apples – Page 6 – The Pajama Chef

SRC: Minty Asian Slaw

July 9, 2012April 6, 2017 Sarah

It’s a Secret Recipe Club kinda Monday! The best kind, in my opinion. 🙂 If you’ve missed past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month my assigned blog was Sustainable Cooking for One, which is the product of Stephanie’s passion for local, sustainable eating. Stephanie has a ton of original and adapted recipes on her site, and has even published a cookbook! How cool.

I was looking for a side dish to make for our 4th of July BBQ, so when I saw Stephanie’s twist on cole slaw, I was so excited. This isn’t just your average cole slaw… it’s Minty Asian Slaw!

Minty Asian Slaw is a refreshing twist on a classic summertime dish. Unlike most cole slaw recipes, Stephanie’s encourages the use of lots of fresh veggies and fruit [not just cabbage!], vinegar, and oil… instead of globby mayo and limp cabbage. What a great idea, me thinks! For the most part, I stuck with the recipe but I did make a few changes. The original recipe called for cabbage, carrots, and cucumber along with the minty vinegar and oil dressing. Since Ben isn’t a huge cucumber fan, I decided to take a cue from Stephanie’s other slaw recipe and use an apple for crunch instead! I also added more mint than the recipe called for… what a great decision! Both of them. 🙂 And let me just say for the record that a bite of minty apple, no matter how weird it may sound, is pretty amazing.

This crisp Minty Asian Slaw is fresh, exotic, and perfect for summer, and that abundance of mint growing in your garden [or is that just me?], so I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Minty Asian Slaw

Servings: 10-12
Time: 60 minutes
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adapted from Susatainable Cooking for One mostly here and but also here

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage, sliced thin
1 tablespoon salt
1 carrot, grated
1 apple, cut into matchsticks [I used Granny Smith]
2 stalks celery, finely diced
~2-3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped [I didn’t measure]
lemon juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
up to 1/2 tablespoon sugar, if desired

Directions:

Place cabbage in a large collandar and pour salt over. Use your hands to massage salt into cabbage, then let sit for about 45 minutes [Mark Bittman suggests 1-2 hours but I didn’t have that kind of time, so I helped the process by massaging it]. Then rinse and drain cabbage thoroughly–about six times–to remove the salt. Dry cabbage with kitchen towels or a salad spinner.

Meanwhile, combine carrot, apple, celery, and mint in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice–about 1 tablespoon. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Add cabbage and dressing mixture alternately so everything combines well. Taste and add sugar as desired.

Serve immediately.

Be sure to check out other great SRC recipes posted today!

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole

February 29, 2012June 10, 2015 Sarah

Happy Leap Day! Speaking of holidays, my family always has the same egg casserole, Easy Cheese Souffle, on Christmas morning. [Yes, I know it’s February, and I’m talking about Christmas. So what? And is Leap Day a holiday? I’m pretty sure it is, right?] It’s a pretty simple make ahead egg casserole dish–full of layers of cheese, eggs, and bread with a little bit of spice. There’s so much cheese in Easy Cheese Souffle that it rivals the eggs for prominence in the name. In fact, cheese is such an integral part of my Christmas breakfast experience that I have a hard time reconciling breakfast casseroles that include meat and do not include cheese. Even if I’m eating said egg casserole and it’s not Christmas.

So it came to me as a shocking surprise that I was drawn to this recipe for Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole.

No cheese? Whaaaaat?

Did I read that right?

I had to check myself from throwing some cheese in there out of habit when I was prepping it on a Friday night for Saturday’s brunch with friends. And you know what? I am so glad I didn’t add any cheese.

[Cue another “whaaaaat?”]

See, not adding cheese allowed the other flavors–bread, sausage, apples, eggs, onions, milk, and pepper–to stand out. And with only seven ingredients [and no cheese], everything had a chance to shine in every bite. The maple sausage added an extra level of wow to this dish, and it’s definitely going to be a keeper in my breakfast repertoire–even without cheese!

Question of the day ~ Are there certain recipes you feel just have to be so, like me and egg/cheese casserole?

Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole

Servings: 8
Time: 20 minutes prep + overnight resting + baking
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from The Brunette Foodie [blog disabled now]

Ingredients:

1 pound ground maple sausage
1/3 baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 Gala apples, diced
1/2-1 1/2 cups skim milk
8 eggs
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Then, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage as it cooks. Meanwhile, place the baguette cubes in a single layer in the baking dish, then evenly add onion and apple on top.

After sausage is cooked, drain grease then add sausage to baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk and eggs, making sure that yolks break. Pour mixture over top everything else, and add up to 1 additional cup milk if needed. I used more of a softer baguette [which is more like Italian bread], but if you use a true baguette you probably won’t need the extra milk–mine just needed more moisture.

Top with some freshly ground black pepper, then cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then bake, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Bars, Cheesecakes, Desserts, Recipes

Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

February 20, 2012September 9, 2015 Sarah

So, is it just me, or is sometimes deciding what to bake harder than actually baking it? I mean, there are so many good recipes out there. With so recipes available online, in cookbooks, and in magazines, sometimes my life feels like recipe overload. There are so many things I’d like to make one day. Cakes and cookies and pastries and cheesecake and pie and about 20453408 other things that can be classified as desserts. Know what I mean??! Therefore, what I love are recipes that bring together the best of the best.

