Cortland Apple Crisp

I made this in a 9 inch cake pan the first time, and had to pack the crust in a little more then I liked. In a larger pan it's perfect.

8 apples - I used Cortland for it's mild flavor, but would use something firmer next time. If your apples are huge use your judgement on how many to use.
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice

Peel and slice apples, and toss with spices to fully coat. Spread evenly into a 9x12 pan.

1 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup Oatmeal - quick oats
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 stick + 5 tbsp unsalted butter

Blend on pulse in a food processor until combined and in large crumbs. Top apples with oatmeal mixture and lightly drizzle with real maple syrup. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until crispy.

Oatmeal Pancakes & Apple oatmeal alternative

These are my favorite Sunday morning pancakes. I always have greek yogurt in the house, and mixing it with milk this way replaces using buttermilk with a slightly healthier alternative. 

1 cup Flour
1 cup Oatmeal - quick oats
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cup Milk w/ enough plain greek yogurt to equal 2 cups
1/4 cup Oil
2 Eggs

Combine dry ingredients set aside.
Mix wet ingredients, making sure the yogurt and milk mix is smooth. Add to dry ingredients and let sit at least 20 minutes to soften the oats.
Pour pancakes onto hot griddle and cook until edges are dry before flipping. These pancakes will take a little longer then most to cook.

These are great the day after as well.

After a fall trip to an apple orchard a had a few pounds of apples sitting around and decided to experiment with them a little. What came out was delicious! 

Apple Variation -
Add 1 tsp Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 2 tsp vanilla w/ 1-2 chopped apples. I used cortland because they are nice and soft and cook fast. 

Risotto - a few variations

I've been on a risotto kick recently. It goes so well with everything, chicken, pork, steak, and it's so easy to make. I think a lot of people are intimidated by it, because you have to pay attention to it. But I think it's a great quick side to make if you're going to have to be at the stove watching other things cook anyways, or while something finishes roasting in the oven.

1 cup aborio rice - this used to be hard to find, but these days I can get it at any grocery store, next to the other "fancy" rices

1 box of stock, vegetable, chicken, or beef all work just fine.

1 shallot, chopped

1 Tablespoon chopped dried roasted garlic, or regular garlic - See below

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 Tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional

1/4 cup white cheese, I use parmesan or feta

splash of white wine (I usually use this as a good excuse to have a glass while I'm cooking)

Saute the aborio rice and the shallot in the olive oil till rice is lightly browned. If using fresh garlic add it in this first step, if using dried garlic add it with the broth. Add the broth, about a quarter cup at a time to start, making sure you are stirring while you add it, and that none of the rice is sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want to keep the heat set so that the rice is simmering when you add the broth. Keep adding broth and stirring until the rice is cooked through, its generally about 3 cups but can vary depending on the temperature it's boiling at and the rice itself. Stir in the butter, and cheese and wine if using, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

I get dried roasted garlic at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, this is the website for the dealer who sells it, but I can't find it on their website right now.

Tri-Color Chicken Noodle Soup

We've got a couple of major house projects going on right now. We're completely re-decorating our basement and finishing re-finishing our kitchen. We will also be changing my office into a second guest room in preparation for a friend staying with us through the summer. And we have to do it all as cheaply as possible now that I've been laid off. Luckily we have a friend who used to build houses and accepts payment in food. Last Saturday I made this chicken noodle soup, with cheddar bacon corn bread from the King Arthurs Flour cookbook. Unfortunately the recipe isn't online, but I will post it soon because it was very delicious and I've already been asked to make it again.

1 Tblsp olive oil

2 medium shallots, dices

1 Tblsp garlic, diced

1 pound chicken tenders

2 1/2 boxes chicken broth

1 small bag baby carrots

4 bell peppers diced, this is where the tri-color comes in, I used 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 2 red to balance out the corn and carrots.

8 ounces of corn kernels, approximately

1 can Hunts Diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper, or more to taste

1 large pinch rubbed sage

3 small leaves fresh basil, chopped

3/4 tsp diced rosemary

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp cumin, or more to taste

3-4 cups wheat penne, cooked separately

Caramelize the shallots and garlic in olive oil. Continue to cook until the shallots are mostly clear, and add the chicken tenders, leaving them whole. Add just enough chicken broth to cover the chicken and simmer till cooked through. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the good flavors. Remove the chicken tenders and set aside. Add the carrots, corn, and 1 box of the broth, cook for about ten minutes. Add peppers, tomato, and dice the chicken and add it back in as well. Add remainder of broth, seasonings, and cook until vegetables are as soft as you would like. Add the penne and let sit for a few minutes to warm the noodles. Soup is done!

