Winter to Spring Spinach Salad

I wish I could put off spring just a little longer. If winter were one of my students, I'd make him repeat a grade, just to enjoy him a little longer. Maybe I should move to Alaska. It's a secret escapist fantasy of mine, anyway. You might think that I don't love spring, but you'd be wrong. I love the chirping birds, the bright blue skies, the colorful flowers, the urge to be outdoors tossing a frisbee. But I love winter, too. I love the coziness, the sparkly frost and snow, the shadowy silhouettes during the dinner hour, the pots simmering and the oven baking, and the solitude of shrinking in and away. If I were Mother Nature, you would be assured 6 months of ice and snow. I'd be about as popular as Obama.

But I'm not in charge. So here comes spring in just a couple of weeks, officially. In the meantime, I find myself craving leafy greens and tender berries, in spite of myself. I'm still hanging on to my zesty citrus and hearty apples, so I created this salad to represent the best of both winter and spring. I admit to eating it daily for lunch. The dressing is sweet with caramel undertones from the brown sugar, yet zesty from the apple cider vinegar and a hint of mustard. The dressing is also deceptively low in fat, but you'll never notice that. But it's spring and that means its almost almost almost swimsuit season. Groan. Just another reason to love winter.

Winter to Spring Salad

Estimated Cost: $5.00

Money Saving Tips: It's almost time to plant spinach! Plant a row of spinach a week to keep you saving all throughout the spring. Choose any apples or berries that you find on sale and vary the nuts according to what you have on hand. You'll have plenty of extra dressing for more salad later in the week.

1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach

1 large orange, peeled and sectioned

1 sweet apple, sliced thin

1 cup sliced strawberries

1/4 cup paper thin slices of red onion

1/3 cup toasted pecans, broken into bits

For Dressing:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

For Salad, layer spinach, orange, apple, strawberries, onions, and pecans on a platter. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a screwtop lid. Shake until well combined. Just before serving, drizzle dressing all over salad.

Next Up:

Captain Crunch Chicken

Apple Pie in a Brown Bag

I'd like you to meet someone. It's your new favorite pie. If you've never heard of a Brown Bag Apple Pie, think of a simple vanilla spiked pat-in crust, a luscious cinnamon laced apple filling covered with a buttery streusel topping, all baked inside of a paper grocery bag so that it gently steams and the sugars carmelize. This is "THE" apple pie, the one you'll be making again and again. It's the pie everyone will be requesting for years to come. It's the pie that sent reader "Lucky" on a wild goose chase (or should I say pie chase?) through Ohio. Here's what she wrote in the comment section

"Brown bag apple pie! I can't wait! My husband once sent us on a chase all through Ohio Amish country looking for one because he had seen it on some news segment years ago...the only clue he had was that it should only take a tank of gas to get there from Cleveland and you buy the pie from a restaurant on a hill. We found it, but it would be much easier if I could make one at home!"

Oh, yes. You can make it at home and save yourself a tank of gas in the process.

But I also wanted to share this pie for my cousin Julie, who was hunting for a good recipe. I didn't know cousin Julie very well growing up, when we were only a few minutes apart geographically. I was an obnoxious, wild maniac kind of short haired, tough-skin kid, and Julie was wise and reserved, hiding under a brown bag of shyness. I saw glimmers growing up, but I really didn't know how hilarious, witty, open, deep-thinking, inspiring, and intelligent Julie was. Now I know, so she's stuck with me in her blogging backpocket for life. Prudy plus cousin Julie, BFFs. See for yourself, right here.

And now for Lucky, Julie, and the rest of you all, let's make that pie. This is the world's simplest crust; just grab a clean-handed nearby kid to press it into the pan for you. These are Sailor's hands. Sometimes I use her hands in pictures and readers think that they are my hands. Mine are old and haggard and they are coming up in later pictures. I don't want to take credit for young, nubile hands.

