Harvest Apple Salad

Candied Pecans:

3 Tbs butter

1 large egg white

1/8 tsp salt

3/8 c sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 cayenne powder

2 c raw pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325℉.  Melt butter on small, rimmed baking sheet (line it with aluminum first!), making sure butter doesn't burn.

In a medium sized bowl, add the egg white and salt and whisk until foamy but still liquidy, 30 seconds or so.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and cayenne powder and mix until well blended and the cinnamon is completely mixed in.

Add the pecans and gently mix until the nuts are well coated, making sure to get underneath to the bottom of the bowl as you mix.

Spread the pecan mixture in an even layer over the melted butter in the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and, using a spatula (the pancake flipping kind), quickly stir the pecans and spread them back into an even layer.  Bake for another 10 minutes, stir again, and spread into an even layer.  Bake for a final 5-10 minutes (watching closely!) until the pecans are sizzling and lightly golden.  Remove pan from the oven, give the pecans another good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Spread them into an even layer and let them rest on the pan for 1-2 hours WITHOUT STIRRING AGAIN until completely cooled and the sugar coating has set.  The pecans will keep for up to a week well-covered in a cool, dry place (not the fridge).

While the pecans are baking combine all ingredients for your Vinaigrette Dressing in a blender, blending until smooth (refrigerate until ready to use):

1/2 c olive oil

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 Tbs honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt (if using table salt, use half)

pinch of black pepper

Salad:

6 c baby spring greens, baby arugula, baby kale, or combination

1 c chopped apple (about 1 medium apple-- fuji, cosmic crisp, or honeycrisp works well here)

3/4 c candied pecans

1/2 c craisins

1/2 c lightly salted, roasted pumpkin seeds (can sub salted, shelled sunflower seeds)

1/2 cooked and crumbled bacon (about 6 strips)

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (this is way better if you buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself!)

1/4 c thinly sliced red onions

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Heath Bar Cookies

1 c butter, cold and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 c white sugar

3/4 c light brown sugar

1 egg

1.5 c flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 Heath candy bars chopped into roughly 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375℉.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine the butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Add the eggs and beat again until fully incorporated.  Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while beating to combine.

Stir in the chopped candy bars, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.  Use a medium-sized scoop to place generous 2 Tbs sized scoops of dough onto the lined cookie sheet.  Bake 11-12 minutes until just barely browned around the edges.  Remove from the oven while still soft, as soon as they are puffy and cracked on top.  

Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer to wire cooling racks and allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

From Grace with Chocolate

Korean Beef Quesadillas

KOREAN BEEF:

1 Tbs sesame oil

1 lb ground beef

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs fresh ginger, cut into tiny matchsticks

1/4 c light brown sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 c low sodium soy sauce

2-3 tsp chili paste (plus more to taste)

1/4 tsp kosher salt (ONLY if needed)

1 c frozen peas

3 green onions, sliced thin

flour tortillas

butter

shredded mozzarella cheese

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Brown the beef until cooked through, crumbling as it browns.  Drain thoroughly, then add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute or two until fragrant.

Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and chili paste.  Pour the liquid over the beef and stir to combine, bring to a simmer for two minutes to blend the flavors and slightly thicken the sauce.  Add the peas, stir and simmer a minute longer.  The peas will thaw and warm in the skillet.  

QUESADILLAS:

Preheat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat.  Lightly butter one side of a tortilla and place it in the hot pan.  Sprinkle about 3 Tbs of cheese, 1/4 c Korean beef, and an additional 2-3 Tbs of cheese on one half of the tortilla.  Top with a sprinkling of green onions.  Fold the tortilla over on itself and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.  Flip to cook other side until cheese is melted and tortilla is crips around the edges.  Serve hot!

*Note: You'll probably want to double the meat!!!

From Barefeet in the Kitchen

Creamy Basil Pasta Salad

Dressing:

1 c mayo

1 c cottage cheese

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 lemon, zested and juiced (I only use half the lemon juice)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1.5 oz. basil (about 3 c lightly packed)

For the Salad:

10 oz. cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil and roughly chopped (about 1/2 c)

1.5 oz. arugula

3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

16 oz. dry bowtie pasta

Start by blending or processing all the dressing ingredients together, give them time to sit in the fridge and fully blend (30-60 minutes)

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, then strain and rinse with cold water.

Place the well-drained pasta in a large salad bowl.  Add the cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and Parmesan cheese.  Pour dressing over, and toss until well combined.

Best if served immediately, but can serve later by drizzling a little bit of milk or buttermilk over and stirring again.

From Our Best Bites

Smashed Potatoes

5 lbs small potatoes (those bags at Costco are perfect!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 Tbs melted butter

1 tsp garlic powder

2-4 c shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack/Cheddar blend)

bacon bits

3 green onions, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400℉.  Lightly grease a lined half-sheet pan and scatter potatoes in an even layer across the pan (leave room between the potatoes).  Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Use a potato masher or large fork to smash the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir together the melted butter and garlic powder and drizzle over the top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle evenly with cheese and bacon.  Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling.  Top with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Garlic Noodles

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c oyster sauce

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

16 oz. angel hair pasta

lots of garlic (8 cloves?)

1 bunch of green onions

8 Tbs butter

Add the brown sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil to a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain the noodles in a colander and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and slice the green onions.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the garlic and onions (saving a handful of the greener ends for garnish) and sauté until they are soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).

Remove the skillet from the heat.  Add the drained pasta and oyster sauce mixture to the skillet and stir well to coat the pasta.  (You can add a sprinkle of hot water if the pasta is stiff or sticky and not stirring up well!)  Garnish with reserved green onions and serve!

From Budget Bytes

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter

1 1/4 c packed brown sugar (light or dark) (265 g)

1/2 c granulated sugar (106 g)

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

3 c flour (426 g)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp table

2 c semisweet chocolate chips (340 g)

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper, set aside.

Cut butter into pieces and add to a 10-inch skillet and brown, stirring slowly with a silicone spatula.  This should take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes.

When the butter solids are browned and golden and it smells carmelly and fragrant, immediately remove from the heat and pour the butter into a large bowl.

Add the sugars and stir to combine.  Let the mixture sit until just barely warm or cooled to room temperature, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until well-combined and the batter is light and creamy.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until a few dry streaks remain.  Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly combined.  Let the batter rest while the oven preheats.

Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Once the oven is preheated, begin scooping cookies using a 2-Tbs scoop and roll into balls.  Place several inches apart.  Bake 10-11 minutes or until cookies are just set around the edges and a bit crackly on top.  Don't overbake!

Immediately out of the oven, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each cookie.  Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe