Sara Foster's Cranberry Apple Pie

McIntosh or Empire apples are best for this pie.

Recipe by Sara Foster

MAKES: 1 (9-inch) pie (about 8 servings) PREP: 40 minutes CHILL: 10 minutes BAKE: 1 hour STAND: 1 hour Easy Piecrust (below) 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained 3 large apples (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced (I put more for a really tall pie) 1/4 cup apple cider (used apple-cranberry juice, because that's all I had) 2 tablespoons dark rum (omitted) 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Pinch of ground nutmeg Pinch of ground cloves 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk) Pinch of sugar (optional) Garnish: Spiced whipped cream or vanilla ice cream 1. Roll half of Easy Piecrust dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface (about a 13-inch circle). Fold in half, and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and drape over pie plate, pressing bottom and sides into pan. Roll remaining dough about same thickness and size; place on a baking sheet. Chill both piecrusts in freezer 10 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine cranberries and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Add 1 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients, and toss to coat. Pour mixture into chilled piecrust in pie plate; dot with butter. 3. Cut chilled dough on baking sheet into 3/4-inch strips. Place 5 to 7 strips over filling in one direction; add remaining strips in perpendicular direction, folding back alternating strips in a crisscross fashion. Trim strips even with edges of crust; fold edges under, and crimp. Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; brush pastry with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake at 375° for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. (If top is browning too quickly, lightly shield with aluminum foil.) Let cool about 1 hour before slicing. Garnish, if desired. Easy Piecrust With minimal ingredients and fuss, you can make your own crust in less time than it takes to go buy one. MAKES: 2 (9-inch) piecrusts or 1 double-crusted pie PREP: 10 minutes 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until dough resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, and stir, adding 2 to 4 more tablespoons water until dough forms a ball and leaves side of bowl. 2. Form into 2 flat, round discs (or balls), cover with plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use. Adapted from Cottage Living Magazine

Seared Pimentón -Crusted Tuna with Chickpea Artichoke Salad

Yellow rice goes well with this dish.

Rating: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Servings: 2

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon good-quality Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (8-ounce) tuna fillets
Chickpea Artichoke Salad

1. Whisk together olive oil and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Coat tuna with oil mixture, and sear in hot (slightly smoking) cast-iron skillet for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes* per side or until rare to medium-rare. Serve over Chickpea Artichoke Salad.

*Note: The tuna fillets in the original recipe must have been sliced much thinner than the ones we usually get. We find it takes 3-5 minutes per side, according to your taste.

Chickpea Artichoke Salad

Note: In this photo, we substituted grape tomatoes for the artichokes (either to add color or because we didn’t have any artichokes on hand).

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 (15.5-ounce) can cooked chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian or flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover mixture, and chill.

These recipes were originally published in the March 2005 issue of Cottage Living magazine.

Shrimp Risotto with Fresh Herb Butter

This tasty dish also looks very pretty plated.

Rating: 4
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-6

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature, divided
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice (or medium-grain white rice)
3/4 cup Riesling or other white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to bowl.

2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to same pan. Add onion, and cook until nearly translucent. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine. Stir until wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until rice is tender and risotto is creamy, stirring often, about 18 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, blend remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon basil, and tarragon in small bowl. Season herb butter to taste with salt and pepper. Snap asparagus stalks to remove bottom portions. Cut remaining upper portions into 1-inch pieces. Steam in microwave 3-4 minutes, or until almost tender. Remove peas from freezer to let thaw.

4. Mix asparagus, peas, shrimp, any accumulated juices, and 1 tablespoon basil into risotto. Simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into shallow bowls. Swirl some herb butter into top of each. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Chocolate/Raspberry French Toast

Raspberries were ridiculously cheap this summer, and this was the perfect way to take advantage of the sale. I made this three times over a few days for several different people; all gave favorable comments.

Servings: 4
Prep: 30 minutes


For Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh raspberries (1/2 lb) or 1 3/4 cups frozen, thawed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

For French Toast
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices from a brioche or challah loaf (not round)
4 oz fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped [I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips]

Garnish: confectioners sugar; fresh raspberries; fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

Make sauce:
Purée raspberries, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in a food processor. Sweeten with confectioners sugar to taste (up to 1/4 cup more). Force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds.

Make French toast:
Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a large shallow dish until mixture is combined well and sugar and salt are dissolved.

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet or griddle over moderately high heat. Dip 2 bread slices briefly in egg mixture until lightly soaked, turning once if necessary. Transfer to skillet, without crowding, and reduce heat to moderate. Sprinkle each slice with one fourth of chocolate and top with 2 more slices of egg-dipped bread. Press sandwiches gently with a spatula to help slices adhere. Cook, turning sandwiches over once, until chocolate is melted and French toast is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Wipe out skillet and make 2 more sandwiches in same manner.

Cut French toast in half diagonally and serve with sauce.

This recipe is from epicurious.com.

Fresh Raspberry Cream Cakes

This recipe is adapted from Cottage Living magazine. This is a pretty simple recipe, and it never fails to impress guests. Great presentation. Saucy Sally prefers it with strawberries replacing the raspberries.

