BIZZY BAKES

When I prepare for the holidays, I marathon cook.  So far today, I have made two broccoli kugels, 2 cauliflower-leek kugels, a ton of kneidlach (matzah balls) and this carrot apple kugel.  I didn't start till almost 2 o'clock. We just finished the first two days of the holiday Rosh Ha Shana, head of the year, and while we eat well, that is not the priority.  The meals were good but my focus is on Succos which comes around in two weeks.  There are six major meals a week plus a seventh smaller one (not counting regular meals on the non-holidays.  Each meal has challah, a fish course with salad, soup, meat or poultry with a few side dishes and desserts.  By the last meal, I am full before we start. Along side of the heavier dishes which I make ahead of time, I like to serve fresh vegetables to lighten the meals.  I also make the potato and apple dishes a day or two before the holiday since I don't find they freeze well.  So far I have two...

This morning, my husband asked me to make a dinner from kasha.  Of course, the first recipe, I came across that I liked, was muffins so before I thought about dinner, I made these.  Using a fine ground kasha made the texture no different from regular flour muffins.  The spices gave it life and it turned out to be an enjoyable muffin. Then came the time to figure out dinner and I found a recipe on the kasha box for a kasha chili which we are having during the week and which I will post.  I made it ahead of time and took a taste and I think, it is going to be good. Apple Kasha Muffins     adapted from Recipe.Com          Ingredients : 1 cup orange juice  3/4 cup finely ground roasted (kasha)  1 egg  1/4 cup oil  1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour  1/3 cup packed brown sugar  2 teaspoons baking powder  1/2 teaspoon baking soda  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon ...

I had seen a recipe, once upon a time, for burgers that included apples with the turkey.  With this in mind, I put together this meatloaf.  The taste was unbelievable.  The mixture of chopped turkey with the sausage gave it a spicy background that was the background for the additional spices. Apple, Sausage Meatloaf 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey  2 medium apples, diced 3 sausages, fine diced (I used food processor) 1 tablespoon parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon sage 2 large eggs, beaten Topping: 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey Method:  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Combine turkey, sausage, apples, parsley, sage, pepper, nutmeg and eggs in a bowl.  Place meatloaf mixture into loaf pan or casserole.  (I sprayed pan with cooking oil but it probably does not need it. Mix the topping ingredients and spread on top of meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour or ...

When I saw the additions to the quinoa, in this recipe from All Recipes. Com, I knew I had to make it.  How could you go wrong with it?  Actually, I did goof, big time.  I must have put too much liquid in the quinoa and it was mushy.  Despite this, the added flavors made it worthy of eating and I would make it again, just with more care. Tropical Quinoa Ingredients: 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 1 cup water 1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple 1/2 cup dried mango 1/2 cup cut-up apple 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes 1/4 cup nuts, chopped                Method: Mix the quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in the dried pineapple, dried mango, coconut flakes,  nuts.     Eat and enjoy. Serve hot. Linked to  Full P...

I bought my married granddaughter a book by Paula Shoyer which motivated me to take out a copy of another book by Paula, The Kosher Baker.   I remember making her blueberry cake some time ago and decided to make it again, adding apples to the mix. When I checked my blog to see what I had posted, I found I had not posted the recipe, at all so I have a second chance, one which hopefully makes it to print. Apple and Blueberry Cake (adapted to be gluten-free from Kosher Baker) Ingredients: Spray oil 1/3 cup orange juice 4 eggs 3/4 cup oil 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mixture 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger Blueberry mixture - 3 cups fresh blueberries or a ten ounce bag of frozen blueberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, 1/4 teaspoon ginger Preheat oven to  375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Mix t...

It's time for another  Improv Challenge !   Apple kugels are a favorite in our home which meant, to me, I had to make one for the Improv Cooking Challenge which this month is featuring apple and cinnamon.  I must admit that apple and cinnamon are two ingredients that often are found together and it was easy not to push for creativity. When this kugel is so delicious, why go exotic? I can't wait to see how some of our creative members use their apple and cinnamon. Lesa Roemke from Edesia's Notebook 's leads this group and you can reach her on her blog, if you would like to join in.                                             Apple Kugel - Improv Apples and Cinnamon                                                     ...

