This fall I caught a wild bug and went and bought an entire bushel of apples. That's FOURTY-TWO POUNDS! I think I bought Cortland...use a firm, slightly tart variety in any case.
Besides apple pie, apple dumplings, apple coffee cake and apple butter, I made some really fantastic applesauce.
Pull out your bathroom scale, unless of course you have a "kitchen scale"...really though if you do, you need to "wing it" a bit more. Place a large bowl onto the scale and fill it with apples until you reach about 8-9 pounds.
After you peeled them, cored them, and left them in large chunks (maybe only quarter your apples if they are small - eighths if they are big), place the apples in a large pot with:
-The peel of one lemon (cut about 8 wide strips down the lemon - leaving some of the white on the fruit - a vegetable peeler works good)
-The juice of 2 lemons
-A healthy bit of cinnamon
-1/2 cup dark brown sugar
-1/2 cup white sugar
-2 cup water
-1 teaspoon of salt
Cover the pot and bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. You'll know it's ready if the apples are starting to break up. You'll actually want to carefully sample a bit to make sure your sugar is right. Depending on the apples you might want a bit more. Remove from heat and remove the lemon peels. Mash to desired consistency with a potato masher.
This will make about 3 quarts of applesauce. I made two batches, ate a bunch, and ended up with 4 quarts in the freezer. If you have it stored in an actual deep freeze it is supposed to keep up to a year!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Butternut Squash Ravioli
Although this recipe is NOT hard, it is a bit time consuming. It's exactly the type of cooking I wait all week for...my weekend therapy. The most important thing to remember is I think it will be a pretty forgiving dish. You won't mess it up!
A run down of ingredients will include:
1 pkg of wonton wrappers (mine had about 48 and it was perfect)
1 butternut squash
8oz of your favorite fresh mushrooms
Pine nuts
bacon, pancetta, or not (I used about 3 slices of centercut bacon)
Chicken stock
cream (optional)
Bread Crumbs
Garlic
1 Egg
Parmesan Cheese
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Flour, Butter
First things first - get the squash sawed in half and scoop out the seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Coat a pan with a small amount of olive oil and place the squash flesh side down. Roast at about 400 degrees...until it's done. It will probably take 30-45 minutes.
In the mean time crisp the bacon or pancetta if you opt to use it. Pull it out of your frying pan and drain almost all of the grease out, but leave a bit for the sauce you will make later. By a bit I mean just what coats the bottom of it. You will also want to toast a handful - like 1/4 cup - of pine nuts in a small skillet. Shake the skillet often so they do not burn! Use a small chopper to finely chop them - not so they are ground up, but slightly chunky still.
In a bowl - scoop out one of the squash halves. Save the other for another time. Add in 1 egg, a handful of bread crumbs (1/4 cup-ish), handful of parmesan, sprinkle of nutmeg-salt-pepper, half the pine nuts you chopped, half of the bacon or pancetta, and a few mushrooms finely chopped.
Place one wonton wrapper down - top with a tablespoon of filling (hello cookie dough scoop!), wet the edges with your finger dipped in water - and then top with a second wonton wrapper. Place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray so they don't stick. I'd also suggest maybe staying in a single layer.
Once you have all of the ravioli made, prepare a large pot of water and a dash of olive oil to heat on the stove on med-high heat. You don't actually want a full boil for cooking the ravioli.
While waiting, heat back up your skillet you used to cook the bacon. Add a (generous) tablespoon or so of butter into the pan. Slice up the rest of the mushrooms and finely chop 1-2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan to saute for a few minutes. Toss in a handful of flour - probably not a 1/4 cup this time, but more like a few tablespoons. It should make a thick paste with the oils you have in the pan for sauteing. Using a whisk or a spatula slowly start to work in some chicken broth. Add it slowly until you find a consistency you are happy with. Slightly runny is good for this use. Dump back in the rest of the bacon and pine nuts, and finish with a splash of cream if you'd like.
Sometime half-way through making happy sauce, the water should start to simmer good. If it starts to boil turn it down a bit. Drop the ravioli in a few at a time - depending on the size of your pot. I could fit about 6 in mine. They will only need to cook about 3 minutes, and then use a large slotted spoon to raise back out of the pan. Place on a large serving platter. If you need to layer them you should coat them with a bit of oil to prevent sticking - I used some olive oil cooking spray. Top with a bit of sauce (a little goes a long way!) and parmesan cheese, have some nice salad and bread on the side and enjoy!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Drunken Noodles!
