CHAPTER 1
APPLES
Orchard Fresh Apple Butter
Cranberry Apple Sauce
Warm Apple Breakfast Cereal
Hot Butterscotch Apple Cider
Pecan-Stuffed Apples
Down-Home Fried Apples
Vanilla Apples
Apple Spiced wine
Butter Pecan Caramel Apple Crisp
Apple Slow-down Brown Betty
Fresh Apple Pork Chops
Apple and Parsnip Cream of Potato Soup
Good Granny Apple raisin Crumble
Orchard Fresh Apple Butter
The best apples for making this recipe arethose that fall apart easily rather than thosethat hold their shape when cooked. So selectthe apples listed or a combination of these forthe best results.
Yield: 6 cups
4 ½ pounds Mcintosh, empire, and/or Cortland
apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 cups white sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Place the apples, cider, white sugar, brownsugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in alightly greased large slow cooker. Coverand cook on high for 1 hour, then reducethe heat to low and cook for 10 hours. Stiroccasionally. Uncover and whisk brisklyto break up any apple chunks. Check thethickness. If you desire a thicker butter,cover and cook an additional hour. If youwant a thinner butter, stir in no more than2 tablespoons of additional cider. Ladleinto hot canning jars and place at least afinger-width apart on a wire rack. Cool toroom temperature. When completely cool,refrigerate until ready to use.
Cranberry Apple Sauce
Traditional apple sauce doesn't containspices. Instead, it is a cooked mixture ofslightly sweetened apples and juice. In thiscase, I couldn't resist throwing in some freshcranberries that begin hitting the supermarketshelves in abundance in October.
Yield: 4 ½ cups
3 pounds Mcintosh, empire, and/or Cortland apples,
cored, peeled, and cut in large chunks
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar
In a lightly greased medium slow cooker,combine the apples, cider, cranberries, andsugar. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.Using a potato masher, crush the mixture tothe desired consistency. Serve warm or atroom temperature.
NOTE: Refrigerate leftovers and use within 1 week.
Warm Apple Breakfast Cereal
Want to get your family up and at it on aweekend morning? Then start this aromatictwist on hot cereal just before you staggeroff to bed. No alarm required! These applevarieties were selected because they holdtheir shape when cooked. If you want theapples to fall apart, select McIntosh.
Yield: 6 servings
8 Granny Smith, Braeburn, and/or Golden Delicious
apples, cored, peeled, and quartered
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sorghum syrup or honey
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups granola cereal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
Plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
Place the apples in a lightly greased mediumslow cooker and toss with the lemon juice toevenly coat. Drizzle with the sorghum andsprinkle with the cinnamon. Top with thecereal and drizzle with the butter. Coverand cook on low for 8 hours. Spoon intowarm cereal bowls and top with the pecansand a dollop of yogurt. Serve immediately.
Hot Butterscotch Apple Cider
Head to the supermarket ice-cream toppingaisle for the butterscotch sauce, and selectapple cider rather than apple juice for themost apple flavor.
Yield: 8 servings
½ gallon apple cider
1/3 cup butterscotch sauce
8 long cinnamon sticks
Place the cider and butterscotch sauce ina small or medium slow cooker. Cover andcook on low for 3 hours. Serve warm withcinnamon sticks.
VARIATION: Substitute 2 cups of butterscotchschnapps for the butterscotch sauce.
Pecan-Stuffed Apples
This fall combination can hardly be beat, andthe small scoops of vanilla ice cream addedat serving time are a delicious complement tothe apples.
Yield: 6 servings
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 teaspoons apple brandy or additional apple cider
6 rome Beauty, Jonagold, and/or Golden Delicious
apples
½ cup toasted chopped pecans
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream
Place the cider and brandy in a lightlygreased large slow cooker and set aside.Core the apples from the top to halfwaydown the apple. Using a melon baller, scoopout some of the inside to allow plenty ofroom for the stuffing. Dice the scooped-outapple pulp and add to a medium bowl,along with the pecans, brown sugar, raisins,butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well andcarefully spoon into the apples. Transfer tothe slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for3 hours or on high for 1 ½ hours.
To serve, place each apple on a servingdish and spoon some of the cooking liquidon top. Serve each with one scoop of icecream. Serve immediately.
