Spiced Apple Butter

Let me say this was super easy and super delicious. The recipe is inspired by one I read on Laura Vitale's web site. The apple butter is made in a slow cooker. Makes it a no fuss, no muss recipe. I made the apple butter because it is part of the recipe for Apple Cider baked donuts. It would however be good on toast, biscuits, ice cream, pie, dirt mounds, cabbage.....you get my point.
As apple butter recipes go this one is spiced. I think it is perfect, but everyone's taste buds are different. I made one mistake when making it. The recipe calls to put it on low and cook for 8-10 hours. I put it on high and it was done in a couple hours. If you choose to do what I did then watch it close so that it doesn't scorch. With these spices it could burn to yuck easily.

Here is what your suppose to do and then what I did:

6 lbs. granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks and tossed into slow cooker sleeve. (You can use  a mix of granny smith and other tart/sweet apples. I would not use the red sweet apples alone. I don't care for those apples and also they would make it too sweet in my opinion.)

3/4- 1 1/2 cups sugar. (I used all granny smith so I ended up using about 1 1/4 cups of sugar. I tasted it while it was still cooking and adjusted it then.)

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1  Tbl. pumpkin pie spice (now this is a highly spiced concoction. If you are not a fan of clove then you might make your own and make adjustments or use apple pie spice. Whatever works for you. I am fine with the pre-made pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. It doesn't run over the apple in any way in my opinion.)

1/2 tsp. salt

 zest of 1/2 orange (optional)

2 tsp. real vanilla extract



place the cut up apples in the sleeve of the slow cooker and add the sugars, salt, pumpkin pie spice and orange zest (DO NOT add the vanilla yet.) Mix and place in slow cooker. Cover and turn on low and cook for 8-10 hours. This just depends on how long it takes your apples to cook down. You will want to do this right before bed as in the morning you will need to cook the apples with the lid off on high for additional 1-3 hours to thicken it. OR you can do what I did. Ok, so once the apples are cooked down take a immersion blender and blend till smooth. Add the vanilla and stir it together. Taste for sweet/tart flavor and adjust with more sugar if you need it. Turn on to high and place lid just opposit of how it would normally sit (this is just to keep the apples from bubbling and spitting all over the place as it thickens up.) and let the apple butter cook down to thicken. You can decide how thick you want it. Stir frequently to keep the spices from burning.

here is what I did:
after placing everything in the sleeve and placing in the crock pot cooker. Turn on to high and cook for about 2-3 hours. After a couple hours take lid off and stir and check and see if the apples are done. Mine were done and completely mush. I then blended them and added the vanilla. Tasted it and adjusted the sugar. Took the lid and laid it on there sideways and cooked it down stirring it often for another hour or so. Thats it.

place in a container and let it cool. Place in fridge and it will be good for a few weeks or you can even freeze it for later uses.

Hummus (2)

This is a new and improved hummus recipe. It is improved as I have learned a way to improve the texture of the hummus so that it is not so grainy. Its different in that it has different ingredients and a cleaner taste. Both recipes on my site are good but this one is my latest and maybe favorite of the two. After much research I came up with this version.

Here is what I did.

2 Cans Garbonzo beans, rinsed and place in a salad spinner.
3 cloves of garlic, minced (you can add more to your taste. I just don't want it to be overpowering.)
juice of  1-2 lemons, about 1/4 cup (add this to your personal taste. More or less whatever suits you.)
1 tsp. salt
1 (7oz) container of plain Greek yogurt.
3/4 cup Tahini (I have learned to make my own. It is very simple and I will post a recipe soon)
6 Tbl. olive oil
6 mint leaves
4-6 Tbl. water
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika (you can either add it to the recipe or just sprinkle it on top when serving. Since we don't ever just serve a big platter of hummus I chose to add it to the mix.)

Ok, part of what makes a smooth hummus is removing the skins off of the Garbonzo beans. I had no patience for this in the past. Then I watched a video on youtube (love youtube) and a woman had a great idea. She took the cans of beans and poured them into the strainer portion of a salad spinner ( you know the spinner that spins the water out of salad greens.) She rinsed them and then drained them. She then took her hands and gently rubbed the beans together in her hands and the skins sort of just came off. She didn't do it hard enough to mash the beans but enough that most of the skins came off. She then put the strainer into the bowl portion of the spinner and filled it with water. The skins kinda of float to the top. As she tilted the bowl and drained the water she used her hand to just push the skins out of the bowl. I did this twice to get rid of all the floating skins. Then drain the beans and place in a food processor.

