I love apple season. Every week there are new varieties to try. Fresh apples are so crisp and juicy. I make frequent  trips to local orchards all season long. Besides just eating apples, I like to bake with them. This bread is one of my favorites. Not too sweet, it is moist from the shredded apples, flavored with cinnamon and studded with raisins and nuts. This apple bread makes a great breakfast or snack. I have been known to top a slice with cinnamon ice cream and a little caramel sauce for a simple dessert. This recipe makes one loaf, but I often double it- so I can freeze the second loaf for later. Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Apple Bread

1/3 c. butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

2 t. grated lemon or orange peel

1 t. cinnamon

2 eggs

3 T. milk

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. each baking powder and salt

1/2 t. baking soda

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. peeled shredded apples, about 2 large apples

1 c. raisins*

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Topping:

3 T. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

 

Cream together butter, sugar, peel and cinnamon. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in milk and lemon juice. Stir in dry ingredients then fold in apples, raisins and nuts. Pour batter into greased 9×5 – inch loaf pan. Combine topping and sprinkle over the top of the batter.  Bake in a preheated 350 -degree oven for 1 hour. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Cool 15-20 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 1 loaf.

*You can use other dried fruits. I sometimes use dried cranberries or cherries.

I had picked up some beets from a local farmer the other day. I have made this dish many times and it seemed like a good time to make it again.  This is a recipe that my friend, Martha, made for us one chilly autumn afternoon. The amounts are random for a reason. Just use what you have- more or less – and let the flavors blend together gently. It is perfect for warming you up on a chilly day. 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. Love you, Martha.

 

 

Martha’s Beets

Oil

2 Onions, chopped

Potatoes, cut in big chunks, peeled, if desired

1 bunch beets, with greens*

Chicken or vegetable  stock

Parsley

Salt and pepper

Cook beets in boiling water for 20 minutes. Cool and slip off skins. Cut up larger beets, if desired. 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.

 As fall begins, and the weather gets cooler, I find myself baking more bread. This is one of my favorite recipes. The mix of herbs, garlic and shallots gives this bread great flavor. I like to toast it and spread with a little butter. It also makes a wonderful sandwich bread.  Works well for croutons and as bruschetta, too. You can bake the dough in 9×5 -inch loaf pans, if you want a more traditional shaped bread.

Braided Herb Breads

5 ½ -6 ½ c. flour
2 packages quick rising yeast
½ c. sauteed, minced shallots or onions*
2 T. each dried marjoram and parsley
1 T. each dried oregano and minced garlic
1 T. honey
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
2 ¼ c. hot water

In a mixing bowl combine 2 c. of flour with the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Beat with electric mixer 4 minutes then add 1-cup additional flour and beat 1 minute longer. Stir in flour ½ cup at a time until soft dough forms. Turn onto surface and knead, adding flour gradually until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn to cover. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Turn dough onto surface and cut in half. Cut each half into thirds. Roll each piece of dough into an 18-inch rope. Loosely braid three ropes together and repeat with the remaining dough. Place on greased baking sheet and cover until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 2.

* I cook the shallots or onions in a little oil or butter, then cool before adding to the dough.

Variation: Whole wheat: Add 2 cups of whole-wheat flour to replace 2 cups of white flour. Also try adding ¼ c. of wheat germ, oat bran or 2 tablespoons of seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, etc.)
Regular yeast can be used, but rising times will be longer and water should be warm, not hot.

This flatbread is really like a type of cracker. Studded with hulled pumpkin seeds and lightly spiced – they are fun and easy to make. Since pumpkin seeds are in the markets right now, it is also a great time of year to make them. Heck, you can use your own hulled pumpkin or squash seeds, too.   It’s perfect for entertaining or just snacking. Rolled really thin you can cut them out into any shape or size you like. Be sure to store leftovers  in an airtight container. Who are we kidding? There aren’t going to be leftovers. Serve plain or with butter or cheese. Great with chili, too.

 

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Flatbread

1 c. warm water

1 T. sugar

1 packet active dry yeast

6 T. cold butter

2 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. cornmeal

1 T. chili powder

1 t. salt

1 c. hulled pumpkin seeds, chopped very fine

1 egg

2 T. cold water

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl combine the lukewarm water, sugar and yeast and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Cut butter into bits and add to yeast mixture along with the flour, salt, cornmeal and chili powder. Stir until mixture forms into a ball. On floured surface knead dough until smooth and butter is incorporated. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat top of dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Combine water and egg and set aside. Roll out half the dough (keep rest chilled until ready to use) on lightly floured surface until quite thin (1/8-inch) and sprinkle with half of the pumpkin seeds. Use rolling pin to press seeds into flatbread. Brush with some of the egg wash and cut into strips. You should get about 24 from each half of the dough. Use a spatula to transfer strips to lightly floured baking sheets. Sprinkle with the salt to taste and repeat with the remaining dough. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp. I usually put both baking sheets in at once, one in the top and one nearer the bottom of the oven, then I switch them halfway through the baking. Makes about 48.

