Apple, Goat Cheese and Honey Tartlets

Apple, Goat Cheese and Honey Tartlets

Warm desserts are great for Fall.  This dessert is pretty easy and and very tasty.  Love the goat cheese and apple combination, especially when it is warm.  It makes it real easy and quick if you do steps 1-7 a day ahead. Just cover and keep frozen. Do not thaw before continuing if you decide to do ahead.  

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4 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten to blend

3/4 cup of soft fresh goat cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 medium Gala apples, quartered, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup honey (preferably dark or spicy), divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 11-inch square.

3. Using 5-inch-diameter cookie cutter or bowl, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet, forming 16 rounds total.

4. Divide 8 pastry rounds between prepared baking sheets; pierce rounds all over with fork.

5. Using 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter or bowl, cut out smaller rounds from center of remaining 8 rounds (reserve 3 1/2-inch rounds for another use), forming eight 5-inch-diameter rings.

6. Brush outer 1-inch edges of 5-inch rounds on baking sheets with beaten egg; top each with 1 pastry ring.

7. Freeze at least 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 375°F.

9. Mix cheese, lemon juice, and salt in bowl; spread mixture inside rings on frozen pastry rounds.

10. Overlap apple slices atop cheese.

11. Mix butter and 1/4 cup honey in small bowl; brush over apples.

12. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

13. Bake until apples are tender and pastry is golden, about 35 minutes.

14. Place tartlets on plates.

15. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each and serve warm or at room temperature.

Pear and Chocolate Tea Bread

This is a recipe I use to make at my tea house for bridal and baby showers.  The bread tends to be moist.  When I think of pears I think of Autumn and the need for warm, comforting things.  This bread can be warmed up with a scoop of ice cream with a drizzle of dulce de leche or caramel for a nice dessert too. 

1 ¾ cups flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar

½ teaspoon salt

4 Bartlett pears, 1/2 inch cubed and divided

2 large eggs

1 stick of soft unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

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Pear and Chocolate Tea Bread

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Butter a bread pan.

4. Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

5. Put half of the pears in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

6. Process to a puree, about 30 seconds.

7. Add the eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and process until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.

8. The mixture may look slightly curdled.

9. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until the flour is evenly moistened.

10. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chopped pears.

11. Gently stir the remaining pears and the chocolate chips into the batter.

12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

13. Sprinkle the reserved pears over the top of the loaf, pressing them gently into the loaf.

14. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

15. Cool the loaf thoroughly in the pan on a wire rack.

Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats

This recipe can be changed up if you like.  You could also cut the orange and put it in when you put in the orange zest and juice.  Almost any nut or dairy milk can be used.  People can also use left over cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving if you like too.  Some days nothing is better than a hearty bowl of oatmeal, especially in fall and winter. 

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Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats

3 cups water

1 cup almond milk or other milk product

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup steel-cut oats

¼ cup craisins 

dash of cinnamon

zest of one orange and juice of one orange

1 tbl of coconut flakes

1 tbl toasted almonds, chopped

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1. In a large saucepan, bring the water and milk to a simmer over medium heat. In the meantime, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.

2. Toast the oats, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, around 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Stir the oats into the simmering water/milk mixture.

4. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.

5. Continue to simmer the mixture.

6. Add craisins and cinnamon, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

7. The oatmeal should be very creamy at this point.

8. Stir in the orange zest and juice, and let the oatmeal stand for 5 minutes before serving.

9. Portion into bowls and top with coconut flakes, toasted almonds, a splash of almond milk.

Chocolate Apricot Bread Pudding

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Chocolate Apricot Bread Pudding

Well it is the time of year for warm and filling deserts. One dessert I think about when the temperature dips lower and lower is bread pudding.  It can also be used for breakfast too. Not everyone is a fan of bread puddings, but I am. 

1 loaf firm, crusty French bread, cut into 1 in. cubes

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1 to 2 in. pieces

1/3 cup dried apricots, cut into 1 in. cubes

3 large eggs

2 cups half and half

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons orange juice

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1. Place the cubed bread in a bowl. 

2. Mix chocolate and dried apricots with the bread.

3. Place the mixture in a buttered 8-inch square pan, scattering some chocolate and apricots over the top.

4. In the bowl, whisk eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice until well blended.

5. Slowly pour liquid over bread.

6. Let stand until bread feels soft all over and most of the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes; occasionally tip pan and spoon liquid over the top.

