Reality Check.

Just because I like to keep things real around here...I share with you exhibit A.



Yes, that's a burned carrot.

Exhibit A created Exhibit B.



:(

Due to one absent-minded (almost) professor.... who didn't keep an eye on her boiling carrots.

I tried to salvage the carrots; but they tasted like a campfire. Thus, I didn't think they'd go well a new carrot dip I'm was planning to try.

Now, I need your help.

How do I clean this up!?!?!



I've tried boiling soap and water in the pan, but have had no luck. It's basically burned on water (not carrots -- those came out in one piece).

It's a non-stick pan, so I don't want to just scrub it out. Any tips?



~Your absent-minded chef.

Homefries

Our chef of the week is Anne Burrell. Anne had a great looking recipe for Fingerling Homefries on the Food Network that I decided I would try out. The only problem was, I wasn't able to find Fingerling potatoes. So, I improvised. While these potatoes were tasty, I bet they would have been even better with a smaller potato.

Homefries - Adapted from Anne Burrell

4 potatoes (Anne recommend 1 lb. fingerling potatoes)
salt, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
pinch, red pepper
1 tsp. parsley

Bring potatoes to a boil. Be sure to salt the potatoes well. Cook until tender when poked with a fork. Then, drain potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and red pepper flakes. Saute until onions are translucent.

Then, add the potatoes to the mix.



Flatten with a spatula, and allow the potatoes to cook and get crispy. Season with salt and pepper.



Flip over and repeat the process until potatoes are crunchy. Then season with parsley and additional salt and pepper.



Serve warm.

The verdict:
These were just okay. Only a 3/5 star rating by us. The potatoes were tender and had good flavor, but they didn't get super crispy. I have a feeling they would have gotten crispier with a lot more oil, but that's just not something that's overly appealing to us. It's a different way to have potatoes, and I bet with the fingerling potatoes they'd be better.

Check out what others made by Anne this week at I Blame My Mother, host of the Food Network Chef's Cooking Challenge.

The One About Apples

It's no secret we love fruit around here. In fact, I believe I have more recipes filed under fruits than chocolate - gasp.

Now that it's officially fall (in case you missed it, it happened last Tuesday at 5:18 EST) I feel I can turn my attention to apples. I've already highlighted many of my favorite apple recipes, but I thought for a change today, I'd share about some of the many varieties of apples that you will have the chance to enjoy this fall. These tips and facts are brought to you from a great book called, "How to Pick a Peach".

Fuji
This apple is sweet and crisp - good for eating. This apple is a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet as created by the Japanese. Stock up on this apple because it stores well and while it does hold it shape when cooked, it makes a great applesauce. Introduced to the US: 1980s

Gala

This apple comes to us from New Zealand, and if you taste a hint of Golden Delicious in this apple, you're right! It's a cross between an apple I've never heard of (Cox's Orange Pippin) and Golden Delicious - one of the apples that dominated the US apple market for years. Why would you choose a Gala? Simple -- it's a great eating apple and wonderful for applesauce because it has a "hint of spice". Like the Fuji, it will hold it's shape while cooking, so don't expect a real mushy applesauce. Introduced to the US: 1965, became popular in the 1980s.

Braeburn

No one is really sure where this great apple came from... it's parents are unknown. But, we're thankful it emerged as this apple has quickly become one of the most popular fresh eating apples - "a spicy apple with a nice tart bite and a juicy, crisp texture." Introduced to the US: 1950s


Jonagold

This softer apple has parents that are fairly popular apples themselves -- the Golden Delicious and the Jonathan. Grown in New York, this apple is popular for cooking because it cooks to create a creamy texture. Introduced to the US: 1960s.

Empire

Named for the Empire State where this apple was first bred, and continues to produce over half of all these apples. The Empire apple is great for cooking, as it is a cross between the McIntosh and Red Delicious, although it does hold it's shape when cooked. Introduced to the US: 1960s.



Pink Lady

This apple comes from the Land Down Under, but you won't find it there now....at least under this name. If you travel to Australia and are looking for the Pink Lady, ask instead for the Cripps Pink. This Pink Lady is a delicacy. It's taste is sweet, almost like honey, laced with a tartness likened to champagne. Being such a delicate Lady, this apple requires a bit of chill in the air to truly bring forth her taste. For this reason, you won't find it in stores until late September. Introduced to the US: 1980s.


Cameo

This apple is a mutant!! No, really. A simple mutation in the base sequences of DNA of this apple changed the Red Delicious into a Cameo. The cameo is a good mutant because of it's sweet/tart flavor and crispness. Cameo takes longer to cook, but, as a trade off, it will store in your fridge for a while. Introduced to the US: 1987.



Honeycrisp

This is the "hot new apple" just beginning to appear in grocery stores. This apple came from my home state, and was developed in the lab... but this great apple is an orphan! Researchers and breeders are not sure who its parents are -- some who have been DNA tested are the Macoun and Honeygold, but they are innocent until proven guilty. Introduced to the US: 1991.




