Baked Apples with Dried Fruit and Walnuts

I actually timed the making of this dish perfectly. Alabama had a strange heat wave that lasted almost a week. But the morning I woke up and saw that it was perfectly cool inside my apartment I knew it was time to make something warm and cozy. Baked apples sounded like the perfect thing. This is a little more complex than the butter and caramel candy version you made in elementary school (when you were studying Johnny Appleseed). I think you'll love it!


I found the recipe on Eating Well's Facebook page. They even knew how to sell it to me with the line "served with a dollop of vanilla yogurt". At that point, I knew I was in. It's also pretty easy if you keep a stocked pantry. My room mate had just made apple cider, so we had plenty in the fridge. I had everything else but the nuts and presserves. I couldn't find apricot presserves at the corner market ran by an Indian family (which means it's an interesting place to visit), but they had peach presserves. So I figured that was an easy substitution. I also used molasses instead of maple syrup (much cheaper and already in my pantry). Don't even think about using pancake syrup. I might have to come and slap you if I find out.


All I can say is that it's the perfect fall breakfast or dessert. And because it's dessert... I never feel the need to make just two servings! I ate it with yogurt for breakfast, but I think it would be good with oatmeal too!








Baked Apples with Dried Fruit and Walnuts
(Serves 6)

6 medium Golden Delicious apples
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup raisins, or dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (optional)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a shallow 8-by-12-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Core apples all the way through with an apple corer, making a 1-inch-wide hole. Peel the upper third of each apple. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh about 1/4 inch deep around the circumference, more or less where the peeled and unpeeled areas meet. With the paring knife angled down, cut a shallow crater around the top of the hole to help hold the preserves that will go there. Set aside while you make the filling.

3. Place walnuts, raisins (or dried cranberries) and coconut (if using) in a food processor. Chop the mixture fairly well, but not too fine; you want it to remain somewhat textured. Add syrup, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg; pulse several times to combine.

4. Place the apples in the prepared baking dish and gently press 1/4 cup filling into each cavity. Spoon a generous tablespoon of preserves onto the crater of each apple.

5. Combine cider and butter in a small saucepan; heat over low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour the liquid over and around the apples.

6. Cover the apples loosely with tented foil and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. Remove foil and baste the apples well. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 20 to 35 minutes more (depending on the size of the apples), basting every 10 minutes, until the apples are tender throughout. The best way to test them is with a thin bamboo skewer; the slightest bit of resistance near the center is OK because they'll finish cooking as they cool. Let the apples cool right in the pan, basting periodically. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, with some of the pan juices spooned over each.

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

PBS has this amazing channel that is an amalgamation of DIY, HGTV, Travel Channel, and Food Network. It's called Create. Since I don't have cable, I find myself going back to commercial free goodness of PBS. Sure, some of the food shows don't have anyone screaming "Bam!" or my girl Giada pushing her boobs together while she bites into Nutella covered fruit, but the programming is quality.

One of my favorite PBS programs is America's Test Kitchen. Each episode is dedicated to a single dish or theme, where they have worked and tested to create the "perfect" recipe. I especially love the bow-tie guy who has to blindly test things like jarred salsa and boxed brownies and pick one he likes best (he usually just picks the one he hates the least). So I was quite excited when I found a cookbook they had written specifically for two (thank you JCLC!). This particular recipe is from "Cooking for Two, 2009" (yes, there is a 2010.... I can only hope there is a 2011!)

Well gang, Dennis is out of town for a few days. So I am back to cooking for one till he returns. I had a fridge full of veggies, but it was getting late and I was hungry. For whatever reason, I decided to just make a very simple pantry meal that I discovered in this book, Spaghetti with Fried Eggs. I was a little weirded out by the thought... but after reading the ingredients list I realized I had everything in my pantry. Score! My tummy was doing the thinking.

Okay, so this is a snap to put together. I took photos of the process, but it's rather boring. You basically toast up some bread crumbs, infuse olive oil with garlic and chili flakes, cook pasta, and fry some eggs... and you are done. This recipe could have easily been halved for one, but I wanted the left overs for breakfast tomorrow. Be warned, the recipe is kind of long winded. But it tells you what to do exactly, so there is no confusion.

This is kind of carb fest (pasta with a bread sauce?), but I made it a little healthier by using whole what spaghetti and reducing the olive oil a bit. I was kind of shocked by how much I liked it. So if you are reading this and crinkling your nose... STOP! Give it a whirl the next time you find absolutely nothing in your fridge.

Infusing olive oil, very low heat!

Toasted bread crumbs? Check!

Fried eggs, before I put the lid on to cook the top.

The main event with sliced tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar.

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

(Serves Two)

2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 pound spaghetti

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

2 large eggs, cracked into a small bowl

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pules. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil, pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Spread the crumbs out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry, about 25 minutes.

2. Cook 2 tablespoons more oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic foams and is sticky and straw colored, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the garlic mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a wad of paper towels and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until al dente. A minute or two before draining the pasta, return the skillet to low heat for 5 minutes (for the eggs). Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

4. Stir 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, garlic mixture, and 2 tablespoons more oil, the cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the pasta. Cover and set aside to keep warm while cooking eggs.

5. When the skillet is hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the pan. Quickly add the eggs to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover the eggs and remove from heat.

6. Loosen the pasta with the remaining reserved cooking water as desired, then divide it between two individual serving bowls. Sprinkle each serving with the bread crumbs. Carefully slide the 1 fried egg on top of the pasta in each bowl and serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.

SNAP Challege Update: Week Three

I think Dennis and I may come out even after all. I decided that the last couple of weeks, to stay under budget we’d just eat very simple meals. These are meals that I throw together with absolutely no recipes and using just what I have on hand. We bought some eggs, cheese, and fruit to supplement the box. Other than that, I was on my own. This is very rare for me. I usually have very detailed menus, using recipes that incorporate my local vegetables.

So Wednesday night rolled around and I had to figure out what I could make with on hand ingredients. I still had half a bag of red leaf kale and some pork sausage (left over from my Potato and Kale Soup). I took the eggs and cheese we bought, added some red onion, and made a frittata. I served it with some boiled potatoes mashed with Gorgonzola cheese (leftover from Polenta Squash Sauté), and steamed some broccoli that was just a few days shy of becoming completely wilted and rubbery. We even had some left overs to enjoy, which is rare for this Tiny Tables cook.

Here is the recipe I used for the first frittata I ever made. It’s scaled down to serve two. Perfect for Tiny Tables!

Thursday I found out one of my best friends was coming into town very briefly from Chicago. I got asked to cook, and I couldn’t turn down the request. As it was so last minute, I literally had no time to make anything elaborate. Nor did I want to break too much from the budget. I had some potatoes, cheese, bacon, and eggs; all the makings for another excellent frittata. I had some cucumbers and red onions that I sliced up and dressed with mustard vinaigrette. To finish it off, I cooked grits, made sweet tea, and a banana bunt cake.

This whole feast only required me to buy a dozen more eggs at the local convenient store. Everything else I had on hand in my pantry. Now I understand that some of you may not have a well-stocked pantry, but buying a bottle of vinegar here and some vanilla extract there will help you for impromptu moments.

Frittatas are a cheap and easy meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I learned Saturday that people really enjoy them, and it feels much more substantial and luxurious than simply serving breakfast for dinner. Somehow eggs and cheese can take even the most random ingredients and make them have a cohesive taste.

Crab and Spinach Quiche

Broccoli and Cheese Frittata

I have been participating in the June Food Stamp Challenge issued by Katy at The Non-Consumer Advocate. To see more about this challenge, visit her blog where she updates daily on her progress.