Caramel Apple Muffins and promises of fall refresh the heart

What pleasant thoughts get conjured up by a magazine feature entitled “Apple Delights”! Who doesn’t feel hopeful reading about a variety of ways with apples? Fall and the promises it holds suddenly feel a lot closer when a recipe for Caramel Apple Muffins sits on my kitchen counter with ingredients for it gathered.

Muffins from this recipe appeared on the cover of the September issue of Southern Living magazine. Darling little muffins that resemble real caramel apples, with a nut-sprinkled caramel glaze on top and little twig handles for decor, were so appealing, I had to bake them first thing.

A basic muffin batter with 2 cups diced apples fills muffin cups, with a cinnamon topping sprinkled on before all is baked. Once removed from the pan these muffins remain top-side down. You melt the caramels and dip the bottom side of the muffin surface (yes, I did a double-take on that one, too!) and then roll this surface in nuts. I decided to forego inserting sticks or twigs and enjoy these without the dress-up, but the idea is cute indeed.

Not long after those delicious-beyond-words muffins popped out of the oven, our part of the world experienced a refreshing cool spell that put everyone in a better state of mind. Fall and its promises and Caramel Apple Muffins—they make the heart sing.

                                                               Caramel Apple Muffins

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (I used fat-free)

1 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

2 large eggs (I used egg substitute)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used salt substitute)

2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples

1 (14-ounce) package caramels

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 cup chopped lightly salted roasted pecans (I used walnuts)

wax paper

food-safe twigs or craft sticks

Cinnamon topping:

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl prepare cinnamon topping by combining brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set topping aside. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at a low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until all is blended. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour-cream mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. (Do not overmix.) Stir in diced apples. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with cinnamon topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center emerges clean. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Microwave caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl at high 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth. Stir at 30-second intervals. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat muffins. Quickly dip bottom three-fourths of each muffin into caramel mixture; roll bottom half of caramel-coated portion of muffin in chopped nuts. Place muffins, caramel sides up, on lightly greased wax paper. (If caramel mixture begins to harden before you’ve dipped all the muffins, microwave mixture a few seconds to siften.) Insert food-safe twigs or craft sticks into caramel-covered portions of muffins. Makes 1 dozen muffins. (Source: Southern Living September 2012)

Colorful salad pizza is a meal in one

I had a new kitchen utensil and was eager to use it. My daughter had been to a party that featured cooking gadgets and had bought for me a chopping instrument to smooth out ground meat or turkey crumbles (see below). Accompanying my purchase was a featured recipe. Hubby and I were keeping the grandmunchkin over the weekend; I knew he liked pizza. I thought this salad pizza would be a good way to encourage his veggie intake.

It encouraged the rest of us as well. Wow, what a great dish—and an easy one. Refrigerated roll dough formed the crust. After browning the dough in the oven the cook piles on a sour-cream layer and then a cooked ground turkey mixture that has been stirred with salsa and seasonings; then the healthy toppings. After the crust nothing else gets baked. A wonderful, colorful meal is ready in minutes. 

Mexican Fiesta Salad Pizza

2 packages (8-ounces each) refrigerator crescent rolls

1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey

1 1/4 cups medium thick and chunky salsa

1 (1-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 cup sour cream (I used fat-free)

2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup pitted ripe olives, coarsely chopped

additional salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange 14 of the triangles in a circle on lightly floured round baking stone (I used a regular, rectangular cookie sheet) with wide ends even with edge of baking stone and points toward the center. Place the remaining two triangles in the center; pinch seams to seal. Roll dough to create a smooth surface. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely. In 12-inch skillet, cook ground turkey over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until it no longer is pink. Break turkey into crumbles. (Recipe recommends using a Mix ’n Chop cooking utensil that is sold by the recipe source, The Pampered Chef.) Drain if necessary. In a medium bowl combine salsa, seasoning mix, and garlic; mix well. Add to turkey in skillet; toss to coat. Spread sour cream over crust. Spoon turkey mixture over sour cream. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and olives. Serve immediately with additional salsa, if desired. Makes 8 servings. (Source: The Pampered Chef.)

