Remember when I wrote about what I wouldn’t eat as a kid? Yeah, this recipe would also make it on that list, because it has lots of different foods actually touch each other *gasp*. This recipe also nearly made it on the list of what my adult self won’t eat, because not only are foods touching each other, but they’re foods that I wouldn’t normally put together. Eggs, granny smith apples and curry powder?? What mad scientist came up with this??

Well, I’m glad that someone out there was more adventurous than me. I’m also glad that I was brave enough to try this recipe even though  while making it there were a few times I wanted to call it quits. Not because it’s hard to make (it’s super easy) but when I started mixing the curry-lime dressing over my eggs, apples and onion I began wondering if I would be better off just making a peanut butter sandwich.

Mmmmm…. peanut butter….

Sorry, I get distracted by really delicious foods. There’s definitely something to be said about a classic combo like peanut butter and jelly. And I’m here to tell you, there’s also something to be said about eggs, granny smith apples, and curry powder.

Mmmmm….eggs….curry powder….

Be brave. Remember, you’re an adult now.

Curry Egg Salad Sandwich

Adapted from Epicurious

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Some of the reviews for the original recipe mentioned that the onion flavor was a little strong, so I cut back on it and thought it was perfect. I also left out the cilantro since I didn’t have any on hand, and I didn’t miss it one bit.

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (half of one lime)
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne
6 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
1 cup diced Granny Smith apple (roughly 1 apple)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Mix together the mayo, lime juice, curry powder, mustard, salt and cayenne. In a separate bowl, add together the chopped eggs, apple and onion. Pour the curry dressing over top and gently stir everything together. Serve on toasted wheat bread with lettuce, or just eat it with a fork as it is.

Okay, I know that Adrianna already spilled the beans. I am no longer living with my boyfriend in LA. No, I am now living with my FIANCE, which by the way, I’m still having trouble  saying to people. Fiance is one of those words that seems a little too big and surreal to say out loud. It’s a word that says that I am NEVER going to have a boyfriend ever again, which makes me feel grown up in ways I never thought possible. It also means that I, the girl that has never worn rings throughout her entire life, now has a ring that is never going to come off, and I’m actually okay with this.

There’s something else that I have to tell you is never going to happen again. I am never making apple butter again. Never. Again. I know, it must be a rare blog post when the author confesses that although the final product turned out perfectly, she has no desire whatsoever to return to it. To fully understand this, I need to explain my reasoning for making apple butter in the first place. When Adrianna and I made the fig jam a couple months back, I was stunned at how easy it was to make. I couldn’t help but ask, “Why haven’t I been making my own jam all my life?” So for Christmas I decided I would make a homemade canned gift for friends and family, and after much debate I chose to take on apple butter.

However, it turns out that apple butter and jam are two entirely different beasts. To make jam, you cut up fruit, throw it in a pot with water and sugar and cook it down for an hour or so, checking the pot occasionally. It’s actually pretty hard to screw up. Apple butter, on the other hand, requires first one hour of cooking, until the apples are soft enough for you to grind them and remove all of the seeds, skin and other impurities. After you’ve grinded apples long enough that your arm is sore and throbbing, you put the resulting apple puree back in the pot and cook it for another 2 hours during which you have to stand over the pot and constantly attend to it.

Imagine that first you babysat a 6 year old who just wanted you to put in her favorite Disney movie, after which she sat peacefully until her parents returned. Now imagine that you then you moved on to care for a screaming infant with colic. This is what I felt like after two hours over the pot of apples, thinking, “what more do you want from me, apples?? I’ve mashed you and stirred you for hours and you’re still not right! What else can I do?!”

So why am I writing about this if I’m never going to make it again? Because, at the end of the day, I did end up with some tasty apple butter. And if you’re looking for ways to kill 4 hours of your day or if maybe you’re just a glutton for punishment, this may still be a recipe you would enjoy. But mostly, it’s because when I was looking through all the different recipes for apple butter out there, not ONE of them mentioned just how difficult this would be, and I feel like someone has to be honest with you. Someone has to speak the truth.

Apple Butter

Adapted from Simply Recipes

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4 lbs of good cooking apples
1 cup apple cider vinegar2 cups water
Sugar (about 4 cups, see cooking instructions)
Salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Cut the apples into quarters, without peeling or coring them (much of the pectin is in the cores and flavor in the peels), but be sure to cut out damaged parts. Put them into large pot, add the vinegar and water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat .

