Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce

Apologies for the poor picture quality. It's one thing to take a photo of food when it's just my DH and myself. He teases me about it, and loves to regale people with examples of when he's poised over his lovely plate of steaming food and I rush in with my camera and yell "wait!" It's another when we have a table full of guests and I'm poking around trying to take pictures in front of them. Tacky, tacky. So I snapped this picture on my own plate, as surreptitiously as possible, so it was a bit dark at our candlelit dining table.


My dinner menu the other night, when we entertained 4 friends for dinner:

• Hot & Spicy Tofu Herb Dip
• Manchego and Brie cheese on a slate with crackers
• Pork Chops with Apples and an Apple Cider Sauce
• Red Cabbage with Apples & Chestnuts
• Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone
• Lemon Velvet Ice Cream with BLUE CHIP Chocolate Chip Cookies and Harlequin Pinwheel Cookies

As usual, I started my menu plan with the main entree. It needed to be the set of 6 pork chops I had in the freezer from Niman Ranch. I've mentioned theis meat producer before - they are a small independent farm that raises livestock the old-fashioned way. No growth hormones. Natural feed, no additives. All that good stuff. I'm on their email notification list, so every time they have a sale, I know about it. Mostly I've ordered pork, but also their steaks too. I'm crazy about their bacon, but it's carried at my local Trader Joe's at a pretty good price.

Everything I've ordered from Niman ranch has been exceptionally good. Worth the price? Well, I guess it's relative. Compared to grocery chain meat, this is just far and away better. But if you're on a budget, probably not. I don't order all my meat from them - just special stuff. If you happen to decide to try them out - do wait for a sale - and make sure they pack in small packages (like 2 pork chops per pkg). That's why I hadn't defrosted these before, because I needed to wait for an occasion when I had exactly 6 people.

Because pork is raised so leanly now, there isn't as much fat to keep the meat moist. So I always brine pork. I've tried several recipes, but my current favorite is a mix that I buy at Whole Foods called V Traditional Brining Blend, and V Spicy Brining Blend. They come in 12.7 ounce jars. If you prepare the brine per the instructions you'll likely use most of a jar. I disregard those instructions and make a much smaller solution. This time I used about 2 tablespoons of brining salt and dissolved it in about a cup of boiling water, then added ice cubes to cool it off quickly. Usually I stick my finger in the brine to taste the saltiness - you want it to be salty, but not overwhelmingly salty, otherwise your meat will become the same. Then I immersed the pork in the brine. If time is of an essence, I'll put them in my aerator (a plastic container that removes the air by vacuum pump and supposedly increase the marinating ability chop-chop). That I did, and let them rest in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or so. I removed them once and turned them over in the liquid, since the brine didn't completely cover the chops.

I pan-seared the chops, then used a probe thermometer so I'd know exactly when the meat reached 145 degrees F. Worked like a charm. Result: these chops were just "the best." And America's Test Kitchen scored a winner with the sauce recipe. Although, next time I will probably thicken the sauce some with some cornstarch. Even though I reduced it down, it was still a bit thin. But, Niman Ranch scored a touchdown with the meat. One great dinner.

Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce Sauce
Recipe By: America's Test Kitchen
Servings: 4
32 ounces boneless pork top loin chops -- 4 chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Salt & pepper to taste
APPLE CIDER SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups apple cider -- or apple juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 whole cinnamon stick
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cut into 4 pieces
2 large shallots -- minced, about 1/2 cup
1 whole tart apple -- Granny Smith, peeled, cored, sliced
1/4 cup Calvados -- or apple flavored brandy
1 teaspoon fresh thyme -- minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Brine the pork chops with a mixture of your choice.
2. Combine cider, chicken broth, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to one cup, about 10-15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Drain brine from pork chops, dry thoroughly, then season pork chops with pepper. Heat a heavy saute pan and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Quickly sear both sides of the pork until caramelized and golden brown. Remove chops to a heatproof pan, insert meat thermometer and bake until the pork reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and loosely place a piece of foil over the top while finishing the sauce.
4. While pork is baking, in the same skillet you seared the pork, add a tablespoon of butter. Heat under medium-high heat, and when it's melted and foam subsides, add shallots and apple. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to brown. Remove from heat and add the Calvados. Return to heat and cook about one minute, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add the reduced cider mixture and simmer until thickened slightly, and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 3-5 minutes. Off heat whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
5. Pour sauce with apples over each piece of pork and serve immediately.
NOTES : You might want to thicken the sauce more than the recipe indicates by using a tablespoon of cornstarch and a bit of water. Heat through until thickened.
Per Serving: 478 Calories; 22g Fat (44.3% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 133mg Cholesterol; 100mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Red Cabbage with Apples & Chestnuts

