Pink Applesauce
I really enjoy the flavor of homemade applesauce. I try to can at least a few batches this time of year.
I decided to mix things up a little by making a batch of applesauce with cranberries. It came out a pretty shade of pink. The cranberries also added a nice tartness to the mix.
You don’t have to add sugar, if you don’t want to. You add the amount of sugar you like, or leave it out completely. I like to mix different varieties of apples, for different flavor in your sauce.
You can also freeze the mixture if you don’t want to can it.
Pink Applesauce
60 medium apples, I used mostly Melrose and some Jonathans
12 oz. cranberries
water*
1 c. lemon juice
sugar to taste
Peel and core apples. Put in water with some ascorbic acid, citric acid or lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Place apples in a pot with enough water* to prevent sticking and add the cranberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat until soft. I wanted smooth applesauce, so I ran the cooked apple mixture through a food mill on the medium blade. Return apple mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Sweeten with sugar, if you like, or leave unsweetened. Have water bath full of boiling water and have hot, clean canning jars and lids and rings ready. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe rims and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes for pints or quarts. Turn off heat and let jars stand in water bath 5 minutes before removing. Set in a draft free area to cool down. Yield: 8 quarts or 16 pints.
*rather than add water, to prevent the apples from sticking, you can use cider or apple juice instead.
Homemade Caramel Apples
Making caramel apples is a wonderful childhood memory for me. Every Autumn, we would make a batch. We used those little store-bought caramels. I was often the one tasked with unwrapping them. I can remember unwrapping one after the other. It seemed to take forever.
I wanted to make my own caramel, so that is what I did. It is so much better than the store-bought version. Still, in the end, use what works for you.
Caramel is not that hard to make. You do need to keep an eye on it. Stir constantly. Just a hint, be sure your candy thermometer is really secure. Mine was a little slippy on the pan I was using. At one point the thermometer slid into the caramel. Not what you want to have happen!!!
Once dipped in the caramel, you can dip the bottom of the apples in nuts, pumpkin seeds, sprinkles, cereal, or even popcorn.
Homemade Caramel Apples
1/2 c. butter, cut in cubes
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. corn syrup*
pinch of salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 t. vanilla
8-12 apples
chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, cereal, sprinkles, popcorn for dipping the bottoms of the caramel apples, optional
In heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, syrup and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. This will take about 10 minutes. Add milk and bring mixture up to 248 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Place a Popsicle stick, skewer or chopstick down the center of each apple. Dip apples in the caramel, allowing excess to drip off- or not. Dip bottoms of apples into nuts, seeds, sprinkles or whatever ingredient you picked. Place on wax paper and allow to set up. If you don’t want to dip the bottoms in anything, place the dipped apples on lightly buttered wax paper. Cool before serving. Makes 8-12 caramel apples.
Note: You could also use pears in the recipe.
*If you don’t have corn syrup- or don’t want to use it here is a way to make a substitute for it.
Sugar Syrup- corn syrup substitute
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/4 t. salt
Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook to soft-ball stage. Stir frequently.
Soft ball stage occurs at 235-245 degrees. This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.
Remove from heat. Cool and store at room temperature. It will keep well for a month or two.
Bacon, Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
There seems to be an almost endless number of fillings for quiche. My most recent combination of bacon, spinach and mushrooms might be a new favorite. I think what made this one special is that I cooked the mushrooms in the bacon fat, after cooking the bacon. It really infused the whole quiche with that wonderful, smoky bacon flavor.
I defrosted a package of frozen spinach, but didn’t use all of it in the quiche. Not sure why not, but I would use it all the next time.
I baked my bacon and the mushrooms, but you can cook them both in a skillet, if you prefer. I had just washed my stove and didn’t want to get it dirty. Plus, I really like to bake bacon.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy.
Bacon, Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
1 unbaked pie crust – enough for a deep dish pie
4 oz. diced or shredded cheese – I like a sharp cheddar
2 T. flour
½ lb. bacon
1½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c. milk or half and half
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. fresh chopped parsley
Hot pepper sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Place bacon slices on a jelly roll pan and bake in a 350-degree oven until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Place the mushrooms in the same pan you just cooked the bacon in and return to the oven. Cook about 15-20 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked and even a little brown. Drain mushrooms on paper towels. Turn oven up to 400 degrees.
While mushrooms are cooking, crumble bacon. Start to prep quiche while mushrooms cook. In 9-inch (deep dish) pie pan place the crust. Toss cheese with the flour and place in crust. Add the bacon and spinach to the crust. Add the mushrooms. Combine milk with the eggs and add seasonings to taste. Pour over the bacon-spinach mixture. Place pan on a baking sheet to collect any drips and place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes then turn down oven to 325 and continue baking until quiche is firm near the middle, about 25-30 minutes more. To test for “doneness” insert a butter knife about an inch from the center of the quiche. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done. Serves 4-6. Freezes well.
