brought dessert. It was a hit. Actually, it was pretty much a homerun. I brought a few home so I could take photos. Ok, it really sounded like a good excuse. Or, so I thought it did - lol.
By now you've figured out we loved these bars. They're super easy to put together. As Al said yesterday, "They taste just like a Payday Bar, only fresh." I think that pretty well sums it up!
"Payday" Bars
Ingredients
2 c peanut butter chips
2 1/2 T butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 c mini marshmallows
4 c roasted, salted peanuts (the recipe called for 3 c but I found it took 2 c to cover the bottom of the pan...)
Directions:
Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Pour in 2 c of the peanuts.
The bottom of the pan should be well covered. In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter chips. Pour in the sweetened, condensed milk and the marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted.
Slowly pour the filling over the peanuts. Use an offset spatula to smooth it.
Pour the other two cups of peanuts over the filling. Very gently press them in with the palm of your hand. Refrigerate the bars.
Many thanks to Melissa's Cuisine for another winning recipe!
