Apples
Apple Pecan Pancakes
Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- Vegetable oil
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, butter or oil and buttermilk. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and then add in the cider. Stir until just incorporated and a few lumps remain.
Stir in the apples and pecans. Let the mixture rest while the griddle heats.Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush with vegetable oil.
Pour the batter onto the griddle by 1/4 cupfuls. Cook pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear on the surface, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn carefully and cook until the bottom side is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer.
Brush the pan with oil as needed.
Note: If you want to keep the first batches of pancakes warm while you cook the others, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and place cooked pancakes on an ovenproof platter while working with subsequent batches.
Cauliflower
Pasta with Oven Roasted Cauliflower Sauce
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- One head of cauliflower, cored and cut into tiny florets
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 10 large fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz thin slices prosciutto di parma (about 8-9 slices) chopped
- 1 lb dried cavatappi pasta
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Pour the olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and mix well.Add the cauliflower florets, grape tomato halves and the chopped prosciutto.
Mix well with a large spatula and spread out in a single layer. Roast, stirring once, for 20 minutes. Add the chopped sage and continue to roast for 10 minutes more.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Boil the pasta until al dente, 9 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the roasted cauliflower mixture and enough pasta water to moisten. Heat the mixture and then add the cheese.
Pour onto a pasta serving platter and garnish with additional sage leaves for serving.
Cabbage
Apple and Horseradish-Glazed Salmon with Braised Cabbage
Add some baked sweet potatoes to the complete this dinner.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup apple jelly
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick), skinned
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine apple jelly, chives, horseradish, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add salmon skin side up, and cook 3 minutes.
Turn salmon over; brush with half of the apple mixture. Bake for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Brush with remaining apple mixture and serve.
Braised Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ head green cabbage, cut into ½ inch thick slices
- 2 leeks
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Garnish with grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a skillet, over medium, heat the butter and when melted, add the leeks and cabbage.
Stir and let the leeks and cabbage wilt and soften. Add the salt and lemon juice; then stir in the cream. Reduce heat to low and let the cabbage braise for about five minutes.
Remove from the heat and pour into a serving dish. Grate some cheese over the cabbage before serving.
Tomatoes
Homemade Pizza with Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- Olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 8 large vine ripe tomato slices, 1/4-inch thick, each cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil
Directions
Place the tomato slices on paper towels for about 30 minutes to reduce their moisture.
Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position; preheat to 450°F.
Coat a pizza pan with olive oil and press the dough with your fingers to the edges of the pan
Brush the dough with olive oil and spread the ricotta over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place the tomato slices evenly on top of the ricotta and sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake the pizza on the lower shelf of the oven until the tomatoes have softened and the cheese begins to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle with basil leaves and mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with oil and return the pizza to the oven for 5 minutes more. Let set 5 minutes before slicing.
French Beans
Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds
French beans are smaller and younger than common green beans and have a softer pod.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2/3 cup blanched almond slivers, toasted
- 1 lemon, quartered
Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add shallots to the green beans in the serving bowl, along with the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the toasted almonds and toss gently.
Garnish with lemon quarters and serve.
Snacks for game watching or parties are fun to have on hand. They do not have to be unhealthy to taste really good. My kind of snacks have always been a big hit with family and guests – so give them a try. I have never heard that they didn’t go over well. In fact, I get many requests for the recipes. The sports season begins this week, so get ready.
Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds can be seasoned, roasted in the oven and eaten as a healthy snack. They’re a very good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and antioxidants; and they’re also a good source of protein, zinc, copper and iron. Besides – they taste good.
Make a double batch – they go fast.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw, dry pumpkin seeds (be sure they are not salted)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss the seeds with the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and honey in a mixing bowl.
Spread the seeds on a baking pan.
Roast the coated seeds until golden, about 15 – 20 minutes. Scrape the pan and stir the seeds as they cool to prevent sticking. After about 10 minutes cooling on the pan, the seeds will stick together.
They are easy to separate and will finish cooling without sticking after they are separated.
Remove to a serving bowl or store in an airtight container.
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
Pimentón is the Spanish version of paprika that adds a little smokiness to a recipe. It comes in three types with varying levels of heat. Dulce is slightly sweet with very little heat, agridulce has only a trace of sweetness but a lot of heat and picante is quite hot with just a trace of bitterness.
This is not the typical hummus made with tahini (sesame paste). This hummus uses sun-dried tomatoes and has delicious flavor from the Pimentón. The dip go very well with the homemade pita chips.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained but reserve the bean liquid
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon pimentón agridulce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pita chips (recipe below) and raw vegetables, for serving.
Directions
Drain the chickpeas, reserving the bean liquid separately.
Put the chickpeas and lemon juice into a blender or food processor and process until chunky.
Add salt, pepper, the garlic and pimentón and process; then add the sun-dried tomatoes and sun dried tomato oil. Process until very smooth.
Add some of the reserved bean liquid to thin the sauce to dipping consistency.
Serve with homemade pita chips and cut up vegetables.
Homemade Pita Chips
Za’atar seasoning is a Middle Eastern spice mixture that contains ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, salt and sumac.
Ingredients
- 1 package of pita pocket breads (6 pitas in a package)
- Olive oil
- Za’atar seasoning
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil two large rimmed baking pans.
Separate each pita into two rounds. Brush each with olive oil and sprinkle with the Za’atar seasoning mix. Cut each pita circle into 6 triangles.
Arrange the triangles on the baking sheets and bake until crispy and brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate the pans after ten minutes, Cool and store in a large ziplock bag until needed.
Small Wraps
Small hand foods are popular and easy to eat while you are watching a game. These can be filled with anything you like and cut as small as you like. Here are some suggestions.
Ingredients
- Whole-grain tortillas, lavash bread or lettuce leaves
- Drizzle of oil and vinegar
Protein Filling Ingredients
- Thinly sliced roast turkey, chicken, ham or roast beef
- Tuna
- Hummus
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Nut Butters
- Edamame
Vegetable Filling Ingredients
- Greens: lettuce, baby spinach, kale, Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Zucchini Slices
- Onion
- Celery
- Pickled Cucumbers, Peppers or other Pickled Vegetables
Spreads
- Light Mayonnaise
- Greek Yogurt
- Mustard
- Hummus
- Mashed Avocado
- Relish
Directions
Choose a type of wrap or use a variety. Choose a spread and cover the wrap on one side.
Layer the wrap with a protein and veggies of choice. Drizzle with a little oil and vinegar. Roll-up tightly and place on a serving dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until game time.
Pepper and Corn Salsa
The fresh flavors of this seasonal salsa is what makes it taste so good. Homemade chips make it taste even better.
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers, seeded and diced (use a variety of colors)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels, cooked
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- Juice of half a lime
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper Flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Homemade tortilla chips
Directions
Place the diced vegetables and corn to a medium serving bowl.
Add the lime juice, salt, pepper and cayenne to the bowl. Mix well. Let the flavors combine for at least twenty minutes before serving.
Serve either at room temperature or slightly chilled with tortilla chips.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- One package (8-10) large (12 inch) flour tortillas
- Taco seasoning mix, recipe below
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil two rimmed baking sheets.
Brush the tortillas with olive oil and sprinkle each with taco seasoning. Cut the tortillas into 8 triangles and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking sheets once, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Taco Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
In a small bowl, mix all together. Store in an airtight container.