7. Bake in a 350 degrees oven until custard no longer flows in center when pan is gently tilted, about 30 minutes.

8. If pudding is pale, broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden and crusty, 3 to 4 minutes.

9. Serve warm or cool.

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Moderate Tea Consumption Shows Heart Benefits

Moderate Tea Consumption Shows Heart Benefits

While reading articles in the World Tea News I came upon an article about a study that shows that drinking tea daily might help the heart.  The article was citing a study in the American Journal of Medicine. The study seemed preliminary and more exact research needs to be done, but it stated that drinking a cup a tea daily according to the study will lower cardiovascular incidents by 29 percent than people who never drink tea.  The study does not distinguish between caffeine tea versus non-caffeine tea and does not know what type of tea these people are drinking (black, green, oolong, puerh, white, etc....).  The article also mentioned that maybe it was the healthy lifestyle that many tea drinkers have, so more research needs to be made.  Hopefully, with more research, this proves to be true and well even if it does not I will still be drinking tea daily.

Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese

I have sometimes used red peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, potatoes and other veggies.  It really depends on what I have and what mood I am.  Hope you enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese

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1 pound plum tomatoes

6 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk, warm

2 1/3 cups grated aged Asiago

2 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons fresh black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 pound elbow or penne, cooked and drained

1 cup bread crumbs

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice the tomatoes 1/4 inch thick.

3. Toss the tomatoes and broccoli with the oil and roast separately on parchment-lined baking pans for 30 minutes.

4. Whisk the butter and flour in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat until foamy.

5. Add the milk.

6. Whisk until thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

7. Whisk in the cheeses, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme.

8. Stir in the pasta and broccoli and transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

9. Top with the tomatoes and bake about 30 minutes.

10. Serve.

Mexican Style Lasagna

I have a basic Mexican Style Lasagna recipe that I enjoy improvising. Sometimes I use spinach, sometimes I do not. It really depends on what cheese I use too.  Sometimes I go to a Mexican store and get authentic Mexican cheese, sometimes cheddar, and sometimes pepper jack.  

Mexican Style Lasagna

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

Coarse salt Freshly ground pepper

10 ounces fresh baby spinach

8 corn tortillas (6 inches)

2 cups of cooked black beans

2 cups of corn

1 cup salsa (medium or hot)

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Vegetable cooking spray

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1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, just until coarsely chopped.

3. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with butter

4. Lay four tortillas in bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly.

5. Layer with half of the beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and pepper jack; repeat with remaining ingredients, beginning with tortillas and ending with cheese, and pressing down gently.

6. Cover dish with foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove the foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

8. Cool, 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

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Beet, Cheddar, and Apple Tarts

Beet, Cheddar, and Apple Tarts

Made these at my restaurant.  They are great if you just want a snack or as an appetizer.  Tart apples work best, especially since beet are sweet.  They are simple to make and tasty.  The pictures are from a few times I made them, sometimes with white cheddar and sometimes with yellow.  Different beets can be used too.  

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into six 4 1/2-inch rounds

• 3/4 cup shredded white or yellow cheddar 

• 1 small apple, cored and very thinly sliced

• 1 small beet, scrubbed, peeled, and very thinly sliced

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Place pastry rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. 

3. Divide half the cheese among pastry rounds. 

4. Top each with 2 to 3 apple slices. 

5. Tuck 2 to 3 beet slices among apple slices and top with remaining cheese. 

6. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme. 

7. Bake until pastry is golden brown and slightly puffed, 13 to 15 minutes. 

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Swiss Chard Lasagna

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Butternut Squash, Sage, and Swiss Chard Lasagna

2 medium-sized butternut squash

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb of Swiss Chard, chopped, separate stems and leaves 

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 ounces evaporated milk

3 medium-sized shallots, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

8 ounces lasagna noodles

1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut 1 squash in half lengthwise.

3. Peel the other squash and cut into ½-inch cubes.

4. Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.

5. Remove the seeds from the squash that was cut lengthwise and place cut side down on the cookie sheet.

6. Roast until very soft, about 35-40 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool.

8. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

9. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves.

10. Swirl the skillet to mix and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

11. Add the Swiss chard stems and ¼ teaspoon salt.

12. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes.

13. Remove from heat and stir in the cubed butternut squash and Swiss card chopped leaves. Let cool.

14. Put the evaporated milk, shallots, remaining 2 garlic cloves, and sage in a medium-sized saucepan.

15. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat.

16. Scrape the flesh of roasted squash halves into a large bowl.

17. Mash with a potato masher and then add the milk mixture.

18. Mash to mix. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

19. Coat a 9-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray.

20. Spoon ½ cup of the mashed squash into the bottom of the pan and spread into an even layer.

21. Top with 3 uncooked noodles and spoon 1 cup of the Swiss chard-squash mixture on top.

22. Top with ½ cup of mashed squash and repeat the layers 2 more times ending with ½ cup of mashed squash.

23. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

24. Remove the foil, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of lasagna and bake 10 more minutes.

25. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.