Tormented Kitchen

Apples. They are a staple fruit for us. They are especially big hits with the kids and their hungry friends. Ages ago, I used to make baked apples with plain granola and brown sugar.  Now, I have found a way to cut out the extra brown sugar. I just don't add it! Of course, the type of apple used makes a huge difference in the finished product.  Tart green apples need the sugar.  Red varieties don't. Since nobody around here likes raisins, I used a raisin-free cereal and added the dried cranberries instead. These apples are fragrant and beautiful.  When you slice them open,  the red skin imparts a rosy glow to the apple's flesh.  They also happen to taste divine! Ingredients 4-6 large apples, I used Red Delicious 3/4 cup granola cereal (I used Quaker Natural Granola cereal) 1/4 cup dried cranberries/ Craisins 2/3 cup cranberry-raspberry juice (or cranberry-apple juice) Method 1. Core the apples. Arrange in your baking dish. ...

Justin gave me a whole bunch of ingredients today for Mystery Box Dinner #3. There is enough leftover from tonight's meal to have a decent dinner tomorrow, too. Today, I received fresh Brussels sprouts, green beans, beef top round steaks, pork ribs, corn tortillas, dill gherkin pickles, a chunk of banana squash, basmati rice, canned whole mild chiles, canned whole tomatillos, prosciutto, pancetta, fontina cheese, goat's milk cheese, pinto beans, and red kidney beans. I raided the fridge and pantry for vegetable oil, lemon, white wine vinegar, a habanero chili pepper, mayonnaise, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, chicken bouillon, a green apple, agave nectar, a peach, and herbs and spices.  I combined the tomatillos, half the can of mild chiles, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and a tiny bit of the habanero chili to make salsa verde. The pinto beans got smashed with some diced mild green chili, oil, and spices to become refried beans. The basmati rice, combined with c...

Once upon a time, in the far, far away exotic land known as Oklahoma, the Young Heiress enjoyed eating a delightful concoction known as apple cake. It was mildly spiced with cinnamon and filled with succulent layers of sliced apples. The Queen Mother had searched far and wide for the perfect combination of yellow cake and crispy tart apples to please the Young Heiress. Yep, it's a mostly true story. This is the actual recipe for apple cake I enjoyed as a kid. It's also true that for a period of time, one of my nicknames was "the young heiress." It's a weird story and probably has nothing to do with what you would expect. Unless you were there or made privy to the details. I shall leave that story out for today. Ingredients for the cake batter 3 cups AP flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1/3 cup orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for the apple layers 3 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced 2 teaspoons...

This meal has been floating in my mind's eye for a while now. To see it finally come together, it was really a sense of accomplishment. This picture just does not do it justice. The colors were beautiful. The flavors really complimented each other, some sweet, some tangy, some savory. Excellent combination! Back in the early summer, I was on a grilling kick. I think it's a seasonal thing for me.  I wanted a grilled pork chop, but it's easy to go wrong on the grill. Sometimes it's hard to judge how hot to get the grill, how long to let the meat cook, and if you've hit it right or ruined it. The first time I made this, I tried two layers of bacon and basting the chops with apple juice. So it was OK. Just OK. As you know, for me just OK is never good enough. So back to the kitchen and lots of brainstorming and testing. I figured brining was the next logical step. I wanted a warm apple topping. Then, this came together. It was really good. I think I just had to w...

Well, this little gem of a recipe is going to become one of my new Thanksgiving additions. Instead of just regular cranberry jelly, and Cran-Raspberry Mousse , I can add chutney to the table. It was nice to have the sweet, tangy, spicy and nutty flavors all together. This went especially well on top the Acorn Squash . Just saying if you want to avoid adding butter and sugar to your squash, give this a try. It's also really pretty together. The colors were attractive, the soft orange of the squash, the creamy apples, the little red jewel cranberries. To make this, it's super easy. If you have ever cooked apple pie filling before putting it in the pie, this is technically the same. I used three types of apples. Eric helped pick them at the store. He chose one green (Granny Smith), one red (Red Delicious), and one in between (Fuji). Honestly, I liked the combination. Some pieces were tangy, some were really soft and sweet. I think the variety was an unexpected positive thing....

Last week, my dear hubby Justin went hunting.  He left me and the kids at home. I was OK with that. I'm not much for outdoorsy activities. I'm sort of like a fish out of water when it comes to camping and hunting. I also really like the convenience of running water and electricity.  There seems to be a shortage of both when using a tent in the wilderness. I might be OK a couple days, but then...I miss all the conveniences of home. And I get a bit stir crazy. My folks came up for the weekend to help and keep me company.  It was nice to have the extra hands. Mom and I cooked up a storm. Pecan bars, goulash, muffins, and kraut chops. Mm. I rarely get to eat anything with kraut because hubby doesn't like it. And if he won't eat it, no sense in making a whole batch of this for just me. Right? Anyhow, we made this in an electric skillet. You can make this on the stove. Just make sure you have a really big skillet that can hold everything. I know, electric skill...

Added Feb. 19, 2016: Dear Readers, I've seen my recipe get reposted by a lot of different websites, and subsequently pinned on Pinterest, since I published this in 2011. Please give proper attribution. It hurts my heart that so many other bloggers are pirating my content and claiming it as their own. If you'd like to re-use this, just ask! I appreciate you all. Just remember, we are all people with feelings and families to support. And believe me, Dear Pirate, I noticed when you copied my text, word for word .  --Jenny Did you know, the gingerbread loaf cake at Starbucks is really pretty good? It's also a bit expensive. You don't always notice the $1.85 when you buy a few drinks. I had to wait a whole year to get my fix, because this treat is only available between Thanksgiving and roughly New Year's. I scoured the Internet last January but didn't find a suitable recipe. I gave up and ate Lemon Pound Cake or Pumpkin Bread. This gingerbread season, I man...

 Yesterday, I made pie. I was so excited to bake! I had some nice firm D'anjou pears just waiting to get eaten somehow. It didn't take much deliberation to decide upon a pie. The last time I made pie, the kids were excited too. Yesterday was an off day for them. Eric was completely uninterested in it. Even after I tried to make it sound different and fun by calling it "pear-ple" he was not into pie. Some days are that way. Anyhow, the pie turned out nicely. However, I have a distinct lack of photo evidence. I will admit to digging out the video camera in an attempt to cook and video. This is actually harder than it sounds and I will require a filming assistant (probably Justin) if this is going to become a regular feature. Let me just say for today, for this recipe, no video will be appearing. At least the concept of video cooking is now on my radar. You can refer to some of the other photos from other recipes, Rhubarb Strawberry Pie or Apple Crisp , if you need ...

One of my hubby's coworkers asked for a good apple crisp recipe and this is it. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I am tooting it a little, and very softly, so I don't want anyone getting any attitude. I think it turned out great.  The apples were tangy and covered in sticky sweet cinnamon-y goo syrup. I had mine with vanilla ice cream, Justin had his alone.  I liked the ice cream as a contrast to the warmth and the sweet-tang of the apples. I'm not a huge fan of apple desserts any more.  So to get me to actually like cooked apples with cinnamon, it has to be pretty damn good. And yes, I like this or I wouldn't post it. Ingredients 4 firm and sour apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious if you want a milder apple) 1 Tablespoon flour 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice or a generous sprinkling of Fruit-Fresh 1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons) 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats 1/2 c...