Apple Pastry Squares

In the 1970s, Better Homes and Gardens published a series of cookbooks. In hardcover, the book titles included "Salads," "Cooking for Two," "Meals on a Budget," and "Homemade Cookies." My mother and my aunt had a lot of those books and I loved looking through them. When I married, I collected a few of my own, which I still have, including the last one listed, from which this recipe is taken.

I noted that I first made the recipe on April 9, 1980, and put a star beside it. I'd give it the same rating today, especially with the changes I've made. The pastry is flaky and crisp, the apple filling not too sweet, and the drizzled icing adds the last layer of flavor. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee for dessert. Some like it with ice cream, I prefer it plain.

Regarding what kind of apples to use - I tend to use whatever is in the fridge. Granny Smiths are good and tart. Today I used a couple of small apples scavenged from an abandoned tree, plus some organic Honey Crisp apples from the store. 

Apple Pastry Squares


For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, separated
about 2/3 cup milk


In a food processor, combine the salt and flour. Cut the butter into chunks, place on top of the flour and pulse until fine crumbs form. Place the egg yolk in a measuring cup and add milk to make 3/4 cup. Whisk slightly, pour over the flour/butter mixture and pulse just until the dough comes together. Wrap in waxed paper and chill about 10 minutes.


Filling:
1 cup granola (or Corn Flakes)
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon


Divide dough in half. Cut a sheet of parchment paper that will fit into a 15.5 x 10.5 x 1 inch baking sheet with some overlap. On the paper, roll one half of the dough into a rectangle, about 15 x 10 inches. The dough is quite soft and fragile, but mends easily. Add flour to the surface as needed to prevent sticking. Lift the parchment paper and dough and place into the baking pan. 


Sprinkle the granola over the pastry in the pan, leaving about 1/2 inch free around the edges. Top with the apple slices. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. 


Roll the remaining pastry and place over the apples. Seal the edges. Cut small slits in the top of the pastry. Beat the egg white until frothy, brush over the pastry top. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. The pastry will be golden brown and the apples tender.


Glaze:
1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
3-4 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


While the pastry is still warm, drizzle the glaze over top. 

Eggplant and Kale Bake

Wow, I've been away from this blog for quite awhile. It's not that I haven't been cooking! 

This recipe is a little of this and a little of that, making it up as I went along. But the result was really good - a meatless entrée that filled our tummies with satisfying goodness. Rich tomato sauce, eggplant slices with a bit of kale from the garden and cheese in between, topped with a little more cheese - who needs meat? 

There are a few steps to this recipe, especially if you make your own tomato sauce, which I did. I won't give you a recipe for that, I'm sure everyone has their favorite. It should be a nice thick chunky sauce, whether you buy it in a jar or cook it up yourself and fill the kitchen with delectable fragrance. But the recipe can be made ahead, and even frozen for future baking.

Eggplant and Kale Bake

1 large eggplant, washed, sliced crosswise in 1/2 inch slices

olive oil

salt, pepper

2 cups of washed, coarsely chopped kale (Spinach or Swiss chard would also work)

2-3 cups of thick tomato sauce

1 cup fresh cheese (ricotta) I used a fresh cheese from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, just down the road)

1 egg

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (or Fontina)

Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil. Place them in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until tender, turning them over once. This will take 20-30 minutes in total.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the kale and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well. Cool. Press out any remaining water.

Combine the fresh cheese, kale, egg, Parmesan cheese, oregano and basil until well mixed.

In an 8 inch square baking pan, spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place slices of eggplant over to cover. Top with 1/2 of the kale cheese mixture. Spoon 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce over. Repeat layers. Top with a final layer of eggplant slices and the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the grated Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot throughout.

Makes four generous servings.  

Squash and Green Beans

Faced with an abundance of crookneck squash, I came up with this recipe that includes a few green beans, red onion, and a balsamic vinegar and fresh basil finish. It's mellow and goes with almost anything.

