Beet & Tart Apple Salad with Goat Cheese
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
3 large beets (approx. one 1 ½ lb. bunch)
2 firm tart apples (such as Cortland, Honey Crisp, Ginger Gold, Fuji)
Juice & zest of 1 large orange
3 Tbl. vegetable oil, plus extra for toasting the seeds
2 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbl. honey
Kosher salt, cracked black pepper to taste
1/3 c. unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Pinch each curry, cayenne pepper
2 c. lightly packed arugula or watercress
½ lemon
6 oz. goat cheese
Trim, peel, and shred the beets using a food processor with a grating attachment (or cut the beets into thin julienne strips). Cut the apples into thin slices and add both the apples and beets to a large bowl. Separately combine the fresh orange juice, zest, oil, vinegar, and honey in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the beet & apple mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to one day. Meanwhile heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sunflower seeds, curry, and cayenne along with a pinch of salt and couple drops of vegetable oil. Toast the seeds while shaking the pan, 3-4 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and transfer from the pan to stop the cooking process and cool. Toss the arugula with a few drops of fresh lemon juice and transfer to individual plates or a platter. Top with the chilled beet and apple salad, crumbled goat cheese and spiced sunflower seeds.
Individual Pork & Apple Pot Pies
Yield: 5-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 lb. lean ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
2 Tbl. flour
¾ c. water
3 apples, peeled and chopped
¼ c. fresh parsley (or 2 Tbl. dried)
2 tsp. dried savory
Generous pinch ground cloves (approx. 1/8 tsp.)
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but kept cold
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high and add the butter, pork, garlic, onion, and celery to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables get translucent and tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook the mixture for one minute. Stir in the water followed by the apples, parsley, savory, cloves, and cinnamon, blending well. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed half way through (if mixture seems too dry add a small amount of additional water). Divide the filling evenly among 8 oz. ramekins or a 9” baking dish and place on a baking sheet. Allow the filling to cool completely before topping with pastry (this can be prepared up to two days in advance).
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface just enough to extend the size by ½” but not too thin. Use a cookie cutter or other vessel to cut rounds that are ½” larger than the diameter of the ramekins. Place the dough over the filling, tucking the excess pastry inside the ramekins to create an edge. Brush pastry with beaten egg, cut vent slits in the top with a paring knife, and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is well-browned (a larger baking dish will take 5-10 minutes longer) Note: Fully assembled unbaked pies can be refrigerated for two days or frozen. Bake frozen pies unthawed, and allow for a longer cooking time.
Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
1 ½ c. peeled, thinly sliced apples (2-3)
½ c. + 1 Tbl. granulated sugar
¼ c. unsalted butter
2 c. milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
6 c. dry bread (about 1 small loaf, staled or air-dried on a cookie sheet)
½ c. raisins (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the apples with1 Tbl. of the granulated sugar and set aside to draw out some of the juices. Meanwhile tear the stale bread into rough 2” pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, add the milk and stir until warmed. Remove from the heat and whisk in the ½ cup sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg until ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour this mixture over the bread pieces and add the apples (along with any juices) and the raisins. Gently toss ingredients until blended and let sit for at least 15 minutes for the bread to absorb much of the liquid. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the bread pudding is puffed throughout and center is set. Serve warm with caramel sauce.
Apple Brandy Caramel Sauce
¼ c. unsalted butter
1c. lightly packed light brown sugar
½ c. light corn syrup (or agave)
½ c. heavy cream
Optional: 2 Tbl. apple brandy
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring over low heat just until sugar dissolves. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the brandy, and serve the sauce warm over the bread pudding. Note: extra sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.