Went to Brookwood Fruit Farm on Friday with my MOMs group and little miss. Got a big bag of apples; cortlands, jonathons, and jonamacs (jonathon-macintosh hybrid). Mmmm. Apples. Means its time for apple cooking. Made some of Mom's apple sauce right away, plan to have that tomorrow with the apple pork loin roast I love.
Tonight we had hamburger soup and then had apple dumplings (new recipe, I still want to try the other one, this is a quick one) for dessert. YUM. I halved the recipe (only had one sheet of pastry and 4 people to feed) and didn't allow them to cool all the way before we inhaled, or make the glaze. That's what vanilla bean ice cream is for, duh ;) So good when melty ice cream and apples meet.
If you have a tried/true apple recipe please share :) my friend from college is coming Thursday so I may make an apple coffee cake for us to munch on Thursday & Friday.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Alden Mill House
I think these folks deserve their own post. If you're ever wandering around the northern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan, and find yourself near Alden... be sure to check this place out. It's an old house packed to the gills with spices, seasoning mixes, soup mixes, etc. Also they have a lot of Christmas stuff. And oh, how I LOVE their garlic pepper blend. Yum. I eat it on a lot. Mac & cheese, soups, sweet potatoes with butter, in mashed potatoes... the list goes on. I think you can order direct off their website (which I will have to do soon as I'm *sniff* down to my last garlic pepper) but it's worth a visit once, if you're a fan of spices.
Alden Mill House
Alden Mill House
shepherd's pie
Last night we had a nice fall dinner, I had ground turkey and wanted to do something in casserole format with it. Shepherd's Pie came to mind. Found this recipe on allrecipes, then tweaked it to my liking :)
Turkey Shepherd's Pie
serves 6
Ingredients
cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inches thick & cooked (or I used one bag of OreIda steam & mash redskins)
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk
salt and garlic pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pam
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
garlic, to taste
white pepper, to taste
dried chives, to taste
garlic pepper, to taste
2 (1 ounce) packages instant turkey gravy mix
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (16 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2.Mash potatoes with milk, butter, Parmesan & salt/garlic pepper.
3.Heat large skillet sprayed with Pam over medium high heat. Cook and stir turkey and onion until turkey is fully cooked. Add spices, tomato paste, gravy mix and broth; stir often, until gravy is thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper & spices.
4.Add turkey mixture to the baking dish. Next, layer the peas and carrots, and top with the mashed potatoes. Top with a layer of grated cheese. and bake 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted, the dish is heated through, and the potatoes are golden on the top.
Turkey Shepherd's Pie
serves 6
Ingredients
cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inches thick & cooked (or I used one bag of OreIda steam & mash redskins)
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk
salt and garlic pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pam
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
garlic, to taste
white pepper, to taste
dried chives, to taste
garlic pepper, to taste
2 (1 ounce) packages instant turkey gravy mix
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (16 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2.Mash potatoes with milk, butter, Parmesan & salt/garlic pepper.
3.Heat large skillet sprayed with Pam over medium high heat. Cook and stir turkey and onion until turkey is fully cooked. Add spices, tomato paste, gravy mix and broth; stir often, until gravy is thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper & spices.
4.Add turkey mixture to the baking dish. Next, layer the peas and carrots, and top with the mashed potatoes. Top with a layer of grated cheese. and bake 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted, the dish is heated through, and the potatoes are golden on the top.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Greeks attack
After having an amazing dinner at the Greek Islands in Indy, my hubby and I want more Greek food. So I went hunting. Going to try these tonight. Helps that there's 30mph winds today so won't be doing the steaks I bought on the grill.
