Classic Apple Pie, Walnut Lentil Loaf, and Apple-Sweet Potato Side

 I never seem to get  Holiday dishes published for you in time...  This year at least I've got them out so you can make them for Christmas...

Rustic Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
I hadn't made an apple pie in decades!  And never on this deep dish.  It's about time -- right?  I love this recipe for several reasons, not the least of which is you don't have to peel all those apples!

2 crusts – make your own or use pre-made, pre-rolled from a package
8 cups thinly-sliced, unpeeled apples (6 to 8 depending on size and how thin you slice
          I used 2 each of 4 different varieties of apple
⅓ cup AP flour
⅓ cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Ginger
½ tsp Allspice
1 Egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425F.  In a large bowl, toss together the sliced apples, flour, sugar and spices until everything is well coated.  I mixed all the spices together with the sugar and flour before adding it to the bowl.

Roll out one crust to 11-12' diameter, fit your 9" deep-dish baking dish, leave it overhanging to crimp with the top.  Fill with the tossed apples.  You want a nice big mound well above the top of the crust.   Now roll out the second crust, drape it over the top and crimp with the bottom crust all around the edge.  

Use a knife to cut some slits in the top to let the steam escape.   Brush the entire top with beaten egg, then sprinkle with a bit more sugar just because you can...

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F and bake 45-50 minutes more.  Cool for an hour before serving to allow the filling to set properly.

A la Mode -- my favorite way to serve hot apple pie!

Walnut Lentil Loaf
This is Sally's "instead of turkey" Holiday main dish.  Very flavor-full any time of year actually. You don't miss meat in this noMeatloaf!! Try adding 1/3 cup of salsa to the mixture as well as the top for added flavor. The loaf slices much nicer (for sandwiches) when cooled completely.

1-1/2 cup Walnuts
1 cup dry Lentils
2 cups Veggie Broth, or water plus herbs like my Scarborough Fayre blend
2 cups diced Sweet Onion
1 cup diced Celery
1/2 cup diced Carrot
3 cloves Garlic
1 packet Taco Seasoning mix
Black Pepper to taste
1-1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Salsa for the topping
1 Egg, or a “flax egg” for vegans – 1 tbsp flax meal in 2 tbsp water

Pulse the walnuts into coarse meal using a food processor. You can also make the meal 'old school' style with a mortar and pestle. Reserve.

Cook the lentils al dente, in the broth. Reserve, mashing 'some' of the lentils to help bind things.

Saute the mirepoix – the onion, celery and carrot – and garlic until tender. Add the cooked lentils and spices and toss together. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs and walnut meal, and combine thoroughly using your Mark I mixer (hands).Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet.

Press the mixture into a sprayed or parchment-lined 5x9 loaf pan. Smooth the top and spread the salsa overall.

Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until the top is browned and the edges are starting to dry. Rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Apples & Sweet Potatoes
N0t sure where I got this, but I've been making it for years.    Apples, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, orange -- what's not to like?

4-6 Yams, peeled and cubed or sliced
Apples – peeled, cored, sliced into rings
1/4 cup OJ concentrate, thawed and thinned with 2 Tbsp water
1 thumb fresh Ginger, minced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds

You want enough slices/rings to make two layers of each in your casserole dish.  Now in a small bowl, mix together:

¼ cup Brown Sugar
1-2 tsp Cinnamon
1-2 tsp ground Ginger

Preheat oven to 350F.

Microwave the sweet potatoes a few minutes until tender but firm and let them cool.   Grease the casserole dish. Lay down a layer of sweet potato and top with some sugar mixture and some grated ginger.  Add a layer of apples and more sugar mix & ginger.  Repeat layers until you run out of apples or sweet potatoes.  Pour the OJ over and top with the last of the sugar/spice mix. Bake 30 mins, and serve.

You can also do this with thin slices of butternut squash!

Thanksgiving Special

Red Cooked Turkey Breast

I'm not a big fan of poultry or fish skin, whether golden brown and crispy or not.  I do love poultry white meat, but not dark meat except as an ingredient in a casserole or similar dish.   

