better late than never

Last weekend I took a little road trip up to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Wisconsin. It was so nice to get out of the city and spend a little time in front of the fire catching up. We took a hike around the lake, played with the twinkies (my cousin's 1 year old twins), and made a trip to the Apple Barn. While it's a little late in the season for picking apples, they still have a ton in the barn. The great thing about apples is that they're available year round. Even though I didn't get to pick any from a tree this year, I still felt like I should share this recipe with you. 

When I was a kid, my cousin Lindsay and I used to go to her Grandmother's house for play dates. Although she wasn't my biological grandmother, Grandma Boyd was always like a second grandma to me. I have random memories of her house, but one of my strongest memories is her homemade apple sauce. She'd always have a batch made for us. It was the best applesauce I've ever had. Slightly chunky with a hint of cinnamon, this apple sauce had a deep brown color and packed a rich apple flavor. I wasn't able to get her recipe but I'm pretty sure I nailed it. 

The secret to my applesauce is roasting the apples instead of cooking them on the stove. It caramelizes the apples while they cook and adds a deep, rich flavor and color. You don't even need any sugar, it's naturally sweet and perfectly balanced on it's own. One bite took me right back to Grandma Boyd's house. I hope you enjoy this easy applesauce recipe!

roasted applesauce

yields 4 c. 

ingredients:

5 fiji apples

5 gala apples

¼ c. apple cider

½ t. cinnamon

¼ t. ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375º F. Cut apples into about ¼ inch chunks with the skin on. Place in a glass baking dish or whatever roasting pan you have on hand. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the apples and place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Once the apples have softened up a bit, add in your apple cider and continue roasting for another 30 minutes. 

When the apples are brown, soft and juicy, they're done! Pulse them in the food processor or with an emersion blender if you have one. I like mine a little chunky but you can puree it to your preferred texture. Eat it hot or place it in the refrigerator and let it chill for a few hours. 

improv style:

you can use whatever apples you like and any combination. some bake better than others though. i recommend the following apples: ida, gala, fiji, macintosh, honey crisp, and holiday. they bake nicely and semi-hold their shape meaning you'll get a great consistency/texture out of your applesauce when you blend it up. you want to avoid apples with a grainy texture like golden delicious. you could even do half apples half pears. also, you can adjust the amount of cinnamon or nutmeg. i'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon so i use a tiny bit to bring out a depth of flavor. you can definitely add more. you could substitute cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or leave it out completely. if you don't have apple cider you could use apple juice, lemon juice, water, or even another juice like cranberry or grape. you don't have to leave the skin on the apple but after you blend it up you don't even notice it. it's a lazy cheat that ends up benefitting you by giving you all the great fiber from the skin. if it's not sweet enough for you, add some brown sugar or honey to the mixture. although i would leave this to the end because it's naturally sweet as is.

if you don't have a blender or emersion blender, you could try mashing the apples with a potato masher or fork. you could also put it in a food processor or use egg beaters to blend it up. you don't have to roast the apples but i feel like it brings out another level of flavor. you could easily do this on a stove top and add in the liquid before cooking.

this is great on it's own but it would be good on top of pork chops or served with your holiday latkes if you're into that sort of thing.

everything is better stuffed

A month ago one of my best friends from college got married. And while I could go on and on with friendship, love and sappiness talk, I'll spare you and get right to the good stuff. At her rehearsal dinner, the catering company made these fabulous stuffed acorn squash. I've had acorn squash stuffed before. Heck, I make a wild rice and sausage stuffed one that's pretty tasty. BUT, this squash was stuffed with quinoa and it was amazing. I've tried quinoa once before and it was a HUGE flop. It ended up a mushy ball and I avoided it until recently. If you've had a similar experience, give it another try. I'm glad I did!


Not familiar with quinoa? It's a grain... think of it as an alternate to rice, couscous or bulgar if you've had that. It's not scary and it's pretty easy to find in almost every grocery store. Plus it's packed with protein and magnesium. 


I'm not exactly sure what was in the stuffed squash at my friends rehearsal dinner but the version I've come up with is really tasty. The squash is creamy and sweet and the quinoa stuffing is crunchy, earthy, and hearty. This is a hearty dish on it's own but it would be a killer side with any meal too. It would make a great side for Thanksgiving if you're looking to do something a little different. It's a really fun presentation too. Each person gets their own individual squash bowl. 2 weeks until turkey day... are you ready?

mushroom + leek quinoa stuffed acorn squash

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

4 T. olive oil

1 leek chopped

1 c. mushrooms chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

3 c. spinach leaves

1 ½ c. cooked quinoa

2 T. toasted slivered almonds

½ t. truffle oil

2 acorn squash (halved, seeds removed)

salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 350º F. Follow the directions on the box of quinoa and cook accordingly. You can use chicken, beef or veggie stock instead of water to add extra flavor if you like. 


