Butternut Squash and Eggplant Night

When I first moved back to Birmingham I lived on the second floor of an apartment building near by. A sweet older woman lived alone beneath me I was lucky enough to have her take me under her wing. I would frequently come home from work to find a slice of her rum cake or a container of her homemade chicken salad on my doorstep with a note from her. I was still new to cooking and just starting to get into it, so I was always very excited to find anything from her kitchen outside my door. When I moved out the apartment I was sad to leave a wonderful neighbor. I also thought my days of food being dropped off at my door were over, however, I was wrong. It is not uncommon for me to come home now to a baked good or sack of fresh vegetables at our front door. Jess and I love to cook together and we also love to share our food with others especially each other. She will drop off a loaf of homemade banana bread at our house and I’ll drop some apple muffins off at hers. A big part of what I love about baking and cooking is sharing it with others and Jess is the same way. So, recently Jess and Scott dropped off the bounty of vegetables and I decided that this time instead of leaving food at her door that we should have them over for dinner.

I knew exactly what I wanted to have for dinner tonight. I love eggplant and Russ doesn’t particularly care for it. However, if it is mixed in with other things he likes he always ends up eating it… Knowing this and that Jess and Scott like eggplant I decided to try Ina Garten’s Roasted Eggplant Spread for an appetizer.

To make the spread you peel the eggplant and cut it into 1 inch pieces. You also cut the red onion and red bell peppers into 1 inch pieces. You then toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. These go in the oven to roast at 400F for about 45 minutes. Once they are done you let them cool slightly and the put them in the food processor with a little bit of tomato paste and pulse it about 3 or 4 times. Then you are done. Yes, it was that easy.

The spread had a wonderful roasted flavor and you could really taste both the eggplant and the red peppers. I served it with multi grain pita chips. It was delicious and Russ did eat it! Russ rates the dip a 8.

For dinner I knew I wanted to make the Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette I had seen over on Smitten Kitchen recently. As you probably know by now if you read my blog I love all things butternut squash and all things onions. So, this recipe was a must make for me and I knew that Jess and Scott would love it too!

I skimmed the recipe before getting started and realized I should have started it about an hour before, so be sure and read the recipe carefully on this one. You start by putting the flour and salt in one bowl and then cut the butter into cubes in another bowl. Both bowls then go in the freezer for 1 hour. This was the part I managed to not read before I started… Once it has been in the fridge for an hour you form a well in the flour and cut the butter into it. In a separate bowl you combine the sour cream, lemon juice, and ice water. This then is incorporated in batches into the flour / butter mixture. This becomes a sticky, yummy dough that you form into a ball. I was a little worried as my ball was a little more crumbly than I thought it might need to be. The ball is wrapped in plastic wrap and goes in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. While it is resting you roast the squash and carmalize the onions. Once the dough has rested you roll it out into a circle and place it on a baking sheet. You then combine the squash, onions, cheese, sage, and cayenne in a bowl. Take the squash mixture and place it in the middle of the circle of rolled out dough and then pull the sides up around it. This goes in the oven at 400 to bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

The galette was well worth the wait! It was delicious! It was the perfect combination of butternut squash, onions, and pastry. The cheese and sage added the perfect accompanying flavors to the dish. This is certainly on the time consuming side, but it is well worth the effort and time. If you are taking a dish to Thanksgiving this year and looking for something a little different I would highly recommend this galette. Russ rates the galette a 9 and if it had meat I bet he would give it a 10.

Russ grilled steaks and asparagus to go with the galette. As always he did a wonderful job with them We enjoyed having Jess and Scott over and sharing some of our dishes with veggies from the bounty!

Even More Apples...

When Russ and I stopped at the apple orchard I picked out two and half pecks of apples to take home and I am came very close to getting another peck or two. I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough apples to make tons of apple dishes and share some with Jess and Mom. On the drive home Russ and I were talking about what to do with the apples and Russ requested homemade applesauce. When we got home I looked at the recipe and remember thinking that I would not have enough apples left to use 12 plus apples to make applesauce. Well, I shared some with Jess and Mom and I made several apple dishes and I still have more than enough apples to make applesauce. I am really starting to think that the apples are multiplying as it doesn’t seem to matter how many I use there are still tons left. I’m not complaining about having too many apples as there are more things I’d like to make with the remaining apples, but I am just saying that I’ve found out that two and half pecks of apples is really a lot of apples.

