Skillet Apple Crisp

I've always had a weakness for a good apple crisp. Of course the apples are important, but they are a tasty vehicle to my true love of crumb topping. This is my new favorite crumb topping. There is a little more salt in this version than most, but it really makes it. I doubled the cinnamon in the topping, simply because the topping bowl and the filling bowl were side by side, and I added the cinnamon to the wrong bowl. It was a divine mistake, which I will make again.


Skillet Apple Crisp

Serves 6 to 8
If your skillet is not ovensafe, prepare through step 3 and then transfer the filling to a 9x13-in baking dish. Top the filling as directed and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Use Golden Delicious apples, though any sweet, crisp apple such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn can be substituted, I used Gala. Do not use Granny Smith apples in this recipe. I am normally a proponent of toasting nuts before I add them to things, except when they're used in a topping. They will be plenty toasted without going to the trouble of doing it before hand. Serve the apple crisp warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Topping
¾ cup (3 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup pecans , chopped fine
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I doubled)
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted

Filling
3 pounds apples (about 7 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Set aside while preparing fruit filling.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Toss apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) together in large bowl; set aside. Bring cider to simmer in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer reduced cider to bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.
3. Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.
4. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.


I wanted to show the syrup that forms in the pan. I took the picture of the crisp in the bowl a little too soon. We spooned this yummy goodness over the top of our ice cream. And now you know what I'll be eating for breakfast, that is if I can fight Michael off.

Asian Green Beans

This recipe is wonderful--even if you don't like green beans. Add a kick to your veggies!

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp finely grated ginger

1/16 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

2 Tb water

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish (optional)

1) Lightly steam the beans, then immerse in cold water to stop them from cooking further. (I don't put them in cold water.) You can do this up to a day ahead of time.

2) Heat the oils in a saute pan over low heat. Saute the garlic and ginger in the oils until the garlic is golden and you can smell its sweetening aroma.

3) Add the beans, pepper flakes, soy sauce, and water. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, over high heat for a few minutes, until the water evaporates and the oil coats the beans and makes them shiny. Shake the pan and stir occasionally while the mixture is cooking.

4) Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Monkey Bread

½ of a 3 oz package of butterscotch pudding (must be cook and serve)
24 Rhodes Rolls, still frozen
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


1. Place 24 dough balls in a bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over dough.

2. Melt butter and mix with sugar and cinnamon.

3. Cover pan with wet towels (it may stain). Let rise overnight in the oven. When
ready to bake, remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove
towel and bake rolls for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert pan onto
platter.

Be sure that you use the regular sized dinner rolls, not Texas size. I have cut the dough balls in half, or quarters which I like better. I don’t like trying to cut frozen dough though and am not willing to stay up late to cut them after they thaw. I suppose the next best thing would be to make your own dough that you could shape into the desired size, but that makes this recipe much harder than it should be. Anyway you fix it, this is an excellent no fuss breakfast.

Citrus Basil Vinagrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs orange juice
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs honey
1/8 cup chopped basil
1 tsp cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Shake to combine.

For the salad, I used romaine with diced chunks of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and croutons. The dressing will last about three days. If you strain the basil out, it is good for two weeks.

Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
½ cup raisins (or dried currants) - see notes below
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, ⅓ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your finger to
work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps
form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball (The dough will
be sticky in places and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you
press, the dough will come together).

5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8 inch circle about ¾-inch thick.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to
cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper)
about 1-inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes
and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cherry-Almond Scones – Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the sour cream mixture and
substitute dried cherries for the raisins (We also like the
almond extract with cherry flavored dried cranberries). - This is what is pictured above.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones – Add a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to the
dry ingredients and substitute dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cranberry-Orange Scones – Add a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the
dry ingredients and substitute dried cranberries for the
raisins.