Sweet Potato Muffins – Gluten Free
When a family member was diagnosed with Celiac disease years ago, the selection of gluten free foods was pretty limited. Happily, today going gluten free is much easier. I buy a gluten free flour at Costco that can be used in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour. Gluten free flour is available in many grocery stores, too.
Gluten free flour seems to bake, or at least brown, a little faster, so you have to keep an eye on what you use it in. It doesn’t get much easier than that. In this recipe you could also use all purpose flour, if that is what you prefer. Just increase baking time 3-5 minutes.
The muffins are moist and not too sweet. They are great for breakfast, snacks or even as a dessert. They could also be served with lunch or dinner in places of rolls.
They freeze well so you can make a batch and freeze the extras for later. Wonderful for busy days when you don’t have time to make them.
Sweet Potato Muffins- Gluten Free
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. oil
1 c. sugar
2 c. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 3/4 c. gluten-free flour
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
Blend together in large bowl eggs, sugar, sweet potatoes and oil and set aside. In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring bake when touched lightly. Makes 30-36.
These freeze well.
Sweet Potatoes or Yams?
I just wanted to clear something up. With all the sweet potato and “yam” recipes circulating, it seemed like a good time for this post. Are you eating sweet potatoes or yams?
Well, if you live in North America, you are having sweet potatoes. No matter what the produce department labels them, everything in the store is, botanically speaking, a sweet potato. Red, orange and yellow, big and small – all are sweet potatoes.
So where did the yam thing start? Well, many years ago the state of Louisiana had an abundant crop of sweet potatoes. They wanted to sell them in a competitive marketplace, so they decided to call them yams. Just a name change in an effort to give their product an edge over the competition. You’ll often still see them sold as Louisiana Yams. They aren’t yams, though. Louisiana Yams are, in fact, just sweet potatoes with a name change.
There are real yams- they are larger than sweet potatoes and quite starchy. They might be found at South American restaurants, or in specialty markets in the States, but they are NOT in your local grocery store.
A sweet potato by other name will taste as sweet.
Pickled Rainbow Carrot Salad
This was one of those dishes where it came out great, but was not what I had planned in the beginning. Let me explain.
I had picked up some beautiful rainbow carrots at a local market. They come in colors ranging from yellow to purplish red. I wanted to make something special with them, highlighting their vibrant colors. I liked the idea of a kind of pickled carrot. Made up the recipe as I went along. I knew the flavors would go well with the rest of the dinner that was planned. The carrot salad worked out so well. Great flavors- but there was a problem.
I had used a red wine vinegar and by the time everything was done cooking, the color of the carrots had changed. They all looked, well, like regular carrots. No one knew the difference, except me. I felt bad that I had cooked all the color out of the rainbow carrots, but the flavor was good. I guess, in the end, that is what really matters.
So here is the recipe. Feel free to use what ever color carrots you like- it won’t matter in the end!!
Pickled Rainbow Carrot Salad
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 c. vinegar- red wine or cider vinegar preferred
1 c. water
1 ½ lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ c. sugar
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 t. salt, or to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 t. ground ginger
Hot sauce to taste
1 bay leaf
In saucepan, combine onions and garlic with the water and vinegar and bring to a boil. Prepare other veggies while onions simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered about 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Let salad cool down, then store in fridge until ready to serve. Best served the next day. Remove bay leaf and garlic cloves before serving.
Martha’s Beets
I had picked up some beets from a produce market the other day. I have made this dish many times and it seemed like a good time to make it again. It is so tasty and easy to make. You just have to give the flavors time to develop.
This is a recipe that my friend Martha, made for us one chilly autumn afternoon, many years ago. The amounts are random for a reason. Just use what you have- more or less – and let the flavors blend together gently. That is what Martha did.
Full of earthiness and great fresh flavors it is always a favorite of mine. I always think of her, with great affection, when I make it. Miss you, my beloved friend.
Martha’s Beets
Oil
2 Onions, chopped
Potatoes, cut in big chunks, peeled, if desired, about 2 lbs.
1 bunch beets, with greens*
Chicken or vegetable stock, 2-4 cups, using as needed
Parsley
Salt and pepper
Cook beets in boiling water for 20 minutes. Cool and slip off skins. Cut up beets into chunks. In large pot, cook onions in oil until tender. Add potatoes and prepared beets with just enough stock to keep them from sticking. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, chop up the beet greens. Add them to the pot and stir in. Cover and continue cooking until greens are tender. Toss in fresh parsley and cook 5 minutes longer.