Since I have tons of apples left I decided to try making applesauce on Saturday, but before I get that Russ had also requested waffles and since I woke up hungry…. no starving on Saturday morning I decided to make the waffles first. I just got the December issue of Fine Cooking (even though it is still October!) and it had a pull out on breakfast dishes including their recipe for Light, Crisp Waffles. Even though I love Dad’s waffles I couldn’t pass up trying a new recipe.

To make the waffles you mix all the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) in a bowl. In a separate bowl you mix the buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil, and egg yolk together. In a third bowl you beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Then you sprinkle the sugar and add the vanilla and keep beating until firm peaks form. Then you combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients (not the egg white) and stir them until combined. You then dollop the egg white on top of the waffle batter and fold them into the batter. Then you cook the waffles on the waffle iron and put them in the oven (200F) after you make them until you have made all the waffles.

The waffles were yummy! I asked Russ if he thought these or Dad’s were better and he couldn’t say unless he had them both next to each other as they are very similar in taste and texture. So, that decided it for me that I like Dad’s better as they do not require three bowls and a mixer and they have wonderful memories in every bite. Russ rates the waffles a 8.

Once I was no longer starving I decided to start on the applesauce. I decided to go with Ina Garten’s recipe for her Homemade Applesauce. To make the applesauce you zest one lemon and two oranges and then juice them into a large oven proof pot. You then peel, core and quarter approximately 12 to 16 apples and mix them with the zest and juice. I ended up using a mix of the three kinds of apples I picked up at the orchard – Mutsu, Arkansas Black, and Rome Beauty. They varied in size, but I used 13 apples total. Once they are in the pot then you add the cinnamon, all spice, and butter. I also threw in some of the peel from the Rome Beauties for color. The pot then goes in the oven covered for one to one and half hours at 400F. Once they are done you remove the peel and then whisk the apples until you get the consistency you like.

While the apples were baking our house smelled AMAZING! It smelled like we had a large vat of spiced apple cider simmering in the kitchen. The applesauce was very easy to make and it had a pretty color and great texture. It is definitely more of a spiced applesauce than just regular applesauce as the cinnamon and all spice add a lot of flavor. Russ and I both really liked the flavor, however, I think I’ll cut the spices back a little bit next time. I shared some with Mom and Dad and Mom thought I could just leave the all spice out next time. Jess and Scott got some too and Jess felt like it would be great with food such as oatmeal or for those who eat pork (not me) a pork loin. I think this is definitely true and I plan to try it over oatmeal for breakfast one day this week. Russ rates the applesauce a 8. Don’t worry… I still have more apples left!

Light, Crisp Waffles, Fine Cooking December 2007

Yields four to five 8 inch waffles.

A required rest in the oven not only adds to the crispiness of the waffles, but also allows you to make a big batch, so everyone can eat at once.

3 1/2 (3/4 cup) bleached all-purpose flour

1 oz. (1/4 cup) cornstarch

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large egg, seperated
1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 200F and heat the waffle iron. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a Pyrex measuring cup; mix in the egg yolk and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (1/2 to 2/3 cup depending on your waffle iron) and cook until the waffle is crisp and nutty brown (follow the manufacturer's instructions for timing at first and then adjust to your liking). Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don't stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.

Finally Some Soup Weather

It is finally cold outside which to me means SOUP WEATHER! Russ keeps trying to hold me off from declaring soup weather since the temperatures have mostly been in the 70s lately. However at least for the next couple days it is cooler and we’ll be celebrating the lower temperatures with soup. As I mentioned in a previous post Jess and Scott gave Russ and I a bounty of veggies from the farmer’s market and I am having a fun time figuring out how I am going to use them. The bounty includes five smaller sized butternut squash. I have been torn between two new recipes for them and I decided this morning that I just can’t pick between the two, so I’ll make both over the next few days. Tonight I’ll make Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, but I’ll cut the recipe in half and save the rest of my butternut squash for the other recipe (which you’ll have to wait to see what it is).

