apple

Apple, Almond, Cheddar, & Ham Sandwich

Leah Short — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:09:37 +0000

Yep, you read that right. It’s a ham and cheese sandwich…with apple and almond butter. Grossed out? I know it sounds extremely weird, and y’all know how I like the odd recipes, but this Apple, Almond, Cheddar, & Ham Sandwich isn’t all that weird, it’s delicious! The October issue of Cooking Light had a spread (ooo, pun!) about nut butters being more than just part of PB&J’s. They took a different kind of nut butter and paired it with unusual ingredients to make a sandwich. This one is the almond butter version. I was so intrigued, that I had to make it.

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Goat Cheese & Mint Pesto Sandwich

Leah Short — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:36:16 +0000

Oh how much I love this Goat Cheese & Mint Pesto Sandwich. I first had it at Pinewood Social here in Nashville and it’s been in my dreams ever since. The bad news? It’s no longer on the menu. Oh the horror! What a dream crusher to have this awesome sandwich once and never be able to have it again…until today! I made my best attempt at recreating it at home. It came really really really close, so I’m happy. It’s goat cheese, mint pesto, sprouts, and thinly sliced cucumbers and apples. It sounds like nothing spectacular, but trust me, it is. It’s perfect for when you’re craving something really flavorful, but not heavy.

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Grilled Turkey, Apple, and Cheddar Sandwich

Leah Short — Thu, 01 May 2014 12:42:09 +0000

Lately I haven’t been in the mood to do much cooking if it takes more than a few minutes. I’m craving quick and easy meals, but they have to taste good and they need to be somewhat healthy. After searching for a sandwich that wouldn’t blow out my calorie budget, I finally decided on this Grilled Turkey, Apple, and Cheddar Sandwich. I’m a fan of all three, but I have yet to experience apples with Cheddar. My mom tells me my grandmother used to add a slice of cheese to her apple pie. I haven’t made that leap yet, but I can definitely get on board with a slice of sharp Cheddar and Granny Smiths in the same bite!

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Hard Apple Cider Croque Monsieur

Leah Short — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:45:46 +0000

I’m really excited to share this recipe for Hard Apple Cider Croque Monsieur. I have no idea what made this pop into my head as a good way to cook with Crispin Cider, but I’m glad it did. I’m madly in love with the Croque Monsieur/Croque Madame sandwich. It’s a fancy ham and cheese that’s grilled and then topped with a decadent cheese sauce. The madame version also gets topped with a runny egg. Be still my beating heart! I wanted to take this showstopper to another level and thought apples would pair perfectly with the Gruyere and ham. I’m happy to report it worked!

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Apple Toffee Hand Pies

Leah Short — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:38:27 +0000

Are these not the cutest mini pies?!Â Believe it or not, I found these Apple Toffee Hand Pies in Cooking Light. If you can limit yourself, they can fit into your calorie budget. I didn’t fair so well on the whole “limiting myself” part, but it’s all in the name of baking. I had to make this recipe three times before I got it right. The first time I forgot the butter, the second time I didn’t put in enough filling, and the third time was the charm!

So, how’s it taste?

They were pretty tasty, but you have to be a crust person to really enjoy them. I love pie, but my favorite part has always been the crust. Especially the bottom layer. While these hand pies are cute and tasty, they are pretty much all crust. I overfilled them by more than what the original recipe calls for and they were still mostly crust. The filling is delicious though. It’s the perfect apple pie combination of slightly tart, yet slightly sweet apples with cinnamon and sugar. I liked the idea of the toffee chips, but you can barely taste them. I changed the recipe instructions to leave them out of the apple mixture and sprinkle more of them on top, and still couldn’t detect them.

I think this recipe would be a real winner if the pies were made bigger to increase the filling to crust ratio. Of course, that would take them out of the low calorie category…but it’s pie, and it’s worth it!

Apple Toffee Hand Pies

Cooking Light, January 2013
makes about 12 pies
per pie: 142 calories, 8.3g fat, 1g protein, 15.3g carbs, 0.2g fiber

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped Gala or Rome apples
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. toffee chips
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375Â°F.

2. Combine apple, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3. Roll the pie dough on a lightly floured surface into 2 (12-inch) circles. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut each dough portion into 12 rounds. Discard any remaining dough scraps.

