Tag: apples (Page 2 of 6)

Cozy Wheatberry Breakfast Bowl

January 20, 2016 / Jenny / 0 Comments

With wheatberries, chopped apple, walnuts, and yogurt, this breakfast bowl is full of important nutrients to help you start your day. Maple syrup and vanilla give it a naturally sweet flavor.

Though I love a warm bowl of oatmeal on a winter morning, sometimes it is important to change things up a bit. Wheatberries are the whole kernel from a wheat plant, therefore they have more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than the processed wheat we often eat. They are a good source of fiber, protein, iron, and B vitamins, just to name a few. (Wheatberries do contain gluten, so they are not good for those who cannot tolerate gluten).

For this recipe, I am using a type of wheatberries that I bought already parboiled, so they only take about 20 minutes to cook, which is pretty important to me, since my mornings are often rushed. They are fairly easy to find, in natural food stores, or in the grain or health food aisle of many grocery stores. If you have wheatberries that have not been previously parboiled, they can take up to an hour to cook, which is fine if you have the time. One nice thing about wheatberries is that the leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and they are very versatile, so you can make a big batch and serve a breakfast bowl a couple of times a week, or use the leftovers in savory dishes as well. Just warm up the leftovers on the stove with a little added water, or even in the microwave.

I love the hearty, nutty taste of wheatberries, and they are satisfyingly filling too. I can eat a bowl of them and feel sustained for at least a couple of hours or so, without feeling overly full. The ingredients in this breakfast bowl are simple and accessible. I am continually striving for a balance between convenience, nutrition, and good taste. It doesn’t take much time or extra planning to chop an apple, swirl some maple syrup and vanilla extract into some plain yogurt, and sprinkle on a handful of walnuts. Yet it tastes flavorful, comforting, and sustaining, like it will give me energy to get my day started in a positive way. Sometimes a recipe can be so simple, yet it’s what we need to give us an extra nudge to try something. I can imagine that bananas, dried fruits, almonds, and milk would also taste really good with this.

I hope you are all having a good week so far, and stay warm!

Cozy Wheatberry Breakfast Bowl

Servings: 2-4
Time: about 20 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 cup of wheatberries
2 and 1/2 cups water
1-2 apples, chopped
1/2 half cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup of plain yogurt (I like Greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (more or less, to your desired sweetness)

Directions:

Place the cup of wheatberries with 2 and a half cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered or partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes, if the wheatberries are parboiled. If they have not been previously parboiled, simmer for about an hour. Check the wheatberries often to test their tenderness. They are done when they have burst their shells and are tender and chewy. Cooking time may vary–it does for me.

While the wheatberries are cooking, chop the apple(s) and walnuts. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and swirl the maple syrup and vanilla extract with the yogurt. When the wheatberries are done, spoon them into bowls and stir in the yogurt mixture, apples, and walnuts. Refrigerate the leftover wheatberries (if there are any), and warm them up when you use them again. Enjoy!

Apple and Pear Mini Galettes

October 9, 2015 / Jenny / 13 Comments

Apples and pears are so delicious and abundant this time of year. These little galettes are full of the quintessential fall flavors of succulent baked apples and pears, surrounded by tender pastry. Because they are mini, they are just the right size for one person, and great for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast. Because the fruit is so fresh and flavorful, these galettes do not need a lot of ingredients.

At the height of autumn, there is so much beauty and bounty from nature. And there are people who love the bounty and want to share it. My daughter and I were at a farmers market in a nearby town recently, where we encountered a farm stand I had never seen before at this market. The woman there had piles of pumpkins and squash, and baskets heaped with red, ripe tomatoes and beautiful pears. Her prices were so low, she was almost giving the produce away, and I could tell she really wanted people to use and enjoy her fruits and vegetables. I bought a basket of ripe, golden pears from her, though the price was so low it truly felt like a gift. A couple of days later, my mother brought us a bag of apples from the iconic cider mill in the town where I grew up. I have so many memories of going to that cider mill as a kid, of sitting along the river and drinking that fresh cider from paper cups and eating doughnuts from a paper bag.

Anyway, I knew I had to do something with this fruit to honor its goodness and the generous spirit in which it was given. Since I am slightly obsessed with galettes this year, I wanted to try these two archetypal fall fruits in galettes. I am so glad I did, because they tasted wonderful, and my kitchen smelled amazingly good while they were baking. Also, since galettes are considered rustic, I don’t feel a lot of pressure to make them look perfect. The taste is of paramount importance though, and the fruit stands out nicely. My family smiled and ate them up. Good thing I captured them in photographs before anyone else got home!

I hope you are enjoying the abundance of fall and the joy of generosity. Small acts of kindness can make someone’s day. A beautiful basket of pears, a bag of fresh apples, a pear or apple galette, or even just a smile. It makes me think of that bumper sticker that says, “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty,” or something close to that. Receive graciously. Pass it on. I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

I am sharing these seasonal galettes with the lovely bloggers at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #89, co-hosted today by Mila @ Milk and Bun and Kaila @ GF Life 24/7.

