Fall Makes for More Cooking & Baking

I can only imagine what winter will bring...these days I find my mind circling around cooking and baking...I wake in the middle of the night to hear the patter (or pounding as the case may be) of rain on the tin roof and feel the chill in the air as I bundle the blankets around me...and what do I think about?...the culinary creations I might invent for dinner or for Johny's sweet tooth.  Even if there is no rain, I find myself occupying my "I should be sleeping but can't" time with developing menu's and recipes.  When the rooster crows (we don't have one yet, but I can imagine it) we rise and I feed the wild birds, Johny feeds Pogo and Fluffy, we drink coffee sitting at the fire, and begin to discuss the day to come.  First thing on my mind?  What am I going to cook/bake today!

I find the cool and rainy weather is resulting in my spending a lot of time in the kitchen; I hope you enjoy the recipes I share:)  I sure do enjoy creating them!

This evening's menu includes PastaLise and Mini Gooey Apple Cakes.

PastaLise    

Ingredients:

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1 large diced tomato, all parts included
1 head of chopped broccoli, including the peeled stem
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms (clean with a damp paper towel)
1/4 cup diced garlic
squeeze of anchovie paste
salt and pepper to taste (I used truffle salt)
fresh parsley and basil to taste

1/8 stick butter
extra virgin olive oil to taste
Truffle olive oil to taste

Boil the water for the pasta, with a  little olive oil and salt for seasoning.  Once boiling, throw the raw chopped broccoli into the water and blanch for 1 minute.  Remove the broccoli, but don't drain any water. 

Add the pasta to the water and cook for 1 - 2 minutes less than the directions state for al dente results.  Once partially cooked, drain the pasta, then put it back into the pot and add a little butter, olive oil and the liquid from the chopped tomatoes and remove from heat. 
 
Put the butter and olive oil onto a pan to heat.  Add 1/3 of the garlic and a generous squeeze of anchovie paste and stir the pan to incorporate all the flavors.  Once it begins to sizzle, add the chopped tomatoes (yes, I use everything, skins and seeds; it's good for you) and saute until softened.  

Once it begins to bubble, add the blanched broccoli and sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. 

Add the cooked pasta and combine for 1 - 2 minutes.  Top with the fresh parsley and basil and serve.  

We ate this with a romaine salad and home made garlic bread. The pasta was fresh, light (as light as pasta can be), and overall nutritious. 

This morning, Mountain Man was making dried apples from all the apples we have.  But he cut more than he could fit into the dryer.  So I'll cut to the chase with this recipe, as it was totally off the cuff and my picture taking was somewhat limited.  But I tell you, it is yummy. 

Lise's Mini Gooey Apple Cakes
Ingredients:
Premade pound cake
1 cup diced apples with the skin
3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup cinnamon honey spread

Cook the diced apples in the butter, brown sugar and spices until they come to a boil.  Remove from heat and let them cool a bit. 

Cut the pound cake loaf in half horizontally.  After the apple spread has cooled, spread it on the bottom half of the loaf.  Then top it with the top half, after you have sliced it so it will be flat, putting the up side down (this was another experiment, and I actually would consider not slicing off the top and putting the loaf back together exactly as it came).  Slice the cake vertically so you have two long pieces, then cut that into four equal sections.  You will end up with something looking like this.

Now heat your powdered sugar and apple cider until warm.  Remove from the heat, and drizzle over each piece of cake.  Then warm the cinnamon honey mixture (I had this from a gift, but I am sure you could mix honey and cinnamon and warm to a buttery spread consistency)...

...and drizzle it over the cakes, making sure to run over the edges.

This is a delightfully gooey cake that is full of apple flavor from top to bottom.  It isn't fancy looking, but it sure does taste good!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise