Easy Apple-Cheddar Galette

I'm back!

I've been recuperating from my surgery and am finally feeling well enough to ease my way back into the kitchen. Recovery hasn't been too bad... keeping myself still? Um, yeah. That's another story. I'm probably the worst patient. Ever.

Yesterday I jumped head first back into the grind by returning to work, rushing around to appointments and assisting my photographer friend at an event all in one day. A fourteen-hour day of being vertical after four full days of living the couch life... probably too much, too soon.

This morning I work up sore and exhausted {and an hour earlier than necessary} to the sound of Farley regurgitating what resembled an alien pod. I wish I were kidding. Since he finds it necessary to eat everything in his path that is not meant for consumption -- hair, string, shoes, "indestructible" dog toys, my oven mitt -- his stomach seemed to have formed some sort of conglomerate of these items and promptly deposited them on my carpet. At 5:45 a.m.  I will spare you the rest of the gory details {since it's a food blog and all}, but it wasn't pretty.

So, yeah. There hasn't been too much "take it easy" time since I wandered away from the couch.

Earlier this week, when was finally in the mood to try to bake something, I found myself faced with a small dilemma: I wanted pie.

{What is it about this time of year that causes raging pie cravings??}

Here's a little tip: Pie is probably the last thing you want to make when you're recuperating from anything. I don't know who came up with the phrase "easy as pie", but I'm thinking there may have been some sarcasm.

Don't get me wrong, it's not rocket science or anything. But making a pretty pie can take some time and effort. Time and effort are two things that may not be readily available after several days of being out of commission and having a list as long as your arm of things you need to catch up on.

Instead of spending hours putting together a fancy pie, I made the next best thing: a galette.

I think "galette" is French for, "There is too much $#&! happening in my world to bake you a real pie right now, so here ya go." Yes, I'm fairly certain that's the rough translation.

Galette is the essence of pie without all the fuss. It is rustic. It is flaky. It is beautiful. And it is easy to make, even when you're recovering from cabin fever and surgical brain fog. {I swear the anesthesia wiped out a few hundred brain cells.}

Guess what else? It tastes just as good as fancy pie, if not better.

I was in the mood for sweet and savory, so I used some crisp Granny Smith Apples and sharp cheddar cheese I had around, and sweetened it up a little more with apricot jam and a drizzle of honey. Pie cravings, be gone.

Because sometimes there is simply not enough time {or energy} for fluted edges and fussy lattices. But there is always time for pie.

By the way, Farley agrees. He's obviously back to his old ways and feeling much better after his little episode.

It's good to be back, friends. Thank you to everyone who left me sweet messages and well-wishes over the past week! I'm looking forward to running full-steam once again!

Apple-Cheddar Galette

For Crust
{adapted from Food Network}

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick {8 tablespoons} cold butter, cubed into small dice
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
3-4 tablespoons cold water

1. In a blender or food processor pulse together flour, butter, sugar and salt.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, pulsing until the mixture comes together to form a ball. You may not need all the water. Do not add to much, or your dough will be mushy.

3. Remove dough and place on a well-floured surface. Roll out into a rough rectangular shape or press into shape with hands. {Rolling is easier as it will be an even thickness, but in a pinch, I think you could probably use your hands.}

4. Carefully roll up the sides to create a wall. It doesn't have to be perfect, that's the beauty of this whole thing. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes or until a bit more solid. It will be easier to transfer to a baking sheet.

For Filling:

1 tablespoon apricot jam {or apple butter would be great here, too!}
Approximately 4 ounces of sharp cheddar {or your favorite} cheese, sliced or shredded, divided
2 granny smith apples, cored and sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons sugar
{Optional} Honey for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chilled crust from refrigerator. Place onto a baking sheet lined with foil or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a small bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice and flour. Set aside.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread jam onto the "floor" of the crust. Place half of cheese slices or shredded cheese on top of jam. Place apple slice along the middle of the crust partially layered one on top of the other. Sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese {I just grated the cheese over the top. I wanted to be able to see the apples and didn't want to hide them with slices of cheese.}

5. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

6. Remove from oven and let cool before moving to a serving dish. {It will crumble if you try to move it while it's hot.} Drizzle with a little bit of honey, if desired, before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Savory Pumpkin-Cheddar Rugelach

I know, I know. More pumpkin. I can't seem to help myself.

A few things have finally happened around here that suggest fall might actually be on its way:

1. According to my dashboard, the temperature dipped down to a *crisp* 69 degrees this morning. Woo!

2. I have seen/heard of several roadside pumpkin patches {and just about every other picture on my Facebook feed shows little ones posing with said pumpkins}.

3. There was only one can of pumpkin puree left on the shelves at Target.

I totally snagged it so I could make these. Score.

