Fried Collards with Apples and Bacon

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Collard Greens, washed and cut in 1/4" thick slices, tough center stalk removed
1/4 c. hot vegetable oil
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 small Fuji apples, cored and sliced thin like matchsticks
4 slices bacon, cooked but not crisp and cut into fourths

DIRECTIONS:

Stir-fry collards in oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat stirring often until wilted.
Add chicken broth, salt, apple cider vinegar and pepper flakes.
Stir-fry 3 minutes or until greens are crisp tender.
Gently stir in bacon and apples and cook stirring often until tender, about 2 minutes.

Basic recipe from Southern Living, with tweaks by me. :-)

Posted by Debi

Butternut Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c. half-and-half or whole milk
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 c. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4inch cubes
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
pinch all-spice
2 1/2 c. stale bread
2 small apples, cored (leave the peel) 1 cut into bit sized pieces, 1 sliced
1/3 c. dried cranberries (plus more to top
2 T. fresh mint

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
2 T. light-colored corn syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt

Granola Topping:

Here is the link to my recipe: The Best Granola

For the Bread Pudding:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your baking dish, I used a 11x9.  It is best to make your caramel sauce first so it has time to cool a bit before you add it to the egg mixture.  Set aside to cool once made.

In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.  Add in 3/4 c. of the bourbon caramel sauce.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the squash, brown sugar, the spices, bread, apples and cranberries.  Make sure you get it all nice and coated.  Evenly spread the squash mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top evenly.  Let it sit for about 5 (or more) minutes to let the bread absorb all the creamy goodness.

Sprinkle the top of the bread pudding with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the granola.  This is totally optional.  I just had some on hand and thought it would be a good addition to the dish.  I really liked the crunch that it provided the creamy dish.  But again, if you do not have it laying around you can omit this.

Bake the bread pudding for 1 hour or until top is browned and bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Top it with the fresh mint, sliced apples, a few more cranberries and drizzle some bourbon caramel sauce on top.  TIP:  Leave some extra sauce to drizzle on each individual serving.  We found that this was the BEST way to really taste the sauce.  SOOO GOOD!

For the Bourbon Sauce:

In a heavy sauce pan combine brown sugar, cream and butter.  Melt over medium-high heat until boiling.  Turn down the heat and let it cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Stirring frequently.  You want it to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in the salt, vanilla and bourbon.  Set aside to cool.



Recipe Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Apple Crumble Dessert Pizza

All I have to say is OH.MY.GOSH.DELISH!  It took some serious will power to not eat half the pizza.  Looking down at my growing belly helped me stop grabbing for more :)  It is a bit involved, but so worth it!

Preheat oven to 425.

Pizza Crust (makes 2 large cookie sheet thin crust dough's)

1 2/3 c. warm water (80 degrees)
2 T. sugar
2 T. oil
2 t. salt
4 1/2 c. all purpose flour (I used all purposed whole wheat)
2 t. yeast

Put all ingredients in order listed in bread machine and select "pizza course".  Or you can put all ingredients in order listed into a stand mixer with a kneading attachment.  Knead for 5 to 6 minutes and then let it rise until doubled.

Once doubled, cut in half.  Roll each half out into a thin crust, spread a light layer of oil over the crust and on the cookie sheet.  Set aside.

**I used one crust for the dessert pizza and one for a normal cheese pizza.  

Apple Base


2 large apples, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/3 c. water
1 T. butter
2 t. cinnamon
pinch of all spice and nutmeg
___
2 t. corn starch
4 T. cold water

Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cover for another 5-10 minutes or until apples are soft.  Remove from heat and add cold water/corn starch mixture until thick.  Set aside.

Cinnamon Crumble 


1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. butter, cold
1 t. cinnamon

Mix ingredients into a bowl and cut in the butter until it resembles a course mixture.

Icing


2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. cold milk
1 T. melted butter
1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients and put into a plastic baggie and place in refrigerator.
__

Pre-bake the plain pizza crust in oven for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread apple mixture evenly over pizza.  Then sprinkle the cinnamon crumble over the apples.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until crust is browned and apple mixture is bubbling.  Let cool slightly then cut a hole in the icing bag and drizzle over pizza.  Serve warm.

Recipe by: Tracy Lytle

Celebrate Apple Week

I found this website, The Southern Plate, where they are offering lots of great apple recipes to try and enjoy.

Apple Pie (reg. & sugar-free)

6-8 good size Jonathon or a good baking apples
1/2 c. water
2 T. butter
1 c. sugar (if sugar-free use 1 c. Splenda)
2 T. flour (heaping!)
2 t. cinnamon (or more or less to your tasting)

Slice apples into a large sauce pan. Add the water to the pan and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender but not too soft. (they will bake the rest of the way in the oven)
Add butter.
In a bowl mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together then add it to the apples and stir.

Pour your filling into an unbaked pie shell then top with a second pie dough crust on top. I then use an egg/milk wash over the entire pie.