The finished photo of this is a bit blah-looking. You know, cabbage begins to look a little grayish if cooked through. So fortunately I did snap a photo of it when I added the apples and chestnuts, still in the pan. Next time I won't pop this in the oven, but serve it directly from the range top. I was trying to get some things made ahead, so popped this in the oven to reheat. So the cabbage cooked more than I would have liked. Therefore, don't do as I did in this case, but cook this just before serving.


We entertained the other night, and I had some wonderful boneless pork chops to serve our guests, and wanted something appropriate to go with. Enter cabbage. I scrounged around the internet trying to find a recipe that suited me. How could I tell? I can't begin to tell you - I just read a recipe and either I like the sound of it, or I don't. I knew I wanted to use red cabbage and apples, probably onions, maybe shallots. So a search produced a bunch of options, and this is the one I chose. I'd make this again, but I'd omit the chestnuts. To me, they didn't add that much to the dish. Maybe even distracted me. Some people aren't so fond of chestnuts anyway. But I loved the apples in it, and it's very low fat and low calorie. As one of our guests said, pure comfort food.


Cook's Notes: Don't be tempted to put the apples in early. You want them to still have texture and shape. To be barely cooked. The onions and shallots add a nice character depth. One large head of cabbage will make enough to feed about 10 people. Maybe more. And be sure to make this just before serving. Long cooking only grays the vibrant color of the red cabbage.

Red Cabbage with Apples & (Chestnuts)
Recipe: Vegalicious.com
Servings: 10
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 whole shallots -- peeled, diced [I added these]
2 whole red onions -- thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar -- or apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar -- or sugar substitute
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
2 whole Granny Smith apples -- cored, peeled, cut in small pieces
8 ounces chestnuts -- canned, drained, chopped [or, omit]
1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and shallots; saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, vinegar, water and sugar. Add the seasonings Cover; cook until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Cut the apple into small pieces and add to the cooked cabbage. Add chestnuts; cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serving Ideas : Ideally, serve with sausages or pork of some kind.
NOTES : You need a very large pan to make this. Or, divide the recipe into two pans, then combine at the end when the cabbage and onions have reduced down.
Per Serving: 118 Calories; 3g Fat (24.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Apple and Parsnip Soup

Parsnips are a hugely under-rated vegetable. My mother never served them. In fact, until I was an adult I thought a parsnip was another one of those root vegies like turnips and rutabagas, i.e. round, globe shaped, which I didn't like, really. But parsnips are a completely different animal. They look like anemic carrots, but they're very firm. But also extremely tasty. I forget to buy them. But then, my local grocery store doesn't carry them except on an occasional basis. Probably because lots of other people THINK they don't like them, either. Or, they don't know how to prepare them. Parsnips have a lovely, sweet taste when cooked, kind of like carrots do. They blend beautifully into soups, as a matter of fact, and add another layer of flavor if you're making a carrot or potato soup. They also make a very nice vegetable (a carb, albeit) to serve with a roast or a grilled piece of meat. You can mash it just like potatoes once they're cooked. Just peel well, simmer and mash with a little butter and salt and pepper.

I've had parsnips several times when I've visited places in the United Kingdom. The Brits know all about parsnips. I think our friend Pam once served us a parsnip soup as a first course for a lovely Sunday dinner. Sometimes you'll see them in long quarters beside a big juicy roast - like we'd serve carrots.

So, when Cherrie and I were served this apple and parsnip soup the other day (at a cooking class at Our House, South County in San Juan Capistrano), we both did our best to lick the inside of the cups clean. We couldn't quite, but we tried. It's a simple soup, really, with a nice gentle undercurrent of curry powder (eliminate it if you don't like curry). This would freeze well, except for the garnish, although you could toast the pecans and put them in a small plastic bag inside the soup bag.

