Tag: apples

Other, Recipes, Sides

CranApple Stuffing

Sarah

So, the stuffing is one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving dinner. It’s tied with cranberry relish [not the stuff outta a can here!] and pumpkin pie for the top spot on my plate. Mashed potatoes, turkey, green bean casserole… ehh, I’d take ’em or leave ’em. But stuffing? No way. I gotta have it.

Consequently, when Diana at The Chic Life announced the Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge 2010, I knew that stuffing would be my dish! Except, I think the technical term is “dressing” since it’s not stuffed in anything. But technicalities, people, technicalities!

This stuffing, er–dressing, is fabulous. Crisp, flavorful bread punctuated with sweet apples and cranberries and chunky, crisp but not mushy, carrots and celery, all flavored with garlic and herbs.

CranApple Stuffing - an easy, healthy stuffing recipe bursting with apples, cranberries, and carrots!

And you don’t have to tell anyone, but my stuffing is just a little bit healthier too–multigrain bread instead of white bread, additional fruits and veggies for nutrients and flavor, the omission of sausage, and the addition of wheat germ for protein, fiber, and other nutrients galore.

Hungry already? I am! Here’s the recipe, I’m headed to the fridge… leftovers are callin’ my name!

CranApple Stuffing

  • Servings: 6
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inspired by Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups multigrain French bread, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 tablespoons wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup diced celery [about 2 ribs]
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrot [1 large]
  • 1 cup peeled and diced apple [1 medium]
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil

Directions:

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, apple, and garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss wheat germ with bread cubes in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, milk, and egg.

After fruits and veggies are softened, stir in cranberries, sage, and thyme. Remove from heat and spoon into bowl with bread cubes.

Pour egg mixture over everything and toss to coat.

Spoon into 1 1/2 quart baking dish, top with freshly ground black pepper, and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours to set before baking.

Then bake in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and top is crispy.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite healthy substitution?

Recipes, Sauces

Apple City Barbecue Sauce

Sarah

If I had to pick a favorite condiment, barbecue sauce would be the one! It is so versatile. I love putting barbecue sauce on anything and everything, from pasta salad to burgers to french fries to salads. So when I was visiting my parents for a weekend recently and we had a little baking/cooking day, I jumped at the chance to make homemade barbecue sauce for our oven ribs. And boy was I glad I did.

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce | thepajamachef.com
din-din

This barbecue sauce is so much better than the bottled stuff, and even easier than I imagined–just throw it in a pot and cook away! I bet it would be really easy to make in a small crock pot too. I loved the distinct flavor of apples coupled with a bit of spicy kick. This is a barbecue sauce I can definitely see making again, especially during apple season. Be sure and try it soon–you won’t be disappointed!

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce | thepajamachef.com
Look at that sauce!

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce

  • Servings: approximately 2 1/2 cups
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from Mike Mills’ Peace, Love, and Barbecue

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled [if you don’t eat bacon for whatever reason, feel free to omit this–I think it would be fine without it]
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped

Directions:

Place all ingredients except apple, onion, and green pepper in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine, then boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Fold in apple, onion, and green pepper, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook over a simmer for about 30-60 minutes, or until apple, onion, and green pepper are softened and sauce is thickened to desired consistency.

Let cool and puree in a blender or food processor for maximum smoothness, if desired. We left it chunky but texture-phobic people may not like that. 🙂

Use to marinate meat or serve with pulled pork, shredded chicken, ribs, tofu, etc.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite condiment?

Desserts, Other, Recipes

A Tale of Contrasts: Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two

Sarah

I love fruit. Growing up, I often preferred fruit to chocolate in desserts. While I can’t say the same is 100% true today, I still love fruit in my desserts. Or as a snack. Or anytime, really. Fruit is so tasty and sweet on its own… it doesn’t need anything else to make it better.

However… [there’s always a however] it can be a little better with some mix-ins.

That’s why I love apple crisp so much. Apple is the star of the show, complemented by some side-show characters. Enter oats. Brown sugar. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Ginger. The taste of fall.

Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two
Dessert for two!

