Caramelized apple grilled cheese

We tried Closet Cooking's caramelized apple grilled cheese sandwich last week.  Have you been to his site?  He's the master of grilled cheese sandwiches.  This was another winner, with the sweet, warm apples marrying with the sharp cheddar cheese.  Such a quick, simple meal, and who doesn't love a grilled cheese??


CARAMELIZED APPLE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
Yield: 2 sandwiches


Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter (divided- 1 for the apple mixture and 2 to butter your bread)
1 tbsp brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
1 apple (peeled, cored, and sliced)
4 thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices of bread


Directions:
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly.  Add the apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Assemble cheese and apples between your slices of buttered bread, and grill until golden brown on both sides (we did ours in a panini maker).

Greek nachos

As soon as I saw this recipe for Greek Nachos from Closet Cooking, I knew I had to make it for Robert.  He is a huge fan of Greek food... and I'm not.  I'm not anywhere near vegetarian, but I am not adventurous when it comes to meat.  I'll stick with beef, pork and chicken, thankyouverymuch.  We have a great Greek restaurant near our house, and Robert  raves about their gyro meat.  (Thankfully they make a pretty good pepperoni pizza to satisfy me and the kids).  So even though I was tempted to substitute ground beef for the lamb in this recipe, I decided to make a sacrifice and cook it the way I knew Robert would enjoy it the most.  It WAS Valentine's Day, after all.

GREEK NACHOS
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat pitas, cut into wedges and toasted
1 pound Greek seasoned ground lamb (recipe below)
1 cup tzatziki (recipe below)
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped


Directions:
Assemble the nachos, layering as you please.


SEASONED GROUND LAMB

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground lamb

Directions:
1. Mix the onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, yogurt, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Marinate the lamb in half of the mixture for 30 minutes.
3. Brown the lamb in a pan over medium heat.
4. Drain the grease.
5. Mix in the remaining marinade and cook for a few minutes more.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything and let chill in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavors mingle.

Baked pumpkin spice donuts

So I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond last week for a kitchen timer and left with a handful of items that weren't on my list.  One of those items was a doughnut pan. Taking the girls to get donuts is considered a treat because they insist on getting ones with frosting AND sprinkles, and they also insist on eating two.  EVERY TIME.  The words sugar overload come to mind.  Anyway, I thought this would be a great way to eat donuts in a (slightly) healthier way because they are baked instead of fried.  First up were these baked pumpkin spice donuts from Confections of a Foodie Bride.  Making your own donuts doesn't take ALL the fun away, because we still dipped them in chocolate and covered them in sprinkles.  Oh, and I totally counted the pumpkin as a vegetable serving for the day.  Sue me.

BAKED PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS

Yield: 6 donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp butter, cold

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 oz dark chocolate

1 tsp vegetable oil, shortening, or coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Spray a donut pan with baking spray.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and butter on low until the butter is incorporated.
4. Add baking powder, spices, and salt, mixing until combined.
5. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
6. Transfer batter (it will be a little thicker than your standard cake batter) to a ziptop bag.
7. Snip off the corner of the bag (make the opening ~ 3/4 inch) and pipe the batter into the donut wells until 1/2 - 3/4 cup full (you'll get exactly 6 donuts; the batter is thick and holds it's shape, it won't really settle or bake smoothly if you spoon it into the pan).
8. Bake 8-12 minutes, until the top of the donut springs back when lightly tapped.
9. Let cool in pan 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
10. To make the glaze, melt chopped chocolate in the microwave with oil/shortening. Stir until smooth.
11. Dip the donuts into the chocolate and add sprinkles while the chocolate is still soft.
12. It's easier to store unglazed donuts in a ziptop bag so only glaze the ones you are eating right away and store the leftover chocolate in the fridge to glaze the others later. They'll stay fresh for 3 days.

Spicy stewed beef with grits

We made this spicy stewed beef with grits from the Pioneer Woman for dinner this week, and Robert promptly declared it one of the best things I've EVER made.  In fact, he can't stop talking about it.  We used our favorite grit recipe from Food + Wine magazine, so if you prefer the Pioneer Woman's version with cheese and bell pepper you can find that recipe here.  Run, don't walk, to make this for dinner tonight.


Spicy Stewed Beef with Grits
Serves: 6


Ingredients:


1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cubed
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quick grits
Kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid is thick. (Watch the meat occasionally and add more beef broth as needed.)


For the grits, combine the stock, cream, butter and garlic in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and cook over low heat, whisking often, until thick and completely smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve meat - juice and all - over the grits.

Muddy buddies

I don't even know if I consider this a recipe, but Chex muddy buddies are super-simple and delicious so I'm sharing it anyway.  I've made it twice recently- first as a party favor for Lucy's "snow day" party, and again for a Bachelor watch party.  


Ingredients:
9 cups Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex, and pretzels (make your own   
   combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Makes 18 1/2 cup servings

Mud Hen bars

I'd almost forgotten to post about these Mud Hen bars from Sunday Baker that I made for one of our Bachelor watch parties.  Everyone loved them, they are simple to make, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand!  (I omitted the nuts- personal preference). The brown sugar meringue topping is what really makes these special - it's a winner!


