Cranberry Applesauce

What to do with apples that are going soft in the fruit bowl? I have had this apple crisp from Eating, Etc. blog in my "Must Make" bookmarks, but I knew I would probably eat too much of it! I was craving something with cranberries, so I looked online for an applesauce recipe that incorporated cranberries and found the perfect one at Elise's Simply Recipes. I served this as a side for our dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and garlic bread. It was everything I hoped it would be--tart with just the right amount of sweetness!

You may view the original recipe link above, but here is my version:
Cranberry Applesauce
10 peeled, cored, roughly chopped medium apples - I used Pink Lady
1 heaping cup frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place first 8 ingredients in a large (5-quart) pot. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook at least 30 minutes, or until the apples can easily be mashed--I kept mine simmering about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add honey and vanilla. Mash apples and cranberries with potato masher to consistency desired.

My recipe made about 3 cups. Elise says that this can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for up to a year. Mine is destined to be eaten in only a few days.

Cheeseburger Chowder

Last night's dinner was a surprisingly simple and delicious change of pace for my husband and me. Cheeseburger Chowder was recommended by a friend on a cooking forum, and it is originally from Andrea at this week's menu.

You may see the original recipe here by scrolling down to Cheeseburger Chowder. I subbed ground turkey for lean ground beef and used russet potatoes instead of the recommended red-skinned potatoes. I misread "two red skinned potatoes" and used 2 cups of potatoes, but I liked it that way! Instead of making a white sauce, I thickened the soup with leftover mashed potatoes, and I loved the earthy texture they imparted. A combo of cheddar and Manchego cheeses did not overwhelm the savory flavors of vegetables and tender ground turkey. The vegetables retained their shape with the short cooking time and contributed to the wholesome yummy-ness of the soup. Try it--you will not be disappointed!

Here is my adaptation of the recipe:

Cheeseburger Chowder
4 servings

1 lb ground turkey
2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup diced red and green bell peppers
1 teaspoon Tone's beef base
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cooked corn
2-1/2 cups 1% milk
3/4 cup mashed potatoes (or can use mashed potato flakes to thicken)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese

In a soup pot or pan, brown ground turkey and drain off any fat. Stir in potatoes, celery, bell pepper, beef base, water and salt. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add corn.

Slowly add milk and mashed potatoes to meat mixture and cook until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir till it melts.

Apple Pecan Bundt Cake

This recipe is from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook, which has some great recipes and is one of my most frequently used dessert cookbooks. The ingredients include apple brandy, which I did not have. I substituted Pumpkin Spice liqueur, and it was delish! The Magnolia bakers made this cake into a two-layer affair complete with yummy-sounding Caramel Cream Cheese Icing made with homemade caramel. I made a Bundt cake and left off the icing, and the cake can definitely stand on its own!

Please pardon the iPhone photo, but I forgot to take a photo of the cake when it was "intact"; I sent the remainder of the cake to my husband's office this morning, and the sun was not yet up when I took the photo!

The recipe below is my adaptation of Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, and I have included the original ingredients in italics.



Apple Pecan Bundt Cake

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (WW flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 Pink Lady apples, shredded (3 cups Golden Delicious apples, cut in 1" pieces)
3 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice liqueur (apple-flavored brandy)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (my addition)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

I greased and floured a 10-inch Bundt pan, or you can grease and lightly flour two 9x2 inch round cakes pans, then line bottoms with waxed paper.

Cake:
In large bowl mix together flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In large bowl, on medium speed, beat oil with sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until light, about 1-2 minutes. Add dry ingredients in thirds, beating after each addition until smooth. Batter will be extremely thick and doughlike. With spoon, stir in \apples, nuts and liqueur or Brandy until just blended. Pour batter into Bundt pan and (depending on your oven) bake for 55-60 minutes, or divide \batter between two cake pans and bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans onto wire rack.

Icing (optional):
In medium bowl on medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually add in caramel and beat until well incorporated.

When cake has cooled, ice between layers, then ice top and sides of cake. Drizzle remaining caramel over top of cake, and using small knife, swirl caramel into icing, forming decorative pattern. Garnish with nuts.

My Beautiful Mother - 1912 - 2010

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

This older post is a reminder to me of my Mother's kitchen--the wonderful kitchen of my childhood.

~ What a brave soul she was, still trying to make each day count in the face of a debilitating illness.
~ What a magnificent life she led.
~ What a great amount of love she bestowed.
~ What a privilege to be loved by her.

Tuna Orzo Salad

I finally tried Elise's tuna salad, which has been highly recommended on my food forum for ages. I even used tuna in oil, which is something I haven't purchased in years, and I do believe it made all the difference. I may not buy water-packed tuna again!