This tale of delightful contrasts plays its masterpiece in your mouth. Yum! That’s the best place to play, in my opinion. This apple crisp is simple and oh-so-sweet. The apples are baked twice for an extra oomph of tenderness and softness, and the crisp is perfectly crisp. [Anything else and would it be crisp?] You’ll enjoy the spice against the sugar and the soft, tart apple against the sweet, crisp oats. Each bite will bring you just enough crispy goodness and the perfect amount of real apples–none of that fake filling stuff here! No siree! And the best way to enjoy this delectable show? With a hearty scoop of ice cream, melting over top the warm apple crisp. It’s so good that you’ll want an encore. And you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen, so make it today.

Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two

  • Servings: 2
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Ingredients:

  • 3 cups apples, roughly peeled, chopped, and cored [I used 2 Granny Smith and 1 Gala.]
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet and 2 – 1/2 quart baking dishes with cooking spray. Arrange half of the apples on the cookie sheet, and divide the other half of the apples between the two baking dishes [1/4 of the apples will be in each dish, and 1/2 will be on the cookie sheet]. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine with a fork to create coarse crumbs. Top the apples in the baking dishes with about 1/4 cup of the oats mixture each. Reserve the rest of the oats mixture and stash in the freezer so it doesn’t get too warm.

Meanwhile, bake the dishes and the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer half of the cookie-sheet-apples on top of each of the baking dishes [this makes a second layer of apples]. Then, divide remaining oats over top of the second layer of apples. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until apples are soft and tender and the top is crisp. Serve with ice cream!

Are you a fruit or chocolate person?

Fruit, Recipes, Sides

Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce

Sarah

Happy First Day of Fall!

In my opinion, fall couldn’t come soon enough. This summer was HOT, which made running pretty miserable at times and made other outdoor activities sound not-so-attractive.  Drenched in sweat after a stroll in the neighborhood? No thanks. Though I love the bounty of summer’s produce, my favorite seasonal flavors are from the fall. Pumpkin. Apple. Squash. Cranberry. Yum.

Even though I’ve been graduated for three years now (!), fall takes me back to my alma mater, with pretty leaves on the trees, homecoming festivities, and cross country races. Oh, how I miss Wittenberg, dear Wittenberg!

I’m learning to love fall on my new campus, Indiana University. I love walking in the midst of these grand old limestone-and-brick buildings with a chill in the air and leaves crunching beneath my feet.  Fall weather, whether it comes in the first week of the semester or the sixth, just screams academics to me. Does this resonate with anyone else? I just love the line in You’ve Got Mail about this:

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has it’s charm.”

 

Pencil and sharpener
one aspect of fall…

 

Last fall, Ben and I even got to partake in a classic fall ritual–apple picking! It was really fun, and we came back with dozens of apples–a whole peck, I do believe.

 

Sarah and Ben, apple picking.
Apple picking last fall.

 

We made many an apple recipe last fall, and since I wasn’t blogging then, I haven’t shared them yet!

In honor of the first day of fall, I made this applesauce last night to celebrate.  Since it’s a crock pot recipe, made is a loose term.  After getting home, I quickly enlisted Ben’s sous-chef skills and hopped to it!

Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce - easy, homemade, healthy, & delicious

Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce

Ingredients:

  • 8 apples, cored, peeled, chopped [I used 3 Gala apples and 5 Granny Smiths, but feel free to use whatever you like/have on hand.] — about 8-9 cups
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Prepare apples, and don’t feel like you have to peel all the skin off–we like a little left on for texture! Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Stir well, then cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Resist the temptation to open the lid! It adds cooking time if you do that because the air escapes. [Ask me how I know… :)] When it has finished cooking, use a potato masher to mash apples to desired texture. Eat and enjoy!

Notes:

If you don’t have a crock pot, I’m sure you can make this recipe on the stove, too, but I haven’t tried that. If you do, let me know how it goes! Also, this recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled, depending on the size of your crock pot. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your apples too. Or the seasonings too. Or add pears. That’s yummy also. Basically, this is a very versatile recipe. Do with it what you like!