In a medium saute pan, add olive oil (enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan). Once the pan is hot, add in your chopped leeks and mushrooms. Cook until wilted and slightly browned. Add in your garlic and spinach. Meanwhile, in a small pan, toast your slivered almonds over medium heat. Once spinach is wilted, add in your almonds, truffle oil, and salt + pepper to taste. Once quinoa is cooked, toss your mixture with the grains and you're ready to place in your squash. 


Place stuffing into the center of each squash and drizzle with a little extra olive oil over the top. Bake in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes until squash is softened and the top of the stuffing is golden brown. 


improv style:
this is the kind of recipe where you look in your fridge and you see what you have. leek can be substituted for onions, shallots, green onions. not a fan of mushrooms? leave it out and add in your favorite veggie instead. i like the crunch that the almonds give to the dish but you could leave them out or add in your favorite nut. spinach could be substituted for kale or chard or your favorite leafy green or herb. the addition of cheese would be more than welcome. a creamy goat or feta would be fantastic but you could use any type you like. 


now the truffle oil... here's the thing about truffle oil - it's STRONG. a little goes a long way. you can use white or black truffle oil. if you don't have any on hand, you can leave it out or you could use another flavored oil. i feel like the truffle oil adds depth to the mushrooms already in the dish but it can easily be left out and still taste great. another substitution that goes in a completely different direction would be a squeeze of lemon. it would add a brightness to the stuffing. 


you could do this in a butternut squash or any kind of squash or pumpkin for that matter. the only one i wouldn't recommend is spaghetti because the texture would just be, well, weird. the final substitution i'll offer is by putting your favorite thanksgiving stuffing in the squash. it's a fun presentation and everyone gets their own individual portion of stuffing. think cornbread, sausage, oyster, wild rice... whatever your family's favorite is. this would go perfect with your thanksgiving turkey!

dreaming of the weekend, already

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. Let me clarify that... breakfast foods are some of my favorite meals. I don't like to eat before at least 10 a on weekdays and 11 on weekends. I'm not what you call a morning person. Since starting this 90 day detox/diet thing I've been missing my favorite morning meals. I wanted to come up with a dairy, gluten, blah blah blah free breakfast that wasn't Chex with soy milk. 

I whipped up this hash one morning a few weeks into the detox and Matt has been requesting it ever since. It's got the whole sweet/savory thing going for it - nice crunchy little brown bits of sausage, soft and sweet from the potatoes and a burst of freshness from basil leaves.

I highly recommend you try this for your next lazy weekend breakfast (or brunch if you're like me). It's so easy to make and full of vitamins. Top it with a poached egg and you'll be in heaven! It's Monday and I'm already dreaming of the weekend... hope you guys have a good week! 

sweet potato + sausage hash
yields 4 servings


ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes (about 4 cups diced)

1 mild italian sausage link

2 spicy italian sausage links

1 onion diced
1 garlic clove chopped
1 t. onion powder
½ t. garlic powder
8 basil leaves
4 T. olive oil
salt + pepper


Preheat oven to 400º F. Dice sweet potatoes to your preferred size. Drizzle 3 T. olive oil and salt + pepper to taste over the potatoes and place on baking sheet. Roast potatoes for about 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish. 


Heat a skillet on medium and add 1 T. olive oil and the sausage links (casing removed) crumbled. Cook until browned. Next add onion and cook until translucent. Add in garlic and seasonings and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Pull your sweet potatoes out of the oven and add them to your pan. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Tear basil leaves and sprinkle over the top of your dish before serving. 


improv style:
there's a million ways you can improvise this dish. don't have sweet potatoes? you can use any kind you like: yams, yukon gold, red, fingerling, you get the idea... same goes with the sausage: breakfast, all mild, all spicy, chorizo, pork, chicken, jalapeno chedar. not a fan of sausage? bacon, canadian bacon, diced ham, or pancetta would all be lovely substitutions. this is a throw what you got in a pan and make it kind of hash. add in your favorite herbs. think oregano, chili powder, thyme, parsley. i think it would be even better if you topped it with a poached or fried egg with a slightly runny yolk (no eggs for me for another 23 days - sigh). also, you can cook the potatoes in the skillet if you prefer. i like the oven because i can get everything else prepared faster while the potatoes get nice and soft in the oven. 

snack attack

Do you ever feel like a recipe is taunting you? I've been wanting to make a version of this snack food since I saw Giada DeLaurentiis make fried chickpeas on her show. Then, like a subtle reminder, I got an email from Everyday with Rachel Ray with her BBQ version of the darn things. OK, OK, I'll make them! 