I had never eaten Thai food until probably about two years ago. I was driving around with my accomplice and he suggested it. I said, "I don't know about no Thai food, just Ty food, like chicken nuggets!" Needless to say it was an addictive good time. Now my "Ty food" collection has grown to include meats cooked with spicy peanut sauce. He loves it. Might have to test out these noodles on him next!
Besides playing with some peanut sauce now and then I never attempted to actually cook Thai food. It seemed like it would be complicated. Boy was I wrong!
I found a relatively easy looking recipe for Drunken Noodles yesterday, and altered it to make it make sense to me. Delish!
Cook 6-8 oz flat rice noodles according to package directions. It should involve some form of soaking. I couldn't find the wide noodles, and used the skinny kind. The box told me to boil some water - add the noodles - shut the heat off and let them soak for 3 minutes - rinse - set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 4 T. soy sauce, 2T. oyster sauce, and 2 tsp. brown sugar. Set aside for later.
Heat 1 T. canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. This is the part you could add your favorite meat or some tofu and cook, then set aside until the end. I made mine just with veggies and had some chicken with peanut sauce on the side.
Add 4-5 minced garlic cloves and saute for about 15 seconds. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (take it easy - you can always add more!), 1 small head of broccoli chopped into small florets, 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, and a handful of pea pods. (This is the part where you make it yours with favorite veggies. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, peppers, etc. - whatever is tasty!) Stir fry the veggies about a minute.
Next you add in that sauce from above, the noodles, a couple good handfuls of bean sprouts, a very good handful of Thai Basil coarsely chopped, and reserved meat or tofu from above if you choose to have it, and stir fry all together for another 1-2 minutes, until veggies are tender crisp.
Thai Basil was new to me, and I was certain I was not going to be able to find it. Low and behold it was there. It is definitely different from traditional basil, although the recipe said you could use traditional basil if you couldn't find the Thai. I'm not convinced of this, but I know where I can find Thai Basil now!
Besides playing with some peanut sauce now and then I never attempted to actually cook Thai food. It seemed like it would be complicated. Boy was I wrong!
I found a relatively easy looking recipe for Drunken Noodles yesterday, and altered it to make it make sense to me. Delish!
Cook 6-8 oz flat rice noodles according to package directions. It should involve some form of soaking. I couldn't find the wide noodles, and used the skinny kind. The box told me to boil some water - add the noodles - shut the heat off and let them soak for 3 minutes - rinse - set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 4 T. soy sauce, 2T. oyster sauce, and 2 tsp. brown sugar. Set aside for later.
Heat 1 T. canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. This is the part you could add your favorite meat or some tofu and cook, then set aside until the end. I made mine just with veggies and had some chicken with peanut sauce on the side.
Add 4-5 minced garlic cloves and saute for about 15 seconds. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (take it easy - you can always add more!), 1 small head of broccoli chopped into small florets, 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, and a handful of pea pods. (This is the part where you make it yours with favorite veggies. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, peppers, etc. - whatever is tasty!) Stir fry the veggies about a minute.
Next you add in that sauce from above, the noodles, a couple good handfuls of bean sprouts, a very good handful of Thai Basil coarsely chopped, and reserved meat or tofu from above if you choose to have it, and stir fry all together for another 1-2 minutes, until veggies are tender crisp.
Thai Basil was new to me, and I was certain I was not going to be able to find it. Low and behold it was there. It is definitely different from traditional basil, although the recipe said you could use traditional basil if you couldn't find the Thai. I'm not convinced of this, but I know where I can find Thai Basil now!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ragu Begone!
There is something genuinely satisfying about chopping up a bunch of vegetables. It's kind of like chopping up a whole chicken successfully, yet different.
Some time last year I stopped buying spaghetti sauce. Some time Saturday night, between bar stops, my best batch of sauce yet was created. There is still a notch out of my left index finger to prove it.
Super Chunky Pasta Sauce
Heat a splash of olive oil in a deep skillet. Add 5-6 large cloves of garlic as finely chopped as you can manage (without adding fingers to the skillet), 1/2 onion chopped, 1/2 green pepper chopped, 1/2 red pepper chopped, a handful of fresh mushrooms thick sliced (baby bellas!), 1/4 cup fresh oregano finely chopped, 1/4 cup fresh parsely finely chopped and 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped. If you don't have the fresh versions of the herbs use a few good teaspoons of dried. Salt and pepper it all to taste.