Everyone at our table raved about the soup too. It was a stunner. The winner in my book, if there was one, of all the recipes in the class. It was served with a cheddar and apple panini (pictured with the soup, above). My hats off to Sarah, the chef at the cooking school (who reads my blog, she told me!). Well done, Sarah! I'll be making this soup next week without a doubt.

Apple and Parsnip Soup

Servings: 6

SOUP:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 large onions, sliced

2 large parsnips, scrubbed and cubed

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 pound apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored, cubed

2 teaspo0ns curry powder

6 1/4 cups chicken stock

1 1/4 cups half and half

GARNISH:

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

2/3 cup creme fraiche
1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute the onions and garlic over a moderate heat until the onions are translucent. Stir in the parsnips and apple, and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the curry powder and cook for one minute. Pour on the chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Puree the soup in a blender in batches and return to the pot. Stir in the cream, season and reheat gently.

3. Garnish: Melt the butter in a saute pan and add the pecans. Saute over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Swirl the creme fraiche on top of the soup, and sprinkle pecans on top.

Per Serving (about 1 1/2 cups): 538 Calories; 42g Fat (69.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 85mg Cholesterol; 2280mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 8 1/2 Fat.

To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

The soup library is running a little low these days. I have 3-4 soups lined up on my freezer shelf, but the one I wanted is all gone. I thought I had some left from last winter, but no such luck. Two recipes for butternut squash soup stand out amongst my recipes. This is one of them. This happens to be the more time consuming one to make. The other one, Butternut with Jalapeno, that I posted back in July, is a quicker soup because it's made with C&W frozen squash cubes. Nor is that one roasted, as in this case.

This recipe requires you to buy fresh butternut squash, because you roast the squash halves with onions, carrots and apples. So, no short cuts on this one. But, I guarantee you, you'll be pleased with the results, providing you have the time. I always make this in double quantity (8 pounds of squash to start with) because, well, why not? It's wonderful leftover and easy to freeze.

Previously I've mentioned Penzey's, the herb and spice company from whom I buy many of mine. If you order from them (or request it) they send out a catalog periodically, and usually there are 3-4 recipes contained in each little brochure. This came from one of those, a few years ago. Credit goes to a cookbook (that I don't have, in case you're counting) called The New England Cookbook, by Brooke Dojny. She's one smart cookie when it comes to soups.

So what's involved, you ask? You cut the squash in halves, remove seeds, lay them in a large roasting pan (a really big one if you're making a double batch) and add onions, apples and carrots and some fresh rosemary. Dot it with some butter, brown sugar and add a bunch of APPLE JUICE, cover and roast for about 2 hours. The vegetables become succulent, and somewhat sweet because of the apples and apple juice. Because I'd rather not peel the squash, I leave them unpeeled and scoop out the flesh after it's baked. Same with the onions - cut in half and remove skins later. The other little trick to this is the fresh rosemary. I do not like the rosemary to remain in the soup for eating, so I try to use a fresh sprig or two or three and leave them intact while baking, then toss it out, retrieving all the little pieces floating in the apple juice. Or, you can strain the whole mess to get them out.

Once the roasted vegetables have cooled a little (and you scoop out the squash flesh, remove onion skins, etc.), you can add it all to a large soup pot and use an immersion blender (or put it in batches in the regular blender or food processor) to puree all of it. Then you add a few other ingredients, taste it for seasonings, simmer briefly, then add milk (I use fat-free half and half) or cream to smooth it out.

