Maple Apple Pecan Granola

Was trying to figure out something new to do today so leafed through some of the myriad of cookbooks on my shelf looking for inspiration.  I kept coming across recipes for different types of granola and realized that I've never made it before. So here you go, a little culinary experimentation to get your week started.

Maple Apple Pecan Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1 small Granny Smith apple, diced

In bowl, mix together the rolled oats, pecans, and cinnamon.

In a small saucepan, bring the water, maple syrup, vanilla and brown sugar to a boil.  Set aside.

Core, peel, and dice the apple, then mix into the rolled oats mixture. 

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir well making sure that everything is evenly coated.

Grease a large cookie sheet using butter or a butter spray.

Pour the granola mixture onto the cookie sheet, spreading out to make an even layer across the whole thing.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, stirring once or twice during the baking process, or until mixture is browned and crisped.

You can serve in a bowl with milk or over your favorite yogurt or over your favorite ice cream or use it as crumb topping for a coffee cake or muffins.  So many options, so many choices.

Cheesy Egg Bake

 

Last weekend went to my Annual Girls Night Out Birthday Brunch.  Everyone makes a fabulous contribution and this year my friend Carol made a yummy Amish style breakfast casserole. We never did figured out what the Amish part was, perhaps it was meant to be baked by candlelight.  We each got a copy of the recipe and I decided to bring it to you...only with a few changes because I can't leave a recipe alone without adjusting to my taste.  So here is my version of it...

Cheesy Egg Bake

1/2 lb. turkey bacon, diced
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1-1/2 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
3/4 cup cottage cheese, small curd

In a skillet, cook the turkey bacon and onion together until the bacon is crispy.

Turn the heat off and add the minced garlic.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, salt, pepper, hash browns, and all the cheeses.

Mix in the bacon and onions, then pour the mixture it a baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until its browned on the top.

Let the dish sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving up (for 4-6 peeps).

Rustic Spiced Pickled Apple Tart

 

First of all them me assure you, spiced pickled apples are the bomb!  Very tasty and delicious.  So as previously mentioned, I'm tartin' em them up...rustically.

Rustic Spiced Pickled Apple Tart

tart dough
1-1/2 cups
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
6 oz. (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
1/3 cup cold water

assembly
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. flour
pickled apple slices (approx. 3 apples worth)
1 tbsp. melted butter

Mix together 1-1/2 cups of flour with the cinnamon and salt.

Cut in the cold butter cubes with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.  You can also put ingredients in a food processor and pulse on low until it crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the water.  Using your hands, knead the ingredients together until they form a ball.

Roll out onto a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes.  Roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of approximately 3/8".

Cover a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.  Use the rolling pin to roll up your flattened dough and transfer to the papered surface.

Mix together the remaining 2 tsp. flour with the sugar and sprinkle across the surface of the dough.

Lay out the apple slices in a round pattern in the middle of the rolled dough, leaving a 3" border uncovered.

Fold the dough over the apples, as neatly or not as you'd like.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes then brush the edges with the melted butter.  Loosely cover with foil and bake an additional 15-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender and cooked through.  Mine baked up in 46 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on rack.  Serve up with a scoop of your favorite frozen dessert or, for a change, throw a couple of cheese slices on the side. I recommend cheddar!

In case I haven't tooted my own horn lately...best tart ever!  I am a total food genius. :D  Toot! Toot!

Spiced Pickled Apples: Part I

I'm excited about this one.  Had never heard of pickled apples before but they came up in a conversation about country foods.  My friend Blair's grandma used to make them and as she sat there drooling at the memory of pickled apples, I started thinking that this would be a great post idea.  Then I started thinking about things I could do with pickled apples, like make a rustic tart. Mm-mmm.

Step 1 in this road to rustic tart scenario is actually making the pickled apples themselves so I searched around to find some recipes and then picked and chose the parts I liked best and came up with the one below.

Figured I would start them this weekend, we'll let them pickle up during the week, then next weekend, we'll tart 'em up.

