Apple Tartlets

 I love apple pie, but I can't eat a whole one! Well, I probably could, but never mind. These tartlets are two delicious bites of apple pie each. And if I'm posting, you know it's super easy.

Ingredients

5 good size apples. The original recipe calls for Granny Smith, I was happy with the honey crisp.

2 1/2 Tbsp. white sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. melted butter

splash of lemon juice

Toss all of the above and then cook with another Tbsp. of butter over medium low for 5-7 minutes, until softened, but not mush.

You can also prepare a crumble for this. But I don't have a lot of luck with that, so if that's what you want, you're on your own.

The pastry part is easy with a package of prepackaged pie dough. Using a glass with a diameter of 4.25", I was able to make six circles out of each crust. Grease a regular muffin tin. For the best placement, I sort of fold them up and try to drop it into the center of the muffin spot. Then fill them up right to the top with the apple mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.

This is courtesy of the Recession Chef, on Substack.

Swedish Meatballs

 

This is so fast and easy and do I need to say - delicious? One of the comments suggested using French onion soup instead of broth. I did that and I think it probably made all the difference. Serve over egg noodles. Makes for a nice meatball sandwich the next day, if you're lucky.

Ingredients

1 cup of broth (or French onion soup)

1 cup milk (original recipe calls for heavy cream)

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground rosemary

10 oz. thawed meatballs

Directions

The original recipe said to just whisk together all the ingredients except the meatballs and cook in a large pan over low heat until smooth, around 10 minutes. Seems easy, but I was a bit skeptical.

So I made a proper roux with 3 Tbsp. of butter and the 3 Tbsp. of flour. Then I slowly added the milk (that I always warm first in the microwave). Then the spices, then the broth. I think you could use a 1/4 more broth and thereby create a little more sauce for your meatballs in which to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until meatballs reach 160 degrees.

Buffalo Chicken and Rice

Here's another delicious meal from Better Homes and Gardens. Very easy to put together. I only used 1 tablespoon of hot sauce and did not use the Anaheim chile pepper. I don't know my way around chile or peppers so I go easy and add hot sauce when eating, if that's what I think it needs. This had just a nice warm kick to it. Nothing that would blow your head off. Also, it was done way sooner than 6 hours, but that is pretty standard, at least for my crock pot. 

Ingredients

3 green onions

1 ¼ lb. boneless chicken cut into 1-inch squares

2 stalks celery, cut into ¼ inch slices

1 cup very thinly sliced carrots (2 medium)

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth

⅓ cup coarsely chopped Anaheim chile pepper

1 1-oz. envelope ranch dry salad mix

2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Thinly slice green onions, separating white and green parts; set green parts aside.

In a 3-quart slow cooker combine white parts of green onions and all the ingredients through hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Stir in cream cheese and green parts of green onions. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more.

Serve chicken over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle it with blue cheese for serving.

Roasted Indian Cauliflower and Carrots

 

This recipe is so simple to make and tastes like a million dollars. I followed the recipe, but omitted the crushed red pepper because I don't have any and I am skittish about experimenting with heat. I don't think it suffered a bit without it. I cooked some pearl couscous on which to serve it and both Amy and I were in heaven. You can thank Better Homes & Gardens for the recipe.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

2 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Yellow or black mustard seeds

2 tsp. Grated fresh ginger (or squeazy ginger)

1 ½ tsp. Ground turmeric

1 ½ tsp. Ground cumin

1 tsp. Ground coriander

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper

3 or 4 carrots

1 small head of cauliflower broken into florets

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 15X10X1 inch baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl stir together everything but the vegetables and then toss in the carrots and cauliflower.

Put it on the pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice. 

The recipe says the vegetables are only 146 calories!

Zucchini Pie

 

The Guardian has some lovely recipes. I haven't made this yet, but it sounded so good that I wanted to get it stored somewhere.

Μπατζίνα Batzina (Zucchini pie)

This is a delicious crustless savoury pie that originated in Thessaly, near central Greece. As it’s pastry free, it’s lovely and light. It is also very versatile: substitute the zucchini for everything from grated pumpkin or sweet potato to any cheese, or just use zucchini without the eggs and cheese. Enjoy it hot or cold, as a main or as part of a meze platter.

Serves 6

4 zucchinis, grated
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp Greek‑style yoghurt
3 eggs
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup chopped mint 
1 cup chopped dill 
1 cup chopped flat‑leaf parsley 
 3/4 cup plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled
4 tsp extra‑virgin olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs

Place the grated zucchini in a colander, cover with salt and set aside to drain for two hours. Once drained, use your hands to squeeze out any remaining juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine drained zucchini and all the remaining ingredients (except for the oil and breadcrumbs) in a bowl, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to create a thick batter. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a 11 inch round cake tin with two teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle two tablespoons of breadcrumbs over the base of the tin (this will help prevent sticking). Pour mixture into the tin and top with remaining breadcrumbs and olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

 

I was very pleased with the outcome of this recipe. For myself, I made a few changes. I didn't use heavy cream. I'm sure it would have been even more delicious with cream, but 2% milk is good enough for me. I will use some smoked paprika next time and add that in when the garlic goes in. We had leftover rice from the Chicken and Chorizo recipe you can find here in the Nanners and I added that to the soup instead of the orzo. In the directions you'll find that she calls for a tablespoon of salt. Not even. I used a teaspoon and thought it was just fine. In fact, the reason for making soup is to get around the high sodium content found in canned soup, so thanks for no thanks on tons of salt. 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil

• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grilled Cheese Croutons (recipe below)

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will -finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

Grilled Cheese Croutons (Serves 4 to 6)

• 4 (½-inch-thick) slices country white bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyère on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyère, -buttered sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute, and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Copyright 2012, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Mushroom Curry

 

This is an easy vegetarian dish you can put together quickly. The sweetness of the coconut milk really comes through. I put plain yogurt on mine when I served it up. 

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated

one inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can coconut milk
2 cans black-eyed beans (or any bean you like), drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and cook over a low to medium heat for five minutes, until softened and starting to colour. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes and cook on a low to medium heat for five minutes.

Stir in the salt and ground spices, followed by all the remaining ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil. Cover, then leave to cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes. (If you have more time, cook it over over a lower heat for 30-40 minutes.) Serve warm.

From Chetna Makan, The Guardian