Apple Turnovers

Last weekend, Aves and I went to Christopher for a weekend at Baba and Papaw's house. Two full days of sweatpants lounging, extra sleep, and home cooking (that didn't require me to lift a finger) definitely hit the spot. Jude made these wonderful homemade apple turnovers for breakfast on Saturday. They were huge and fluffy and incredibly delicious. They beat the pants off the store bought kind. If the store bought kind wore pants.

Apple Turnovers [recipe from Barefoot Contessa]
-1 teaspoon grated orange zest
-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
-1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
-3 tablespoons dried cherries
-3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
-1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-Pinch kosher salt
-1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
-1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

4. Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Greek Gazpacho with Sauteed Shrimp

Photo by Katie Guymon

Looking back on my recent recipe posts, it's pretty evident that I love Mediterranean flavors. I mean, nine times out of ten, you're going to find feta cheese on my shopping list. At least I recognize that a problem exists. That's the first step. With the addition of sauteed shrimp on top, this Greek gazpacho makes a well-balanced dinner. But, beware! This recipe makes enough to serve 8-10 people and your dog begging under the table. I think I'm going to freeze a batch and revisit the yummy in a month or so.

Greek Gazpacho with Sauteed Shrimp [adapted from Barefoot Contessa's recipe]

For the Gazpacho:
 -4 thick slices of a baguette
-6 large cloves garlic, chopped
-2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves
-2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
-5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-5 tablespoons good olive oil
-1 red bell pepper, seeded chopped
-1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
-1 white onion, chopped
-1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
-4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
-1 cup pitted kalamata olives, divided
-1 46 ounce can tomato juice
-4 teaspoons kosher salt
-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1. Place the bread, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped. Add the vinegar and olive oil and process again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

2. Place the peppers, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, and 3/4 cup of the olives separately in the food processor and process until very coarsely chopped. (Unless you have a very large food processor, you might need to process this step in two batches.) Add to the mixing bowl.
3. Add the tomato juice, salt, and pepper and stir well.
4. Taste for seasoning, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. Garnish with the crumbled feta, extra olives, and sauteed shrimp.

For the Shrimp:
-1/2 lb. of 12-15 count shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-dried oregano, to taste
-kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
3. Sprinkle the shrimp with the dried oregano, kosher salt, and pepper. 
4. Cook on each side, 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp is bright pink.

A Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Photo by Katie Guymon

Last Saturday, Matt and I had a small get together of friends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I mean, what other day of the year is it acceptable to drown your baked goods in tequila? And eat tacos for lunch and dinner? Well, okay, in my book, these things are okay every day of the year. But, especially on May 5th.

Margarita Cupcakes [recipe courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker]
Let's go ahead and start with dessert first. There are many versions of a margarita cupcake out there on the Interwebs, and while I was tempted to take the easy road and pick a recipe that used a box mix, I went ahead and did everything from scratch. You know, because I really wanted to practice using my piping bag again. And, I'm a masochist. Anyhow, I really enjoyed these cupcakes. They are super light, with just the right amount of lime flavor. I followed every step of the recipe exactly. However, instead of garnishing the cupcakes with lime zest and a slice of lime, I added two drops of green food coloring and one drop of yellow to the frosting.

Guacamole Salad [recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa]
My friend Lindsay is a huge Ina Garten fan, just like me. She brought this deconstructed guacamole salad to the party, and I loved it. Then I got really angry I had to share it with everyone else.

Jicama-Orange Salad [recipe courtesy of Epicurious]
Lisa picked this incredibly refreshing salad recipe because sometimes you just wanna eat some jicama, you know? It was the perfect balance to all of the rich guacamole, spicy salsa, and salty tortilla chips that we munched on for eleventeen hours.

Restaurant Style Salsa [recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman]
I first made this salsa last summer, and Matt complained that it wasn't spicy enough. So, I used two jalapeños instead of one this time and, whoa baby, it was-uh spicy meatball. I can totally take the heat, but if you're not so hip to the fire tongue, watch your peppers.