Russ and I have a favorite butternut squash soup recipe that we love and I have no doubt it will show up on this blog sooner or later, however, we still have apples from the orchard I thought this was the perfect time to try Ina’s recipe for a change. To make the soup you first sauté chopped onion and curry powder in a little butter. While this is sautéing you peel and cut the squash and apples. These then go in the pot with water (only I decided to use chicken broth to give it a little more flavor). Bring this to a boil and then throw the lid on and bring it down to a simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. When the apples and squash are soft then you puree the soup. You can use a blender, but I use the hand blender so then I don’t have to transfer the soup out the pot. Once it is pureed you add the apple juice and salt and pepper to taste. Then it is ready to serve.

I decided to serve the soup with a salad and a baguette. Wait… where’s the meat? Tonight's meal almost came out of our kitchen with no meat in it, but just for Russ there was some turkey on the salad. Russ is convinced he cannot get full from a meal that doesn’t include meat in it, so the turkey helped solve that problem. The soup was really tasty with rich thick texture and a sweet / savory flavor. The sweetness from the apples and apple juice complemented the butternut squash really well. I think the key ingredient may have been the curry powder that added a subtle extra layer of flavor that was delicious. I also liked that the soup had a very clean flavor since it is predominately made up of pureed vegetables and fruit. Russ and I enjoyed the soup, but we still think our tried and true butternut squash soup is even better. Russ rates the soup a 8.

A Better Bachelor Night for Us

Tonight is Bachelor Night and since Russ and I have not had great results with our food the last couple times the pressure is on... Emily and Dowe are hosting and serving steaks, so Russ and I are in charge of the sides. Since the apple bar disaster I have been thinking about what kind of sides we could do. We still have some of the apples from the orchard and I love including fruit in salads, so I knew that I wanted to do a salad with apples for tonight. However, I wasn’t sure what else… until I stopped by my sweet sister’s house to pick up some goodies she got us from the farmer’s market this weekend. I was super excited to get a bunch of zucchini, butternut squash, eggplant, tomatoes, pattypan squash (a new to me veggie!), and onions! Russ is still learning to love zucchini, so I decided to do it for tonight so that Russ can eat just a little bit of it and hopefully the others will love the rest of it with me. Since I know he doesn’t love zucchini I decided to do mashed red potatoes too.

Since I have been eyeing apple recipes for a while now I decided to go back to the September CL and make the Spinach-Apple Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette. Russ' Mom invited his sisters and me to meet for a pedicure after work, so I called Russ to tell him that was in charge of getting our food started. He was a little nervous, but up for the challenge. I told him to start with the salad dressing, but he started with a beer and then the dressing. I called on my way home and Russ said he finished the dressing and it was really thick. Ends up he left out the olive oil, but once added the dressing was perfect. He did really well with it and I have cute painted toes!

For the salad dressing you start by combining the mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar. Next you mix the olive oil in while whisking it. Last you add the chopped chives and bacon (or turkey bacon). For the salad you combine sliced red onion and apple slices to fresh spinach. We waited to dress it until we served it.

The salad was really good. I loved the mix of apples, red onion and spinach and the dressing had a wonderful sweet, tangy flavor. We did end up doubling the liquid portions of the salad dressing and next time I think we’ll just double the whole thing. It really needed all of it and would have been a little dry if we hadn’t added to it. Russ rates the salad a 9.

For the zucchini I decided to try a recipe of Ina Garten’s for Zucchini with Parmesan. You start by sautéing chopped onion in olive oil. You then add the zucchini and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. At the very last you add grated parmesan cheese to the zucchini and then serve.

The zucchini was delicious! Russ even ate a few pieces. The only problem was that I didn’t head her warning about overloading the pan with the zucchini, so it ended up steaming more than sautéing it. Even though it steamed a little bit I think it still turned out tasty. I’ll definitely repeat this and next time keep the batches smaller and get it to sauté instead of steam. Russ rates the zucchini a 8. I think the zucchini is growing on him...

I also made mashed potatoes with small red potatoes and added a little sour cream, buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper to them. Emily and Dowe grilled beautiful steaks that were very tasty! Seth and Elizabeth each brought their own appetizer tonight. Elizabeth brought a bruschetta with sliced baguette that is brushed with garlic and olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and feta. Seth made the classic ants on a log (which were apparently exhausting to make). Both were yummy! Russ and I feel some relief now as everyone seemed to enjoy our sides. We'll still have some pressure next time we host after the not so great shish kebabs, but overall this was our best Bachelor performance on the food side this season. As always it was a fun night and a very entertaining episode!

