Dutch Apple Bread

This tender, mouthwatering loaf is dotted with juicy little chunks of apple and fragrantly topped with cinnamon streusel and a light glaze.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups diced, peeled apples

Cinnamon Streusel topping:

5 tbsps cold butter

1/3 cup flour

2 tbsps sugar

2 tbsps brown sugar

2 tsps cinnamon

Glaze:

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 - 3/4 cup icing sugar

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour , salt and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients. Combine well, then fold in the diced apple. Spoon into the prepared pan. As you can see the batter is quite thick.

For the cinnamon streusel topping combine all the ingredients until crumbly, then sprinkle over the top of the batter.

Bake at 350°F for 65-80 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean. Cool in pan on rack at least 15 minutes.

Then lift out of the loaf pan using the parchment. Remove the parchment and cool on rack.

When almost completely cooled mix up the glaze. First combine the melted butter, milk and vanilla, then add the icing sugar to the consistency you prefer.

Drizzle over the top to glaze.

Anyone for seconds?

Original recipe from: butterwithasideofbread.com

Traditional Apple Dumplings

Basically just apples, brown sugar and pie dough. They are delicious in their simplicity!

Ingredients:

4 peeled and cored apples (Gala or Granny Smith)

2 tbsps sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsps butter (plus 4 dabs for filling)

1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 lb pie dough

Core the apples then peel them. I don't have an apple corer so I used a knife and my old Gerber baby spoon ... works great!

Combine 2 tbsps sugar with 1/4 tsp cinnamon and roll each peeled apple in the mixture. Then spoon the remaining cinnamon sugar into each apple. Add a dab of butter to each as well.

Roll out the pie dough and cut 7 - 8" squares depending on the size of the apples you are using. These were medium so 7" worked.

Sit the apple in the center of the square, wet the edges of the dough and bring each corner up to the middle and press to seal.

Cut a leaf out of the remaining dough, wet it and stick it on the top of each apple if you want to be extra 😉

Place the apples in a baking dish large enough that they have space between. I could've gone a bit bigger here.

In a saucepan add 2 tbsps butter, water, brown sugar and cinnamon and heat just to boiling. Pour into the baking dish and spoon a little over each apple.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes - 1 hour spooning sauce on top a couple of times during baking.

You could serve them topped with whipped cream or ice cream but I really feel they don't need any special treatment.

Chicken Fried Brown Rice and Lentils

Sometimes you just need to get back to basics ...  and more fibre, more protein, less sodium.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lentils

1  3/4 cup brown rice

4  1/4 cups sodium reduced chicken broth

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup kernel corn

1 cup frozen, thawed peas

1 cup chopped spinach

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

pinch allspice

2 tbsps vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1/4 cup sodium reduced soya sauce

2 tsps sesame oil

3 green onions

Mix lentils, brown rice and chicken broth together and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and leave covered until all liquid is absorbed. Then chill ... this keeps the rice and lentils from clumping up when you heat it later.

In a wok or large skillet, heat vegetable oil and stir fry the carrots and celery 4-5 minutes. Add the corn, peas and spinach along with the garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute.

Mix in the rice and chicken. Combine the soya sauce and sesame oil and add to the wok. Add salt, pepper and allspice and mix well.

Heat through on medium heat stirring often.

Taste to check for flavour. This has a low soya sauce taste. You can add more to your liking or serve more soya at the table.

Top with chopped green onions.

Serves 4

Vanilla Butter Cake

This classic butter cake needs no sugary frosting. It's perfect with tea after dinner or as a late night snack. Maybe even a little slice at breakfast time?!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1  1/2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tbsps vanilla (yes tablespoons!)

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

icing sugar for dusting

Found this recipe on the back of the Watkins pure vanilla extract.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes. Then add the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add 1/2 to the wet ingredients. Slowly add the milk and the rest of the flour mixture. Mix well.

Grease and flour a 12 cup/2.8L bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Sit pan on rack for 15 minutes before releasing it to cool completely. Finally give it a nice dusting of icing sugar.

Serves 12-16

Potato and Kale au Gratin

After yesterday's scrumptious Stuffed Pork Tenderloin pics this Potato and Kale au Gratin looks like an ugly duckling! But don't judge a book by it's cover! 😋😋😋 It's sooooo tasty!

Ingredients:

3 small potatoes, diced

1 small onion, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped kale

1/4 cup water or broth

1 tsp garlic powder

White sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1  1/4 cups milk

2 tbsps parmesan cheese

Using an oven-proof non-stick skillet heat the olive oil and sauté the potatoes and onion until lightly golden. Add salt, pepper, kale and water and cook until water evaporates. Add the garlic powder.

To make the white sauce... in a saucepan melt butter and add the flour. Whisk smooth, then keep whisking and add the milk. Cook until it begins to thicken. Add 1 tbsp parmesan cheese.

Pour over the potatoes and kale and sprinkle another tbsp of parmesan on top.

Pop into a 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. If you like, broil the top 2-3 minutes.

Serves 2-3

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

When you make this stuffed pork tenderloin, be prepared to congratulate yourself on being an awesome cook! It's that good!

Ingredients:

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped kale

1/4 cup shredded unpeeled apple

2 tsps dry parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

pinch allspice

Sauce:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1  1/2 tsps dijon mustard

1 tsp dry rosemary

2 tsps minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare the tenderloin. Butterfly, cutting it opened to lie like a book and flatten it with a mallet to 1/2" thickness. Set aside.

In a skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onion and cook to soften, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook just until fragrant. Add the kale, stir and remove from heat adding the apple and seasonings. 

Spread the filling over the butterflied pork to 1/2" from the edges. Taking the long end, roll up firmly and tie together with kitchen string.

Combine the sauce ingredients and spread about half of it all over the tenderloin.

Roast at 425°F for 15 minutes then brush the rest of the sauce over the meat.

Return the meat to the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F. Roast another 20-25 minutes spooning the pan juices over the meat at least once. The internal temperature should read 145°F

Let rest 10 minutes before snipping off the string and slicing...

Then be amazed at how beautiful each slice is!

Cut slices about 1" thick.

And take way more pictures than you need, but you can't help yourself!! 😋

Serves 4

Oatmeal Cookies 3 Ways

Chewy and tender oatmeal cookies, perfect with a cold glass of chocolate milk! Make them plain, with coconut or with chocolate chips.

The original recipe says to use margarine and not butter as they won't turn out as good with butter. I took their word for it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup margarine (not butter)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla

1  1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Optional add-ins:

coconut

chocolate chips

Start by creaming the shortening and margarine together, then add the brown and white sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, oats and cinnamon and add to the wet ingredients.

You can now add coconut or chocolate chips into all or part of the dough. I made some plain old oatmeal, some coconut and some with chocolate chips to keep the chocolate fiend in the house satisfied!

Roll into 1 heaping teaspoon sized balls and place on lined cookie sheets. Press down slightly.

Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. My oven needed the full 10 minutes. You want to see a little brown edge.

These are the ones with chocolate chips that seem to disappear the quickest! 🠋

Makes 63

Original recipe from: mrshappyhomemaker.com