"How to Pick a Peach" also includes details about shopping for apples year round:

Buying and Storing Apples

Buying apples in the fall is great - they are fresh from the tree and haven't been in storage overwinter. When buying apples after the season, here's the ones to pick and ones to choose carefully:

Pick:
Fuji (stores well into the summer months)
Braeburn (stores well into early summer)
Cameo (stores well into mid-summer)
Honeycrisp (stores well)

Use Caution when Picking:
Gala (does not store well)
Jonagold (buy before spring)
Empire (buy before spring)
Pink Lady (buy before spring)

To pick the perfect apple, choose those who have smooth skin and are heavy for their size. Store apples as close to 32 degrees as you can manage in a humid environment, such as an open plastic bag or a bag with holes. Apples like the moisture, but you don't want standing water in a bag. The crisper is a great place for apples.

For more fun apple information, check out the NY Apple Country website. They have great details (and images) for many apple varieties, as well as tips about how to pick them out and how to use them! Another fun apple site is All About Apples. Their list of apple varieties really shows you how diverse the apple has become. They have a great section that helps you locate a place to pick apples at a farm near you.

This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesday.

Apple photos courtesy of the New York Apple Association
(C) New York Apple Association

Kris Kringle Cakes

Okay, so I know it's a little early for Christmas...but these pancakes are perfect for a fall morning too.

My mom used to make a version similar to these during the winter and their warm cinnamon oatmeal flavor would be a great way to start a weekend.

Yum.  I can smell them now. 

Kris Kringle Cakes - Adapted from Mom

1/2 C white wheat flour
1/2 C wheat flour
1 C oats (I used quick cook)
2 T brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 C applesauce
1 C milk (+ a little extra)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together applesauce, egg, and vanilla.

Add milk.

Then, mix together the dry ingredients.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until moist. You may need to add additional milk if the mixture seems overly thick. I added about 1/8 C more milk because as the mixture sits, it gets thicker.

Cook pancakes on a griddle heated to medium. Flip when little bubbles begin to form.

Enjoy warm, topped with fruit syrup, maple syrup, or applesauce!

This post is linked to Friday Food, Foodie Friday, Ingredient Spotlight

Menu Plan - Sept. 27

Are we really in the last week of September? School has been back in session for a month now, and we're just beginning to get settled into our schedule. We're gearing up for a busy October... a wedding, birthdays, a dissertation defense, possible trip up north, travel for work, and a David Crowder Band concert! All these things get built into our menu so we can plan accordingly.

Of course, things change. No plan is perfect, and I'm okay with that. Last week, I intended to make a few recipes that got pushed out of the way by good deals on produce! We swapped out one soup for another, and still had leftovers, so we skipped the meatloaf. I also had planned to start a new series here on how I menu plan.... but that didn't happen last week either. After looking at my schedule, I'm planning to move this series to November -- so, if you have questions about menu planning, please ask away; I'll add the answers into those posts.

Last week, we enjoyed:

Apple Pockets

Chicken Cheddar and Potato Skillet

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Sweet Potato Waffles

Porcupines

Sauteed Mushrooms

Fat-Free Crockpot Apple Cake

We're greatly enjoying the abundance of apples presently... in fact, there are still some apple recipes on our menu this week :)

Breakfasts
Apple muffins (new)
Granola
Honey Whole Wheat Bagels (new)
Dried Fruit
Spinach, Red Pepper Quiche (new)
Kris Kringle Pancakes

Lunches
Potato Soup, carrots
Turkey sandwiches, applesauce, carrots
Leftovers, fruit

Dinners
Su - Vegetable Lasagna, cheese-stuffed bread sticks (new)
M - Leftovers
T - Mushroom and Mozzarella Chicken Skillet, broccoli
W - Leftovers, mixed vegetables
Th - Leftovers (when we make lasagna, it lasts a while!)
F - French Bread Pizzas (new), roasted zucchini (new), pears
Sa - Chicken and Dumpling Soup (new), whole wheat bread

Sweet Treats
TBD. We'll see what we feel like.

Check out Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more!

Crockpot Apple Cake

I'm just beginning to explore the wonderful world of baked goods make in the crockpot! Sure, I've tried my hand at a few cobblers and had some success, but I've never tried making a cake!! This cake was awesome -- moist, fully cooked, and full of the flavors I love so much about fall. We started the dessert, ran out to get the new David Crowder Church Music CD, went for a quick walk, and came back to enjoy a tasty treat!



Crockpot Apple Cake - Modified from Fix-It and Forget-It

1 C flour (1/2 C wheat, 1/2 C white)
3/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large apples, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.



Peel and slice your apples (I diced mine fairly small), and then coat with the flour mixture.



Mix the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl.



Pour the egg mixture over the floured apples. Pour/spoon into a greased crockpot.



Yes, the batter is thick.

Cover, and cook on high for ~2 hours.





Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.



Slice and serve warm. Leftovers were great for breakfast too ;) And, since it's fat-free, I didn't feel too bad about eating cake for breakfast!



Here's Frog Prince enjoying it as we listed to David Crowder's new CD - Church Music.



I think that if David Crowder would have been joining us, he would have liked it too.



This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Save Room for Dessert, Crockpot Wednesdays and URS: Baked Goods.

Sauteed Mushrooms

For as much as we love mushrooms, we rarely just eat them as a side dish with dinner.  But when we do, it's such a treat.  We love a simple mushroom saute.  Sometimes it's just with butter.  Other times, it's with Teriyaki sauce.  Either way, these are a delicious addition to any meal. 

Sauteed Mushrooms

1 T butter
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large stir-fry pan over medium heat.



Add sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to get crispy from the butter.





Serve atop chicken, steak, potatoes, or just by themselves. Yum.



*If you want to add Teriyaki, do so after mushrooms have cooked partially.