Apple Custard Pie

Apple Custard Pie was a simple pie to make. I used a frozen pie crust because I truly despise making crust and I rarely eat it. The pie filling is the good stuff!

The filling for this pie consisted of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. I artfully arranged them, then poured the custard over the top. The custard was eggs, yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a little salt. The pie browned nicely in the oven. Next time I will slice the apples even thinner, as they were still a bit firm after baking. Overall, the pie was very nice. Not too sweet with lots of cinnamon.

I appreciated the way this pie sliced up. I hate when the filling spills out! The apples and custard held together nicely.

Apple Strudel

Apple Strudel was a delicate and complex process.  I have skipped over this recipe for a while, but because it contains such perfect autumn ingredients, I decided that today I would finally do it.

First, I layered sheets of filo dough brushed with melted butter.

Then I filled the dough with the good stuff: apples, lemon zest, cinnamon, raisins, sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. 

This recipe made three rolls of strudel. I baked one off today and saved the other two for this weekend.  This one has cheddar cheese in it!  After placing the filling, I folded up the sides of the filo dough.

Then I rolled the whole thing up and brushed it with melted butter!

The strudel baked and baked, and started getting brown pretty quick. 

 

Next time I will cook it at a lower temperature for a little longer, as the outside was really done, but the apples were not completely soft. 

 

Tomato Curry and Apple Chutney

Bean and I made Tomato Curry and Apple Chutney together the other night. We both love curry and chutney is something we had never attempted before.

We started by chopping lots of produce... apples for the chutney, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, bell pepper, and cilantro for the curry. I can still hear the sound of the knife against the cutting board.

We heated apples with garlic, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and cayenne. The apples simmered over low heat for almost an hour until they were super soft and fragrant. Bean declared that they smelled like autumn, and I agreed.


The tomato curry also has a wonderful conglomerate of spices. Mustard seeds, freshly grated ginger, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cayenne all seasoned the pot. The mix of veggies and spices simmered down with tomato puree. I thought the curry was a little runny, so we turned up the heat and this worked well for thickening the dinner.

The curry was spicy and fresh. It tasted beautiful over a bed of brown basmati rice. We served the chutney hot, as I simply couldn't wait to try it. It was a sweet contrast to the curry and the apples were perfectly softened. I'd like to try making it again and see what it tastes like cold.

Apple Crisp

What is the most fulfilling aspect of creating in the kitchen? I asked myself this after I made Apple Crisp this week.

For me, it wasn't the eight Granny Smith apples I painstakingly peeled, sliced, and doused in lemon juice.
It wasn't the crumbly topping, doctored up with brown sugar, melted butter and rolled oats.

It wasn't even the first bite of apple crisp, still warm from the pan, cozied up with a melting pool of vanilla bean ice cream.


By far, the most fulfilling aspect of my time in the kitchen is the gratitude I feel from my friends and family when they enjoy something I've made. Nothing makes me happier. I found this note on the saran wrapped pan of apple crisp the morning after I made it. The note instantly brought a smile to my face and reminded me of why this project is so rewarding.

White Rabbit Salad

White Rabbit Salad... kinda looks like popcorn and fruit, yea? I liked this salad, but I don't think I'll make it again. I'm texturally challenged at times and the crunchy/soft situation in this bowl made my mouth uncomfortable. Cottage cheese, apples, currants, toasted cashews, and poppy seeds all tasted great together, but the texture was odd.