French Style Braised Lentils

Fabulous fall! Though I wait impatiently all year for the first taste of spring berries, it is fall flavors that have my heart.

Yes, I am a big fan of pumpkin and all shapes and sizes of winter squash, but fall is much more than just a pumpkin spice latte! Fall is full of savory apples and sage, thyme and filling dishes like creamy mashed potatoes and French style braised lentils. All amazing flavors that I am excited to share with you this month.

Fall also seems like a great time to finish my time with The Secret Recipe Club. It has been an amazing ride and I have highlighted some amazing dishes here on Adventures in All Things Food. I have been honored to also have my dishes featured on various blogs over the years. There is something exciting about seeing my family's favorite dishes come to life on other food blogs.

For my final Secret Recipe Club feature I was honored to be assigned to cook from Lavendar and Lovage, where Karen shares some amazing dishes and recipes. She divides her time between North Yorkshire and SW France, and her food reflects that.

I have to admit that I love lentils. I have only two recipes in my repertoire that use lentils and was thrilled to find a hearty and easy dish with lentils on Karen's blog. Her French Style Braised Lentils sounded like the perfect fall dish to share with my family on Sunday. Paired with pan seared pork and apples, mashed potatoes and a little salad, it had everyone falling in love with these fall flavors.

This recipe is very simple and makes a lot of lentils. I made up a full batch for the family and was thrilled to have leftovers for several lunches. The dish begins with a simple saute of the vegetables and bacon. Then the remaining ingredients and lentils are added to simmer for 30 minutes.

This dish proves once again why dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar are staples in my pantry. The combination is amazing!

Once this dish is started, simmering leaves plenty of time to make the rest of the meal.

I opted for a mixture of green and red lentils. Though, the red lentils didn't come out as colorful as I had hoped. They had looked so pretty on the shelf at Trader Joe's. I just couldn't resist!

French Style Braised Lentils
recipe from Lavendar and Lovage

You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon butter (or oil of your choice)
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 c. lentils
• sprig of fresh thyme
• 1Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 c. water
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a dutch oven and add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and bacon. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. They should be softened and the onions should be translucent.

Add the lentils to the pan and stir to coat, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix and then cover and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes. The lentils should be tender.

Season to taste and serve immediately, or keep warm to serve with the main course. This dish reheats very well and can also be made ahead of time.

Enjoy!

A fond farewell to all my friends in The Secret Recipe Club! So many amazing memories and delicious dishes have been shared. Thank you all!

An InLinkz Link-up

Southwestern Breakfast Scramble - Brunch is Served!

September passed like a whirlwind...

We started the month with a new school year and I can hardly believe that my oldest two are in 2nd and 3rd grade already. New teachers, new lessons and the end of lazy summer days outside. Our days  quickly filled with alarms and new school schedules. It didn't leave a lot of time for kitchen creativity.

Some nights I hit the pillow and feel grateful that we all made it through another day. Everyone was fed, but between work and keeping up with the kids' requests, it didn't leave much time or energy. Ever feel like that?

Not to mention my youngest is deep in potty training... and following in his Mommy's footsteps. Future food blogger. maybe? Currently he prefers video, but we can work with that! Which leads me to today's recipe share.

Being a busy Mom, ready to face fall, school carnivals and empty stomachs, I was excited to find Sarah's recipe for this Southwestern Breakfast Scramble as my October Secret Recipe Club blog assignment.

If you haven't seen Sarah's blog, Things I Make (For Dinner), you have to check it out! I have had the pleasure to blog with Sarah in the #BookClubCookbookCC group as we read and cooked our way through a year of deliciously inspired dishes. Sarah loves to cook and you will find a whole variety of delicious recipes on her blog for everything from Cherry Pecan Bread to Tandoori-style Chicken Burgers.

With the fall weather finally hitting Oregon, I was really excited to see all of Sarah's yummy comfort food recipes, like her Parmesan-crusted Stuffed Chicken. Yum!

But, I finally selected her hearty Southwestern  Breakfast Scramble. It was the perfect brunch option for a drizzly weekend. It was also simple, and tasted amazing!

I love any chance I can use up eggs... yes, I may have too many hens at the moment! There were a few late chicks from my broody hens. Hard as I tried to dissuade them from laying, they still managed to add a few young hens to the flock. This was also a great chance to use our farm's fresh salsa. Sorry, my husband and kids all prefer mild salsa. I think this dish was delicious with mild, but would be amazing with a little kick... or a few stray jalapenos. Just saying...

