Two Cooks One Kitchen Blog

Apple Pear Crumble

2012-01-09T21:00:51Z

Our fall CSA boxes left us with a refrigerator draw full of apples and pears. Apples usually don't last long in our house as I eat one almost every day (it is the perfect snack at 4:30pm to help me get through a workout after work) but these apples were really ideal for baking rather than snacking. So they started to pile up.

Crumbles are such a great late fall and winter dessert. They make the house smell amazing and they are pure comfort food. This one is delicious. Even if there are only two of you in the house, it won't last long.

This recipe is a keeper for us. I did cut back the sugar by half - the fruit brought enough sweetness on its own. But if your apples are particularly tart you might want a bit more sugar. And it doesn't really need whipped cream as suggested for serving, although a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is a lovely addition.

Apple, Pear, and Dried-Cherry Crumble

Serves 6-8
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
2 large pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3 cups)
1 cup dried cherries (about 6 ounces) (dried cranberries are a tasty substitution)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch oval ceramic baking dish. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples, pears, and dried cherries to bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared dish.

Using fingertips, mix butter, brown sugar, lemon peel, remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Crumble butter mixture over fruit.

Bake until fruit bubbles at edges and crumble is crisp and beginning to brown on top, about 1 hour. Cool about 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or perhaps fresh whipped cream.

Apple Coffee Cake Muffins with Yogurt

2012-01-08T22:00:16Z

Muffins have become something of a staple for us lately. They are perfect for tossing in your work back for an alternative to the vending machine or coffee shop treats. I have been wrapping them in plastic wrap and freezing them to help them last longer. These apple coffee cake muffins are so yummy for a mid-morning snack. They are nice and moist and have lots of good for you points with the apples, walnuts, and yogurt.

I slightly adjusted this recipe to add in a little whole wheat flour (and the cinnamon). It is amazing to me that I am doing that now - swapping in whole wheat flour for a baked good! Not too long ago I would have had zero interest in add in that whole wheat but lately the extra bit of nutrition seems like a good idea. And muffins are perfect for this - you don't even notice! I really dislike super wheaty flavoring so if you are still holding out on adding in whole wheat flour to your baking this is a good recipe to try and ease into it.

Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

Makes 16 muffins
Adapted from: Kitchen M

1 c. unbleached AP flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

6 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes and softened to room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 c. plain non-fat yogurt
3 apples, peeled, cored, diced into small pieces

Topping:
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon, ground

Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Prepare topping first. Mix brown sugar, walnuts and ground cinnamon in a small cup and set a side. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together, mix well and set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg and egg white and continue to beat. Add yogurt and mix well.

Pour flour mixture into the wet mixture and fold using a spatula. Stir in diced apples gently and avoid over mixing.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle on the topping, I like to slightly push in the nuts. Bake at 375 F for 18 minutes or so until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!

Hold The Presses...Bourbon Update.

2011-11-27T15:49:19Z

A quick update to my recent post about how awesome Kentucky Bourbon is...

On a recent trip to Binnys (our huge liquor store), I was given a tip about a relatively new bourbon from a distillery in the the midwest that was giving Kentucky a run for their money. A bourbon built on a 75% corn base, with rye and barley making up the other 25%. A bourbon given 5 stars by the New York Times. A bourbon from....Iowa! Yes, Cedar Ridge Distillery produces an incredible Bourbon whiskey that blew me out of the water. It is so smooth there is no need to drink it anyway but neat. Give it a try, if you don't like it, ship the rest to me!

http://cedarridgedistillery.com/

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

2011-11-14T00:46:35Z

Spaghetti squash is another one of those things that can be added to the list of things that I wouldn't be eating if weren't for the CSA. I did a little internet searching for recipes using spaghetti squash and landed on this gratin. It was such a good find!

This recipe was super tasty and definitely a good way to prepare squash if you are not entirely sold on it. The recipe called for basil but I thought that lemon thyme would be a good way to season this and was quite happy with the results. Also, this might be the first time that I wished that I had a gratin pan... not because it would make the food taste any better (I used a pyrex pan it turned out perfect) but because it would be so pretty for pictures! Oh well!

This recipe makes a lot for a small household, if your not fond of leftovers I might recommend it for when having friends over for dinner. It goes nicely with roasted meat or a grilled steak.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Serves six as a main dish, eight as a side.

Lightly Adapted from The New York Times

1 spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the squash on top. Bake for one hour, turning the squash every 20 minutes until it is soft and easy to cut into with a knife. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Cut in half lengthwise, and allow to cool further. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)

2. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper and lemon thyme. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Advance preparation: The baked spaghetti squash will keep for four days in the refrigerator. The gratin can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The recipe can be made through step 2 several hours before completing the gratin and baking.

Enjoy!

Bourbon...neat...nuff said.

2011-11-01T16:38:05Z

As I have gotten older, I have found myself drawn to more craft or smaller batches of things. No more do I find solice in Banana Republic or Heinken beer. I like when there is more attention to detail and soul in something, whether it's a piece of clothing or a glass of alcohol. There is something satisfying about taking a sip of art.