Because I was making a cool summer menu for the office staff at church, I decided to make a different version as a pasta salad, so I added cooked orzo, about a cup, chopped hard-boiled egg, and diced cucumber instead of celery. Served fresh, it is simple and tangy and delicious--the lemon juice sets it all off so nicely. After it had sat in my refrigerator, it did dry out a bit, so I would recommend serving it soon after composing it.

Elise's Tuna Salad
adapted from Simply Recipes
1 (6 ounce) can tuna (if packed in water, drain it, and add a teaspoon of good quality olive oil)
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons mayonaise
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1 cucumber, chopped finely (I used Satsuki Madori, from my garden!)
1 hard-boiled egg, cooled and chopped
1 Tablespoon capers
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup cooked orzo

Mix together lightly and serve.

I have already bought more tuna in oil to make it without the orzo!

Honey Oat Rolls - My New Favorite!

I recently became a fan of the blog Salad in a Jar and have been tempted by many of the recipes I've found there. One in particular caught my eye, Honey Oatmeal Dinner Rolls, and I decided they would be perfect for a church dinner for sixty this past Sunday. I upped the ingredients to accommodate the larger quantity, and I only made one substitution, (based on my fondness for these Soft Yogurt Rolls from the blog of What A Dish!) and that was yogurt for the liquid.

The aroma of these rolls is intoxicating, the crust has just a light crunch, the interior is pillow soft and perfect for a pat of butter, and the flavor is slightly sweet with the satisfying taste of oats. I think they are my new favorite! Please look at Paula's beautiful photos of the rolls, as she sprinkled oatmeal on the tops of hers, which makes for a gorgeous presentation, and she fashioned them into much more attractive shapes!

I love that Paula is not afraid to use shortening in her recipes. There are many bloggers out there that have Fear of Shortening, and although I understand their health concerns, I feel that shortening has received quite the bad rap! I prefer shortening in my pie crusts; I have tried substituting butter, and when I do my crust lacks flakiness and lightness. Although I love the rich aroma and deep flavor that butter imparts, I occasionally combine it with shortening in cake recipes for the fluffiness (how's that for a technical term?) and moistness that shortening brings to the final product. And I recently used margarine combined with shortening (I can hear your collective gasps of horror) for a cake, because it was an old recipe from my childhood, and I wanted that old-fashioned taste. I received more compliments on that cake than any I've made in months!

(Climbing down from my soapbox) feel free to substitute butter for the one tablespoon of shortening in the following recipe.

Honey Oat Rolls
Adapted from Salad in a Jar
Makes 16

1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup yogurt, room temperature
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats

Melt together butter and shortening, set aside to cool slightly. Place warm water and honey in bowl of stand mixer; add yeast and let sit for a few minutes. Add room temperature yogurt and melted butter/shortening mixture. While mixing on low speed, add egg. Whisk together salt, flour, and oats; add to mixture in bowl and mix until well blended. Using dough hook, knead mixture for about 3-5 minutes, only adding flour if mixture looks too wet. Place in greased bowl and let rise until doubled.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide evenly into preferred roll shapes. (I had to generously flour my hands, because the dough was slightly wet. Let rise until nearly double.) Preheat oven to 350 (I baked at 375) and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until golden.

Test Kitchen - White Chocolate Fruit Tarts

I've had this recipe saved in my bookmarks for a long time, and when I wanted to make a light, summery dessert involving fresh fruit for a church dinner I was catering, I decided to give it a try. It is from the blog of What A Dish!, and her rapt description of the "melt in your mouth" crust persuaded me to try it instead of a regular pie crust. I made mini tarts and topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi.

The crust recipe, originally intended to make a 12 inch crust, made 12 tart shells and 8 cupcake sized shells for me. They were easy, looked enticing, and tasted delicious--a real winner in my book! The recipe below is with my adaptations, and the original may be found here.

White Chocolate Fruit Tarts
by What A Dish! originally from Recipezaar.com

3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 (6 ounce) package white chocolate squares, chunked
1/4 cup whole milk
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fruit

Heat oven to 300°F. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of mini tart pans or cupcake pans (I used both). Prick bottoms a few times to prevent crust from puffing up. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just lightly brown. Cool completely.

Carefully melt white chocolate bars and milk in microwave. Cool slightly. Beat cheese and vanilla, then gradually add white chocolate. When crust is cool, pour melted chocolate/cheese mixture into shells, dividing evenly about 2/3 full. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve--at least 3 hours. Place fruit on top and serve.

