Apple Butter Recipe

I made this for the first time a month or so ago, and it was gone right quick. I like this recipe because it uses up a lot of apples, and my husband declared it "good enough to buy apples just to make this". It's not hard by any stretch, but it is time-consuming, so keep that in mind before you start. We have spread this on biscuits and bagels and toast. We have baked it into crescent rolls and pocket pies. I could also see it on pancakes or waffles. Hrm....

Apple Butter Recipe

3 Cups Apple Juice or Cider
3 lbs Apples (I use a combo of whatever I have on hand, usually fuji, golden delicious, red delicious and/or gala.)
2 Tbsp to 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, depending on the sweetness of your apples
1/2 Tsp (more to taste) Cinnamon

Bring the apple juice or cider to a boil in a large pot or dutch oven. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes. In the mean time, peel, core and chop the apples. (This is the only recipe that I actually peel the apples for.) Add the apples to the juice, cover and cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Remove the pot from the heat and grab your handy dandy potato masher. Get in there and mash the apples as much as possible. Stir in the cinnamon and brown sugar and return the pot to low heat. Continue cooking over low heat until very thick and all the liquid has cooked off, as much as one hour longer. If need be, you can continue mashing any lumps out as the mixture thickens.




I haven't (yet) canned anything, so I just put this in a container in the fridge. I can't say how long it will actually keep, the first batch I made was gone inside of two weeks!

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Today I made pancakes for my family for breakfast. But, as you can plainly see, this is not a post for a pancake recipe. You see, I don't care for sweet breakfasts, so after they were finished eating I went rummaging in the fridge to see what I could find for myself to eat. Leftover rice and a smattering of veggies. Sounds like fried rice to me!

I will give approximate amounts here to serve one as a main course, or probably two as a side. Also, you can use any vegetables you like. Really, just about anything goes, but you definitely want to use onions (or green onions), garlic and ginger. You can also add herbs as well. I have used both basil and cilantro in the past, but today I didn't use any.

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

1 Tsp Canola or Peanut Oil
2 Tbsp Diced Onion
1 Sliced Scallion
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed or Minced
1 Tsp Minced Ginger (I use the minced ginger in a jar)
3/4 Cup Cold Cooked Rice
1 Medium Carrot, Sliced Lengthwise and Cut into Half Moon Shapes
1 Cup Broccoli Florets, Broken up Pretty Small
1 Cup or So Shredded Cabbage
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan or a wok. If you use a frying pan like I did today, it will take a little longer to cook because it can't get as hot as the wok would. Add the onions and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and stir for about 30 seconds. Next add in the rice, breaking up with your hands if necessary. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and aromatics.

Next add in the carrots and broccoli and stir often nearly cooked, about 4 minutes in the frying pan, less in a wok. Then add in the cabbage and cook until wilted, about another 3 or 4 minutes. When the vegetable are cooked, crack in the egg and scramble it and coat the rice and vegetables and stir until cooked. This only takes a few minutes. Pour on the soy sauce and stir to combine.

An oddly satisfying, if unconventional breakfast. But you should feel free to serve this for lunch or dinner as you see fit. ; )

Arugula Risotto Stuffed Kabocha Squash Recipe

I went snooping around the internet looking at stuffed squash recipes and noticed that most of them involve rice. I have never made nor eaten a squash stuffed with rice, so this was news to me! Shows how much I know. Anyhow, this is what I came up with when I decided to try a rice stuffed winter squash.





Arugula Risotto Stuffed Kabocha Squash

2 Small Kabocha Squash
Olive Oil
1/2 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Arborio Rice
Chicken or Veggie Broth, up to 5 cups (I used about 4 this time)
1/2 Cup White Wine
One Bunch Arugula (About 2 Cups Coarsely Chopped)
1/2 Cup (Or more) Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 375

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Rub the cut sides with olive oil and place cut side down in a baking dish. Bake until it can be easily pierced with a fork or wooden skewer.