Then add the chopped garlic, lemon juice, salt, yogurt, tahini, evoo, mint and blend well. Stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next to get the consistency you want you will add water. I ended up adding between 4-6 Tbl. Blend well till it is smooth and no more chunks. Then taste for seasoning. Add the paprika if you want and blend again. Or wait and serve it with paprika sprinkled on top and a little olive oil drizzled on it before serving.
Like I said we just grab it right out of the bowl and so I added it.
Everything here is a personal taste thing. You can add more of something or less depending on what you like. I did try adding cumin to this once as cumin is in a lot of hummus recipes and I have always liked it but I like this better without the cumin. My other recipe has cumin in it. This is just a good clean tasting hummus and we enjoy it a lot. 

Rustic Hummus

My family loves hummus. I have a son that could live on the stuff. I use to buy a big container of it weekly at Costco. It dawned on me that there was no reason to buy it when I can make it at home for 1/2 the price.
I have tried many different recipes. I have never found one that I loved. They were bitter or just not right. This one is really good.
 To get that super smooth hummus we tend to see you must sit and remove the little skins off of each garbanzo bean. Well after pulling the skins off of about 5 little beans (I had 4 cans of beans rinsed and ready to use) I said the heck with it. We will have rustic hummus. I'm not sitting there and peeling the skins off of 4 cans of beans. So it is up to you on how smooth you want it to look. It tastes the same.
This recipe makes a large bowl. You can certainly half it.
The thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it to your own taste. More of this, less of that. It is a good basic recipe to play with.

Here is what I did:
4 cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 cup tahini (this is a sesame seed paste you can find at most grocery stores and health food stores. Make sure you mix it well before you use it. The oil and seed butter separate. )
4 lemons juiced
1 Cup extra virgin olive oil + a drizzle or so as needed while blending.
1 bunch cilantro, cleaned and just tear the top leaves off, a little stem is ok. You will be blending it a food processor anyway.
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 tsp. garlic powder (you can certainly use fresh garlic. This is just easy and works fine in my opinion.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt or more to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
optional- a drizzle of honey if it tastes too tart from the lemon juice. The lemon will mellow some if you want to wait before adding any honey.

In food processor add tahini and lemon juice. Blend and scrape down sides if needed. Add evoo, cilantro, cucumber, garlic powder, salt, paprika, cumin and blend scraping sides down to blend it well. Add half the beans and blend well. Add the other half and blend well. Scrape down sides a few times during blending to make sure it is completely blended. If it is too thick add a drizzle of evoo or a Tbl. at a time of water.  Taste for tartness and add honey if you want to. Just a small drizzle. As I said before the lemon will mellow out. Now taste for seasonings. Add more salt or cumin etc...as needed. You don't want to under salt this or it will be very bland. The lemons and salt are important ingredients in getting the right hummus flavor.
Serve with cut up veggies, corn chips, pita chips or eat it off a spoon. It all works. We love to use it in veggie roll up as the condiment. YUM.
Enjoy!

Daddy's Spaghetti Sauce

I'm not a big fan of spaghetti sauce but this one is really great. It is based on a recipe my Dad gave me and I have adjusted the ingredients to meet our taste buds.
Thanks Dad, this is just one more thing you have done for me.

here is what I do:

6 (14.5 ounce) cans of fire roasted tomatoes
4 Tbl. jarred chopped basil (this comes in a little jar just like pre-chopped garlic does. You can also buy it in a tube. I didn't use fresh as it would have taken way to much to get the strong basil flavor I wanted.)
3 heaping tsp. dried oregano
2-3 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. pepper
1 whole tube of anchovy paste
6 cloves or more minced garlic
3 med. shallots small chop
1 1/2 Cups good red wine
olive oil

In a pot add 3 Tbl. of olive oil. When hot add the chopped shallots and stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook another 2 minutes stirring constantly so you don't burn the garlic. Add the dried oregano and the basil stirring. Add the salt and pepper and anchovy paste. Stir and add the canned tomatoes and wine. Stir and bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Take an immersion blender and blend the sauce smooth if you prefer no tomato chunks. That is how we prefer our sauce.
Enjoy!

Eggplant Balls in Spicy Marinara sauce

This is a really good vegetarian entree. My Sasquatches (I mean kids) even like it. Actually they love this dish. I have been making this for them since they were little Sasquatches. I was vegetarian when my last son was born. He didn't have meat for the first two years of his life. I don't know if I feel sorry for him or not. It took him years to really like meat. He still loves fruit better than just about anything. I serve these in a spicy marinara sauce. It is the only time I make this particular marinara sauce. I don't know why. It just became the sauce I make with these eggplant balls and I never make it for anything else. I dunno. I will list the marinara sauce after the eggplant ball recipe below. Comes from a very old vegetarian cookbook I love called "Claire's Corner Copia"
Enjoy!