These are the perfect healthy snack and they don't taste healthy! They have a nice crunch and are chock full of protein and fiber. The spice mix I suggest is everything you love about Indian food with a subtle spicy tickle from the cayenne. Not familiar with Indian food? Sound weird or scary? That's ok... Indian food uses a lot of similar spices as Mexican food... cumin, garlic, onion... but with a few twists. It's not as funky as it sounds, I promise. Give these baked chickpeas a try... you won't be sorry! 

You might want to make a double batch of these too because they'll go FAST. They're as satisfying as chips or nuts but without any of the guilt. 

curry roasted chickpeas

yields about 2 c. 

ingredients:

2 - 15 oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed

4 T. olive oil (approximate)

for the spice mix:

1 t. curry powder

1 t. cumin

½ t. onion powder

½ t. garlic powder

½ t. coriander

¼ t. salt

pinch cayenne (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º F. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Place on a few paper towels and pat dry. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Place beans on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until crispy and golden. 

Mix all spices together and sprinkle over the beans when they're hot out of the oven. It's that simple!

improv style:

you can impart any flavor on the beans, simple seasoning salt or salt and pepper would be delicious. you could make them cajun style, mexican style with a little chile and lime juice, italian with garlic and oregano, you could try a sweet and salty mix with sugar, cinnamon, and salt -get creative! not a fan of chickpeas? you could do it with nuts with less cooking time and still get the flavor/crunch factor, or sprinkle the spice mixture over homemade potato chips and roasted veggies.

these are great as a snack but they'd be fantastic on a salad or as a garnish for soup. you could even throw them in with a stir fry.

meatless monday

My little sister just headed back to college for the fall. She's now living in her first apartment and it just so happens that her new roomie is a vegetarian. Having to cook for herself 100% of the time she's now trying to learn some easy dishes to make. No worries Lexi, I'm here to the rescue!

While I could never live without my meat, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to do one meat free day a week. Plus, if you're on a budget (say, a college budget like my sister) this meal definitely won't leave your bank account in a state of panic. 

This dish is so easy to improvise, it's literally foolproof! Plus it's full of protein and fiber from whole grains and beans... you won't even miss the meat. Trust me, I need my meat and I felt full and satisfied! I will say the poblanos turned out to be way spicier than anticipated. Every pepper varies and some are milder than others. If you have a low tolerance for heat just substitute with bell peppers instead.

mexican rice stuffed poblano peppers

yields 6 stuffed peppers

ingredients:

2 cups cooked whole grain rice

1 - 15 oz can of enchilada sauce

1 - 15 oz can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 onion 

1 clove garlic chopped

1 c. corn

6 poblano peppers

salt + pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a saute pan heat up a little olive oil, butter, whatever you prefer over medium heat. Slice onions and toss them in the hot pan. You want to get a nice caramelization on your onions. This will take about 15 minutes. Once onions start to turn brown add in your garlic. Meanwhile, open your can of black beans and drain the juice. You want to give them a good rinse to get off the slimy, salty goo. 

In a medium sized bowl place rice, rinsed beans, corn (frozen or fresh), and half of the can of enchilada sauce. 

To prepare your peppers for stuffing, you can do it one of 2 ways. I sliced them in the middle and cut a sliver out of the center and removed the seeds and rib. I did this for a pretty picture. It would be much easier to cut the top off like you would a pumpkin and pull out the seeds and ribs (the lighter part that's soft). You can do whatever you think would be easier! Place the 6 peppers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. This step will make clean up super easy.

By now your onions and garlic mixture should be ready to add to the rice mixture. Give it a good stir and stuff them into your peppers. Take remaining half can of enchilada sauce and pour over the top of the peppers. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the pepper just starts to turn brown around the edges.

You can top it with a little dollop of sour cream and serve with a few tortilla chips on the side if you like. 

improv style:

here's the fun part. GO WILD! I used the ingredients I had on hand. You can stuff these with anything you like... drain a can of diced tomatoes or use fresh ones, add in some jack cheese, cotija cheese, goat cheese, or cheddar. If poblanos are too spicy for you, you can use bell peppers or sweet red peppers. you can use red onion, green onion, cilantro, pinto beans, mushrooms, green enchilada sauce, tomatillo sauce... seriously whatever you have. stuff the peppers with some rice, veggies, and some form of sauce and pop that sucker in the oven. you could even add meat if you wanted... try some chorizo, ground turkey, ground sausage out of the casing, or even ground beef. 

fig chicken

Remember last week when I told you I had plans for that fig + thyme jam?! Well, here's one thing I did with it...

I made a glaze and smothered it on some chicken breasts and baked it in the oven. This sauce, glaze, whatever you want to call it is so simple to make. It's got the gooey sweetness from the fig jam and some tang from mustard and a little apple cider vinegar. It's the perfect sweet savory balance for a weeknight meal. 

