Apple Scrapple

I love when friends share family recipes with me. I feel like family recipes are the hidden gems of amazing food, since these are recipes that are passed down from generation to generation.

This recipe in particular comes from my co-worker Sarah's family. Apple Scrapple is her grandmother's version of an Apple Crisp, but her version is so much easier to make, with probably half the ingredients.

What both Sarah and I love about this recipe, is that it is simple. More specifically, in most desserts that use apples as an ingredient, many other spices and sugars are added to give the apples more flavor. This dessert keeps the integrity of the apple by only adding one other ingredient, which is to enhance its flavor.

Ingredients:
4-5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup White Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter or Margarine, room temperature
Cinnamon

Ingredients

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Butter the bottom of the pan that you will use. Layer with the sliced Granny Smith Apples. Once all of the apples are placed in the pan, sprinkle the apples with cinnamon.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. These ingredients will make Scrapple - this mixture should be crumbly.

4. Crumble the Scrapple and spread evenly over the apples.

5. Bake for one hour.

I highly (read: highly) recommend serving with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Sauteed Pork with Parsnips

Time to change things up for this week! Besides bacon and honey glazed ham, I don't really eat pork. This is my first time ever really cooking it, so it was pretty exciting to see the result!

Once again, this recipe comes from the William-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh + Fast cookbook.

Recipe (makes 2 servings):
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olice Oil
10 ounces Parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Shallots, minced
2 teaspoons and 2 1/2 tablespoons Thyme, minced
3 ounces Wide Egg Noodles
8-10 ounces Pork Tenderloin, cut crosswise into rounds 1/2 inch thick
1 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Dry Vermouth or Dry White Wine
Coarse Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
All-Purpose Flour, for dredging 

Ingredients

Directions:

1.In a large nonstick frying pan over medium high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the parsnips and saute for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and 2 teaspoons of thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until the parsnips start to brown, about a minute. Transfer to a plate.

2. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir well, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain the noodles and return them to the same pot. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

3. Sprinkle the pork on both sides with salt and pepper. In the same frying pan used for the parsnips, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Dredge the pork in the flour, shake off the excess, and add it to the frying pan. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer the pork to a plate.

4. Add the broth, vermouth/white wine, and parsnip mixture to the frying pan and bring to a boil, stirring up the browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the parsnips are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the pork and any juices from the plate. Simmer, turning the pork occasionally, until the pork is cooked through and the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon thyme. Divide the pork between the 2 plates and spoon the parsnips and sauce over the top. Divide the noddles between the plates and serve right away.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I was originally going to bake these cookies in celebration of my boyfriend and mine's anniversary this past weekend...but seeing as how difficult it was for me to find one of the ingredients, I made them tonight!

I wanted to make these cookies because I associate lemons with being refreshing and light (in flavor). And even better? It only uses four ingredients!

Recipe (makes ~24 cookies):
1 box               Lemon Cake Mix
1                       Egg, lightly beaten
2 cups              Cool Whip (or Whipped Topping), thawed
1/2-1 cup        Powdered Sugar

Ingredients

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the Lemon Cake Mix, Cool Whip/Whipped Topping, and Egg in a bowl. You will end up with a very sticky mixture.

3. Form dough into tablespoonfuls and roll thoroughly in the powdered sugar.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden. Allow to cool for 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool thoroughly.

**Because my tablespoonfuls were quite large, I left the cookies in the oven for a few minutes longer than the said 8-10**

UPDATE: As easy and refreshing as the cookies were, I'm not compelled to make them again. There was just no "Wow!" factor to them...no memorable flavors or textures that would make me want to bake them again. 

Vegan Banana Ice Cream Part 2 (Strawberry Compote Included)

A mere 24 hours have passed since the making of Vegan Banana Ice Cream (original post here). I would show you a picture of the ice cream itself, except nothing is too exciting when its just frozen in tupperware.

Instead of sprinkling cinnamon on top of the ice cream before eating it, I opted to make a strawberry compote (I adapted a recipe from here) There are many different compote recipes that you can find online, but in a traditional sense, a compote is essentially fruit cooked in sugar or spices.