Rating: 4
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 20 minutes
Freeze: 3 hours
Stand: 15 minutes

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and drained
1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups fresh whipping cream

1. Insert cupcake liners into 12 muffin cups; set aside.

2. Stir together graham cracker crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mixture into each liner, pressing down firmly with fingers to form crust.

3. Reserve 12 raspberries for garnish. Place remaining raspberries in food processor; pulse 10 seconds or until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup for filling. Press remaining puree through a fine, wire-mesh sieve over a small glass bowl, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard pulp and seeds. Cover and chill raspberry juice.

4. Pour whipping cream into a chilled bowl, and use clean beaters to beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes or until soft peaks form.

5. Beat cream cheese at low speed with electric mixer until creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk, and reserved 1/2 cup pureed raspberries, beating until just combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream. (Save remaining cup of whipped cream for garnish.)

6. Top each crust with about 1/3 cup of mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze 3 hours or until firm.

7. Remove cakes from freezer; peel away cupcake liners, and place cakes on serving plates. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. To serve, dollop remaining whipped cream evenly onto each cake. Drizzle with reserved raspberry juice, and top with reserved raspberries. Store ungarnished, covered with plastic wrap, in freezer up to 2 weeks.

Farmer's Market Vegetable, Beef, and Brown Rice Salad

This recipe is one of our favorites. Saucy Sally and I make it fairly regularly. Some notes: We often forget to marinate in advance. It's not that much of a problem with this recipe. If you put the rice on to cook when you start prepping the veggies and move on from there, you should have plenty of time to get everything done (including letting the meat stand for 10 minutes) at about the same time.

Also, since we're normally having this as a week night meal and eating the additional two servings for leftovers, we've learned to only assemble half of the salad, so we don't have to heat the tomatoes and chick peas up for lunch the next day.

Rating: 4
Servings: 4
Total time: 40 minutes

Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp honey
4 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 lb beef top round steak (or flank steak), cut 3/4 inch thick 1 tsp olive oil
2 cups asparagus cut in 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 cup diced, seeded tomatoes
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and 1/4 cup marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight. Reserve remaining marinade in refrigerator for dressing.

2. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2-3 inches from heat. Broil 12-13 minutes for medium-rare doneness, turning once. Remove; keep warm. (Let beef stand for 10 minutes before slicing or serving to enhance flavor.)

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add asparagus and squash; cook and stir 7-8 minutes or until tender. Toss with rice, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt, and reserved marinade in large bowl.

4. Carve steak into thin slices. Serve over rice salad.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Servings: 4
Rating: 3 (We think this will change to a 4 or 5 when we figure out the eggs.)
Definitely okay for guests

I made some changes to this recipe per the notes from our first attempt at it. Didn't quite get the eggs right, but we'll try again soon. (The first time, we poached them in vinegar water as the original recipe suggested. It was a burdensome task, besides being time-consuming and messy to boot. We decided to try poaching the eggs in custard cups, as we found suggested in another recipe. I overcooked them a ton. The next time, we just fried the eggs, which worked pretty well but wasn't nearly as pretty.)

The dish has excellent presentation, and it shouldn't be too much work to do for guests if the first steps of the sauce are prepared ahead. We also decided to double the sauce (Saucy Sally loves her sauce, hence the name), which is reflected in the ingredient list and recipe below.

If you have two people in the kitchen, it's best that one work on step two while the other handles step three, so everything will be warm when served.

6 tbsp minced onions (shallots, if you have them)
4 tsp dry mustard
3 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whipping cream
8 large eggs
4 slices bread, lightly toasted, each slice halved diagonally
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (not lox)
6 large egg yolks
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1. Combine onions and mustard in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in wine. Boil over high heat until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, whisking often. (This takes more than 10 minutes for half the sauce.) Whisk in cream. Season with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be made one day ahead. Cover; chill.)

2. Place two toast triangles on each of four plates. Top with salmon. Fry eggs as desired. Place eggs atop salmon-covered toast triangles.

3. Transfer cream sauce to the top of a double boiler set over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk 6 raw egg yolks into cream sauce. Whisk constantly until sauce thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 160 F, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped chives and whisk 1 minute. Spoon sauce over eggs. Garnish, if desired, and serve.

Crawfish Etouffee

This étouffée is relatively simple to prepare and, I imagine, pretty hard to mess up.

After lamenting my lack of access to some Southern staple foods (namely, The Gumbo and The Crawfish), a cohort mentioned that a crawfish boil was going down at his office. I couldn't attend, but the man, he takes care of me. Right around noon Thursday, he hand-delivered three gallon-sized bags of the little suckers. Never have I been so happy to see the little mudbugs in all their eye-popped glory.

While I do love 'em with a passion, I can't say I was extremely keen on the idea of eating cold, day-old crawdads at the office (or anywhere else, for that matter), which is why I came up with the grand idea of making an étouffée. For anyone who's ever experienced Cajun cooking, you know that nearly every individual who claims to make this dish (much like The Gumbo) also claims to make the best version of this dish. This being my first attempt at the étouffée, I will make no such claim. Yet.

