This recipe came about because I had purchased some green apples and promptly failed to utilize them. A week went by and I realized I still had them and if I didn't do something, they'd go bad. I do loathe wasting perfectly useful produce. After a very brief search online, I came up with this recipe. I applied a few minor yet crucial adjustments, made the cake and fed it to anybody who was willing. Apparently, that meant everybody I know.
Ingredients:
- 4 green apples, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil of choice
- 1 cup sugar (even less if using sweeter apples)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
You will need: a large bowl, 9x13 pan, hand mixer, cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl, mix eggs and the oil until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Fold in the apples. Coat your pan with cooking spray and evenly lay out the cake batter. Bake for 50 minutes. Once cooled, cut into pieces and serve with coffee. Or serve warm with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Warning: This cake will vanish immediately if not supervised.
Enjoy!
When I was a child, I used to hate this dish with a passion of thousand burning suns. Something about a boiled root that always vaguely smelled of dirt didn't really sound appetizing to me. Recently, though, I got involved in a challenge that forced me to utilize beets. This recipe seemed the easiest and I didn't have to like it, right? Fortunately for me I fell in love and I can't wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1lbs beets, boiled
- 1/2 small onion, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp of cooking oil
- (optional) 1 tsp flour
You will need a large frying pan or even a large pot, and a grater.
Grate the beets on the medium side and set aside. In the frying pan, heat up the oil and throw on the onion. Cook until it starts browning. Add the beets and all the spices. Keep stirring until everything heats up and the flavors meld together. If you desire to thicken it, add flour and continue mixing.
Serve with dinner. It goes best with pork schnitzel and potatoes.
Enjoy!
This is one of those crime of opportunity recipes and I regret nothing. I saw it whoosh by on my Facebook wall and it piqued my interest. After I saw how ridiculously easy it was, I bought the ingredients and got to work. I think it was meant to be, because all of the fruit involved was on a very steep discount. Yay me! If you want to see the original recipe, it is here.
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- zest of one orange
- 2 cups flour
- 12 oz fresh cranberries (1 bag)
You will need a large bowl, hand mixer, 9x13 pan, and cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar, and mix it until nice and smooth, and really fluffy (up to 5 minutes). Add butter and continue mixing until uniform. Add vanilla, salt, orange zest, and flour. For extra citrus flavor, add a teaspoon of fresh squeezed orange juice. Once you have smooth batter, carefully fold in the cranberries. Coat the baking pan and evenly lay out the batter. Bake for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!
When you ask a Pole about Polish cuisine and its signature dishes there will always be a number of commonalities. Pork schnitzel, kotlet schabowy as we know it, is one of those dishes and has been a staple in all Polish homes. When I desire a taste of nostalgia, this is what I make.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 2 large eggs
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
- breading of choice (I use coconut flour, regular breading will do)
- frying oil (I use coconut oil)
You will need a tenderizing mallet, a gallon ziplock bag, and a frying pan.
Tenderize the pork chops on both sides and put in the baggie. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and spices and add to the pork. Leave it marinating in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When ready to eat, bread both sides of each pork chop and pan-fry it until each side is a nice golden color.
Traditionally, it is served with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, but the sky is the limit here.
Enjoy!
It's been multiple years since the first time I've made this dish and I seem to recall it being an enormous hit. Back then Food Network was a part of basic cable and I could watch all the shows for no extra charge. I saw this recipe, it looked easy to make, I went for it, and it was delicious. Granted, I removed the 'easy' part from it when I chose to make my own pizza dough. I will address that at a later day, though.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (leftovers are fantastic for this)
- 1 lbs. pizza dough (hand-made or purchased at the store)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp buffalo/hot sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Parmesan, grated (packaged one will do)
Note: This dish comes with a dipping sauce. You will need 1 cup sour cream, chopped green onions, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Optionally, you can add some blue cheese for extra zing.
You will need a rolling pin, mixing bowls and a cookie sheet, preferably covered in aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and coated in cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, mozzarella, tomato sauce, liquid smoke and hot sauce. Stir thoroughly and set aside.
Quarter the dough. Roll out the dough into a circle, add a quarter of the stuffing onto half of it and fold over the un-topped side so it forms a half-circle. Make sure to pinch the side with slightly wet fingers so they hold together. With a knife, make a couple slits in the top and set out on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest. Once all is ready, brush some olive oil over the top and sprinkle the Parmesan.
Bake approx. 15 minutes until golden-brown and puffed. Make sure to let it cool down a little before serving or the sauce will burn your mouth. I speak from experience.
Note: I strongly suggest experimenting with sizes, so you could always make these more bite-size if you want it as dippers.
Dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with calzone.
I no longer remember how I came across this recipe, but I know I fell in love when I saw it. Pecan pie is my favorite pie and as a woman I am genetically predisposed to love cheesecake. Combining those two together seemed like a marriage of awesomeness. It was.
Ingredients:
- Deep dish pie crust of choice
- 8oz cream cheese (1 package)
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup pecan, chopped
Note: When I first made it, I used a gluten-free cannoli recipe as crust. It was heavenly. I will have to post the recipe in a separate post.
Preheat oven to 350F. You'll need your hand mixer and mixing bowls.
Cheesecake layer: Blend the cream cheese with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 egg, and continue blending until uniform. Once done, pour into the pie crust.
Pecan layer: Combine corn syrup, 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, butter and vanilla in a bowl and use hand mixer until it's all blended. Stir in the pecans and pour over the cheesecake layer.
Bake for approx. 50 minutes. Cheesecake layer will "magically" move to the top and turn golden brown. I promise this cake will not last long once set on the table.
Enjoy!
I don't know if I've mentioned this recently, but Stephanie O'Dea is my Cooking Goddess of Crockpot and I use her recipes on regular basis. Her recipe for this soup is one of my favorite. When I first cooked it years back, my boyfriend looked at it skeptically and then devoured two large bowlfuls of it. It's delicious and incredibly easy to cook.
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs chicken breast, sliced (more, if you like a lot of protein)
- 1 lbs black beans (2 cans)
- 4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
- 1 cup corn (1/2 can)
- 16oz medium salsa
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- (optional) 1 cup mushrooms
- Garnish options: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips
Note: If you do not want to use canned beans, purchase a 1-pound bag of black beans, put them in a bowl, pour hot water until submerged with an inch of extra space and soak for 2 hours. Beans will expand. Rinse thoroughly and multiple times; you want the water to become clear as it rinses the beans. Once done, repeat the hot bath for 2 hours and rinsing. The more you soak the beans, the less flatulence you will experience after eating the food. The more you know!
You will need a 6.5qt Crockpot.
Starting with the black beans, add all ingredients to your Crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 9 hours (set it up before going to work, you'll have dinner when you get home). Serve in bowls and garnish to taste.
Enjoy!