Next you peel and prep the apples, coating them with cinnamon and sugar. Pour it into your crust and pat it down. These are the old hands I was telling you about, the ones that need Palmolive Madge to come over and give her some pointers.

Sprinkle the topping over the apples. Place the pie in a brown bag. Ask your grocer for a plain brown bag, or use an old paper gift bag. Secure the bag with staples and place the bagged pie on a cookie sheet. Bake for two hours without peeking. Peel back the bag.

Watch out for steam and bubbling, caramelized juices.

Don't wait for Turkey day; devour it on the spot. You can always make another one.

Apple Pie in a Brown Bag

Estimated Cost: $5.00

Notes: Position your rack to the lowest spot in the oven.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Filling

5 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced ( I like Granny Smith for this pie.)

2tablespoons all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

Topping:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into bits

Preheat oven to 350. Blend all crust ingredients in a large bowl. Pat into nine inch dish. Wipe out bowl with paper towel. Blend filling ingredients in same bowl. Pour into pie crust and pat apples down. Wipe out same bowl with paper towels. Combine flour and sugar for topping in same bowl. Cut in butter with pie cutter or knives. Sprinkle over apples in pie. Place pie in brown bag. Staple bag shut or secure with paper clips and place on cookie sheet . Bake on lowest rack in preheated oven at 350 for two hours. NO PEEKING. Also, PLEASE make sure that your bag is not touching the sides or top of the oven. There may be a slight paper burning smell, and that's just fine. Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes. Carefully remove from bag, watching out for steam. Serve nice and warm, if possible, or make it a day early and reheat it by the slice in the microwave.

PS Last night it was daring and dashing West, so I didn't have to make any cumbersome appearances behind him on stage. I wore a long, dark winter coat, just in case. If you don't understand a word I just said, scroll down and read yesterday's post.

PSS There are only THREE days left to vote at French's. Click here. And bless your little ol' voting hearts.

Next Up:

Got any Thanksgiving backing questions????

The Thanksgiving Hotline....

Miniature Apple Granola Turnovers with Maple Glaze

Welcome to my new favorite cutie-pie dessert. It's subject to change at any moment, but for now, you're looking at the current apple of my eye. I've been yearning to make an apple turnover, but as with caramel apples, I didn't want to commit to a giant portion by taking that first bite. By making itty bitty ones, I planned to save myself from plunging headlong into a greedy display of full-sized gluttony.

But I also wasn't planning on them being so doggone delicious. How was I to know?

The apples and cinnamon give them that homey-fall flavor, plus you'll get some crunch from the granola, all encased in layers of buttery flakiness and crowned with a sweet maple glaze. And I'm pretty certain, ahem, that scientific studies, ahem, assert that miniature foods have exactly 1/100th the calories of their full sized counter parts, tut,tut. So, put them on your weekend menu for dessert...or a snack....or breakfast.

They're so easy to make too, dangerously easy, since nothing can stop me from having another batch in the oven in ten minutes. You'll need a box of frozen puff pastry, and don't be afraid if you haven't tried it! It's handy, tasty, and saves my hide all the time when guests pop by. It converts into meals, appetizers, and desserts quicker than you can say, "Puff pastry makes my knees shake." If you can cut a piece of paper in half, you can work with puff pastry.