Sally always thought turkey white meat was dry -- until I made this recipe for her a couple years ago when she still at meat.  I got the recipe from Martin Yan, of Yan Can Cook, decades ago. I think it was in his first or second cookbook.  

This is the most perfectly simple way to cook turkey you've ever seen. Martin called it "red cooking", but it's really a form of poaching. The technique also works for a whole chicken, small whole turkey, or 5-10 lb bags of poultry parts like wings, thighs, etc. 

All sorts of courtbouillons (fancy name for "poaching liquids") can be used too, if the Asian theme doesn't appeal to you, such as citrus-infused water, wine/water, fruit juice/wine etc.
However, for the first time I suggest you try Martin's version.  It's not salty, or heavy soy sauce flavored, or perfumed with anise.  But your guests will go "Wow... that's great!"

Thawed Turkey Breast
Soy Sauce
Water
1 whole Star Anise

Put the breast in a LARGE pot. Cover by an inch, with a mixture of half soy sauce and half water. Remove the meat. Add a single whole star anise pod. Bring the liquid to a hard rolling boil. Put the meat back in the pot. Return to a hard rolling boil. Put the lid on, turn the fire off, and walk away for two hours.  Yes two hours!

Don't peek, don't stir. Leave it alone! For two hours.

At the end of the time you will have the most flavor-filled, moist and juicy turkey breast you have ever experienced.

The meat draws the heat out of the liquid, the pot and the stove top and carries  flavor all the way to the bone. After 2 hours it's still hot enough you don't want your hands in it, so be careful when you remove the breast with forks or tongs. If you want it browned, use your broiler for 10-15 minutes. 

After a 10-15 minute rest, slice the breast and serve -- be prepared for rave reviews.

Tip: Buy your soy sauce at an Asian market, you'll get a better product for a lot less money. I got a gallon jug of mushroom-infused soy sauce for less than the price of a quart at the megamart.  That jug will last at least 2 years.

Lentil-Quinoa-Butternut Soup, Posole Verde, Barm Brack, Pajeon w/Shrimp & Veg

 Lentil-Quinoa-Butternut Soup
An interesting variant which has little of the usual butternut character.

1 medium Butternut Squash Neck  -- save the seed ball for another dish
1 large Onion, diced
2 cups of cooked 50/50 Quinoa/Lentils
1 firm ripe tomato, diced
1 Tbsp  Scarborough Fayre spice blend.  Or Z'Atar if you don't make my Scarborough Fayre
1-3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar to finish

Combine 1 cup dry lentils and 1 cup dry quinoa in water and simmer until tender.  Drain, cool, and reserve.    If you're like me,  you made a large batch of lentils & quinoa using your rice cooker earlier in the week and have leftovers in the fridge which you use here...

Peel and grate the squash.  Saute the onion, then add the squash and about 6 cups of water.  Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, then puree in your blender or with stick blender.   
Back in the pot, add the quinoa/lentil mixture and the spice blend and stir to combine.  Simmer for about 20 more minute, and add the diced tomato in the last ten minutes or so.  Stir in a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar if you feel it needs a bit of acidic 'kick'.  

Posole Verde
Sally's away for a week, so I can make one of my favorite Mexican dishes.  She just doesn't care for the taste of Posole or Chile Verde -- made with green chiles, tomatillos, hominy, onion, and spices.   That's OK.  All the more for me!   Making a big batch for a couple different applications in the week.

                                  
1 large Onion, diced
1 15 oz can White or Yellow Hominy
1 lb Pork for stew  cubed or chopped into 1/2" pieces
Cumin to taste
Oregano to taste
3-4 cloves Garlic 
2-3 Green Chiles, diced -- Poblano, Anaheim, New Mexico... hotter if you like
8-10 Tomatillos, peeled and chopped -- no substitute.  These are NOT green tomatoes -- completely different taste.  Use a 15-24 oz can of tomatillos if you must.
                                  
Simmer everything together for 30-45 minutes until the tomatillos are soft and tender.  Then serve in a bowl with tortilla chips on the side.

In addition to bowls of deliciousness, I also made:

Posole Nachos
                         
and

Posole Stuffed Cornbread
                          

Barm Brack
Versions of this fruit bread/cake exist across the UK from western Ireland to the eastern Dales, north and south,  Nothing like American Fruitcake!! 

