Apples apples everywhere!

Nothing better in the fall than apples picked fresh from our own trees! We have three apple trees: Jonagold, Gala, and Golden Delicious. Above is a shot of our laden down Gala :-)

Apple cake

I actually prefer a much bigger piece than this!

I’ve tried lots of versions of apple cake, and my favorite by far is still the one my mother makes! RuthAnn Lavin is a terrific cook and baker, and this recipe just can’t be improved upon. You’re welcome to share your recipes with me, but Mom’s is still the best :-)

Apple Cake

3 eggs
1-3/4 c sugar
1 c oil
1 t baking soda
2-1/2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
4 c chopped apples (about 3 medium)

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until light. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Makes a very thick batter. Grease a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Crostini with lentil topping

"Crostini" means something along the lines of "little crusts" in Italian. Really, it’s just a cool name for stale bread! It’s fun to make different toppings to try on small toasted pieces of bread, and serve them along with soup or stew, as an appetizer, as a side dish with any nice Mediterranean main dish. This lentil topping is really good with lamb. You might want to try the onion-marinated grilled lamb with it! Add some greens with the lemon-garlic salad dressing for a really special time with your busy family. They’ll sit down and relax for a change!

Make the lentil spread ahead of time, and then you can just toast the little bread pieces in the oven, spread them with the topping and serve immediately.


Crostini with Lentil Topping

1 c lentils (we like red lentils, but any will do)
Water to cover
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t thyme
Pepper
Onion, diced

Bread slices, toasted

Simmer lentils till soft, about 20 minutes. Drain water, but reserve it. Add lentils and the rest of the ingredients to food processor and beat to smooth paste. Add reserved water as needed to make the paste fluffy. Serve on toasted bread slices.

Whiskey peanut fudge

Oh.My.Gosh. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to make this amazing dessert! Thanks to Have Cake Will Travel for this treat. The claim, and I believe it: "this fudge will cure what ails ya"

And it's really fast and easy. It better be, when there's an open whiskey bottle involved. Smirk.

Image: Have Cake Will Travel

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

I’ve seen this Mediterranean diet pyramid in several books now, and I finally decided to have a look at the website of the company that came up with it. Very interesting reading!

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet was created by Oldways as a response to the prevalence of ‘no fat’ diets in the early 90’s. Low-fat was a mistake promoted in the 1988 Surgeon General’s report and the 1990 Dietary Guidelines and Food Guide Pyramid. Oldways’ alternative response to this no-fat propaganda was the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Fats should be “good” fats, which are mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated, with olive oil as a prime example. Oldways doesn’t attack the models being offered to the public, but merely offers a better alternative that was more science-based and incorporated good fats (mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated), such as olive oil.

Here’s a PDF file from Oldways of the pyramid that you can print out or just examine if you’d like!

Baked jambalaya (OAMC)

Here’s a delicious Once A Month Cooking treat for you: jambalaya that you’ll eat with a fork instead of a spoon! You can double, triple, or whatever this recipe to make multiple batches. The recipe below makes enough to feed an average family of four. I like to add something green to the meal on the day it’s served.

For a refresher on how OAMC works, visit the link above. Go here for more OAMC recipes.

Baked Jambalaya

1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c green pepper, chopped
Scallion, chopped
Clove of garlic, minced
1/2 lb kielbasa, cooked and sliced
1/2 lb ham, cooked and diced
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t oregano
1 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t cumin
14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 c broth (your choice)
1 c long grain rice

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Put into a 9 x 13 baking dish and cook covered at 375 for about 45 minutes to freeze for later or 60 minutes to serve immediately. Rice will be slightly undercooked at 45. Freeze covered.

To serve: Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge first or place directly in the oven at 375 until heated through.

Image: MorgueFile

Carnival time!

The Make It From Scratch Carnival is being held at It's Frugal Being Green today!