Apple Pie Punch

Apple Pie Punch
Total time 5 mins

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 apple chopped or sliced
1 quart apple cider
2 cups pear nectar
24 oz ginger ale


INSTRUCTIONS:

1- Combine all of the above, stir and then add apple slices
2- Pour over ice and serve.

AMAZING SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET-SPICY NUTS, APPLES, FETA AND BACON

yield: 6 servings

PREP TIME: 20 MINS

COOK TIME: 8-10 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD:

• 16 ounces baby spinach
• ½ small red onion, slivered (see note about tempering the onion flavor)
• 6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup Feta cheese crumbles, more or less to taste
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, more or less to taste
• 1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin

SWEET SPICY NUTS:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of cayenne (more to taste if you want)
• Pinch of salt

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar until well combined or run them through a quick blender cycle. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance.
2. For the nuts, lightly toast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, checking often so they don’t burn. While they toast, place the sugar, cayenne and salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sugar mixture until it liquifies completely, adjusting the heat so it doesn’t bubble and burn. Toss in the toasted nuts and stir to coat the nuts with sugar. Let the sugared nuts cool completely.
3. To assemble the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together along with the cooled nuts. Serve immediately with the vinaigrette alongside. All the components can be measured out/prepped ahead of time and stored separately (I like to soak the apples in a bit of lemon juice in water to help prevent browning). Just toss right before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Kim, who gave me this recipe, alerted me to the most magnificent tip. I love onions but hate the after effects of eating them raw in a salad. To temper the onions a bit, soak the onion slices covered in cold water with a bit of baking soda (I use about 1/2 teaspoon soda). Let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse and drain well. Also, in my pictures, disregard the overly yellow color of my vinaigrette. I went a little crazy with the mustard when I made it this time. Yours probably won’t be quite this yellow. Finally, this recipe makes an excellent main dish if served alongside grilled chicken and keep in mind that all the quantities can easily be adapted according to taste. Yum!

BROOKIES {BROWNIE + CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES}

yield: 4 dozen cookies

PREP TIME: 25 MINS

 

COOK TIME: 8-10 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

BROWNIE COOKIE BATTER:

• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar (5 ounces)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (5 ounces)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour (7.25 ounces)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1.5 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BATTER:

• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (5 ounces)
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar (5 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 10.75 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (mini size preferred)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. For the brownie cookie batter, in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until light in color.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate while making the chocolate chip cookie batter.
4. For the chocolate chip cookie batter, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
5. Blend in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, mixing for 2-3 minutes until the batter is very light in color. In a separate small bowl (you can use the same one as the brownie batter dry ingredients), whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter with the chocolate chips and mix until no dry streaks remain and the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.
6. Portion both sets of dough into about 4 dozen equal pieces; they will be small teaspoon or so sized balls (if you want to be super precise, I weigh about .5 ounce balls for the brownie batter and .65 ounce balls for the chocolate chip cookie batter).
7. Grabbing one chocolate chip cookie ball and one brownie batter ball, press them together and use your hands to gently form into a cookie shape, flattening and turning to smooth the edges and form a flattish but still thick cookie shape; they’ll spread out while baking. See the simple picture tutorial below the recipe, if needed.
8. Bake the cookies on the prepared baking sheets for 8-10 minutes. Don’t overbake or they will be dry and crunchy – underbake just slightly for a soft, chewy texture. It’s ok if the chocolate side crackles just a bit. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before scooping onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTES:

As mentioned in the post above, I have completely revamped this recipe to make it foolproof thanks to many of you leaving feedback that the cookies weren’t turning out right. I have also added weight measurements for those that like to be ultra-precise (let’s start a support group together, shall we?). The cookies are still soft, chewy and completely delicious and dare I say even better than the first iteration of the recipe. Thanks for your patience and for all your comments to help me troubleshoot the recipe.

A note about measuring the dry ingredients – if you aren’t using a scale to weigh the ingredients, measure with a light hand. I fluff the flour before scooping and leveling the cup but you may want to spoon in the flour/cocoa powder and leveling off that way. It doesn’t take much flour to get five ounces in a cup which is what I use as my general standard and what I go by when developing a recipe.

And last thing, if you generally end up with flat cookies (more flat than you want), it may be due to how you measure the flour (see the note above), overly soft butter (make sure it is just at room temperature) and/or high altitude (consider adding a tablespoon or two extra flour to the cookie doughs as that sometimes help high altitude cookie making). These cookies aren’t overly thick but they shouldn’t be super flat either – nice, soft and chewy, that’s what you are after.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

yield: 2-3 dozen cookies

PREP TIME: 15 MINS

COOK TIME: 10-12 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
4. Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets. Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.
5. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don’t overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).

NOTES:

I’ve had great success baking these cookies at 325 degrees for 13-ish minutes or 350 degrees for about 11 minutes (each oven will vary in time). Basically, do what you have the time and patience for. I usually stick with 350 because it is easier to remember and two minutes faster. Time is money, right??