Greek Salad (will of course omit things Chris won't eat)
Ingredients
Salad:
1 to 1-1/2 heads/bunches romaine lettuce, washed, cut in half down center rib, then cut across in 1/2" wide strips
1/2 small red onion sliced to 1/8" and left in rings or half rings
1 medium cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut in 1" lengths
2 medium ripe vine tomatoes, cored, sliced into 8 wedges and seeded
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into thin (1/8") rings and seeded
Topping:
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
20 pitted kalamata olives
Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
Combine dressing ingredients in glass jar, a small glass bowl or tall drinking glass and mix thoroughly
Toss salad ingredients into large salad serving bowl
When you are ready to serve, drizzle dressing over top of salad, lightly toss, then add cheese and olives to top of salad
Greek Steak
Ingredients
1 to 2 pound thin cut beef steaks, I've used rib eye so far
Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced tomato (I am trying this ingredient for the first time, just for color, consider it very optional)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
Frying:
2 additional tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Place meat in a gallon size Ziplock® bag or spread out over a large glass lasagna or cake pan
Combine all marinade ingredients together in a small glass bowl or tall drinking glass and mix thoroughly
Pour marinade into bag with meat or over meat in glass pan. Seal bag, removing air and work marinade into meat or spoon marinade over meat to cover well, if using glass pan. Marinate for at least 2 hours. If marinating more than 2 hours, do so in refrigerator
Preheat oven to 400º F and on the stove, heat a heavy (oven proof - optional) frying pan to medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, begin adding steaks in a single layer. If they won't all fit, cook them in batches
For the oven finishing method, quickly sear/brown steaks on both sides, pour in lemon juice, then place pan of seared steaks on top rack of 400º oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until steaks are heated through to desired doneness
For the stove finishing method, reduce heat to medium after searing, pour in lemon juice and continue to cook steaks until desired doneness
Serves 3-6, depending on whether you use 1 or 2 pounds of steak
And of course have to have these too :) Greek Potatoes
Next I need to find good recipes for Pastitsio and Souvlaki with Tzatziki (what we had at the restaurant). The ones I linked to above may work :)
Greek Salad (will of course omit things Chris won't eat)
Ingredients
Salad:
1 to 1-1/2 heads/bunches romaine lettuce, washed, cut in half down center rib, then cut across in 1/2" wide strips
1/2 small red onion sliced to 1/8" and left in rings or half rings
1 medium cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut in 1" lengths
2 medium ripe vine tomatoes, cored, sliced into 8 wedges and seeded
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into thin (1/8") rings and seeded
Topping:
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
20 pitted kalamata olives
Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
Combine dressing ingredients in glass jar, a small glass bowl or tall drinking glass and mix thoroughly
Toss salad ingredients into large salad serving bowl
When you are ready to serve, drizzle dressing over top of salad, lightly toss, then add cheese and olives to top of salad
Greek Steak
Ingredients
1 to 2 pound thin cut beef steaks, I've used rib eye so far
Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced tomato (I am trying this ingredient for the first time, just for color, consider it very optional)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
Frying:
2 additional tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Place meat in a gallon size Ziplock® bag or spread out over a large glass lasagna or cake pan
Combine all marinade ingredients together in a small glass bowl or tall drinking glass and mix thoroughly
Pour marinade into bag with meat or over meat in glass pan. Seal bag, removing air and work marinade into meat or spoon marinade over meat to cover well, if using glass pan. Marinate for at least 2 hours. If marinating more than 2 hours, do so in refrigerator
Preheat oven to 400º F and on the stove, heat a heavy (oven proof - optional) frying pan to medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, begin adding steaks in a single layer. If they won't all fit, cook them in batches
For the oven finishing method, quickly sear/brown steaks on both sides, pour in lemon juice, then place pan of seared steaks on top rack of 400º oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until steaks are heated through to desired doneness
For the stove finishing method, reduce heat to medium after searing, pour in lemon juice and continue to cook steaks until desired doneness
Serves 3-6, depending on whether you use 1 or 2 pounds of steak
And of course have to have these too :) Greek Potatoes
Next I need to find good recipes for Pastitsio and Souvlaki with Tzatziki (what we had at the restaurant). The ones I linked to above may work :)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Coffee!
We bought some beans from Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co while in Glen Arbor. Having some of the Snickercookie coffee this morning. YUM. The Latte I had there was pretty good too. I love coffee. I also like Biggby coffee. Yay supporting MI companies and getting my caffiene fix. Oh and we also got some of the Cherry Republic chocolate cherry coffee. Though I don't remember if I liked that last time we bought that... hmm.
/end random post.
/end random post.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
granola bars from scratch
While staying at the Grand Traverse Resort last weekend, my husband and I became addicted to their homemade granola. It was crumbled to munch on in the spa, and then they had it in bar form in the little cafe/coffee shop in the lobby. SO GOOD. This recipe by King Arthur flour seems to be as close as I can find to it, I hope to make it soon with some of the Cherry Republic dried cherries I brought home. YUM.