My husband described this soup well.  He said that it had a peculiar taste and I thought, I was going to have to throw out the soup.  Then, he said that despite this, he liked it and had two plates and is having the leftover soup for lunch, today. The blend of the turnip, apple and potato was unusual and I added a little salt and all of a sudden, everything blended nicely.  I suggest a teaspoon of salt. I don't cook with salt for health reasons and those who want a more tasty dish, add the amount, they choose.  It works well.  I do like salt and compared to years ago, I use very little now.  There are dishes, like this soup or plainish pasta or potatoes that need the salt. Turnip, Apple and Potato Soup Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 parsnips, peeled and cubed 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped 2 large apples, peeled and chopped 1 large onion, chopped bunch of fresh herbs  Black Pepper to taste ...

The word, hash, does not inspire me.  It makes me wonder why I chose to make this recipe from Anne Burrell.   I decided to look up the definition and see is there is a reason for my negativity to this word.  Just look at this. Hash Definition   n. noun A dish of chopped meat, potatoes, and sometimes vegetables, usually browned. A jumble; a hodgepodge. A mess. To chop into pieces; mince. To make a mess of; mangle. Perhaps the definition explains my reaction.  A jumble, hodgepodge, mess......That is what it is though.  I cut up a bit of this and a bit of that and ended up with a delicious mess, hash. Sweet Potato, Apple and Mango Hash Ingredients: 2 purple yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 dice 2 carrots, sliced thin Extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, cut in 1/2-inch dice 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 mango, peeled and cut into...

I made this because the name of the soup sounded so "weird".  I have made creamy broccoli soup for many years but never thought of adding apple to the soup.  Apple has such a clean flavor to it, I decided that if it didn't improve it, it certainly wouldn't harm it.  I made it for the upcoming Jewish holidays and I have not tasted it yet.  I will have to get back to you with a report on what the apple does, if anything.   Broccoli, Leek and Apple Soup (Adapted from Cookstr) Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 leeks (white and green parts) diced 2 Granny Smith apples 1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into small dice (about 3  cups) 3  cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 potatoes, peeled and diced Pinch of cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh chives, for garnish Method: Heat the oil in a large soup pot over low heat.  Add the onion and leeks, cover, and cook ...

For Rosh Ha Shana, it is traditional to make honey cake.  So, what did I do.  I made a date cake and an apple cake.  This was supposed to be an upside down cake and I followed the directions except that I divided the batter into two smaller pans.  I am not sure if that is the reason, my apples rose to the top.  As a result, I did not turn mine but it does look very much like the original version. Below is the original recipe except, I am using gluten-free flour and I did not flip the cake.   Apple Cake Adapted from The Kosher Baker, by Paula Shoyer Ingredients: Spray oil, for greasing pan 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon  2 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided  2 cups gluten-free flour   mixture 5 large eggs  1 cup  oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  4 apples (McIntosh, Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious)  1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar Method: Preheat the oven t...

I am a sucker for new ideas and a sweet potato crust is a new idea. The question, I had, was could I put into it. I thought about a sweet dairy filling, maybe like a cheesecake. Then, I gave vegetables a thought but the vision of apples kept staring me in the face and I decided to go with it. I think, it was a good choice. I made an apple betty which is something like apple pie filling without the pie crust. I figured, this was just right for my experimental crust. It was. Apple Betty in Sweet Potato Crust Crust: 4 medium sweet potatoes (peeled, cooked and mashed) 1 large egg 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 teaspoon olive oil (I bet a cup of flour would work with the above.) Method: Mix all ingredients. Spray deep dish pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Form sweet potato as a crust into plate. Use your fingers to fit it to the shape of the pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min. Remove from oven and put aside. Filling: 5 large thinly sliced apples 1/4 cup orange juice 3/4 cup brown ...

This week the Wednesday With Donna Hay group had a real treat.  We made Apple, Date and Cinnamon Muffins with Maple Oats.  Hubby is already asking me to make them again and I just made a batch.  The maple syrup added a nice touch and made these really classy.  The oats worked well in the batter.  Apples and dates are a winning combination.  This is a fabulous muffin. I am enjoying cooking Donna Hay recipes.  They have turned out well across the board, are easy to make and have ingredients, usually in my cupboard.  If you like Donna, join us in our weekly endeavors. Check out the other Donna cooks and see what they have made. Gaye Sarah and Margaret , You can find the recipe here. Linked to:  Fresh Foods Wednesdays What's Cooking Wednesday Wonderfully Creative Wednesdays Allergy Free Wednesday Whimsy Wednesday Creative Munster Showcase Your Talent Thursday Full Plate Thursdays