Apple Slab

Apple Slab.  Not the most romantic name for a dessert but you won't care what it's called once you get your first bite.  I made this for the the first time at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! It's sweet, a bit tangy and full of apple goodness. 

Ingredients

Pie Crust

Use your favorite pie crust recipe.  I made a double batch of Gluten Free Pie Crust and it worked out just perfect for the size of my pan. 

Filling

8 oz. gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
4 - 5 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar)

1/3 cup boiled cider (which you can buy or make yourself pretty inexpensively .  I added a cinnamon stick to the cider while it cooked.)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Enough milk or cream to make the mixture "drizzable".

Directions

Take your pie dough and split it into two parts about 60% and 40%.  Shape each piece of crust into a rectangle; you’re going to be rolling them into rectangles, so might as well give yourself a head start.

Take the larger piece of pastry and put it on a floured work surface (if your using a gluten dough) if it's GF place between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper to roll out.  Start to roll it into an 11” x 15” rectangle.  Lay the dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9"x13" pan. The dough should come up the sides of the pan.  Don't worry about ragged edges, they'll disappear under the top crust.

Messy, huh? That’s OK. Patch up the holes by pushing the pastry together with your fingers, or adding a pinch from the excess on the sides. Push the pastry up the sides of the pan a bit, to make a shallow pastry container for the apples.

In a separate bowl, add the tapioca to the gingersnap crumbs and mix well.  Dump the lot into your dish with the pie dough in it to make an even shallow layer. This will help to absorb the apples’ juice and keep the crust from becoming soggy. 

Put the crust in the fridge while you get the apples ready. And start preheating your oven to 350°F.

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Next, we’re going to peel, core, and slice about 5 large or 6 to 7 medium baking apples. An apple peeler/corer/slicer makes this task fast and EASY.  In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.  Lay the apples over the cookie crumbs. 

Roll the remaining piece of pastry into a 9” x 13” rectangle. Flop the top crust over the apples. Yes, apples will poke through. Seal the edges of the two crusts as well as you can. There’ll be places where they don’t quite meet. That’s OK. Just before baking, slash it 6 or 8 times to allow steam to escape. You can apply an egg wash at this point or for a vegan option brush on a mix of veganaise & (soy or coconut) creamer to give the crust a beautiful golden brown color. Put the slab in the preheated 350°F oven, and bake it for an hour or until you see sugary apple gel bubble up through the venting slits. 

No beauty queen, but icing will help its looks.  Remove it from the oven; it’ll be golden brown. Cool the slab completely before glazing.

Here’s a wonderfully tasty glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup boiled cider, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a small pinch of salt, and enough milk or cream to make the mixture “drizzlable.”

Don’t have boiled cider? Use plain milk or cream, maple syrup, honey, or thawed apple juice concentrate. Start with 1/4 cup of any of these; if you’ve made this kind of icing before, you know it’s easier to add more liquid, than to try to take it away. Add enough liquid to make the glaze pourable. Drizzle the glaze artfully atop the slab.

Cut. Serve. Enjoy!

Original recipe that I altered.

Banana Bread

This is an old family recipe. My mom used to make this for me and my sister when we were little girls. She'd cut the slices into "fingers" and serve to us warm with a little butter. Divine! It converts easily to GF with only a change from using wheat flour to your favorite gluten free all purpose flour.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sifted all purpose gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 medium sized) mashed ripe (brown) bananas
1/3 cup of milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Sift flour with soda and salt. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, creaming well. Add eggs and bananas; blend throughly. Combine milk and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the ry ingredients. Blend well after each addition.

Grease bottom of a 9"x5"x3" bread pan. Pour in batter and bake at 350* for 60 - 70 minutes, until bread springs back when lightly touched in center. Remove from pan onto wire rack to cool.

One Chicken, Four Meals

One chicken, four meals: a post for a friend of mine who was asking about meal planning. Okay, here's an easy one! Makes about four meals. And to make the second one vegetarian you could sub out the chicken and use tofu or squash instead. Sauté it first so it browns then add the onions and the rest of the ingredients.

MEAL ONE - CROCK POT CHICKEN

One whole chicken
1 onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 - 2 lemons
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup italian salad dressing
Sprig of fresh rosemary if you have it
white wine (optional)

Rinse the chicken, take out the little baggy of innards, pat dry and rub the inside cavity with a bit of corse salt.
Corsely chop the onion, carrots, celery and lemon (in quarters).
Put half the lemon in the chicken along with a handful of whatever veggies will fit.
Put the rest of the veggies and garlic on the bottom of the crock pot. Place the chicken breast side down over top.
Drizzle salad dressing over chicken, trying to lightly coat the whole thing. Put rosemary spring on top of chicken.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5-6.

I usually nuke peas with this meal and if you make mashed taters ahead of time they can be frozen and nuked back to life or just reheated depending on if they've been it the fridge or freezer. If you have a little more time roasted veggies are also delish with the chicken.

To make a nice sauce for the chicken defat the broth and add a 1/4 cup of white wine to about 2 cups of broth. Puree the carrots and onions that were cooked with the chicken and whisk with the wine broth mixture. Pour over chicken.

MEAL TWO
This will give you at least another night of left overs.

MEAL THREE - TACO LASAGNA

Precooked chicken meat
1 tbl olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 pack of taco seasoning (or a mix of your own seasonings like dried cilantro, dried oregano, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, ground red pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic salt, etc)
2 tbl lime juice
1 small can of tomato paste
1 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes with juice
1 small can of mild roasted green chilis
hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
1 14 oz can of corn
1 14 oz can of bean (black, pinto, red or any kind of refried)
corn tortillas
cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro
fresh lime wedges
avocado
sour cream
hot sauce

Debone and shred the chicken, you should have about two cups left from prior meal.

In a large sauce pan add chopped onion and saute till soft. Add chicken, garlic, taco seasonings and saute for another two or three minutes. Add lime juice and let cook off. Add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, roasted green chili's. Add hot sauce here if desired. Let simmer till everything is hot, about 6 minutes.

In a 8"x8" glass baking dish put a large spoonful or two of the chicken mix to the bottom of the pan and spread around. Add a layer of corn tortillas, a thin layer of cheese, a layer of beans and whole corn. Keep layering up till you run out of chicken. (End on the chicken layer - it should be on top)

At this point you could stop and put it covered in the fridge if you need to make it ahead of time. It could easily be baked later in the evening.

Bake on 350* for 1/2 hour (45 minutes if you've had it in the fridge). Last five minutes of cooking add cheddar cheese to top and bake long enough to brown slightly.

Let cool a little bit so it sets up. Cut slices like lasagna and garnish with cream cheese, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro and hot sauce.

MEAL FOUR
Should be at least one night of left overs.

Spicy Cranberry Chutney

There can never be too much cranberry sauce at our table. Our family is split over the light sweet cranberry orange version that my mom makes and this deep spicy rich version that pairs amazingly well with the robust flavors of a sage infused turkey.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups fresh cranberries
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced small
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1 cup yellow onion, diced small
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup Thompson raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, except the raisins, into a large (3 quart) sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes or until berries pop.

Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes to allow mixture to reduce and thicken.

Remove from heat, stir in the raisins and allow raisins to plump. Serve warm or chilled.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 12-16

Tiffany's Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbl. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 - 4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, diced
1 1/2 lbs. of the leanest ground beef you can find

4 14 oz. cans of beef broth
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of pinto beans with juice
1 can of garbanzo beans with juice
1 can of hominy, drained (optional)
1 package taco seasoning

GARNISH WITH:

Grated cheddar cheese
avocado
lime wedges
sour cream
tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot saute the onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic for five minutes in a little bit of olive oil then stir in the meat and cook over medium hight heat until the meat is cooked (no longer red).
Reduce the heat to medium and add in the broth, tomatoes, corn, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, hominy and taco seasoning.
Simmer the ingredients until all the veggies are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Serve the soup with grated cheese, avocado, lime, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Hot Apple Cider with Ginger and Cardamom

A lovely seasonal treat that's delicious with dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
6 quarter sized pieces of crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
20 cardamom pods
15 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
8 cups unfiltered apple cider

DIRECTIONS:

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) in strips from lemon. Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add lemon peel, ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture 15 minutes. Strain into mugs and serve.