Everyone really enjoyed this soup, I will certainly be making it again. It was great for a winter lunch, and I think will be wonderful in the summer when I can get all of the vegetables fresh from the farmers market as well. I recommend freezing the leftovers, so the noodles don't soak up too much broth and get too soft. Like I mentioned, I served it with a bacon cheddar corn bread, next time I think I'll stick with a regular corn bread as this soup can certainly hold it's own flavor wise.

Black Bean Chicken Chili

A couple of weeks ago I had lots of ingredients and nothing that worked together. I also had chicken that I needed to get cooked. It was one of those nights where the food you have to cook is not the food you planned to cook. Suddenly I was improvising. More then once these have turned out to be some of my best meals, which is why I started keeping a notebook in my kitchen to write things down as I go. I'm hoping to get my new camera figured out soon so I can start putting some pictures of the finished products up with the recipes. Until then you will just have to trust me that this looked great with some shredded cheese on top and a big dollop of sour cream.

This was planned to be something more like an italian soup, and ended up as a nice thick chicken chili. With lentils.

1/2 white onion diced

1 teaspoon garlic diced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cubed

1 can dice tomatoes with jalapeno, I used Hunts Petite Diced with Zesty Jalapeno - It's been in my house for months so I'm glad I finally got it used up.

1-2 teaspoons (or more to taste) of Penzy's Chili 3000 - the best chili powder I've ever found

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 large can black beans, well rinsed

1 1/2 32 oz box of Beef broth - see note below

4 shakes of red chili pepper flakes - using a standard shaker like the ones you see at pizza places

2/3 cup red lintels

Saute the onion and garlic until they begin to brown, add the chicken and cook till half done. Add tomatoes with juice, and boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minute. I add the seasonings before the broth so they have some time to cook, I think it helps develop and blend the flavors. I usually season again towards the end, to get the flavor just right. Add black beans, and 1 box broth and bring to low boil. Simmer until it's beginning to thicken, add the lentils and remaining broth, and cook 30 minutes until lentils are soft.

You could skip the lentils if you have time to let it boil down on it's own, I was getting very hungry and wanted to thicken it up quickly. That being said, I loved the lentils in this, made it a little different from my standard chili, which is a white chicken chili. Also, I used beef broth with chicken because it's what I had and I needed to use it up. Normally I wouldn't mix chicken and beef like that, but I really liked it in this, and I think it went very well with the black beans and the lentils. I might even do it on purpose next time. If someone makes this with chicken broth please let me know what you think.

Crispin Cider Beef Stew

This year for Christmas I received a very nice blank recipe book from a good friend. That means I need to fill it up. On a recent grocery trip I decided at the last minute to get the ingredients for beef stew, which of course means I forgot a few things. Which lead to a little improvisation, and a new "secret ingredient". This is a great new stew that I will definitely be making again.

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Large Tablespoon garlic

1 purple onion, diced

1 pound beef or lamb stew meat - I used beef the first time, and I can't wait to make it again with lamb

3/4 cup Crispin Lansdowne Cider

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 pinches rubbed sage

1 heaping spoon tomato paste

5 small yellow potatoes

2 handfulls baby carrots, or 4 regular carrots, diced

1 regular box Swanson beef broth

2 long splashes worcestershire sauce

I caramelized the garlic and onion in a tablespoon of oil. I like to use Smart Balance Vegetable oil, veggie oil because it has a lower smoke point, Smart Balance because The Man's family has a history of heart problems. I added the stew meat and cooked it till browned, letting the pan build up a good amount of coating. Pour the cider down the sides of the pan and stir well, bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is reduced by 2/3. Season the meat and cook for 1 minute, add tomato paste, broth, and vegetables. Bring stew to a boil, add worcestershire sauce, and reduce to simmer till thickened as desired. I found that using the cider made for a very well rounded flavor. The Lansdowne is made with organic molasses and Irish Stout yeast. That makes it a very beer-like cider, or as the official Crispin PR says "Unfiltered Extra Stout Bodied Super-Premium Export Quality". There is a great review of it here on Will Write For Beer. I've had plenty of it in my day, and the large bottle means there is plenty of it left over to enjoy with a big bowl of stew.