Apple Pies.... Sarah's Best Apple Pie (with Crumb Topping) and Maple Bourbon Apple Pie

We made two apple pies, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. Both were very different -- and neither memorable in taste though they looked nice. I'm including them here so we remember them and can compare them to future apple pie recipes.

Maple Bourbon Apple Pie

Better Homes and Gardens, Nov 2021, p. 95

1st photo

I don't remember tasting much of the bourbon. The lattice was fun to make -- well, my sister, did that part! In reviewing the recipe again, it's odd that there were no spices mixed in with the apples, perhaps so that the bourbon and maple could shine through, but they didn't.

Ingredients: apples, all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, bourbon, egg white, Demerara sugar

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Sarah's Best Apple Pie  (with Crumb Topping)

Martha Stewart Living, Nov 2021, p. 58

2nd photo

I thought this would be a hands-down amazing pie coming from Martha Stewart's magazine, but it was average, fine, ho hum. I'm looking for an ah-maz-ing apple pie recipe.

Ingredients: apples, all-purpose flour, apple cider vinegar, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground cloves, butter, black pepper, Kosher salt

Crumb topping ingredients: all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, light brown sugar, butter, baking powder, Kosher salt

Recipe: New Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos

New Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos
Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2021, p.78
4.6 stars

Potential ski-trip breakfast recipe! This is similar to what we make when we're skiing -- a hearty burrito, except this recipe definitely has a "New Mexico" taste/flair to it because of the New Mexico chiles in the sauce.

Sauce Ingredients: New Mexico chiles, garlic, Mexican oregano, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt

Burrito Ingredients: tortillas, sausage to your liking, eggs, cheddar, russet potato, New Mexico green chiles, unsalted butter, garlic powder, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Used plant-based sausage
• Couldn't find New Mexico chiles so used New Mexico chile powder
• Added white onion to the sauce
• Couldn't find New Mexico green chiles so used a can of hot Hatch green chiles
• Cooked the potato, plant-based meat and Hatch green chiles together
• Made "tacos" instead of a burrito

Recipe: Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Better Homes & Gardens, Dec 2021, p.172

5 stars

This was so surprisingly good! To be honest, we had put off making this recipe because it said the total time to make it (including baking was 1 hr 20 min). It took just an hour.

While we're eating and leaning toward more vegetarian/plant-based, this recipe did have a little bit of pancetta for umami which was necessary (just 3 oz).

Ingredients: cannellini beans, broccoli florets, panko, pancetta, yellow onion, Calabrian chiles or peppadew peppers, chicken broth, heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon, garlic, dried oregano, basil, red pepper

Tips:

• Used 1.5 lbs (a bag and a half) of frozen broccoli. Note: Try using non-frozen broccoli next time which may make the dish less "soupy"
• Couldn't find Calabrian peppers so used red pepper
• Substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth

Recipe: Creamy Baked Tortellini with Spinach

Creamy Baked Tortellini with Spinach

Martha Stewart Living, Dec 2021

4.8 stars

Really easy to make for a nice, flavorful weekday dinner. We made this vegetarian by not adding the ground turkey.

Ingredients: cheese tortellini, marinara, ground turkey, cream cheese, spinach, panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, all-purpose adobo seasoning, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Had to go to a couple of places to find adobo seasoning (not canned chipotle in adobo) which I found in the spice aisle at Kroger
• Used double the spinach (about half of a large box of spinach)

Recipe: Cheesy Stove-Top Barley and Swiss Chard

Cheesy Stove-Top Barley and Swiss Chard
MarthaStewart.com, Nov 2021

4.8 stars

I forgot to take a photo of this one! Easy hearty weeknight dish that goes well with a small side salad and bread.

Ingredients: barley, diced tomatoes, shiitake, Swiss chard, Gruyere or white cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice or red wine vinegar, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• The sauce was a little acidic for me so would recommend trying lemon zest instead of the lemon juice or red-wine vinegar next time
• Top it with melty cheese!

Recipe: Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

marthastewart.com, Oct 2021

5 stars

I loved this dish! We've made many tomato-bean-cheese type of dishes that go with toast, and this is one of the best as it was incredibly flavorful. The Parmigiano-Reggiano (umami/salt) and the melted slices of mozzarella along with the crunch from the panko and all of the herbs = one of my top easy weekday dishes.

Ingredients: broccoli, marinara sauce, mozzarella ball, chickpeas, Parmigiano-Reggiano, panko breadcrumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas
• Served with toast

Recipe: Cold Sichuan Peppercorn Noodles

 

Cold Sichuan Peppercorn Noodles

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p. 22

4.6 stars

Super easy tasty Asian dish to make for a weekday -- and as you can see, we used my favorite udon noodles.