In the last year or so I have fallen for Bourbon Whiskey. I find it soothing. When i talk about Bourbon, I suppose I should put some context to it. Bourbon isn't Tennessee Whiskey...ie Jack Daniels. It is 51% corn, aged in NEW oak barrels (unlike Scotch), it isn't aged for an eternity (like Scotch), can only come from the United States (unlike Whiskey), nothing can be added to the final product (no caramel coloring), and it has to be at least 80 proof.

Each distillery puts a slight twist on the recipe and process which gives each one an unique product. Recently in a trip to Louisville, I discovered "Angels Envy".

Besides having an incredibly beautiful bottle, they have produced a beautiful spirit. It has a smoothness unlike any other, a hint of chocolate and Port....Port? It's aged in Port barrels, which might be against the law to call it bourbon but the barrels are oak and new before the port goes into them to add flavor.
My other go-to favorite would be Woodford Reserve. Woodford is a premium, small batch bourbon from Woodford County.

Light in color but robust in flavor without any sharpness. A perfect bourbon to drink neat.

As I am about to emark on a trip to New York City, I feel I should mention there is a distillery that produces Bourbon called Hudson Baby Bourbon.

I haven't tried it, but I have heard good things. I feel it's appropriate while I enjoy dinner in the Big Apple.

Vanilla Bean Plum Pear Jam

2011-10-11T12:00:41Z

There is one thing that can occasionally be really difficult about a CSA box... eating all of it before something spoils! When there are only two of you and a work is a little crazy and you are going away for the weekend, well those are the times that it can be a challenge to make sure that something out of that awesome CSA box doesn't go to waste. A few weeks ago I found myself staring at a container of ripe plums and pears on the eve of heading out of town for a little getaway. I just couldn't toss them!

So it was time to make a batch of jam. I turned up the Rolling Stones station on Pandora and set to work.

It might sound like an odd combination, plum and pear, but it is so good! The purple from the plum makes it a really pretty color. And I tend to love that little something extra that comes with a vanilla bean scraped in with the fruit... so in it went. This jam is destined to be a holiday gift.

My Generation by The Who is a pretty excellent soundtrack to making jam.

Vanilla Bean Plum Pear Jam

2.2 pounds of fruit (I had about 2/3rds of it as pear)

1 pound of sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Peel and dice the fruit, mix it with the sugar and vanilla bean (split and scraped) in a medium bowl and let sit for an hour.

Bring fruit mixture to a boil in a large pot, stirring often.

Cook, stirring often, until bubbles slow, foam subsides, fruit rises to the top, and jam sticks to a wooden or metal spoon when lifted from mixture, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Can to make shelf stable. Or for more immediate use, let cool for 1 hour and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Jam

2011-10-10T12:00:35Z

It started innocently enough. We had some rhubarb that was threatening to go bad if we didn't enjoy it immediately. And while purusing the internet I came across a recipe for rhubarb jam. So I made a batch and marveled at how easy it was and how awesome it would be have this winter. Before I knew it I had filled one of our cupboards with eight batches of jam.

I had never considered rhubarb jam before but oh my is it good. Jars of this stuff don't last long in our fridge. I made three varieties this summer- Vanilla Bean Rhubarb, Rosemary Rhubarb, and Rhubarb Orange. Yummy.

Rhubarb Jam

Source: Martha Stewart

2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise, 1/2 inch thick (6 1/2 cups)

1 pound sugar (2 1/4 cups)

Salt

Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Bring rhubarb, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot, stirring often.

Cook, stirring often, until bubbles slow, foam subsides, fruit rises to the top, and jam sticks to a wooden or metal spoon when lifted from mixture, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Can to make shelf stable. Or for more immediate use, let cool for 1 hour and refrigerate.

To make Vanilla Bean Rhubarb

Stir 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) into a bowl with the sugar and let it sit for at least an hour. As the jam begins to thicken remove the bean.

To make Rosemary Rhubarb

Stir 1 decent sized rosemary strand into a bowl with the sugar and let it sit for at least an hour. As the jam begins to thicken remove the rosemary strand.

To make Rhubarb Orange

2 navel oranges, segmented (removing the membranes and seeds)

zest from oranges

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 lbs rhubarb

2 cups sugar

Baked Shells with Butternut Squash

2011-10-08T20:07:05Z

Fall has found us. Just as our taste preferences have begun to switch gears for more comfort style dishes the produce at the markets and in our CSA box have transitioned as well. Gone are the jewel toned berries and in their place are the squash and root veggies.

With our first butternut squash of the season we thought about soup but were really wanting something with pasta. A quick skim of The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles brought us to Baked Shells with Butternut Squash. Yes please!