Recipe (makes 1 cup):
1 lb (the equivalent is one box)             Strawberries, washed, dried, cubed
1/3 cup                                                     Sugar
1/2 cup or 2 tbsp                                    Grand Marnier or Lemon Juice (respectively)

Ingredients

Alteration #1:

I cubed the fruit instead of slicing it. Anytime I've ever had compote, the fruit has been cubed. Also, the uniformity in shape guarantees that the strawberries will be cooked evenly.


Instructions:

1. Warm a non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine all of your ingredients.

2. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the fruit simmer until it is soft, about 8-10 minutes. 

**Note: the mixture will appear to be very soupy. I stirred the mixture every once in a while so that nothing would stick to the bottom of the pan**

3. Remove from heat and cool.

Alteration #2:

The original recipe continues with instructions and tells you to place the fruit in a food processor, but I prefer to eat the compote as is.

4. Pour over your favorite ice cream, and enjoy!

 UPDATE: The Vegan Banana Ice Cream turned out delicious! Since there is no custard (as there is in regular ice cream), the ice cream turned out icier than expected (not that that is a bad thing). This would make for a great summertime treat, because it is light, healthy, and refreshing. There are also plenty of other fun and fruity vegan flavors that you can make (more of that to come!)

Vegan Banana Ice Cream

There's something about winter that makes you want to eat ice cream. I'm not lying! When the blizzard hit two weeks ago, one of the first things to sell out in the grocery store was ice cream. Strange, indeed.

Now, I've been wanting an ice cream maker for quite some time, but I can't quite seem to justify the cost of buying one just yet. I found this recipe via Pinterest, and all you need is a food processor or blender!

Also, I'm lactose intolerant, but refuse to take Lactaid pills. So when I found a vegan recipe, all I could think was Hallelujah!!! :)

Recipe (makes 3-4 servings):
5                   Ripe Bananas
2-3 cups      Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2-1 tsp     Vanilla
Sprinkle of Cinnamon (optional)

Ingredients

1. Place all items in a blender/food processor until smooth and creamy.

**I used 2 cups Almond Milk and 1 tbsp of Vanilla**

2. Take out of the blender/food processor and pour contents into a container to freeze overnight.

.....follow up with the next post on how it turned out!

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Almost nothing is as hearty as having a good risotto in the middle of winter. There are plenty of different combinations of risotto that you can make, but I decided on the recipe below. This recipe, again, comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. (As pictured below, and mentioned here) It's William Sonoma's Weeknight Fresh & Fast cookbook, which can be found in most bookstores.

Recipe (makes 4 servings):

5 cups       Low-sodium Chicken Broth

1 tbsp       Olive Oil

1                Onion, finely chopped

3/4 lb        Italian Sausage, casings removed

10-12 oz   Button Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup     White Wine/Vermouth

1.5 cups    Arborio Rice

1/2 cup     Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Coarse Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley or Basil, minced, for garnish

Ingredients

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth warm while you are making the risotto.

2. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.Add the rice and stir until it is opaque, about 1 minute. Add the wine/vermouth and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

3. Add about 3/4 cup of the broth to the pan and adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles and is absorbed slowly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to cook, adding the broth about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until rice is tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy; about 20 minutes.

4. Mix in the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Saute with Thyme, Lemon, and Chili

One of my favorite cookbooks (as pictured below) is full of simple and easy recipes. What's especially nice about the book is that it separates recipes based on seasonal fruits and vegetables. So, for example, during the summer season portion of the book, they'll share recipes using summer fruits and vegetables, and in the winter season, they'll share recipes using winter fruits and vegetables. In addition to the recipes, they give a few ideas for side dishes and desserts per season.

Continuing with the chicken dinner streak, I chose the recipe below because I had most of the ingredients already. In addition, I roasted some vegetables as a side dish.

Recipe (makes 2 servings):
2 tbsp      Olive Oil
3/4 lb       Chicken Breast Cutlets
1              Large Shallot, minced
2 tsp        Fresh Thyme, minced
1/2 - 1     Serrano Chile, minced
1/3 cup    Dry White Wine
2 tbsp      Fresh Lemon Juice
Coarse Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Ingredients

Yum!

