The Picky Apple

As I’ve mentioned before, I spent about 10 years of my childhood in Lafayette, Louisiana (the heart of Cajun and Creole Country).  Wikipedia just informed me that Lafayette has one of the highest numbers of restaurants per capita of any U.S. city.  So it’s really no wonder that I’m familiar with red beans and rice, a mainstay of traditional Louisiana cuisine.  On the fast food front, I LOVE the red beans and rice from Popeye’s (and the biscuits!  LOVE the biscuits!), though I haven’t had Popeye’s in years.  When I came across this recipe for red beans and rice in a magazine recently, it brought back many fond memories of Lafayette.  (I just spent way too long talking about my memories of summer day camp to my very uninterested husband.)  Instead of filing away the recipe in my “Recipes To Try Binder,” I kept it front and center so I could make it as soon as possible.  This was my first time cooking red beans and rice and The Picky Apple’s first time eating red beans and rice.  Ever.  We were both extremely pleased with the results, and I’m already looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

The original recipe used a more involved technique for cooking the rice, but I just kept it simple and cooked my rice like I always do.  Loved the results….my only suggestion would be to use a 3/4 to 1 pound of sausage for extra meaty flavor.  Serve with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning and a side of cornbread or buttery biscuits, and you’re set!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

adapted from Cooks’ Country, June/July 2009

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 cups water

Heat sausage in Dutch oven over medium heat until fat renders and sausage is browned, about 8 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels-lined plate, cover, and reserve in refrigerator.  Cook onion, bell pepper, and celery in sausage fat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, oregano, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add broth, beans, and bay leaf, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beans are just beginning to soften, about 20 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low until beans are completely tender, 4 to 5 hours (or cook on high for 3 to 4 hours).  Stir sausage into slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook rice according to package instructions.  Serve over rice.

Filed under: main dish on July 2nd, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Our dinners lately have been nothing inspiring, and definitely nothing blog-worthy.  This oatmeal, however, is another story!  This is some of the best oatmeal I’ve ever eaten.  I had this oatmeal every morning for about three weeks straight earlier this month.  It is so easy to bake a panful and eat from it for several days.  Next time I make it, I’ll add some pecans.  Yum!

Baked Oatmeal

from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Filed under: Uncategorized, breakfast on June 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

About once a week, I cook a big batch of chicken or pork in the Crockpot in some kind of sauce.  In the past, it has been some form of barbeque sauce.  It is super easy to throw stuff in the Crockpot, and then we have leftovers for several days (great for lunches or dinners when I don’t feel like cooking).  I’ve got several recipes for Pork Tacos in my “Recipes To Try” binder, and this one was especially appealing since it is cooked in the Crockpot.  The original recipe was more complicated, but I took the super lazy route, and it turned out super!  Not only did The Picky Apple like the pork tacos (and ate them for 3 meals, nearly unheard of around here!), but my parents liked them too!  The recipe below includes my changes and additions.

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

adapted from Food Network Magazine, Feb/Mar 2009

Ingredients:

• 1 poblano pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 pounds pork tenderloin
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Corn tortillas, warmed for serving
• Assorted taco toppings (cilantro, limes, mangos, cheddar cheese, avocado, red cabbage)

Put the poblano, garlic, chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth.

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker.  Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce.  Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours.  (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees F; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)

Discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.  Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper.  Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.

Filed under: Uncategorized, freezer friendly, main dish, pork, slow-cooker on June 14th, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Martha has never let me down in the dessert department, and this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cookies is just what I was looking for.  I wanted brownies with a little extra kick that would go with my menu for the week.  This week’s menu included both Orange Ginger Chicken (recipe coming soon) and Slow Cooker Pork Tacos.  These brownies turned out perfectly and were super easy to mix.

Chocolate-Ginger Brownies

from Martha Stewart’s Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.  Line bottom with parchment, allowing 2 inches to hang over two sides.  Butter lining (not overhang).

Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat, and stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared dish.  Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.  Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.  Lift out, and let cool completely on rack.  Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares.  Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

Filed under: brownies, chocolate, dessert on June 12th, 2009 | No Comments »

I’ve got a 4 inch binder filled to the brim with recipes I’ve collected from magazines (I actually just cleaned it out, then promptly filled it back up with new magazine clippings that hadn’t made it to their “home” yet) and a kitchen cabinet full of cookbooks. I’ve decided it’s time to focus on trying out the recipes I’ve already got.  That’s tough to do with all of these super-delicious sounding recipes popping up daily in my Google Reader.  In fact, last week I scrapped a dinner I’d already planned just so I cook Cassie’s fabulous sounding Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken.  Honestly?  It was probably the best meal I’ve cooked all month, folks.  No lie.  It was super!  Cassie was genius enough to add bacon to the filling.  You can’t really go wrong with adding bacon to anything, right?  I served the chicken with green beans cooked with bacon grease, and they were delicious as well.  My filling ran out a little, but it still tasted fabulous.  And as a bonus, I got to use the first jalapenos from my garden!