I posted this recipe last year, but it is worth a re-post. These scones are easy to make and not only great for breakfast and snacks- they make a fun base for shortcakes. I used some for pear shortcakes and they were a big hit. Once baked, they are drizzled with a vanilla glaze and then a cinnamon glaze.  The scones are slightly crisp on the outside, but tender and delicate on the inside.

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. each salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger

1/2 t. cloves

1 1/2 sticks cold butter

1 c. cooked pumpkin or winter squash

3 oz. milk

2 eggs

Vanilla glaze

2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

4-6 T. milk

Cinnamon Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar

2 t. cinnamon

4 T. milk

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Set aside. Combine flour with sugar, baking powder and spices and stir to blend. Cut in butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin or squash with the milk and eggs and stir into the flour mixture. Stir until well mixed. Dough should be just a little sticky. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets- leaving a couple of inches between them. Hint: If you spray a little non-stick spray on the cookie scoop first the dough will pop out easier.  Bake for 15 minutes or until scones are browned on the bottom and just getting golden on the top. If you want to put both baking sheets in the oven at the same time- switch them half way through the baking time and allow a few extra minutes. Remove scones to cooling rack. Meanwhile make both glazes by combining ingredients and stirring until smooth. Drizzle with the vanilla glaze while still warm and allow scones to cool and glaze to harden before drizzling with the cinnamon glaze. Makes about 20-30 depending on the size of the scoop you use.

Sometimes the best meals are created when you don’t really plan them out ahead. I worked a festival all weekend and didn’t have much time to cook dinner. Funny, since I spent the whole weekend cooking at the festival. When I was there, I picked up some beautiful rainbow carrots from a local farmer. By the time I got home and unpacked, I was pretty tired. I wanted to cook at least some of the carrots that night. I didn’t want a big mess to clean up, so I ended up making this one pot meal from what I had on hand. I had a nice bag of fresh spinach, so I used it. I needed a quick cooking protein. Since I had a package of shrimp in the freezer, I used them. I placed the shrimp in a bowl of cold water while I started the rest of the meal. They were thawed by the time I was ready to use them. I knew the onions and carrots needed some time to get tender and the rice would take about 20 minutes to cook. I started with them, then added the shorter cooking ingredients near the end. Decided to go a little Asian in the seasonings and ended up with a meal I would certainly make again. So here is the recipe.

 

Festival Shrimp with Veggies

2 T. oil
1 T. butter
1 small onion, minced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
3 c. stock- I used chicken
1 c. Jasmine rice
12 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed and drained
12 oz. raw shrimp- peeled and deveined
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. fresh chopped basil
1 t. hot sauce- or more to taste
1 t. grated ginger
½ c. cashews
Sesame oil

Heat oil and butter in saucepan and add the onions and carrots. Cook over medium heat until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add stock and bring up to a boil. Add rice, turn heat down to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove cover, add spinach, replace lid and cook 5 more minutes. Remove lid, stir the spinach into the rice mixture. Rice should almost be done at this point. Add shrimp and seasonings (not the sesame oil) and stir the shrimp into the rice mixture. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes longer, until shrimp is just cooked and rice is tender. Stir in the cashews. Spoon onto serving dish and drizzle with sesame oil and extra hot sauce, if desired.

 

I call this dish by a couple of names. It was given to me as a pear sauce. I think it makes people think of apple sauce and that is misleading. This flavorful sauce is more like a glaze or chutney. A mix of savory and sweet flavors it is great served on the side with various dishes and can be used as a glaze. The picture does not do it justice. I have served it with turkey and chicken. It goes well with pork and duck, too. I always make a double batch and freeze some for later use. The recipe follows, along with a recipe using the chutney with pork. I think you will be surprised at just how tasty this stuff is.

Spiced Pear Chutney

½ c. sugar
½ c. balsamic vinegar
1 lb. Pears, cored, peeled and diced
1/4 c. minced onion
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. hot sauce – or more to taste
½ t. allspice
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. ginger
Pinch of cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning. Serve with pork or lamb roasts. Also great with turkey or duck. Makes about 2 cups.

Pork with Spiced Pear Chutney

1 lb. Pork loin. Sliced or 4 pork chops
oil
1 large onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe spiced pear chutney, See above

In skillet, cook pork in oil, turning to brown evenly until juices run clear when meat is pierced. Remove meat and add onions, sautéing until onions are browned. Return pork to pan, adjust seasonings and add 1 cup of the pear chutney. Cook 10 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Serves 4.

 

I had a wonderful time on New Day Cleveland the other day. David Moss is so much fun to work with. You have to like a guy who packs his own spoons, right? I made an assortment of soups that could be enjoyed hot or cold. Great for this time of year when the weather is hot and steamy one day, and chilly the next. We also had an unexpected guest. Fun times.

 
http://fox8.com/2015/09/17/hot-and-cold-soup-recipes-2/