Spiced Pickled Apples

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. allspice berries
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

In a medium saucepan, simmer all ingredients except the apples until the sugars and salt dissolve.

Place the sliced apples in a non-conducive bowl and pour the liquid mixture over them. Let it sit until it cools to room temperature, then put in a jar with a sealed lid and let sit for a week until ready.

NOTES

A lot of the recipes I looked at removed the peel from the apples before pickling, but I left mine on because I like the skin. We'll see how that works out.

If you're not familiar with whole peppercorns, allspice berries, or star anise, this is what they look like (below).

Green (Devilled) Eggs and Ham

 

Since we're still in the middle of picnic food season, and feeling inspired by my earlier Seussian experiment, I had an idea for a new version of devilled eggs.  I mean, can you really have too many versions of a devilled egg?

Green (Devilled) Eggs and Ham

6 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 ripe avocado
3 tbsp. salsa verde
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. salt
6 slices prosciutto de Parma
Chili powder, for garnish

Slice the eggs length-wise and remove the yolks.

Mix the yolks with the avocado, salsa verde, mayonnaise, and salt until smooth.

Cut the prosciutto into thin strips.  Wrap one around the egg, putting the ends into the yolk hollow then pipe the mixture into the egg.

Sprinkle with chili powder and you have delicious eggs...green eggs and ham, that is.

Asian Cabbage Salad

 

I met some friends for lunch the other day at The Nasher Museum Cafe in Durham and enjoyed a delicious salad that was so crispy and light and filling I decided that I wanted to try it at home.

I'm very happy with my final product and as an added bonus I now have a recipe for the same miso-ginger dressing that you get on your salad at a Japanese steak house. Num! All around good stuff.

Asian Cabbage Salad

2 cups shredded white cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup cooked edamame
1/3 cup toasted cashew halves
1 orange, peeled, de-pithed and segmented
3-4 tbsp. miso-ginger dressing

Toss everything together in a large bowl. Serves 4.

miso-ginger dressing
1/4 cup white miso
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. sesame oil

Blend together all but the sesame oil in a food processor.  Slowly add the oil in as you pulse the mixture on low.  Leftovers will keep up to a week in the fridge.

NOTES

You can find pre-made ginger dressings in the grocery store.  To make the dressing, I went to a local Asian market to get the miso.  Heads up, found it in the refrigerated section of the store and it was not inexpensive, but worth it.  I'll be seeing what other recipes I can come up with to use it.

Fuselli with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Edamame

 

When I first envisioned this post, I had an image in my head of a sexy pasta dish with photo appeal worthy of Bon Appetit or the like.  What I ended up with looks like it would be more at home on the cover of a Dr. Seuss book, but...

I thought this pasta tasted great
As I ate it off my plate.
Red and green and twisty too,
I enjoyed it, so will you!  

Fuselli with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Edamame

10 Roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/8 cup red wine (optional)
1/4 tsp. fresh-cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. (half box) fuselli pasta
3/4 cup edamame, pre-cooked
1/2 cup fresh basil

Rinse and dry your tomatoes before quartering.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the tomato quarters on it in a single layer.

Drizzle the quarters with olive oil and roast at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. 

After those 30 minutes, sprinkle with sea salt and continue to roast for an additional 45-60 minutes.

Once done, place the roasted tomatoes in a blender or food processor with the red wine, black pepper, and garlic powder.  Blend until smooth.

In a large pot, prepare fuselli according to box directions.  Drain and rinse with hot water.

Place the cooked fuselli back in the pot.  Add in the tomato sauce, edamame, and fresh basil.  Mix together well.

Cook dish over low until heated through.

Sprinkle with your favorite parmesan and enjoy.

NOTES

The longer you cook the tomatoes, and more shriveled they become, the more intense the flavor will be.

The first time I had slow-roasted tomatoes, they were served on crackers with spreadable cheese, like brie or goat cheese.  They are a great ingredient for creative appetizers.