                              

This version comes from the Yorkshire Dales, and has no yeast -- so it's more dense  -- a cake rather than a bread. 

This is a "waste nothing" recipe.  'Barm' is the name for the heavily yeasted dregs of the ale brewing process.  But in the Irish Gaelic bairín breac  also means "spotted loaf".  Good eats any way you name it.

3 cups mixed Dried Fruit -- raisins, sultanas, currents, candied ginger, dates etc.
1/3 cup Candied Orange or Mixed Peel
1-1/2 cups strong Tea  -- Yorkshire brand or other black tea
2 Tbsp softened Butter
1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 beaten Egg (about 1/8 cup)
1/3 cup AP Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour or ground almonds
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tbsp Black Treacle or Molasses
1 oz shot of Whiskey, brandy, etc.
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

Soak the fruit in the tea 8 hours or overnight.  Drain and reserve.

Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg, treacle, nutmeg and lemon juice.  Fold in the AP and almond flour.  Lastly fold in the fruit.  It looks almost impossible to cram that much fruit in that little batter -- but it will fit!
                                          

Spray or grease a 6" baking tin.  Or use whatever you've got.  An 8" dish is too big and the cake will be too thin.    Spread the fruited batter in the tin.

Bake at 350F for about 1-1/2 hours until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool before removing from the tin.
                                       

                                        

Traditionally served with a slice of Wensleydale cheese, but a nice sharp cheddar from anywhere is a good second choice. 
                                   

Shrimp & Veg Pajeon
This stuffed Korean rice flour pancake is a good way to use up dribs and drabs of veggies that are lurking in your fridge.  

Basic Pancake Batter
1 cup Rice Flour or a blend of rice and other flours
2 Tbsp Corn or Potato Starch
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup  Sparkling Water of some kind -- Seltzer, Tonic, what-have you

Filling
2 cups of meats/veggies including, traditionally, sliced green onions -- I used 4 cut into 1" lengths.    I also used thin sliced red bell pepper, 6 sliced shrimp, and a couple ounces of thin sliced Crimini mushrooms.
                           

Assemble the batter ingredients and prep the filling ingredients.

Mix together the dry batter ingredients.  Make a well and add the garlic, beaten egg and slowly add the sparkling water.   Fold to combine.

Now fold in the filling ingredients until everything is coated.
                                    
Heat a large skillet medium high, and add a couple Tbsp of oil.  I ladled in the whole batch of batter into the skillet.  It was a major pain to try and cook and flip without the pancake breaking up.
                                       

You should  use only  half of the stuffed batter and spread it around.  Fry for 4-6 minutes until the pancake is nicely brown on the bottom.  Carefully flip and cook the second side equally.    Repeat with the remaining batter.    You want crispy outsides and tender inside.
                                         

Serve whole or sliced with a dipping sauce made from hoisin or soy sauce, or a commercial Asian dipping sauce of your choice.  I made a quick sauce with hoisin diluted with mirin and laced with bits of green onion and sesame seeds.    As written the recipe will easily feed at least two; more if you serve it with rice or noodles on the side.  

                             

 

 

 

 

Roasted Red Cabbage w/ Cheese and Nuts, Red Beans & Rice with Southern Sides, Salmon Cakes

Roasted Red Cabbage w/ Nuts & Cheese

This recipe comes from my award-winning cookbook writer and California chef friend Faye Levy; and she got it from Lauren Thomas the Modern Hippie food blogger.  The original recipe called for Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola, but I chose to substitute mixed nuts and goat cheese.  Just right for a nice vegetarian dinner with a side of roasted potatoes!

1 large head Red Cabbage
3-4 oz soft Goat Cheese 
1/2-3/4 cup chopped Hazel nuts, Walnuts, or mixed nuts
1/4 fresh Parsley
Black Pepper
EVOO for drizzling
Honey for drizzling -- I used local Tupelo Honey
Potatoes for making roasted wedges

Toast the nuts in a skillet with a spritz of EVOO.

Slice the cabbage into 1/2" or so rounds.  Drizzle with EVOO and lay them on a baking tray.  Dust with black pepper.

Slice the potatoes into wedges, lay them out on a baking tray. Spritz with oil, and dust with your favorite spices.

Roast everything for 20-30 minutes @ 400F or until fork tender.  You may want to remove the cabbage slices, dress them with dollops of goat cheese and toasted nuts, while the potatoes soften/finish.  Return the cabbage to the oven for a couple minutes to soften/melt the cheese.

To serve, dress each plated cabbage slice with fresh parsley, drizzle with honey, and add potato wedges.   Heat the jar of honey for 15 seconds or so in the microwave to make it easier to drizzle.

We really enjoyed this dish, and will add it to our rotation of favorites!  Just the right combination of sweet and savory.  I can see where the gorgonzola or feta would be nice, but the chevre I used was really nice too.  You do want a cheese with real character, not a bland American cheese or even a sharp cheddar.  

Cajun Red Beans & Rice
This dish is the heart of Cajun cooking. Get it right, and other dishes like jambalaya and étouffée are easily mastered. I served mine with two classic side dishes -- Collards and Cornbread. Adjust the heat to suit your taste by increasing the cayenne and Cajun seasoning amounts as desired.  You want the beans to be nice and "tangy" not "ripe yer face off" hot.

1 lb Dry Kidney Beans
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Tbsp minced Garlic
6 cups Water
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp dried Parsley
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
½ tsp Cayenne
¼ tsp dried Sage
1 lb Andouille sausage -- No Andouille? Use Spanish (not Mexican) Chourizo or other spicy sausage

 2 cups long grain White Rice or if you're trying to be healthy, half white and half brown rice

Soak the beans overnight.

Saute the Cajun Trinity – celery, onion & bell pepper -- about 5 minutes. Add to your bean pot.

Now add the soaked beans, water, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Don't overcook!  Add the sliced sausage and cook another 30 minutes, while cooking the rice separately.

Serve beans over rice as above, or just with sides.

Collard Greens

Usually just called collards, this southern green is usually cooked with ham or smoked turkey legs for added flavor.  Cooking for vegetarians, I'm using Liquid Smoke to add that flavor to the dish rather than smoked critter. This recipe, based on one by Alton Brown, is also good for kale, turnip, chard and other heavy-leaved greens, not so much spinach which wilts and cooks quickly.

Your basic Southern Mamaw often stunk up the house for hours over-cooking collards into limp submission.  DON'T!  Be nice to your greens and they'll be good to you.

1 lb stemmed Collard Greens, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoketm flavor of your choice
4-6 cups Water

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, add everything, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or  until the collards are tender.   Don't overcook!  In Southern cooking the leftover liquid, called "pot likker", is often used as a broth for other recipes.

Corn Bread
Classic, simple and tasty!

2 cups  Cornmeal
1 large Egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups Buttermilk or milk + lemon juice
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/8 cup Sugar

Fold together.  Pour into 8"-9" pan.  Bake @ 450F for 20-25 minutes until GB&D.

Salmon Cakes

You can, of course, make these cakes/patties from fresh salmon which you cook to order. But we don't always have the time or inclination to do that, so this recipe uses canned Red Salmon.

1 cup diced Celery
1 cup diced Onion
1 large can Salmon
1 small can Salmon
2 cups Panko
2 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Mayo
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh Dill
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1+ Tbsp Liquid Smoke of your choice
Hot sauce to taste

Saute the onion and celery until soft.  Reserve.

In a bowl, mix together the other ingredients, before folding in the reserved veg.  

Scoop out 1/2 cup or larger portions and form them into 3/4" patties.  Fry in batches for  3-5 minutes per side until the outside is nicely browned and the inside is cooked through.

So hungry I forgot to take a 'beauty photo'!  But as you can see, I served the Salmon Cakes with roasted veg.  

Meatless "Meat" Balls, Pasta e Fagioli, Dos Tapes de Catalunya

 No Meat Balls
All the texture of a meat ball for pita sandwiches, hors d'oeuvre trays, timbales, anywhere you would serve a conventional meatball.    Recipe makes 30-45 balls depending on size of the balls and the size of the eggplant you start with.  

