The other day I was at a loss at what to make for dinner until I glanced over at the Granny Smith apples and onions sitting on my windowsill. That’s when I had the idea to make Green Apple & Onion Soup. “Work With What You Got” is Tiny New York Kitchen’s motto after all. Slowly caramelizing the onions in olive oil, over a low heat coaxes out their flavor and adds a deeper flavor to this perfect fall soup.
Crispy, crunchy baked apple chips made at home are so delicious. Easy to make and oh so addicting! I used red apples, but any variety of apple works with this recipe.
Roasted Pepitas
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. Fresh from the pumpkin, each green seed is encased in a beige, slightly tough but edible hull. Roast the unhulled seeds, and you’ve got a perfect snack for a pumpkin carving party. Turn pumpkin seeds into a deliciously crunchy, salty treat. These unhulled pepitas are perfect for eating out of hand. In recipes that call for pepitas as an ingredient, use hulled pepitas.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unhulled Pepitas
1 Tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
Kosher Salt
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the center of your oven. In a small-size bowl, stir together the pepitas and grapeseed oil. Spread the seeds on a large-size baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Roast for 8 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 cup. You can make ahead. Roasted pumpkin seeds will keep for several days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also make a variety of Roasted Pepitas: Sprinkle with chili powder, smoked paprika, curry powder, or another favorite spice before roasting. Or if you would like a sweet treat, toss with cinnamon sugar after roasting.
Potato Soup With Cheese & Bacon
This recipe uses Boursin Cheese With Garlic & Fine Herbs, which gives this particular Potato Soup an intense and unique flavor. If you can’t find Boursin Cheese you can substitute cream cheese, but it won’t have the exact same flavor.
INGREDIENTS
4 Strips Bacon
1 Cup Diced Onions
1/2 Cup Diced Celery
1/2 Cup Diced Carrots
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
4 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Cup Water
2 Pounds Peeled & Diced Yukon Gold Potatoes
5.3 Ounces Crumbled Boursin Cheese (Garlic & Fine Herbs Variety)
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Minced Fresh Basil
Cook bacon in a large-size pot until nice and crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. In same pot (with 1 tablespoon bacon drippings) add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. You will want onions to be soft. Add chicken broth, water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Pulse soup with a handheld blender until partially pureed (use a handheld mixer if you don’t have a handheld blender). Stir in crumble cheese until it melts. Simmer soup for 2 minutes more. Add kosher salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve hot. Garnish each bowl with bacon strips and basil. Serves 4
Stuffed Baked Apples
Baked Apples are perfect for an easy fall dessert. They are warm, delicious and healthy too. You will love the smell of baking apples in the oven as an added bonus.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Tablespoons Blanched Almonds
1/2 Cup Plumped Dried Apricots
1 Piece Drained Preserved Ginger
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Syrup From The Preserved Ginger Jar
4 Tablespoons Rolled Oats
4 Large Baking Apples
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, chop almonds, apricots, and preserved ginger very finely. Set aside until needed. Place honey and syrup in saucepan and heat until honey has melted. Stir in oats and cook gently over a low heat for 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in almonds, apricots, and preserved ginger. Carefully cut off apple tops. Core apples. Place apples in ovenproof dish and fill cavities with stuffing. Place apple tops back on. Pour just enough water into dish to come about one-third of the way up the apples. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serves 4
Tips For Making The Most Of Apples
Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji equals an apple a day in so many ways! Here are a few tips to make the most out of apple season.
Slice Them: Couple sliced apples with cheddar cheese for sandwiches or quesadillas.
Dice Them: Add diced Fujis to salads and slaws, fold Gala apples into muffin and bread batter or sprinkle Honeycrisps over rice blends.
Puree Them: Simple to make, apple sauce and apple butter pair with breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
Stew Them: Make a tasty topping for waffles and pancakes or stir them into your yogurt or oatmeal.
Stuff Them: Bake filled with cranberries and almonds or whatever creative ingredients you can come up with.