Have a great weekend, everybody. Now go plunge headlong into your own greedy display of miniature apple turn-over gluttony. Isn't that what weekends are for? Money Saving Tips: With the holidays around the corner, look for puff pastry to go on sale; then stock up when it does. I try to find it for about $2.00 a box. It will be located near the frozen pie crusts. Swap out the granola for nuts if you've got some on hand. Any apple will work well here.
Miniature Granola Apple Turnovers with Maple Glaze
Estimated Cost: $4.50 for 16 turnovers
1/2 of a 17 ounce box of frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 small apples, peeled and diced
squeeze of lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
about 1/2 cup granola (I used my homemade recipe)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. On a flat surface, roll puff pastry out to 12 by 12 inch triangle. Cut in half lengthwise and width wise to form four squares. Cut each new square lengthwise and width wise into four small squares; you should have 16 squares in all. In a small bowl, combine apple, lemon, sugar, and cinnamon. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon into center of square. Sprinkle with about 1 scant teaspoon granola. Fold square over to form triangle. Pinch together a little, to help it stay closed in places. (I like mine to come open and show the filling.) Repeat with all 16 turnovers and place them on cookie sheet together. They won't spread so you can fit them all on. Bake for 12-18 minutes, or until puff pastry is nicely browned. Remove from oven. Let cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to rack. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by combining butter and syrup. Stir in powdered sugar to form a thick glaze. Drizzle glaze over warm turnovers and sprinkle with granola. Serve warm if possible, but room temperature is delicious also.
Up Next:
A look at the small town I call home
Slow Cooker Peach Marmalade Chicken

Tuesdays with Dorie: Caramel Apple Creme Brulee

Hurry, hurry! It's Tuesdays with Dorie. Join in while you still can-new members are being accepted only through October 31st. Sharpen your baking skills, save some money and learn to bake like a pro at home with the rest of the gang. Today's offering: Creme Brulee....
Yesterday's science experiment (see yesterday's post) proved to be a boon for today's creme brulee assignment. You see, I don't own a blow torch for making the famously crunchy sugared topping. I don't foresee buying a blowtorch at least until the very sweet but slightly destructive five year old I call "son" is a college freshman-and even then, I'll probably lock it up over holidays and long weekends. It resembles a light saber just enough to be utterly enticing to a young Jedi in training.
But resourcefully blowtorch-less, I discovered that a bit of melted-sugar crunch candy on top of creme brulee makes a lovely and just as crackly substitute as that burnt sugar topping. And of course, my alterations didn't end there. My variation on Dorie's creme brulee has a delicious September twist with cinnamon apples and brown sugar for caramely undertones.
Now, creme brulee is notoriously naughty for you, since the main ingredients are cream and egg yolks. Slashing the fat in this delicate dessert seems pointless, leaving portion control as the only viable option. I made a 1/3 batch for my family of four; two servings to share among four people. I could have been deeply dangerous with a full batch. Wether it be with creme brulee portions, or five year old with blowtorches, I'm playing it safe. For today. I can't promise the same resolve when it comes to next week's Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake....

Money and Time-Saving Tips: Use whatever variety of apple you have on hand. Look for cream to be on sale from now throughout the holidays. I recommend using the microwave to speed along the prep process.
Caramel Apple Creme Brulee
Estimated Cost: $2.00 for two servings
1 apple, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of cinnamon
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place the apple in a small microwaveable dish. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Cover and microwave on high for about two minutes, or until softened. Divide apples between two 6-8 ounce ramekins. Place ramekins on baking sheet; set aside briefly. In a small bowl, heat milk and cream together in the microwave, watching closely, until just boiling, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk, brown sugar and vanilla together until blended. While still whisking, drizzle in about one fourth of hot cream mixture. Whisk in the remainder of the mixture. Strain the custard into the two ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the custard jiggles slightly when tapped on the side of the dish. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least two hours. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar and water, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Do not stir but watch closely, and continue to cook until sugar becomes a deep caramel color. Pour onto greased cookie sheet. Let cool and break into irregular pieces. Top creme brulee with sugar candy pieces just before serving.
Coming Next:
The Final Item on the Fall Kick Off Menu:
Make-your-own-Caramel Apple Wedges

Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Crumbly Apple Bars

As much as I love the Legend of Johnny Appleseed, it always bothered me-even when I was young-that he wore his cooking pot on his head. Somehow, that just didn't seem like the cleanest place to put the pot you'd be cooking in. Did he even get to wash his hair with real shampoo in the unsettled West? I'm sure he worked up a hot-headed sweat planting apple seeds all day. And even when he crooned about all the lovely things he'd be making with those red delicious apples, all I could think about was if he was planning to make them in his hairy pot. When I taught first grade, my fellow teacher friend dressed up as Johnny Appleseed for the Halloween parade. On her head, she wore a cooking pot, which besides being uncomfortable for her all day, also cemented the notion of never ever being able to come over to her house for dinner.