Test Kitchen: Crabcakes

At my house, there is an ongoing friendly battle between testing new recipes for my catering business and making the old favorite standbys for my family. My daughter is a great cook and willing participant in trying new things, so after debating various menus yesterday, we decided to go to Sam's to purchase fresh shrimp to make shrimp cakes as a variation of crabcakes, which are one of my husband's favorite dishes. Sam's had only frozen shrimp, so we decided to substitute lump blue crab meat instead and make crabcakes.

We found an interesting version called Green Chile Crabcakes with Tomatillo Salsa in one of my favorite cookbooks, Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. We adapted it to the palates of the whole family by leaving out the jalapeno and green chiles and served it with homemade tartar sauce. They were delicious!--light and crispy with tender bites of sweet crab. We decided that next time we will go ahead and add the jalapeno for a bit more spiciness.

Crabcakes
Adapted from Pastry Queen's Green Chile Crabcakes with Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound lump crabmeat, cleaned
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine crabmeat, bell pepper, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, eggs, 2 cups of breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Mix lightly with hands and form into eight 3-inch patties. Chill for one hour.
Pour remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs into shallow bowl or paper towel. Coat patties in crumbs. Melt butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add crab cakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until surface is golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.

I made a couple of mini crabcakes and placed them on my salad--YUM!

Test Kitchen: Fish Taco Salad

After seeing LadyJayPee's beautiful photo of Mango Salsa and her referenced recipe from Sugar, I purchased a mango just for the purpose of making that mouth-watering concoction. The minute I finished mixing the ingredients, I sampled the salsa on a Tostito, and it was everything I hoped it would be--tangy with lime juice, sweet from the mango and a nice, crisp punch of flavor from the cilantro and jalapenos.

I sauteed tilapia filets seasoned with Penzey's Smoky 4/S Salt to experiment with a salad in development for my catering menu.

I added diced red peppers and a dash of my favorite "lite" bottled dressing.

This made a delicious salad, but it became magnificent when I spooned it into a corn tortilla.

I could happily eat this every day of my life!

Here is the recipe with my minor adaptations:

Fish Taco Salad with Mango Salsa
adapted from Eating, Etc.
and Everything Nice by Sugar and Spice

1 peeled and diced ripe mango, with juices
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos

Mix together & set aside. Assemble your favorite green salad and add grilled, sauteed, or fried fish. Spoon on mango salsa and shredded cheese, and dress lightly with your choice of salad dressing. Toss and serve immediately. Heaven!

Test Kitchen

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my business is testing new recipes. In developing menus for catering, much of my inspiration comes from other bloggers' recipes. The finished product must not only be delicious and addictive but also be visually appealing and sound irresistible in its description on my menu. I like new twists on old favorites, and so I tested three appetizer recipes this weekend, with my family serving as the "Chopped" judging panel.

Shelby from The Lives and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch has featured recipes from Blogchef, and since my daughter was craving avocados this week, Blogchef's Guacamole Bruschetta was the perfect experiment.

Adding the fresh taste of cilantro to the usual guacamole ingredients and the twist of serving it on crispy french bread made this a definite addition to my catering menu. One avocado-hating panelist abstained from trying this one, but the other two liked it, and I thought it was a winner. My daughter felt it was a touch too tart, so I might adjust the ingredient proportions a bit. I loved it "as is" and finished it off for breakfast this morning (a really good sign!)

My family loves deviled eggs, and when I saw Deviled Egg Spread on The Cutting Edge of Ordinary, I decided to try it in hollowed out new potatoes. This is a good recipe, but there were major deviled egg purists on the Chopped panel. Reaction varied from "I prefer deviled eggs" to another eating it with a spoon. This one might make it onto my menu but with some tweaks to make it more attractive and piquant.

The final recipe presented to the panel was a very simple, easy-to-prepare recipe from The Food Addicts called Man Dip. With the addition of cream cheese as an alternative to the usual Velveeta, this finished product was deemed "OK" by the panel and sadly will not become a part of the catering menu.

My thanks to the Chopped panel--my husband, my Mom, and my daughter--for patiently trying new recipes when they honestly like the old ones much better.

Old Cookbooks and New Brownies

When I was a bride back in the early 1970s, cookbooks from my hometown were my main sources of inspiration and knowledge in the kitchen. Since I discovered online recipes in 2003, I have used the world wide web almost exclusively as a cyber-cookbook, although to this day I covet, collect, and cherish real cookbooks.


One recipe that is found in almost every hometown cookbook is a no-bake cookie made with cocoa, butter (or margarine), sugar, oats, and peanut butter. This concoction was boiled and dropped on waxed paper to create a kind of drop fudge.


Today while I was perusing some of my favorite blogs, I happened upon a recipe for Baked "No-Bakes" by Donalyn, the creator of DessertStalking, (which is, in my opinion, superior to Tastespotting), and writer of the blog dlyn. The taste of the brownies, which is absolutely reminiscent of the old-fashioned no-bake cookies, prompted their name.

Once I started thinking about the chocolatey addictive quality of those no-bakes (also called "Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies" in some of my old cookbooks), I could not wait to make this recipe, and I have to say the flavor is spot-on in similarity to the old recipe. I am powerless to stop eating slivers of these brownies, which are moist, not too dense and not too sweet, with the oats lending a wholesome, chewy component to the mix.

Although you may visit Donalyn's site for the original recipe, I am posting it here with my italicized minor changes. Donalyn states that natural peanut butter is excellent in this recipe, but since I only had Jif Extra Crunchy, and I was dying to make these TODAY, that is what I used. I left out the chopped peanuts, and I used salted butter.

Baked "No-Bakes"
by dlyn

1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used Jif Extra Crunchy)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted, salted peanuts (I left these out since I used Jif Extra Crunchy)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease an 8 x 8 pan (I used an 11 x 7 pan). In medium bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and cocoa. Beat in eggs, one at a time, along with vanilla. Measure remaning ingredients into same bowl and mix to combine completely. Spread evenly in pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan, and cut into squares.

Couples' Shower and A Dessert Bar

This week's events included goodies for a couples' shower and a catered church dinner with three "bars"--potato bar, salad bar, and a dessert bar.

The couples' shower hostess requested intertwined hearts made of Vanilla Bean Cream cake and Vanilla Bean Cream frosting.

A square Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake and a 6-inch Strawberry Bliss Cake along with Butter Crumb Lemon Bars completed the order, and I included complimentary Chocolate Guinness Sweet Bites adapted from the recipe by Nigella. I love Nigella's description of the cake:

This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can’t say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it, but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love.

I topped them with a buttercream made from powdered sugar, salted butter, and Bailey's Irish Cream.

For the dessert bar at the church dinner, I baked jumbo Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are based on Alton Brown's recipe, Strawberry Bliss and Chocolate Guinness cupcakes, and Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler.

A Church Affair

On Valentine's Day, my church offered a reaffirmation of vows ceremony for married couples and asked me to create a "wedding reception" for the event. I made 9-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch Vanilla Bean Cream layer cakes filled and frosted with Vanilla Bean Buttercream, as well as a "groom's cake" that was an 8-inch square Chocolate Fudge cake filled and frosted with Chocolate Fudge Buttercream.

To create a tiered effect, I placed the cakes on cake pedestals of varying heights.


I scattered tiny pearlized hearts and silk rose petals on the tables, and placed candles in crystal candlesticks to create a romantic glow. Since families were invited, faux champagne and plastic flutes made the reception kid-friendly.

A Tale of Two Cookies

These cookies rounded out the menu for an Ice Cream Sundae Dessert Bar at a church dinner I catered. For variety, I decided to provide both sugar cookies and chocolate cookies, so I used a recipe for Favorite Drop Sugar Cookies by What A Dish! and Chocolate Mint Cookies from Allrecipes.com. Both recipes are spectacular, but the sugar cookies were the first to disappear!


For the sugar cookies, I added one tablespoon of milk and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, subbed unbleached flour for the whole wheat pastry flour (I did not have it or I would have used it!), and I sprinkled sugar on top before I baked them. I used a large ice cream scoop and made giant cookies, which were tender and chewy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. They lent a wonderfully fragrant, sugary smell to the kitchen while they were baking!



For the chocolate mint cookies, I added a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter, and I mixed in a package of Nestle's Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels instead of placing a mint on top after they baked. These cookies are richly chocolate with the perfect touch of mint. My attempt to show the wonderfully fudgy, brownie-like interior is inadequate. For the dessert bar, I named them Brown Sugar Chocolate Mint cookies. ;)

Haiti: How to Help

American Red Cross

United Methodist Committee on Relief

Salvation Army

United Nations Foundation

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

Fried Apples

Thanks to a mail order Christmas gift, we had apples begging to be used. A pie would be my first choice, but after nearly non-stop eating over the holidays, I settled for something like pie without the crust--fried apples. It was the perfect accompaniment to our meal of chicken and rice, green beans, and buttermilk biscuit. I'll spoon it over vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Fried Apples
5 or 6 apples, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon caramel cream liqueur

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt butter just till it begins to brown; add apples and let them simmer for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over apples, toss to coat, cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and add vanilla and liqueur and mix thoroughly--let bubble until liquid thickens a bit.