If you don't like soups with a hint of sweet, pass this one by. But if you don't mind the sweeter flavor from the apples and apple juice, this one's a winner.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe: Adapted from the New England Cookbook by Brooke Dojny
Servings: 4
4 pounds butternut squash -- or pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large onion -- peeled, chunked
3 large carrots -- peeled, chunked
4 large garlic cloves -- whole, unpeeled
1 large apple -- peeled, chunked
2 teaspoons dried rosemary -- or 1 T fresh
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups apple juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 cup pecans -- minced

salt and pepper
1 cup fat free half-and-half
1. Preheat your oven to 350. Cut the squash in half (I use a rubber mallet to pound the knife blade as the large squashes are usually quite unwieldy to cut). Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place the halves cut side up in a very large roasting pan. Divide the butter and brown sugar among the cavities. Arrange the onion, carrots, garlic and apple around the squash. Sprinkle with rosemary, then salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth and apple juice around the vegetables and cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast in the preheated oven, stirring once or twice (if you remember, that is) until the vegetables are all very sort and somewhat caramelized, about 2 hours.
2. Open up the foil and allow the vegetables to cool at least 15 minutes. Scoop out the squash pulp, being careful not to include any skin. Remove the garlic from their skins. Process all the vegetables and apple mixture in a food processor, in batches if necessary, adding enough remaining chicken broth to achieve a smooth puree. Add the fat free half and half.
3. Toast the pecan pieces in the oven for a short time, or use a nonstick skillet. Don't burn! Set aside until ready to serve the soup. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan, add the ginger and mace and season with salt and pepper as needed. Bring the soup to a boil, under gentle heat and simmer for a few minutes to meld the spices. Serve the soup in bowls sprinkled with toasted pecans.

NOTES : The original recipe called for fresh pumpkin or squash, and used 6 Tb of butter. I preferred to have a creamy look to the soup, so add the fat-free half and half. It's not a necessary ingredient. When I make it, I always double it since it is such a favorite around our house. I just scoop it into plastic freezer bags in serving size portions (about 2 cups per person) and lie flat on a large cookie sheet until frozen solid. The original recipe also added a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche, but I prefer the minced nuts. I prefer not to have the pieces of rosemary in the soup, so I strain the soup to remove most of it. Or, better yet, if you use fresh rosemary you can just remove the entire sprig. If you want to make the vegetable preparation easier, use a potato peeler on the squash before it's baked, and remove the garlic from its skins; if you do that, you don't have to handle the squash at all after it's baked.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 563 Calories; 11g Fat (17.3% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 94g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 1198mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top. (photo from kraftfoods.com)

Baked Brie with Apples

(photo wholefoodsmarket.com)

I must start off stating that the above picture is not this dish. I'm still not able to walk or stand much, so am still having to resort to internet photos. BUT, it looks similar. Mine is certainly more rustic for sure. The photo looks like a real puff pastry. My version takes a big short cut using tube, store-bought crescent roll dough.

So, now that's off my chest, I can tell you about how easy this is to make. Don't we all have a baked brie recipe of some kind? And it's not exactly baked brie season, if there is such a thing, but hot, oozing brie reminds me more of the winter, maybe even Christmas or Thanksgiving. So save this for some cool night when you're having some friends over.

A few nights ago Jenny, the daughter of friends of ours came to our house and cooked dinner for us. Her parents, Marty & Julie, joined us too. Jenny is such a delight, a teacher, and loves to cook. She made a lamb stir fry dinner, Texas caviar, spinach salad and the cutest cookies (chocolate chip dough with a Reese's peanut butter cup baked in the center - oh yum were they good). The entire meal was just delicious. AND, she brought a wedge of brie to snack on too. That's what made me think about the baked brie.

What's different about this preparation is that after you bake the 2 half-pound rounds of brie, covered in the crescent roll dough, you put it in the microwave for about a minute or two to just finish off the heating/melting of the cheese. What a clever method, I thought, when I first had it. It doesn't stay in the microwave long enough to soggify the crescent dough. And you serve this with sliced apples as the sled upon which you place the brie. Not crackers or bread, which would just add to the high carb nature. But apples. So, you're getting a little bit of healthy thrown in with all the cheese. I think I haven't ever used the 3 apples. More like 2, I think. But, buy 3 just in case you like the apple slices bigger than I do.

I don't remember where this recipe came from - it may be a Tarla Fallgatter recipe (she teaches classes here). My notes don't tell me, so I can't be certain I'm giving proper credit for this recipe. But, from whence it came, any way you do it, it's mighty good.