Do here is the cast of characters. I bet you have most, if not all, of these items in your fridge and pantry already.

And yes, on the left... those are tortilla chips. Just trust me.

Start by whisking the eggs and milk.

Yup, whip it good...

Then when the eggs are almost set, pile on the black beans, chips, salsa and cheese. Top them off with a lid and let them get all melty and cozy.

Before serving garnish with the green onions and a little more cheese.

We served three and still had leftovers for the next day. As Sarah mentioned in her post, they re-heat beautifully the next day so don't skimp.

This was a great hearty meal. The chips soften up in the eggs and salsa, so it is more like a breakfast casserole with some occasional crunch. So good. I will definitely be making this more over the cold months.

Ready for the recipe?

Southwestern Breakfast Scramble
from Things I Make (For Dinner)

You will need:

• 6 eggs
• 6 Tbsp. milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 c. tortilla chips
• 1 c. salsa
• 1 c shredded cheese
• 4 green onions, sliced

Whisk together the eggs and milk in a medium bowl.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the eggs and with a spatula, pull the eggs towards the center of the pan as they cook.

When the eggs are 3/4 set, add the drained beans, chips, salsa and cheese to the top. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve immediately garnished with sliced green onion and additional cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Soft Pretzel Bites - Perfect for Back to School!

Snacks.... I never thought about snacks as much as I have since becoming a Mom. I keep snacks on hand, I don't dare leave the house without something handy and my kids are constantly asking for them.

"Mom, I'm hungry... can I have a snack?"

School is starting back up here next week which brings a whole new angle to snack time - class snacks. Families are assigned one day a month to provide a snack for the entire class. Of course, once on a time snack schedule, my kids are "starving" at that time on weekends, holidays and when out for summer.

So, yes... my life revolves around having snacks handy or a few bars or pouches of something buried deep in my purse. Despite my initial resistance to snacking between meals, I have resigned myself to knowing as my boys get older this need to constantly graze will only get worse.

Lucky for you, my September Secret Recipe Club assignment brought with it a great recipe and snack idea that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy - Soft Pretzel Bites. Now, that is a snack even I was excited to make!

This month I was assigned to Making Memories with your Kids and Erin had tons of great ideas to make meal times fun both for eating and for getting into the kitchen with the whole family. I chose the Soft Prezel Bites recipe for my youngest son, Elliott, who just adores pretzels! He also lives for snacks. While looking through Erin's site though I found many other fun recipes I want to try like her Homemade Pop Tarts or her recipe for Twix Cheesecake Brownie Torte - Yes, please!  Erin really has a passion for getting her kids involved in baking and cooking, so if you are looking to be inspired, be sure to check out her blog.

This recipe is pretty simple. Pretzels and bagels are created like any other bread dough, then boiled briefly and finished off with a topping and some time in the oven to bake and crisp up. The extra step though is totally worth the time! These little pretzel bites are crunchy on the outside while still being warm and chewy in the middle. I dipped mine in some coarse grained mustard, but my toddler gobbled them up plain and warm from the oven.

It all starts with a little yeast...

Proofing is like a morning call to the yeast colony. "Hey guys! Time for work..."

All the ingredients go in and the dough should come out supple, but not too sticky either. It had just enough flour in order to clean the sides of the stand mixer, but it was not dry.

After a good rise, about an hour to double in size, I created my "snake" of dough and used my bench scraper to cut small peices off. I rolled each into a tighter ball and pinched the seam on the bottom.

Then I boiled my pretzel bites in water with non-diastic malt powder for about a minutes. The non-diastic malt powder helps to produce a shiny crust on bagels and pretzels. I use a ratio of 2 Tablespoons to 2 quarts of water. You can order it from amazon or King Arthur Flour. You can substitue baking soda, if you prefer, as in Erin's original recipe.

Then I brushed each bite with egg wash and sprinkled it with a little pretzel salt. The pretzel salt really holds up well to baking and doesn't disappear as Kosher salt can.

After baking, the soft pretzel bites were golden brown and ready to be devoured! Don't these look yummy?

Don't worry if the recipe seems to make an endless supply of these little soft pretzel bites. Believe me, they go quickly! Once you start snacking on them, you will be hooked. Let me know in the comments below what you would dip your pretzel bites into? Cheese sauce? Mustard, like me? Or do you have an alternate favorite? I would love to hear about it!