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and add to the frying pan. Saute until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 2 plates when finished cooking.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same frying pan, and then add the shallot, thyme, and chile. Saute until the shallot begins to soft, about 1 minute. Add the wine and lemon juice, boil, stirring up the browned bits on the pan bottom, until syrupy, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add any juices from the plate holding the chicken to the sauce and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve right away. 

Roasted Vegetable Side Dish: 

Ingredients: Carrots, Parsnips, Red Potatoes, Cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Marinate vegetables with whatever seasonings you like. I used kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh rosemary. Toss in bowl so vegetables are evenly coated

3. Prepare a roasting pan. Grease the bottom of a pan, or line with parchment paper.

4. Arrange vegetables. Place vegetables in a single layer in pan.

5. Once oven is preheated, slide vegetables onto middle rack. Roast for 10 minutes, then stir vegetables. Roast for another 10 minutes, then stir vegetables. Roast for another 10 minutes. 

Delicious!

Birchbox #1

My very first Birchbox arrived yesterday! (See the original post here)

Left to Right: Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate with Caramel Filling, Jouer Matte Moisture Tint with SPF 15, Color Club Nail Laquer in Tweet Me, TIGI Catwalk Finishing Hairspray

It looks like every month, they send products out based on a theme. This month, because of all of the glitzy and glamorous awards shows going on, they're sending out product samples that help to achieve those looks. The even have tutorials and a blog on their website to help guide you!

Baked Balsamic Vinegar and Soy Sauce Chicken

I love making baked drumsticks. No matter the marinade. Reason being, you can really make any marinade, bake it at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, and end up with something tender and delicious. I was thinking about making my usual drumsticks (that will be for another day) for tonight's dinner until I saw this recipe for Baked Balsamic Vinegar and Soy Sauce Chicken.

The chicken turned out delicious! (I'm talking licking my fingers good) It was sweet and sticky and savory all in one!

INGREDIENTS: Black Pepper, Soy Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Garlic, Ginger, Drumsticks

Add all of your ingredients in a medium size bowl

Place drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag (I didn't have any available, so I used two sandwich bags instead) and then pour the marinade into the bag. I let the chicken sit in the fridge to marinate for a little over 7 hours, flipping the bag over every so often.

After the first 25 minutes of baking, before putting the second coat of sauce on top

40 minutes of baking and 3 coats of sauce later...

Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

Keeping with healthy dishes this week, we're making Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia.

Not only was it easy to make, but it didn't take much prep work either. I would recommend this if you're short on time, and looking for something healthy to eat. The flavors of the fish were very refreshing because of the ginger and cilantro, and the jalapeno gave it a bit of a kick. The sauce gave the fish a touch of sweetness, and overall had a bit of an Asian flavor to it.

INGREDIENTS: Sesame Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper, Soy Sauce, White Wine, Garlic, Ginger, Jalapeno, Tilapia fillets, Cilantro

The recipe said to use a food processor to finely chop the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and ginger. Since my boyfriend does not have one, I chopped the items as finely as possible. Here is the final sauce before pouring over the salt and pepper seasoned tilapia

After baking at 475 degrees for 10 minutes

Argo Tea

Blizzard Watch. That's all I can say. It's highly probable that my boyfriend and I will not be going to Toronto anymore to celebrate Chinese New Year, due to Nemo. :( We're expecting 18-24 inches of snow.

I went to the supermarket to stock up and food, and never in my Trader Joe's experience have I ever seen what I saw. Right when I walked in, the check-out line started. The line snaked around the entire perimeter of the store and there was barely any meat left on the shelf. Scary. I went to Shaw's after and I saw newscasters inside interviewing shoppers! People were stocking up on foods left and right as though the world was coming to an end!

I very happily found this though...

Mojitea: Lime + Mint Tea + Pure Cane Sugar

Carolina Honey: Wildflower Honey + Black Tea + Lemon

Argo Tea is originally from Chicago, but I had my first sips in the New York location in the Flat Iron district. They use high quality loose leaf teas and all natural ingredients to make delicious drinks!