Bake at 350 until your pie dough is golden brown.

Chicken with Apple, Onion and Cider Sauce

• 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Cook Time:

  18 min

• Level:

  Easy

• Yield:

  4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces
• 1 sweet cooking apple, cored and cut into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Place the chicken in the skillet smooth-side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the onion and apple to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon oil, if the pan is dry, and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the onion has wilted slightly and the apple is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let the mixture boil until the vinegar becomes syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and return to a boil. Cook until the broth reduces by half. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter.

Remove the chicken from the oven; add any collected juices to the sauce. Divide the chicken among four plates and spoon the apple, onion and pan sauce over each piece. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Recipe by: Food Network

Apples To Apples

Ever wonder which are the best apples to bake with? Here is a helpful list:

Best Apples for Baking

The following table lists the best baking and cooking apples in North America, as well as the era of introduction.

NAME INTRODUCED DESCRIPTION
Fuji 1962 Sweet and juicy, firm, red skin
Granny Smith 1868 Moderately sweet, crisp flesh, green skin
Jonathan 1820s Tart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntosh 1870 Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin
Newton Pippin 1700s Sweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Rhode Island
Greening 1600s Very tart, distinctively flavored, green skin
Rome Beauty 1820s Mildly tart, crisp, greenish-white flesh, thick skin
Winesap late 1700s Firm, very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, red skin

1 pound of apples = 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 to 5 small apples
1 pound of apples = 3 cups peeled and sliced apples

An average apple contains:

* 80 calories
* 18 g carbohydrates
* 5 g fiber
* 170 mg potassium
* 1/2 g fat
* 0 cholesterol
* 0 sodium

Source: The Farmer's Almanac

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

12 servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse

Cinnamon-Apple Cake

My family makes this recipe around the holidays. It is a favorite with all our neighbors as well. It's from the October 1997 issue of Cooking Light and we've been making it ever since. It's a must have for the holidays(just don't think about the calories!) Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
I usually put in it a 9 x 13 in pan to yield more (smaller) servings since it's so rich.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup stick margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

Posted by Ashley

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

Here is a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com that is super yummy and easy. It made my house smell so yummy when I baked them. A few tips: I used my Pampered Chef Chopper to chop the apples quickly and very small. I also was out of pumpkin pie spice so I googled and found a recipe for it that I will list at the bottom if you happen to not have that on hand. Also, I made one pan of mini muffins and baked those for 15 minutes and the pan for the regular muffins I actually pulled out after 30 minutes.

I would have to rate these as 5 star muffins! YUM!

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups finely chopped peeled apples

STREUSEL:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons cold butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Ingredients for 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 1/2 t. Cinnamon

3/4 t. Ground Ginger

1/4 + 1/8 t. All Spice

1/4 + 1/8t. Ground Nutmeg

Apple Pork Chops

My family gives this 5 stars

Preparation - 30 minutes

Cook time - 1 hour

Difficulty - Easy



1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

6 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 medium-sized cooking apples

2 cups apple juice, divided

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice


Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow bowl; dredge pork chops in mixture. Reserve remaining flour mixture. Brown pork chops in oil in a large skillet. Arrange chops in a 13-x-9-x-2-inch baking dish.

Core unpeeled apples, and cut into rings; place on chops. Pour 1 ½ cups apple juice over apples. Combine sugar and allspice; sprinkle over apples. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until chops are tender.

Remove pork chops and apple slices to a serving platter, reserving pan drippings. Dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons remaining flour mixture in remaining ½ cup apple juice. Combine flour mixture and pan drippings in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pork chops. Yield: 6 servings.


I got this from Southern Living

Mrs. E. W. Hanley

Palm Harbor, Florida

Apple Pork Chops

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

This is one of my family's most requested recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

6 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 medium-sized cooking apples

2 cups apple juice, divided

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow bowl; dredge pork chops in mixture. Reserve remaining flour mixture. Brown pork chops in oil in a large skillet. Arrange chops in a 13-x-9-x-2-inch baking dish.

Core unpeeled apples, and cut into rings; place on chops. Pour 1 ½ cups apple juice over apples. Combine sugar and allspice; sprinkle over apples. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until chops are tender.

Remove pork chops and apple slices to a serving platter, reserving pan drippings. Dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons remaining flour mixture in remaining ½ cup apple juice. Combine flour mixture and pan drippings in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Yield: 6 servings.

Apple-Walnut Pancakes

Difficulty: Easy
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

These are delicious! You can serve them with syrup or sprinkled with powdered sugar. My family gave it 5 stars!

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sweet apples, peeled, cored, one cut into very fine dice and one coarsely grated
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk eggs, melted butter and vanilla to blend thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix with whisk. Stopping when everything is just combined. Batter will be a bit lumpy. Gently fold in apples and walnuts.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook slowly for about 1-1/2 minutes, turn a cook until done.

Recipe from: 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook

Posted by Debi