* If you can’t find beets with greens, or if you like more greens, you can also add red Swiss chard in place of the beet greens.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Sometimes you can start with the simplest ingredients and end up with something special. This recipe is a perfect example. I had fresh pears and flour tortillas. I wanted to make a brunch dish for a friend so I added a few more ingredients and ended up with these pear blintzes. I make fruit blintzes with tortillas pretty often. I wanted these to be different. I added Amaretto to the pears and made candied almonds as a topper.
They look like a lot more work than they are. They were simple to make.
My friend said they reminded her of apple pie. In fact, she didn’t believe me at first, when I said they were pears. If you like the taste of homemade fruit pie, but don’t have the time to bake, these are a nice option. Because they are barely cooked, the pears retain some shape. In a pie, pears tend to fall apart.
Since we had them for brunch, I left them plain, but these would make a great dessert topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Even a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of caramel. Simple and quite flavorful.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Blintzes:
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas, I used whole wheat
2 oz. milk
2 T. butter
Filling:
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. Amaretto
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Candied Almonds
¾ c. sliced almonds
½ c. sugar
¼ c. water
½ t. cinnamon
Place tortillas in shallow dish and drizzle the milk over them. Try to get some milk on each of the tortillas to soften them. While the tortillas are softening, prepare the filling. In medium skillet, combine pears with the rest of the filling ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Combine almonds with the sugar, water and cinnamon in medium skillet. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pour almonds onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking sheet or foil. Spread out and allow nuts to cool.
Place butter in skillet and start to heat up the pan. While pan is heating, divide pear filling among the 4 tortillas. Place filling along center of tortilla and fold up edges over, to cover the filling. Heat the tortillas, seam side down, in the pan until golden, turning to toast evenly on both sides. Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Top with some of the candied almonds. Serves 4.
Molasses Applesauce Cake
I can remember the first time I made a molasses cake. I was about 17. The recipe was in one of my Mom’s “women’s magazines”. I loved the earthy flavor that the molasses gave the cake.
I also remembered that the cake had applesauce in it. I canned a lot of applesauce last fall and have been looking for recipes using applesauce.
I found the original recipe last night and decided to make the cake. I did change a few ingredients around. The recipe I originally used had shortening in it. I swapped it out for butter. I also added more spices.
It is every bit as wonderful as before. Moist, not too sweet, with just a kiss of spices. So, if you have a jar of molasses and some applesauce, give this cake a try.
Molasses Applesauce Cake
2¼ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
½ t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
4 oz. butter, softened, 1 stick
1 c. applesauce
1 c. molasses
1 egg
¾ c. raisins, plumped in warm water, then drained well, optional
Glaze:
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside. In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir to blend. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredients to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread out evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake then top with glaze. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour over the cake. Serves 8.
Cheesy Pumpkin Dip
This is a pretty way to serve dips this time of year. The dip bakes inside the pumpkin- and the pumpkin bakes, too. It is served hot. Fun for Halloween, Thanksgiving, watching football games or just movie night with the family.
It really is simple and could be filled with any number of combinations of cheesy goodness. I have included the recipe I used in the picture. I also included my recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Dip, to give you another option.
You could also add a hot cheese sauce and serve like fondue, with long forks and pieces of bread.
You get a pie pumpkin, about 2-3 lbs. Cut off the top to make a lid and scoop out the seeds, like you would if you were making a Jack-o-Lantern. Wipe off the outside and then just fill it up with the dip mixture. Put the lid back on, bake for an hour, and you are good to go. The fun part is scraping some of the cooked pumpkin in with the cheese dip. More detailed directions follow.
So here is the recipe for making the cheesy filled pumpkin. I think it is simple enough to serve anytime, not just on a holiday. Enjoy!!
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off top of pumpkin. Cut in at an angle, so top will fit like a lid and not fall in. Set top aside. Scoop out seeds and clean out any stringy bits*. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet. Combine cheese filling of your choice and place inside the pumpkin. Place the top of the pumpkin back on the pumpkin, and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove pumpkin and place on heat proof dish. I used a glass pie plate. Remove lid. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Smoky Cheese Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. mayo
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. each cumin and smoked paprika
Pinch of nutmeg
½ c. hulled pumpkin seeds
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients, except the seeds. Place this mixture in the pumpkin when ready to bake. Don’t add the pumpkin seeds until right before serving. Stir them in a little, if you like.
Another nice choice…….
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 (12-14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. diced onion
¼ c. Italian dressing
Dash of hot sauce
In medium bowl, combine dip ingredients, stirring to combine. Place in pumpkin when ready to bake.
* You can rinse off the seeds, lightly salt them and toast them, if you like. Then serve with the pumpkin dip. If you aren’t interested in eating them- please put them outside for the birds to eat.
