Bake This, Not That: Upside-down Apple Dessert Face Off

Inspired by the "Eat this, not that" guy (David Zinczenko) who always pops by on the Today Show, I thought I could pass along the same advice with two holiday desserts I recently made.

The first, I decided to make at home visiting my parents just for fun (and because I wanted to feature a fallish dessert on the blog), the Upside Down Apple Tart from Southern living. The second, the "Apple Upside-Down Pie", also from Southern Living, I made for Thanksgiving in Texas.

They sound incredibly similar, don't they? Both upside down, delicious apple treats... Don't be fooled! because both the work required and the end result were shockingly different!

The loser of the two (the unfortunate "Not That") was the "Upside-Down Apple Tart"- a rare miss from Southern Living in my opinion.

I chose the recipe because the ingredients were so minimal (I hate buying 20 bizarre ingredients I'll never use again!)

1 cup cold butter, cut up
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup ice-cold water
1 (3-lb.) package small Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup butter, cut up

 

I really only needed to buy Granny Smith apples. That, sadly was the end of the easy part. The recipe first requires you to make your own dough, wrap into a disk and chill for 2 to 24 hours. I didn't mind making the dough (it's fairly simple) - but the chill time required meant I couldn't make the dessert right away. Choices were to make it a day in advance or in my case, make it into the wee hours of the night after the dough had chilled!

I went ahead to the next step after about an hours chill time, which was to put all other ingredients into a cast iron skillet and simmer for over an hour. Right there, I realized this was not my kind of recipe. Putting something into the oven for an hour is one thing. But stirring on the stove top every 15 minutes for over an hour? Sounds like something I will likely burn!

After the apples cook down on stove top (I'm not getting too detailed into each step of the recipe simply because I don't recommend it), then roll out the dough made previously, place it on top of your cast iron skillet, tuck in the sides, and bake for 25 minutes in the oven.

After it comes out, you let it cool, cut around the sides, and invert onto your serving dish.

Overall the recipe wasn't terribly difficult, but definitely a time commitment. My biggest problem was that there was nothing special about the recipe to make it worth the work. It wasnt particularly pretty (it should have been a giveaway that even the magazine picture wasnt very pretty), didn't have cinnamon (which I say is a must for baked apple dishes!), and lost a lot of texture (see: applesauce mush) in the lengthy cooking process. It was ok (with vanilla ice cream), but not worth the effort. That night, I kept saying to my mom, if you're going to do this much work, why not make a beautiful apple pie?

On to #2, the winner of the two (and my recommendation for "Bake this") is the "Apple Upside Down Pie". I was determined to redeem myself after the apple tart bust above, and wanted to bring something unique for Thanksgiving (I knew pecan pie & pumpkin pie would be covered!)

Though its name sounds similar, the "Apple Upside-Down Pie"didnt have much else in common with the apple tart recipe above.

The ingredients are very similar, except this one calls for brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans instead of plain white sugar (all except pecans are ingredients one would typically have on hand, though).

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 (15-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts, divided
4 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 3/4 lb.)
2 large Jonagold apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

The second major difference was that it called for refridgerated pie crusts (which I'd never used before). They were inexpensive and sooo easy to use. Even though it is sometimes fun to try your own pie crusts, you can't beat the convenience (especially since I was trying not to destroy my mother in law's kitchen as she cooked for thanksgiving day! ;) )

First, mix the pecans, melted butter and brown sugar into the bottom of a pie plate (I probably could have eaten just those 3 items as dessert and been perfectly happy!) Then, fit one pie crust over the pecan mixture, letting the excess hang over the sides.

(not sure why this picture won't flip, it's right side up in my pictures!)

Then, take the pealed and chopped Granny smith apples (apples are cut into roughly 1 inch chunks per above), pealed and chopped Jonagold apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir together.

Spoon mixture into crust (which you earlier placed over pecan mixture), packing tightly and mounding in center. **On this step, do not pack so firmly that you break through the bottom pie crust; gently pack down apples). 

Place remaining piecrust (a box comes with two crusts) over filling.

Press both crusts together, fold edges under and crimp- we took our own artistic liberty with this step. Yes, those are Sie's hands - what can i say the guy's a pro! :)

Place pie on foil lined jelly roll pan (sorry to my mother in law, whose house we were at, I just realized this said foil lined! I did have some bubbling over onto the pan but it didnt make a difference in taste or appearance!) Cut 4 to 5 slits for steam to escape.

Bake at 375° on lower oven rack for approximately 1 hour or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a pick through crust slits (I did not attempt that, and just pulled out when golden brown). The recipe said to shield pie with aluminum foil after 50 minutes, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning, but I didnt experience that. 

Fresh outta the oven



Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Place a serving plate over top of pie; invert pie onto serving plate.

Remove pie plate slowly so all the pecans can pull off with the pie, patch up any places where pecans stayed in the pie plate.

Let cool completely (about 1 hour).

VOILA!

This was a big hit at Thanksgiving (I did think it was best warmed up in the microwave) and would be outstanding with ice cream (what wouldnt?) It was easy - essentially mix ingredients & throw in oven to bake - but looked very beautiful and tasted great.

Hope you enjoy!

Chili-Lime Pecans

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 cups of pecans

This is an easy recipe that would be perfect for taking as a snack for Thanksgiving or to bring as a hostess gift.

Stir the lime juice, olive oil, paprika, salt, chili powder and red pepper together.



Add pecans and toss.


Spread in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.



Bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes until pecans are roasted and dry.

And that's all there is to it! Put the pecans in a pretty tin and you have a scrumptious treat to eat or share.

Have fun,

Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge

Ingredients
1/2 pound sliced easy-melt (Velveeta) cheese
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chopped nuts
2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar

Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge Recipe

I couldn't believe it when I saw the ingredients for this recipe...cheese in fudge? This I have to try! Well, let me just tell you, it's wonderful. And you know how candy can be hard to make? Surely I'm not the only one who has had those candy disasters where the candy never sets up. This recipe isn't like that at all, it's easy.

Start by spraying the bottom of a 9 by 2 inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a saucepan over medium heat melt the cheese and butter. Get the cheese started first and add the butter when the cheese is starting to melt because it takes longer.





Next, add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.



Remove from heat and add the vanilla and nuts.

Empty the two boxes (yes, two...this is a Paula Deen recipe, you know!) of confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and pour the cheese mixture on top. You can stir for a while but the only way to get it totally mixed is to use your hands.



I found the best way to get it totally incorporated was to knead it like bread.



Next, remove the candy from the bowl with your hands and press it evenly into the square pan.



Because of the amount of butter used (what can I say...It's Paula Deen) pat the top of the candy with a paper towel to blot up any excess oil. Place pan in the fridge until candy is firm. This step didn't take long at all.

Cut into squares and serve.



Have fun and enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday!

Herbed Spahetti Squash

I love fall and the explosion of beautiful color everwhere...even in the grocery stores. With all the unusual pumpkin and squashes on display, I had to try and cook one. Tonight, I gave a spaghetti squash a try, thanks to an unusually easy Emeril Lagasse recipe.




http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/herbed-spaghetti-squash-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 tablesppons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as basil, chives,
chervil, parsley or sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

I started by halving the squash and placing it cut side down in a baking dish and added water to the pan to come up to 1/2 inch.














Cover with foil (to be honest, I forgot this step and it worked out fine) and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Turn the squash over and bake for 15 more minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool.













While the squash was cooking, I cut up the herbs. Emeril said use any soft herb so I chose to use chives and basil because I grow them in my little herb garden. If you haven't tried growing herbs, give it a try. I'm not much of a gardener but my basil, chives and mint are doing great!

Ok, now back to the squash. Use a spoon to remove all the seeds. And now for the fun part, use a fork and pull the strands of squash away from the peel. Doesn't it look just like spaghetti?














Heat a skillet and melt the butter. Add the squash, herbs, salt and pepper and heat through. You can either serve it now or cover until time to serve.














Wouldn't this be a great dish to take as a side for Thanksgiving?



Have fun!

Baked Basil Chicken

This basil plant was the catalyst for finding this recipe. I was looking for something using basil and I found the perfect recipe. This dish is light, easy & quick.











Ingredients:
1 pound boned, skinned chicken breats
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

I started by cutting the chicken breasts (ok,as you can see by my pic, Dean did that part for me!) in two horizonally instead of pounding them. This was a tip my sister-in-law gave me (thanks, Deb). A half of a breast is usually all I want and if Dean needs more he can eat two. Keep in mind, if you do cut them in half, they'll cook quicker than the recipe says.




After you've cut or pounded your breasts, arrange them in a baking dish. Combine the yogurt (I used non-fat instead of the low-fat and it worked out fine), chopped basil and cornstarch in a bowl, mix and spread on the chicken. Then combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top of the yogurt mixture.




















Cook at 375 for 30 minutes and that's it. The chicken came out very moist and delicious.



















Ok, that's it for the light chicken recipes for a while. The rest of the month I'm going to make things that would be great to take for Thanksgiving. Hey boys, I see a pumpkin roll in your future :)

Enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt - authentic & easy

Not until I met Sie and started appreciating Persian foods did I really appreciate YOGURT. At Persian meals, yogurt's presented like a condiment or side that goes with almost any dish. Whether we're having chicken or stews or kebab, there are always two sides present: salad (or sabzi in Farsi) and yogurt - sometimes plain, sometimes mixed with cucumber and mint/dill and sometimes with shallots.

