Apple Pear Cobbler With Cookie Dough Topping

I love the taste of apples and pears together, especially when baked inside a sweet, flaky pastry. While scanning through my stack of  cookbooks, this recipe caught my eye because of  two words: "cookie dough". The batter you spoon over the top of the fruit does resemble cookie dough, but it bakes into a cake-like topping. This is a good alternative to the typical "apple crisp" desserts with oats, sugar and nuts.

Apple Pear Cobbler w/Cookie Dough Topping
(serves 6-8)
(print)
4 large tart apples (Granny Smith)
2 large ripe pears (Bartlett)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
grated lemon zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the fruit, pat dry with paper towels.  An easy way to core your apples is to first peel them, cut them in half, then in quarters.  Gently cut out the core of each quarter. I think it's easier than trying to using a tool for apple coring. First peel those apples up....

Cut them in half, then halve again, slicing out the core. Now cut into thin slices.

Do the same with the pears, then place all the fruit into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Give it a good stir!

Arrange the fruit mixture into a deep dish pie plate. You can "dot" the top with small pieces of cold butter if you'd like.

Now to make the cookie dough topping (can you feel me smiling?)  Melt the butter in a deep bowl. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla, then mix well.  Combine the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt), then add to the wet. This should always be the rule of thumb when baking as well. Incorporate the dry ingredients first, then add separately. Mix this dough until well blended.

Using a spoon, drop batters into small mounds over the top of the apples and pears.

Bake for 40 minutes, until topping is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy the season!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I've read many versions of this recipe lately in most of the popular food magazines, and thought it would be fun to try and combine the "best of the best" into one delicious side dish. I'll be brutally honest though. This recipe can go one of two ways: naughty or nice.  You can bake the yams (or sweet potatoes), mash them up with a little skim milk, salt/pepper to taste, and they're wonderful, just like that. Or....you can choose to go the whole nine yards and follow the rest of this sugary, crunchy, gooey recipe, it's up to you!

Sweet Potato Casserole
(serves 6-8)
(print)

4 large yams or sweet potatoes
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
salt/pepper
1/3 cup orange juice

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and scrub the yams, prick all over with a fork, and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for one hour, or until fork tender.

This is the best way to prepare yams or sweet potatoes. After baking, the skin peels right off, and the inside of the potato has a sweet, roasted taste.

Gently break the yam in two, peel off the skin, and scoop the potato into a large mixing bowl.

Add the brown sugar.....

then the butter, egg, vanilla, milk, orange juice, and salt/pepper to taste.

Whip on high speed for about a minute.

Spoon into a buttered casserole dish, and set aside.

(At this point, you could cover the top and place it in the fridge until it's ready to bake, even for the next day.)

Now for the sinfully sweet topping...combine the pecans and walnuts together in a small bowl.

Melt the butter in a small skillet, then add the flour and brown sugar, gently fold...

Add this to the chopped nuts and mix together. (I wish you could smell this!)

Now comes the fun part! (Marshmallows are optional, but if you really like a traditional topping on your yams, you'll really love this.)  Lightly spoon the praline topping in a row on top of the casserole...

then place a layer of marshmallows....(stop me now!)

Continue until topping covers the yams. How beautiful!

Now it's ready for the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes - until heated through and the topping is golden. This is actually more like a dessert than a side dish. Hope you enjoy it at your holiday table this year.

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I love visiting our local farmer's market. It's therapeutic and relaxing, browsing and wandering from table to table, seeing all of the new and beautiful colors of fall produce.  It's especially interesting talking to local growers, who work very hard to bring quality meats and produce to consumers. They are coping, and probably more worried than the rest of us, with high costs of production, quality feed, packaging and consumer demand. Please support this dedicated group of people whenever and wherever you can.

This time of year showcases deep green, in-season veggies, and I couldn't resist buying this 2 foot long stalk of fresh brussel sprouts for $2.00. Yes, only $2.00! There are varying sizes of cabbage-like heads on the stalk that snap off easily when you're ready to cook them.

