As my regular readers have probably noticed, my new recipe posts have dramatically decreased lately.  The truth is, the vast majority of our meals are boring basics that I’ve already shared or new recipes that I’m not so in love with that I MUST share with you.  I’m proposing a change to the content of this blog.  While cooking and baking are certainly passions of mine, there are many other facets to my life.  I’m currently in a season of life where the cooking usually takes a back seat to other things.

I love the outlet blogging provides, but many times recently I have found it more of a chore to write about a recipe when there are so many other things I’d love to tell you about.  While I plan to continue to share my favorite recipes, I’d like to shift the focus of this blog to include other aspects of my life: being a mommy, activities with my son, becoming a better homemaker, decorating and making our three year old builder basic home a little more “ours, ” book reviews, a few crafty things, and highlights from the many other blogs I read.  I thought about keeping a separate recipe blog and starting a new personal blog, but I like the idea of having it all together.  I feel it is more reflective of “me” this way.  Rest assured, the recipes will still be easy to find if that’s why you’re here.  As you can see, we’ve been working on a blog redesign to go along with the new content, though there is still some work left to do.  A blog re-design was one of my 30th birthday presents from The Picky Apple, and I am so thankful for all the work he’s done so far on this blog.

Let’s kick things off here with an introduction, shall we?

Right now, one of the biggest parts of my life is this kid.

Meet my son, The Littlest Apple.

I’ve mentioned him before, but this is a more formal intro.  He’s a strong-willed, active, super duper picky, skinny little boy who just turned two.  Likes garbage trucks, reading, trains, vacuum cleaners, helping cook and bake, being outside.  Dislikes eating, most foods, not doing things exactly his way (hm…sounds familiar), having anything on his hands (fingerpaint, food, sand, etc), getting his face wet, wearing socks.

I’d love to share some of the activities The Littlest Apple and I do together, though I promise to explore other topics too!  I’ve been feeling all kinds of guilty for not keeping a better journal/baby-book for him, so I’m hoping this new blog format will serve that purpose to some extent.  Even if no one else is interested in my posts about The Littlest Apple, I know the grandmas will be, and I’ll have a written record of what we did to survive the terrible twos.  And oh yeah, we started the terrible twos about six months ago.  Gulp.

So welcome to The NEW Picky Apple blog!  I hope you find something here you like and that you’ll come back and visit again soon!

I’ve been having less than stellar results lately with many of the new recipes I’ve tried.  My most recent disappointment was a fish dish from a magazine that took me 2 1/2 hours(!!) to make.  After all that effort, it was just “meh.”  Next time I want fish topped with crawfish stuffing and herbed butter sauce, I’ll just head to Pappadeaux and save myself the trouble.

But finally, I have a good recipe to blog about!  It is actually more of a technique than a recipe and it comes from my mom who got it from the lady that does her hair.  Super yummy and super easy to prepare!  I served my chicken with green beans with bacon and a baguette, for a simple but delicious weeknight meal.

Potato Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 package instant mashed potatoes, garlic Parmesan flavor
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine instant potatoes and Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or pie pan.  Dip chicken breasts in butter then dredge in instant potato mixture until well coated.  Bake at 375 degress F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

We get takeout from Pei Wei a couple times each month.  I could honestly eat it more often than that as there are many different dishes I enjoy, but we try to mix it up with some other take out options every once in a while.  The last time we dined at Pei Wei, I tried a new dish I noticed on the online menu, the Sesame Chicken.  I also noticed a free downloadable recipe for a home version of this Sesame Chicken.  After enjoying the dish at the restaurant, I decided to try my hand at cooking it at home using the recipe from Pei Wei’s website.  I don’t have a particularly good track record cooking Asian dishes at home.  I can cook a basic stir fry, but nothing that compares to any of my favorite restaurant dishes.  I went into cooking this recipe with low expectations, because really, how could I ever cook anything that tastes as good as Pei Wei?  But I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome this tasted!  The Picky Apple commented that it was the best Asian dish I’ve ever made, though maybe that’s not saying much since he doesn’t really like any of the stir fries I make.  My only complaint was the time involved, and honestly, I think I was just moving really slowly and distracted by an extra whiny Littlest Apple.    The format of the recipe requires careful attention (and I’ve copied it exactly below), but there is nothing difficult about this dish.  I think now that I’ve done the recipe once, it will come together much faster next time.  And there will definitely be a next time!

Pei Wei Sesame Chicken Home Version

adapted from a downloadable recipe on Pei Wei’s website

Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chicken broth
• pinch of white pepper
• 1 1/4 tablespoon orange zest

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan, whisk together, and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat.

Chicken Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bag potato starch
• 1 egg
• 2 cups milk
• pinch of white pepper
• pinch of salt

Cut chicken breast into 3/4 inch squares.  Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and white pepper together.  Place potato starch in a mixing bowl.  Dredge chicken through egg wash, then dust in potato starch.  Shake chicken in a strainer to remove excess starch.

Dish ingredients:

• 1 quart vegetable oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, large dice
• 1/2 white onion, large dice
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup scallions, cut into rings, white part only
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Mix water and cornstarch together, set aside.  Heat vegetable oil in a large sauce pan.  Once at 350 degress cook chicken dredged in potato starch for 2 minutes or until cooked all the way through.  Drain on paper towels and reserve.  In a flat bottom wok or a large saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until smoking hot.  Add minced ginger and chili sauce, then saute for 5 seconds.  Add red bell peppers and onions, then saute for 20 seconds.  Add sesame sauce, bring to a boil.  Add cornstarch slurry to thicken sauce.  Add chicken and toss together, coating all of chicken evenly.  Add sesame oil and toss together.  Serve over steamed rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

We’ve still got quite a few months left of the sweltering Houston heat, and I am craving fall big time.  The cooler weather.  The start of school (The Littlest Apple will be attending preschool 2 days a week.  Hooray for mommy!).  The excitement in the air during football season.  The beautiful colors of fall that fit in so nicely with my home decor (such as it is).  Lastly, the FOOD of fall!  Pumpkin, anyone?

This recipe is just one of many from Food To Live By, by Myra Goodman (founder of Earthbound Farm Organic)  that I’ve tried recently.  Other recipes I’ve tried include Farm Stand Meatballs, Grilled Tahini Chicken with Eggplant and Mushrooms over Soba Noodles, Marinara Sauce with Pancetta, and Spaghetti Bolognese.  All were delicious, and I can’t wait to try some of the soups, salads, and side dishes.  This is one of my new favorite cookbooks.  Wholesome recipes, tons of gorgeous photographs, and a special emphasis on organic, farm fresh ingredients.

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

from Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook by Myra Goodman

Makes 15 standard-size muffins

Ingredients:

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the muffins:

• Butter, for greasing the muffin cups
• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Make the topping.  Place the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium size bowl and stir to combine.  Add the butter pieces.  Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers, blend the butter into the topping until it is crumbly and well combined.  Set the topping aside.

Make the muffins: Butter 15 standard size muffin cups or line them with cupcake liners.

Place the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk to combine well.  Add the pecans and stir to combine.

Place the eggs, melted butter, orange zest, pumpkin, and granulated sugar in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine well.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.  Do not overmix the batter or the muffins will be tough.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the brim.  Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 2 teaspoons of the topping.

Bake the muffins until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes.

Place the muffin pan(s) on a wire rack and let hte muffins cool for 10 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the pan and serve warm.  The muffins taste best the day they are made.  If necessary, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat them in a microwave for 10 seconds or in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

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.

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.

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 and the chicken broth.  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.

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.

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.

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.