Baked Brie with Apples
Servings: 12
1 pound brie -- (2 wheels)
3 tubes Pillsbury crescent roll
3 whole apples -- sliced
1. You need 3 tubes of crescent roll dough to make 2 appetizers, just in case you questioned the quantities.
2. Unroll the 3 tubes of dough and divide them into two groups. With one group "cut and paste" so to speak, the pieces to make a large sort-of round shape. Place the chilled brie round in the center and gently pull the dough up around the edges. Generally I trim the outside edges to make them fit better and throw away the excess. Be very gentle since pulling the dough can separate the rolls at the perforations, and you do not want the cheese to melt out during baking. Dampen your finger in cold water to help seal edges, if needed.
3. Follow instructions on the dough tube, but usually these are baked at 350° for about 15 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit a few minutes if desired. Then place the brie wheels on a plate and microwave on high for about 1-2 minutes (no more than that) and serve with apple slices.
NOTES : Very easy appetizer, although it's best to make this just before baking. If the dough sits out at room temperature it darkens and doesn't rise as well.
Per Serving: 174 Calories; 12g Fat (62.1% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 293mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

To view a printable recipe, click title at top.

Caramelized Apple Gingerbread

(photo taunton.com)

Almost nothing heralds Fall more than gingerbread and pumpkin cake, pie. Cool weather would help too, but alas, here in Southern California we're in the low 100's every day. But, back to Fall cooking here. Until I tried this cake, I thought a gingerbread is a gingerbread is a gingerbread. Sure, you could have a more dry one, maybe a moist one, one more highly spiced than another. But I doubt I would have thought a gingerbread could be something I'd really rave about.

Then Cherrie and I went to a cooking class at one of our favorite cooking school haunts, Our House South County, and Sarah made this fabulous cake. It just went right over the top for me. I've made it several times since. The apples make it different. I'd just never had apple gingerbread before. But then you add the "caramelized" part of it and it really did shoot through the moon. This cake isn't hard, although it does take a bit of extra time to cook the apples and make the caramel. What a terrific accompaniment to a tummy warming dinner tied to fall flavors. If you make this, I guarantee you, you'll have a hard time staying out of it.

Caramelized Apple Gingerbread
Recipe: Our House, South County
Servings: 10
POACHED APPLES:
6 whole apples -- baking type - Pippin or Granny Smith
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
CARAMEL SAUCE:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
GINGERBREAD:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup dark molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 cup sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. POACHED APPLES: Peel, core and halve the apples, then place in a large stock-pot style pan large enough to hold all of them in one layer. Add sugar, vanilla and water to cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer until apples are just beginning to soften, but barely still retain their shape, about 8-10 minutes. If using Granny Smith apples, it may take longer. With a slotted spoon, remove apples from poaching liquid and reserve.
3. CARAMEL SAUCE: Melt butter in a 9-inch nonstick round cake pan on a very low burner. Add the corn syrup and brown sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely melted, then remove from heat. Gently turn the apple halves flat side down on top of the caramel mixture.
4. GINGERBREAD: Cream butter and sugar with mixer. Add the egg and mix completely. Add molasses and mix in completely. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and ginger. Add the dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the butter/sugar mixture until mixed in thoroughly. Pour this over the apples and level with a spatula. Place cake pan on the center rack in the oven and bake for 50 minutes to one hour. When a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes.
5. Serving: Invert cake onto a serving platter and top each slice with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
NOTES : Ideally you should serve this cake when it's warm. If you want to make it earlier in the day, leave it in the cake pan once you take it from the oven. Once cool cover with foil, then when you're ready to serve it, gently reheat for about 10-15 minutes at 250°, then invert onto the serving platter as indicated. This cake is not as sweet as you might think. Be sure to cook the apples until they're almost falling apart because they do retain their shape in the cake pan and don't cook much more.
Per Serving: 499 Calories; 16g Fat (28.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 88g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 60mg Cholesterol; 256mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 3 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.

Apple, Dried Cherry and Walnut Green Salad

(photo from wholefoodsmarkets.com)
There's maple syrup in this salad dressing. Sounds way too sweet, doesn't it? Well, it is on the sweet side for a green salad, I'll admit. But there is something seductive about the mixture of mayo, maple syrup and champagne wine vinegar. You counter the sweet with the vinegar, and it's sublime. Usually I serve this in the Fall, and we're steamy here in So. California these days, so I'm waiting for the new crop of apples to come in before I make this again. Although Granny Smiths are good year around, I know. This is kind of reminiscent of a waldorf salad, except there isn't any celery in it. So think of this as a waldorf-ish green salad maybe.

This came from a cooking class with Phillis Carey, a cooking instructor I've mentioned before on this blog. She has such a creative culinary mind. I'm not that inventive - sure, I can put something together if the ingredients are plopped down in front of me, but I'd never have thought to make a salad dressing with mayo and maple syrup. And the combo of the apples, dried cherries and walnuts too.

I think there are too many apples in this salad, although maybe Phillis wanted the apples to be predominant. I prefer to make the lettuce the star (I may use more greens than noted) and the dressing shines through. Then the fruit comes in as secondary. The recipe below is exactly as Phillis made it, with my notes in parens. But, as you start thinking about apples, maybe you'll think about this salad. It's excellent in whatever proportion you choose to use!

Apple, Dried Cherry and Walnut Salad
Recipe By :From a cooking class with Phillis Carey
Servings: 8
DRESSING:
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 tablespoons maple syrup
4 1/2 tablespoons champagne wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
SALAD:
10 ounces baby lettuce leaves (I use more)
4 whole Granny Smith apple -- or pears (I use 1, not 4)
3/4 cup dried cherries -- not sweetened
3/4 cup chopped walnuts -- toasted
1. Dressing: whisk mayonnaise, syrup, vinegar and sugar in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil mixture, until it is slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days.
2. In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce, cherries and half of the toasted nuts. It is not necessary to peel the apples or pears, but you may if you choose. Cut the apples into julienne strips and add to the salad, then toss with enough dressing to coat the salad.
3. Divide salad equally onto 8 plates and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.
NOTES : This has a sweet tinge, obviously, with the maple syrup as a sweetener, but it's very tasty and easy. It helps if you have a mandoline to do the julienne apple strips.
To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.

Crostini with Blue Cheese, Apples & Watercress

(photo from crostini.com)

I really need to get a photo of this appetizer for you all. The above photo looks sort of like it. Wish I could prepare this right now and could photograph it for real. Soon. Hopefully. The broken bone in my foot is improving, thank goodness.

Crostini is an Italian word - I think it means little toasts, or something similar. That's exactly what these are. The recipe calls for a nut or fruited bread. Here in Southern California we can buy bread from La Brea Bakery (Nancy Silverton's famous bakery, although it's been sold to a big baking conglomerate). They have a raisin and pecan baguette that is perfect for this crostini. Otherwise find some kind of nut bread or fruit bread if at all possible. You slice and lightly toast the pieces, spread on a little bit of the cheese mixture containing mascarpone and blue cheese, some thinly sliced apples, then you top each one with some watercress leaves, THEN you lightly drizzle the top with honey. Oh. My. Goodness. Delicious. This recipe is going into my TOP FAV's over on the right column.

Last Fall Cherrie and I attended a cooking class at Our House South County, in San Juan Capistrano. It was all about apples. The cooking school had about 10 varieties of apples from New England shipped to them and they developed recipes all around them. We did a tasting of 6 different apples with 6 different artisanal honey varieties. Gosh were those good. Many of the apples are varieties we can't buy here in California. They're never available in our local markets. So they have to be shipped.

Remember my adage about cooking classes - if I come home from a cooking class with even one special recipe that I'll make, then I count that class as successful and worth the class fee. THIS is the recipe from that class, and I've made them several times.

With apples, you sort of have to cut them up just before you eat them or they will turn brown. If you want to get everything ready before you serve them, you could toss the apples with lemon juice, but I'm not crazy about the lemon juice taste on the crostini. So maybe just acidulated water (a bit of lemon juice in a cup of water) would be better. You can leave the skin on the apples - in fact the crostini look prettier with it on, especially if you're using a red skinned apple. Everything else can be prepared ahead and then it's just a matter of assembling them. I've been known to ask a guest to make them for me. But, you may want to make one and taste it so you know the proportion of cheese to watercress, apple and honey. The honey helps everything stick, so usually you layer the cheese, then the apples, then a bit of watercress, then honey on top.