I was able to prepare half and freeze another whole bagful for Thanksgiving.  These tiny, cabbage family cuties are so tender and new, and I wanted to try them roasted instead of steaming. Roasting is such a basic recipe, and this idea comes from The Barefoot Contessa.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
serves 2-3
(print)
3 large handfuls of fresh brussel sprouts
  (it should be about a pound or so)
kosher salt/pepper
olive oil
sliced garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove any yellow outer leaves from heads, then cut off the bottom portion. Cut the brussel sprouts in half, and place them in a deep bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil, stir to coat evenly. Salt/pepper to taste, then add the sliced garlic and stir again, adding more olive oil if needed. Spread in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet or shallow pan.

Set your oven timer for 10 minutes and roast without stirring.  When time is up, gently stir and turn mixture, then set the timer for 10 minutes more.  Continue roasting until golden brown and tender. 

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and again roast for about 5 minutes more. You can also add cooked pork to this recipe such as crumbled bacon or diced pancetta. Enjoy!

Food For Thought:

Brussel sprouts contain a chemical called sinigrin, which suppresses the development of precancerous cells.

- American Institute of Cancer Research/11th Annual Research Conference on

Diet, Nutrition and Cancer

Nothing Like A Good Merlot...

I was so fortunate last week to have a family friend bring over a bottle of this delicious, organic wine. Like most merlots, it would compliment any beef or pork dish.

The taste of this rich, red wine is more flavorful and full-bodied than most, mostly because it's organic. It has overtones of cranberry and chocolate, as well as the mild sweetness of dark berries. I would definitely recommend this, especially if you like a quality merlot.  (Thanks to our wonderful friend!)

(click to view Bonterra website)

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is a hearty soup Mr. Grumps and I loved when we went out to dinner awhile back. As usual, I "tweeked" it a bit, adding more veggies and staying the course with organic produce.

One thing you'll absolutely need for this recipe is a food processor or a good blender. You're going to cook the vegetables until they're tender, which will make the mixture easier to pulse in the processor. The best part is, you can make blend this soup to be really creamy, or leave in "carrot bits" for texture. Either way, it's delicious!

Carrot Ginger Soup

serves 4-6
(print)

1 medium sized leek
1 cup butternut squash (diced)
6 large carrots (peeled/diced)
2 cloves sliced garlic
3 tbls. unsalted butter
sea salt/pepper
1 tbls. olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 cups organic broth (chicken or vegetable)

1/4 cup half and half (optional)

First, wash up your veggies and pat dry with paper towels. Get a medium sized bowl to put them in once they're diced up and ready for the soup pot.

If you're not sure, leeks are part of the onion family, and are very mild. They also tend to be a bit on the sandy side, so be sure to rinse them well before using.

Slice up the leek into thin rings.

If you can get the squash already peeled and packaged, grab it!  Otherwise, peel up a medium sized squash, halve it, then dice into small pieces.

Peel the carrots, slice lengthwise, and dice into small chunks.

Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Place everything into the bowl and set aside.  In a large, deep pan, add the butter and olive oil. Melt the butter until foamy, then add the veggies. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until carmelized and softened.

Add 3 cups of the broth (whatever you choose - chicken or vegetable) and the orange juice. Season to taste with ginger, adding more or less, whatever your preference. I personally throw in a few pinches, taste, and season again if needed. Stir well, turn heat to medium high, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and allow to cool about 10 minutes. In small batches, process in a food processor or blender, then spoon the mixture back into the soup pot.

Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to high. Add the remaining broth, one cup at a time, stirring constantly until desired consistency.

Lower temperature and heat soup till simmering. At this point, you can add the half and half, it's entirely optional, but makes for a really rich soup.  Serve hot, topped with a pinch of minced parsley.

Food For Thought:

Carrots are high in carotenoids, which are associated with a wide range of health benefits. High carotenoid intake has been proven (through human studies) to actually decrease the risk of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx and esophageal cancer by up to 50 percent. Also a source of lutein, carrots promote good eye health by preventing macular degeneration and cataracts.

To get the most out of these nutrients, eat them with a little fat. Carotenoids and vitamin A are fat-soluble nutrients, and are better absorbed when cooked with a little oil.

- The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth, by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS