Recipe Post

Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Rice and Beans) from The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley

1 cup raw white rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced (green works fine too)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful chopped cilantro leaves
16 oz canned black beans, drained (14.5 oz is all I ever see)
salt to taste
1 t Tabasco sauce and 2 T Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

Wash the rice in cold water, drain, and put it in a pot with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring the rice to a boil, stir, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let the rice stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. (I just use a rice cooker)
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the peppers and saute, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the cilantro and saute for 1 minute more.
Spoon the rice and the beans into the skillet, mix well, and heat everything through. Season the dish to taste with salt and a combination of the Worcestershire sauce and the tabasco sauce. (I use lots)

This is great served with grilled chicken or along side some homemade tacos.

Here's the America's Test Kitchen recipe for the perfect apple pie, along with the explanation of how to solve the typical problems inherent in apple-pie-making: the too-liquid result, the too tall, puffy top result, and the soggy bottom result. Hopefully this helps!

The Problem with Deep-Dish Apple Pie

We wanted mounds of tender, juicy apples in our deep-dish pie, but first we had to wade through half-baked apples, soupy fillings, and sodden crusts.

The Problem: We wanted our deep-dish apple pie to have at least twice the apples found in a standard pie--a minimum of 4 pounds versus 2 pounds. But this posed several serious challenges. With our first attempts, the apples were unevenly cooked (some mushy, some crunchy) and the exuded juice left the apples swimming in an ocean of liquid, producing a bottom crust that was a pale, soggy mess. Then there was the gaping hole left between the apples (which had shrunk when they lost all that moisture) and the arching top crust, making it impossible to slice and serve a neat piece of pie.

The Goal: We wanted our piece of pie to be a towering wedge of tender, juicy apples, fully framed by a buttery, flaky crust.

The Solution: Precooking the apples solved the shrinking problem, helped the apples hold their shape, and prevented a flood of juices from collecting in the bottom of the pie plate, thereby producing a nicely browned bottom crust. Why didn't cooking the apples twice (once on the stovetop and once in the oven) cause them to become insipid and mushy? We learned that when the apples are gently heated, their pectin is converted to a heat-stable form that keeps them from becoming mushy when cooked further in the oven. But the word "gentle" is key. We found that heating the apples and seasonings in a large covered Dutch oven to a temperature of 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit stabilized the pectin; higher temperatures caused the pectin to break down. With this knowledge, we could boost the quantity of apples even higher than our initial goal--to 5 pounds--and all that was left to do was to choose the right combination of sweet and tart apples and stir in a little brown sugar, salt, lemon, and cinnamon.


Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Use a combination of tart and sweet apples for this pie. Good choices for tart are Granny Smiths, Empires, or Cortlands; for sweet, we recommend Golden Delicious, Jonagolds, or Braeburns. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours. To reheat, remove the wrap and warm the pie in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. See below for freezing instructions.


Makes one 9-inch pie, serving 8 to 10

All-Butter Pie Pastry
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus additional flour for work surface
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen for 10 minutes
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/3 cup ice water , or more if needed

Apple Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 pounds tart apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
2 1/2 pounds sweet apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)


1 egg white , beaten lightly


1. For Pastry: Process flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about ten 1-second pulses.

2. Using fork, mix sour cream and 1/3 cup ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half of sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for three 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry, and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, three to five 1-second pulses.

3. Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk; wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not hard, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.)

4. For Pie: Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, and cinnamon in large bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Transfer apples to Dutch oven (do not wash bowl) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. (Apples and juices should gently simmer during cooking.) Transfer apples and juices to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.

5. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. (If dough becomes soft and/or sticky, return to refrigerator until firm.) Remove parchment from one side of dough and flip onto 9-inch pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, roll second disk of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate, leaving dough between parchment sheets, until firm, about 30 minutes.

7. Set large colander over now-empty bowl; transfer cooled apples to colander. Shake colander to drain off as much juice as possible (cooked apples should measure about 8 cups); discard juice. Transfer apples to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.