NOTE: Save any leftover sauce for topping icecream later. Just refrigerate and use within 1 week.
Down-Home Fried Apples
Serve this down-home delight as a side dishwith turkey or pork, or over waffles, pancakes,pound cake, or ice cream. An apple corer andslicer make preparing this dish easy.
Yield: 8 servings
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
5 Gala, rome Beauty, or Golden Delicious apples,
cored, peeled, and sliced
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Place the cider and apples in a lightlygreased medium slow cooker. In a smallbowl stir together the brown sugar,cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, nutmeg,and allspice. Sprinkle evenly over theapples. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours oron high for 1 ½ hours. Serve warm.
Vanilla Apples
Poaching cored apples allows all thegoodness inside to intensify. The fragranttouch of vanilla will charm you! These applevarieties hold their shape well when cooked.
Yield: 6 servings
6 rome Beauty, Stayman, or Jonathan apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups hot water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Freshly whipped cream for garnish
Core the apples, leaving the fruit intact,and drizzle the inside of the apples with thelemon juice. Set aside.
Place the water, sugar, vanilla bean, andvanilla in a lightly greased large slow cooker.Stir until the sugar dissolves. Place theapples with the cut end down in the water.
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or untilthe apples are easily pierced with a knife.Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Servewarm with drizzles of the cooking liquid anda garnish of freshly whipped cream.
Apple Spiced Wine
This warm party drink is made for fall andwinter gatherings. In addition to being perfectwith nibbles, I like it after dinner when sittingaround the outdoor fireplace.
Yield: 10 servings
2 (750 milliliter) bottles dry red wine
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
½ cup apple brandy
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 whole cloves
Stir together the wine, apples, brandy, sugar,and lemon juice in a medium slow cooker.
Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves in apiece of cheesecloth or in a spice bag. Add tothe wine mixture, cover, and cook on low for2 hours. Remove and discard the spice bagand serve warm.
NOTE: You can remove the apples before servingor serve them separately if desired.
Butter Pecan CaramelApple Crisp
With very little fuss, this dessert begins tobubble away in the slow cooker to make theend of your meal dramatic. Use store-boughtshortbread cookies or homemade leftovers.Ginger snaps would be yummy too.
Yield: 4 servings
¼ cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, cored,
peeled, and sliced
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup caramel sauce
4 shortbread cookies, crushed
4 toasted pecan halves
In a small bowl whisk together the ciderand cornstarch until smooth. Transfer toa lightly greased medium slow cooker. Addthe apples, pecans, brown sugar, butter,lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir tocombine, cover, and cook on low for 3 hoursor on high for 1 ½ hours.
To serve, scoop the warm apple mixtureinto serving bowls and drizzle evenly withthe caramel sauce. Top each serving with acrushed cookie and pecan half.
Apple Slow-Down Brown Betty
A Brown Betty is usually an apple dessertthat is baked with buttered bread crumbs. Ihave substituted peaches before, but alwaysgo back to apples, which seem to work best.Traditionally, it is served with whipped cream,but I like it with vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 6 servings
6 large Braeburn or Granny Smith apples, cored,
peeled, and sliced
3 cups very coarse bread crumbs or small bread
cubes, toasted
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vanilla ice cream
Place the apples in a lightly greased mediumslow cooker. In a large bowl gently tosstogether the bread crumbs, butter, whitesugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, andsalt. Evenly spread over the apple slices.Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.Uncover and let stand for 15 minutes beforeserving warm with scoops of vanilla icecream.
Fresh Apple Pork Chops
Every fall we purchase really thick-cut porkchops that are packaged and frozen for lateruse. But before those hit the freezer, a pack isthawed and goes into the slow cooker for thisfeast. I like serving it with green beans andhomemade rolls.
Yield: 4 servings
1 (16-ounce) bag baby carrots
4 (1-inch thick) pork chops
1 ½ cups apple juice
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 large apples, cored and cut in wedges
Place the carrots in a lightly greasedmedium slow cooker. Top with the porkchops. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid,combine the apple juice, vinegar, mustard,paprika, garlic salt, pepper, and garlicpowder. Shake to emulsify and pour overthe pork chops. Cover and cook on high for2 hours. Add the apples, cover, and continuecooking another 2 hours. Serve warm.
