All posts filed under: everyday food

Foolproof Apple Pie

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After a fun morning picking apples at Sunset Orchards we are ready to make some delicious apple pie. Precooking the apple filling makes this pie foolproof and fun to make with kids! My 9-year old twins always love to sneak a taste of the filling while it’s cooling down. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ½ pounds apples, peeled and cored, then cut into thin slices ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 recipe pate brisee 1 egg, lightly beaten Melt butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat fruit with butter and cook, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the spices, salt and .75 cup sugar, and sprinkle this over the pan, stirring to combine. Lower heat and cook until apples have started to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 2 …

Maple-Oatmeal Scones

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These scones are simply the best and they can be made & cut out ahead of time – then stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic (up to 2 days) before baking. The recipe is from the first “Barefoot Contessa” book Ina Garten published in 1999. 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling 2 tbsp baking powder 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp kosher salt 1 lb cold, unsalted butter, diced 1/2 cup cold buttermilk 4 extra-large eggs, slightly beaten 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash for glaze 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The …

Rotkohl (German Red Cabbage)

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1 red cabbage, shredded 2  tsbp unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 1/2 – 1 tsp kosher salt freshly ground pepper to taste 2 tbsp organic lingonberry jam 1 bay leave 1 1/2 cups vegetable bouillon 1 medium apple, shredded (use Gala or another sweet variety) 2 tbsp cider vinegar 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 tbsp cornstarch In a large saucepan melt the butter and sauté onion until tender. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and bay leave. Stir in the lingonberry jam and add the vegetable bouillon. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the apple and vinegar, stir and re-cover. cook for another 10 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water and add to the cabbage. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes. I like to serve this with pretzel nuggets and mashed potatoes. Use this recipe and replace the breadcrumbs with crushed pretzels.  

Genius Recipes and No-Knead Bread

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Just received my copy of Food52’s Genius recipes. A great collection of sumptuous recipes – sure to become a staple at our house! The “no-knead bread” is featured in this book and although I have read about this recipe over the years in different blogs, until now I’ve never tried making it. Yesterday I started the dough in a big bowl, mixing it with just a wooden spoon. I covered it with a plate and didn’t touch it until 16 hours later. Five more minutes hands on time today, one hour in the oven and viola: a perfect loaf of bread! Makes 1 10″ round loaf, 1 1/4 pounds 3 cups bread flour (400 grams) 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (8 grams) 1/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast (1 gram) 1 1/3 cup cool (55-65 degrees F) water (300 grams) Wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting Sit a bowl on a kitchen scale. Measure your flour, salt, and yeast directly into the bowl. If using volumetric measurements, skip the scale. Stir in the water to form a sticky …

Thai Green-Curry Chicken with Snow Peas

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Serve this creamy curry with rice and mango sorbet or fresh pineapple for dessert. 1 tbsp olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 tsp minced fresh ginger 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips 1 cup canned unsweetened lite coconut milk 1/2 cup chicken broth, homemade or Progresso 1 tbsp Thai green curry paste 4 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 1 1/2 cups snow peas, stringed 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion cooked rice Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon ginger; sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chicken; sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mixture to bowl. Add coconut milk, broth and curry paste to skillet. Stir until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons basil, cilantro and 1 teaspoon ginger. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Add snow peas and green onions; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve curry atop …

Asparagus Salad with Scallion and Eggs

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Here is a great use for those leftover hardboiled eggs! This salad is even better the next day for lunch. 2 lbs fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed 6 scallions, cleaned and trimmed 1 1/2 tps kosher salt 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 4-6 hardboiled eggs, cut into quarters Bring  a pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and scallions and cook for about 6 minutes or until desired doneness. They should be tender, but not too mushy. Lift out and rinse under very cold water or dip in ice bath. Drain and spread out on a paper towel; pat dry. Slice asparagus and scallions on a diagonal into 2 inch lengths; toss well with salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Arrange salad on a serving plate and garnish with quartered eggs. Serves 6

Swedish Meatballs

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Ingredients 1 lb ground turkey 1 lb ground beef 1  cup breadcrumbs 1 cup of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups of whole milk 1 tbsp of kosher salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 garlic gloves, minced 1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp cardamom 5 tbsp unsalted butter (2 tbsp for frying meatballs/3 tbsp for sauce) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups beef broth In a large bowl combine ground meats, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup milk, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and spices. Using a rounded tablespoon measure for each, from mixture into meatballs with slightly wet hands – should yield about 45. Heat 2 tbsp of the butter in a large, nonstick sauté pan. Add meatballs in batches and cook; turning often until no longer pink in center, about 15 minutes. Place meatballs in dish and cover to keep warm. To make sauce: melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, 2 minutes (don’t let it darken). Whisk in beef broth and then add …

Quick Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I mash the bananas and mix the batter in one bowl with a fork – these muffins are moist, chocolaty and totally irresistible! The recipe uses brown sugar instead of white and the bake is a little darker. 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3 overripe bananas 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 eggs 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 6 oz good quality chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 12 count muffin tin and dust lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs (or use paper liners). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. Add sugar and mix for 2 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning …

Lemon and Green Onion Potato Gratin

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This is a yummy, fragrant variation on the classic scalloped potatoes. We like to eat this with Atlantic cod and sautéed spinach. You can also serve this with steak, omit the lemon zest. 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (I use a mandoline) 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more melted for pan 2 tbsp thinly sliced green onion kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 tsp lemon zest 3/4 cup grated cheddar 1 cup of milk Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 10 inch-by-5 1/2 inch gratin dish with melted butter. Cover bottom of gratin dish with one-third of the potato slices, in an even layer. Sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 of the zest, green onion, cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Add a second layer of potato slices and season. Top with a third layer of neatly arranged potato slices; sprinkle with remaining zest, green onion, cheddar. Pour milk all over, dot with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. …

Kitchen Sink Omelette with Lemony Green Beans

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KITCHEN SINK OMELETTE 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion Left overs 10 eggs 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt (depends how salty leftovers are) freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 cup of sharp cheddar (cut into 1/2 inch cubes) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open fridge and take out anything that looks like a left over – cooked pasta, roast potatoes, meatballs, cheese, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, whatever. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté onion until soft. Place left overs in pan; cook until warm. Beat eggs and season with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley. Pour over mixture in pan and place cheddar cubes on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until center is set. Cut into 8 wedges. LEMONY GREEN BEANS 2 lbs green beans, trimmed 2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp kosher salt freshly ground pepper to taste Cook beans in boiling water 15 minutes or until desired doneness; …