Apple Tart

I've resolved to cook more in 2010!

This recipe was a lovely dessert - and very pretty. I was intimidated to make the crust, but it turned out nicely. I couldn't find the ruler she suggests, so I estimated & rolled the edges up instead of using a knife. I used regular rum & only a small amount the rum/apricot sauce because so many reviews said the flavors were too strong. I could have used a bit more. The little bit that was leftover was great the next day.
Pastry:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:

4 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced

1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam

2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pesto Pasta

I thought this was pretty good. But, I thought it was salty, so use the salt sparingly to taste. I also didn't use all the olive oil.

* 1 pound dried whole-wheat fusilli pasta
* 1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted (pepitas)
* 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 garlic clove
* 1 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
* 2 1/2 ounces baby spinach, packed (2 1/2 cups)
* Freshly ground pepper
* 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, for serving
* Tomatoes, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, combine toasted pumpkin seeds, parsley, chives, oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, the lemon zest, and 1 cup baby spinach in a food processor. Season with pepper, and pulse until well combined.
3. Toss pasta with pesto mixture. Add reserved cooking liquid, and mix until pasta is well coated. Fold in remaining 1 1/2 cups baby spinach. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Divide among 6 bowls. Top each with a dollop of ricotta, and season with pepper. Serve with tomato wedges if desired.

Fix, Freeze, Feast

I've been cooking up a storm from this book. Quite a change to eat the same meals each week, but I am hoping it frees up some time in the evenings. The Mozzarella Meatballs were pretty good, but next time I will skip the accompanying sauce (too much like Swedish Meatballs). So far, we have loved An's Pork Chops & Nick really liked the Feta & Spinach Lasagna Rolls. I wasn't too impressed with the beef & bean burritos, but have an idea for some roasted vegetable burritos I want to try once this batch is gone.

The concept of the cookbook is that you buy items in bulk at a warehouse store, cook everything at once & freeze 2-7 servings at a time. Our freezers are overflowing at this moment!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

With leftover canned pumpkin & a craving for sweets, this recipe caught my eye. The cookies were very good. I didn't think the pumpkin flavor was too strong - you either add a little more ginger or some pumpkin pie spice. These cookies were so good, I had to take them into work & get them out of my kitchen. My family will eat 1-2 cookies & then it's back to ice cream.

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
* Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper


Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

I'm embracing the change of season (finally). I got a pumpkin kick & tried pumpkin coffee (too sweet), pumpkin bread (OK, I think I can make better) & pumpkin beer (jackpot!). The pumpkin flavor isn't very strong in this dish. I couldn't find fresh sage at the store - I think it would help add a bit more flavor.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

 

Fall is in the air! This recipe was pretty good, but it is so much easier just to cook the chicken in the crock-pot overnight & then let it sit on low temp all day in your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce. I really like these sandwich thins - though I am sure Nick would have preferred a more traditional bun.



1 (8 ounce) can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic


1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground chipotle and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.
2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.
3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.

I thought the sauce was very thin - you made need some corn starch depending on how thick you like your sauce.

Happy Find

My favorite desk treats now in mini versions. Whole Foods had a 12 variety pack for $10. At 100 calories, they are perfect vending machine deterrent. Though be warned, my husband would probably consider these bite-sized. My refrigerator is bursting with dates, so I am going to try this recipe that I stumbled upon soon.