8 servings / Bon Appetite

Apple Crisp

I like a lot of Streusel Topping on my apple crisp, and this recipe has lots! There’s plenty, even if you use a shallow pan. If you like less topping, halve the streusel recipe. This is also a nice sweet treat for breakfast!



STREUSEL TOPPING
½ cup shortening (or butter at room temp)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup potato starch
¾ cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ cup milk (or less - add last otherwise it can lose it’s “crumble” and turn to sticky dough)
1 tsp cinnamon

APPLES
5-6 medium apples, peeled, cored, chopped (about five cups)
1½ TBL cornstarch
2 TBL sugar (use a bit more for tart apples)
¼ tsp cinnamon
(I also add a splash of lemon juice and up the spice)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°. In medium bowl, combine all Streusel Topping ingredients. Mix to form small clumpy pieces. If you overmix, you may simply break off small pieces of the topping to form small pieces. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine apples, cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat well. Put apple mixture into lightly greased pie plate or 1½ quart casserole. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake 35-40 minutes until apples are tender and streusel is browned.

NOTE TO SELF:
Next time try adding cranberries and walnuts with a little bit of lemon zest to the apple mixture before baking. A teaspoon of tapioca is good too to help keep it thick and not get too watery.

Yields: Serves six

Source: Roben Ryberg's The Gluten Free Kitchen

Blueberry Lime Jam

Yeild: about 6 half-pints

4 1/2 cups blueberries
1 package (1.75oz) powdered pectin
5 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1/3 cup lime juice

Crush blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blueberries and powdered pectin in a large sauce-pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Source: Ball Blue Book of preserving

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose GF flour (Sweet Rice Flour would work too)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon dark molasses
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
4 large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 purchased frozen 9-inch pie crust or prepare a homemade crust.

DIRECTIONS
Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 450°F.
Whisk first 8 ingredients together in large bowl to blend.
Whisk in pumpkin, molasses/maple syrup and eggs, then cream.
Pour mixture into frozen crust or homemade pie crust.
Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F and bake until sides puff and center is just set, about 40 - 50 minutes. Cool.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6 - 8

SUGGESTIONS
"Turn off oven after the time is up and leave pie to set for another 1/2 hour."
"If you're making your own crust, make sure the crust is frozen and dont use a glass pie pan - otherwise the bottom crust might be on the soggy side."
"Prebaking the crust for about 10 minutes before pouring in the filling helps to reduce the chance it might be soggy."

Originally this recipe came from epicurous.com. I'm currently trying to figure out how to make another version of this that doesn't use eggs.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For shell
Use your favorite Pie Crust Recipe. Make enough for a single-crust 9- to 10-inch pie
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line shell with parchment paper and fill with rice or pie weights.
Bake shell in middle of oven 10 minutes.
Remove paper and rice carefully and bake shell until golden, about 12 minutes more. Cool shell in pie plate on a rack.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F.

For filling
1 cup sugar
7 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

For meringue
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Make filling:
Prep and measure out all ingredients as things go quickly once you get started.
In a heavy saucepan (w/ no heat) whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt and gradually whisk in water and milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved.
In a bowl whisk together egg yolks.
Cook milk mixture over moderate heat, whisking, until it comes to a boil and feels "dangerously thick".
Gradually whisk about 1 cup milk mixture into yolks and whisk yolk mixture into milk mixture.
Simmer mixture, whisking, 3 minutes or long enough until it's thick again.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, lemon juice, and zest until butter is melted. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap.