Have you ever tried rugelach? I remember my mom would buy them sometimes when I was younger. They came in a clear plastic cylinder, giving me a clear view that the contents were nothing to be excited about. Though I knew they were considered a "treat" I couldn't quite understand the appeal... probably because, while they were sweet, they were usually filled with fruit & nuts. And in my kid-brain, fruit & nuts equaled adult food. Therefore, yuck. {Very logical.}

It wasn't until I was a bit older that I started to appreciate them. Tender, flaky, melt-in-your mouth crust. Delicious filling all tucked and rolled into each swirled little cookie. {And I discovered that they can sometimes contain chocolate, too. That might have helped my change of heart.} What's not to love?

As much as I love rugelach with a sweet filling, this recipe for savory rugelach caught my eye immediately. In fact, I pinned them as soon as I saw them shared by King Arthur Flour... and then promptly forgot about them.

I'm really glad the thought of these popped into my head again this week. Because They.Are.GOOD.

Like, "Maybe I won't tell anyone I made these and I'll just eat the whole tray" kinda good.

{Though I don't recommend doing that or anything.}

You know what these would be perfect for? {Besides devouring, of course.} A little wine night with the girls. Or as a savory little appetizer to hold over hungry stomachs before Thanksgiving dinner. Or really, for no other reason than to have a delicious snack to nibble on any day.

While the original recipe called for the combination of pumpkin and Parmesan, I decided to use some Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar, mostly just because it sounded like a good idea. {It was.} The addition of sage and onion give the pumpkin an even warmer, more inviting flavor.

Delish.

So, are you guys all pumpkined-out yet, or what? What other types of fall recipes are you hoping to see around here... I'm open to suggestions! Leave me a note in the comments or hop over to my Facebook page and let me know what you're thinking. :)

Savory Pumpkin-Cheddar Rugelach
Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup {1 stick} unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
4 ounces {half a block} cream cheese, diced

For Filling:

1 tablespoon garlic oil or regular olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Dash of chili powder
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/4 cup {or a smidge more} aged white cheddar {I used Cabot Farmhouse Reserve}
2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
.
1. Place all pastry ingredients into a blender. Pulse until the dough comes together. You'll know it's done because it'll gather up into a ball.

2. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out into a circle, about 14 inches round. At this point, you can pop it into the fridge until you're ready to spread on the filling or wrap it up in plastic wrap in refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir, cooking until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with ground sage and chili powder and cook, stirring, for about 1 more minute.

4. Add pumpkin puree, salt and pepper. Stir together with onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the pumpkin has lost some of its moisture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or line with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Either way, make sure you use cooking spray! These like to stick!

5. Remove rolled pastry circle from refrigerator. {Make sure that it is able to be removed from the surface you have it on, then dust with flour and set down again.} Spread pumpkin mixture onto the circle, leaving about 1/4 inch border. Sprinkle cheese and walnuts over top of pumpkin.

6. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges. {The easiest way to ensure they're equally sized is to cut in half, then in half again, and proceed until you have 18 long triangles.}

7. Starting at the wider end, roll each triangle up, then place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all pieces are rolled. Brush each with egg wash.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rugelach are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down. {Be careful, they're sort of fragile when they first come out of the oven.}

Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder

I love almost all of Florida's natural qualities: the beaches, the palm trees, the tropical climate. But one thing I could do without is the fact that we are located right smack in the pathway of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Not fun.

We are fortunate that our area didn't get too much damage from Hurricane Isaac this past weekend. Just a lot of rain and dreary weather, the kind that makes you want to stay in your pj's all day snuggled up on the couch with a good book and a mug of something warm and delicious {and perhaps spiked}.

Others nearby weren't as lucky and are spending the rest of the week dealing with leaky roofs, flooding, and road closures. Here's a picture of the parking lot where my Mom lives. Since the ducks couldn't tell where the lake ended and land began, they were swimming over the sidewalks.

Our solution to being stuck indoors all day Sunday? Pass the time by cooking & stuffing our faces. {Which you can never go wrong with in my opinion.}

By the day's end, I just wanted something simple and comforting for dinner, and Steve was so full from the all day munch-a-thon that he didn't have much of an opinion either way.

This Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder hit the spot. Rich and satisfying with a spicy kick from the roasted poblanos. {It may be a bit too spicy for those of you that aren't fond of a little heat.} Perfect for a crisp Fall day, a feeling-under-the-weather day, or a day when the weather has trapped you in your home.

I topped mine with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and some of the Cheddar-Jalapeno Beer Bread that I sliced thin and toasted into savory "biscotti".

With stormy day meals like this, all I can say is bring on the rain... but please keep the winds & flooding. We can certainly do without those. ;)

Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder

2 poblano peppers, roasted, skinned & seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 a medium white onion, diced
2 {heaping} tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk, heated in microwave for about 1 minute
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1/2 cup half and half
salt, to taste

To roast poblanos: Set oven to broil {500 degrees}. Place peppers directly on oven rack on second setting from the heating elements. Broil for 5-8 minutes, watching for skin to blister. Flip peppers and broil other side for about 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap & set aside for about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened and translucent. 

Peel skins from peppers, pull out stem and seeds, and discard.  Chop into small pieces.

