Hard Cider Sweet Potato Bisque

Filling yet so fresh. I really enjoyed this soup, and garnished it with my baked pumpkin seeds!

Hard Cider Sweet Potato Bisque
from Bakeaholic Mama
serves 6

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 large yellow onion, quartered
2 small apples, peeled and cored
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs butter
4 cups vegetable stock (or chick'n)
1 bottle hard cider
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 cup cream

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, add onion, apples, garlic, and butter to a large pot over medium heat. Saute until apples break down and onions are translucent.
4. Add stock, cider, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Simmer on medium-low heat until potatoes are finished baking.
5. Once potatoes are cooked and have cooled enough to handle, cut down the middle and scoop our the flesh. Add to the pot.
6. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend soup until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream and serve.

Apple Almond Quinoa

My second use of quinoa! It's quickly becoming my new favorite food. So fast and simple to make, it has amazing texture, and from all I've read, it's relatively good for you.

Apple Almond Quinoa
from a Couple Cooks
serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 apple (I used Jonathan), cored and finely chopped
1.5 Tbs. chives, thinly sliced
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup craisins
1.5 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper
dash of lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:
1. Add quinoa,  1.5 cups water, and a pinch of salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 13-15 minutes until all water has been absorbed. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. Place the almonds in a dry skillet and toast over medium low heat for a few minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.
3. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and allow to cool for a bit. Add all remaining ingredients to the quinoa, toss to combine, and serve.

Roasted Apple and Carrot Soup

Great fall-time soup. I never would have though of roasting apples, but I really liked it! Also the browned butter with paprika is genius. Adds such a complex flavor with so little effort.

Roasted Apple and Carrot Soup
from An Edible Mosaic

Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots, scrubbed, ends trimmed, and chopped into 1" long pieces
1 medium-large onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 medium-large apple, cored and quartered
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt + more (to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
2 Tbs. butter, divided
2 (large) cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. paprika
 Optional: sour cream or chives to garnish

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
2. Line a cookie sheet (if desired). Toss carrots, onion, apple, olive oil, salt, and half the black pepper together and place on baking sheet in an even layer. Roast veggies in the oven until tender and partially golden (~30 mins), stirring half way through.
3. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a medium-sized soup pot over medium-heat. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other half of black pepper and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add stock and roasted veggies and turn off heat.
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender, or a regular blender. Transfer back to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Salt to taste.
5. In a butter-melting pan, add remaining 1 Tbs. butter and paprika, and whisk until butter is browned (until it smells nutty and brown bits appear).

Apple Onion Cheese Gratin

This pairs well with a hearty salad and a glass of white wine. The apples I used were from my family's trees at home, so the brown sugar wasn't necessary. It ended up being quite sweet naturally. Thank you fall for your bounteous goods!

Apple Onion Cheese Gratin
from Erza Pound Cake (originally from Moosewood New Restaurant Classics)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cheddar (or Gruyère), grated
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. brown sugar (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 11" x 7" (3 qt.) baking dish.
2. In a small pot, scald milk over medium heat, just before boiling but not after.
3. In another small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Then whisk in flour until fully combined.
4. Slowly whisk in the scalded milk. Add nutmeg, salt, and cloves, and whisk continuously until the sauce starts to thicken.
5. Spread apples and onions evenly in prepared dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over, and then pour the sauce on top.
6. Sprinkle over the pecans, bread crumbs, and sugar (if using). Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.

Apple Dessert Pizza

My brother came up for the weekend, and I asked him if he wanted pizza. He said yes, and we went to the local pizzaria. While there, he wanted a slice of dessert pizza. $2.50 a slice! Outraged and unwilling to pay such fees, I told him, I will make you a dessert pizza. And here it is. : D

Turned out deliciously. Took the leftovers to a party the evening I made it and it got good reviews.


Apple Dessert Pizza
from cooks.com

Ingredients:
2 9-inch pie crusts, uncooked
6 or so apples
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Roll out pie pastry into a circle to fit on a pie pan.
3. Core apples, and cut into thin slices (1/4" thick or so). Layer on top of pastry.
4. Combine half sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and pour evenly over apples.
5. Combine flour, remaining sugar, and butter. Mix together until a nice grainy paste is formed.
6. Layer as evenly as possible on top of the apples.
7. Bake for 40 minutes making sure not to burn the dough on top.

(Almost) Naked Juice Orange Mango

I was inspired to make my very-own naked juice when I saw how few ingredients there were on the label. You'll need a juicer for this (and a blender). On the label it says mango and banana puree, and apple and orange juice, so I blended and juiced those fruits together (respectively). There's also 'natural flavors', so that could be anything. Overall, I didn't have quite the same texture as naked juice, nor the same flavor. I believe I added too much banana (compared to theirs), and I'm almost positive they sifted some of the pulp out of their banana-mango puree (but not enough so it counted as juice... I don't know the technical regulations on that). It turned out pretty well, it was fun to make, but I don't think I'd make it again. Too much work for little return. It's, alas, easier just to buy the pre-made naked juice.


Yeay dishes!
Mango-banana puree
apple-orange juice

Orange Mango (Almost) Naked Juice

Ingredients:


Instructions:
1. Combine banana (I used 1/3 a banana) and mango (peeled) in blender, and blend until pureed.
2. Place orange slices (peeled) and apple slices (cored) in juicer, and juice.
3. Pour juice from juicer into mango-banana puree, and blend until smooth.
4. Enjoy! (chilling optional)

Autumn vegetable melody

Today was a nice, cold, autumn day. Thus, I was inspired to make a blend of my local seasonal produce! I bought a HUGE squash at the Columbia, MO farmers market, and still have some of the hand-picked apples my friend gave me. So, those went perfectly with my onions and potatoes I need to use up.





Autumn vegetable melody

Ingredients:
2 medium white potatoes
1/4 white onion
2 small red cooking apples
1 1/2 cup diced butternut squash
2 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
2 T. medium-packed chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Core and dice apple, onion, and potatoes, leaving the skin on both potatoes and apples.
2. Heat skillet to medium-low heat, and add butter. While waiting for pan to heat, chop parsley.
3. Add potatoes, onion, apples, and squash to pan, sprinkle salt on top. Cook and caramelize for 35 minutes or so, stirring every 5.
4. Take off heat, add parsley, and serve.