Apple cake

Mom's Best Apple Cake

Examiner.Com

From Anne Marie Hurley, Livonia, Michigan

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
•  3 cups apples, peeled and diced

Topping

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup milk

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat together until well-incorporated. Stir in the apples.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes. Cool completely before adding the topping.

Topping: In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Boil without stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately spread over the top of the cooled cake. Let sit for an hour prior to serving.

Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PENUCHE GLAZE

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Have ready some ungreased baking sheets.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy.
4. Blend in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract.
5. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
6. Mix flour mixture into butter-sugar mixture.
7. Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges.
9. Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks.
10. Let cool completely for a least one half hour, then frost with glaze.

For Glaze:.

In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened. Beat in the milk. Blend in confectioner's sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable. Using a silicone basting brush, which I love and use religiously now, or a butter knife to spread glaze on cookies is the best tip. Please note; this glaze will harden fairly quickly. I suggest that you keep the saucepan over the stove on the lowest heat possible to prevent it from hardening.

Slow Cooker Chinese Pulled Pork

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into very large chunks (3 to 4 inches)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of Chinese 5-spice powder*
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
• 1 large scallion sliced

*To make Chinese 5-spice powder, toast 1 teaspoon peppercorns in a skillet until fragrant. In a spice grinder, grind the roasted peppercorns with 2 whole star anise, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Stir in 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

METHOD

1 Season the pork with 5-spice powder: Rub the 5 spice powder into the pork chunks, all over, and let sit while you prepare the sauce in the next step.

2 Whisk together the sauce ingredients: Whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, sherry, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl.

3 Place pork and sauce in slow cooker: Place the seasoned pork shoulder pieces in a slow cooker, cover with the sauce.

4 Slow cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, until the meat easily pulls apart. About halfway through the cooking, turn the meat over in the pot.

5 Ladle off excess fat: Use a ladle or a large metal spoon to remove excess fat that has risen to the surface while the meat has been cooking. Don't discard it yet, you may want to add some of it back.

6 Shred the pork: Use two forks to pull apart the pork into shreds. If the pork still seems dry, add back some of the fat.

7 Serve over sweet Hawaiian dinner buns topped with sliced green onion or cilantro.

Shahi Cauliflower Curry Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 poblano chili pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes, quartered, for garnish

Special equipment:

• Blender or food processor

METHOD

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2 While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the cauliflower and potatoes: Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2-inch cubes. To prepare the cauliflower, use a chef's knife to cut a deep cross into the base of the cauliflower. Place your thumbs into the crevice and pull the head apart into 4 quarters Stand each quarter upright, and slice off and discard the core and outer leaves. Break or cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets.

3 Cook the potatoes and cauliflower: Carefully transfer the potatoes into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are tender. (Total cooking time is 14 to 15 minutes) Drain into a colander.

3 Make the curry sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the water, onion, chili pepper, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and salt. Puree until smooth.

4 Cook the curry sauce: Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked cauliflower and potatoes. Taste and add more salt and garam masala, if you like.

5 Finish the dish: Stir the peas and tomatoes into the pot. Heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until hot. Just before serving, stir in the yogurt and reheat gently (do not let it boil, or the yogurt may curdle.)

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Cabbage roll casserole

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp dry thyme
• ½ large cabbage, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1½ cups uncooked rice
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 3 cups water or beef broth

Instructions

1. Brown the beef in a skillet. Drain the grease and stir in the onions, garlic and spices. Cook on medium/low heat until the onions soften and become transparent.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and dump into a large casserole dish or deep 13x9 lasagna pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 90 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, take the casserole out of the oven and give it a stir.

Notes

If you prefer to have the cabbage soft and the rice very tender, similar to cabbage rolls, add another ¼ cup of water after the 90 minutes and cook for another 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 300 Fat: 13.8 g Saturated fat: 5.4 g Unsaturated fat: 6.7 g Carbohydrates: 28.9Sodium: 472 mg Protein: 15.6 g Cholesterol: 47.8 mg

Chili and Garlic Roasted Napa Cabbage

• 6 cups of shredded Napa cabbage (about 1 medium head)
• 2-3 gloves of garlic, sliced
• One fresh chili pepper, sliced*
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

In small skillet, heat the oil on low. Add the garlic cloves and and sliced chili pepper; cook for about 15 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. The goal here is to infuse the oil with the garlic and chili taste. Remove from heat. Toss the shredded cabbage in the oil then place it on a baking sheet. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops of the cabbage pieces are browned. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve hot.

*You can substitute a teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Braised Napa Cabbage With Bacon, Red Wine Vinegar, And Mint

• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, diced
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Place medium-sized roasting pan on burner over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Place cabbage in a roasting pan with rendered bacon fat, stir in the vinegar, honey and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast in the oven until wilted, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the mint. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the cooked bacon.