The Charmed Kitchen

Ginger Spiced Cider

It’s been chilly lately and I love a mug of hot cider to warm up. I made some recently and wanted to dress it up a little. Great late at night when I want something without caffeine, too. I ended up adding ginger and cinnamon and the result was really good. Simple, too. I always keep fresh ginger in my freezer. It is frustrating to buy a piece of ginger and then find it in the bottom of the crisper drawer weeks later looking like a science experiment gone bad. Freezing it solves that problem.When I want to use it I just  take it out of the freezer, scrape off the peel and grate or slice off what I need. It keeps pretty much forever that way and I have fresh ginger whenever the mood strikes me.

Ginger Spiced Cider

2 cups apple cider

1-inch piece of ginger, sliced

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

Place cider in a saucepan with the ginger and cinnamon. Simmer gently for 5 minutes- or a little longer if you want a more intense ginger taste. Strain and serve. Serves 2.

Note: Some of the cider will boil off so add a little more if you simmer it longer or keep the pot covered to reduce evaporation. I actually like the more intense flavor when it cooks down a little.

Cider simmering with ginger and cinnamon

Succotash

I catered a party recently with a western theme. We went over menu options and the hostess ended up choosing succotash as one of the sides. I know, kind of a silly sounding name. As a kid I didn’t like it- but then I didn’t like Lima beans when I was a kid. Succotash’s main 2 components  are corn and Lima beans. After that different ingredients are sometimes added. I went my own way on this one and came up with a side dish I didn’t just like- I loved. So did the party guests. It could even be a vegetarian main dish instead of a side. My additions- butter, garlic and sweet peppers.

Succotash

2 T. butter

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 lb. fresh Lima beans- I used frozen

5-6 cups fresh or frozen corn

salt and pepper to taste

In skillet heat butter and cook garlic over medium heat until just getting color on it- be careful not to burn. Toss in the pepper and cook 5 minutes longer- until pepper is tender-crisp. Add beans and corn and cook until heated through, stirring often. Adjust seasonings and add a little more butter, if you like. Serves 6-8.

Succotash with barbecue chicken

Autumn Sweet and Sour Cabbage

I think cabbage sometimes gets a bad rap. I know plenty of people who only eat it as cole slaw or maybe sauerkraut. It is a very versatile vegetable and can make a nice side dish sauteed with just a few other ingredients. I had several  heads of cabbage from my garden and wanted to use some as a side dish. I combined the cabbage with  a few additional ingredients, including apples, to make this. I kept this batch vegetarian but you can add cooked bacon or some diced ham. Either way it is a tasty and easy way to enjoy cabbage. Goes great with roasted meats, especially pork. I served it with a roasted chicken.

  Autumn Sweet and Sour Cabbage

2 T. oil

1 large onion, sliced thin

8 c. shredded cabbage

2 c. chopped apples and pears, peeled if desired

½ c. cider vinegar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

¼ sugar, or more to suit your taste

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in oil until golden brown. Add cabbage and fruit and cook over medium high heat, stirring often until cabbage is wilted. Add remaining ingredients and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Adjust seasonings. Serves 4-6.

Note: You can serve this dish just as it is or you can add 8 oz. of cooked noodles when you add the vinegar for cabbage and noodles. Some people also like to make this dish with crumbled bacon or diced ham.

Pear Salad with Feta and Pecans

With the abundance of pears this time of year I find myself using them is everything. I love just eating them plain and of course baking with them. I also like pears added to salad. This salad hits all the right notes for me with pears, toasted pecans, bacon  and feta. If you are looking for something to do with pears you really might want to try this recipe. Simple but loaded with flavor.

Pear Salad with Feta and Pecans

8- 10 cups mixed salad greens, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 ripe pears, cored and sliced thin

¾ c. crumbled feta cheese

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ c. toasted pecans, but other nuts can be used

5 T. cider vinegar

½ c. oil

Fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl place greens. Add pears, feta bacon and pecans. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Toss over greens and divide into serving dishes. Serves 6-8.

Classic Apple Cake

This is a recipe that has been around for a long time. My Mother got the recipe from my Aunt Josie when I was just a kid. Love it and make it every year when the apples are local and fresh. I hope you’ll try it. Moist, not too sweet and very easy to make. You don’t even have to get out the mixer- ingredients are mixed by hand and ready in no time.

Classic Apple Cake

1 c. oil

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/3 c. orange or lemon juice

Combine above ingredients and set aside.

