Rosy Cooked Apples/Applesauce

      I can still recall my Grandmother Richardson in her easy chair, peeling apples as she watched her favorite soap operas (Guiding Light, Days of Our Lives, Search for Tomorrow). Using a paring knife, she could remove a thin and continuous spiral of peel in a matter of minutes.

     Today I use my handy-dandy fruit peeler but even with this modern technology, I don’t think I can match her skill. But, like her, I do enjoy using those apples to make homemade applesauce.

     Of course, this recipe can be prepared on top of the stovetop, but I simply added the ingredients to the crock pot and forgot it for several hours.

Rosy Cooked Apples/Applesauce

Adjust amounts as needed using the following proportions:

5 cooking apples, cored, peeled and cubed

¼ to ½ cup red hots (Cinnamon Imperials)

About ½ cup water

1. Add apples, red hots and water to crock pot. Set on high and cook about 3 hours or until tender and puffed. Add more water if needed however, the apples will release water as they cook so don’t get in a hurry. Note: I begin with the minimum measure of red hots; once they melt, I taste the apples for sweetness and determine if I need more.
   
   
   
   
2. Serve warm or chill. Apples may be served chunky-style or mash to create applesauce

Recipe without photos . . .

Rosy Cooked Apples/Applesauce

Adjust amounts as needed using the following proportions:

5 cooking apples, cored, peeled and cubed

¼ to ½ cup red hots (Cinnamon Imperials)

About ½ cup water

1. Add apples red hots and water to crock pot.  Set on high and cook about 3 hours or until tender and puffed. Add more water if needed however, the apples will release water as they cook so don’t get in a hurry. Note: I begin with the minimum measure of red hots; once they melt, I taste the apples for sweetness and determine if I need more.
2. Serve warm or chill. Apples may be served chunky-style or mash to create applesauce.

Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder

   

    This is a recipe that takes us back many years . . . probably the late 1970s or early ‘80s. A friend, Nancy Klotz and her husband, invited us to dinner. She served this soup along with homemade bread on a chilly winter evening.

     Neither Barry or I had ever had clam chowder but it  became an instant favorite. Although I’ve made this recipe at least once a year ever since, I’ve always worked from Nancy’s handwritten version of the recipe.

     Since that original tasting, we're not only fans of the Manhattan broth-base chowder but also like the New England cream-based variety as well.

Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder       Makes 3 quarts / 12 servings

4 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

½ cup diced green pepper

1 (1 lb. 12 oz.) can undrained tomatoes, diced or broken up

3 (8 oz.) cans minced clams

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1½ teaspoons ground thyme

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1.  Sauté bacon in large kettle.

2.  Add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook over low heat 5 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes.

4.  Drain clams but save liquid, adding to a quart measuring cup . Set clams aside. Add enough water to the clam juice to make 1-quart. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

5.  Add potatoes and simmer, covered, another 20 minutes.

6.  Add clams, simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7.  Add parsley right before serving.

Recipe without photos . . .

Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder       Makes 3 quarts / 12 servings

4 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

½ cup diced green pepper

1 (1 lb. 12 oz.) can undrained tomatoes, diced or broken up

3 (8 oz.) cans minced clams

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1½ teaspoons ground thyme

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1.  Sauté bacon in large kettle.

2.  Add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook over low heat 5 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes.

4.  Drain clams but save liquid, adding to a quart measuring cup . Set clams aside. Add enough water to the clam juice to make 1-quart. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

5.  Add potatoes and simmer, covered, another 20 minutes.

6.  Add clams, simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7.  Add parsley right before serving. 

Winter Soups: Split Pea with Ham

Soup and winter just seem to go together. Although neither of us grew up eating split pea soup, we are now fans and this is the recipe we use.

Some recipe purée or partially purée the soup but we prefer to omit that step, opting for a chunky version.

           

Split Pea Soup with Ham     Makes about 6 cups  

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cups water

2 cups dry green split peas

1 large onion, finely chopped (I used red but yellow or white would work equally well)

2 each carrots and stalks celery, diced

1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ teaspoon each salt and pepper

3 to 4 cups water or chicken stock or broth
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, if desired

.