Ingredients: udon or soba noodles, corn, green beans, scallions, tamari soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Added tofu
• Used canned corn instead of 2 ears of corn
• Used regular soy sauce
• Next time, use half of the balsamic vinegar ~ it was a bit strong

Recipe: Braised Tofu and Chiles

Braised Tofu and Chiles

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p.45

4.7 Stars (but need to make again)

I rated this 4.7 stars, but we need to make this again because it could be a 5 star dish! (We ran out of mirin so used extra rice vinegar and also added a little bit of sugar to make up for it.) Overall, I liked this dish and it was easy to make for a weekday meal.

Ingredients: tofu, red bell peppers, red chiles (we used jalapeno), scallions, garlic, ginger, mirin, soy sauce, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, rice or rice noodles

Recipe: Summer Tomato Pizza Beans

Summer Tomato Pizza Beans or "Margherita Pizza Beans"

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2021, p.18

5 Stars

This was a SURPRISINGLY delicious dish considering the simple ingredients! It beats the other cannellini bean or tomato-based type of recipes we've made in the past that go with toast. One reason I love this dish is because of the fresh mozzarella slices on top! YUM.

Ingredients: ripe tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans (or other white beans), fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper, serve with toasted bread

Tips:

• Add tomato paste
• Add more basil

Recipe: Tomato Pie Bars

Tomato Pie Bars

Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2021, p. 34

4.6 stars

We weren't super looking forward to making this recipe (even though I planned it for the week) because it sounded ok ... we weren't sure how it would turn out based on the ingredient list. It ended up being really good, and we're curious what the leftovers will be like, if they'll be too rich.

The curry powder and chipotle in adobo were interesting adds and added a NICE flavor, one that wasn't too strong or where you'd guess those ingredients in the dish. 

We served this with a side salad and also Beyond Sausage.

Ingredients: saltine crackers, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, sharp cheddar cheese, chipotle in adobo, curry powder, mayonnaise, butter, black pepper, Kosher salt, basil

Tips:

• Was a little salty overall so when sprinkling the tomatoes with salt, use 1/4 tsp
• Used an heirloom tomato instead of cherry tomatoes
• Baked it for almost 32 minutes to get the cheese completely melted and bubbly

Recipe: Ultimate Veggie Burgers

Ultimate Veggie Burgers

Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2021, p.32

5 stars

Best veggie burger ever! This took a LOT of steps and a while to make, but to me, it was worth it for its fresh flavor. I wish the burger patty stayed together a little better -- it needs a binder (like an egg) and perhaps if it was fried before baking, it would be even more amazing and stay together more but then not healthy.

Patty Ingredients: pearl barley, carrots, beets, chickpeas, button mushrooms, panko, walnuts, whole-grain or Dijon mustard, bay leaf, ground cumin, smoked paprika, soy sauce or tamari, olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper

The rest of the burger: hamburger bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, red onion, sliced tomato, cheese

Recipe: Farro Salad-Stuffed Avocados

Farro Salad-Stuffed Avocados

Better Homes and Gardens, Sept 2021, p. 78

4.8 stars

We didn't stuff the avocados but instead diced them as part of the "salad." Great flavor for a Greek-like salad and really easy for a nice weeknight meal.

Ingredients: avocados, farro, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable broth, harissa paste, dill, lemon, shallot, garlic, smoked paprika, feta, Greek yogurt

Tips:

• Had jarred harissa sauce instead of paste; thinking the paste would be more concentrated, we used more sauce than needed and it ended up being too spicy!
• Left out the dill
• Used cherry tomatoes
• Had plant-based Beyond Sausage on the side but actually falafel would be a perfect accompaniment next time!

Ask Martha: Difference Between 3 Hard Italian Cheeses

I'm saving this as a reminder of the difference between Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano! (Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine, September 2021, p.48)

Recipe: Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken (Tofu)

Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken (Tofu)

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2021, 

4.9 stars

What caught my eye on this recipe was this blurb beneath the recipe, "These simple noodles are designed to empty out your entire crisper drawer in one fell swoop, from slightly droopy carrots and celery to scallions on their last legs and that random onion half."

It sure did as we had all of the above in our vegetable drawer including green cabbage from another dish that we needed to use up. This was so delicious -- I can't wait to eat the leftovers.