Trader Joe's

I love Trader Joe's. I read an article a bit ago saying they have one of the largest cult followings. (I may or may not be part of it...)

But anyways, one thing that I love about them is that they sample different wines and cheeses in-store every week/month, respectively. I happened to love both offerings so much that I  had to buy them both!

Amusant, Bubbly Pink Moscato

Made primarily with Moscato grapes, and has flavors of apricot, peach, bergamot (similar to Earl Grey tea), a touch of mint, and hints of orange blossom.

Unripened Semi-Soft Brie Cheese

This cheese, from Northern California, uses extra rich Jersey and Holstein cow's milk,  European cultures to create the signature Brie flavors, and extra cream - making this a triple cream Brie. 

**Unripened = without the rind**

 

Lastly, I was so excited to see them selling bags of Blood Oranges! 

Since it is still winter, seeing the blood oranges (and the very barely cheaper prices in fruit) gives me a glimmer of hope that Spring is on its way!

Leftover Night

Since my boyfriend and I are heading to Toronto this weekend to visit my family for Chinese New Year, we're trying to eat as much leftover food as possible. Since we were pretty glutinous this past weekend - the Churrascaria, the roasted chicken, and the usual spread for the Superbowl (including these), we decided on eating foods that are not so bad for you this week.

For tonight's dinner, I'm roasting the rest of the vegetables in the fridge. This includes, onions, carrots, parsnips, and red potatoes. I have a hard time finishing fresh herbs while they're fresh, so I added some of the leftover rosemary and thyme, then added salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil. I set the oven to 450 degrees, and roasted them for about 30 minutes.

 

Pigs in a Blanket

Happy Superbowl Sunday! Go 49ers!!!!

We decided to do a potluck for the Superbowl. Each of my friends are going to contribute something to eat, and we made a big effort to have everyone bring something different (read: we had 3 bean dips last year). I'm making Pigs in a Blanket - I used a different sauce than this recipe used, and I made a few other alterations to the original recipe that you'll see below.

I had a friend call me on short notice that she was in town and wanted to meet up for coffee. Since I wouldn't be able to go home and make the food from scratch, I'm going to do it the next best way. Thanks you ready make crescent rolls!

INGREDIENTS: Crescent Rolls, Hot Dogs, Whole Grain Mustard, Honey, 1 Egg

Alteration #1:

I used a different sauce than the original recipe. I got the recipe from here

 1/4 cup Whole Grain Mustard and 1/4 cup Honey to make the sauce above

 Brush each roll with some whole grain mustard, then roll it up with the hot dog.

Alteration #2:

The original recipe said to cut each triangle into thirds, but because I used regular hot dogs [and halved those] I decided to keep the original size of the triangles

Alteration #3:
To add some extra flavor, I used smoked hot dogs instead of cocktail franks or plain hot dogs

Before placing in the oven, brush the tops of each Pigs in a Blanket with an egg wash

Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Gourmet Shops: Cardullo's

The best thing about gourmet shops is that they're fun to browse. You can always find that will pique your interest - international food items, unique meats, and brands that you won't be able find in any conventional supermarket. Here were some of my favorite finds:

I don't know how I feel about this...

I've never seen any store sell actual honeycombs

My favorite candy as a child! The funny thing is, they're Swiss made candies to help sooth your throat and voice. Whoops!

Garlic-Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Two weekends ago, I was lazing around watching the Food Network. On comes the episode where Giada de Laurentiis is cooking chicken three different ways, and I loved how simple it was to make her Garlic-Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables recipe. What's great about the recipe is that you don't need a million ingredients, and for the ingredients you do need, they're things that you can easily incorporate into other dishes.

The ingredients

Getting ready to mix the herbed butter (at room temperature, of course)

Getting ready to toss the root vegetables together with the herbs/spices and olive oil

Right before putting the chicken and vegetables in the oven

An hour and a half later, we're left with crispy skin, succulent meat, and deliciously roasted vegetables! Bon apetit!