This is an excellent option for a Sunday dinner. It does require a bit of time from start to finish but it is worth and is good for the type of multi-tasking one might be doing on a Sunday early evening. Since there several different things going on in this recipe (roasting the squash, making the sauce, etc) it is great for cooking together as each person can take a task. Also, we had loads of leftovers... making for a nicely packed lunchbag. I might suggest cutting the recipe in half if there are only two for dinner.

Baked Shells with Butternut Squash

Source: The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles

Serves 8 as a side dish

1 medium butternut squash ( about 1 1/2 lbs), halved lengthwise, strings and seeds discarded

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large leeks, white and light green parts, sliced thin

1 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce

1 lb small shells or penne

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Prehead the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 40 minutes. Cool, scrape the flesh into a medium bowl and mash. Stir in the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.. Transfer to the bowl with the squash. Add the bechamel sauce and stir to combine.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta. Cook until almost al dente but still a little firm. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return to the pot with the reserved liquid.

Add the sauce and 1/4 cup chees to the pasta and stir to combine. Turn the mixture into a buttered 9x13" baking dish and sprink with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is golden and the mixture is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Bechamel Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoons salt

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until hot but not scalded or boiling.

Meanwhile, melt the butter ina medium saucepan over medium heat. When it is foamy, whisk in the flour. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Do not let the flour brown.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot milk and whisk vigorously. When the mixture is smooth whisk in another 2 tablespoons, and then another. Return the pan to very low heat and slowly whisk in the remaining milk, at first in 1/4 cup increments and then 1/2 cup increments until all mixed.

Raise the heat to medium-low. Add the salk and cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Use immediately or cool to room temperature and whisk until smooth before using. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, before using bring to room temperature and whisk until smooth.

Enjoy!

S'more Cupcakes

2011-09-02T02:15:00Z

The end-of-summer days should be filled with savouring summer's best. That might be a final trip to the neighborhood pool or beach, caprese salad with fresh, locally grown tomatoes, dinner on the deck during sunset... And definitely something s'more related. S'mores instantly take me back to summer camp, sing around the campfire with those fast-but-new best friends after a day spent sailing or canoeing on the lake.

For a summer bbq I wanted to take something that was summery but that I could make quickly and with ingredients that I had on hand... So s'more styled cupcakes ended up as the winner. And they couldn't be easier while still making a nice presentation.

For this, it really is just about the decoration and styling so you can use your favorite recipes to bring it together. Here was my process...

1st - Make your favorite chocolate cupcakes, using a cute liner (maybe gingham or stripes like these). My favorite chocolate cake is this one but it makes a lot of cupcakes so...

2nd - Make marshmallow frosting - this one on MS is perfect and very easy.

3rd - Frost your cupcakes, making a cute little swirl from a spoon or use a pastry tip - whichever you prefer (I just used a spoon as this frosting goes on easy and smooth).

4th - Prepare the decorating components - break up graham crackers so you have small squares, crumble a few graham crackers for dusting and cut up a high quality chocolate bar (I used a Valrhona dark chocolate bar that in Chicago you can get at Trader Joes).

5th - Use a kitchen torch to 'toast' your marshmallow frosting.

6th - Immediately sprinkle on the crushed graham cracker and add in the graham cracker and chocolate squares next to each other - I like them at a slight angle.

Voilà!

Refrigerator Pickles

2011-08-19T14:00:36Z

I love pickles. Seriously love them and can snack on them at any time. Last summer I was so excited to grow cucumbers in our small urban garden for the purpose of homemade pickles but then our cucumber plant up and died on me. Boo! This summer we have been getting a steady supply of cucumbers in our CSA box so cucumber making is on.

Refrigerator pickles are quickly becoming a favorite. They are super easy, low time commitment to prepare, quick to be ready to enjoy, and easy to make in small batches - all good things for experimenting with different flavoring. The small batch part is great if you have only a couple of cucumbers on hand and a small family. Usually I favor a dill pickle but I am rather enjoying a blend of spices.

Something that I am working on is having stuff on hand for hostess gifts. I am a 'just-in-time' kind of shopping gal so often find myself empty handed and thus running out last minute in search of something to take as a little thank you for hosts. This summer I have been stocking my shelves with homemade jam and refrigerator pickles for gift giving and it makes it so effortless. Dan thought the refrigerator pickles might be kind of an odd thing to give someone but I would like to receive them so they have found their way into being a hostess gift.

Whether giving or just eating them with the fridge door open - these pickles are in heavy rotation right now.

Refrigerator Pickles

Adapted from various sources
makes two pints

1 quart cucumbers - approximately 1 1/2 pounds (kirby cucumbers are ideal but other varieties work just fine for these)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tsp mustard seeds, black and yellow mix
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
scant 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 spring onions (whites only), chopped - OR thinly sliced red onion

Wash and dry cucumbers. Slice at desired thickness, a mandolin is helpful in getting even slices.

Divide the spices, onion and garlic between the two jars. Pack the cucumber slices into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them. If planning on giving this jar as a gift you can use a few slices to line along the side of the jar, the stack in the center will hold them in place.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on the jars and let them cool before putting in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Enjoy!

~ Tara