Category Archives: Fruit

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

March 2, 2011

We’re usually not big on coleslaw around here. But two recents events persuaded me to give it another try. When we were vacationing in Orlando just before Christmas we dined twice at Yellow Dog Eats, an funky eclectic cafe with an incredible menu. And I fell in love with their coleslaw. And then recently I tried my friend Chelsey’s southwest slaw, which also surprised me. Eventually I’ll get my hands on Chelsey’s recipe, but for now I set about to create my own tangy-sweet slaw inspired by what I ate at Yellow Dog.

Their coleslaw was unique in that it contained raisins and a mystery spice. Nutmeg, cinnamon? I wasn’t quite sure. So I went with allspice and thought it was perfect. The addition of apple was my own invention- a natural way to add sweetness and crunch. And the mayonnaise-based dressing has been lightened by using half yogurt (nonfat plain). Dustin who typically doesn’t like coleslaw, or raisins, thought this was delicious. Although he did suggest that I could use dried cranberries instead. He’s right- that would work too. But the fact that the boy ate a raisin (actually quite a few) and didn’t gag is a little victory for me!

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS

3 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 large Fuji apple, cored and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
generous 1/2 tsp. allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, toss to combine red and green cabbage, apple, carrot, and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, and allspice. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.

Meyer Lemon Crumb Bars

February 28, 2011

It’s the last day of February and it’s supposed to be 80 degrees. I was enjoying the early spring-like weather, but eighty? Really? I’m not ready for summer. I shouldn’t complain. It’ll probably start snowing again in a few days. Since it’s technically still winter, I went on a quest to find a recipe that used Meyer lemons. Only in season for a few months each year, these slightly sweeter (less acidic) lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They have a softer thinner skin, which is supposedly edible. (I’m not big on rind though.) And they’re a pretty deep egg-yolk color.

I found a lot of lemon recipes, but this one in particular grabbed my attention. The Pioneer Woman said it came from her grandmother-in-law. I trust grandmothers. They usually know a thing or two about good cooking. And hers definitely did! These bars have a creamy lemony center (specked with brilliant lemon zest) and crumbly oat crust. A mouthful of bliss. And even better, they’re a cinch to prepare. (If you’ve got two bowls, your hands, and a whisk.) And you don’t have to use Meyer lemons- any regular lemon will work- they just add a special touch.

Meyer Lemon Crumb Bars

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 3 juicy Meyer lemons)
zest of two lemons

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.

2. Combine butter, sugar, and oats in a large bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to oat mixture and blend with your finger until evenly moistened and small clumps form. Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

3. Whisk to combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour evenly over the crust. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven to cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Slice into squares and refrigerate 2 hours until set.

Fills a 9×9-inch pan.

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

January 17, 2011

It probably goes without saying that this isn’t your ordinary pizza. There’s the usual soft and chewy crust and bubbling fresh mozzarella, but that’s where the familiarity ends. You might even be used to caramelized onions by now (I love them and use them often). But how about the salty prosciutto, delicate slices of pear, and chopped toasted walnuts? Not to mention the crumbly pungent Gorgonzola. It’s a careful balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and gooey. And as strange as it all sounds, it makes for a marvelous pizza.

I’m particularly proud of the fact that I used Gorgonzola and liked it very much! I hope this means I’m beginning to outgrow my blue cheese aversion. Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese and I find it to be slightly milder than other types. Did you know that its characteristic blue veins are created by injecting mold spores of penicillin bacteria into the aging cheese? (Sounds pretty gross, right?) It definitely has a distinctive flavor. But interspersed with all of these other amazing ingredients the bitterness adds a pleasant contrast. So even if blue cheese makes you nervous (like me), I’m confident you’ll be surprised by how much you like this pizza!

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. To caramelize the onions, preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Reduce the heat as you are cooking if they are beginning to burn.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F. Form pizza crust and lightly brush with olive oil. Top with caramelized onions, sliced pear, prosciutto, mozzarella, and Gorgonzola. Sprinkle with walnuts.

4. Place on pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest a minute before slicing.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Blueberry Buckle

August 27, 2010

The minute I saw this blueberry-dense buckle on Eating Old Loud it was over. I knew I was going to make this cake and love it. And I did (all of the above). It lived up to every expectation I had… moist and sweet, with a cinnamon scented crumbly top. But oh, the berries. So many beautiful fresh blueberries packed into one pan. More than twice as many blueberries as any other buckle recipe I’ve come across. That’s what makes it special, unbelievable. A zillion blueberries. While it was great warm right out of the oven, I liked it even better after several days in the refrigerator. The berries had set and the flavors intensified. Don’t let the summer berry season end before you bake a buckle. You’ll be grateful.

Blueberry Buckle

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
5 cups blueberries (I tossed them with several Tbsp. of flour to prevent sinkage)

Streusal Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the streusal topping, in a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or food processor), cut in the butter until fine crumbs form. Using your hands, squeeze together the mixture to form large clumps. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 10-inch round springform pan.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a large bowl fitted to an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the egg and vanilla, beating until fully combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with the milk, a little at each time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remove from the mixer and fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusal topping over cake. Bake in preheated oven until a tester in the center comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove outside rim of springform pan. Cool another 15 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 10-inch round cake.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart via Eating Out Loud)

Triple Berry Pie with Almond Crumble

July 30, 2010

Before this summer, I never considered myself much of a pie lover. Or perhaps it started in the fall when I made my first all-butter pie crust and filled it full of fresh picked apples. Then in the Winter it was pears. Now berries are bountiful and I can’t get enough of them piled high in pies. For the 4th of July it was blueberry, and this time I threw in three berries. Instead of a traditional top, this pie comes with a crumble. Almost two desserts in one!

Don’t let a fear of pastry prevent you from making your own. I actually consider pies one of the easiest desserts to master. With the help of a food processor, preparing the dough is no work at all. Then you just have to roll it out and fill it full. And bake it until it’s golden and bubbling. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool!

Triple Berry Pie with Almond Crumble

INGREDIENTS

1/2 recipe sweet butter pie crust (this recipe makes a double pie crust and you only need a bottom layer)

Almond Crumble:
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
6 Tbsp. whole almonds
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 1/2 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats
4 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Triple Berry Filling:
5-6 cups assorted berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, about 8 oz. of each)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (I would assume several Tbsp. of corn starch could be substituted)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the crust according to recipe directions.

2. To prepare the crumble topping, combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until moist clumps form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To make the filling, mix the sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in large bowl. Add berries and toss gently to combine. Let stand until tapioca softens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a large round. Transfer to a 9-inch-round pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Freeze crust 20 minutes.

5. Spoon filling into crust. Crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake pie until crust and topping are golden brown and filling is bubbling, covering loosely with sheet of foil if topping browns too quickly, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 3 hours. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Makes 1 pie.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)