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Savory Baked Apples

I remember when I first saw the recipe for these Savory Baked Apples, my jaw dropped and my mouth watered so there may or may not have been some drooling involved. And since every time I come across it I remind myself how much I want to make them, I’m shocked that it’s taken me so long to actually get around to doing it. Let’s be honest, the thought of scooping out apple pulp to make hollowed out apples sounds awful but it really wasn’t that bad. I’d scooped out tomatoes for a similar dish once and it was much, much worse than this (my kitchen counter looked like I’d slaughtered something). The key is patience, which I don’t have. But the reality is, even if you mess it up and it looks awful, it’ll still taste the same so who cares? This is one quintessential autumn dish that is worth it.

Apples are baked in the oven until soft and filled with a cooked mixture of sweet sausage, brown rice, carrots, onion, walnuts, apple cider, dried cranberries, and scallions. Shredded Swiss cheese is added to the top and broiled adding the perfect cheesy bite as a finale. Cinnamon, sage and cayenne pepper, combined with the sweet smell of the baked apples, give this dish an overall aroma of Fall that makes your whole house smell like a big warm hug. The end result is a comforting dish that’s both savory and a little bit sweet. Want something a little bit different for Thanksgiving? Look here.

The ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine cranberries and cider in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add mixture to rice.

Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out centers of apples, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell, and chop apple flesh. Brush the inside of apples with 1 tablespoon butter. Place apples on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until just tender.

Preheat broiler to high. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan; drain.

Wipe skillet, and melt remaining butter in pan. Add chopped apple, yellow onion, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add sausage, onion mixture, walnuts, and next 3 ingredients (through sage) to rice; toss.

Divide rice mixture evenly among apples; top with cheese. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Sweet turkey sausage

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Buffalo Popcorn

Sometimes you are just sitting there watching tv and you realize you just want something. Not that you are hungry but you are also not content. You just want a snack. It’s so easy to grab a bag of popcorn and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes which is a great healthy snack. But why not jazz it up a little bit like this Buffalo Popcorn? (I mean, don’t we seem to be adding buffalo sauce to just about everything these days?)

Butter, hot sauce and honey are melted together and poured slowly over warm, fresh popped popcorn (either bagged microwave popcorn or corn kernels will work) before being tossed slightly until slightly sticky, slighty sweet and slightly spicy. I used Frank’s Buffalo Sauce in place of regular hot sauce just because I had it on hand so use whatever your favorite hot sauce is that you have around. The buffalo-butter sauce softens up this popcorn a bit, making it gooey and the honey gives it that sweetness you get from kettle corn. Once you get this sauce on your fingers, there’s no point in licking it off; just dig right in for another handful. This popcorn won’t make it through a whole movie so you might want to make a couple batches.

The ingredients:

In small pan, melt butter; whisk in hot sauce, honey and 12 tsp. salt.Place popcorn in large bowl. Drizzle with butter mixture; toss and season.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Frank’s Buffalo Sauce

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine

Spinach, Green Onion and Smoked Gouda Quiche

I like cheese but for the most part, I could take it or leave it. This comment generally surprises anyone I tell this to who usually comes right back and says “I love cheese!” like I have something wrong with me. Aside from Cheese Wiz with my soft pretzels or a slice of creamy American on my turkey burger, I didn’t really have a hankering for cheese. Until smoked Gouda came along. I can’t remember the first time I was introduced to this wonderful cheese but I do remember my friend Lori and I shielding the cheese table at a charity benefit a few years ago so that no one could get to the smoked Gouda without going through us first. So it’s no wonder that this Spinach, Green Onion and Smoked Gouda Quiche recipe had me at hello. I love me some spinach but without the smoked Gouda in this title, I might have otherwise passed it by.

Fresh baby spinach and scallions are sautéed until wilted and added to a mixture of low-fat mix, eggs, and shredded smoked Gouda. Poured into a homemade, simple crust and baked until golden brown, this quiche is not the pretentious quiche you might have grown up hating. This quiche is fresh and smoky, light and filling. The crust itself requires some patience and the final product is pretty boring so next time I might just use a store-bought crust. Either way, the smoky cheese and creamy texture of this quiche is the real winner and I’ve realized boring quiches needn’t be so boring after all.

The ingredients:

To prepare crust, place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Combine milk, salt, and egg yolk in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour; beat just until combined. Press mixture into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill for 1 hour.

Unwrap and place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.