Berry Cobbler

I love Granny Smith apples.  I don’t eat them much, but I use them often in my cooking and baking, so I try to keep them around.  They are firm, tart, flavorful and last a long time on display.  People who visit my home are always amazed at the amount of fruit I have in the ‘apple bowl’ on my kitchen table. 

I learned a long time ago that apples need to be stored separately.  Apples release a gas that will spoil fruits prematurely if stored together, so my fruit bowl contains applies only.

 

On occasion someone will suspect that the fruit in the bowl is fake until they look closely and even pick up an apple or two and see that they are real.  My secret is that I use surprisingly realistic looking fake apples to create a bed for the three or four real apples that sit on top.  I thought that was genius.
 

I can't tell the difference when I use fresh or frozen berries for this cobbler.  Since I keep a few small bags of berries in the freezer, I always have the ingredients I need to make this delicious dessert at a moment’s notice.

Ingredients:

§     1 stick unsalted butter

§     1 cup self-rising flour

§     1/4 cup sugar

§     3/4 cup whole milk

§     1 teaspoon vanilla

§     2 cups berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries)

§     1 Granny Smith apple cut into berry size cubes

§     1/2 cup sugar

§     1/2 cup water

§     Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine berries, apples, sugar and water and set aside.

Melt butter in a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. 

In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar and milk and pour evenly over the melted butter. 

Spoon the fruit evenly over batter.

Do not stir. 

Bake 40 – 45 minutes.  

Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar. 

Serve warm with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.  For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Berry Cobbler. Enjoy!

If using all-purpose flour, sift 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt with flour.

Note:  The original recipe did not call for the granny smith apple but I found it gave the cobbler a much needed tart flavor.

Breakfast Baskets

Karen and I were working together in my home office when noon rolled around and we were both ready for something to eat.  I typically plan ahead and prepare in advance when we are working at my home, but today I hadn’t.  I visually inventoried the contents of the refrigerator for inspiration when I noticed leftover grits from last night’s dinner.  I’m sure I can come up with something, so I pulled out a tube of croissant rolls, eggs and shredded cheese.

 

I knew I was on to something when Karen returned the following day to complete the project and requested the same lunch as we had the day before.

Ingredients:

§     1 tube croissant rolls  (you can substitute a dense white bread if you must)
§     8 eggs  (4 eggs will yield 4 baskets with yolks and 4 baskets with egg whites only)
§     1 cup cooked grits
§     1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
§     salt and pepper

Optional Ingredients:

§     crumbled bacon
§     chopped chives or green onion

To access my recipe for Grits, visit my "Shrimp and Grits" post.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a cutting board, unroll the croissant rolls and pinch the diagonal seams together. 

Cut the dough into 8 equal squares.  Onto a muffin tin, lay a single square over 8 openings.  If you are using white bread, I suggest trimming the crust and flattening it with a rolling pin but I have found that the croissant rolls taste much better. 

Spoon one tablespoon of cooked grits onto the dough. 

I suggest eating any meats alongside the Breakfast Baskets because the basket is too small to accommodate an entire egg but if you must, this is the time to add few crumbles of bacon or chopped chives. 

I use 4 eggs to make 8 baskets so 4 of the baskets have yolks and 4 have egg whites only.  If you want a yolk in each basket, simply use 8 eggs.  The entire egg will not fit into the basket so save the leftover whites for an egg white omelet or meringue. 

Sprinkle each basket with a pinch of salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until the egg white is almost set. 

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for about 1 minute or until the cheese is melted.  I like to wait until the last minute to sprinkle the cheese because I like the cheese to be melted and gooey…not hard and crusty. 

Remove from the oven and serve warm. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Breakfast Baskets. Enjoy!

Not My Mama's Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed Cabbage is one of those dishes I look forward to making when my mother visits.  It is very time consuming so it gives us a full day together in the kitchen, our favorite bonding exercise.  Because it’s so time consuming, it may not be one of my most requested recipes, but it is certainly one of my most requested meals. 

My goal was to develop a recipe to share with friends that provides the same flavor without the time and work.  The original recipe requires boiling the whole head of cabbage, continuously removing from the water to peel back and separate the leaves; seasoning the chopped meat; trimming the cabbage leaves for rolling; preparing the sweet and sour sauce, rolling the cabbage and cooking  Who's got time for that? 
 

This photograph is of my mother's original Stuffed Cabbage.  My Cabbage Casserole may not look like my mother’s Stuffed Cabbage, but it definitely tastes like it….and I’ve been told it’s much easier to eat.  My niece, Jackie, gave the dish validation when she walked into the room, sniffed the air and without provocation said “Is that Grandma’s Stuffed Cabbage I smell?”

Ingredients:

§     1 onion, diced

§     4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8” coins

§     1 28oz can of tomatoes

§     1 6oz can tomato paste

§     1 large head of cabbage shredded or a large bag of shredded cabbage for coleslaw

§     3 pounds of frozen meatballs, preferably small

§     3/4 cup sugar

§     3 tablespoons honey

§     1 tablespoon sour salt

§     2 teaspoons kosher salt

§     1 teaspoon cinnamon

§     Vegetable oil

Coat the bottom of a large pot with vegetable oil and add the diced onion. 

Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion begins to sweat but not turn brown. 

Add the carrot coins and sauté for about 2 minutes. 

Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.  If the tomatoes are whole, crush with a fork.  Refill the tomato can with water twice and add to the pot.  Cook over medium-high heat until the tomato mixture begins to boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer.  Add the sugar, sour salt, kosher salt and cinnamon. 

Add shredded cabbage and meatballs. 

I did not have small meatballs so I cut the larger meatballs into quarters. 

Simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Spoon into a casserole dish and allow to cool before placing into the refrigerator.  This casserole, as with most sweet and sour meals must be made in advance.  It takes a minimum of 24 hours for the flavors to develop, and I guarantee it will taste even better after 48 hours in the refrigerator. 

This dish freezes extremely well but I suggest letting the flavors develop in the refrigerator before you portion and place into the freezer.  To serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the casserole dish into the oven.  Cover with aluminum foil to keep the moisture in.  Bake covered for 30 – 40 minutes until warm, remove cover and bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Stuffed Cabbage Casserole. Enjoy!

Tuna Melt

Tuna salad sandwiches are as much a staple in a New York Deli and New Jersey Diner as pimento cheese sandwiches are in the south.  When I moved to Nashville and was introduced to the southern version of my childhood favorite, it was difficult for me to embrace.  The sweet southern tuna salad was tasty, but I missed the savory flavor and crunch of my all-time favorite.  After introducing my tuna salad to southern friends, it quickly became an expected treat when visiting my home and one of my most requested recipes. 

Preparing a perfect Tuna Melt takes a little more technique than melting a piece of cheese on a tuna sandwich, so I thought I would share my simple technique which yields a crispy, buttery and delicious bread, warm melted cheese and cool tuna salad.....just the way I like it.
 

Tuna salad is something I can assemble quickly and always have the ingredients on hand, but one of the secrets to this delicious delicacy is preparing it a day ahead and allowing the flavors to marry.

Tuna Salad Ingredients:

§     2 6-ounce cans of white meat tuna packed in water, drained

§     3 stalks of celery, minced

§     1/3 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise  (I love mayonnaise, so I may add up to 1/2 cup)

§     3 tablespoons Miracle Whip (my secret ingredient)

§     1 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice

§     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium sized mixing bowl add drained tuna and break up with a fork. 

Add celery, Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, lemon juice and salt and combine well.  I do not use the low fat or low calorie mayonnaise because it does not taste as good.  I prefer you use less, but use the real thing.  The Miracle Whip is my secret ingredient and provides another layer of flavor.

The tuna salad is ready to eat, but for maximum flavor, prepare a day (or a few hours) ahead, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

I like onion on my tuna sandwiches but I don't put onion in the tuna salad.  Without onion, the tuna stays fresh in the refrigerator much longer and does not get as watery, so I place a slice of onion directly on my sandwich.

Tuna Melt Ingredients:
§     Sliced bread (white, wheat, rye, whole grain, Hawaiian or brioche)  
§     2 slices of cheese for each slice of bread  (I use Cheddar or Colby but use what you like)
§     Paprika

Optional Ingredient:

§     Onion slices

Butter one side of the bread, place butter side down onto a frying pan and place a slice of cheese on the bread. 

Over a medium low flame, grill the bread while melting the cheese.  When nicely browned, remove from heat and spread the tuna salad over the top of the melted cheese. 

Be sure to cover the entire slice of bread from corner to corner. 

Cover with another slice of cheese. 

Sprinkle lightly with paprika for added color and place under the broiler for approximately one minute, until melted. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to TunaMelt. Enjoy!

Breakfast Bread Pudding

My company has three fully staffed offices which I visit regularly, but I seem to get much more done when I work from my home office, so no one was surprised when I asked if we could hold our biweekly Directors’ Meeting at my home.  It’s a little further of a drive for most so I promised a treat.  Since we meet early in the morning, I offered to make “Breakfast Bread Pudding” which is always a favorite. 

There is a wonderful artisan restaurant in nearby East Nashville which I frequent often, especially for breakfast.  They serve the most delicious brioche bread made in house daily.  I can’t seem to leave the restaurant without taking a loaf or two home.  I carefully wrap and place the unsliced loaf into the freezer and save it just for an occasion like this.  Bread pudding, whether sweet or savory, is something I make when I have stale bread and most breads work well; but if I have a choice, for sweet bread pudding I prefer brioche, challah, Hawaiian Bread or plain white bread.  For savory bread pudding I typically use a baguette, Italian bread or plain white bread.

Ingredients:

§     1 large loaf of brioche, challah or Hawaiian bread cut or torn into 2 inch cubes

§     6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

§     1 cup sugar

§     2 cups of whole milk

§     2 cup half and half

§     2 teaspoons pure vanilla

§     6 tablespoons unsalted butter

§     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

§     warm maple syrup, for serving

Optional Ingredients:

§     golden raisins

§     dried cranberries

§     chopped pecans

§     orange zest with a splash of orange juice

§     bananas with brown sugar

§     chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, half and half, vanilla and salt and set aside.  In most bread pudding recipes I add 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks and reduce the amount of liquid, but I prefer my breakfast bread pudding to be more moist and fluffy.

Spray the casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray to keep the bread pudding from sticking and dot the bottom of the dish with butter to add flavor. 

Tear or cut the bread into cubes and distribute evenly in the baking dish. 

Pour the custard mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the center is set. 

Remove from the oven and serve with warm maple syrup.  If you are not serving maple syrup, you may want to increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Breakfast Bread Pudding. Enjoy!