4. Place 12 dough rounds on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush half of the beaten egg over dough rounds. Spoon about 1 tablespoon apple mixture onto each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the dough. Top each round with a sprinkle of toffee chips and 1 piece of butter.

5. Top pies with remaining 12 rounds of dough; press edges together with a fork to seal. Brush remaining half of beaten egg over each pie. Bake at 375Â° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Autumn Chopped Salad

Leah Short — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:58:40 +0000

I love Pinterest. You know I originally turned my nose up to yet another social media outlet, but finally caved and I’m so glad I did. There’s some visits to Pinterest that turn into longer stays than I intend because there’s so many goodies. Time really gets away from me in the food and drink category. I pinned this Autumn Chopped Salad and finally made it (yes, folks actually make the stuff they pin!).

So, how’s it taste?

I knew it sounded good or I wouldn’t have pinned it, but I had no idea it would change my life. Yep, life-changing salad. It’s now a thing and here it is. It rocked my world and it couldn’t be easier to make. I’ve slightly adapted the ingredients, but feel free to experiment yourself. You could use pears instead of apple or almonds instead of pecans. The key is the dressing combination. It’s a mix of poppy seed dressing and balsamic vinaigrette and it’s genius. I can’t even remember that dressing that starts with an R.

Everything in this salad is just plain good. I like all the ingredients by themselves, but put them together over butter lettuce, mix, and it creates this fantastic meal. I swear to you I had it every meal in a row until I ran out of ingredients and then I bought more ingredients and ate it again. It’s light, it’s refreshing, it’s crunchy, it’s savory, it’s a bit sweet. It’s perfect. During this time of year when meals can get really heavy, try this salad for a nice change of pace.

You’ll notice I don’t give you measurements for the ingredients. It’s really just building the salad with as much or as little of each ingredient as you like. You can make it for one or for a crowd. Experiment with the mix of the dressings to see if you like a little more of one over the other. Enjoy!

Autumn Chopped Salad

slightly adapted from Espresso and Cream
makes as much or as little as needed

Ingredients:

butter lettuce (or your favorite lettuce)
apples
dried cranberries
chopped pecans
bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
blue cheese, crumbled
hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional)
poppy seed dressing
balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for the two dressings in a bowl and mix well.

2. In a small bowl, combine the two dressings. I like a 50/50 ratio, but experiment to suit your taste.

3. Add dressing to salad; toss to combine.

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Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Leah Short — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:15:49 +0000

Apple pie. What’s more classic than apple pie? Funny thing is I usually gravitate away from apple desserts…unless it’s apple pie. I love the stuff! It’s so simple and so decadent. This Easy Skillet Apple Pie is no exception from that description. It seriously is easy, aside from peeling and slicing apples. It’s crazy decadent, too. Plus I like the added touch of baking it in a cast iron skillet.

So, how’s it taste?

It’s pretty amazing. I had a feeling it would be since under the pie crust is an entire stick of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar! As it bakes, a little of that goodness oozes out over the sides. I totally didn’t mind because I actually planned for this and put a baking pan underneath to catch the drippings and also because it made it feel like I was baking something completely sinful. If you want to make your own crust, go right ahead. I happen to really like store-bought crust and really hate making my own pie crust, so making this pie was a cinch. The most time-consuming part is peeling and slicing the apples, but it’s well worth the effort. The recipe calls for half Granny Smith and half Braeburn. I’ve made several pies using Granny Smith and liked them, but the ones I bought were a little too tart this time. The Braeburn apples have a slight hint of tart, but not too much, so I wish I had used all Braeburn. Both held up really well to baking and didn’t turn to mush. The simplicity of the cinnamon and sugar over the apple slices balanced well with the thick layer of brown sugar and butter underneath. It did make the bottom crust slightly soggy, but not in a bad way. Plus the top crust and sides make up for it. After I took out the first slice, I spooned the juice over the top!

I will warn you that if you take a slice or two out and refrigerate the leftovers, you’ll see a gross film of hardened butter on the top of the sauce. Yeah, it’s not figure-friendly folks! Just skim that off and discard it or heat it up and forget you ever saw it. This pie is definitely a scene-stealer when served in the cast iron skillet. Bookmark this recipe for your upcoming holiday feasts!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Granny Smith apples
2 lbs. Braeburn apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

3. Bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. You'll want to place a pan underneath the skillet in case the sugar mixture spills over. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Source: Southern Living, September 2011

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