Stir in chopped poblanos and flour, making sure vegetables are well coated. Cook for about 2 minutes until vegetables and flour form a thick paste. Slowly whisk in warm milk, making sure there are no lumps of flour. Whisk in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Ladle half of soup into a blender {more if you like smoother soup}, and blend until mostly smooth. Return blended soup to pot.

Mix in fresh corn kernels and half and half. Bring to a simmer until corn is heated through. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

{Serving Suggestion: Top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and Cheddar- Jalapeno Beer Bread Biscotti.}

Cheddar-Jalapeño Beer Bread

You know what I simultaneously love and dislike about cooking? It's a never ending learning process. There is no finite end, and even if there were, someone would come along and invent a new technique or recipe and you'd be back at square one.

In some ways, it levels the playing field for all of us - whether classically trained or self taught.

One of the world's most renowned chefs, Julia Child, {who would have recently celebrated her 100th birthday}, was well-known for her fearlessness and candor about delving into the world of food. She was a pretty spunky broad who wasn't afraid to "get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken." {How could you not love her?}

As I was reading a list of famous Julia quotes last week, I couldn't help but chuckle {and nod enthusiastically} at her advice and counsel. I could completely relate to many of the pitfalls and blunders she addressed in her witty way.

Some days you'd think I have never stepped foot in a kitchen. I make silly mistakes and I have to laugh at myself or else I'd cry... especially when said mistake ends in wasted ingredients, a wrecked kitchen, or an inedible product. And believe me, there have been countless occasions where this has been the case.

Inspired to list of some of the "oopsies" that I tend to make every week from time to time, I've compiled some important tips in hopes that they will both entertain you, and keep you from your own kitchen disasters.

Things I've Learned in the Kitchen {Through Trial & Error} :

1. For heaven's sake... use a big enough pot. Or bowl. Or pan. Because somehow I am constantly spilling things everywhere due to insufficient space in whatever vessel I'm using. I must've missed the day we discussed volume in school.

2. As delicious as whatever you are cooking looks or smells, give it a second to cool down before your put it in you mouth. It's a wonder I have any skin left on the roof of my mouth.

3. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need before you begin a recipe. There's nothing worse than getting to the "Add 2 eggs" step and finding that you do not, in fact, have any eggs in the fridge. {Especially when your husband left an empty egg carton to throw you off.}

4. On a similar note, read recipes all the way through before you begin them. It can be a little embarrassing to discover that Step 5 directs you to marinate the pork tenderloin... for 24 hours... and your company will be arriving in 3. Attention to detail, folks.

5. If a recipe tells you that you need non-stick cooking spray... or that you need to stir constantly... or that there will be violent boiling and the possibility of bubbling over - believe it. Odds are it will not be any different in your kitchen.

6. Powdered sugar, cornstarch, and dry quinoa are notorious "jumpers" in my kitchen. {Meaning, they like to jump out of whatever I am attempting to contain them in and onto my clothing or floor.} Proceed with caution.

7. Drinking wine {or any alcoholic beverage, for that matter} while cooking: Double edged sword. ;)

8. Put contacts in, do your eye makeup, or any activity that requires your hands being near your eyes BEFORE you come in contact with jalapenos. You might think sufficient washing will remove the residue... It will not.

9. Measuring when baking = not a suggestion. Unless your hands have unit markings & your arms are a kitchen scale.

10. Have fun in the kitchen. No recipe is worth a meltdown; no lopsided cake worthy of your tears. Cooking is an adventure, there will be mistakes. {Even when you are pretty good at it!} But if you can't help it and your deflated souffle or burnt caramel or lumpy gravy simply breaks your heart... wine or chocolate {or both!} will usually do the trick of soothing your culinary ego. :)

This recipe for Cheddar-Jalapeño Beer Bread that I borrowed from She Makes & Bakes is easy enough for the kitchen novice, but certainly doesn't taste that way. The result is a tender, flavorful bread with a crunchy golden crust and a little burst of jalapeño taste throughout. {NOTE: I was sorely mistaken for not heeding tip #8 after making this... even after washing my hands 5 times. Holy fire in your eyeball, Batman. Be careful.}

In short, friends, cook at your own risk...but definitely, cook!

Cheddar-Jalapeno Beer Bread
Adapted from She Makes & Bakes 

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jalapeño, seeded, deveined, and diced small
1 {12 oz} bottle of beer {I used Red Stripe Light because that's what we had in the fridge}
Approximately 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add cheese and jalapeño, and stir until combined.

Add beer and about 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until just incorporated. {Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.}

Pour 2 tablespoon of melted butter into the bottom of the loaf pan, and brush all around pan to coat {Don't forget the sides}. Spoon bread batter into pan and distribute evenly. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean {there may be some cheese on it, but we're looking for no raw batter}, and the top is golden brown.

Brush the top of the loaf with remaining tablespoon of butter, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing from loaf pan and slicing. 

Serve warm or toast up slices to reheat.