Ladle apple mixture into a sieve (or foodmill) and using a pestle force pulp from the sieve into a large bowl below. This will cause your arm to turn to jello, but hey, you wanted real apple butter, right? Measure resulting puree. Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of apple pulp. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Cook, uncovered, in a large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. (yes, CONSTANTLY!) Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth when a bit is spooned onto a cold plate and allowed to cool (1 to 2 hours).

Canning

(directions are also from Simply Recipes)

Print these directions!

There are several ways to sterilize your jars for canning. You can run them through a short cycle on your dishwasher. You can place them in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don’t touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Or you can rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. I chose to put them in the water since I had to heat it up to can the puree anyway.

Pour the apple butter into hot, sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I use a hot water bath for 10 minutes to ensure a good seal. Now, enjoy that this process is finally over, and laugh at yourself for ever deciding to do it in the first place.

Thursday’s a big day for me.  Not just because I love cooking and it’s the biggest cooking holiday of the year, but this Thanksgiving is the first time I get to cook for it in 3 years.  First, there was was a massive renovation at my parent’s house where the kitchen literally did not exist.  We went out to eat.  And then the past two years they sort of dreaded the cleaning and cooking and the hoopla of Thanksgiving, which was heartbreaking for me.  The idea of having a simple holiday sans stress was attractive so, again, we went out to eat.  I fought for a cooked meal every year, but lost every time.  But this year it’s different.  We’re cooking.  I think they missed it  so since it’s going to be a big deal I wanted to make sure I was prepared.

I get like that sometimes when it comes to food.   For example, most of the time when I’m going out to dinner at a place of anticipation, I’ll look at the menu a few days prior and choose what I want to eat, down to the appetizer or glass of wine .  I get a little neurotic about it. It’s actually kind of an awesome feeling not needing a menu.  It’s that feeling when you studied for a test and you looked around the room at all of the other kids panicking, cramming, looking over their notes.  It’s a good feeling.  If you’re a planner or feel like planning a little this Thanksgiving, I think this stuffing is right up your alley.  It takes a good amount of prep work, but if you do some of it the night before, assembling it the day off will be super easy.

Sage smells amazing; sauteed in butter it’s even more amazing.

The apples some sweetness to the stuffing which is really nice paired with the sage and crunch of the parsnips.

Apple, Sausage, and Parsnip Stuffing with Fresh Sage

Adapted from Bon Appetit November 2005

The original recipe yielded 12 servings, which I thought was way too much so I halved it and adjusted some of the measurements.  I used chicken sausages instead of pork, but you can do as you like, or eliminate them all together for a vegetarian stuffing.

(1) 1 ½ pound loaf sliced sourdough bread with crust, cubed
1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed (I used chicken sausages for both)
1/2 pounds hot Italian sausages, casings removed
3 cups chopped onions
1 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds Pippin or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed
3/4 pounds parsnips, peeled, cubed
1/2 cup packed fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake bread cubes on 1 large rimmed baking sheets until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes.

Sauté sausages in very large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl; add bread.

Add onions and celery to same skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes; transfer to bowl with bread. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes; mix apples into stuffing. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add parsnips and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes; mix into stuffing. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet. Add sage and sauté until dark green, about 2 minutes. Mix sage and butter into stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.

Butter 12x8x2-inch glass baking dish.  Transfer stuffing to prepared dish; drizzle with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover with foil. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing covered until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Sometimes there are moments that make me super grateful I have good friends. Wonder what I’m talking about? Well, I’ll name off a few instances in the past few days that have proven to me that without friends I’d be too drunk for my own good, an unattractive eater and an insecure Mexican wrestler.

First there was Ryan who said, “Did you know that when you eat, you open your mouth as big as it can open? Even if it’s for something tiny, like an almond.” Hmm…thanks, Ryan. I didn’t know that. Thanks. That makes me feel really attractive.

Then there’s Ian, who on Saturday night, when I drunkenly demanded another shot, said, “Sure, Adrianna. I’ll make you another shot.” He didn’t protest and instead poured juice into a shot glass and handed it to me and watched me, unknowingly, down the juice and then I cheered. (This actually happened, seriously.)

And then Travis who told me (when I was in my Halloween costume), “You’re a really hot Mexican wrestler!” Friends are there to make you feel really good, even when you look like Nacho Libre.

So last week, when I was debating between four different butternut squash recipes to make for you guys, my friends were there to help me pick the tastiest sounding recipe.

That’s how we ended up here with a butternut squash soup that has this amazing layer of sweet apple flavor, accompanied with another interesting hint of spiciness from the curry.  I suggest that you get a group of awesome friends and make this soup for them. They’ll be grateful–trust me!

