Baked Apples.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen3 Comments

Baked apples were one of the first desserts I ever baked up all on my own; I’ve probably been making these, with variations here and there, for ten years. Read: they’re incredibly easy. I made them ahead of time and left them to sit for a few hours before popping them in the oven. It’s also a super versatile recipe, because you can mix up a filling out of whatever you have on hand. This version has a filling made of oats, cranberries, and almonds, and a creamy cinnamon vanilla yogurt topping, but really any kind of nut and any kind of dried fruit will do. It’s a great way to use up any leftovers from your apple-picking harvest!

INGREDIENTS

for apples:
4 apples, cored, with a little slice off the bottom so they have a flat base to stand on
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 heaping tsp brown sugar (I used white sugar because we were out of brown, and it was almost as good)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup roasted salted almonds, ground
1/8 tsp cinnamon
4 pats butter (or use earth balance for vegan baked apples)

for topping:
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/8 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine oats, sugar, cranberries, almonds, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Stuff each apple with the filling. Really pack it in. Then top each apple with a pat of butter and place in a dish.

Cover the apple dish with foil and bake for forty minutes. Then remove the foil and bake another ten minutes.

Mix up the yogurt and cinnamon and dollop over the apples. Enjoy!

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew.

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There’s nothing like a hearty and healthy stew on a Saturday afternoon in Fall. This spiced chicken and chickpea one-pot meal was a fun little cooking adventure because I don’t often use flavor combinations like these. Especially the cinnamon. I’ve never been brave enough to try cinnamon in a savory meat dish before, but I’m glad I did! The heat of the paprika and cayenne provide an great backdrop for the smokey exotic cumin and cinnamon. This is a filling dish that keeps well in the fridge—the bright spice flavors get even deeper if they’ve had a chance to marry a bit. Kidney beans or great northern beans would work just as well as chickpeas, and if you wanted to make this dish vegetarian or vegan, just cut out the chicken and add an extra can or two of beans. It’s all about protein and spice!

INGREDIENTS

3 chicken breasts (substitute with another can or two of beans for a vegetarian/vegan version)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-5 carrots, sliced into coins
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp hot paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ketchup
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried parsley
lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium in a skillet or other large pan. Brown the chicken on each side, then set aside.

In the same pan, add another drizzle of oil if needed and stir in the onion and carrot. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, to keep the onion from browning. When the onion and carrot are softened, add the bay leaves, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Turn the heat up a bit and cook the spices until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Then add the ketchup, and put the chicken breasts back into the skillet. Add the tomatoes, and then fill the empty tomato can with water and pour into the pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn down to a high simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas and sprinkle over the parsley. Cover and simmer for about half an hour.

Remove the bay leaves, sprinkle with lemon juice and more parsley, and serve with couscous.

Hot Toddy.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen3 Comments

Another recipe in preparation for my eagerly-awaited trip to Scotland. In one month, I’ll be hiking through the Scottish Highlands, wrapped up all toasty warm in a scarf and mittens and a new pair of boots. The days will be short this late in the year, and the weather will be cold but otherwise unpredictable. I’ve done a good bit of traveling so far in my life, and I don’t think I’ve been anywhere more romantic and almost eerily tranquil as Scotland in wintertime—I can’t wait to go back. I’m looking forward to indulging in a bit of Scottish cuisine (including haggis, eek!) and will do my best to appreciate Scotch whisky, though I know very little about it. If any of you, dear readers, have the knowledge and inclination to educate me on the ins and outs of Scotch, I would much appreciate it. For now, I’ll mix up a hot toddy before bed and drift off to sleep, dreaming of fog and heather.

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp honey
4 tbsp just-boiled water (or more—dilute as needed!)
3 tbsp whisky
1/2 cinnamon stick
tiny pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Squeeze honey into teacup. Add grated nutmeg and cinnamon stick.

Pour water over honey and add whisky and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the honey, and drink up.

Shepherd’s Pie.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen2 Comments

It’s been a year and a half since I last went to Europe, and it is definitely time to go back—and for this trip, it’s Scotland that’s calling my name. The first time I visited Edinburgh and the Highlands, I spent just a short weekend there, while I was at college in Ireland. This time, I’ll have a good 8 days of listening to those dreamy Scots accents—and I don’t think I can survive the month I still have to wait! Ever since we booked out tickets, my travel buddy and I have been getting together to plan and just get excited about our trip, and this weekend, our afternoon took a culinary turn, in the form of this shepherd’s pie. That, plus two bottles of homemade mulled wine with brandy, a couple of Yorkshire puddings, and Braveheart. Anything worth doing is worth doing right.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 lb stew beef, cubed
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, sliced into coins
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine (we used a cabernet sauvignon)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/4 tsp curry powder
3 medium potatoes, washed and cut into large cubes
whole milk
2 pats of butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Season the flour with salt and pepper and place in a bowl. Toss beef in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan and cook beef until just browned on all sides. I cooked the beef in two batches so as not to crowd the pan. Set the beef aside.

Add more oil to the pan and add the carrot and onion, with a sprinkle of salt. Cook until softened, then add the mushrooms and cook an additional 5-7 minutes. Add the beef back to the pan with the tomato paste, bay leaves, wine, stock, and curry powder. Stir well, bring to a boil, and then cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the beef is fall-apart tender, at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a pot full of cold salted water. Bring to a low boil and cook until fork tender. Drain potatoes, then mash with milk and butter, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in most of the shredded cheese and the parsley and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a casserole dish or pie pan. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove the bay leaves and pour into the dish. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Place the dish on a tray, in case it bubbles over in the oven.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the potatoes start to brown a bit on top, about 25 minutes. Highly recommend serving as we did: with yorkshire pudding, mulled wine, and Braveheart. Aye, it’s quite a feast!

Chicken and Rice Soup.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen4 Comments

I started out the week feeling a bit under the weather. On Monday, I got home from after-work cocktails, ate a quick dinner, and got right into bed. Still not at my best on Tuesday, I went right home after work and decided to jump on my sickness problem with an good old-fashioned remedy: I poured a glass of red wine and made this soul-warming soup…which I ate in bed under my cozy comforter while watching the Cubs lose another game. I’ll be sure to make a note here if I make a miraculous soup-driven recovery, but either way, mannnn was this soup good. Most soups with this much flavor take at least an hour or two to cook, but this one only takes about 45 minutes total! Lightly spiced chicken, rice, and veggies in a warm, comforting broth: just what a sick girl needs.

INGREDIENTS

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp powdered ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium potato, diced
6 cups stock or broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Season the chicken breast with cumin, ginger, red pepper flakes, coriander, salt, and pepper. Wrap it in foil and bake until just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

In a small pot, cook rice according to package directions. We want the rice slightly “al dente,” since it will be going in the soup pot after it’s cooked.

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat butter and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and potatoes. Cook about 3 minutes, until starting to soften.

Pour in stock or broth and season with parsley, marjoram, salt, and pepper (be generous with the pepper!). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, shred or cut it up into bite size pieces and add it to the pot. Cook an additional 10 minutes or so.

Garnish with fresh parsley and prepare to be comfort-fooded.

Naked Apple Tart.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen7 Comments

Crinkly leaves, still attached to the tress, bristling as the wind moves. Staggering your gait so that each footstep crunches an acorn. A season of transition: from breezy summer to homey fall warmth. At this time of year, I have an uncontrollable urge to bake—and thank goodness my mother and sister are nearby to help me with the eating! This hybrid tart-galette, inspired by a similar smitten kitchen recipe, is a rustic apple and nut dessert that I’ve gussied up a bit. A brush of butter, a sprinkle of sugar, and a coating of pink spiced apple syrup—this on top of melt-in-your-mouth apples, nestled on a bed of sweet ground nuts. It’s a “naked tart” because the apples are the centerpiece here, with very little dough. For me, galettes tend to be too crust-heavy, so this tart is my compromise. And whether you’re describing or eating it, that’s quite a mouthful.

INGREDIENTS

crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cold butter, cubed
2 tbsp cold water

filling:
2-3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (save the peels and cores)
squeeze of lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup almonds
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 heaping tbsp sugar, divided
1 tbsp butter, melted

glaze:
the reserved peels and cores from the apples
1/4 cup sugar
pinch ground ginger
pinch nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

First, the apples. In a mixing bowl, toss the slices with lemon juice and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter to the bowl and combine using the tips of your fingers. Little lumps are okay.

Stir in the cold water, little by little, until the dough just holds together. Form it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

To make the almond filling base, pulse nuts, flour, and sugar in a food processor until finely ground.

Preheat oven at 400 F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 5 minutes, to bring the temperature down a bit so that you can work with it. Place it on a floured surface and roll it out to a thin thin circle, slightly larger than the size of the pan you’re using. Lay it in the pan.

Spread the nut mixture over the bottom of the crust.

Now, lay the apples in an overlapping spiral. I suggest putting the less-asthetically-pleasing slices on the bottom layer, quietly tucked out of sight. Fold any extra dough up and over the sides of the apples (there won’t be much–this is a naked galette, after all). Brush crust and apples with 1 tbsp melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, and pop in the oven. Cook about 45 minutes, rotating every 15 or so. If you find that the slices of apple are browning too quickly (I did!), cover the pan with a sheet of foil, and just remove the foil 10 minutes or so before you take the pie out, so it can finish browning up.

While the tart cooks, prepare the syrup topping. In a saucepan, combine apple peels and cores, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and just enough water to cover them. Simmer for about 25 minutes, then remove from heat and strain out the pieces.

When the crust is golden brown, remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Then brush all over with the spiced apple syrup.

Serve as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummy.


One final note: it’s never too early to start baking in your Christmas apron.