Apples

Ways with apples

   There are so many Bramley’s and fallers about right now it is that and a request from a lovely mummy from the mummy group that has encouraged me to put together a few of my favourite apple recipes. Just yesterday around the corner heading out of the village someone had bags and bags of them outside their house bagged up to take away and a donation/honesty tin left with them. I picked up a bag yesterday to make some fruit leather and I may go back today and get some more for some other things! Lots of people have fruit tree’s that over produce for them and do similar which is fabulous for people like me that love to cook! I have also been pickling this month but that is a whole other story!

   I will start with a couple of savoury uses, both go down really well! I have a problem here that half us even at capacity do not have a sweet tooth, which is sometimes great(for dieting) and sometimes not (for when I NEED sugar;0);

Stuffed Chicken

·         2 (100g) skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets

·         2 small apples, thinly sliced or coarsely shredded (I grate them its much easier with or without skins)

·         2 tablespoons grated mild Cheddar cheese

·         1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (about a slice of bread whatever colour you like this is just to hold it all together... you could even used gluten free then the recipe is good for coeliacs and allergic folks)

·         1 tablespoon butter (I use unsalted or even olive oil spread for a nice flavour)

·         60ml (2 fl oz) dry white wine

·         60ml (2 fl oz) water (as wine is generally drunk in our house and we have small people a chicken stock cube is just as good here)

·         1 tablespoon water

·         1 1/2 teaspoons cornflour

Mix up the apple, cheese and breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of greaseproof paper to about a thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.

Met the butter in large frying pan over medium heat and brown the stuffed chicken breasts.

Add wine and water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink this has to be on a low low heat smells lovely =0)

Take the chicken out, after mixing the cornflour with a little water add to the cooking stock and stir till thickened and pour over the chicken!

You can do similar with pork I still use the chicken stock cube , this is lovely and when you get the roll right looks like you have spent ages on it haha!

Herby chicken/pork and apple burgers

·         340 g (12 oz) minced chicken/pork (generally this is the small pack in the supermarket)

·         1 red onion, finely chopped

·         4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs (again about a tablespoon in a slice and as before use gluten free if you have people that can’t eat those things)

·         2 green-skinned apples, such as Granny Smith (for a tart taste) or Golden Delicious (for a sweet taste), coarsely grated

·         1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

·         2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

·         sunflower oil, for brushing

·         salt and pepper

·         To serve:

·         1 tbsp clear honey

·         3 tbsp Dijon mustard

·         4 floury baps or burger rolls, split open

Put the minced chicken/pork, onion, breadcrumbs, apples, herbs and some seasoning in a bowl. Mix together with your hands. Wet your hands, then divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape each into a burger. Chill for 1 hour to firm up. Finish them off with damp hands to get rid of any finger marks etc , I tend to imagine I am squeezing brains during this part of the process ..

Brush them with a little oil  or fry light if you are being good =0) and cook over a moderate heat in a non-stick frying pan until browned on both sides, then reduce the heat a little and continue cooking until the burgers are completely cooked through – this should take about 20 minutes altogether. Turn from time to time to ensure cooking is even.

mix together the honey and mustard. Spread over the top cut surface of each bap or bun if you like it of course or just add ketchup or mayo ..

These are great for all ages I use lots of herbs has to be said and sometimes add my favourite garlic .. it is my favourite thing ;0).

If you make too many;they can be frozen raw if I am freezing I just freeze before I shape them

Apples are always good in Waldorf salad of course and beetroot works really well with them, I make a lot of ‘salsa’ type salads which are good with everything!

Ok now for the sweet stuff, I have way too many sweet stuff ideas for apples but I will only add a couple here, The main part of apple cooking is making the sauce, the sauce is so versatile you can put it in or on anything practically; crumbles, cakes, muffins, on pork, pancakes .. the list is endless. So here goes with my method.

Apple sauce

·         225g/8oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

·         ½ lemon, zest only

·         2 tbsp water

·         15g/½oz butter

·         1 tsp caster sugar (don’t add this if its for baby or  if you do not have a sweet tooth it is not needed)

Put the apples in a saucepan with the lemon zest and water. Cover and cook over a low heat until they are soft and mushy

Take off the heat and beat in the butter and the sugar. Cool.

Apple Crumble

2 0r three large cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped

·         2 to 3 tablespoons caster sugar ( this is down to taste I personally do not use it here as it is in the topping)

·         Vanilla pod well half really

·         Crumble topping:

·         5 tablespoon flour (I use wholemeal or again for gluten free types spelt four)

·         50g (2 oz) butter

·         4 tablespoons demerera or light brown sugar

·         A tablespoon of porridge oats/nuts crushed depending on taste

Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5.

Layer the chopped apple in  your dish and sprinkle with sugar (if you are using it). Then top with the rest of the apple.

To make the crumble topping: Sieve the flour into a bowl. Add sugar and butter and rub in until mix looks like breadcrumbs. Then add the oats/nuts and mix. Spread the crumble topping on top of the apples. DO NOT PRESS DOWN .. leaving it loose and kinda in dollops makes the crumble come out much nicer =0)

Bake until the crumble is brown.

There are a million versions of this add what you like cinnamon/raisins/any other fruit .. great for pudding any day

The last one I will post deserves its own post...