Russ and I still have lots of yummy vegetables left from Jess and Scott’s farmer’s market run. I am excited to find some new recipes to try with them! Right now I torn between two totally different recipes for the butternut squash, I have one idea for the eggplant so far, and I am still perplexed on what to do with the pattypan squash. So, I’ll be doing some major recipe searching and decision making over the next few days.

Surprisingly Tasty and Simple Pasta

Whenever we come back home from being out town no matter how long we've been gone Russ and I both are always ready to have a home cooked meal. The only problem with this is that we usually come back tired from traveling. This weekend was no exception. We went to Atlanta for one night to visit Sam and Farrah and go to the Beer Festival. We had a wonderful time and like always when we got home we both wanted to stay in and eat a home cooked meal for diner. For some reason I was at a complete loss as to what to make, so Russ mentioned that pasta sounded good to him. I pulled out Giada’s Everyday Pasta cookbook and flipped through it. I almost immediately stopped at a recipe that has caught my eye before as one that looked simple and pretty good, Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. Since I was looking for simple and pasta I decided to go for it even though it didn't look like a fabulous recipe.

To make the pasta you sauté the red peppers and onions (seasoned with salt and pepper) in olive oil for a few minutes. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of olive oil, but I just used about two tablespoons and it was plenty. Once these have sautéed for a few minutes you add the garlic, basil, and oregano. This cooks for a little longer and then you incorporate the tomato paste. Once this is incorporated you add the Marsala wine, diced tomatoes with their juices, and the sliced sausage. I used precooked sausage which made the dish even easier. The sausage, pepper, onion mixture then simmers until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. This is where you should start the pasta... but I didn’t read the recipe all the way through before starting and therefore didn't realize the sauce needed to simmer for 20 minutes. Anyway, I cooked my pasta earlier and then when the sauce was done I tossed it with the sauce long enough to make sure the pasta was heated back up.. You then serve the pasta and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised with this pasta dish. As I mentioned before I didn’t have the highest of expectations, but the flavor and combination of red peppers, onions, and sausage were fantastic. Russ and I both really enjoyed this dish and it was perfect for night like tonight where we are tired, but want a warm, home cooked meal. This one will definitely be repeated in our house since it was simple to throw together and very flavorful. I do think I overcooked the pasta a little and I ran out of penne and had to use two types of pasta, but besides that it was great. I am looking forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow and that is always a good sign. Russ rates the pasta a 9.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain. (I used precooked sausage, so I skipped this step and just sliced them and added them later.) Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowl and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Venezuelan Salmon

Tonight I needed a meal that was light, quick and easy since Russ and I wanted to run after work and still be able to eat at a decent hour. I decided on one of the recipes I brought home from my time in Venezuela several years ago. I spent most of a summer while in graduate school in Caracas, Venezuela staying with Ernesto’s family. Ernesto is my Venezuelan brother and his family took me that summer as their American daughter. It was a wonderful experience and I got to see lots of their beautiful country! I also was able to enjoy lots of its delicious food and drinks. I fell in love with mangos there, tasted papaya, arepas, and yuca for the first time, ate lots of fresh seafood, enjoyed a Venezuelan cook out, drank lots of fresh juices including passion fruit, snacked on too many delicious pastries, and the list goes on and on. One of the seafood dishes I ate on multiple occasions for every meal including breakfast was Ernesto’s Dad’s salmon. I have made arepas for Russ before, but I have not made him any of the other Venezuelan dishes yet… so tonight I decided to serve Senor Vidal’s Salmon a la Plancha.

To make the salmon you start by sprinkling it with garlic powder, salt, pepper and then marinate it in a mixture of white wine, olive oil, and parsley. Senor Vidal cooks his salmon on the griddle, but we decided to grill it. We let it marinate for about an hour and then Russ grilled it for about 10 or so minutes on the Egg. I served it with corn and a salad.

This is a super simple recipe that has great flavor and for me brings back wonderful memories of sitting in their kitchen with the doors and window open and eating salmon for breakfast. My family loves this dish too and my Dad has made it on a number of occasions. Tonight’s salmon turned out really well, only it was not as good as Senor Vidal’s. Next time we’ll marinate it a little longer. Russ really liked the salmon and we both enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and its great flavor. Russ rates the salmon a 9.