Ingredients: wavy ramen noodles, chicken, green cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, scallions, serrano or Fresno chile, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine or medium-dry sherry, sesame oil, sesame seeds, grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Made this vegetarian by using tofu instead of chicken
• Used jalapenos (we have plenty in our herb garden!) instead of serranos
• Used up the shallot we had
• At the table, added a little more soy sauce and added chile crisp for additional heat
• Served with vegetable spring rolls

Recipe: Cheese-Stuffed Portobello Burger

Cheese-Stuffed Portobello Burger

Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Jan/Feb 2021, p. 98

5 stars

There's no missing of meat here! The flavor overall and crunch of the panko was perfect -- I definitely prefer this over a regular burger!  The ingredient list and recipe are pretty simple for this flavorful, plant-based burger.

Ingredients: buns, portobello mushrooms, provolone, arugula, all-purpose flour, egg, panko, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used regular sesame buns that we had instead of brioche buns which the recipe called for
• Make sure to use/find the LARGEST portobellos as the portobellos shrink
• Didn't butterfly the portobello and put the slices of provolone in the middle -- the portobellos were too thin (instead, we put the provolone directly on the bun in the burger)
• Used regular mayonnaise vs. making the garlic-vinegar mayonnaise the recipe called for
• Served with a side salad and sweet potato fries

(Find paper recipe under: Salad - Winter Cobb Salad)

Recipe: Pesto-ish Risotto

Pesto-ish Risotto

Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2021

4.8 stars

This was a super interesting risotto recipe that involved a turmeric/pine nut/oil topping. Flavorful and good enough to serve at a dinner party!

Ingredients: basil, arborio or carnaroli rice, vegetable broth, pine nuts, turmeric, grated Parmesan, lemon, unsalted butter, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Tips:

• Served this with Beyond Sausage which we had for the first time that was pretty good!

Recipe: Salt-and-Pepper Cauliflower

Salt-and-Pepper Cauliflower 

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2021, p. 66

5 stars

In reading the title of the recipe as well as the ingredients themselves, this doesn't sound like it would be good, but it was delicious. The tofu, miso and shallots (yes, use all 3 shallots) created a gravy-like sauce for the dish with the shallots adding an unexpected depth of flavor.

Ingredients: rice, cauliflower, shallots, silken tofu, white miso, garlic, jalapenos, lemon juice, cilantro, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• There was a lot of what I'm calling "gravy" so double the amount of cauliflower as well as the jalapeno topping
• Served this with spring rolls

Recipe: Peach-and-Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

Peach-and-Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Jul/Aug 2020, p. 101

4.8 stars

I've always been one that hates waste all around, and now even more so after reading an article about food waste in Bon Appetit Magazine last month. 

We had made a dish recently that resulted in 6 oz of cream cheese left over, and for some reason, every time we have leftover cream cheese, it spoils in the fridge. I was determine to find a recipe to use it up and found this pretty easy tart dessert. Really nice and refreshing on a summer day.

Ingredients: peaches, blueberries, cream cheese, unsalted butter, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Need to make sure the tart bottom isn't super thick and don't overbake as it was super thick and hard to cut through with a fork when eating
• Because the fruit was so sweet, used less granulated sugar
• Make sure to read the recipe carefully as the lemon juice and Kosher salt are divided between multiple steps

Recipe: Winter Cobb Salad with Crispy Shiitakes and All-Purpose Baked Tofu

Winter Cobb Salad

Crispy Shiitakes

All-Purpose Baked Tofu

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

5 stars

Another new "bowl" favorite to add to the rotation! It includes all of my favorite things, though I didn't have a soft boiled egg with this (forgot!).

Winter Cobb Salad Ingredients: kale, avocado, cherry tomatoes, Crispy Shiitakes, All-Purpose Baked Tofu, blue cheese, eggs, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt, pepper

Crispy Shiitakes: shiitake mushrooms, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

All-Purpose Baked Tofu: extra-firm tofu, extra-virgin olive oil, reduced-sodium soy sauce, smoked paprika, cornstarch

Tips:

• Add farro to make it a heartier dish next time
• Depending on how much you make overall, potentially make 1/2 of the vinaigrette
• For the shiitakes, cook them for about 10 less minutes than what it calls for
• For the tofu, make double or triple!

Recipe: Mushroom Cuban Quesadillas

Mushroom Cuban Quesadillas

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2021, p. 45

5 stars

We loved this easy dish especially as we're eating more plant-based foods. Granted, there's Swiss cheese in this, but it was good and filling! The portobello mushrooms have great flavor.

Ingredients: flour tortillas, portobello mushrooms, Swiss cheese slices, hamburger dill pickles, Dijon mustard, ground cumin, garlic powder, orange zest, canola oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, scallions for garnish

Tips:

• The only drawback of this dish is that you have think about it ahead of time -- marinating the mushrooms for 8-14 hours
• Didn't necessarily fry these
• Didn't top with scallions though that would've been a nice added layer of flavor