Beergaritas
I first tried this drink when Matt and I closed on our house last summer. Lindsay and Seth brought over a pitcher to celebrate, and no one told us to sloooooow down. You've been warned.
-frozen limeade concentrate
-your favorite tequila
-2 beers (we use Tecate or Corona)

1. In a pitcher with ice combine, the limeade concentrate, an empty limeade container's worth of tequila, and two beers.

2. Mix well and enjoy!

Skirt Steak Tacos
-2 lbs. skirt steak
-1/2 teaspoon of cumin
-1/2 a white onion, coarsely chopped
-1 lime, juiced
-1 clove of garlic
-1/4 cup of olive oil
-a big pinch of kosher salt

1. In a food processor, combine the cumin, onion, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.

2. Slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor while it's running to emulsify the marinade.

3. In a plastic bag, pour the marinade over the skirt steak and keep in the fridge overnight.

4. Grill the steak to your preferred level of doneness and let it rest for ten minutes.

5. Cut the steak against the grain and serve in warm tortillas with all the fixins.

Greek Salad

Yesterday, my friends and I celebrated the dawning of Loufest II with a little pre-music festival lunch. Of course, I picked a Barefoot Contessa recipe to bring to the par-tay because, really, Ina's never done me wrong. It was the first time I've really used the kitchen in our new house, and it was the first time that I've put my camera together in a long, long while. It felt good to make something yummy and then creepily take 15 million pictures of the finished product. I'm back, baby!

I think this lettuce-free Greek salad is a fantastic late summer recipe. All the veggies are ripe and tasty, and it's about the most colorful salad I've ever seen. (Please notice that the color black is missing from the above picture in the form of black olives. I forgot to buy them at the grocery store.) I think next time around, I'll have to add some pepperoncini. It would only be right.

Greek Salad
Salad:
-1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
-1 red bell pepper, large-diced
-1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
-1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
-1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
-1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
-1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

Vinaigrette:
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1/2 cup good olive oil

1. Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

2. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly.

3. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

The Absolute Best Fall Recipes

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and I love all of the food that goes with it. I've compiled some of my go-to recipes in this blog post, and I'd love for you to share yours in a comment below.

Pumpkin Apricot Cookies

I love my friend Alice. Recently, she went out of her way to drop off a batch of pear-applesauce that she made from scratch (of course, from apples picked at an orchard), and it was so good that I almost ate the entire container in one sitting. That made me love her more. Plus, she bought me my first copy of The Joy of Cooking as a "just because" gift. Her generosity always stuns me. 

Alice is due in February with her first child. This is how I know that she's going to be a great mama: she loves to comfort people she loves with homemade recipes, and she savors family traditions. I am thrilled that she lent me her gramma's famous pumpkin apricot cookie recipe to share with you all. 

-3.5 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon salt
-1.5 teaspoon nutmeg
-1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
-1.5 sticks of butter
-1/2 cup pumpkin puree
-2 cups brown sugar
-2 eggs
-2 cups chopped dried apricots
-1/2 cup cold black coffee

1. Sift first five ingredients and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and pumpkin. With mixer on low, add coffee add flour mixture slowly. Mix in fruit. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

3. Drop small 1 or 1.5 inch balls of the dough about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes at 350. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the cookies start to brown.

Apple Muffins
Click here for the recipe online.

My mom has turned into quite the gourmet home cook over the last several years. She is constantly trying out new recipes and encouraging my very "meat and potatoes" father to be adventurous, as well. He recently decided to become a rice eater (although beans are still off limits). And he now likes guacamole. Craziness, I know.

Last year, my mom and my maid-of-honor, Kerri, hosted a bridal shower for me at my parents' home in Southern Illinois, and my mom made these apple muffins for breakfast for all of us girls. I fell in love. They are easy to make, and with apples in season, they are the perfect fall breakfast item. 