Filet de Salmon a la Plancha, Senor Vidal

1. ajo en polvo (garlic powder)
2. perejil molido (dried parsley)
3. pimienta (pepper)
4. aceite de oliva (olive oil)
5. vino blanco (white wine)
6. sal al gusto (salt to taste)

Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes

A Similar Yet Different Stir Fry

Lately I have been in the mood for a stir fry with lots of veggies and some warm brown rice. Since we have an abundance of ripe green peppers in our garden I wanted to find a stir fry recipe that would use them as a main ingredient. I did a search and ended up deciding on an older CL recipe called Three Pepper Beef.

One of the great things about making a stir fry is that it cooks very quickly. Brown rice on the other hand takes about 45 minutes. So to get things started I got the rice going first. Then I sliced the flank steak (across the grain and very thin) and mixed it in a bowl with a little cornstarch, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl I whisked together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, beef broth and soy sauce. I then prepped the rest of the ingredients by slicing the green onions, cutting the peppers and onion into thin strips (green, red, and yellow ones), trimming the sugar snap peas, and mincing the garlic and ginger. Then in a non-stick skillet I heated the oil (I used dark sesame oil instead of veggie oil) and sautéed the onions, ginger, and garlic. I then added the beef mixture and let it cook for a couple minutes. You then remove the beef mixture and stir fry the remaining veggies until they are almost done. Lastly you add the beef mixture and sauce into the pan and let everything cook together for a couple minutes until the sauce has thickened. Serve it over the rice.

I was excited to not only use the green peppers from our garden, but also to try cooking sugar snap peas for the first time. Unfortunately the green peppers from our garden had a distinct bitter taste to them. I am not sure if they were not ripe enough or if we they are simply not allowed to grow to their full potential in both size and flavor due to being in pots... I am still working on a green thumb. As far as the stir fry we both really liked it, however, Russ thought I had served it before... It was a new recipe for us, but I believe he was confusing it with the Ginger, Beef, and Green Bean Stir Fry I made not too long ago. While the two are similar I actually prefer the flavor of the sauce from the ginger stir fry over tonight's. Tonight's was good, but the sauce was a little too plain for me. I did however love the flavor and color of the red and yellow peppers and sugar snap peas in it. Maybe next time I'm in the mood for stir fry I'll combine the two recipes. Russ rates tonight's stir fry a 8.

One Apple Too Many...

Tonight is Bachelor Night and Seth and Elizabeth are hosting which means that Russ and I are in charge of an appetizer and dessert. Since I have been on an apple kick and still have apples left I decided to do an apple dessert. There is an abundance of apple recipes, so narrowing it down was a little difficult. I decided I wanted to make an apple bar of sorts and I finally decided on County Fair Caramel Apple Bars from King Arthur Flour’s website.

For the sake of time I decided to make the bars on Sunday. You start by mixing unsalted butter, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, sugars, and vanilla extract together. You then add the flours (all purpose and nut flour – I made my own pecan flour). Once the mixture is crumbly you remove half of it to use in the topping. You then mix the egg into the remaining portion of the mixture. This is then pressed into a greased baking dish and baked at 350 for 17 minutes. While the crust is baking you can prepare the topping. You peel the apples and slice them. You then cut the slices into pieces. The apple pieces are then mixed with cinnamon, brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract. You then combine the flour mixture (that you set aside earlier) to the apples. This is then evenly distributed over the crust and baked at 350 for 45 minutes. Once they have baked you allow them to cool. You then are supposed to go ahead and cut them into bars and let them cool further, however, I managed to skip this step. Lastly you melt caramel candies with milk or cream (I used half and half) and drizzle this over the bars.

So, last night when I made the bars they looked picture perfect! I covered them with foil once they had cooled completely (including the drizzled caramel) and didn’t look at them again until I go to cut them to take to Bachelor Night….. When I go to cut them I am disappointed to find that something happened overnight and the caramel has become liquid and the apple topping mushy. They didn’t look beautiful and appetizing like they did last night. I try to bake them a little longer to have the caramel firm up, but in the end Russ thinks that they taste good enough and we’ll serve them with ice cream and chocolate sauce to help them out. I am not sure if not cutting them and putting them in Tupperware was the problem or what, but in the end the bottom of the crust was over baked (possibly from baking them again in an attempt to have the caramel harden), the apple filling lacked texture, and the drizzled caramel didn’t hold up enough to provide its flavor or stickiness. Russ felt like the apple topping still had good flavor and he is right, but overall these were a bust. I’m not going to bother recreating this recipe to try to have a better end product since there are so many other yummy sounding apple bar recipes out there. For now I am going to leave the rest of my apples alone until this weekend when I’ll pick back up with working with them perhaps to make homemade applesauce (Russ’ request). Russ rates the Caramel Apple Bars a generous 7.