Soft Pretzel Bites
adapted from Making Memories with Your Kids

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 c.  water at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 1/2 tsp. bread salt
• 4 1/2 c. flour
• vegetable oil - for oiling the bowl during proofing
• 2 quarts water
• 2 Tbsp. non-diastic malt powder
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
• pretzel salt

Proof the yeast by combining the water, yeast, brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until the mixture foams and becomes bubbly. If there is no activity, or your yeast is sluggish, replace the yeast and start again.

Add the salt and flour to the bowl and with the dough hook, mix on medium for about 5 minutes. The dough should become smooth and the bowl should be clean. Remove from the mixer and put into an oiled bowl, turn the dough over, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough is almost ready, bring a pot of water up to boil with 2 quarts water and the non-diastic malt powder. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Once the dough is ready, divide into 8 balls. Roll the dough out into long snakes and cut or divide into smaller portions. They will still puff up a little while cooking. I cut mine into thumb sized peices. 

Working in batches, drop the pretzel peices into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then with a slotted spoon, remove them and place them on a non-stick baking mat. I used silpat for this this. Brush the boiled dough with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the peices are a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

As July changes into August, it marks one of my favorite times of the year. There is such a bounty of local fruit and vegetables available that it makes evening meals so much easier!

Instead of traditional meal planning with lists and recipes, I usually just throw together what is ripe and ready on our farm. We have corn, cantaloupe, broccoli, peaches, etc. We also have just the start of tomatoes and lots of basil. And of course, there is the never-ending supply of zucchini - yellow and green, as well as summer squash.

So, while looking through Sally's fabulous blog, Bewitching Kitchen, for my August Secret Recipe Club assignment, I had an eye on tempting recipes with seasonal ingredients. Of course, Sally has so many amazing recipes, it would be hard not to find something to fit the season!

Sally was born in Brazil and so I was tempted by her list of Brazillian dishes like Shrimp Moqueca and Baked Coconut. Both of those I want to go back and try soon!

Sally also has an Ultimate Apple Cake recipe that I just had to try. ... and I have made it twice already it was such a smashing success. I was intrigued when Sally posted that the cake was not only fool-proof but contained so many diced apples, you might be skeptical that the cake would really turn out. This was not my first apple cake try, but it was my family's favorite by far!  Yes, since I was talking about seasonal fruits, we do have early apples now. Crazy, right?

But, that is not the recipe I ultimately decided to share here. I finally settled on Sally's Sauteed Zucchini With Sundried Tomatoes and Basil.

This just summed up summer flavors perfectly for me right now. It was also something my whole family could enjoy. I did make Sally's original recipe, but my only addition was a few grape and cherry tomatoes that we found in the field behind out house. I love sundried tomatoes, but my kids prefer the fresh tomatoes more. Either way you make it, I am sure you will enjoy this simple side.  !

Start with medium sized zucchini, washed and quartered so they are all about the same size. Smaller zucchini will have smaller and more tender seeds.  Pat them dry and then salt lightly to help draw out even more moisture.

No one enjoys a limp or soggy squash! Just 10 minutes will help with that.

Just blot them dry and saute with a little olive oil and garlic till they have some color and are fork tender. Then toss with the tomatoes, basil, and some fresh lemon juice. Season and enjoy!

This would also be a fun dish to make outdoors on the grill if it is too hot indoors for cooking. Either way, I hope you give this fun side a try and head over to see all the tempting recipes on Sally's blog, Bewitching Kitchen!

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND BASIL

adapted from Bewitching Kitchen

You will need:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 3 sundried tomatoes, drained and diced
• 6 basil leaves, sliced in thin strips *or fresh grape or cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and quarter the zucchini lengthwise. Pat dry, and arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Lightly salt the squash and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Blot any excess moisture and make sure the zucchini are roughly the same size.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and garlic. Saute till fork tender and starting to brown. Remove from the heat and toss with tomatoes, basil, and lemon juice. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil

This Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil was a weekend hit and the perfect loaf to pair with a fresh dinner of sauteed farm veggies and baked chicken.

After a bit of traveling last week, I was really itching to get into the kitchen to bake. This bread recipe definitely didn't disappoint.

I am also having a hard time coming to terms with the fact it is already July. How did July get here so quickly? In preparation for Fourth of July backyard grilling, I wanted to go low-key over the weekend. Instead of our usual big family dinner, I opted for a simpler weekend treat, saving my time and kitchen for the upcoming holiday.

I have a fun grilled dinner planned for Monday, so this weekend I wanted some simple baked chicken, sauteed veggies and a hearty bread. I always know if nothing else suits him, my toddler will always be happy with freshly baked bread.