Squash and Green Beans

1 medium crookneck squash, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

1-2 cups green beans, tipped and cut into 1-inch lengths

1/4 of a large red onion

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions for about 1 minute. Add the squash and green beans. Continue sautéeing for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes or until tender crisp. Uncover the skillet and let the mixture simmer until almost all of the liquid is gone. Add the balsamic vinegar, season to taste. Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh basil.

Blueberry Clafoutis

In the past I've made cherry clafoutis, and peach clafoutis. Tonight I thought a blueberry clafoutis sounded good. And it was. I used basically the same recipe as for the cherry clafoutis, with slight alterations.

Blueberry Clafoutis

2 cups washed blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup cream

pinch of salt

cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 or 10 inch round baking dish. Place the blueberries in the bottom of the dish.

Beat together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy and light-coloured. Beat in the flour, vanilla, lemon zest, cinnamon and cream. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture.

Pour the batter over the blueberries. It will be thin. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar, or icing sugar over top. Serve warm.

Avocado Strawberry Salad

Fresh strawberries are one of summer's joys. Inspired by my daughter, I came up with this salad. Her version has lime juice and cilantro, which would be equally delicious, but I had no limes in the house, and the man I love and cook for detests cilantro. 

Avocado Strawberry Salad

fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced if large

avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

candied ginger, finely chopped ( I used 2 teaspoons of this to one avocado)

freshly chopped parsley

Combine all and gently toss with raspberry vinaigrette. (Mine has a hint of mustard in it.) Serve over lettuce, or on its own. Simple, and oh, so delicious.


Linking to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins and Capers

I found this recipe in the French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook about 2 weeks ago and have made it twice already. Mellow cauliflower, a little sweet, a little salt and a bit of crunch add up to something that tickles the taste buds in a very satisfying way. It's good hot or at room temperature. I've altered the recipe slightly, cutting down on the olive oil, and substituting sunflower seeds for the pine nuts.

1/3 cup raisins 

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets

3 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon capers, drained and slightly chopped (or leave whole)

3 Tablespoons roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds (or pine nuts)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the raisins and vinegar in a small bowl and allow the raisins to plump for about 30 minutes. 

Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. Season to taste and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, turning occasionally. It may not take this long - watch for browning.

In a medium bowl, combine the raisins, along with the vinegar, capers, sunflower seeds and remaining olive oil. Season lightly.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and pour the raisin-caper mixture over the cauliflower, tossing gently. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue roasting for an additional 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and sprinkle with parsley. 

Nut Crusted Little Qualicum Brie Cheese Salad

I've made this salad quite often for a number of years and don't even know where the inspiration for it came from. It's simple and tastes so good, the creamy cheese melting against the crunchy nuts with a slight buttery taste offset by the crisp greens. Really, there's little to improve on.

As far as a recipe goes, it's very loose: 

Set out three small bowls. In one place a couple of tablespoons of flour, in another one beaten egg, and in the third, some chopped nuts. These could be almonds (as above), pecans or walnuts. Hazelnuts might be good, too. 

Cut the Brie cheese into wedges, not too thick. The last time I served this I used thicker wedges and I think I prefer the thinner ones - the ratio of crust to cheese is better.

Coat the wedges with flour, then egg, then nuts. I use one hand for the flour, the other for the eggs and nuts. It's a little messy, but the end result is well worth the effort. Place the wedges on a plate and chill them, if you like, up to 4 or 5 hours. They can also be cooked immediately, but it's nice to do this ahead. 

Melt a little butter in a small skillet and when it's hot, almost browning, add the cheese wedges. Quickly sauté them on each side. They should sizzle a little and the cheese will begin to ooze. Place them on a plate of greens that has been drizzled with your choice of salad dressing - raspberry vinaigrette is good. And, if it's berry season, add some raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries to the salad. But really, this salad is all about the cheese.