8. Remove parchment from one side of remaining dough and flip dough onto apples; peel off second piece of parchment. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Following illustrations 1 through 4, trim and seal edges of dough, then cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon sugar.

9. Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is dark golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

10. Freezing Instructions:
We tried two different methods for freezing: (1) fully assembled and ready to go directly from freezer to oven and (2) divided into separate components of crust and cooked apple filling to be thawed, assembled, and baked. Both versions were good, although the reassembled pie was deemed marginally better for its slightly flakier, more evenly browned crust. You'll probably want to choose one method or the other based on how long you expect to keep a pie (or its components) in the freezer.

Assembled pies kept well for up to two weeks in the freezer; after that, the texture of the crust and apples suffered. To freeze an assembled pie, follow the recipe all the way through sealing the pie crust, but do not brush with egg wash. Freeze the pie for two to three hours, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and return it to the freezer. To bake, remove the pie from the freezer, brush it with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cut slits in the top crust, and place directly on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer than normal.

For a longer freezer storage time of several months, freeze the crust and apples separately. Freeze individual batches of the cooked, drained apple filling in quart-sized freezer bags (this doubles as a great alternative to canning). Then make the pie dough, shape it into two 4-inch disks, wrap the disks tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. When you're ready to make the pie, simply thaw the apples and crust in the refrigerator the night before, assemble as per the recipe instructions, and bake as directed. Of course, you can always just freeze the apples and make the crust fresh the day you bake the pie.




STEP BY STEP: Forming the Crust

1. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.
2. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate.

3. To seal pie, flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with fork.
4. Using sharp paring knife, cut four 2-inch-long slits in top of dough.

Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash
Serve atop rice, orzo, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed potatoes. It's REALLY good with mashed potatoes, though.

3 Tbs flour
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 c. chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 1/4 c. fat free chicken broth
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. shredded carrot
2 Tbs. Hungarian sweet paprika
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream (optional)

Combine flour and chicken in a medium bowl, toss well. Add chicken mixture, chopped onion, and the next 7 ingredients (through mushrooms) to an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in sour cream before serving. We forgot the sour cream last time and didn't even notice, so it's good both ways.


Hot Honeyed Ribs

This will stink up your house, but it sure tastes good!

4 lbs baby back ribs, cut in half
1 Tbs. garlic salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. chili garlic sauce
1 c. Catalina dressing (We used the Brianna's Zesty French we already had and it was fine)
1 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat broiler. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil for easy cleanup. Spray broiler rack with cooking spray. Season ribs with garlic salt and pepper. Broil for 5-6 minutes on each side. Place browned ribs in slow cooker.

In a mixing bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Pour sauce mixture over ribs. Move ribs around to make sure all sides are coated. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours of low 8 hours.

With tongs, remove ribs from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Skim grease from sauce and serve ribs with sauce on the side.

I tried my hand at two new cooking arenas this week: Crock Pot Cooking, and Candy Making. The crock pot recipe was terrible (please post some good ones if you have them), but the candy was amazing. Thank you Diary of a Foodie!

Carmel Corn Clusters

2T vegetable oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1 stick unsalted butter
1.5 cups of light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4t salt
1/2t baking soda
1 cup salted peanuts

--Heat oil with 3 kernels in a 3-quart saucepan, covered, over medium head until 1 or 2 kernels pop. Add the rest of the kernels, then cook, covered, shaking the pan frequently, until kernels stop popping. Remove from heat and uncover.

--Line bottom of a large shallow baking pan with foil. Lightly oil foil. Melt butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, then boil without stirring until syrup registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer (around 8-10 minutes). Remove pot from heat

--Using a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula, stir salt and baking soda into syrup, then quickly stir in peanuts and popcorn to coat. Immediately spread mixture in baking pan as thinly and evenly as possible. Cool completely, then break into bite-sized pieces.