Apples (cont.)

The bar has become my fallback dessert. It feels a little more gourmet than a cookie but only takes a tiny bit more effort. I used a recipe from allrecipes.com that was originally for a blueberry bar. The ingredient list is short and sweet:

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2 large apples thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Next time I'll add more apple, I would have liked to have a thicker layer. This makes a BIG batch, not to worry, they freeze well!
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the apples. Sprinkle the apple mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the apple layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Apples!

I know I'm a little late to the apple craze/season but I suddenly found myself with 10 pounds of Fiji's. You know when you go to a store and use your card to pay for a pack of gum and some trail mix that total $4.10 (with tax) and the sweet woman working the cash register reminds you that they only accept cards for purchases over $5? Do you take the hit and let them dock an extra 50 cents on? Or do you quickly scan for something in the $1 range close to the register because Damn These People Aren't Making Money Off Me! This woman was really pushing the apples. We were at Remlinger Farm at the tail end of apple season and apparently they reaped more than they bargained for. Homegirl was not letting us out of that place without a wheelbarrow of apples. So we left with 10 pounds of fiji's for 90 cents, that's how we roll.
My mind already started racking through apple recipes on the drive home. I wanted sweet and savory. That brings us to Apple Cheddar scones.
They start with roasted apples.
They get mixed with shredded cheddar, an egg, half and half, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
It's kneaded and formed into a circle shape and cut into quarters.
Brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sea salt.
Sweet and savory goodness.
Recipe adapted from Smitten.

Another apple recipe coming soon!

Roasted Beets and Squash

Posting has been slow lately. It may have something to do with this:
Our kitchen wasn't really built for two. I've gotten very good at pivoting.
Beets and Squash. Feels like fall, doesn't it? Maybe I'm a little late but Seattle has shown some summer weather it was hoarding from June through September.

This is one of those recipes that gets thrown together because it's what you have on hand. Do you ever feel like a meal is not really a meal unless there's meat? No? Just me.
Well consider this your meat. It's red (ish), it's super rich and flavorful and, it bleeds (stains).
Mix that with with your chopped squash (any type you like)
Toss with olive oil, sea salt, cumin, pepper and onion. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Add one can of chickpeas, toss. Roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with feta. Serve in a bowl. Top with chopped green onion...or anything green. Chives, parsley, whatever.
You won't miss the meat. Promise.