1-1/2+ lb Eggplant, cubed, skin on
4-6 cloves Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups Panko plus more
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
1/2 cup chopped Basil
1+ Tbsp Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1 Egg, beaten

Saute the garlic in a large skillet for a minute, then add the eggplant, Cavender's and 1/4 cup of water and cook the cubed eggplant 8-10 minutes until just softening.  Remove to a colander, drain for at least half an hour, and reserve.

Transfer the eggplant and everything else to your food processor and pulse.  Leave some texture, don't totally puree things.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add additional panko to make a maxture that will form golf-ball sized balls rolled between your palms then placed on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Bake at 400F for 35-45 minutes until browned and crusty.  Cool of a rack.

Serve with toothpicks as a main course or hors d'oeuvre with a marinara or tzatziki type dipping sauce, Or make sandwiches using pitas or hoagie rolls and toppings of your choice.   I served ours with home-made tzatziki, Lizanotm, and Sweet Chile Sauce

You could even add these "no meataballs to spaghetti with sauce.

Pasta e Fagioli
Pronounced "pasta fajool", this classic Italian recipe features both shaped pasta (shells, rotini, etc.) and beans in a flavorful broth.  I use a mixture of bean varieties. 

1/2+ cup chopped Carrot
1/2+ cup Chopped Celery
1/2+ cup chopped Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic
6 cups Broth
1-2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning of your choice; we like one with red pepper flakes in it.
3/4 cup Pomitm Tomato Puree, and additional chopped tomatoes if desired
2+ cups dry Beans -- lima, cannellini, Navy, even pinto, etc.  (never red or black beans) 
8 oz shaped Pasta --  I used Banzatm Rotini

Saute the three veg with the garlic in a splash of EVOO.  Add the broth, seasoning. tomato and beans, bring to a boil, and then simmer 20-30 minutes. 

When the beans are al dente, add the pasta and continue cooking until it is al dente and the beans are done.  

Tapes de Catalunya
Catalonia is the major economic region of Spain, and has its own language -- Catalan -- which seems part French, part Spanish, and all Romance language.  Tapas (or tapes in Catalan) are ubiquitous regional 'small plate' dishes.  At a Tapas restaurant a couple would choose as many as 6 different tapas to share.  Here, two Tape become a vegetarian meal.

Tapes #1   Mongetes
Simple really -- fried white beans.  What makes them special is the Spanish (not Latin) salsa verde (see below) with which they are cooked.

1/2 lb dry White Beans
1-2 tsp Thyme

Cooke the beans with the thyme, according to package directions.  Don't stir much, to keep the skins intact.  Don't over cook, you want them just tender, not mushy.  Dry the cooked beans very well on paper towels.

While the beans are cooking, 

Make the Salsa Verde:
3/4 cup chopped Parsley
3-5 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/3 cup EVOO
pinch of Salt
Optional:  6-10 Croutons (depending on size)

Take the ingredients for a spin in your food processor, adding a bit more EVOO if needed to give this the consistency of a pesto.

To Make The Mongetes
In a large skillet add a good glug of EVOO and get it not quite smoking hot.  

Carefully (so they don't splash) add the beans in a single layer and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisping and starting to brown.  Add 3-4 Tbsp of the Salsa Verde and cook to combine the beans and salsa.   Some recipes call for adding crushed croutons at this point to absorb excess liquid.  In Catalonia mongetes are often paired with sausage in a dish called Mongetes amb Botifarra.

Tapes #2   Espinac de Catalunya
This spinach recipe by world-famous Catalan  chef Jose Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen, exemplifies his sweet & savory approach to small plate dining.

3 Tbsp Raisins
1 lb Spinach, stemmed, washed, dried and rough chopped
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 medium Onion, diced small
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted (no pine nuts?  You can substitute chopped unsalted cashew pieces)
Salt & Pepper To Taste

Soak the raisins in water for 20-30 minutes. 

Blanch the spinach in boiling water 2-3 minutes.  Drain and squeeze out excess water.

Saute the onion in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for about 3 more minutes.

Add the spinach, raisins and nuts.  Salt &  pepper to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature.  Top each serving with a spoonful or two of remaining salsa verde.