Make meringue:
In another bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks.
Beat in sugar in a slow stream, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks.
Pour filling into shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to pastry.
Draw meringue up into peaks and bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden, about 15 minutes.
Let cool for about two hours and then refrigerate.

Two Layer Cheesecake with Chocolate Raspberry Coulis

CRUST: Mix in mixer and mold lightly into a 9" pie pan
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I get GF graham cracker crumbs from Outside the Breadbox, Inc. They can be ordered, but our local grocery store carries them (in Oregon/SW Washington).
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1 stick)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple flavor (optional)
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes

BOTTOM FILLING: Whisk together in a separate bowl until just blended.
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (optional)
3 eggs
Use mixer to blend the cream cheese and egg mixture together. Mix until smooth then add flour.
12 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 tablespoons GF flour (I use Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix)
Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 1/2 hour then make topping.

TOPPING: Whisk the following in a mixer.
1 pint sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
Once blended pour over filling and sprinkle with cinnamon (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for a day or at least two hours if you can't stand to wait that long! If making the raspberry chocolate sauce it's best to add it to the cheesecake while it's still warm and before putting into the refrigerator to set. Do not cover with plastic wrap while cooling (even in fridge) as moisture builds up and drips onto surface marring sauce.

OPTIONAL: RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE COULIS:
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup bakers sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Rinse and drain frozen raspberries. Puree in blender with sugar and vanilla. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain out raspberries seeds. Set aside.
2 tablespoons butter
1 oz 87% dark chocolate
In a pan melt butter and add raspberry puree. Turn to low heat. Add in chocolate stirring constantly until melted and throughly mixed with raspberry puree. Add more sugar if too tart or lemon juice if not tart enough. Keep heat on low and simmer (do not boil) to reduce sauce slightly. Remove from heat and pour over top of cheesecake in a thin layer. (You will probably have some sauce left over - it's great on ice cream!)

It's as Easy as Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

One package ready made crust or your own crust recipe
1 egg (or 1 TBL veganaise and 1 TBL Silk Soy Creamer whisked)
1 dash of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 Tbl of the quick-cooking tapioca and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Take apples and peel them. Then half and quarter them, discard the core. Slice into wedges. In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.

Grease a glass pie pan and prepare crust according to directions. Dust the inside bottom of crust with last TBL of quick-cooking tapioca. Fill crust with apple mixture. Place and seal upper crust to lower crust. Cut holes in the top crust to vent steam while baking.

Break egg and whisk with a little bit of water or use veganaise and creamer mix to brush on pie crust for glaze. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.

Bake for 1 hour or until the pie is golden brown. Great warm with melted caramel and vanilla ice cream!!

Chicken Enchiladas

When I was a little girl we lived next door to a hispanic family. This recipe comes from my neighbor's Grandmother in Mexico City. Whenever my mother made them she could not keep me and my sister out of the cheese sauce before they were done! These are melt in your mouth divine.

INGREDIENTS:

ENCHILADAS:

15 corn tortillas

2 to 3 lbs. chicken cooked, boned and shredded. (Save broth for sauce.)
2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl flour or corn starch
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 lb can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbl minced onion
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tsp crushed leaf oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp tabasco / hot sauce (or more to taste)

CHEESE SAUCE:

2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl flour or corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 Tbl minced onion
1 small can of green chili's (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream or milk
1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

GARNISH:

Olives
Green peppers

DIRECTIONS:

CHICKEN:

If you don't have cooked chicken already and are starting out with raw follow these directions first.

Brown boneless skinless chicken breasts in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Once golden on both sides add two cans of chicken broth and cook till done. Save broth for cheese sauce.

ENCHILADAS:

Saute onion in a large skillet. Add bouillon cube and tomatoes. Thicken with corn starch or flour over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.

Blend in seasonings and garlic. Remove from heat and add shredded chicken.