 The start of July also brings me to this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month it was my honor to be assigned Karen's Kitchen Stories. Karen is a self-proclaimed bread geek, so I knew I had to try one of her breads.. Believe me, there is a long list of amazing looking breads in her recipe index. Bread isn't the only thing Karen is talented at making, I also  found some other amazing looking recipes for General Tso's Chicken  and Baby Yukon Gold Hasselback Potatoes. If you end up making one of Karen's recipes, be sure to let me know in the comments below which one caught your eye!

I always enjoy any excuse to bust out my sourdough starter (originally from King Arthur Flour) and loved that this one also used rosemary. My darling "little" plant has completely taken over one corner of my garden and I currently have more rosemary than I could ever use.

But that is a problem that I rather enjoy having. I do try to use rosemary whenever possible without going completely overboard. This bread is amazing - but not overboard on rosemary flavor. Yum!

The recipe is actually quite simple, but it does take some forethought as there is a lot of inactive time required while the loaves rise. The longest rise takes place overnight in the refrigerator. I just barely escaped a rising disaster due to my bowl size. Luckily, it had just enough room to expand overnight before being shaped and baked.

This recipe is enough for making 2 boules, and they are best baked in cast iron dutch ovens for the best crust and crumb. I only have one Le Creuset dutch oven, so baked the other loaf on black Silpat. It was also good, but do try to use a dutch oven if you have one.

Also, Karen's recipe calls for letting the dough rise in a banneton or brotform. My loaves didn't achieve the same height because I let them rise free-form. Don't worry, I actually have a round banneton ordered and hope to share my experience with it soon. If you don't have these types of forms, don't worry. Do expect your loaf to spread outward more than up.

Ready to sink your teeth into a slice of Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil?

Okay. Let's get baking!

Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil
from Karen's Kitchen Stories adapted from Amy's Bread, Revised and Updated: Artisan-style breads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more from New York City's favorite bakery

You will need:

• 2 oz. warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tsp. active dry yeast
• 14 oz. sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 8 oz. water, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. rosemary, chopped
• 15.3 oz. all-purpose flour
• 2.8 oz. whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. bread salt (try King Arthur Flour's blend) 

In a stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Allow to proof for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.

To the mixer bowl, add in the starter, 8 ounces water, olive oil, and rosemary. Mix with the paddle attachment.

Switch to the dough hook and add in the remaining ingredients. Knead on medium-low (Kitchen-aid setting 4) for a couple of minutes. The dough should be tacky and soft.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl or rising bucket. After an hour, fold the dough over from all 4 sides and place it back into the oiled bowl, seam side down. Refrigerate for 8 - 16 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 2 hours.

Split the dough in half. Form two boules and place the dough seam side down on pieces of parchment. Cover and allow to rise for 75 minutes to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you are going to cook one or more loaves in dutch ovens, place the dutch ovens in the oven to preheat as well.

Spray the lid lightly with water and place the dough into a preheated dutch oven. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and dutch oven. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

*If you don't have a dutch oven, you can bake this loaf on a tray. I used black Silpat and sprayed the inside of the oven with water before closing the door. Follow the same temperature and time guidelines as the covered loaf. The loaf will taste the same, but will have a different crust. Both methods are delicious, though.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Bahamian Chicken Souse and Johnnycake

Warmer weather and busy days does not mean we can't have a comforting home cooked meal ready to go for dinner. This month I brought out the slow-cooker to take a little culinary trip to the Bahamas.

I was inspired by Ellie, the talented blogger behind The Hobo Kitchen. I feel very fortunate to have found her blog because despite being another SRC member, she is in a different posting group from me. When I heard her group needed help covering a blogger this month, I agreed to get to know Ellie better and dive into her recipes! ...I had no idea how big of a treat it would be. So this makes my second Secret Recipe Club post for June.

I have never been to the Bahamas.

It would definitely be a place I would like to visit someday, but farm life doesn't really lend itself to vacations. All of my previous globe-trotting has been around Asia. Someday I hope to expand my travels. Luckily, I can enjoy recipes like this one right at home.

Ellie was born in Nassau, Bahamas. So, I had to pick a recipe from her site that would be true to her roots. Once I spotted these recipes, I was hooked. My only change was to put the Chicken Souse into the slow-cooker - for time.
Of course there were several recipes that caught my eye on her site, a recent Pecan and Goat Cheese Encrusted Chicken looked amazing, And I just must have some of her Nutella Bread Pudding in my life... and soon!