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

yield: SERVES 6

prep time: 30 MINUTES 

cook time: 2 HOURS

total time: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SOUP:

• 4 pounds bone-in-skin-on chicken parts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 thyme sprigs, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 rosemary sprig, or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Soup-Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, brown the chicken until golden, about 4 minutes per side. If the pot is looking a little dark on the bottom, splash some water and scrape up any browned bits between batches, and keep those juices with the chicken.
2. Return all the chicken to the pot and add 8 cups water, the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
3. Strain the broth through a colander set over a large bowl (there should be about 8 cups liquid; skim off some of the fat if you want). Discard the bay leaf and herb sprigs. Using two forks or a pair of tongs, pick the chicken meat off the bones (discard the bones and skin and set aside).
4. In the same Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until the carrots begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until all the flour has been absorbed and darkens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the strained broth, the chicken meat, and the potato, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the broth thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. While the broth simmers, make the dumpling dough-In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork until just incorporated (the batter will be thick; don’t overmix, which could toughen the proceedings). Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter and use a second spoon to push it off into the simmering soup. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover and cook until the dumplings are fluffy and tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Divide the soup and dumplings among bowls. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Recipe from Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

APPLE CINNAMON BAKED OATMEAL

This easy baked oatmeal is a fall breakfast favorite!

yield: SERVES 4-6

 

cook time: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• Brown Sugar
• Raisins
• Dried Cranberries
• Chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in diced apples. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and serve warm. Add additional toppings to baked oatmeal, if desired.

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE 

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

A quick and easy weeknight meal that’s so much cheaper, tastier and healthier than take-out!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 cups diced pineapple, canned or fresh
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger powder and white pepper; set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in carrots, corn and peas, and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, pineapple, ham, green onions and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

SHEPHERD’S PIE BAKED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 medium russet or sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large carrots chopped small (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out six pieces of aluminum foil (large enough to wrap around the potatoes). Grab a cold stick of butter from the fridge, open one end, and rub butter all over the center of the foil, leaving about a 2-inch border on all sides of the foil. Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over the butter (garlic powder would be yummy, too).
2. Place a potato in the center of the butter section and roll up the foil, covering the potato completely. Pierce the potato (through the foil) about 5-6 times with the tines of a fork. Place all the potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for an hour (more or less, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife).
3. WHILE THE POTATOES BAKE, MAKE THE TOPPING. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain any excess grease from the mixture.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and thyme. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes until the mixture is thickened and the carrots are tender. If you’d like the mixture more saucy/less thick, add additional broth, as needed and simmer to warm through.
5. Stir in the corn and peas and simmer until heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
6. To serve, gently unwrap the hot baked potatoes. Slice down the middle of each one to open it up (squeezing the ends in toward each other can help create somewhat of a “bowl” shape in the potato or you can dice the potato into large chunks, too). Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the potato, top with the Shepherd’s Pie filling and then more cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

I have to say, this flavorful meat mixture over a tender sweet potato (topped with a healthy amount of sharp cheddar cheese) is a heavenly, heavenly combo. If you are on the fence about what kind of potatoes to use, trust me on this one, and go for the sweet potatoes. 

Like I mention in my post, I’ve made the Shepherd’s Pie filling and transferred it to a slow cooker to keep warm for several hours for a helpful make-ahead option. You may need to add a bit of extra broth, so just keep an eye on that if it starts looking a little dry.  

English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas

These quick and easy breakfast pizzas are great for breakfast…or anytime of the day!

yield: SERVES 2-4

 

prep time: 5 MINUTES

 

cook time: 10 MINUTES

total time: 15 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large eggs
• 2 English Muffins
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 strips cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork until well mixed. Coat a small skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into hot skillet; cook and stir until eggs are set, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Toast the English muffins in a toaster. Evenly divide scrambled eggs onto English muffin halves. Top with shredded cheese and bacon.
3. Preheat the broiler. Place the English muffins on a baking sheet and place under hot broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven.
4. Place breakfast pizzas on a plate and garnish with the green onion. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

7 UP JELLO SALAD

Yield: 10 Servings

Nutrition Facts: 235 Calories, 10 Grams Fat

Author: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

PREP TIME: 20 MINSCOOK TIME: 20 MINSTOTAL TIME: 40 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 ounces Lemon Jello
• 2 cups Boiling Water
• 2 cups 7up or Sprite
• 20 ounce Can Crushed Pineapple, Drained Juice Reserved
• 3 whole Banana's, Sliced
• 1 cup Mini Marshmallows

Pineapple Pudding Mousse

• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 whole Egg, Beaten
• 1 cup Pineapple Juice
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Gelatin
• 2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Garnish

• Chopped Nuts and Maraschino Cherries (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine lemon Jello and boiling water. Stir until jello is dissolved. Add 7 up and stir until combined. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in drained crushed pineapple, sliced banana's and mini marshmallows.
2. Pour Jello mixture into a 9"x13" pan or divide evenly into 10 individual parfait glasses. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Pineapple Pudding Mousse

1. Combine flour and sugar in a medium sized pan and stir in egg. Slowly pour in pineapple juice while stirring until smooth. Add butter and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes or until thickened.
2. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until dissolved.
3. Allow to cool 15 minutes or until room temperature.
4. Beat whipping cream and vanilla in a cold mixing bowl at medium speed for about 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold whip cream into pineapple pudding mixture until well combined.
6. Pour Pineapple Pudding Mousse mixture over the top of lemon jello. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
7. Garnish with chopped nuts and cherries if using and serve.

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

Yield:  8 to 10 servings

This gorgeous Holiday Honeycrisp Salad is full of flavor and texture, with fresh apple slices, crunchy toasted pecans, chewy dried cranberries, zippy blue cheese, and a tangy-sweet apple cider vinaigrette!

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil (such as sunflower or safflower) OR extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice or apple cider
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 medium Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 12 ounces salad greens (spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, baby romaine, or a combo of your favorites)
• 1 cup pecan halves, toasted or candied
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

1. To prepare Apple Cider Vinaigrette, measure oil, apple cider vinegar, apple juice/cider, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Tightly screw on lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor.
2. Place apple slices in a large plastic baggie and squeeze the fresh lemon juice (from the lemon half) over them. Close bag and shake to coat. In a large salad bowl, layer salad greens, apple slices, pecans, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Just before serving, dress with desired amount of Apple Cider Vinaigrette and toss until salad ingredients are evenly coated.