1.  Add ham hock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and 4 cups cups water to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour with lid on pot.

2.  Add split peas and simmer for about another hour or until they begin to break down.

3.  Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and about 3 cups more water and stock; cook until vegetables are tender.

4.  Remove bay leaves, thyme stems and ham hock; pull off and shred meat and return to soup pot.

5.  For a thicker soup, simmer to desired consistency with lid off. If too thick, add more water or stock and simmer a few additional minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

Recipe without photos . . .

Split Pea Soup with Ham     Makes about 6 cups  

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cups water

2 cups dry green split peas

1 large onion, finely chopped (I used red but yellow or white would work equally well)

2 each carrots and stalks celery, diced

1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ teaspoon each salt and pepper

3 to 4 cups water or chicken stock or broth

2 cups dry green split peas
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, if desired

.

1.  Add ham hock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and 4 cups cups water to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour with lid on pot.

2.  Add split peas and simmer for about another hour or until they begin to break down.

3.  Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and about 3 cups more water and stock; cook until vegetables are tender.

4.  Remove bay leaves, thyme stems and ham hock; pull off and shred meat and return to soup pot.

5.  For a thicker soup, simmer to desired consistency with lid off. If too thick, add more water or stock and simmer a few additional minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

(One-crust) Chicken Pot Pie — one of my quintessential comfort foods!

   After making a batch of pie crust cut-outs, I had enough dough left to make  a one-crust pie. Not really in the mood for a dessert pie, I used it to make a smaller-sized savory homemade chicken pot pie without a top crust.

     Sure, a two-crust pot pie is delish, but figured I’d save a few calories and use what I had on hand . . . including some end-of-garden produce

     Note – This recipe makes a lot of filling as in the deep-dish pie variety. I pile it in the crust but invariably have leftover filling. That means that the next day we can have Chicken Pot Pie Soup (minus the crust) — simply add chicken broth to the leftover filling and it’s ready to serve.

I cooked chicken thighs with a couple of
bay leaves + seasoned salt.

Chicken Pot Pie     6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced - optional

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chicken broth 

1 cup milk (could use all broth or all milk instead of the 1 cup of broth and 1 cup milk)

2 cups cooked cubed chicken

1 to 2 medium potato, cooked and cubed

1 to 2 cups other vegetables (steamed, sautéed celery &/or mushrooms, etc.)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

Single or double unbaked pie crust

1.  Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat.

2.  Add onions and pepper and cook until tender.

3.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.

4.  Stir in broth and milk; cook until thickened.

5.  Add chicken and vegetables; cool.

I cooked & steamed potatoes and carrots and then added frozen peas. 

Chicken is added to mixture.

Chicken and veggies are added to white sauce.

6.  Heat oven to 425º.

7.  Pour chicken mixture into pastry lined pie plate. If making a two-crust pie, top with other pie crust; trim excess top crust. Seal and flute. Cut a few small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

8.  Bake 35 minutes, or until light golden brown and bubbly.

9.  Allow pie to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

A simple lettuce & tomato salad accompanied a wedge of Chicken Pot Pie. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Chicken Pot Pie     6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced - optional

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chicken broth 

1 cup milk (could use all broth or all milk instead of the 1 cup of broth and 1 cup milk)

2 cups cooked cubed chicken

1 to 2 medium potato, cooked and cubed

1 to 2 cups other vegetables (steamed, sautéed celery &/or mushrooms, etc.)

1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas

Single or double unbaked pie crust

1.  Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat.

2.  Add onions and pepper and cook until tender.

3.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.

4.  Stir in broth and milk; cook until thickened.

5.  Add chicken and vegetables; cool.

6.  Heat oven to 425º.

7.  Pour chicken mixture into pastry lined pie plate. If making a two-crust pie, top with other pie crust; trim excess top crust. Seal and flute. Cut a few small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

8.  Bake 35 minutes, or until light golden brown and bubbly.

9.  Allow pie to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.