CHEESE SAUCE:

Melt butter in sauce pan. Blend in corn starch, salt and pepper. Add onions, chili's, chicken stock and milk, stirring constantly till thick. Add cheese, blend until smooth.

ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 400*.

Dip one side of corn tortilla in cheese sauce. Lay un-sauced side down on plate. Spoon a bit of the chicken tomato filling onto cheese side. Roll up and put in greased 9"x13" baking dish. Repeat until dish is full. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas.

Garish with sliced olives or green peppers if desired.

Bake at 400* for 15 - 20 minutes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Another family classic who's origins are lost to time. We have this every year on St. Patty's Day.

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs. corned beef (Look for the lean "round" cut not the brisket which tends to be a lot fattier.)
2 tsp peppercorns or 1/4 tsp ground pepper
12 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

DIRECTIONS:
In large saucepan, cover corned beef with water. Add peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves. Simmer covered; 3 to 3 1/2 hours till tender. Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer; 15 minutes longer. Add cabbage; cook 15 minutes or until vegetable are tender. Remove bay leaves. Cut meat into pieces. Serve with cooking liquid and vegetables

NOTES:
If corned beef is packaged with spice package, omit peppercorns, clove and bay leaf. Alternately you can use about two tablespoons of pre-mixed pickling spice that can be purchased from the herb/spice section of your grocery store.

Serves 6 to 8

Rice with Peas and Mint

This is a lovely unexpected side dish to take to pot lucks and picnics. The mint gives it a light fresh taste perfect for summer get-togethers. I rarely come home with any left.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked rice
2 Tbl unsalted butter (or substitute like Earth Balance)
1 shallot, minced (about 2 Tbl worth)
Zest of one lemon
1 lb fresh peas, shelled, or 2 cups frozen peas
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbl freshly chopped mint

DIRECTIONS:

Cook rice according to package directions. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and lemon zest, and saute until translucent.

Add peas and cook until bright green and tender, adding a little water if shallots brown before peas are done.

Add cooked rice, season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Remove from heat and stir in mint.

Can be eaten warm or chilled.

Source: This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe but it called for Orzo which traditionally is made from semolina, so obviously, it's off limits for me. It's easily subbed out with a cup of cooked rice.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon and Asparagus

One of my all time favorite quick dishes when I'm expecting to have to feed a large number of house guests and would rather spend time visiting then cooking.

Packages of cut-up chicken in the supermarket often have 8 pieces. For even cooking we cut the breast pieces in half crosswise, making a total of 10 pieces.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes halved (or fingerling potatoes whole)
3 TBL olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package cut up whole chicken (about 3 lbs)
1 bunch asparagus (1lb) trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 springs fresh thyme

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 475. Toss potatoes in 2TBL olive oil. Place potatoes on a roasting pan or high sided baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Toss asparagus, lemon wedges and thyme in remaining TBL of olive oil. Scatter around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 - 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

OPTION: Other spices maybe used at anytime to "change it up" a bit. I like chives with the potatoes and paprika on the chicken too...

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Everyday Food - Issue # 41

Greek-Style Slow Cooker Meatballs and Artichokes

This Mediterranean-inspired main dish is brimming with a medley of tastes: savory lemon, pungent oregano and tender artichoke hearts. I loved this recipe but thought it could've easily been doubled - two people ate 1/2 of this in one sitting! It's super easy and yummy!

Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1 tsp ground sage
8 small uncooked new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
12 oz frozen or canned artichokes, hearts
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Season turkey with salt and sage; shape into 1-inch balls. Add turkey to skillet and brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove and place in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth to hot empty pan to release the browning. Then add to the slow cooker.

Add potatoes, oregano, and pepper; cover and cook on high heat for 3 hours. Add artichoke hearts and continue cooking for 2 to 3 more hours.

About 15 minutes before serving, spoon cornstarch into a cup. Add 1 tablespoon of the slow cooker liquid and lemon juice; stir well. Stir into slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.

