Showing posts with label walnuts. Show all posts

Crepes Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Apples!!!


Ingredients:

For the Crepes:

¾ cup all purpose flour – sifted

Resift with:

1 tsp. baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Add and beat:

2/3 cups milk
1/3 cup water
½ tsp vanilla

Make a well in the sifted ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients. Combine them with a few swift strokes. If the batter is too thick add a little more milk until it falls nicely from the ladle.

For the Stuffing:

9 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach
2 large apples – peeled and sliced
5 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Dashes of red pepper flakes
4 oz. feta cheese
1 cup of walnuts
Olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 cup of grape tomatoes
1 healthy handful of Italian parsley
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. of capers plus a tablespoon of caper juice

Prepare the batter for the crepes and place in the refrigerator.

Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the frozen chopped spinach in it to thaw and sauté. When thawed add the garlic to sauté with the spinach.

When the garlic is fragrant add the sliced apples, brown sugar and red pepper flakes and continue to sauté.

Place the ingredients for the sauce in the food processor and give a few good chops.

Drizzle a little olive oil in a small frying pan and sauté these ingredients, while preparing the rest of the meal.

Place in the food processor the walnuts and feta cheese and process until smooth.

Combine the feta cheese and walnuts with the apples and spinach.

Preparing the Crepes:

Add a small drizzle of olive oil. Add a small quantity of batter. Tip the pan and let the batter spread over the bottom. Cook the pancake over moderate heat. When it is brown underneath, reverse it and brown the other side. Use a few drops of oil for each pancake.

Beginning at the edge of the crepe, place a tablespoon of stuffing and roll.

Top with a little of the sauce and serve.

These crepes are unique and delicious.

With Love,

Catherine
xo

Dynamic Duo: Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies


For cookies you will need:

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1½ cups AP flour
¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup craisins
¼ cup dark chocolate chip cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add orange zest, vanilla, and egg. Beat until well combined. The mixture may look curdled. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. Add walnuts, craisins, and chocolate chip cookies.
Shape a tablespoon worth of cookie dough on baking sheets, leaving about an inch and a half of space for the cookies to expand.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to let cool.

With their buttery crisp texture, these cookies are a perfect balance of chocolaty sweetness and citrusy tang!  

With Love,
Catherine & Tammy♥
xoxo

Winter Blues Remedy


When my mom isn't cooking, blogging, cleaning, or working, I’m certain she is a superhero. 
This was something I was always suspicious of when I was younger, but never entirely sure of- until now.
Nothing. I mean, NOTHING can stop her. She’s invincible. Yup, she’s a super mom. :)

I say this because Mom came down with an awful cold this week. She’s been fighting with the sniffles and the sneezes…and yet she hasn't missed a beat. Although, I don’t think I really need to explain all this to you. I’m sure you can tell just by trying to keep up with all the good food that’s been posted here daily.

But by my orders, today I’m taking over the blog…and the kitchen. So, as I take the next few days to play ‘mommy’, Lady Gourmet is all wrapped up with a warm cup of tea and one of these sweet, sticky carrot cupcakes I baked up for her.
xx,
Tammy♥

Carrot Cupcakes
(Adapted from Reader's Digest - Creative Cooking)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

For carrot cupcakes you will need:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 eggs
1½ cups finely grated or shredded carrots
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
2½ cups AP flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup warm water

For Cream Cheese Frosting you will need:

1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
Juice of half an orange
Dried craisins for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins. Grate carrots into a medium side bowl with a paper towel, to soak up some of the excess water. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next beat in cinnamon, nutmeg sugar, and grated orange zest. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then gradually stir in the carrots and nuts.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the carrot mixture with the warm water. Fold in the flour just until it is well moistened.

Pour the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

A few minutes after removing from the oven, loosen the cupcakes from the sides and turn out on a rack to cool.

Combine cream cheese, sugar and orange zest for frosting and generously spread over each cupcake once cupcakes have completely cooled. If desired, add a few dried craisin on top. (I have an apparent obsession with craisins, but they go really well with these cupcakes)!

TRY IT & LOVE IT

Happy Thanksgiving!!!


Soft & Chewy Cranberry Walnut Cookies
(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

For cookies you will need:

½ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
zest of 1 medium to large tangerine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1½ cups flour
Approximately ½ cup cranberries
¼ cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
 Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, tangerine zest, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.

Beat in the egg. The mixture may look slightly curdled which is fine. Add the flour, dried cranberries and nuts, stirring until well combined.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons onto the baking sheets. Using the flat bottom of a glass dipped in sugar or a spoon, flatten each cookie slightly.

Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes, or until they’re barely set and a light golden brown around the edges. Make sure not to over bake your cookies or they will not be soft and chewy once they are cool.

Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are perfect seasonal treats that I'm sure would have made it to the original Thanksgiving table!
We wish you and your family a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving!!

With love,
Catherine & Tammy♥