Ingredients

1/2 c. butter, room temp

1 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 c. nuts chopped

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. marshmallows

1 c. brown sugar

Directions:

Beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks (put aside the whites for later). In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and mix well. Spread into 9x13" pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows, nuts and chocolate chips.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the brown sugar. Spread over the mixture in pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until bars are a deep golden brown and the crust is cooked through. Cool in pan and cut.

Prosciutto-wrapped ricotta-stuffed chicken

We made these prosciutto-wrapped ricotta-stuffed chicken breasts from Rachael Ray last week, and Robert was surprised how much he enjoyed it because according to him, "it's hard to make a chicken breast exciting".  I agree, but this recipe takes the lowly chicken breast to a new level by stuffing it with parmesan herb ricotta, then wrapping it in thinly sliced prosciutto.  Delicious!!


PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED RICOTTA-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano
• 1 small clove garlic, grated or pasted
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• A few leaves basil, chopped
• A couple sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 4 small pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast, butterflied
• EVOO, for drizzling
• 4 thin slices prosciutto di parma
• A splash white wine
• 1 tbsp. butter
•    

• DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano, garlic, parsley, basil and thyme. Place some of the ricotta mixture on each butterflied piece of chicken and fold the breast over. Drizzle with EVOO and wrap with the prosciutto.
  2. Heat an ovenproof skillet with a drizzle of EVOO. Add the chicken bundles and brown over medium-high heat, turning once, for 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to the oven to cook through, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze the pan with the wine. Swirl in the butter. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich

Dinner last night was a brilliant combination of some of my favorite things- jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwiches from Closet Cooking! Why haven't I thought of this before?  The cream cheese makes the sandwich, well, creamy, and the chips provide an excellent and unexpected crunch.  On the spicy-o-meter, I would rate this a 3 out of 5, so don't let the jalapenos scare you!  Oh, and I grilled ours in the panini maker, which is turning out to be one of the best purchases I've ever made.  We'll be making this sandwich a lot at our house!


JALAPENO POPPER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
Yield: 2 sandwiches


Ingredients

• 4 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 4 slices sour dough bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
• Generous handful of chips, crumbled (I used jalapeno kettle chips)

Directions

1. Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
2. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.
3. Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.
5. Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread the cream cheese on the inside. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on the cream cheese of one slice of bread, top with the jalapenos, crumbled tortilla chips, the remaining shredded cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
6. Grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Cast iron steaks

Wow, who doesn't love a recipe with just 4 ingredients??  These cast iron steaks are from the Rachael Ray show and couldn't be simpler.  (We made the bacon-wrapped potato skins from the same episode, but weren't really wowed by them so they aren't making the cut for a blog post).

Ingredients:

• 4 flat iron or strip steaks
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Directions:
• Bring steaks to room temp and dress with Worcestershire, a little EVOO, lots of salt and coarse black pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to smoking. Add steak and cook 8 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare. Allow steaks to rest a few minutes then slice, sprinkle with parsley and garlic, and drizzle with EVOO.

Toasted ravioli

A long-standing favorite restaurant of my family's closed recently, citing the tough economic times.  Bruno's was an Italian place loved by many for their pizza, but I ordered the toasted ravioli every time, without fail. When I came across this recipe on FoodNetwork.com, I was excited to recreate the dish at home. That is, until halfway through prepping it I realized I was totally out of bread crumbs.  And panko.  Oops.  So Robert suggested we substitute crushed Ritz crackers... which turned out to be a genius idea!  It created a buttery, crispy crust that was to die for.  I'll post the original recipe below with our variations noted.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 to 1 pound small fresh ravioli (meat, spinach or cheese- the pre-made refrigerated kind)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (or panko, or crushed Ritz crackers.  Your choice)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Marinara sauce, for dipping
• 
  
• Directions
• Spread the ravioli on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, 20 to 30 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow dish or pie plate. Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another shallow dish.

Dip the ravioli in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Return to the baking sheet and freeze until hard, about 15 minutes.

Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Fry the ravioli in 2 or 3 batches, turning as needed, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and immediately sprinkle with the parmesan. Serve with the marinara sauce.

Caramelitas

I saw these caramelitas from Lulu the Baker on Pinterest and knew they would be perfect for our Bachelor watch party.  I made them on Monday and they were a HUGE hit with everyone.  What's not to love- oatmeal cookie dough, chocolate chips, and caramel sauce??  Yes please!!

Ingredients:
32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:
Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.


*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

Slow-cooker parmesan honey pork roast

After seeing this slow-cooker parmesan honey pork roast recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff on Pinterest, I added the ingredients to my grocery list and fired up the crock pot!  We had a little trouble with the gravy because most (actually, all) of our liquid cooked off, so we ate it plain- and it was still delicious!  We'll make this one again.

Ingredients:

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

* I made one small adjustment to the original recipe and seared my roast in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side before putting it in the crock pot. 
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with gravy.