As American As... An Apple Pie Story

     I have a confession. As a child, I did not like pie. The only pie I liked was my moms Chicken Pot Pie. Cream pies, nut pies, fruit pies, those were strange and icky foods full of mystery ingredients. It wasn't until college that I saw the light.

Picture from Bettycrocker.com

     Apple pie.

     Buttery, flaky crust sandwiching layers of tender-crisp, sweet apples and cinnamon-y sweet sauciness. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

     The only problem? Making a pie in my dorm. You can't eat the whole thing in one sitting (or at least you SHOULDN'T) and there's no easy way to keep the leftovers in your mini-fridge.

     The solution?

     Apple Dumplings.

     All the same elements as the pie, only in convenient single serving packages, which can easily be stored in a tupperware. And honestly, they are so much easier! All my friends and family adore them, so now I share the secrets to apple-y bliss with you.

Apple Dumplings

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hour (approx)

Ingredients for Dumplings:

- 3 apples (buy a type that's good for pies. I like Fuji apples)

- 1 package pie crusts (yes, I cheat. If you want to make your dough more power to you!)

- 1 stick butter (minus 1 Tblsp)

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 Tsp Cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp FRESH nutmeg (if you don't know why ask Alton Brown)

For Syrup:

- 2 cups water

- 2 cups sugar

- 1 Tblsp butter

- dash of cinnamon and grate of nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

1) Peel, core, and cut apples in half.

2) Roll out pie crust and arrange apple halves evenly, cut side up. Cut dough into thirds.

3) Place a pat of butter into the hollow of each apple.

4) Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

5) Spoon cinnamon-sugar mixture over butter pat.

6) Fold edges of pie dough around the apple, creating a sealed package.

7) Place in a deep baking dish, approximately 1-2 inches apart.

8) Add another pat of butter atop each package, and sprinkle tops with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

9) Heat water, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to boiling in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and reduce 3-5 minutes. 

10) Pour syrup AROUND (not on top of!) apple packages.

11) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown.

12) Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, spoon sauce over both. Enjoy!

Un-stuffed Cabbage

So I made this last night and put a photo up on facebook.  People (mostly my cousins) exploded wanting me to share the recipe.  So here it is ^_^

Un-Stuffed Cabbage
This is a great one-pot week night meal.  And a great way to sneak some vegetables into your kids tummies!  You can use brown rice instead of white in this recipe, but be sure to add more liquid and let it cook a little longer.

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb ground pork b/c it was cheaper and I just had 2 people to feed)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white rice (you could increase this to 2 if you have more people to feed, but remember to increase the liquid!)
• 2 cups beef stock (or whatever stock/bouillon you have on hand)
• 1 cup tomato sauce (or an 8 oz can.  You can also use a can of tomato soup)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped or shredded
• 1/2or 1 teaspoon paprika (depending on your taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

1.   In a large, wide pan with a lid, heat 1 tblsp vegetable oil over medium heat.  Saute onion and pepper until softened and slightly translucent.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
2. Add ground beef and brown.  
3. Add paprika and cayenne.
4. Add rice and toast till golden.
5. Pour in beef broth and tomato sauce.  Stir to combine—make sure to scrape up any rice sticking to bottom of pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cover and let simmer. 7 minutes.  Keep an eye on the moisture level (some rices absorb more than others).
7. Uncover, stir and add in chopped cabbage.  Add more liquid if necessary.  
8. Recover and simmer until cabbage is tender and rice is cooked (another 5-10 minutes).
9. Serve and enjoy!  Makes 4 servings with lots of leftovers!