Pumpkin Bread
My best friend Britt's sister, Erin, recently shared with me a recipe for what she advertised as the best pumpkin bread ever. I completely trust Erin's opinion when it comes to baked goods. Not only does Erin often test new recipes for her husband and two little ones (and one lucky one on the way), but she is a self-taught amazing cake decorator. If you live in the Chicago area, seriously check out her work. 

I recently made Erin's recipe for pumpkin bread, and I have to agree: it is amazing. She told me beforehand that she thinks what sets it apart from other recipes is the addition of coconut milk. I wholeheartedly agree. 

-3.5 cups all-purpose flour
-2 cups packed dark brown sugar
-2/3 cup white sugar
-2 cups pumpkin puree
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2/3 cup coconut milk
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, coconut milk, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Mix until all of the flour is gone. Fold in the nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove from oven and cover loaves with foil tightly. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent lightly with the foil and allow to cool completely.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup [recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa]
The first time I tried this soup was at my cousin Casey's house in Virginia. I was visiting in January 2009, and it was, to put it mildly, frigid outside. One (of very many) unique traits about Casey is that she purposely doesn't have a microwave in her home. I emphasize the word purposely. So, on a cold Saturday afternoon, she heated up this butternut squash soup in a Dutch oven on her stovetop, and I was instantly blown away by its intense yumminess. I've tried a lot of butternut squash soups in my day - the famous Wolfgang Puck's, the vanilla-enhanced version at Mosaic - but this is by far and away, the best recipe I've stumbled upon. I don't do all the condiments on top, but I wholeheartedly endorse a sprinkling of green onions. 

Since my visit almost two years ago, Casey and I have traded recipes online, and I'm thankful to have someone who thinks of me often when scouring cookbooks and planning menus. Casey and I both love a warm and cozy meal, and we share the understanding that food brings a family together. 

By the way, I've spent many an hour peeling and cubing a butternut squash to prep it for roasting. I think that process takes longer than actually making the soup does. The next time I make it, I am going to simply halve the squash and roast it with the skin side down. When the flesh is soft, you can scoop it right out. Much easier! 

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili 
I am not a huge meat eater (unlike my husband), so I prefer my chili to have plenty of veggies. When Matt and I feel like a healthy meal, I'll use turkey in this recipe. But, it's just as great (or better?) with ground beef. I started with a recipe that I found online, but I've added my own pizazz over the years. With a dollop of sour cream on top, it's so delicious. I could eat the leftovers for days. And I do. 

Of course, you might want to adjust the ingredients according to your personal tolerance for heat. I have a pretty high tolerance myself.

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 yellow onion, chopped
-2 tablespoons minced garlic
-1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
-1.5 pounds ground turkey (or beef)
-1 (28-ounce) can crushed organic tomatoes, undrained

-1 small can tomato paste
-1 (16-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-1 tablespoon chili powder
-1 tablespoon sugar
-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
-1.5 teaspoons sea salt
-1 teaspoon dried basil
-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

-2 serrano peppers, minced

1. In a large skillet, saute onions, garlic and bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

2. Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients to a crock pot set to low heat. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add the ingredients from step one and cook for a another hour or two.

Pumpkin Bars [recipe courtesy of Paula Deen]

Seriously, with all that butter and cream, you can't really go wrong with any Paula Deen recipe. Unless you are watching your weight or your cholesterol. Other than that, eat up! 

I made this recipe for my brother John's birthday party last year, and even I was amazed at how well the pumpkin bars turned out. The best part might be the cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Dip 
I am instantly obsessed with all things pumpkin when the fall weather arrives. When I overheard my department chair, Agnes, discussing her go-to pumpkin dip recipe a few years ago, I asked (well, demanded) that she share the it with me. 

The dip was a big hit at Matt's and my Halloween party a few years ago. It's great served with ginger snaps. And it's so easy to make. But a warning - it makes a ton. Unless you are expecting a crowd, you might want to cut the recipe in half.

-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
-2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
-1 30 oz. can pumpkin pie filling mix
-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Combine sugar and cream cheese. Beat until well-blended.

2. Beat in remaining ingredients. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

3. Serve with purchased ginger snaps.