For an appetizer we brought cheese and crackers which were yummy and lucky for me fool proof. Seth gave us all a treat and made his Dad’s special sandwiches which involve a hoagie, sliced steak, sautéed onions, green peppers, and mushrooms, tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Yummy! Russ liked them so much he is still talking about them. Dowe and Emily did a wonderful Caesar salad and tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella. It was a fun night, but now Russ and I are feeling the Bachelor pressure… after the not so great shish kebabs and the apple bar disaster we have got to step up our sides for next week and the entrée for the following. We are keeping our fingers crossed…

(Since the apple bars aren't much to look at... I included our latest family picture from one of our hikes in Highlands.)

Apples, Apples and More Apples

This Saturday Russ and I made no plans except to stick around the house, watch football, bake, grill, and hang out with friends. Russ got started in the kitchen first by grilling wings for lunch and prepping the ribs. Once he was done with the kitchen I took over and started my apple baking. As I mentioned before we stopped by an orchard on our way home from Highlands, NC and picked up two and a half pecks of apples. I have been looking at different apple recipes for days now trying to narrow down what I want to try. I decided on a muffin and cake recipe for today.

The Apple Muffin recipe I decided on is from King Arthur Flour and it calls for predominately whole grain flour. To make the muffins you mix the flours (white whole wheat and all-purpose), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set this bowl to the side and cream the butter and sugars. Then mix the egg and buttermilk in and then turn off the mixer and stir in the flour mixture. Once this is all incorporated then you mix in the apple (which is cored, peeled, and cut into chunks). This is then put into muffin tins and baked for 10 minutes at 450 and then 15 minutes at 400. You are supposed to sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the batter before baking, but I managed to forget this until they had already baked.

The muffins turned out really well! They are not a sweet muffin, but a tasty one filled with apples. The apples truly take center stage in this recipe and really make the muffin. You can’t put too many apples into it. This is one I will definitely try again, only next time I’ll probably double the recipe since it only makes 12 muffins in order to have more to share with friends and family. I did manage to share a few with Jess and Scott and sent a couple with Will (Russ' good college friend who was passing through town) and Megan (Will's friend) for the road. Jess called to tell me that she thinks they are best muffin yet and she has tasted lots of them in my quest for a perfect blueberry muffin! I may have to use some of the last of the Mentone blueberries from the freezer and try this recipe with blueberries. Russ rates the muffins a 9.

Next up on my apple baking spree is a cake I have made once before (pre-blog) and despite it not being the prettiest of cakes it was a real hit as far as flavor and texture. It is recipe I found online called Gooey Apple Sheet Cake. I am typically not a big fan of sheet cakes simply because they are not very attractive and have to be served out of the pan, but I do make exceptions and this recipe is definitely worth the exception.

To make the cake you mix melted butter and sugar together and then add the eggs. In a separate bowl you mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and cinnamon). You then add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until it is all mixed together. You then fold the apples into the batter and spread the batter into a greased pan. Then you make the topping by mixing the cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, and oats together. You then spread this over the cake batter and put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes at 350.

This recipe is so simple to put together and it is so moist, rich, and gooey (hence the name). It is not light by any means, but it is well worth the splurge. I was a little disappointed though that I chunked the apples instead of leaving them in thin slices. Last time I believe I did the think slices and I think the shape and thickness of slices would work much better than the chunks. Allen, Russ, Will, Megan and I all loved it! It is a recipe that is a guaranteed hit with a crowd, so if you are in need of a dessert sometime soon I would highly recommend it. As an added bonus it is similar to a coffee cake, so it is tasty in the morning too! Russ rates the cake a 10.

On a non-apple note I also made homemade Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese tonight. Russ and I were watching the Food Network recently and ran across Alton Brown’s Good Eats on cheese. Being the cheese lovers that we are we could resist watching. Russ loves the macaroni and cheese from the blue box, so despite the many recipes I have tried for homemade macaroni and cheese he still prefers the box kind. Alton convinces his nephew on the show that his Stove Top Mac and Cheese is better than the box kind, so I had to give it a try.

