Thursday, November 6, 2014

Adam's Favorite: Caramel Apple Pie


I have been making this pie since we got married and Adam told me it was his favorite. I have made it a few times and each time I tweak it a little bit. This recipe is tweaked from here.

Ingredients:
My mom's pie crust (I will post that at a later date.)

Filling ingredients :

6 cups apples (golden delicious, usually about 4-6 medium)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar + ~1/4 c. more later (to taste, sometimes the corn starch can be over powering)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour + a couple of T. to thicken (I will eliminate the extra T later in favor of cornstarch).

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or about 3/4 t. Penezes Cinnamon (It's really strong)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

6-7 tablespoons heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

3 T. cornstarch mixed with cold milk and pour into hot sauce, quickly

Directions: Make your pie crust. Separate into two portions. Roll out the first part and make the bottom crust and put it in the pie plate. Put the other portion in the fridge while you make the filling.

Filling directions:
Peel and slice apples.Combine dry ingredients (not counting the extra flour or cornstarch) in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. I used my pampered chef bowl with the lid. Add vanilla. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cream. Start cooking on the stove. Preheat your oven now to 450 degrees F. Cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften the apples. A minute or two in add the cornstarch mixed with cold milk and stir until thicker. If not thick enough add a little flour. Taste. If it tastes a little starchy add about 1/4 c. more brown sugar. (Note: It does tend to make the pie a little rich when you add extra, I was surprised that it took it over the top by adding more...) Pour into pie shell.




Now take the second portion of pie crust and roll it out and top the pie. Pinch the edges to make seal the crust however you so desire. Vent the top by cutting small holes in the top. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle with raw sugar (the big crystals.) Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat toReduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes longer.



Enjoy! Great with icecream and or whipped cream :)

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Pulled pork

INGREDIENTS
  • -2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • -4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced or use minced garlic :)
  • -1 cup chicken broth 
  • -1-6 oz cup or portion of apple sauce
  • -1/2 tablespoon lime juice
  • -Dust with garlic and onion 
  • -tiny bit of Cajun seasoning 
  • -Sweet baby rays BBQ sauce Hawaiian flavor...big glops.. 
  • -1 packet of McCormick grill mates slow and low Memphis pit BBQ rub 
  • - 5 lbs pork loin or shoulder, bone in 
Put in crockpot on low for 6 hours or high for 4. Enjoy! 

Friday, October 17, 2014

Roasted Pepper and Sausage Alfredo



Ingredients:
1/2 lb. sausage (ground is what we uses this time but we want to try sliced sausage next time)
1 red pepper chopped into slices and then thirds
1 green pepper chopped into slices and then thirds (example below) 

1 red onion moderately chopped (see below) 
1 jar of four cheese Alfredo 
A couple shakes of paremsan Romano cheese
A little bit of milk
A spagetti squash 
Salt 
Pepper
Olive oil 

Directions: Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, put flesh side up in a baking pan. Generously baste the insides with Olive oil. Then salt-and-pepper generously too. Next time we are also going to sprinkle Parmesan Romano cheese on top too. Stick them in the oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until tender and fork can break the flesh easily. Don't over cook it or it will become mushy. 

Meanwhile, Cut up the peppers and onion if you haven't done so already. Then take the meat, peppers, and onion and cook them together. We didn't do it this time but next time we will add a splash of soy sauce. 
Next add Alfredo sauce, and a splash of milk to thin it out a little. Also add a couple of shakes of Parmesan Romano cheese. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste. 

Take your spagetti squash and using two forks shred it into strands and place it in a bowl. 


Ready to eat! Just serve the sauce over the spagetti. :) 



Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Glazed Pork Chops

I made these tonight. The recipe is from here. I'm only changing with the changes I made. It was super easy and super fast to make. I served it with rice and veggies.
Note: the pepper and cayenne increase the spiciness a lot. Use caution and to taste. I used a little more the second time but we liked it. I also doubled the sauce recipe and used 3 large bone in pork chops. My husband thought it was even better the second time.
 

Ingredients
  • 4 thin or thick cut pork chops 
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 
  • 1/16 to 1/8 tsp cayenne powder (to taste)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder 
  • ½ tsp paprika 
  • ½ tsp salt 
  • 1/16-1/8 tsp black pepper (to taste) 
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees if you have thick cut, thin cut won't need the oven. (skip step 4 in that case). In a bowl combine the brown sugar and spices (salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).
  2. Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides. Use all of the spice mix.
  3. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot (it will look wavy in the pan), add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned.
  4. If you are using an oven safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through. If your skillet is not oven safe (most plastic handled skillets and teflon are not safe in the oven), transfer the chops to a baking sheet lined with foil then place in the oven.
  5. Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Mom's New Year's Cinnamon Rolls

Mom's New Year's Cinnamon Rolls  

My mom made these every New Years Day for breakfast with hot chocolate growing up! Now, I like to make them for General Conference, New Years, and let's face it, anytime the time calls for it ;)! 

