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Wordless Wednesday

October 14th, 2009 | 10 Comments »

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Apple, Brie and Sweet Salty Praline Quesadillas
By Kate

One medium sized apple of choice, shredded and squeezed to remove excess moisture (I used Honeycrisp)
Two sliced Brie cheese
Sweet Salty Pralines (method follows)
Two Flour tortillas

In 8″ skillet, heat one tortilla until starting to crisp and brown. Remove to plate and add second tortilla to pan. While second tortilla heats, spread shredded apple over warmed tortilla on plate and top with pieces of Brie. Scatter pralines over the top. Cover with second tortilla and place back in pan. Reduce heat to low and cover, allowing to heat slowly. Carefully flip tortilla once during heating. When cheese is melted, place on plate and cut into wedges. Serve hot.

To make Pralines:

In a medium sized skillet, melt a tablespoon of unsalted butter over medium heat until foamy. Add in a cup of pecans and stir to coat. Cook, stirring regularly for about 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle in two tablespoons of brown sugar and one teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to coat pecans, breaking up any chunks that form. After a minute or two, carefully pour two tablespoons of water into the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, until syrup thickens and pecans are fully coated.  Pour onto a plate and spread to cool, being careful not to touch the caramel.

Wordless Wednesday

October 7th, 2009 | 8 Comments »

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Kate’s Chunky Applesauce
(more a method than a recipe)

Peel, core and slice your apples of choice, filling your pan as full as possible while maintaining enough room to be able to stir.

Place about 2 cups of water in the bottom of the pan along with the juice of half a lemon. Stir to coat the apples as best you can and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until apples have broken down and reduced to about half. Depending on your temperature, this could take several hours. Be patient, it’s so worth the time to do it slowly. When apples have reduced by half, add in a cup of packed brown sugar and about 4 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of nutmeg. Stir to combine and cook over low heat for about another hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Stir in one tablespoon of unsalted butter. Cook for 15 more minutes and taste again.

If the mixture seems too dry as it cooks, add about 1/3 of a cup of water to bring back moisture. The apples themselves will release their liquid and the end result should be nice and thick.

Many thanks to John at Baker Apple Orchard in Centuria WI, for the apples that grace our table, and this recipe. He’s been so kind about sharing the bounty of his property with us, and we are deeply appreciative of his generosity. If you happen to be in the area (it’s great for a Fall leaf viewing trip!) please stop by and say ‘Hello’. Their fresh pressed Apple Cider is the best you will ever have!

Wordless Wednesday

September 9th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

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Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad

From Eating Well magazine…..

Good quality tuna in olive oil
Fresh romaine leaves
Red pepper strips
Garbanzo beans
Kalamata olives
Cucumber slices
Tomato wedges (or cherry tomato halves)
Avocado slices

Wash and dry romaine leaves and tear into bite sized pieces. Dress with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Arrange on plate. Top with remaining ingredients and another drizzle of oil.

Variation: The tuna can be mixed with the ingredients (diced to bite size pieces), and a dressing of choice and served in tomato cups, on a bed of greens, on crostini or with crackers.

Wordless Wednesday

September 2nd, 2009 | 1 Comment »

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Poblano Chile Tostada
from the Eat Wisconsin Cheese website

Corn tortillas are heated to a crisp, then topped with roasted poblano peppers, grilled chicken and zucchini, fresh corn and tomato and then heated to warm everything through. Top with cilantro and queso fresco cheese. This is a great item for the grill as you can make multiple tostadas with ease, and if offering a variety of ingredients, everyone can customize to their liking.

Wordless Wednesday

May 13th, 2009 | 4 Comments »

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Wordless Wednesday

May 6th, 2009 | 6 Comments »

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Come in to my kitchen…

Wordless Wednesday

April 22nd, 2009 | 2 Comments »

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Banana Bran Muffins

Mix in bowl until blended:
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 T. butter, melted
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce

Add in 1 1/2 c. All Bran cereal and 1/2 c. whole oats; stir to combine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mash two ripe bananas on a plate and set aside.

In separate bowl, sift together:
3/4 c. AP flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. EACH baking powder and baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 T. ground flax seed

Gently stir the bananas into the milk/bran mixture. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and fold gently to incorporate. Do not overmix. Scoop into muffin tins lined with paper cups (or sprayed) and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are springy. Cool on wire rack.

KATE’S NOTES:
Regular milk, or soy milk can be subbed for buttermilk. To make buttermilk (or sour milk) mix one teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice per cup of regular milk. Stir to combine and allow to sit until curdled. Plain or vanilla yogurt can also be used- stir about 1 cup of yogurt with half a cup of water.

This recipe is wonderful with frozen or fresh blueberries. Toss one cup of fresh washed berries with a tablespoon of flour to keep them from sinking. For using frozen blueberries, gently fold them in, undrained and unrinsed, after you incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. Lemon zest is particularly nice with a blueberry addition; use about a teaspoon or two, with an additional 2 tablespoons of juice as well. Shredded apples also make a nice fruit substitution. Core and shred about two small tart apples and add to wet ingredients. You can stir in a half cup of extra applesauce with the wet ingredients, or even use apple butter (same proportion)  for more flavor.

Wordless Wednesday

April 8th, 2009 | 8 Comments »

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Recipe after the jump

Come in to my kitchen…