Once you've got your saute on and everything smells great and is tender, dump in a couple of cans (15 oz size) of fire-roasted chopped tomatoes (don't drain) and a small can of tomato paste (the teeny tiny can). You "could" run the tomatoes through a food processor to smooth them out if you wanted, but seriously...why? Let it all simmer together on low heat while you get the rest of the meal together!
Great on gnocchi, ravioli, any pasta, and for my gluten-free friends - just add to some nicely cooked chicken! Actually if I was eating it straight with chicken maybe a splash or two of red pepper flakes would be nice to wake it up a bit?
Some time last year I stopped buying spaghetti sauce. Some time Saturday night, between bar stops, my best batch of sauce yet was created. There is still a notch out of my left index finger to prove it.
Super Chunky Pasta Sauce
Heat a splash of olive oil in a deep skillet. Add 5-6 large cloves of garlic as finely chopped as you can manage (without adding fingers to the skillet), 1/2 onion chopped, 1/2 green pepper chopped, 1/2 red pepper chopped, a handful of fresh mushrooms thick sliced (baby bellas!), 1/4 cup fresh oregano finely chopped, 1/4 cup fresh parsely finely chopped and 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped. If you don't have the fresh versions of the herbs use a few good teaspoons of dried. Salt and pepper it all to taste.
Once you've got your saute on and everything smells great and is tender, dump in a couple of cans (15 oz size) of fire-roasted chopped tomatoes (don't drain) and a small can of tomato paste (the teeny tiny can). You "could" run the tomatoes through a food processor to smooth them out if you wanted, but seriously...why? Let it all simmer together on low heat while you get the rest of the meal together!
Great on gnocchi, ravioli, any pasta, and for my gluten-free friends - just add to some nicely cooked chicken! Actually if I was eating it straight with chicken maybe a splash or two of red pepper flakes would be nice to wake it up a bit?
Monday, July 27, 2009
One Fish. Two Fish. Pink Fish. Bacon Fish.
I've been trying to make fish a larger part of my diet. I don't like most creatures from the water, but I am learning more about fish and have now branched out from canned tuna to whole salmon fillets. It is a big deal!
Recently I could not resist a massive salmon fillet from Westborn Market in Berkley, MI. I can't usually resist their chicken Italian sausages either, but did this time somehow. Perhaps because I had a 3 pound salmon fillet in my cart.
The preparation is extremely simple. I cut the fillet into 3 manageable pieces because I was going to grill it. Rub both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh black pepper. In a small bowl, coarsley cut up fresh dill - LOTS of fresh dill, and slice some lemons - probably about 2 lemons.
Place the fillet skin side up for a few minutes to get a little color on it - then flip so the skin is down. The skin will grill up really crispy for those that eat it. I don't, but it did look tasty! After the flip, top with lots of dill and lay down some lemon slices. The fish won't take long to cook - depending on the heat of your grill maybe about 10 minutes. Run a spatula under the fish occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking, but you shouldn't have any trouble! Serve with extra lemon wedges. Super fresh and tasty fish!
Next up - bacon fish! This is as simple as the first. I'm not a big fan of bacon, but this was tasty. Season your favorite fillets of fish - small-ish sized - with salt and pepper. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on them. Add some red pepper flakes and cumin for some kick if you like! Wrap the fillets with one or two pieces of bacon and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Enjoy!
My apologies for the lack of photographic evidence of food goodness, however, sometimes its just too damn good to take the time to grab the camera.
Recently I could not resist a massive salmon fillet from Westborn Market in Berkley, MI. I can't usually resist their chicken Italian sausages either, but did this time somehow. Perhaps because I had a 3 pound salmon fillet in my cart.
The preparation is extremely simple. I cut the fillet into 3 manageable pieces because I was going to grill it. Rub both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh black pepper. In a small bowl, coarsley cut up fresh dill - LOTS of fresh dill, and slice some lemons - probably about 2 lemons.