Tomato-can label prompts a great veggie soup

Another of those unlikely places to find a great recipe—the label on the can of diced peeled tomatoes. The store brand, at that. But the recipe on the side attracted me with the words “Chunky Tomato Basil Soup”. It called for several items, including fresh basil and carrot, I already had on hand. I decided to give it a try.

End result: Hubby said it was one of the best soups he had in a long time. I cheated a little and added a few veggie leftovers, including some speckled butterbeans left from last week’s blog, to up the healthiness content.

This soup got better every day it sat in the refrigerator. We were so sad when we ladeled out the last few vegetable chunks and tomato broth. This is a dream recipe in terms of speed of preparation—lightning fast. Chopping the carrots, celery, and onion is the most involved part.

I’m already saving and freezing chopped vegetables for a repeat performance.

Chunky Tomato Basil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14.5-ounce) cans No Salt Added Diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

salt (or salt substitute) and black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat add oil and saute´ onion, celery, and carrots until all are tender—about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add the diced tomatoes, dried basil, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Ladle into bowls; garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 6 servings. (Source: label for Kroger-brand No Salt Added Diced Peeled Tomatoes in Tomato Juice) 

A garden-fresh hot-dog topping to remember

I’m probably not the only one who has been trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of summer before fall sets in. Not that we wouldn’t like to jettison the summer temps that surged again late last week to turn Labor Day weekend into another oven. But the foods of summer—I wouldn’t mind keeping them around a while.

I saved my upscale hot-dog recipes for the holiday weekend that we just observed. “Build a Better Hot Dog” was the theme of a recent Southern Living feature that taught everyone how to dress up the average frankfurter.

Among the four dress-ups proposed I liked best the Greek-style version because it called for some garden-fresh elements—cucumber, lettuce (I used spinach), red onion, and tomato, along with fresh dill. A creamy sauce with Greek yogurt as its base accompanied a marinated salad-like topping. The recipe called for sun-dried tomato chicken sausages, but I used a simple turkey frank and a hoagie bun.

Previously Hubby might have turned his nose up at the thought of hot dogs for supper, but he consumed these eagerly and asked whether he could split a second one with me. In his mind this was a feast. I echo what the magazine reported—it was frankly delicious.

Greek-Style Dogs

1 (7-ounce) container 2-percent reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon grated cucumber

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

4 sun-dried tomato chicken sausages (I used turkey franks)

reduced-fat hot-dog buns

toppings: shredded romaine lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, diced tomato, diced cucumber, bottled Greek dressing

Stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, grated cucumber, chives, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook sausages according to package directions. Place sausages in buns. Top with yogurt mixture, lettuce, red onion, tomato, cucumber, and Greek dressing. Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Corn-and-Butter Bean Salad—love it, love it!

When I saw the recipe for Grilled Corn-and-Butterbean Salad, I had to try it because of my Aunt Frances’ stories about canning butter beans from her victory garden during World War II.

In my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, I share Aunt Frances’s recollections about working for hours alongside her friend Olive as they put up vast amounts of fresh butter beans from the garden Uncle Herbert planted. 

I’m not sure how many helpings of butter beans I’ve consumed in my lifetime; we certainly never have planted any to grow in our garden. But the recipe said using frozen ones would be OK, so Hubby picked some up from the store for me and I plowed ahead. I had the requisite corn left over from the Mexican-Style Grilled Corn that I blogged about last week.

This was a most unusual and enjoyable salad that got better as it aged. (No wonder the recipe said you could store it in the refrigerator up to three days. At three days of life it was still going strong in terms of flavor.)

Red onion, red bell pepper, chopped fresh basil, and halved grape tomatoes are some other infusions of freshness that made this little stir-up spring alive. The magazine featured this as a side dish for a fish fry. We served it as a main course with only a side of roasted potatoes added.