The first time I made the glaze was for Easter dinner. I smothered it all over my ham - heaven on earth! There's something special that happens when fig comes into play with a savory dish. 

This sauce would pair well with ham, pork loin, chicken, or turkey. I'm not a big seafood eater but I would imagine a fish like Salmon would pair really well with this glaze too. 

figgy glaze

adapted and inspired by Claire Robinson

yields almost a cup of sauce (enough for a half ham or 10 chicken breasts)

Ingredients:

½ c. fig + thyme jam

¼ c. mustard (I used yellow to make it yeast free, I would recommend dijon)

3 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. brown sugar

In a small sauce pan combine all your ingredients. Stir for a few minutes until the mixture is warmed through and the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. Once it's at room temperature spread on your favorite meat. 

In this case I did chicken breasts and baked in the oven at 350º for 20 minutes. 

improv style:

the first time i made this i added ¼ c. bourbon to the sauce. i know some of you who read this probably think i'm an alcoholic but i really believe that it adds a depth to the sauce. if it weren't for being yeast free i would recommend adding bourbon or brandy to the sauce. you can also use any type of mustard you like... grain, dijon, spicy, etc... you could try substituting the apple cider vinegar with balsamic which would play nicely here really it's about building a sauce/glaze/marinade to your taste... like it spicy? add some spice in the form of cayenne, sriracha, spicy mustard, etc... not a fan of mustard? i'm not usually either but in sauces like this i really love the complexity and tang it gives. you can leave it out and substitute a little stock or water to thin down the sauce. 

90 days to go, well 78...

I mentioned in my last post that I'm starting a diet for 90 days. Not a lose weight diet but a feel better diet by eliminating the foods I'm sensitive to. Back in March I had my blood tested against 1500 different food types to see what my body had a reaction to. It's taken me 5 months to accept the results and attempt this 90 day challenge. Here's a short version of what I had to give up: wheat, dairy, eggs, yeast (brewers and bakers), tomatoes, lettuce, bananas - the list goes on... depressing, right?! 


Some might ask why would I ever do this to myself? Well, a few reasons actually. 1. to see if I can eliminate or lessen the amount of headaches I get. 2. to see if I can actually do it. 3. to have more energy, better skin, and to be better to my body. There's lots of reasons to give it a try and I decided to look at it as a challenge instead of getting discouraged. Again, it took me 5 months to get here. I'm pretty sure most of my friends reading this are in disbelief. I am the queen of carbs. Pasta and bread are my favorite things. Add some butter and cream and you've hit my sweet spot. So yes, this is going to be a challenge but if I can do it, anyone can! 


So far I'm 12 days in and I haven't broken yet! I don't feel different but they say it takes 10 - 14 days to get the foods out of your system and to start feeling the difference. I'm looking forward to this journey. My goal is to make tasty meals that don't leave me feeling like things are missing. So far I'm doing REALLY good. I'm not lying, I promise. I'm looking forward to perfecting some of the recipes and sharing with you!


With that I give you recipe #1 fig jam. This is not the canning type of jam, more like a spread that will last a few weeks in your refrigerator. QUICK, fig season comes as fast as it goes! Run to the grocery store and grab them while they're still here! I like to use this for all sorts of things. It's especially delicious on a sea salt cracker with an extra sharp white cheddar, as a glaze on ham, or coated on chicken. I'll share a recipe that uses the jam soon! 

fig + thyme jam
yields about 2 cups of jam
ingredients:
2 lbs fresh mission figs (the black ones)
¾ c. sugar
½ a lemon*
5 sprigs fresh thyme
½ c. water


Cut the stems off the figs and cut them into quarters. Peel the lemon removing only the zest none of the pith (the white part). Cut the lemon zest into strips and squeeze the juice into a medium sized sauce pan. Add the lemon zest, figs, sugar, water and thyme sprigs. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and figs become plump and juicy. Pull out the thyme sprigs and mash up the mixture. I like to put mine through a food processor to get everything nice and smooth. If you like yours a little more chunky, skip this step.


Place in air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. *I didn't actually use lemon because it's on the list of things I can't have. I recommend a little bit of lemon because it brings out the freshness of the figs and cuts through the sweet. 


improv style:
missed fresh fig season? that's ok... use an 8 oz bag of dried mission figs. it will take a little more liquid but it will still taste delicious! don't have mission figs? not a problem, you can use any type... golden, brown turkey, calimyrna they'll all work. the flavor changes a bit but use the type you like. you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet or sour your fruit is. give it a little taste test. remember, you can always add more but you can't take it out! there are tons of ways to improvise the jam... not a fan of thyme? use rosemary instead or leave out the fresh herbs all together. i like to add a little brandy too. a little booze really adds great flavor to your jam!