Satisfy Every Back to School Sweet Tooth with "Peanut Butter Bliss Bars"

The latest recipe from my friend and masterful chef friend Jill Fisher! Jill has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. She teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. To contact Jill, let us know!

Just in time for Back to School – Peanut Butter Bliss Bars!  It is sure to satisfy every sweet tooth and to soften the blow of homework starting up again.  Nutter Butter crust, Butterfingers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – what’s not to love!

Peanut Butter Bliss Bars

1 (16 oz) package Nutter Butter Cookies

½ cup melted butter

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp vanilla

5 (1.5 oz) packages Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, chopped

3 (2.1 oz) Butterfingers

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine crushed Nutter Butters and butter in bowl (I used a food processor and did it at once).  Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 13”x9” pan.  Bake at 350F for 6 to 8 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla in a bowl, stirring until smooth.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars and chips over crust.  Drizzle milk mixture over the top.

Bake at 350F for 27 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool in pan.  Cut into thin strips.

** The recipe also called for ½ cup honey roasted peanuts and ½ coconut to be sprinkled on the crust as well.  I omitted them because I thought it would upset the delicate balance between the candy bars (tee hee).

Note from Conejo Joe:  Please do not place this plate of cookies ANYWHERE NEAR ME as they will reside in my stomach in 2 seconds flat.

August BBQ Recipe Featuring Grilled Shrimp with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

No better time than NOW to throw some shrimp on the barbecue and enjoy our hot August evenings. This Grilled Shrimp with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette recipe can work as an appetizer or an entrée. It also looks beautifully displayed on a bed of micro greens from your local Farmer’s Market.

Grilled Shrimp with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

4 strips of bacon, diced

½ cup vegetable oil

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp fresh lime juice

4 Tbsp garlic, minced

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

~20 jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails left on

Preheat grill to high.

Fry bacon for the vinaigrette in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour off all drippings, leaving bacon bits in the pan.

Stir in ½ of the oil, vinegar, sugar and lime juice. Turn off heat. Season with salt/pepper.

Toss the shrimp with remaining oil, garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers.

Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from skewers and arrange on plates, then drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with Crostini. Call hungry Conejo Joe to share!

My friend Jill Fisher has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. She teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. To contact Jill, let us know!

Celebrate Father's Day With This Easy Whiskey BBQ Flank Steak Recipe

Whiskey BBQ Flank Steak with Grilled Tomato Relish

Here is an easy BBQ recipe for Father’s Day! Light up those grills and serve up a delicious meal for Dad. Just add some grilled baked potatoes or corn from your local Farmer’s Market and a beautiful green salad or fresh fruit and you have a delightful meal to celebrate the Dad in your life.

For the steak:

1 flank steak (~ 2 lbs)

½ cup salad oil

½ cup tomato juice

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

½ tsp pepper

1 GENEROUS dash of Jack Daniels

Using a sharp knife, score the steak on each side in a diamond pattern and place in a shallow glass pan.

Combine the marinade ingredients. Pour over steak. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning once. Let stand at room temperature for an hour before grilling.

Light the grill. Brush the rack lightly with oil. Remove meat from marinade and grill about 4 inches from heat until rare, about 3 minutes per side. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Carve the steak crosswise on a slight angle into ¼” slices.

Grilled Tomato Relish

4 tomatoes, halved

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper

Place tomatoes on a medium heated grill, cut side up, and brush lightly with olive oil – 1 to 2 Tbsp. After about 3 minutes (when bottoms are brown), turn them over and continue to cook about 3-5 minutes (until soft). Remove tomatoes from grill and allow to cool until able to handle.

Combine 2 Tbsp olive oil, onions and garlic in a sauté pan. Cook until onions are soft. Stir in basil. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Should resemble a chunky salsa. Serve with steak.

Jill Fisher, a good friend of mine going waaayyyyy back to high school, has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. She teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks. Jill has also written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. To contact Jill, let us know!

Grand Re-Opening of Lupe's Mexican Restaurant in Thousand Oaks is June 15th!

Today as we were walking out of Leslie's Pool Supplies next door to Lupe's on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, it dawned on me that hey, maybe they are ready to open again!  Sure enough, the sign said Lupe's, a Thousand Oaks landmark since 1947, will once again open for business TOMORROW, June 15th!  Workers were inside preparing for the grand re-opening.

The restaurant was beautiful inside and out.  It has been expanded from a cramped and dark 1500 sq ft to a beautiful, open, bright and airy 3,100 sq ft, including 649 sq ft new dining addition and a 498 sq ft outdoor patio area.  The front of Lupe's is new and improved with a fountain and enclosed courtyard.  Lupe's has been completely revamped and reinvigorated!  But the beauty of it is that it still has some look, feel and charm of the Lupe's we've known the past 60 years! Call 805.495.3573 for more information. 

How to Make Perfect Roasted Chicken

Have you ever wondered how to get your roasted chicken moist and juicy on the inside, but crispy on the outside? Well, wonder no more! Here's a chicken dinner recipe that will have your family asking for seconds featuring Master Chef, Kirk Leins.  Get more cooking videos and free recipes at www.NoTimeToCookDinner.com.