I make these a lot. I really mean a lot. It's the best of both worlds between a biscuit and a muffin. We usually do a mixture of two of these. We like cranberries with almond extract. I haven't ever made these with raisins or currants. Be sure when you're running the butter over the grater that you rotate the sides you're grating. Otherwise, the sides touching your hands start to melt and will be difficult to pass through the grater. I've heard of people using nonstick spray with their box graters. This isn't something I've done because mine has a nonstick coating, but I could see the spray being helpful here. After you've finished grating the butter, be sure to scrape off the interior (if using a box grater) or opposite side (if using a flat grater).

Alfredo Sauce

I love this recipe because it is easy, fast, and tastes just like Olive Garden (my all-time fav!!). My two year old usually has 2-3 helpings too! This recipe is also nice because I usually double it and then freeze the remaining sauce in two ziploc bags. Then when you need a quick meal, run it under some warm water, stir and it's ready!! I love this on bowtie noodles, although you can use fettuccine, spaghetti noodles, anything you have!! Enjoy!!

1 pint Heavy Cream (I have used half-n-half and even milk before and it still works)

2 TB. Cream Cheese

1/2 C. Butter

3/4 C. Parmesean Cheese ( I use the powdered stuff in the can)

1 tsp. Garlic (powder or fresh)

pinch of parsley (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

In medium sauce pan, combine butter, cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted and mixed. Add the parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring frequently over low heat. Serve over noodles.

Concoction Enchildadas, Chicken three ways

I realize the name is a little odd, but concoction is the name Michael gives to anything I make that doesn't have a definite recipe. These enchiladas are different nearly every time. The only constant is that there is always cheese and tortillas. You can substitute nearly anything that you like wrapped in a tortilla in this "recipe." The quantity of filling determines how many tortillas you'll need. If you make too much filling, refrigerate it and make some more enchiladas, or cook more rice and serve it over top. I know the directions look long, but the actual dish doesn't take that long to make.

Ingredients
10-12 tortillas (I like corn, but have used flour before - if using corn, read the hint on the left side of this page)
2-3 chicken breasts, or a Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded* see explanation below
chicken broth* see explanation below
about one cup of cooked rice, if desired
about one cup of black beans, if desired
about one cup of corn, if desired
about two cups of cheese, shredded
2 cans of 10 oz. enchilada sauce (I use one red and one green)
8 oz. cream cheese on occasion

*For chicken three ways, bake, grill, or otherwise cook a whole chicken (or go to Costco and buy one). Serve with whatever side items strike your fancy. Meal number one. Shred remaining chicken to use in enchiladas (or some other meal). Meal number two. For meal number three, put remaining chicken (bones and all) in a pot filled with water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow this to simmer for as long as you have time for; I've done it for as long as three hours. When you've waited long enough, remove the bones and skim the fat off of the top. Add carrots, celery, onion, and/or any other vegetables you like. When those have nearly finished cooking, add some noodles, and voila - meal number three is chicken noodle soup. Now, back to enchiladas.

*If you are using raw chicken, boil the breasts in a pot with enough broth to cover the top of the meat with one inch of broth. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-60 minutes (the longer the better, but it usually takes about 20 minutes for the chicken to be fully cooked). If you allow the chicken to simmer for the longer amount of time, be sure to check on it every so often so it doesn't cook dry. When chicken is cooked, remove from heat - don't drain, shred chicken.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add chicken and one can of sauce to remaining broth (if using the raw chicken method). Heat this mixture to a simmer and allow to simmer until you need the filling - this is where I use the red sauce.
3. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. If using cream cheese, add to the second can of sauce - this is where I use green sauce. Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 cup of the second can of sauce. Be sure all other ingredients are prepped.
4. Add rice, beans, and corn to the chicken mixture. Get ready to start rolling.
5. Add some filling and cheese to a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam side down in the 9x13 pan. Repeat until filling is used up or tortillas run out.
6. Pour remaining can of sauce over top of rolled enchiladas, being sure to spread it evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes. If the cheese isn't browned after 20 minutes, turn the broiler on to low, and broil until the cheese has browned. It doesn't take long for it to turn from melted pale cheese to browned to black, so watch carefully.
7. After removing from oven, allow the enchiladas to cool for about five minutes. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, avocado chunks, olives, etc. Enjoy!