Here's what I do:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced (I use more almost always)
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
2 Tbl. water
2 Cups italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 Cup minced flat leaf parsley (use whatever parsley you have)
2 Tbl. minced fresh basil
4 oz. shredded mozzarella (optional)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 flour or more for rolling the eggplant balls in
oil/butter for frying (I use olive oil and butter. You can use whatever oil you want with or without the butter.)
Heat the oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for a second and then add the eggplant and stir to coat. Turn pan down to med and  add the water and cover and cook about 20 minutes or so, stirring often till eggplant is very soft. I think I have on occasion added another tablespoon of water if need be. Remove from heat and turn into a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, basil, mozzarella, eggs, parm and salt and pepper. Stir to mix well. Taste for seasoning. let mixture stand for 15 minutes. Stir again well. You want to break down the eggplant some without turning the whole thing into liquid mush. You can add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is to thin. You should be able to scoop it up and roll into into a ball.
Form into balls and roll in flour and set on a baking sheet. To fry them heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat and when oil is hot add balls to skillet leaving a little space in between them. Fry on each side till golden brown and remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain. You can bake them if you prefer. 350 degrees for 30 minutes turning halfway through.

Spicy Marinara Sauce

1/2 Cup olive oil
1 small onion chopped
6 cloves garlic minced (I always use more. We love garlic.)
2 (28oz.) cans good italian tomatoes. If they aren't already crushed then crush them before putting them into the pan. (I like the fire roasted myself.)
1/2 Cup fine chop fresh basil
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes (I add enough as it is cooking till the sauce has some spicy heat.)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan and add onion. Fry for a couple minutes and then add the garlic. Stir constantly till garlic softens a bit (don't let garlic burn as it gets bitter.) Add the red pepper flakes and stir and then the tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the basil, salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes. Sauce should start to thicken. Taste for seasoning.
Serve over pasta and or eggplant balls.

Home made Steak Sauce

Lets just say I am one of those people that think Steak sauce should be a punishable offense for which you should spend no longer than the rest of your life eating only "chicken." 

I'm not crazy about it and think that it ruins a good steak. With that said, I have found an occasion or two for which it is necessary to move over into the world of ick.....STEAK SAUCE (big booming scary voice saying that.) I made a remarkably delicious pizza recently that steak sauce was part of the ingredients. It called for or rather recommended a particular steak sauce which I could not find. Based on the description of this steak sauce I set out to create my own. Well mostly my own. I do use a store bought sauce as the base. So here it is. It turned out pretty good and is sweet and spicy rather than tart and yucky as most steak sauces are. You can use it for the Steakhouse Pizza recipe that I will list on the blog today.

Steak Sauce

3 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. honey

1 Tbl. adobo sauce

4 Tbl. cracked pepper A-1 Sauce

Blend and bring to a quick heat in a small saucepan to release the flavors. Cool and place in squeeze bottle.

Salsa

Salsa is something that never lasts long in our house. Making home made is always the best. Once you start making your own you wont go back to the store bought stuff.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman's Salsa recipe.

Salsa

1 (28oz) can fire roasted tomatoes with juice (you can use regular tomatoes if you prefer.)

2 (10oz) can Rotel Tomatoes (whatever heat degree you like.)

1/4 Cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic chopped

1 Whole Jalapeno sliced (seed it if you want to cut down on the heat)

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 Cup chopped cilantro

1/2 lime juiced

Put everything in food processor and process to the consistency you like. Test for seasoning.

Grilled Chicken with Jack Daniels Sauce

This Jack Daniels sauce is a copy of the TJI Fridays Jack Daniels Dipping Sauce. For those who have had it and love it you will LOVE this. To me this tastes just like it. Now this can be used on any kind of meat including as dipping sauce for chicken fingers. I make it most often for grilled chicken and then topped with the sauce. Serve extra sauce on the side. I usually make some cheesy potatoes and small corn on the cobs to go with our meal.


Grill boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can season them and cook them inside as well. This sauce makes anything good) Serve with sauce poured over and extra on the plate.

Jack Daniels Dipping Sauce
1/3 Cup diced red onions
1/2 tsp. fine minced garlic
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup brown sugar (I use more. Just taste the sauce and decide for yourself.)
1/3 Cup Teriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce. It is the best I have ever had. All their stuff is great. But if you have a favorite go for it.)
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1/3 Cup White grape juice
1/2 Cup Jack Daniels Black Label Bourbon
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (I'm not a big Tobasco sauce fan. I use Cholula Hot sauce.)

Place ingredients in saucepan in order listed. Mix after each addition. Place on medium heat and stir till it starts to boil. Turn temperature down to low. Simmer sauce till it has reduced by 1/4 to 1/3 in volume.