It's Johnny's birthday this week, and even if he had a dirty pot head, it's still worth recognizing. Especially since it's a great excuse to bake some cinnamony apple treats. And you must must must make these bars. They come from cooking contest friend, Anna at Cookie Madness, who included them on her Top Ten list for Fall. With a sweet creamy apple layer and a crumbly oat and brown sugar crust and topping, they are without a doubt the best apple bar I have ever tasted. Good ol' Mr. Appleseed would have loved this one.
Money Saving Tips: I've always used whatever apples I have on hand and even the non-baking varieties have worked out very well, so use whatever you can get for a good price.

Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Crumbly Apple Bars

Estimated Cost: $4.00 for 12 bars

Notes: I love these warm out of the oven, but they hold together much better if you wait till they're cool.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon soda

3/8 tsp salt

10 tablespoons cold butter, divided

3 small apples, cored, unpeeled and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a nine inch square pan with foil. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour, soda, and salt. Cut in 9 tablespoons butter. (This can also be done in a food processor.) Reserve 3/4 cup and pat the rest into prepared pan. It will be dry. Toss apples with half of lemon juice and arrange over crust in pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and hot water. Turn heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly until mixture begins to boil and thicken. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, remaining 1 tablespoon butter and remaining teaspoon of lemon juice. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture and pecans, if using. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Next Up:

Corniest Corn Muffins

Tuesdays with Dorie: Molasses Cake with Sugared Apples

Just two little days can change my culinary mood so much. As of yesterday, it's Autumn. I can't begin to express the tingly excitement of being a Tuesdays with Dorie baker during the Fall. Join in and bring a little bit bit of cinna-magic into your kitchen.
This week's assignment was a Dimply Plum Cake. Dimply. And last week we made Chocolate Chunkers. Chunkers. Dimply and Chunkers. Perhaps it was this not-so-subtle 2 week message that inspired me to make a lightened version of Dorie's cake. And that's not all I changed. Craving the flavors of fall, I added molasses, ginger, and cinnamon to the cake batter and covered the top with not plums, but sugared slices of September apple. With yogurt standing in for half the fat, this cake is guaranteed not to make you dimply or chunky- although I certainly wouldn't hold it against anyone and expect the same courtesy when necessary. A plain and unpretentious un-frosted cake, it's unbeatable with a cup of hot cider, or with a scoop of low fat vanilla cream. I have it on good authority, ahem, that is also superb for breakfast with a dollop of vanilla yogurt. But don't take my word for it. Make some yourself to welcome in the season of "the winnowing wind and soft-dying days."
Money Saving Tips: Apples have a very long life, if stored unbruised in a cool, dark place. I keep mine in the refrigerator, but if I had a cool basement, that's where they'd be.
Molasses Cake with Sugared Apples
Estimated Cost: $3.50
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 or 3 large baking apples, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and molasses until creamy. Add the eggs and beat well. Gently beat in yogurt and vanilla. Gently add dry ingredients, mixing only until blended. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish. Cover the top with apples and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40 minutes. Coming Tomorrow:
Fall Vegetable and Pumpkin Chili