To make the macaroni and cheese you start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling you cook the elbow pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking you grate the sharp cheddar cheese. You also mix the evaporated milk, dry mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together. I went ahead and double the recipe since there were five of us for dinner. Once the pasta is cooked you drain it and run cold water over it. Then you return it to the pan and add the milk mixture and then the cheese. This is supposed to cook for a couple minutes until it thickens up and the cheese melts. I had to turn up the heat in order to get it to thicken a little quicker.

The recipe is very simple and the results are good, but not great. The texture was not as smooth as I would have liked, however, this may have been in part to my increasing the heat to have it thicken. It also had good flavor, but was far from fantastic. I think I’ll keep trying to find a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is true winner. Russ rates the mac and cheese a 7.

Gooey Apple Sheet Cake

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar1 cup butter -- melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c buttermilk

2 c chopped apples -- (1/4-1/2 inch pieces)
1 and 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

For the Topping:
3 cups powdered sugar

8 oz. lowfat cream cheese (softened)

2 eggs
1/4 c oats

Mix melted butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs and beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well. Fold in the chopped apples. Spread batter into well greased (or sprayed) 13 x 9 baking pan. Mix Topping ingredients and put over cake BEFORE baking. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 40-45 minutes. You can store this on the counter or in the refrigerator. Great warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Source: Found online and is modified from a recipe from Diana's Desserts.

Shish Kebabs

Tonight is Bachelor night and Russ and I are hosting which means we are in charge of the entrée. Since the men have been more involved in entrees the last two times and steak has been involved Russ felt like he should fire up the Egg for tonight and red meat should somehow be involved. We decided that steak and chicken shish kebabs fit the bill. We have done kebabs before, but we still haven’t found a recipe that we love so we are trying a new one tonight for Emeril’s Wine Marinated Beef Kebabs.

Since the meat needs to marinate for 6 to 24 hours we went ahead and put it together last night, so that it can marinate overnight and all day today. We wanted to do steak and chicken even though the recipe only calls for steak. We looked around for a different marinade to use on the chicken, but in the end decided to use the same marinade for both. Russ started by cutting the steak (top sirloin) and chicken into large cubes. While I worked on mincing the garlic and gathering the herbs Russ tossed the meat with Emeril’s Essence seasoning in a large Ziploc bag. We then added soy sauce, red wine, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, and dried thyme (as our fresh thyme has dried out). When we got home from work tonight we put the wood skewers in water to soak. I then cut the onions, green pepper, and red pepper into large chunks. I washed the cherry tomatoes and cleaned the mushrooms and cut the tips of the stems off. The recipe does not call for marinating the vegetables at all, but we decided to throw them in for a little while until we were ready to skewer them. We did a mix on the skewers of chicken, beef, and veggies. Russ then grilled them on the Egg.

The shish kebabs were good, but not great. The first thing that we should have done differently is use a different cut of meat. We used top sirloin as the recipe had called for and it was a beautiful cut, but it was too tough for a kebab. I think next time we’ll try tenderloin when we do steak kebabs and see how that goes. The other thing we should have done differently is to not mix the chicken and steak on the skewers. The steak had to cook a little longer than it needed in order to have the chicken cook through. As far as the marinade we thought it was okay, but not aything super special or different. Russ and I both agreed that we liked it better on the chicken than on the steak which was surprising since the recipe is actually for beef. Overall Russ was fairly disappointed with the kebabs and gave them a 5.

Elizabeth and Seth were in charge of the sides and brought butter beans and roasted potatoes. They were both very yummy and I really liked the size of the potatoes. Elizabeth had them cut into bite size pieces which I loved! Emily and Dowe brought the appetizer and dessert. Emily made an excellent Baked Pimiento Cheese Dip which was very creamy and tasty with a kick to it. This is one that I will definitely keep in mind next time I need an appetizer. For dessert they brought a cute cookie cake which was devoured! As always it was a fun filled night with good friends, lots of food and drink, and another entertaining episode!

The rest of this week and the weekend already look to be filled with fun cooking and baking. We have several small, ripe green peppers in our garden that will show up soon. I also am very excited to have two and a half pecks of beautiful apples from an orchard where Russ, Cash, and I stopped at on our way home from Highlands, North Carolina. I am hoping to be able to have lots of time for baking with the apples this weekend!