The ones we devoured had peanut butter in them I think, dried cherries, and also raw sunflower seeds & sesame seeds. Chris' bar is still not eaten, if he's not careful it won't stay that way tomorrow :)
copying the recipe from King Arthur flour in case they remove it for some reason
Chewy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Sticky Bun Sugar **
1/3 cup granulated sugar, optional (see "tips" at right)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
1) Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, syrup or honey, and water.
3) Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
4) Spread in the prepared pan, shaking the pan to evenly cover the bottom and patting down gently
5) Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're golden brown around the edges.
6) Remove them from the oven, loosen the edges, and cool for 5 minutes.
7) Use a knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars while they're still warm in the pan. Carefully remove warm bars from the pan, and cool on a rack. Alternatively, remove from the pan before cutting into bars; it helps to cut in half first, then loosen the bottom of each half with a turner/spatula before turning out onto a sheet of parchment to cut into bars.
8) Wrap bars individually to store; or place in a single layer on a plate, and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between. In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.
*King Arthur Note: We like 1/2 cup each dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut. Walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries or apples, or even chocolate chips would all be delicious as well. This recipe is a great example of why a scale is such a key baking tool. Simply line up your favorite dried fruits and nuts, set your mixing bowl on the scale, and add a bit of this (or a lot of that) till the scale reads 10 to 15 ounces. For granola bars with a hint of peanut flavor, add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the dry ingredients along with the other wet ingredients.
**• Sticky bun sugar gives these bars a lovely crisp edge with a chewy center. If you don't want to use sticky bun sugar, you can make bars that come close to that texture by substituting 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons light corn syrup + 2 tablespoons melted butter for the sticky bun sugar. And yes, you'll still add the additional granulated sugar and butter as called for in the recipe. If you add lots of sweet dried fruit to these bars, you'll probably want to leave out the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, as the fruit will help sweeten the bars. If you use only nuts, seeds, and/or tart/tangy dried fruit, you may want to add the sugar; it's up to you.
Edited to Add: Tried these out and they are good, not as amazing as the ones up north (I think those had more flour, less crunchy bits). Still have eaten three since yesterday :) I'm keeping mine in the fridge and then letting them get to room temp before destroying one. :) I used toasted sesame seeds, raw sunflower seeds, slivered almonds & peanuts (run thru the cuisnart a bit to break up), dried cherries, and crunchy peanut butter. Also didn't have that sticky bun sugar so had to sub the sugar/butter/corn syrup. I opted for honey as my 1/4 cup binding sweetener of choice :)
The ones we devoured had peanut butter in them I think, dried cherries, and also raw sunflower seeds & sesame seeds. Chris' bar is still not eaten, if he's not careful it won't stay that way tomorrow :)
copying the recipe from King Arthur flour in case they remove it for some reason
Chewy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Sticky Bun Sugar **
1/3 cup granulated sugar, optional (see "tips" at right)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
1) Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, syrup or honey, and water.
3) Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
4) Spread in the prepared pan, shaking the pan to evenly cover the bottom and patting down gently
5) Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're golden brown around the edges.
6) Remove them from the oven, loosen the edges, and cool for 5 minutes.
7) Use a knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars while they're still warm in the pan. Carefully remove warm bars from the pan, and cool on a rack. Alternatively, remove from the pan before cutting into bars; it helps to cut in half first, then loosen the bottom of each half with a turner/spatula before turning out onto a sheet of parchment to cut into bars.
8) Wrap bars individually to store; or place in a single layer on a plate, and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between. In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.
*King Arthur Note: We like 1/2 cup each dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut. Walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries or apples, or even chocolate chips would all be delicious as well. This recipe is a great example of why a scale is such a key baking tool. Simply line up your favorite dried fruits and nuts, set your mixing bowl on the scale, and add a bit of this (or a lot of that) till the scale reads 10 to 15 ounces. For granola bars with a hint of peanut flavor, add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the dry ingredients along with the other wet ingredients.