Apple and Pear Mini Galettes

Servings: 8
Time: about 20 minutes preparation and about 15 minutes for baking
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Ingredients:

For the apple filling:

2 cups of apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (or to taste)

For the pear filling:

2 cups of pear, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of flour

For the crusts:

2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 to 7 tablespoon of cold water

For the egg wash:

one egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

Wash, peel, and thinly slice the apples. In a small mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Wash, peel, and thinly slice the pears. In another small mixing bowl, combine the pears, sugar, and flour.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Gradually cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter, combining until the mixture has the consistency of peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cold water over the dough, and gently toss with a fork. Repeat until the dough is moistened, but not so wet that it is slimy. If you add too much water, add a little flour. Work the water through just until the dough is a nice, soft texture, but don’t over-work it. Divide the dough in half, forming two balls. Set one ball aside. Divide the other ball into four smaller balls of about equal size. On a lightly floured surface, flatten a small ball with the palm of your hand. Then roll the dough from the center to the edges, forming a circle of about 6 inches in diameter. Do the same thing with the remaining 3 small balls of dough. When you have four 6-inch circles of dough, spoon the apple mixture onto the center of the circles, distributing it evenly and leaving about a 2-inch border of dough around the circles. Gently fold the edges of the dough around the fruit, pleating all the way around the edges. Transfer the galettes to one of the baking sheets.

Clean any residual dough off the floured surface, and sprinkle more flour on it. Take the second large ball of dough and repeat the above process, making 4 six-inch circles of dough. Spoon the pear mixture onto these four circles. There may be a lot of pear juice at the bottom of the bowl, so try to spoon out the fruit, leaving as much juice as possible in the bowl. Repeat the folding and pleating process and transfer the pear galettes to the other baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and add a tablespoon of water. With a pastry brush, brush the edges of the galette crusts with the egg wash.

Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the crusts are lightly golden and the fruit is bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy!

Apple Pie with a Hint of Plum

October 2, 2015 / Jenny / 14 Comments

This delicious pie showcases seasonal apples with a touch of extra sweetness from plums. It is now the month of October and prime apple season here, as well as the very tail end of plum season. I like to use apples in as many ways as possible at this time of year, and making pies is one of my favorite ways. Apple pies are such an iconic part of celebrating fall. I have a few juicy plums lingering in my kitchen from the end of summer, so I added a cup of sliced plums to the apple pie filling, to jazz it up a little. It was a great combination, with the plums just adding a hint of a slightly different type of sweetness. Too many plums, and the crust may have gotten soggy, but this was just the right amount.

Pies symbolize so many different things to different people, but to me they symbolize celebration and comfort. There were (and still are) always pies around at big family gatherings, and lots of the women in my family were and are great pie-makers, from my grandma, my great aunt and my husband’s grandma, to my mother and aunt, who still make incredible pies.

Some people may think of making pies as old-fashioned, or overly domestic, but to me it is empowering to be able to make something that others love so much, and to be able to use fruit that grows so close to home, wrap it in a delicious pastry, and be able to nourish people in such a healthy, natural, and beautiful way. While cherry pie was my father’s favorite, and my mother, my brothers, my kids, and I like pretty much every kind of pie, apple pie is my husband’s all-time favorite. He loved the bit of plums in this pie as well.

Pie crust can be a bit of a challenge, but it is a worthy challenge. The recipe I am sharing below is one that works well for me. Although it turns out slightly different every time, and some crusts are prettier than others, it always tastes wonderful. I like to use unsalted butter from grass-fed cows for my pie crust. I also sometimes make it with canola oil, which is good too. If I use some whole wheat flour (which I like to do sometimes), the crust does not hold together as well, but it still tastes good. If I want the crust to look extra-pretty, I use unbleached all-purpose flour.

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful fall weather, and the fruits and vegetables of fall too. This is such an incredible time of year! “Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard.” ~Walt Whitman

Have a great weekend!

This week, Angie’s Fiesta Friday is co-hosted by Julie @ Hostess at Heart and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas, & Spoons. I look forward to checking out some inspiration there!

Apple Pie with a Hint of Plum

Servings: 8
Time: 30 minutes of preparation, about 55 minutes of baking time
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Ingredients:

For the Filling

5 cups of apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup of plums, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

For the Pie Crust

2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
6-7 tablespoons of cold water

Directions:

Wash, peel, and slice the fruit, and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and stir to combine.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. With a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter and combine, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs about the size of peas. Gradually add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to combine. Add water and toss with fork until all the dough is uniformly moistened. Divide the dough into two equal-sized balls. On a lightly floured surface (I often flour a large sheet of waxed paper on my counter and roll the dough out on it–the dough doesn’t stick to it as much), press one of the dough balls down with the palm of your hand. Then roll it into a circle, from the center to the edges, about 12 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto a floured rolling pin and gently unroll it into a 9-inch pie baking plate. Try not to stretch the dough too much. If it tears, patch it with more dough. Then roll out the second ball of dough, the same way as the first one. Pour the fruit filling into the pie plate. Ease that second 12-inch circle of dough from the floured rolling pin to the top of the fruit filling. Gently fold the top crust under the bottom crust, all the way around the plate. Then flute the edges as best you can. Patch any tears with extra dough. With a fork, poke several tiny holes in the top of the crust to allow air to come through. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil, to avoid over-browning. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, and then bake another 18-25 minutes, or until the crust is just golden and fruit is tender. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!