Apple cheddar pie

I went apple picking a couple of weeks ago. I bought cheddar at the farm store.

'Nuff said.



INGREDIENTS:
- a double pie crust (recipe coming soon)
- 3 lbs of apples
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tbsp of corn starch
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- a pinch of ground cloves
- a pinch of salt
- 4 oz sharp cheddar
- not pictured: 1 egg, whisked with a tbsp of water
- optionnal: a pinch of granulated sugar


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 425F
- peel, core and slice the apples thinly (I used a mandolin for perfect uniform slices)

Note: if you want, you can sprinkle a little lemon juice on the apples here to keep them from browning too much
- add the sliced apples, sugar, starch and spices to a large bowl and mix until the apple slices are well coated with the spice mixture

- roll out the first crust, place in a buttered pie dish and grate the cheddar

- pour the apple filling into the dish, sprinkle a healthy dose of grated cheddar on top and cover with the second rolled crust

- trim the excess dough (leave about 1 inch of dough around the dish), press the top and bottom dough together so they seal, tuck the dough under and crimp away!

- with a sharp knife, make a few slits on top the the pie crust to allow steam to escape during baking, brush over with a little egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar

- bake at 425F for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30 minutes
- ta-da!!!

Steamed eggplant pasta salad

At last!! A new recipe!! My apologies to all of you for being such a slacker on the blog for the past month. September has been crazy busy. I've had visitors at home for weeks at a time, and had absolutely zero time to edit any posts.

But this is over now, and I have TONS of recipes in my head for you!

Here is the first recipe of the fall: my steamed eggplant and pasta salad.


INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 2 cups of dry short pasta (I used orecchiette)
- 2 medium eggplants
- a large handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup black olives, pitted
- basil leaves, to taste
- juice of 1 lemon
- 10-15 baby mozzarella balls, in oil
- a pinch of salt


RECIPE:
- rinse and dice the eggplants in bite-sized pieces and salt them lightly while you wait for a huge pot of water to boil
- when the water boils hard, start steaming the eggplants for 10-15 minutes, then pour the pasta in the boiling water underneath the basket and cook until the pasta is al dente and the eggplant is tender

Note: I used my new pasta cooker-steamer combo, but you can absolutely do this in different pots!
- when the pasta is al dente, strain and rinse quickly with cold water, sprinkle a little olive oil and toss around so the pasta does not stick together

- reserve the cooked eggplant on the side until just warm, then add to the cold pasta and toss all the remaining ingredients together, sprinkle with a little lemon juice and shredded basil leaves

- enjoy your super healthy eggplant-pasta salad!

Fattoush salad

Look no further! This is the perfect salad: fresh cucumber, ripe tomatoes, tons of fresh parsley and mint, crispy homemade flat bread croutons and a tangy lemony garlicky dressing… Yes, it is. Perfect.

Here's how you can make Fattoush.



INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
for the salad
- 1 small head of romaine salad
- 1 cucumber
- 1 large handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 sweet green pepper
- a bunch of flat leaf parsley
- a bunch of fresh mint
- 1 loaf of Khoubiz or any flat bread like a pita (click here for a recipe)
for the dressing
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 big clove of garlic
- a pinch of salt (to taste)


RECIPE:
- this recipe is so simple! Just chop all the salad ingredients (except the bread) and arrange in a serving bowl

- break the flat bread into bite sized pieces and toast them until crispy and sprinkle over the salad

- prepare the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a bowl and using a stick blender, mix until emulsified, pour over the salad and toss

- Enjoy!

Khoubiz (Lebanese flatbread)

I have been CRAVING Fattoush salad for the longest time! The thing is: I had no flatbread at hand… No matter, though! I took matters in my own hands to make it happen.

Here's how I made my own Lebanese flatbread!

PS: keep an eye on here, the Fattoush salad recipe might follow very soon!



INGREDIENTS (4 loaves):
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1/2 pack of active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 500F with a baking sheet or pizza stone in it
- reserve 1 cup of flour to use later and put the remaining 2 cups in a bowl

- dissolve the yeast in a little bit of the warm water, then add the remaining water, salt and sugar

-pour in the center of the 2 cups of flour and mix a little bit of flour in to thicken the liquid. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm spot for about 10-15 minutes until frothy and bubbly

- when the yeast mixture is bubbly, start mixing the rest of the flour and the olive oil in using a dough hook attachment in a standing mixer for about 5-6 minutes, or good ol' elbow grease for 15 minutes

- the dough should now be soft and slightly sticky. Place it on a floured surface and knead for another 10 minutes until the dough is soft, springy and smooth.

- put a splash of olive oil in a bow and place the dough in the bowl, making sure to cover it in oil. let rest covered in film in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size

- deflate the risen dough with your fist and put on a floured surface. Flour your hands so the dough won't stick and knead for another minute or so, then split into 4 equal sized balls

- roll out the balls into thin discs (maybe 1/4 inch?), cover with a cloth and let rest for another 20 minutes

- bake the flat breads one at a time, as they will puff up and take more space as they bake: put a floured disc directly on the baking sheet (I used a pizza stone) and bake for 4-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining discs

- these breads are delicious on their own, dipped in olive oil and salt as a snack, and perfect with hummus, artichoke dip or used as a pita pocket for lamb skewers!
- enjoy :)