They are faster to make then most rolls. Prep time is about an hour. Serves: 12-14 BIG rolls :) 

Ingredients: 
1-3/4 c. warm water
3 T. yeast
6 T. white sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
6 + cups of flour
butter
cinnamon + sugar (1/4 c. cup of sugar + 2 t cinnamon)
brown sugar
raisins (optional)

Instructions: First, preheat the oven at 350. Then mix the first four ingredients togethr and let them stand for 15 mins. (I usually place the bowl on the warming oven.) After the fifteen minutes are up, add the rest of the ingredients into the mix. Mix well. Should still be fairly sticky but not so much you can't roll it out. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick and about 18x10 in diameter. Next, spread the dough generously with real butter. Next sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar, brown sugar, and raisins if using. Roll up and cut into 1-1/2 inch wide rolls. (They cut the easiest with floss.) Let them rise on a greased tray for 18-20 mins. Bake them at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Ice them while they are still very warm.

Note: Gooeyness depends on how much sugar, cinnamon, and butter you add. I didn't add enough today and they came out drier. This is very thick dough so you want more than you think.

Icing Recipe: 
3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter
5 t. milk
1-1/2 t. vanilla

Mix above together. Spread on top of hot rolls. Mmmm... You can also play around and add cream cheese to the mix too if you'd like...

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Our Sweet and Sour Sauce and Fried Tempura Battered Meat (Barbecued Pork)

So last night I made one of our favorites...sweet and sour {Chinese style cured barbecue pork} (you can use any cooked meat or veggie)  fried in tempura batter. Here's the recipe! :) Sorry I didn't take a picture...I was too hungry to think about it.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
Lucky Sweet and Sour Sauce. Photo by * Pamela *

(image source and recipe altered from here) 
(Serves about four-- we usually use about half and freeze the rest for another day)
Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice (use the juice from your can of pineapple, measure though because there is more than 3/4 c.) 
  • 2 T-3 T. sweet chili sauce
  • 3/4 of a can of pineapple chunks
  • 3/4 of a green pepper, chopped
Directions.
  • Mix pineapple juice and cornstarch in a bowl. Spray a medium saucepan with oil and add ketchup, white sugar, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and your pineapple/cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring until sauce thickens. Add chopped green pepper and pineapple chunks and let simmer so that the ingredients warm through and share flavors. Stir frequently. :) 
Tempura Batter: 
1 cup of flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cups of seltzer water/ginger ale/ sprite

Mix all together. The batter will be like a think pancake or funnel cake batter... You don't want it too thin or it won't stick, but if it's too thick add more soda. 


To make your fried pork: 

Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. You will know when it is ready when it bubbles a little and if you put in some batter it will sink but quickly rise. Dip your fried pork or any other cooked meat or veggie in batter. (Cut the pork or other meat into bite sized pieces ahead of time). Let cook in oil until it floats to the top and browns. Place on a paper towel. Keep going till you have enough. This recipe makes enough for probably a full package of the sliced pork. We usually can only eat half the package which weighs about 3/4 lb. 

Serve the tempura fried meat over white rice with the sweet and sour sauce over top! So good! 

PS. The closest picture I could find to what the meat we used looks like is this: Honey-Stewed BBQ Pork

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Meatballs

I've been craving meatballs lately and we finally got around to making some! They were delicious! 

Ingredients:
1 cup onion chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 T. Butter
1 T. Teriyaki soy sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. Minced garlic 
1/4 t. Celery seed
1 T brown sugar
1 t. Better than boulloin chicken flavor
40 frozen meatballs (or enough to cover large sauce pan)
1-24 oz jar of pasta sauce (we used Classico four cheese) 

Directions: 
Sauté the peppers, garlic, and onion in the butter, soy sauce, and seasonings until they are soft. Add the tomatoes as cook until the onions are red/pink. Add the Parmesan cheese. Then add the sauce and meatballs. Add a little water if it's too thick or if you want to make sure it cooks down and incorporates the flavors a bit more. Bon appetit! 

Serve on hoagie rolls or over spaghetti.  Sorry for the lame photo. We were hungry!