Apple pancake……hmmmmm.

This recipe requires a 10-inch oven proof pan, I used a cast iron skillet when I made this recipe and it turned out great.
Batter: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces), 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg (using fresh is always better), 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter (melted), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Apple mixture: Cooking spray, 1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided), 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg, 1 cup thinly sliced Granny Smith or other firm tart apple.
Remaining ingredients: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.
Prepare batter, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Let stand 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare apple mixture, coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Combine 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over bottom and sides of pan. Arrange apple in even spokelike layer in pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Slowly pour batter over apple mixture.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove pancake from oven); bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set. Carefully loosen pancake with spatula. Gently slide pancake onto serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over top.
Great quick and easy warm snack for 6.

What to do with leftover Turkey.

One suggestion on the Pillsbury site is to make a Turkey Philly.
Ok that sounds good but lets take that in a different direction, what about Swiss or Gruyere cheese instead of Mozzarella.
How about a little cranberry sauce on that. Or switch it with some Brie, granny smith apple slices.
Not in the mood for a Sandwich. Slice it up and add it to a salad, with some blue cheese and sliced green peppers and tomatoes.
Use a pizza crust and white sauce and make a turkey pizza with olives, peppers and Mozzarella cheese.
Turkey is just another poultry so what do you do with your chicken, try the turkey instead.

Squash Soup….nice in the winter.

This was a discussion in the making. My teacher asked about a good squash recipe. Well I said usually I put things like all spice and cinnamon and heavy cream in mine. So I polled some friends and and we agreed on some basic things.

About 6 cups of squash which could be acorn or butternut. The squash itself should be either cut in half’s and cooked faced down or up with butter some spices and maybe some brown sugar (without the seeds). About 400 degrees for about 30 mins or so.

Now either a chicken or vegetable stock about 3 to 6 cups, how think do you like it. Also the other reason is you might want to add water or a nice white wine. Remember when you add the squash puree it first.

Here is where we came up with some many ideas on what to add to it after that. For spices the list included salt, pepper, allspice, dill, sage, bay leaf, thyme, basil, garlic, cayenne pepper, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Think of what you like to taste, be creative, use what you like.

Next other items to add, we all agreed that we hadn’t had great luck with normal potatoes, but sweet potatoes were a plus, other things you might use. Celery, Fennel, Carrots, Apples could be Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Onions could be yellow or white caramelized or lightly brown. Honey or cream even Mascarpone cheese or Gruyere, even Swiss is a nice accent to the soup. Don’t forget croutons, favored or not.

Make it your way, see what you can come up with and let us know.

Strudel…..Hey this didn’t take long.

Well we used to say you had to spend hours in the kitchen making strudel, well not anymore unless you really want to. This is something I make every Christmas for my friends and family and now I’m going to share it will all of you and a couple fun changes.

Ingredients: 1 pkg Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets, 4 to 6 granny smith apples-peeled cored and sliced thin, 4 Macintosh apples just like the others, 2 sticks of butter melted for brushing on pastry sheets, 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs browned in 4 tbsp butter, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water & 1/4 cup spiced rum for 15 mins and then drained, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon peel, 1 tbsp orange peel, 4 tbsp spiced rum, 1/2 cup heavy cream.

Instructions: Thaw pastry sheets 20 mins. Cut apples place in water and lemon juice until ready to mix all the dry ingredients together. Roll them out thin (about 1/4 inch). Sprinkle dough with butter, then leaving about 1 inch border. Drain apples and add all the dry ingredients together. Add raisins, rum and cream to mixture. Use enough of mixture to cover one third of the pastry sheet. Carefully roll up the strudel. Brush off excess flour. Take a brush and coat outside with butter. Place on parchment paper sheets on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 mins, basting occasionally with butter. The strudel is done when it is golden brown. Let cool, add confectioners sugar over the top.

Now if you like the pastry cup shells, take the apples, spices about 2 tbs brown sugar, bread crumbs, rum  and little cook them in a skillet. Then take some mascarpone cheese withed with a little sugar, line the bottom of pastry shell with tat and then cover with apple mixture and them a little mascarpone on top. The one in the picture has Dark Chocolate bits and Toffee bits in it.

Not much time and still so delicious.

Master Chef magazine hits newstands and having fun with a quesadillas!

Taste of Home has a new magazine: Master Chef, yes it was inspired by the TV show. It has lots of recipes as well as interesting articles on chefs. If it continues at the pace of it’s premiere issue this looks to be promising new magazine.

The cover of the issue had a Berry Tartlet created by Gorden Ramsey, but the fruit is what we were all looking at.

Dessert Quesadillas

Flour Tortillas, peaches, or pears or even nectarines, softened cream cheese, cinnamon, brown sugar, maybe even chocolate.

Put the cream cheese on one side of the tortilla add cinnamon or any other seasons you like with the fruit you have chosen.

Lightly sprinkle brown sugar, and add slices of fruit to one side along with a little chocolate chips if you desire.

Fold in half and place in a lightly greased skillet, heat on low remove when chocolate has melted don’t over cook tortilla.

Little brown is good, and a little whipped cream and there you have it. Something refreshing for the end of summer.

This recipe can also be made with apples as well.We found a number of recipes with brie and regular cheese as well.

Get into that kitchen and have a little fun.

We hope they continue with the Master Chef magazine, with the interesting recipes it can expand your creativity too, promoting everyone into the Master Chef of your household.