Mix together the following dry ingredients. Make a well and stir in egg mixture to make a stiff batter

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

3 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

Mix ½ c. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and set aside

Peel, core and slice 4 medium apples.

Grease a 9×13 inch pan or a Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place ½ of batter in prepared pan. Arrange apple slices on batter and sprinkle on ½ of the cinnamon mixture. Pour on remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Bake 1 hour in a 9×13 inch pan and about 1½ hours in a Bundt pan.

Fresh out of the oven

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I love a good oatmeal cookie. Heck I love cookies in general. It’s a classic and always popular. Like a lot of classics, though, it can be fun to change things up a little. Sometimes you create a new classic.  I had a request for oatmeal cookies but with something other than raisins.  I ended up using dried, sweetened cranberries and the result was quite nice. Moist cookies with just a touch of tartness from the cranberries. A new classic that I plan on making again.

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. water

1 t. vanilla

 3 c. rolled oats

1 c. flour

1 t. salt

1/2 t. soda

1 c. dried sweetened cranberries

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Beat together butter, sugars, egg, water and vanilla until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. I use a cookie scoop- it makes for uniform cookies and is faster than using a spoon. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

Apple Kolachy

With apples abundant this year I find myself using them every where. Yesterday I made a batch of kolachy using home made apple pie filling. Served them at a party last night and they were a big hit. Finish them off with a dusting of powdered sugar combined with a little cinnamon.

Kolachy

Dough

3 sticks butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 cups flour

Mix all together and chill well before using.

Filling:

assorted fruit pie fillings

powdered sugar

Roll out chilled dough into squares or circles. Spoon a little fruit filling into the center and pinch 2 ends or corners together. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden on edges. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

If you love salmon, like I do, this is a fun way to prepare it. The crunch from the nuts add a nice touch to the fish. Easy and makes a nice dish for company, too.

Alaska Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating

 2 T. Dijon Mustard

2 T. melted butter

4 t. honey

1/4 c. fresh bread crumbs

1/4 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts

2 t. chopped parsley

4 salmon fillets

Salt and pepper

Lemon wedges

Mix together mustard, butter and honey and set aside. Mix together bread crumbs, nuts and parsley and set aside. Season each fillet with salt and pepper. Place on lightly greased baking or broiling pan. Brush each fillet with mustard This was Font/Pitch 1,10 – Off.Note:  The change to pitch (10*) and font (1) must be converted manually.mixture. Divide crumb mixture among fillets, patting to hold. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes per inch thickness of fillets. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes

If you only use parsnips in savory dishes (or maybe you never use parsnips at all) you might be surprised to see them used in a dessert. Truth is parsnips are similar in flavor to carrots and carrots are used in cake quite successfully.  While not exactly the same in flavor think of parsnips as white carrots. Combined in a spiced batter they make wonderful cupcakes. Good any time of the year, they seem especially nice for an Autumn dessert.

Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1 T. ground ginger

1 T. cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. allspice

1 t. salt

1/2 t. cloves

3 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. milk or half and half

2 t. vanilla

2 c. packed peeled and shredded fresh parsnips, 2-3 large

1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional plus extra for topping, optional

1 recipe cream cheese frosting- see below

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners- or grease lightly. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In smaller bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Stir in parsnips and nuts, if adding. Spoon batter into the prepared pans, filling half-full. Bake for 15 minutes – or until toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Cool and frost. Sprinkle with fine chopped nuts, if you like. Makes 24.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 0z. (1 stick) butter, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until fluffy. Frost cupcakes and chill until ready to eat.

Parsnips

Combine dry ingredients

Shredded parsnips

Fresh out of the oven

Creole Jambalaya

There are so many variations for Jambalaya. This recipe is a slightly tweaked version I got from a boss of mine a long time ago. I must say every time I make this for friends it gets rave reviews. 

                                                                Creole Jambalaya

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 c. chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 c. oil

2 c. cubed uncooked chicken

3 c. chicken stock

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice

1 16 oz. can tomatoes

2-3 t. paprika

Cayenne pepper to taste

Black pepper to taste

1/4 t. ground turmeric

1 lb. medium shrimps, peeled and deveined, uncooked

1 1/2 c. frozen peas

1/2 c. chopped red pepper

1-2 lb. mussels, optional

In Dutch oven cook sausage, onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients, except shrimp, peas, sweet red peppers and mussels. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Stir in shrimp, and peppers, cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in peas and stick in mussels, if desired. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Discard any mussels which have not opened in 5 minutes. Serves 8.