Servings | 6
Preparation Time | 20 min
Cooking Time | 360 min
Weight Watchers

Southwestern Chicken Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
1 boneless/skinless chicken breast OR 6 chicken tenders
2 tbl butter
1 scallion, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
course salt and ground pepper
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels (I use a can of corn and it turns out just fine)
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup of 2% milk
1/2 cup of 1/2 & 1/2
Tabasco or chili powder (for optional heat)

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbl butter over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Remove. Add 1 tbl butter and white part of scallion, carrot, chili powder and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until scallion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken back in along with potato, corn, broth, milk and 1/2 & 1/2.

Bring to a boil over medium-high, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potato is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken and shred; return to pot. Stir in green part of scallion and season with salt and pepper (and other spices if you want it more flavorful or heat). Refrigerate in an airtight container up to about three days.

This was a recipe I altered slightly from a recipe out of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. This is also excellent with a side of cornbread. It freezes well too so if you want to double up the recipe and freeze some for "easy dinners" later on it makes it convenient. As a last note the chicken could easily be removed for a vegetarian version of this chowder which is basically the original recipe.

Canadian Pork Tourtière

This is a recipe my from my mother's side of the family. It was her maternal grandmother's. This kind of pie is known as pâté à la viande (literally, meat pie) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region from which my ancestors hail. My mother would regale us with tales of her large French Canadian family coming home after midnight mass on Christmas and eating this dish and drinking Port wine till the wee hours of the morning while the children ran around and played under the table. Our family makes it every year on Christmas Eve still. It is the continuing tradition of the region to this day.

PIE CRUST

Follow directions for your favorite pie crust recipe
1 tsp flour
1 egg (or a combination of Vegenaise and soy creamer whisked together to make a thick cream)
1 TBL water

FILLING

1 1/2 lb ground pork
3/4 lb ground veal*
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBL sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 dash nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp allspice
1 dash pepper
1 large onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
2 cups mashed potatoes

*This is how it appears in the original recipe. You can sub out the veal with regular lean ground beef for the same taste.

GARNISHES

Pickle relish
Honey mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Make sure you have mashed potatoes on hand or start a pot boiling for potatoes while you cook the meat.

In a large skillet combine pork, veal (or ground beef), salt, sage, garlic, nutmeg and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add chopped onion. Simmer until all moisture has steamed out of the pan. Remove from heat, drain out excess oil/fat. Stir in mashed potato and let cool.

Prepare pie crust according to directions for a two crust pie. Heat oven to 425*. Spoon filling into crust lined pie dish. Cover with second crust. Slit crust in several place to vent.

Beat egg with water; brush egg mixture over top of crust to make a nice glaze. Or use a combination of Vegenaise and soy creamer whisked together to make a thick cream to bush onto crust to make a nice glaze. Bake at 425* for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with port, pickle relish and mustard.

Serves 6 to 8

Apple Turnover

I was craving apple pie and didn't have time to make a whole pie so I had to improvise. Plus I didn't have a huge pile of apples. This works great with just apple sauce on hand.

1/2 stick butter ( 1/4c) room temp. (or butter sub)
3/4 c. sour cream
1 c. wendy warks GF flour mix
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP sugar

In mixer bowl combine butter & sour cream until well blended. Add dry ingredients. Mix until a ball forms. Wrap in plastic wrap & chill.
On a lightly floured parchment paper, roll dough into several thin 5 inch circles.

For each turnover:
A scoop of applesauce
A scoop or two of brown sugar
A sprinkle of cinnamon
lemon juice
grated ginger
a sprinkle of quick cooking tapioca

In a seperate bowl add applesauce, cinnamon and sugar. Mix.
Put a scoop of this on to one side of each turnover, fold dough over and seal edges.

Brush over the top of folded turnover:
vegenaise
soy creamer

The top can be brushed with a combination of Vegenaise and Soy creamer whipped together to make into a thick cream. Brushing this will allow the to pastry brown nicely.
Sprinkle with cinnamon

Bake 350 for approx 25 min.