teacher by day - chef by night
Quick and Easy – the hardest part of this recipe is peeling & chopping the squash up before cooking it (I didn’t want the roasted flavor of precooking today). AND the hardest part I got out of doing this time since while making breakfast I …
I don’t even like Pot Pie… I have told Rich that since we first started dating (and too bad for him, because he loves pot pie)! As much as he loves Pot Pie, I guess I might love him (eww barf – I know!) because …
Birthdays, Holidays – all reasons to celebrate! Mom’s birthday was a few weeks ago & I wanted to make her apple turnovers and a smoked salmon quiche thing – but realized the evening before I didn’t have the ingredients to do so… just got bagels instead!
I know that my parents love turnovers, so even though I didn’t make it for mom’s birthday, figured after the show my mom was assisting with was over & we were celebrating a Hanukkah dinner – the least I could do was make turnovers!
Annie’s recipe called for making your own puff pastry dough (yeah – maybe one day) but for now I am more than happy with Pillsbury’s own! Don’t be shy about filling them (although the fact that the corner’s were empty reminded me of the first bite (or two) you get of a store-bought turnover. Next time I’ll add more filling, and maybe even try my own dough – but for now, what a perfect treat for after dinner and celebrating with family and with something I know they love!
Recipe (as adapted from Annie’s Eats – please take the time to visit her site & see her amazing step-by-step photos – this lady knows what she is doing!)
DIRECTIONS….
Peel & grate the apple using a large box grater. Combine the grated apple, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the puff pastry into even squares (as close as possible). Working with one square at a time (on parchment paper), place about 2 tablespoons of the apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in the center of the dough.
Moisten two adjoining edges of the dough square with the apple liquid, then fold the top portion of dough over the bottom. Crimp the edges of the turnover with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough squares. Refrigerate the filled turnovers 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. While the turnovers are chilling, preheat the oven to 375° F and combine the sugar/cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the turnovers lightly with water and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. [Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the turnovers to a wire rack to cool.] Serve warm or at room temperature.
Thought of the day: My parents always told me that they had to be nice to me because I would be the one choosing their nursing home… little did they know that since they were nice to me I would be nice to them & surprise them with tasty treats just ’cause I love them!
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FALL OFF THE BONE… When you hear those words, you know you are eating something delicious! As this chicken made its way to the plate and people started to take their first bites, I heard the comments “how long did this cook” “it melts in …
I have really had a craving for French Onion Soup – and in all honesty, I figured since I have become a better chef over the past few months (years) – why not just create it myself! I was amazed when I found this recipe …
I found this out when we first started dating & it just so happens my mom brought me up to be an expert at reading the back of the Nestle’s chocolate chip bags in order to create the best chocolate chip cookies (and dough) that one can make. There are lots of debates about cookies & cookie dough [and my mom’s are awesome, and she learned from “Aunt Jean”] – but I really think that Nestle has this one right and its one of those “don’t mess with a good thing” (although I do 50/50 on butter/shortening because I feel you get the best crunchy/chewy ratio that way.
SO – when we found out that Rich not only got a great score on his GMAT, but that also got accepted into the Lehigh MBA program I knew it was time to celebrate!
I started the evening off by making him veggie lasagna (bottom layer mushrooms & garlic, middle layer frozen spinach, top layer onions). This is one of those “recipes” that I don’t follow to a “T” (or at all – you take your basic lasagna that you grew up with/love & roll with it) which is frustrating fun when it comes out different every time I make it!
I promised him some cookie dough to celebrate his acceptance (I plan on trying to figure out some new fun ways to make cookie dough. Hopefully we have a lifetime of experimentation to figure out lots of fun new ways to make this treat for him 😉
Congratulations to Rich on his acceptance & may this just be one more step for you on the way to all your dreams falling into place!
Always remember [my advice that I am giving out free of charge – just for today]: Life hands us many twists and turns & we need to hold onto all those happy times to get you through the sad ones!!