Like these Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars.

Think about it. A layer of oatmeal cookie dough topped with luscious, creamy cheesecake filling. Sounds pretty awesome, huh? But that’s not all. Sitting above that layer of velvety richness are tender, cinnamon spiced apples and a simple streusel topping that is out of this world.

Can this get any better? Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars are like three desserts in one: cookies, cheesecake, pie.

And did you catch what these babies are baked up in? Yes, that’s right–a 9×13″ pan. So can it get any easier? I think not. Score!

Don’t shy away based on the length of the recipe. Most ingredients can be found in your pantry, and once you break it down by layer, this dessert comes together in a snap. Much easier than scooping out individual cookies, fussing with a cheesecake’s water bath, or dealing with the tedious process of rolling out pie dough, I say!

And once try ’em, I’m certain you’ll agree. Just be careful to not take too many test bites in the baking process… you might have a difficult time filling the pan otherwise. Ask me how I know. Sigh… 🙂Don’t worry, you’ll understand once you take your first bite. Enjoy!

Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

Servings: 24 bars
Time: 60 minutes
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from Betty Crocker; cookie base from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook; apple filling adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

for the apple layer

3 1/3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 cups thinly sliced apples [about 6 medium- I used a mix of Gala and Granny Smith]

for the cookie base

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened

for the cheesecake layer

2 -8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish thoroughly with cooking spray or line bottoms and sides with parchment paper.

Begin by preparing the apple layer. In a large pot set over medium heat, stir together water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add apples. Return to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until apples are tender. Set aside.

While apples are simmering, prepare cookie base. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 1/2 cups, and press rest of mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Next, with a stand [or electric] mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg.

Then assemble bars. Spread cheesecake filling over partially baked crust, then spoon apple filling over top. Sprinkle on reserved crumbs, then bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate to chill before cutting, then store in the refrigerator.

Notes: Bars best for presentation within 24 hours, but they last longer–the crumbs just start to get a bit soggy after a day or so.

Fruit, Sides

Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce

January 4, 2012November 22, 2013 Sarah

Cranberries don’t have to be just served just on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They make a tasty addition to your table throughout the winter too. This post-holiday period is a great time to stock up on cranberries to freeze, and some grocery stores even carry them in the freezer section year-round.

Recently, I had some leftover cranberries to use up, so I decided to improvise on my own Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce recipe. Ben and I love the normal version, and make it quite often, so I thought the addition of cranberries would be a welcome alternative to the norm. And it was! Like my normal version, Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce is an easy chop-it, mix-it, and forget-about-it recipe that looks and tastes gourmet–with minimal effort. The tartness and bite of the cranberries paired perfectly with the sweet, chewy apples and also provided some naturally festive food coloring. Pretty food is always better, in my opinion, so whether you need a simple yet fancy side or a use for excess cranberries, give Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce a shot today!

Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce [adapted from my own Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce]
printable version

Ingredients:

12 ounces cranberries [fresh or frozen], rinsed
12 cups apples, roughly peeled and chopped [I used Gala and McIntosh]
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Place all ingredients in crock pot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Don’t yield to the temptation to open the lid at all… it adds to the cooking time by releasing the heat. At the end of cooking, use a potato masher to crush apples and cranberries to desired texture, stir thoroughly and enjoy!

Note:

Feel free to add extra brown sugar at the end if it isn’t sweet enough for you.

Time: 8 hours and 15 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: about 12 cups.

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

November 22, 2011November 22, 2013 Sarah

I have another recipe to share with the Healthy Holidays series, hosted by Carly at Createlive. I’ve been so inspired by her series to cook up delicious but healthful treats for the holiday season. I just can’t wait for Christmastime when I can do this apart from a school schedule!

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods of all time. While working at home during the day, it’s not uncommon for me to whip up a batch of baked sweet potato fries for a quick lunch [that was one of the first recipes I posted here on the blog! haha!] and I often incorporate them into random, thrown-together leftover dinners, to the chagrin of my husband. While family tradition often finds this root vegetable to be served in a delicious brown-sugar and nut topped casserole, last year we tried a new dish: Whipped Sweet Potatoes.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes are sweetened with apple, spiced with cinnamon and allspice, and made richer with butter. Don’t leave that out for health reasons–studies have shown that the addition of some fat to sweet potato dishes increase the amount of beta-carotene that our bodies can absorb. Pretty cool, huh? Regardless of the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes over their white counterparts, I’m happy to munch away on them instead because to me, the taste is far superior. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

They are also delicious sprinkled with pomegranate arils for a little crunch of sweetness!

Whipped Sweet Potatoes
printable version

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1″ cubes [about 7-8 cups]
1 large Granny Smith apple, cut into 1″ cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash allspice

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine sweet potatoes and apples. Cover mixture with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce for a simmer, cooking for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. Reserve about 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain well. Return mixture to pan and add butter, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir and then blend with an immersion blender until smooth, adding reserved liquid by the tablespoon as necessary. [I added about 2 tablespoons.] Alternatively, you can mash with a potato masher or blend in a blender/food processor. Enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 6 servings [can be doubled].

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]