Grilled Brats with Maple Glazed Apple and Onion Sandwiches

My favorite football game to watch is really not a football game. It's Lucy Van Pelt, offering to hold the ball for poor Charlie Brown. Somehow she wins his trust with her bossiness, and he approaches the ball with supreme confidence, another triumph of hope over experience. Except, it doesn't play out that way. Lucy always manages to wrest the ball away at the last minute, leaving round-headed Chuck on the ground, wailing "Ugh" to the cruel world. I could watch it a million times. As for real football, I like to watch the big moments only, so if I bring a book or a crossword puzzle and only look up when I hear people shouting. It plays right into my love of multi tasking. I also love to make "football food" in the middle of a televised game. Multi tasking again, but this time in the kitchen, so that makes all the football devotees happy. (Reading books and doing crossword puzzles in the middle of games absolutely does not.) This straddle-the-seasons meal consists of apples, and onions that are brushed with olive oil and maple syrup and grilled alongside some bratwurst sausage, served on a toasty crunchy multi grain baguette, with a squeeze of mustard to score the touchdown. I dedicate this brat sandwich to Lucy Van Pelt, the biggest BRAT of all. Hang onto it tight; it's so good, someone as bratty as Lucy might just wrest it away quicker then old Charlie Brown's football. This one's for Aggies Kitchen's Football event; enter your own or stop by to check out the game food soon. Money Saving Tips: Look for brat sausages on sale at your supermarket. I bought mine for $2.50; and you won't even need the whole package. Any thin baguette will work here. Albertsons's has a great multi grain baguette for $1.59. If you don't have real maple syrup, a glaze of pancake syrup or honey will work well.

Grilled Brats with Maple Glazed Apple and Onion Sandwiches

Estimated Cost: $6.50 for four

4 brat sausages (they usually come in packs of five or six)

1 large onion, sliced into thick rounds

2 granny smith apples, skin on, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 long thin baguette, toasted and cut into 4 sections

Yellow mustard, for serving

Preheat the grill for medium hot cooking. Place sausages on the grill. Sprinkle onion and apple with salt and pepper. Brush with oil and syrup. If your onions are holding together nicely, place them right on the grill; if not, set them on a piece of tin foil and place on the grill. The apples and onions will grill in about 15 minutes, turning once. The sausages need to be on the grill for about 20 minutes, with one turn. Make sure the sausages are cooked through by slicing into one. Serve the sausages, apples and onions on the toasted baguettes with plenty of mustard.

Coming Tomorrow:

Top 10 Recipes for Late Summer

Stay Tuned for a give away next week.....

Cranberry, Apple and Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwiches

My blogging buddy, the talented and prolific author Blonde duck, is having a birthday this month. Although I'm many miles away and we've never actually met in person, I'm sending her lots of Pennywise birthday greetings and good wishes for many happy returns. And also, a recipe. The little blonde duckie is having a princess style birthday bash with guests bringing various decadent pies and sandwiches. For her party, I've created a pretty little September chicken sandwich, full of the season's best flavors, like apples, cranberries, and pecans, which are also sprinkled on top for a confetti-birthday effect. Canned chicken-yes canned chicken for speed, makes the base, but any fully cooked chicken will work well. I've made this sandwich very light to provide a healthful base for all the sugar laden pies that will come for dessert. Instead of the usual binding of mayonnaise and sour cream, I've used plain whole milk yogurt, made extra tangy by the addition of fresh lemon juice. Pop on by and wish the little duckie a happy birthday, and then make one of these scrumptious and healthy sandwiches for yourself. I'm sure your birthday is coming soon, too.Money Saving Tips: Keep a couple of cans of chicken in your pantry for super fast sandwiches. Stock up when it goes on sale. Leftover chicken of any kind will work well here, though. Use whatever variety of apple, or even dried apples for this salad. Cranberries can be swapped out for other dried fruits also.
Cranberry, Apple and Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Estimated Cost: $4.50
1 (10 ounce) can chicken chunks, drained
1/2 golden delicious apple, diced-plus matchstick slices for top
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, plus more for top
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, plus more for top
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 cup chopped scallions
pinch of dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh
4 large slices whole grain bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 4 squares each and toasted

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, apples, and lemon juice; mix well to coat. Stir in cranberries, walnuts, yogurt, celery, scallions, and thyme. Add 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Taste salad and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Mound chicken salad on toast pieces. Top with matchstick apples, cranberries, and walnuts and serve.
Coming Tomorrow:
Weekend Lunch
Turkey, Cheddar, and Bacon Sandwiches with Chipotle Mayo