The Chicken Souse sounded both simple and delicious with chicken, potatoes, habanero peppers, whole allspice and a whole lotta lime! The flavor combinations really interested me. Ellie suggested serving this alongside warm and buttered Johnnycake, so I made that as well.

This Johnny cake didn't use the usual cornmeal base I was used to. It is simple, hearty and a great side to complete the meal.

Ready to get cooking? Grab your slow-cooker... a few simple ingredients and let's get started.

The original recipe shared on Ellie's blog is not made in a slow-cooker. As a busy mom of 3, dinner time can get a little crazy, so out comes the slow-cooker... a.k.a "dinner time machine". I also cut the recipe down by half for my family of 5.

Bahamian Chicken Souse
recipe adapted from The Hobo Kitchen

You Will Need:

• 5 lbs. chicken, skinned, cleaned and cubed
• 1 1/2 medium sized onions
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 1/2 habanero pepper, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. whole allspice seeds
• 2 Tbsp. salt + more for potatoes
• juice of 3-4 limes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 c, water
• 2 lbs. potatoes, washed and cubed (about 4 medium russets)

Combine all the ingredients in the slow-cooker, except the potatoes. Set for 6 hours.

With an hour and a half remaining. Place the cubed potatoes in a small saucepan and fill with just enough water to cover them. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are softened, but still firm. Add the potatoes and potato water to the crock pot to simmer for the remaining hour.

Taste the broth before serving and add additional salt or lime juice as needed.

Bahamian Johnnycake
recipe adapted from The Hobo Kitchen

You Will Need:

• 1/2 c. butter, softened + more for greasing the pan
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 4 c. flour
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 c. milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a cast iron skillet with butter, set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the flour, water, salt and baking powder. Add milk slowly until the batter is sticky.

Pour into the skillet. Put a little flour on your hands and spread the batter out evenly. Bake for 1 hour, or until the edges begin to brown. The johnnycake doesn't rise much. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing, serve warm with butter.

Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

I used to love baking cookies...

I actually think it was the only thing I baked regularly before leaving for college. There was even a little kitchen-ette in our dorm, hidden away but dorm residents could request the key, I didn't know about that little perk until I was a resident assistant... the secret was closely guarded so it didn't become a mess... or worse, cause the whole complex to burn to the ground...

But I hadn't baked cookies because my oldest children couldn't eat most cookies. Don't worry, we have alternative treats to make them. But with an almost 3-year-old, cookies are back on my radar big time!

With my little-est cookie monster on my mind, I was thrilled to find June's Secret Recipe Club recipe at Emily's Life on Food with these delicious Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies.

Emily is another fabulous food blogger I know through The Secret Recipe Club, as well as The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew and other fun foodie events.

Emily shares all her favorite recipes and juggles her food with a young child. Yeah, I get that. Toddlers rarely wait while a sauce is thickening on the stove or keep tantrums in check while tempering eggs...

sigh...

But I love that Emily is still adventurous in the kitchen, even when her hands are a little full. I need to try her Steak with Chimichurri Sauce - it looks so fresh and vibrant. I also need to try her recipe for Coconut Rice Pudding - because, well... I NEVER turn down a good rice pudding but coconut would definitely take it up a notch!

So, back to those delicious blondies!

I know the browned butter kick has faded it a bit, but this was a fun and tasty kick on a classic bar cookie. Browned butter is a little magical, don't you think? I highly recommend doing this in a cast iron skillet, if you got it. Otherwise, be sure it isn't non-stick...

Once melted, whisk to prevent the butter from burning. Brown flecks are good - blackened, burned bits are bad.

The rest is pretty much, straight up, the classic blondie recipe. So, let's get started, shall we?

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
adapted from Life on Food

You will need:

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare an 8"x8" baking dish with greased foil, or I like to use disposable with a lid.

Start by making the browned butter. In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir constantly. The butter will foam then begin to develop brown flecks and smell nutter. When the flecks begin to form, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Continue stirring for an additional minute, so the butter doesn't burn. Set aside for an additional 10 minutes to cool.

To the cooled butter, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract till smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gently fold into the butter mixture. Take care to moisten all the dry ingredients but do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out the top. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is set. Do not overbake. The blondies will firm up as they cool. 

Wait at least an hour before slicing into bars. Enjoy! 

Ready to check out all the great June Secret Recipe Club recipe posts?

An InLinkz Link-up