I did a little étouffée research and found some interesting information about the dish. First, there's a wide rift between those who think using tomatoes makes the dish and those who think using tomatoes makes the dish a stew. I decided to leave the tomatoes out this time around and see if the so-called purists know what they're talking about.

Second, that nasty looking orange or greenish stuff usually found at the joint between the head and the tail is actually fat, which is good for the cooking. The orange fat is more flavorful, and the color is determined by the type of crawfish, according to this site. Also of note was the fact that the crawfish fat will become rancid in 2-6 months if frozen. Yikes!

Anyhow, rather than take one recipe and stick to it, I looked at quite a few, first tossing out any that used tomatoes, then canning the ones that used condensed soup*. Any recipes that called for Tabasco were immediately out the window, as I don't like the flavor of that particular brand** and Saucy Sally isn't really into the heat.

Once I'd eliminated all the recipes that didn't fit my criteria, what I had were five or six that looked remarkably similar save a few differences in the preparation and/or ingredients. I took them all to the kitchen and did my best to document what I actually did while I was in there.

I have to say, l was both impressed and amazed by the results. I didn't screw it up! And Saucy Sally gave the dish an ever-elusive FIVE and demanded that we have it again (most likely with shrimp). I'm thrilled.

Note: This recipe is very mild as far as étouffée (or any Cajun dish) goes. Saucy Sally said she probably couldn't eat it if it was hotter, so we'll stick with it, but adjustments to the cayenne and paprika can be made at the discretion of the cook.

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1 small vidalia, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp All-purpose flour
10 oz crawfish tails***
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 c water
1 tbsp parsley
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Melt butter over medium heat in large, heavy skillet. Add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until onions look somewhat clear. Add flour, stir constantly for two to three minutes.

2. Add crawfish, garlic, cayenne, and paprika to skillet. Stir in 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook down, about15-20 minutes. Add more water**** and reduce to reach gravy-like consistency.

3. Serve over rice.

I used a basmati rice, which seems to be the only kind I can make without screwing up, and which Saucy Sally and I both really like. I packed the rice into a small bowl and dumped it out to make a cute little mound for a prettier presentation -- a trick I'll be using again.

I served asparagus as the side, which I tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper before broiling. The flavor was okay, but they were stringy. (I can't make a meal that's good all-around. Just can't do it.) Saucy Sally told me the trick to the asparagus is to break them before cooking. Apparently they'll naturally snap at the point where they become stringy. (Hmmm... that might've been useful before a recent family reunion for which I made a risotto with asparagus. My mom called it "terrible" and said the asparagus ruined it. Thanks, Mom! Love you, too!)

* I'm no expert, but I'd be willing to bet that anyone who uses Campbell's cream of chicken in an étouffée isn't an authentic Cajun cook and isn't making anything resembling an authentic étouffée.
** You can argue with me about that and perhaps even challenge my status as a true Southerner (which is under scrutiny anyway for saying "soda" instead of "coke" and hating Gone with the Wind, among other things) if you will, but I'm just not a fan of Tabasco. It has a metallic taste that turns me off. Other hot sauces? Bring 'em on!
*** We were working with what we had, which was 10 oz. I think moving up to a pound would work with the same basic ingredients.
**** I added another 1/2 cup of water after the sauce reduced some. Many of the recipes I referenced added up to 2. I think it's up to the cook.

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Sauce and Vegetable Saute

Technically, those tomatoes and artichoke hearts should be mixed together, but Saucy Sally had an inkling that we wouldn't care for the artichokes. (She was right, of course.)

Servings: 4
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Definitely okay for guests (if we could ever afford it!)
(Note: While the lamb chops get a 4, the vegetable saute gets a 2.)

Saucy Sally and I loved the flavor of this tender meat and the gravy it created. I was definitely a fan of the pistachio sauce. Unfortunately, the vegetables weren't up to par. The tomatoes would've been better roasted, and canned artichoke hearts taste, well, canned. Saucy Sally said she'd forget about the vegetable saute next time and serve the lamb with a baked potato and a green vegetable, which sounds good to me.

1/2 c shelled pistachios
3/4 c coarsely chopped fresh parsley
8 loin lamb chops, each 1 inch thick (about 2 lbs)*
2 pints grape tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, rinsed, drained, & quartered

1. Make sauce: In a blender, purée pistachios with ¼ cup water until smooth (add a splash more water if necessary); season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook until medium-rare, about five minutes per side (temperature of 145˚).** Transfer to a plate, and cover loosely with foil. Reserve skillet (and any fat left in it).

3. Add tomatoes, artichokes, and ¼ cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to soften, 6-8 minutes. Mix in remaining ½ c parsley. Serve.

* Being that we're not quite there with the dinero and lamb is expensive, we opted for one lamb chop each.
** The original recipe, from the May 2007 issue of Everday Food, didn’t offer temperatures, which led us to finding this handy site.