Save the cooking liquid as stock forsoups and stews later on. Just cool, transferto a freezer container, label, and freeze. Usewithin 2 months.
Apple and Parsnip Creamof Potato Soup
This is yet another one of those "keep anopen mind" soups that is nothing less thanfantastic. Creamy white sweet parsnips pairwith tart apples in a soup that is fresh andequally good served either hot or cold.
Yield: 6 servings
1 pound (4 medium) Braeburn, Crispin, and/or
Mutsu apples, cored, peeled, and diced
1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups apple juice
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon onion salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup half-and-half, room temperature
Fresh minced thyme
Place the apples, parsnips, potatoes, applejuice, stock, vinegar, onion salt, onionpowder, and pepper in a lightly greased largeslow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7hours. Using an immersion blender, pureethe soup until smooth. Stir in the half-and-half,cover, and cook for 30 minutes longer.Serve with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
Good Granny AppleRaisin Crumble
Tart Granny Smith apples get cozy with brownsugar and spices while golden raisins plumpup and soften. Get the whipped cream ready!
Yield: 8 servings
4 large (2 pounds) Granny Smith apples, cored and
cut in wedges
½ cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons baking mix, divided
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup rolled or old-fashioned oats
½ cup chopped pecans
whipped cream for garnish
Place the apples and raisins in a lightlygreased medium slow cooker. Sprinkle withthe vanilla and dot with 2 tablespoons ofthe butter. In a medium bowl stir together2/3 cup of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ofthe baking mix, and the cinnamon. Sprinkleover the apple mixture and toss gently toevenly coat.
In the same bowl combine theremaining 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 cupof baking mix with the oats. With a pastryblender or two forks, cut in the remaining3 tablespoons of butter until the mixtureresembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over theapple mixture and top with the pecans. Folda clean kitchen tea towel in half and layover the top of the slow cooker, allowing theexcess to hang over the outside. Cover andcook on high for 2 hours. Uncover and letstand for 15 minutes before serving warmwith a garnish of whipped cream.
BEAN
Black Bean and Pork Stew
As Southern as It Gets Pinto Bean Soup
Stock Market Baked Beans
Easiest Baked Beans Ever
Garlic-Infused white kidney Beans
Five Beans Meet in a Slow Cooker
Beans and Bacon
Holiday Green Bean Casserole
Almond Green Bean Casserole
Lima Bean Buttermilk Soup
No Meat but Still Messy Sloppy Joes
Black Bean Tomato Soup
kentucky Bourbon Baked Beans
Garbanzo Bean and Spinach Soup
Chow down Corn and Bean Chowder
Black Bean and Pork Stew
For the best results, use a dark, hearty beerfor this recipe. You will love the intensity itadds to this easy cold-weather dish.
Yield: 6 servings
1 (16-ounce) package dry black beans
1 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder butt roast
2 (12-ounce) bottles dark beer or 3 cups low-sodium
beef stock
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup sour cream
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Place the beans in the bottom of a lightlygreased large slow cooker. Place the porkon top of the beans and add the beer, redpeppers, jalapeños, garlic salt, cumin, andblack pepper. Cover and cook on high for 4hours. Using two forks, pull apart the pork.Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, asprinkling of the tomatoes, and a garnish offresh cilantro on each serving.
VARIATIONS: Add one peeled and chopped sweetonion when you add the other ingredients,if desired. Or you can substitute shreddedMonterey Jack cheese for the sour cream.
As Southern as It GetsPinto Bean Soup
Pinto beans have been a constant on Southernlunch and dinner tables for decades. This oneis a twist on the usual cooked beans, but stillshould be served with wedges of hot butteredcornbread.
Yield: 6 servings
2 cups dry pinto beans
5 ½ cups water, divided
2 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese for garnish
Sliced green onion tops for garnish
Place the beans and 5 cups of the water ina Dutch oven over high heat. Bring to a boiland immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes andremove from the heat. Cover and let standfor 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, thentransfer to a lightly greased medium slowcooker.
Add the remaining ½ cup of water,stock, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder,black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cookon low for 8 hours or on high for 4 ½ hoursor until the beans are tender. Stir in thetomatoes and their juices, cover, and cookfor 30 minutes longer. Serve warm with agarnish of cheese and green onions.