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Source: Cassie Craves, adapted from Allrecipes
Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 4 strips of bacon, diced
• 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos in a small bowl. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast, and fill with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Roll the chicken breasts in bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. If your chicken breasts are thick they can be finished in a 350-degree oven.

Filed under: chicken, main dish on June 9th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

I usually start the day with a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, cinnamon, flaxseed, and slivered almonds mixed in.  I’ve tried lots of other breakfast options-fiber-filled cereals, yogurt with granola, waffles-but they all leave me hungry again an hour after breakfast.  But not my oatmeal.  It usually keeps me satisfied all the way until lunch time.  This recipe reminds me of my oatmeal….and maybe next time I’ll add some nuts to the muffins!  I love how healthy these muffins are, and they make a great on-the-go breakfast when sitting down for a bowl of oatmeal just isn’t an option.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

from Annie’s Eats, adapted from Joy the Baker

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups oats
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used fresh)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl combine the applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and egg.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the applesauce mixture.  Stir together just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Filed under: blueberries, breakfast on June 4th, 2009 | No Comments »

Here’s a quick and easy meal we had a few weeks ago.  The recipe calls for preparing these as “wraps” (like you didn’t know that from the title, right?), and if you do that, they can be made a few hours in advance.  We had them wrap-style the first night, but cooked them up quesadilla-style the second night, and MUCH prefered them that way.  The Picky Apple and I liked the extra crunch the tortilla provided when served quesadilla-style.  If you try the recipe, let me know which way you prefer!

Black Bean Wraps

from Southern Living Great Food for Busy Cooks

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 6 (8 inch) soft taco-sized flour tortillas
• 1/2 (10 oz) package fresh spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1 (7 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded (optional)
• Salsa

Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.  Transfer mixture to bowl.

Process beans and salsa in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Spread bean mixture and cheese mixture over tortillas, leaving a 1/2 inch border; top with spinach, peppers, chicken, and if desired, carrot.  Roll tortillas tightly; wrap each in plastic wrap.  Chill, if desired.  Serve with salsa.

Note: Black Bean Wraps may be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and chilled until ready to serve.  To serve warm, prepare wraps as directed, wrapping in aluminum foil instead of plastic wrap.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Filed under: chicken, main dish on May 31st, 2009 | No Comments »

Like lots of other brides, I registered for and received an ice cream maker as a gift for our wedding.  That ice cream maker has only been used a few times over the last four and a half years.  My first few attempts were unsuccessful.  The Picky Apple is, well, picky about the exact flavors and more importantly the texture of his ice cream, and none of our homemade attempts were living up to his standards.  And so the ice cream maker sat and sat and sat…..until recently.

I was inspired to try again recently when The Littlest Apple developed an addiction to ice cream in the last month or so.  Most mommies might cringe at this, but we have wholeheartedly embraced this love of ice cream.  He has ice cream daily, and has come to expect it.  You see, The Littlest Apple is still very small for his age (like, off the charts low weight) due to several factors I won’t delve into here….but his extreme pickiness isn’t helping. Per doctor and dietician orders, we are to feed him all the heavy cream, oil, butter, sugar in the land.  Ice cream?  Bring it on!  Have seconds, even! When I look for ice cream at the store, I look for the highest fat and calorie content I can find.  This is usually the Ben & Jerry’s or the Haagan Daaz (you know, the GOOD ones).  But I’m never able to buy those because The Littlest Apple has an egg allergy (yet another contributing factor…the food allergies), and all the Ben and Jerry’s and Haagan Daaz flavors have egg.  So, I came up with a few recipes for homemade ice cream with no egg and busted out my ice cream maker.

This, my first attempt satisfied The Picky Apple’s desire for a banana ice cream sans nuts and other chunks, and gave me another option for The Littlest Apple.  It was easy to mix and tasted super banana-y.  We’ll definitely be making this one again!

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

adapted from Joy The Baker

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces Cool Whip (1/2 of an 8ounce container)
• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 of a 14 ounce can)
• 1/2 gallon milk
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package Jello Banana Cream Instant Pudding
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 bananas (mashed)

In a bowl mix cool whip, condensed milk, banana pudding and about 1/2 of the half gallon of milk.  Add chopped bananas.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker.  With machine on, pour in the rest of the half gallon of milk.  (It took less than half a gallon to fill my ice cream maker.)

Stir the mixture and begin freezing according the manufacturers instructions.

Remove very soft ice cream and place in a freezer friendly plastic container.    Serve with slice bananas and vanilla wafers.  (Or leave out the vanilla wafers if you’ve got an egg allergy!)

Filed under: bananas, dessert on May 27th, 2009 | 3 Comments »

I’m always on the quest for a new cookie recipe that might be just a little better than my current favorite.  I’m fickle that way.  I’ve never really been very happy with my standard oatmeal cookie recipe, and The Picky Apple has been asking that I try some new ones.  I’ve always felt like oatmeal cookies were a little bit boring.  But I think that’s because I just hadn’t really found a GOOD oatmeal cookie recipe.  Turns out that oatmeal cookies have the potential to be really great…who knew?!

I made this recipe for a crawfish boil over the weekend.  It made LOTS of cookies, but every last one got eaten at the party.  I got lots of compliments on this recipe, and all credit goes to Anna at Cookie Madness.  She and Martha are my go-to sources for all things cookie related!

Friendly Kitchen Oatmeal Cookies

from Cookie Madness

Ingredients:

• 8 oz unsalted butter (230 grams)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (240 grams)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon milk, soy or regular milk (30 ml)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (220 grams)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sea salt (if you’re using salted butter, skip this)
• 3 cups rolled oats (300 grams)
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (80 grams) — optional

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Cream the butter and the sugars with an electric mixer until light. Beat in the egg, then the milk and the vanilla extract.

Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and gradually stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until it’s incorporated. Stir in the oats chocolate chips and coconut (if using).

Drop dough, making 1 inch rounds, onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.

Bake on center rack for 10 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely

Filed under: cookies, dessert on May 25th, 2009 | No Comments »

Well. Hello there.  It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?  I’ve been thinking about this blog lots, writing imaginary blog posts in my head (bloggers, tell me you do that too!!) and getting lots of questions from friends and family.  “Why haven’t you been posting recently?”  “Have you tried any new recipes lately?”  “Do you plan to continue your blog?”  I have just been absolutely incapable of getting back in to the swing of it.  Honestly, most of the problem is probably my perfectionism.  I’m terribly guilty of all-or-nothing thinking in many aspects of my life and it can be paralyzing.  As that pertains to this blog: wanting to have the PERFECT blog post with the PERFECT intro to the PERFECT recipe with the PERFECT photos of the PERFECTLY cooked food.  And if I can’t live up to that, then nothing at all, and I just can’t be a blogger.  But that’s an awful lot of pressure, wouldn’t you say?  It’s been keeping me from sharing some pretty great recipes with all of you and keeping me from blogging which I’ve really come to enjoy.  So I’m back, just aiming to post semi-regularly with a recipe or two!  If I can get a great photo (my hubby, The Picky Apple is usually the food photographer), then super!  If not, then I hope you’ll forgive me.  If I can write a witty and enjoyable intro to go along with the recipe, then even better, but it isn’t always going to come together.  My main desire is to share great recipes with family, friends, and any one else who is interested in what I have to say and what I’m cooking and baking!  I’ll hope you’ll forgive my  prolonged absence and come back to check things out!  And of course, I always love comments.  They make my day, even if I don’t get a chance to respond.

Daily life with The Littlest Apple seems to have gotten a lot busier.  He is on the move, a busy little bee.  A 20 month old with his very own social calendar.   Wanting to do it all by himself but not quite able to.  VERY interested in helping in the kitchen, which is heartwarming or annoying, depending on my level of patience at the time!  His favorite thing to do is “mix”, and he is always asking, “Mix? Bowl?  Mix?  Miiiiiiiiiiiiix?!!”  This is typically followed by a screaming tantrum on the floor if I do not indulge his demands.  He recently figured out how to push a chair from the table across the kitchen to the counter where I do most of my food prep.  Gulp.  I think I’m in trouble now!

To kick off my return, here’s a recipe for a bundt cake that’s great for breakfast, dessert, or anytime!  This was one of the first recipes that I really let The Littlest Apple help with.  He helped stir together the dry ingredients, added the blueberries, and poured things.  He was so proud of his cake, and told his grandparents all about it the next day when they came for a visit.

The recipe is from Cooking Light so it is (relatively) healthy, but is absolutely full of flavor.  I’ve had lemon-poppyseed, and lemon-blueberry combinations before, but never this trio of lemon-blueberry-poppyseed.  They make an amazing threesome!

Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

from Cooking Light, April 2009

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs (I omitted)
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract  (I omitted this)

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp nonfat buttermilk
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To prepare cake, coat a 12 cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffly (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt); stir with a whisk.  Add blueberries to flour mixture; toss to coat.  Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup juice, and extracts.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove cake from pan; cool on rack.

To prepare glaze, place powdered sugar in a small bowl; add 1 tablespoon buttermilk and 1 tablespoon juice; stirring with a whisk until combined.  Pour glaze over warm cake; cool completely.

Yield: 16 servings

Filed under: blueberries, breakfast, cake, dessert on May 24th, 2009 | 3 Comments »