**• Sticky bun sugar gives these bars a lovely crisp edge with a chewy center. If you don't want to use sticky bun sugar, you can make bars that come close to that texture by substituting 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons light corn syrup + 2 tablespoons melted butter for the sticky bun sugar. And yes, you'll still add the additional granulated sugar and butter as called for in the recipe. If you add lots of sweet dried fruit to these bars, you'll probably want to leave out the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, as the fruit will help sweeten the bars. If you use only nuts, seeds, and/or tart/tangy dried fruit, you may want to add the sugar; it's up to you.
Edited to Add: Tried these out and they are good, not as amazing as the ones up north (I think those had more flour, less crunchy bits). Still have eaten three since yesterday :) I'm keeping mine in the fridge and then letting them get to room temp before destroying one. :) I used toasted sesame seeds, raw sunflower seeds, slivered almonds & peanuts (run thru the cuisnart a bit to break up), dried cherries, and crunchy peanut butter. Also didn't have that sticky bun sugar so had to sub the sugar/butter/corn syrup. I opted for honey as my 1/4 cup binding sweetener of choice :)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Apple Dumpling Supreme
Found the elusive apple dumpling recipe that a previous boyfriend's mother made (that was OMG amazing) when I "came home to meet the parents" once. Yeah, not the man I married ;) but the apple dumplings that woman made made me obsessed with finding the recipe for awhile. I follow a live journal community called vintage recipes and someone posted this today.
Anyways, onto the recipe :) typed as written, for sure an old recipe as the layout is not the common day recipe layout. I wonder if I could cheat and use Pillsbury premade pastry? ;)
Betty Crocker Apple Dumpling Supreme
pastry makes 6 dumplings
sift together: 2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
cut in with pastry blender or two knives: 3/4 cup shortening... first adding most of it until mixture looks like "meal" and then cutting in the rest until particles are the size of giant peas.
Sprinkle over mixture 5 Tbsp of water... mixing enough to make dough stay together.
Round up into a ball, let stand for a few minutes to make easier to roll out. (If desired, divide into 2 or 3 parts to make it easier to handle). Roll out dough 1/8inch thick on lightly floured cloth covered board. Cut into six 7-inch squares.
Now...
Pare and core 6 medium sized tart juicy apples. Place an apple on each square of pastry.
Fill apple cavities of apples with a mixture of:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dot with 1 tbsp of butter.
Then the ad shows a song lyric "button up your overcoat" with the instructions for sealing the dumpling.
Moisten points of the pastry square (be sure not to use too much water). Fold up opposite points up over apple, overlapping them. Seal well.
Place about 2-inch apart in a 9x13x2 baking pan. Pour hot syrup (recipe below) around dumplings in pan. Bake immediately for 40 to 45 minutes in a hot oven (425).
Syrup:
Boil together for 3 minutes: 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, 4 Tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
For less rich syrup use 1/2 cup each of sugar and corn syrup, 2 Tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and only 1 cup of water. (or use maple syrup)
Anyways, onto the recipe :) typed as written, for sure an old recipe as the layout is not the common day recipe layout. I wonder if I could cheat and use Pillsbury premade pastry? ;)
Betty Crocker Apple Dumpling Supreme
pastry makes 6 dumplings
sift together: 2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
cut in with pastry blender or two knives: 3/4 cup shortening... first adding most of it until mixture looks like "meal" and then cutting in the rest until particles are the size of giant peas.
Sprinkle over mixture 5 Tbsp of water... mixing enough to make dough stay together.
Round up into a ball, let stand for a few minutes to make easier to roll out. (If desired, divide into 2 or 3 parts to make it easier to handle). Roll out dough 1/8inch thick on lightly floured cloth covered board. Cut into six 7-inch squares.
Now...
Pare and core 6 medium sized tart juicy apples. Place an apple on each square of pastry.
Fill apple cavities of apples with a mixture of:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dot with 1 tbsp of butter.
Then the ad shows a song lyric "button up your overcoat" with the instructions for sealing the dumpling.
Moisten points of the pastry square (be sure not to use too much water). Fold up opposite points up over apple, overlapping them. Seal well.
Place about 2-inch apart in a 9x13x2 baking pan. Pour hot syrup (recipe below) around dumplings in pan. Bake immediately for 40 to 45 minutes in a hot oven (425).
Syrup:
Boil together for 3 minutes: 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, 4 Tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
For less rich syrup use 1/2 cup each of sugar and corn syrup, 2 Tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and only 1 cup of water. (or use maple syrup)
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