Tag Archives: recipes

Apple Crisp for One (or Two)

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Very easy, very tasty.

One of the great things about living near Wenatchee, Washington’s “Apple Capital,” is the wide availability of fresh-picked apples each autumn. Not only am I able to buy local apples direct from packing companies like Stemilt’s Bountiful Fruit store in North Wenatchee (which ships, by the way), but I can often get out in an orchard and pick the less marketable fruit left behind. Indeed, just last week, after dropping off some passengers for a meeting at an orchard, I walked through an organic gala apple block and picked a half dozen apples that were just too small to pick. (I get cherries and pears like this, too.)

I was invited to dinner at a friend’s house the other day and told my host I’d bring apple crisp. I wanted to make just enough for him and his three guests. So I found a recipe that was easily scalable. It came out great with those galas. So good that I made myself a single serving of hot apple crisp the next day for breakfast.

Here’s my scalable recipe. This will serve one or two.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium or large apple. I used gala.
  • 2 tablespoons raisins (optional). I didn’t use them. I really don’t care much for raisins, but they do go good in apple crisp.
  • 2 teaspoons sugar. I use raw cane sugar.
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt (optional).
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar. Packed, of course.
  • 2 tablespoons oatmeal. Do not use instant oatmeal. Ever. (Ick.)
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter. I used frozen butter cut into small pieces.
  • Additional butter to butter pan.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter a small baking dish and set aside.
  3. Cut up the apple and place it in a small bowl. You can cut it however you like; keep in mind that the smaller the pieces, the faster they’ll cook.
  4. Add raisins (if you’re including them), sugar, cinnamon, and salt (if you’re including it). Toss to coat apples with sugar and cinnamon.
  5. Place apple mixture in the prepared baking dish.
  6. Mix together brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and butter pieces. Using your fingers, blend until the butter is in very small pieces and well mixed in. This could take about 2 minutes.
  7. Apple Crisp for OneSprinkle the topping over the apples.
  8. Bake until apple is tender, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the apple pieces. (If you used a glass baking dish, you should see the apples bubbling in their juices.)
  9. Cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.

This is amazingly delicious with coffee for breakfast or with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Easy Baked Brie

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A recipe for a friend.

Baked BrieBaked brie is one of my favorite appetizers — and something I like to make for guests when having a dinner or cocktail party. I made it the other night for dinner at a friend’s house; I did all the prep at home and baked it in her oven. It was the second time she’d had it and she asked me to write down the recipe. I thought it would be easiest to just share it here. As you’ll see, it’s very easy.

Ingredients:

  • Small round of brie cheese.
  • Pillsbury French Loaf1 package Pillsbury Crusty French Loaf (or similar). You should be able to find this in the refrigerator section of your supermarket.
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves.
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds.
  • Cooking oil spray for pan.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Coat cookie sheet or pizza pan with a thin layer of cooking oil spray.
  3. Carefully open bread dough package.
  4. On a flat surface (or the prepared pan), unroll the dough. This can be difficult, especially if the dough is at room temperature. You want to get it started on the entire length of the loaf first, then unroll evenly. When you’re done, you should have a flat sheet of dough. Do not handle it more than necessary.
  5. Place the dough on the prepared pan.
  6. Unwrap the brie and place it in the middle of the dough.
  7. Spread apricot preserves evenly over the top of the brie.
  8. Sprinkle almonds evenly over the apricot preserves.
  9. Bring one corner of the dough up over the cheese. Repeat this process with the opposite corner of the dough and then with the other two corners. The cheese should be completely covered.
  10. If necessary, pinch to seal cheese inside dough.
  11. If desired, sprinkle a few more almonds on top for decoration.
  12. Bake at 350 until bread is well browned. Cheese should melt inside dough.
  13. Serve hot on a serving plate. When you slice into the bread, the cheese may melt out.

Root Vegetable Soup

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All natural, easy to make, and sweet as candy.

Root Vegetable SoupI know winter is over, but that doesn’t stop me from making soup. Soup, after all, is comfort food, and we can all use a little comfort now and then — some more than others.

Today’s concoction: my root vegetable soup.

I came upon this recipe a while back by accident. I was making some other kind of soup and simply put too many vegetables into it. The vegetable flavor overpowered the intended flavor — and it tasted good.

Here’s how I made it today.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped.
  • 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • 3 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and then cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • 1 large parsnip, cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • 1 medium purple-top turnip, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • Water

You can also add or substitute in leeks (which I forgot to buy), yellow squash (in addition to or in place of zucchini), and other root vegetables. You don’t want to add vegetables that would take away that sweet taste, like peppers. Ick.

Of course, a real root vegetable soup would exclude the celery and zucchini. But I wouldn’t put potatoes in, even though they are root vegetables.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can be as creative as you like here.

You can also make or buy pre-made meatballs to add to the soup during or after the cooking process. I admit I buy the pre-made chicken meatballs, sold in vacuum packs in the supermarket section when you can find chicken sausage, etc.

You’ll note that the recipe does not include any seasoning. I don’t think it needs it. The vegetables are extremely sweet and flavorful. You might try adding herbs like sage or tarragon if you like that flavor, though. I use salted butter and that’s enough salt for me.

Instructions:

  1. In a medium to large pot, melt the butter on medium to low heat.
  2. Add the vegetables. I added them one by one as I prepared them in the order listed above. Each time I added one, I stirred the pot to keep the vegetables covered with the butter.
  3. Gently sauté the vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow them to brown.
  4. Add enough water to cover all the vegetables.
  5. Bring contents of pot to a boil, then cover pot and turn down to simmer.
  6. If you’re adding meatballs, this might be a good time to do it.
  7. Simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are tender.
  8. Serve hot and enjoy!

If you like a soupier soup, add more water up front. I like mine to be more of a bowl of vegetables with vegetable broth, so I minimize the amount of water. (You can always add water later; you can’t take it away.)

I also thought about pureeing the soup in a blender, but I don’t have a blender. (It broke last year and was never replaced.) That might be something to try once I settle down again and get a blender.