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Yields 4 servings

I cut the recipe in half because it was just too much soup for me.  You can either peel the butternut squash, cube it and put it in the soup or do what I did, which was cut it in half and roast it on a baking sheet for 30-40 minutes.  I then extracted the seeds with a spoon and scooped out the flesh and set it aside in a bowl.  If you decide to peel and cube the butternut squash, you should add 20 minutes to the cook time of the soup to ensure that the squash is nice and tender before you put it in the blender.

I also added less apple juice and replaced the water, from the original recipe, with chicken stock. You’re more than welcome to use water, if you want to stay vegetarian, or use a veggie stock. Adding water to soup seems like a tragedy to me, but hey, do what ya want.  Also, at the end I tasted it and it was sweet–perfectly sweet, so I didn’t added less apple juice.

1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 medium sized onion)
1 tablespoons mild curry powder
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash (1 large)
2  sweet apples, such as McIntosh
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock (veggie or water will also work)
1/2 cups good apple cider or juice

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.  Either peel, cube the squash or see the above instructions on how I did it, which was cut the squash in half and roast on a baking sheet for 30-40 mins and then scoop out the flesh.  Either way will do just fine.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes (if you cubed the squash add another 20 minutes), until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or a blender.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Holy heck, is it September already??? Summer, where did you go?!?! I haven’t seen nearly as much of you as I would have liked, and now, you’re leaving already.  There’s so much to do in LA, and I feel like I didn’t do nearly as much as I had hoped. I wanted to see a concert at the Hollywood Bowl at least 3 times (I only went twice) I wanted to go to Cinespia at least every other weekend (I went 3 times all summer) and I swore that I would take much more advantage of the beach being only an hour away (I went twice, and one of those times was in April).

In addition to activities, I’ve had recipes bookmarked specifically for summer, and time is running out. Frozen fruit yogurt pops, you’re going to have to wait until next year I guess. White kiwi-apple sangria, you are not waiting another minute.

And thank goodness for that, because this was delicious. A word to the wise: make twice as much as you think you’ll need. Trust me on this one. I made one pitcher for some friends that came over to cheer on the designers of Project Runway, and that sucker was gone in about 30 seconds flat.

Okay Summer, when you come back next year, there will be many more concerts, days at the beach, and sangria for us to enjoy together. I promise.

White Kiwi-Apple Sangria

I originally found this recipe on Food Network, but what I ended up with is a pretty butchered version of the original. First, instead of using water, sugar & lemon juice, I just poured in a cup of the fresh lemonade that was in my fridge and it worked perfectly. I decreased the amount of orange liquer since I thought it would make the taste of alcohol too strong. I also realized after finishing the pitcher that I never added the soda water that it recommended, but trust me, nobody missed it.

Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle white wine
1/2 cup orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
1 1/2 cups lemonade
3 kiwis, peeled and cut in thin slices (save a few slices for garnish)
1 large or 2 small green apples with skin, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups green seedless grapes, halved

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir. Allow to chill for at least an hour so the flavors can combine. Serve over ice. Then, make another pitcher.

I am a big fan of simplicity. One of the best things about living in a small apartment in a big city is that it encourages simplifying your life. I can only own so many clothes, so much furniture, so many gadgets, gizmos and “stuff” because quite frankly, I have a finite amount of space to put it all in.

I love it. I love that I have no need to buy furniture, because there’s no room to put it. I love that I can sweep & vacuum my entire apartment in 10 minutes flat, and spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch reading a magazine.

I have the same approach when it comes to food. More often than not, simpler is better. Whenever I search for recipes in a cookbook, my eyes immediately glaze over if I see a long list of ingredients or it lists weird kitchen instruments I’ve never heard of. Instead, I’ll skip over to a recipe like these little tarts. They consist of four ingredients, take a few minutes to prep & cook, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re absolutely delicious. Obviously, these are intended to be an appetizer, but the first night I made them Chase and I ate the whole batch on the spot and called it dinner. It was just simpler that way.

Goat Cheese & Apple Tart

2 sheets frozen puff pastry
10 oz goat cheese
2 granny smith apples (or similar variety)
2 tbl olive oil
1 tbl chopped fresh or dried thyme

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. While the puff pastry is still frozen, lay flat and cut into squares. Place the puff pastry pieces on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spread goat cheese in the center of each puff pastry square.

Core and thinly slice the apples. Arrange the apple slices on the pastry, making sure that the cheese is completely covered. Drizzle the assembled tarts with olive oil & sprinkle the thyme over them.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the is golden brown on the edges. Serve immediately.