This is one of those recipes that had I read it in a magazine or a cookbook, I probably would NEVER have made it. Why? Well, I'm not sure I can say. There isn't anything I don't like in this combination, but I don't know that I would have bothered to layer everything up, toast the toasts, etc. Lots of detail work. And yes, that's true, there is a bit of fussy work to be done to serve these. But the end result is extraordinary. And worth it. Absolutely everyone I've served this to has raved about it. So will you, if you try it. I guarantee it.

Crostini with Blue Cheese, Apples & Watercress
Recipe from: Our House South County Cooking School
Servings: 30
BLUE CHEESE SPREAD:
1 cup mascarpone cheese -- softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme -- minced and crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper -- freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups blue cheese -- crumbled
CROSTINI:
30 slices baguette bread -- nut or raisin, toasted lightly
2 large apple -- thinly sliced
4 teaspoons honey
3 cups watercress -- leaves only
1. CHEESE: Mix mascarpone, cream, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne together in a medium bowl. Gently stir in blue cheese. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. CROSTINI: Allow cheese spread to warm to room temperature, then spread it onto the toasted bread slices. On half of the blue cheese spread, place thin apple slices, and on the other half lay a few pieces of watercress, pushing it on slightly so it will adhere. Drizzle the honey over the top and serve.
Serving Ideas : You can't assemble this ahead, but it doesn't take much time to assemble if you have everything ready in small dishes. A tray of these will keep at room temperature for about an hour. AND, leftovers the next morning are just fine. NOTES : This sounds kind of ho-hum. But the combination of the mild blue cheese spread with the fresh, crispy apple slices, the watercress for crunch, and the drizzle of honey makes it sublime. I buy La Brea Bakery's pecan and raisin bread, slice it thin, toast it for about 8-10 minutes at 350. This is best with some kind of fruited bread.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 123 Calories; 5g Fat (38.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 280mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.

Grandgirl's Fresh Apple Cake

My friend Linda emailed me one day just to tell me about this glorious apple cake. With the most unlikely name: Grandgirl’s Fresh Apple Cake from Georgia. Huh? She mentioned it again a few weeks later. We do share recipes all the time, and she’s a good cook. She still works full time, so can’t go to cooking classes much, if at all.

She has the MasterCook software also, and I’ve taught her how to use it, how to capture recipes off the web and easily import them into the software. It’s really quite easy. MasterCook is not expensive software, but it’s a very powerful program that accomplishes nearly everything I need to do to save my recipes. I have over 400 recipes in My Cookbook within MasterCook 9. It has a lot of functions that aren’t exactly "advertised," but are subtle enhancements the program offers if you learn how to use them. Like scaling recipes. You’re having 10 for dinner and the recipe serves 6? No problem. Two keystrokes and you have the recipe re-sized for 10.

One of the things I like the best is the fact that I can create my own custom cookbook design. In other words, I’ve set up a pretty design for all of my recipes. If you have printed out one of the recipes from my blog, the recipe was entered into MasterCook 9, then I converted it to a PDF file (for Adobe Acrobat) so you can print the exact recipe, with picture, in the format I’ve chosen.

I love working with MasterCook. One of its better features is how easy it is the copy and paste a web-based recipe into the program. It takes about 3 keystrokes to get to the import assistant, a small help screen that requires very little to get the recipe into MasterCook. I move a few things around sometimes (the program likes the recipe to be in a certain order), I hit a couple more keystrokes and the recipe is there. Sometimes a photo is available; if so, I import that too. I never forget that adage - a picture speaks a thousand words. Or, I use a fairly new feature called the Web Import Bar which will help you transfer a web recipe into the program. Also very easy. I highly recommend MasterCook 9. You can buy it here at Valusoft for $19.99 or here at Amazon for $18.99.

So back to the fresh apple cake. Last weekend Linda drove up to our house (she lives about 50 miles south of us) on Sunday JUST to fix a wonderful dinner for us. Bless her heart! DH was delighted not to have to cook. I was delighted to finally eat two of Linda’s favorites that I’d not gotten around to trying. Grandgirl’s Apple Cake from Georgia was one of them. We’re still eating off the cake 5 days later. It’s SO SO good.