I never really cared for plain yogurt (always a vanilla girl myself), but over the years have really gained a new appreciation for it. (ok, I'll be honest = I love it) I'm the girl at dinner who loads up my plate with yogurt and seriously mixes it in with everything on my plate, rice, salad (I used it like a dressing with salt & pepper), much to the delight of my father-in-law.

And even though Sie & I both love yogurt, by itself or with meals - we almost never have regular/plain yogurt in OUR home, only at Sie's parents, where they usually make the yogurt fresh themselves and we, in turn, eat it up as fast as we can get our hands on it.

So recently, on Mary's (my mother-in-law) trip to DC - she taught me how to make a batch of yogurt myself!! It turned out perfectly & was seriously delicious. Also the yogurt stays good for a LONG time so Sie & I are still working on this giant batch we made while Mary was here. So far we've eaten it plain as a snack, I've used it for dressings and last night I used it to make a delicious basil-yogurt-mayo (recipe below as well).

The recipe couldn't be more simple & there's something neat about making it homemade (yes I did squeal when we woke up the next day and unveiled a big batch of yogurt - like magic!) ;) ha!

In case you need more convincing to give it a try - yogurt has so many healthy properties, including bacteria for digestive health, calcium, protein and vitamin D among others. here's a great article I found in fitness magazine.

Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients (all 2 of them)

- 1 gallon (or less if you'd like a smaller batch) of Vitamin D/whole milk
           ** you can most definitely use 2% as well to reduce the fat, but we were going for creamy authentic goodness on our first batch!
- 1 small container of plain yogurt (small as in the kind you'd take for a snack to work/sizes vary).
           ** Fat content does not matter- can use non fat/full or anywhere in between, you are just using for the active bacteria)
- also needed: large pot, large bowl & two large towels (bath towel sized)

There is not one difficult aspect of the recipe but it does require some patience! Pour the full gallon of milk into a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. This part takes the longest and requires constant stirring so that the milk does not scald or burn to the bottom of the pan so grab a magazine or something to keep you from getting bored. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat, turn the heat off, and set aside.

For the next step, you need to wait until the milk is still warm, but comfortable to touch (as in stick your finger in without burning yourself). I would guess it takes about 10-15 minutes but this is a good time to work on something else and check every 5 minutes or so.

Once the milk feels warm but not hot to the touch, pour into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, take one spoonful of the milk and mix with the yogurt, just to get the yogurt completely dissolved, then pour back into the larger bowl of milk.

Now wrap your milk/yogurt mix tightly with saran wrap, wrap all around (in a little bundle) with the towels so that it is covered completely on all sides, and set out on your counter overnight (needs a room temperature cave-like area so the towels create that effect).

Leave alone and in the morning like magic you will have a big bowl of delicious & creamy yogurt! Refrigerate just like you would normal yogurt and enjoy. :)

One tip, once you've dug in and refridgerated, I do periodically take a spoon and kind of drain off the excess water (happens with all yogurt) mostly because I prefer the thick/mediterranean style consistency.

I promise to come back and add pics!

Last night- inspired by this amazing cucumber basil yogurt dressing they have at our favorite salad shop, I decided to attempt something similar as a spread for sandwiches.

Basil-yogurt-mayo:

- 1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic
- handful of basil - about 5-6 good sized leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons of mayo
- 1 tablespoon of yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste

With the back of a spoon I smashed the garlic to bring out the flavors and make into a paste. I then added the chopped basil which I also semi-smashed as well, again just to bring out the flavor as much as i could. To that I added the yogurt & mayo, stirred and added salt and pepper to taste. It really turned out delicious! 

I used it on toasted rosemary bread with turkey, provolone, arugula and tomatoes and Sie's exact words were "I'd pay for this sandwich." :) It really did make it feel "gourmet" even though it was a cinch to whip up.

 

Hope you enjoy!

Kicked up Chicken Seasoning

I tried this new seasoning by Adams Reserve (at least it's new to me) and it is fabulous. I used it on pounded chicken breast one night and the next night on orange roughy. It's delicious. Season your meat on both sides and throw it on the grill pan. What could be easier?

Beef with Red Wine Sauce

This weekend, I made one of Dean's favorite recipes (at his request!) This is a big, hearty dish that guys really like plus it has a nice presentation for company. It's an oldie but a goodie. The original recipe cooks in a crockpot for 6 hours but I speed it up on the stovetop.

Ingredients:
2 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fresh mushrooms, halfed
1 (1.61-ounce) package brown gravy mix
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Hot cooked egg noodles
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley





















Put the first 3 ingredients in a large dutch kettle. Whisk together the brown gravy mix, beef broth, red wine and tomato paste.





















Pour over the beef and vegetables and add the bay leaf. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.





















That's it....super easy! Serve over noodels and garnish with parsley.






















Once again, this recipe comes from Southern Living.

Have fun,