Place the fillet skin side up for a few minutes to get a little color on it - then flip so the skin is down. The skin will grill up really crispy for those that eat it. I don't, but it did look tasty! After the flip, top with lots of dill and lay down some lemon slices. The fish won't take long to cook - depending on the heat of your grill maybe about 10 minutes. Run a spatula under the fish occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking, but you shouldn't have any trouble! Serve with extra lemon wedges. Super fresh and tasty fish!
Next up - bacon fish! This is as simple as the first. I'm not a big fan of bacon, but this was tasty. Season your favorite fillets of fish - small-ish sized - with salt and pepper. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on them. Add some red pepper flakes and cumin for some kick if you like! Wrap the fillets with one or two pieces of bacon and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Enjoy!
My apologies for the lack of photographic evidence of food goodness, however, sometimes its just too damn good to take the time to grab the camera.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Mini Pizzas, Margaritas, and Mud Pie Cake
A recent Friday night we had a "party". Mini me picks out a menu and we go for it. This menu was mini pizzas and mud pie cake. I added the margarita part, because...well...it was Friday night.
Mini pizzas are nothing more than the crust recipe a few entries back. We divided the dough into 6 pizzas, did our best to shape them into circles, added tomato sauce, herbs, and our favorite toppings. They're nice because everybody can make their own just how they want it!
Mud Pie Cake was a first for us, but we loved it for so many reasons. It is difficult sometimes to bake for just a few people, and this cake was just the right size. It also uses ingredients you are certain to have on hand. The final result is so light and wonderful you will find yourself wanting to eat the entire cake!
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar ,1 T unsweetened cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and a dash of salt. Add in 1/4 cup milk (fat free is okay!), 1 T. canola oil, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. (I would have also liked to add some pecans at this point, but this was Ty's cake!)
At this point you are thinking to yourself that you screwed up the recipe because there is not very much batter. It's cool. You're doing fine! Spread this batter as best you can in a greased 9" pie plate.
In a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, and 2/3 cup boiling water. This is the mud part. It looks like dirty water! Slowly pour this over the batter.
You're still certain you've screwed something up, or this can't possibly work. Trust me, I felt the same way! Just put it in the oven, set your timer for 20 minutes, and walk away. It will be perfect! Eat it while it is still warm - best with berries and ice cream.
Once you cut into it all that liquid you had poured on top of the batter has baked into the middle and thickened up into "mud". It's quite fantastic!
Now for the margaritas. If your margaritas involve a bucket of slush from the grocery store, you're doing it ALL wrong. They are so easy to make and so very good.
The key here is 1/2 cup. 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup lime juice (Rose's), 1/2 cup triple sec, 1/2 cup Jose, and 1/4 cup sugar diluted in 1/4 cup water (which should make 1/2 cup sugar water). Add ice to fill the blender and voila!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Bring on the Sunshine!
Summer = Fresh.
Fresh salsa is SO good. I just heard you groan with displeasure at the work before you. I've got your back on this one!
Open a 16oz jar of your favorite salsa. I used "medium".
Chop a medium green pepper, medium red bell pepper, half a red onion, 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, 3-ish medium ripe tomatoes, and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro. Also add 1 small can chopped green chiles, 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans, and about 2 cups of fresh or frozen (and thawed) sweet corn. Mix in a spoonful of sugar, spoonful of salt and spoonful of cumin. Squeeze in the juice of one lime and let it all hang out for awhile.
Yummy! If you like some spice I think you can use a "hot" salsa as the base. The medium actually washed right out with all the additions. You could also use a fresh jalapeno pepper. I liked it without too much spice though. It stayed super fresh and light and hit everybody's taste buds in all the right ways!
Fresh salsa is SO good. I just heard you groan with displeasure at the work before you. I've got your back on this one!
Open a 16oz jar of your favorite salsa. I used "medium".
Chop a medium green pepper, medium red bell pepper, half a red onion, 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, 3-ish medium ripe tomatoes, and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro. Also add 1 small can chopped green chiles, 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans, and about 2 cups of fresh or frozen (and thawed) sweet corn. Mix in a spoonful of sugar, spoonful of salt and spoonful of cumin. Squeeze in the juice of one lime and let it all hang out for awhile.
Yummy! If you like some spice I think you can use a "hot" salsa as the base. The medium actually washed right out with all the additions. You could also use a fresh jalapeno pepper. I liked it without too much spice though. It stayed super fresh and light and hit everybody's taste buds in all the right ways!
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