Kate in the Kitchen

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.

Maple Tapioca with Pralines

March 21st, 2008 | 3 Comments »

Maple Tapioca Pudding with Pralines
from Eating Well magazine, March/April 2007

1 cup low-fat milk
1 large egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon quick-cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Combine milk, egg, tapioca and salt in a medium saucepan. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, 6 to 18 minutes (depending on your stove). Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup syrup and vanilla.
3. Divide the pudding between 2 ramekins or custard cups. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate until chilled.
4. Meanwhile, line a small plate with parchment or wax paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray. Combine pecans, the remaining 1 tablespoon syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan or skillet. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until most of the syrup has evaporated, 1 to 4 minutes. Spread the nuts out onto the prepared paper and place in the freezer until cool, about 10 minutes.
5. Crumble the chilled pecan topping into pieces. Serve the pudding topped with the maple walnuts.

<!–p><br /–> NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 301 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 113 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 169 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Calcium (20% daily value), Zinc (17% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 reduced-fat milk, 1 fat