The recipe came from Paula Deen, and unfortunately it’s no longer available online at the food network, but you can find it at a couple of other sites if you do a search on the web for the title. It doesn’t need any changes or embellishments. It’s perfect just the way it is. It’s a dense, nutty cake. Just overflowing with apple flavor. And once the cake is baked, you pour over it this luscious buttermilk sauce that takes a bit of time to soak in. Please try this recipe. It doesn’t need anything to serve with it, but it’s good with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even a drizzle of heavy cream too. So, thanks Linda, for another winning recipe.

Grandgirl's Fresh Apple Cake from Georgia
Recipe By: Paula Deen via my friend Linda
Servings: 20
CAKE:
Butter -- for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups apples -- peeled and finely chopped
1 cup coconut -- shredded
1 cup chopped pecans
SAUCE:
½ cup butter -- (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a tube pan.
2. For the cake: in a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well. Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 ½ hours.
4. Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
To view a printable recipe, click title at top.

My mother's Crisp Apple Pudding

January 2008: I'm updating this recipe because when I posted it originally I didn't have my own photo for it. Made it this evening, and took a photo. Otherwise, this posting is not new.

I would be ever so negligent if I didn't post one of my favorite recipes, my mother's Crisp Apple Pudding. I've been making this for as long as I've been cooking (that began in 1962). It was written out in my mother's small recipe journal, something she began when SHE got married in the 1930's, a recipe from her mother. And she passed this recipe on to me when I got married. My mother is gone now. Bless her heart. I loved her so much. But she lives on in this recipe for sure. I think of her every time I fix this.

I believe - but I'm not sure - that this recipe came from a vintage (probably 1930's version) Betty Crocker Cookbook. Or maybe it was a Better Homes & Gardens. Did they publish cookbooks back in the 1930's? I think one time in a used book store I saw a very old, stained copy of one of those books and glanced in it, and sure enough, it looked like this recipe. It has one very unique technique that I've not seen in any recipes I've studied. Even today. I did a search just now, and after looking at probably 40-50 apple crisp recipes, with variations of toppings (this one has no oatmeal or brown sugar in it), not a single one of them sprinkles the topping with water. That's what gives this apple dessert its crispness, a different texture for sure. I love it - of course, it's what I grew up having when my mother made this, so it's what I think is the "right" kind of apple crisp. Note that this dessert has a whopping 5 grams of fat per serving.

One year either Bon Appetit or Gourmet did a very in-depth article about crisps, buckles, pandowdies and slumps. They are all similar, but not quite the same. And this technique was not in there, either. I even wrote a letter to the writer of that article about it. Never heard from her. Oh well. Her loss!

So, here is my mother's recipe: Sliced apples, piled into a 8x8 Pyrex or metal baking dish, with a floury-egg-sugar based crumbly topping, dotted with a little butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon and a bit more sugar. THEN, it's sprinkled with water to give that topping an honest-to-goodness crust. Once baked the topping melds together into a crust, and rises a little bit since it has baking powder in it. Allow to cool about an hour, then serve with warm cream or whipped cream. Ice cream is okay too, but whipped cream is better, I think. I've cut down a little on the sugar - I think originally it called for 1 cup, so if you like it sweeter, go ahead and add the full amount. And I hate to say this, but in a pinch, this is marvelous for breakfast.

Crisp Apple Pudding
Recipe By :From an ancient Betty Crocker cookbook, I believe, but via my mother.
Servings: 6-8
1 cup flour
7/8 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 whole egg -- beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 large apples -- peeled and sliced
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spread sliced apples into an 8x8 pan. Sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the egg and mix well. Spread this mixture over the top of the apples, spreading as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the top with the spices and the 2 T. of sugar. Using your fingers or a small spoon, sprinkle water over the topping, sprinkling as evenly as possible. Dab the butter on top, in small pieces.
3. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until top is brown. Allow to cool about an hour, or until it's room temperature.
Serving Ideas : Can be served with whipped cream or Cool-Whip

NOTES : The preparation of this apple dish is a little different because of the water sprinkled over the top. It gives the pudding a wonderful crispy top. This travels well, although it's best eaten the day it's made.

Per Serving: 309 Calories; 5g Fat (15.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 133mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.
To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.