Dry Them: Apple chips make a delicious after-school or after-work snack.
Mocha Java
As the days and nights get cooler it’s nice to have a good flavored coffee recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Strong Hot Coffee
1/2 Cup Hot Cocoa Mix
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Half & Half
Whipped Cream For Garnish
Chocolate Shaving For Garnish (Optional)
Ground Cinnamon For Garnish (Optional)
Pour coffee into 2-quart saucepan. Add cocoa mix, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and stir until dissolved. Add half & half and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir occasionally until heated through. Top each serving with shipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shaving and ground cinnamon. Makes 2 (1 1/4 Cup) Servings
Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos are traditional Mexican food that is eaten all year long, but is especially popular during the Lenten season. In Mexico the classic dark green poblanos are the perfect stuffing chili. Try this non-meat dish out and enjoy a traditional Mexican experience.
INGREDIENTS
8 Poblano Chiles
8 Strips Monterey Jack Cheese
Flour for Dusting Chiles
6 Eggs Separated
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Milk
Vegetable Oil For Frying Chiles
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Roast the chiles in the oven for 10 minutes. You will want the skin to be easily removed. You can also roast over a burner if you like. Take the roasted chiles and place in a wet paper towel or kitchen towel. Leave there for a few minutes. It is easier to remove the skin this way. Remove the skins, then rinse the in cold water. Dry with a paper towel. Make a small slit at the base of the stem and carefully remove the seeds. Leave the stem intact. Insert a strip of cheese in the chiles and try not to tear the chiles. Dust the chiles in flour evenly and leave place onto a plate. In a separate bowl, slightly beat the egg yolk with the milk. Add the egg yolks to the egg whites and gently stir to combine. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy fry pan. Dip the floured chiles in the egg batter and fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain lightly. Serve immediately with sauce. Serves 8
Chile Relleno Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
3 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Water
6 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Cup Tomato Paste
In a medium size saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat and add the flour. Brown the flour for 2 minutes. In a measuring cup dissolve the chili powder in the water. Add the chili powder water to the browned flour. Add the garlic salt, kosher salt, ground cumin and tomato paste. Cook to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and pour over the chile rellenos and serve immediately. 
Crunchy Winter Salad
I love this fresh winter salad that is marinated in tangy citrus vinaigrette and topped with roasted walnuts. Serve as a side dish or a light main course. Your choice.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Small Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Small Cauliflower Florets
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 Teaspoon zest and 2 Tablespoons Juice From 1 Orange
3 Sliced Carrots
1 Sliced Green Apple
1/2 Cup Roasted Walnuts
1/2 Cup Croutons
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Rinsed & Dried Spinach
Put all of the ingredients except for the walnuts into a large size bowl. Toss well. Cover and chill the salad for 4 hours. Remove from the fridge and scatter the toasted walnuts over the top and serve. Serves 4
Old Fashioned Apple Butter
I grew up making apple butter. Homemade is much better and is so handy to have around. It’s great to spread on bread, muffins or over pancakes. I like to use firm apples like Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith. By the way, there is no butter in Apple Butter!
INGREDIENTS
8 Large Peeled, Cored & Chopped Apples
3 Cups Apple Cider
2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Rind
2 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
4 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Ground Allspice
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
In a large size soup pot combine the apples, grated orange rind and apple cider. Cook for 5 hours over a medium-low heat. You will want the apples to be very soft and the mixture to be nice and thick. Remove from the heat and cool completely. In a food processor or blender add the mixture. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture back into the soup pot. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice and cloves. Cook over a medium-high heat for 2 hours with the lid on. Stir often. Remove the lid and cook for 2 more hours. Pour into washed pint mason jars. Don’t fill to the top of the jar. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top. At this point you can put them into a canning water bath or not. If you choose not to then store the filled jars into either the fridge or freezer. Cool the jars completely before putting in the fridge or freezer. Makes approximately 3 Pint Jars – give or take.