Grilled Corn-and-Butter Bean Salad

1 (16-ounce) package frozen butter beans (can also use fresh butter beans)

4 ears fresh corn, husks removed

1 large red onion, cut into thick slices

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thick rings

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

Cook butter beans according to package directions; drain and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 15 minutes or until done. Turn every 4 to 5 minutes. At the same time grill onion and bell pepper, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Cool all vegetables completely (about 20 minutes). Cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs. Chop onion and bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir together mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients. Stir in tomatoes, corn kernels, and onion and pepper pieces. Add salt or salt substitute to taste. Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours before you serve. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days. Makes 8 to 10 servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole powerfully addresses comfort, leftovers

Sometimes comfort food is just called for—especially at the end of a wearisome week. Having half a head of broccoli left over from my Slow Cooker Broccoli-Cheddar Soup of last week’s post sped the whole idea along. Having a plastic container filled with shredded, cooked chicken bits also contributed to the plan.

A small Internet search turned up Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole from www.skinnytaste.com. I was ready to go to work on this combo of comfort/broccoli/and chicken. The recipe proclaimed it to be “a simple dish the whole family will love–even the little ones!” The little one that has a standing grandparental visit on Friday nights made that a true statement. He loved it as we did.

No-yolk noodles, a creamy sauce of fat-free chicken broth and skim milk, and reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese were the pull-togethers for this lightened version of an old standby. I love recipes (as this one did) that call for breadcrumbs, since I can retrieve from my bread bin a couple of leftover heels I have stashed away and pulse them in a blender to make the topping.

We were comforted; good use was found for leftovers. Happy us!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

6 ounces noodles (I used no-yolk)

2 teaspoons oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

12 ounces fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium shallot, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups fat-free chicken broth

1 cup 1-percent milk (I used skim)

12 ounces cooked shredded chicken breast

4 ounces shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

cooking spray

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)

Cook noodles in water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside. In a large skillet heat oil. Add garlic; cook over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt; sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use cooking spray to lightly spray a 12-inch-by-9-inch casserole dish. In a large pot heat butter over medium-low heat; when butter is melted add the shallot. Cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt (or salt substitute) and stir well. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until it is well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds; then add milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat; mix occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove mixture from heat and add reduced-fat sharp Cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well until the cheese melts. Add to the sauce shredded chicken, noodles, and broccoli; mix well until they are evenly coated. Pour into a casserole dish; top with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top; bake for about 20-25 minutes. For a few minutes place the casserole under the broiler to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn). Makes 6 servings. (Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com)

Slight drop in temps summons Soup Night and Slow Cooker Broccoli-Cheddar

Soup Night in the middle of August? Yes ma’am/sir, we had one of those. A few days ago we experienced a brief break from our outdoor ovenlike temps, with a slight nip of fall in the air—a promise that we won’t always be roasting. Seemed like a good prompt for some slow-cooker soup.

I got a great recipe from a magazine ad by cabotcheese.coop; it featured the most gorgeous photo of Slow Cooker Broccoli-Cheddar Soup. I grabbed some fresh broccoli from the grocery and got these ingredients stuffed into my crockpot in a flash.

The outcome was major-delicious. A few days ago soup would have just added to the misery everyone felt from the sweatbox outdoors, but on this little jewel of a cooler day, dropped into the middle of a heatwave, it was a perfect dinner item.

Back-to-school’s on Monday; can a little bit of autumn be very far away?

Slow Cooker Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth (or homemade chicken broth)

2 cups peeled and diced boiling potatoes

3 cups broccoli (chopped florets and thinly sliced stems)

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

12 ounces sharp cheddar, grated (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

ground black pepper to taste 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Gradually whisk in 1 can broth and stir until mixture is simmering and thickened. Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add potatoes and remaining can of broth; stir to combine. Cover and cook on high setting for 2 hours or until mixture starts to simmer. Stir in broccoli and evaporated milk. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until broccoli is tender. Add cheese and stir until it is melted. Stir in lemon juice; season with pepper. Makes 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living January 2012 advertisement—in the recipe, Cabot brands are recommended)