Dice and saute the onions in olive oil until very soft. Add the crushed or minced garlic, then the rice. Cook until the rice is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and stir, once the wine has evaporated, add about 1/2 cup of broth. Let simmer until the broth has nearly evaporated, and keep adding broth in this fashion until the rice is tender. This can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes. When the rice is cooked, stir in the arugula, then the parmesan cheese.

Remove the squash from the oven and turn cut side up. Stuff the squash halves with the rice, you might not need all of the rice. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and return to the oven until heated through and browned on top. I ended up putting them under the broiler for a few minutes to get the tops browned.

Beet, Apple and Carrot Salad Recipe

This one is so simple, I don't really think it's fair calling it a 'recipe'. However, it is a side dish I turn to often when time is short and I need something quick. It also keeps well in the fridge and as such makes great snacks or lunches later in the week.

Beet, Apple and Carrot Salad

Roughly equal parts beets, carrots and apples. Scrub the beets and carrots. Core and seed the apples (I do this by cutting them in quarters, then slicing on the diagonal to remove the core and seeds.) If you are picky about such things, you can peel, but I never do. Shred everything with the food processor or a box grater.

For one beet, 2 carrots and one apple I use about 1 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar (or you could use Sherry Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, probably even Balsamic Vinegar. Try a few and see what you like.) and 1 Tbsp Olive Oil. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then add in the veg/fruit. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. That's it!

Super simple and so refreshing.

We had this with the Cornbread Stuffing and a wonderful roast chicken my DH made.

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Now that November is here, Thanksgiving is officially right around the corner. It doesn't look like I will be cooking the whole dinner this year, so instead I will be posting a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes each week for the next few weeks. Today's offering is corn bread stuffing, which I made for the first time last year and seemed to be a big hit.

Corn Bread Stuffing

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking


One recipe Skillet Corn Bread
1-2 Tbsp Butter
One Cup Diced Onion
1/2 Cup Diced Celery
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley
1 1/2-2 tsp Minced Fresh Thyme
1 1/2-2 tsp Minced Fresh Sage
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
1/4 Cup or so Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Slice the cornbread into about 1 inch cubes and put in a bowl. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the herbs, salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture to the bread cubes and stir to coat. Pour in broth until the stuffing is moist, but not saturated. You don't want it to stick together, but you don't want it too dry, either.

Turn the stuffing out into a buttered baking dish (8 inch) and bake until brown on top, about 25-35 minutes.

Skillet Corn Bread Recipe

This is super quick to put together and would go well with Chili Rojo as well as with many other soups, stews, barbecue...and in Corn Bread Stuffing (recipe coming tomorrow). I make this corn bread in a 5 inch cast iron skillet, but an 8 inch baking dish would probably work as well, or even a muffin pan. If I were making muffins, I would not bother melting butter in the cups, just grease them with softened butter.

Skillet Corn Bread

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Stone-ground Corn Meal
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Milk or Buttermilk (I use regular milk when I don't have buttermilk on hand, which is more often than not.)
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Tbsp Butter

Preheat the oven to 375

Mix in a medium bowl the flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt. In another bowl stir the baking soda into the milk or buttermilk, whisk in the sugar, egg, and 2 Tbsp canola oil.

Put the 1 Tbsp butter in your skillet and put the skillet in the oven until the butter melts and begins to sizzle, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and turn the pan to coat all side with the butter. Put the batter in the skillet and bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens Recipe

I made this soup a few weeks ago with chicken and sun dried tomato sausage and really loved it. I remade it on Halloween night with Linguica, and didn't love it as much, but it was still pretty good.

Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens

2 lb. Sweet Potatoes, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 lb Potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
12 oz. Precooked Sausage (Your choice)
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
6 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 Bunch Collard Greens
Red Pepper Flakes to Taste (Depending on heat of the sausage you choose)

Slice sausage into 1/2 inch rounds. Brown in olive oil over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Add diced onions to pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, diced sweet potatoes and potatoes, stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Let boil about 20 minutes, then add in roughly chopped collard greens and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add sausage back into the pot and let cook for about 15 minutes, or longer.