Tuesday is Tasty

Apple Crisp. Apple Crisp!!

I've been working on this one for a while. We have had lots of apples to play with, so I have made several apple crisps. (Happy thought.)

I actually haven't completely decided on the recipe, but I thought it would be good to share what I concluded so far.

Some crisp recipes are very simple, like the one pictured above, but they lack a few key things: liquid and lemon.

My main sources for the recipe: America Test Kitchen Apple Crisp, and Relief Society Apple Crisp.

ATK mixes actual lemon zest in with the apples. It brightens the apple flavor, instead of the flavor becoming dull. The Relief Society recipe adds apple juice or water to the apple mixture. It keeps the apples from drying out, and also adds to the flavor.

Recipe:

TOPPING

6       tablespoons flour

1/4    cup packed brown sugar

1/4    cup sugar

1/4    teaspoon cinnamon

1/4    teaspoon nutmeg

1/4    teaspoon salt

5       tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened

3/4    cup rolled oats

FILLING

6 - 8  apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4    cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2    teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/3    cup water or apple juice

1. For the topping: Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add the butter; pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture between your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add the oats and toss to incorporate. Refrigerate the topping for 15 minutes before baking.

2. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and zest together and place in a 8-inch quare glass or ceramic baking dish or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.

3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, about 40  minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Tuesday is Tasty

Pasta Night

Last night was pasta night! This is where I usually get creative in the kitchen. It is basically dinner in a bowl. I see what is in the refrigerator, and throw it together to great some goodness, and usually some amazing goodness.

Elements of Pasta Night

1. Sauce. I choose from three bases: olive oil, tomato, or Alfredo. Last night, I make a pink Alfredo sauce by  mixing the tomato and Alfredo. Delicious! I generally the America Test Kitchen Basic Tomato Sauce recipe as a guide...have never followed it....it is always good. For Alfredo, I love Our Best Bites Guiltless Alfredo Sauce.

2. Pasta. The ingredients I use for Pasta Night generally weigh spaghetti down too much, and it turns to mush. I prefer to use Penne or Bowtie, bus spaghetti was what we had last night. It worked.

3. Everything else. Last night we had broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, garlic, and green onion. Bacon is always a great option. Always! Other meats include: grilled chicken, deli ham, Italian sausage, pepperoni, etc. Other veggies to use: artichoke, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, onion, olive, etc.

Tips: Sometimes keeping it simple is best. I decided not to add bacon last night so we could focus more on the vegetables since they were steamed, then sauteed, and finished off with olive oil, garlic, and ground red pepper. Other things can be added to the meal such as a light salad or bread. The pasta is the focus and basically it is a skillet dinner. Who doesn't like that?? Yum!

Tuesday is Tasty

I decided it is time to set up a more structured calendar for posting on this blog. Tuesdays and Thursdays will have specific topics. Other days may become more structured, but for now I am trying this out. 

Tuesday is Tasty.

Stuffed Tomatoes

 

 

 

Sounds like stuffed peppers right? I would say it is a lighter dish, not quite as hearty. We ordered a box of large tomatoes from Bountiful Basket, and I wanted to try something new with them. Not that a fresh tomato sauce cooked or uncooked, salsa, pico de gallo, and gazpacho aren't great options.

I have to say, I was nervous to try this one out. Not that America's Test Kitchen isn't reliable. I just felt like I was going out on a limb.

Verdict? It was amazing! Our mouths were doing little happy dances! The tomatoes are packed with flavor and goodness! I would suggest serving these with or over a plain or light pasta and maybe a small salad. These lovely stuffed tomatoes can stand on their own, but they need a little more substance if you are making them as a main dish.

Stuffed Tomatoes
By: America's Test Kitchen

Serves  6

Prep Time  10 minutes

Total Time  1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour salting and baking time)

Avoid store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe-their fine texture makes the stuffing dry and gritty. Extra-virgin olive oil is our first choice for good flavor here, although regular olive oil can be substituted.

6     large, firm, ripe tomatoes (8 ounces each)

       salt

3     slices high-quality white sandwich bread

1/3  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3  cup minced fresh basil (I only had dried, and it still turned out. Fresh = better.)

1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil

2     garlic cloves, minced

       pepper

1. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/8 inch  of the stem end of the tomato. Using your fingers or a paring knife, remove and discard the core and any seeds of the tomato. Sprinkle the inside of the cored tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pace upside down on several layers of paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 6 pulses. Spread the breadcrumbs over a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Toss together the dried breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, 2 tablespoon of the oil, and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a 9 by 13-inch baking dish lined with foil. Brush the cut edges of the tomatoes with 1 more tablespoon of the oil. Mound about 1/4 cup of the breadcrumb mixture into each tomato. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the tops of the tomatoes. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve while hot.