Author: Lindsey Young

Make ‘mushroom’ for lots of fresh veggies this summer

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 24, 2018

Mixing fresh vegetables and sausage with some simple seasonings makes for a great summer dish.

I’ve mentioned before that my gardening ability is pretty sad to say the least.

Part of that is due to my inability to figure out how much water to dump on my plants, and part of that is due to a thieving squirrel, who convinced me for most of a summer that my tomatoes were vanishing into thin air just before they were ripe enough to pick.

Thank goodness for good friends, local grocery stores and farmer’s markets now that I’ve mostly given up my goals of urban farming.

And with it being the time of year for gardens to begin bursting with lots of great veggies, I’ve started getting really impatient to put them on our dinner table as much as possible.

This week’s recipe is one that Joey and I decided to create while standing in the produce department of our local grocery store last week, so while I’m sure there are dozens of recipes much like it online, we really just made this one up as we went along.

A couple thoughts: if you’d rather make this a vegetarian dish, ditch the sausage and toss in some more veggies. The mushrooms give this a nice, meaty flavor all on their own. Also, once zucchini and summer squash is ready, it would be an amazing addition to this as well, cut into 1/2-inch rounds or half moons.

Summer Vegetables and Sausage

Mixing fresh vegetables and sausage with some simple seasonings makes for a great summer dish.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword bell pepper, mushrooms, sausage, tomatoes, vegetables

Ingredients

2 bell peppers any color
8 to 10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
8 ounces whole baby bella mushrooms
3 about 9 ounces bratwursts or sausages of your choice
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and prepare the vegetables. Slice the bell peppers into 2-inch by 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the mushrooms in half. Leave the tomatoes whole.
Slice the sausages into 1/2-inch rounds. (We used a chicken, spinach and feta sausage that was out of this world.)
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread all the ingredients out on it. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle on your seasonings.
Use your hands to coat the ingredients in the oil and seasonings and spread everything out into as much of a single layer as you can.
Bake for 12 minutes and then give the ingredients a stir. Bake for another 12 minutes or until the sausage is done all the way through and the tomatoes are starting to burst.
Serve immediately.

We had leftovers of this and ate it a couple nights later after mixing it with a little marinara sauce and serving it over spaghetti. It was awesome.

There wasn’t much spring to enjoy this year, but at least that means summer gardens can get underway.

For my part, I’ll stick to keeping some flowers alive this year and get my veggies elsewhere. That sneaky squirrel will have to go bother someone else for his meals this summer.

This piece first appeared in print on May 24, 2018.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags bell pepper, mushrooms, sausage, tomatoes, vegetables

Dessert

Say ‘halo’ to sugar-free angel food cake

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 17, 2018

It looks like a normal angel food cake, but this one uses a sugar substitute, making it a good option for people watching their sugar intake.

With a few family members on low-sugar diets, I often try to integrate desserts with sugar substitutes into our get-togethers when I bring something sweet for after dinner.

For Mother’s Day, I decided to try out a recipe for a sugar-free angel food cake for that purpose.

Now, let me give a disclaimer that while this recipe is dubbed “sugar free,” it’s not really 100-percent free of sugar. It uses vanilla extract, which has sugar in it, and if you’re like me and pair it with some fresh fruit, you’ll get natural sugars from that, too.

But it’s extremely low in sugar, which makes it not only a bit healthier as desserts go but also a good option for someone who needs to keep their sugar intake to a minimum.

Another thing to note is the sugar substitute I used converts cup for cup with regular sugar, so I used the full amount listed in the recipe. Some sugar substitutes are a lot sweeter than the real stuff, so they recommend using a fraction of the amount. I’d recommend reading the package of whatever substitute you buy to make sure you’re not overdoing it on the sweetness.

I used a recipe from the blog “Living Sweet Moments” by Tiffany Bendayan. You can find it at https://livingsweetmoments.com/sugar-free-angel-food-cake/. I decided not to mess around with the flavoring on this one, because angel food cake is all about the chemistry, and I didn’t want to screw up the consistency.

Sugar-free Angel Food Cake

It looks like a normal angel food cake, but this one uses a sugar substitute, making it a good option for people watching their sugar intake.

Course Dessert

Keyword angel food, cake, sugar-free

Ingredients

12 egg whites at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar substitute
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar substitute and salt together and then add it little by little, folding it into the egg whites very gently (you want to keep it as voluminous as possible).
Dump the mixture into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when you touch it.
Invert the cake pan onto the neck of an empty glass bottle (like a pop, wine or beer bottle) to cool.
Once the cake is cooled completely, run a knife around the outside of the cake to remove it from the pan. Do the same to the bottom of the pan. You may need to trim the cake to make it sit evenly on a plate.
Make sure to store the cake in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out, and serve it with your favorite fresh fruit and some sugar-free whipped cream or ice cream, too.

This didn’t rise nearly as much as full sugar angel food cake normally does for me. I’m not sure if that was just how this recipe is or if it was the humid weather making it act up, but if yours doesn’t rise all the way to the top of the pan, don’t worry. It’ll still be nice and fluffy and airy. (At least mine was.)

We enjoyed our angel food cake along with fresh strawberries and some vanilla ice cream on the side. It was a nice way to finish out an amazing meal with some wonderful people—several of whom are the greatest moms to ever walk the planet.

I don’t think bringing them cake was any way to repay all of the support they’ve given me over the years, but it was at least a start.

This piece first appeared in print on May 17, 2018.

Tags angel food, cake, sugar-free

Dessert

Get ready to ‘berry’ your fork into blackberry cake

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 10, 2018

Blackberry cake is a beautiful summer dessert with fresh fruit that pairs really well with a bowl of ice cream.

We were out grocery shopping recently, getting the essentials for the week, and Joey disappeared (as he often seems to do) while we were in the produce section and came back holding a pint of some of the biggest blackberries I’ve ever seen.

“These are on sale,” he said, knowing how to appeal to my weaknesses.

I quickly looked on my “Recipes to Try” Pinterest board on my phone and found a really simple cake that called for fresh berries, and we tossed two pints into the cart.

We also decided to add a pint of vanilla ice cream to our shopping list—just to make sure we had the perfect pairing for serving warm cake later that evening.

I found this recipe on the blog “Peanut Butter and Peppers.” You can see it at http://www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com/2014/07/20/blackberry-cake-sundaysupper/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

Blackberry Cake

Blackberry cake is a beautiful summer dessert with fresh fruit that pairs really well with a bowl of ice cream.

Course Dessert

Keyword blackberries, cake, fresh fruit, vanilla

Ingredients

2 pints fresh blackberries washed
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a nine-inch spring form pan (line the bottom with parchment if you want to be able to transfer it to a plate. If you’re fine with just serving it from the metal bottom, don’t bother).
Combine the blackberries, lemon juice and tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and stir to coat the berries. Set it aside.
In another bowl, cream the butter and other 1/2 cup of sugar for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Beat in the flour, baking soda and salt until the mixture is just combined.
Pour the batter into the spring form pan and then evenly distribute the blackberries and any juices in the bowl over top of the batter.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for about 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Let it cool completely if you’re planning on transferring it to a separate plate, or serve it warm otherwise.
Store in an airtight container.

The recipe’s author suggests letting the cake cool completely, wrapping it up, and letting it sit on the counter overnight. After eating it both warm and a day later, I can say that I don’t think the flavor changes any between day one or day two. Plus, who doesn’t like warm cake?

I also liked that this was super pretty with no effort on my part. And the flavor was spot on.

I asked Joey if he was happy with how his blackberry request turned out. He just smiled with slightly purple teeth.

I think I nailed it.

This piece first appeared in print on May 10, 2018.

Tags blackberries, cake, fresh fruit, vanilla

Side Dish

Let’s have a serious ‘stalk’ about grilled asparagus

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 3, 2018

Grilled asparagus has some simple seasonings that make it a perfect summer side dish.

Last weekend, we decided to go to a late showing of the new “Avengers” movie with a group of friends, so we met early to enjoy the nice weather and grill for supper.

One of our friends walked in with a big bag of fresh asparagus.

“You can do whatever you want with this,” she said, before heading out to the patio.

It’s pretty obvious my friends know me well when they feel comfortable presenting me with a random ingredient and have full faith that I’ll be able to pull something off with it.

I looked online for a way to grill asparagus, since I figured it would easily pop onto the grill next to our steaks, and I discovered one from the blog “Or whatever you do.” The recipe is by Nicole Johnson and is both easy and perfectly seasoned. You can find it at https://www.orwhateveryoudo.com/2014/08/perfect-grilled-asparagus.html.

I will include grilling instructions as well as oven instructions with this recipe, since I ended up finishing the asparagus in the oven, because we managed to run out of propane about halfway through our cooking adventure (the hazards of the first time firing up the grill for spring, I suppose). I also played with some of the amounts a bit.

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus has some simple seasonings that make it a perfect summer side dish.

Course Side Dish

Keyword asparagus, garlic, grilled

Ingredients

about 1 pound fresh asparagus
about 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Instructions

Preheat the grill to about medium-high heat or preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Wash the asparagus and trim off the ends.
Fold a tray out of aluminum foil with raised sides to house the asparagus (put it on some kind of tray to use to carry to the grill or on a baking sheet if it’s going in the oven).
Place the asparagus into the tray, spaced just a little apart, and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to coat the asparagus in the oil and then sprinkle with the garlic salt, onion powder and pepper and mix around again to evenly distribute the spices.
Cut the butter into pieces and dot it along the top of the asparagus.
Place the aluminum tray right on the grill grates or leave it on the baking sheet in the oven and cook for about six to eight minutes for stalks that are pencil-size or smaller or about 10 to 15 minutes for larger stalks.
Serve immediately. The asparagus won’t stay warm for long.

We had a fantastic dinner, despite having to finish both our steaks and asparagus back in the house. At least our patio table was ready to hold our plates as we enjoyed one another’s company before our late-night movie.

Once the propane tank is full again, I’m planning on giving this recipe another try. I’m excited to fire up the grill, pull out my shorts and finally enjoy summer.

This piece first appeared in print on May 3, 2018.

Tags asparagus, garlic, grilled, vegetarian

Dessert

No-bake pie is better chocolate than never

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 26, 2018

A small piece is the perfect serving size for this rich, chocolaty pie.

We recently had a get-together with my mom’s side of the family. As always, we had an amazing spread of way too much food and had lots of fun catching up.

I volunteered to bring a few pies for dessert, and my family is used to being guinea pigs when it comes to me trying out new recipes.

One of the pies I made was this week’s recipe—a no-bake chocolate truffle pie that was super easy to make. When I pulled it out of my Tupperware container, my cousin’s little girl gasped and immediately grabbed me around my middle.

She could barely wait to finish her lunch before diving into a piece of pie. If you’re wondering, Miss Avery gave it two thumbs up.

I found this recipe on the website “Kitch Me.” You can find it at http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/no-bake-chocolate-truffle-pie-5-ingredients. I added ingredients to make a homemade whipped cream to top it and used a graham cracker crust instead of the chocolate crust the recipe called for.

No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Pie

A small piece is the perfect serving size for this rich, chocolaty pie.

Course Dessert

Keyword chocolate chips, graham cracker crust, no bake, truffle, whipped cream

Ingredients

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9- inch pre-made graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumb pie crust
about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Combine the chocolate chips (save a few to decorate the top of the pie, if you like) and 3/4 cup cream to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time, until the mixture is smooth.
Set it aside and let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture is cooled, mix in the sugar and vanilla.
In another bowl, whip another 3/4 cup of cream until stiff peaks form, and then beat in the chocolate, a little at a time, until it’s all fully combined.
Spread the filling out evenly into the pie crust and refrigerate at least eight hours. Before serving, whip the remaining cream, one tablespoon powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla together until stiff peaks form. If the cream is not sweet enough, whip in a bit more sugar until it’s where you like it.
Top the pie with the whipped cream and some chocolate chips or chocolate shavings.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Several people who taste tested this pie for me said they really liked the dark chocolate flavor and were surprised when I said it was made with only semi-sweet chocolate. Letting it set overnight really developed a deep flavor.

I’d also suggest cutting this into smaller pieces, because it’s a very rich flavor, and it’s tough to eat a big piece in one sitting.

I’m guessing I’ll need to work this recipe into my regular rotation—at least when bringing pie to my little cousin. The pie was delicious, but the big hug really made it worth it.

This piece first appeared in print on April 26, 2018.

Tags chocolate chips, graham cracker crust, no bake, pie, whipped cream

Soup

Leftover potato soup a f‘root’ful experiment

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 19, 2018

Sausage and potato soup is a hearty meal and a good use for leftover baked and mashed potatoes.

I know that we’re quickly moving out of what most people would consider “soup weather,” but I tend to like it no matter what time of year it is.

I especially like to have containers full of it in my deep freeze at all times for evenings when Joey and I are far too busy (or tired) to make a home-cooked meal.

Recently, Joey was at an event where both baked and mashed potatoes were served. At the end of the evening, someone bagged up both and asked if anyone wanted the leftovers or they were going in the trash.

Joey snapped them up, figuring we could do something with it at home.

We brainstormed together and came up with what ended up being a delicious soup. We were pretty proud of ourselves, and I couldn’t help but think we weren’t the only ones who sometimes come across lots of leftover potatoes after a get-together, so I thought I’d share it with you. It also wouldn’t be hard to get a big bag of taters and just do this on its own.

I don’t have a source for this week’s recipe, since it came from Joey and I experimenting in our own kitchen, but I will say that you may need to adjust the amounts based on how many potatoes you have or how thick you like your soup. It’s a very flexible recipe, so I’d recommend adding liquid a little at a time until you get it to the right consistency.

We had so many potatoes that I doubled this and made two big pots full.

Sausage and Potato Soup

Sausage and potato soup is a hearty meal and a good use for leftover baked and mashed potatoes.

Course Main Course

Keyword baked potatoes, fennel, mashed potatoes, potatoes, sausage, soup

Ingredients

1 pound sage sausage
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
4 to 6 tablespoons flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
About six medium-sized baked potatoes
About one pound mashed potatoes
1/4 teaspoon fennel
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups milk I used skim
4 ounces sharp cheddar shredded
4 ounces pepper jack shredded

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven, combine the sausage and onion, breaking apart and browning the sausage until it’s cooked through and the onions are soft.
Once the sausage is done cooking, stir in the minced garlic and cook for two to three minutes or until it browns slightly and starts to smell nice.
Start sprinkling in the flour, mixing it into the sausage to that it soaks up any grease. Keep adding it, a little at a time, until the grease is completely incorporated into the flour. Let it cook, continuing to stir, for about two minutes to cook the flour taste out.
Stir in the chicken broth and let that cook for a couple minutes as well.
Cut the baked potatoes into bite-sized pieces (we included the skin in ours) and add them to the pot along with the mashed potatoes (Both can be cold at this point. No need to heat them up beforehand.). Also toss in the fennel, garlic salt and pepper.
Stir the mixture well. Start by mixing in about one cup of milk and let the soup cook, stirring regularly so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom, for five to 10 minutes or until it begins to thicken. If it’s too thick, add more milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Once the soup is heated all the way through (probably another 10 minutes or so), dump in the sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses and stir until it’s melted.
Serve hot with a bit more cheese on top if desired.

We were head over heels in love with this recipe. It definitely fills you up quickly and has tons of great flavor.

It was also pretty satisfying to not see so much food tossed in the trash and instead be transformed into a wonderful meal (actually, several meals).

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans toss about 30 to 40 percent of our food supply every year, which is a staggering amount. If we can come up with more ways to keep good food out of the garbage and back in our fridges, we could begin to solve a lot of issues in this country.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when there’s sausage and garlic involved, too.

This piece first appeared in print on April 19, 2018.

Tags baked potatoes, cheese, fennel, mashed potatoes, sage, sausage

Cookies Dessert Snack

Make cookies almost too cute to bear

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 12, 2018

Bear paw cookies are cute but also have a rich flavor with a touch of coffee paired with chocolate.

It might be a side effect of becoming an aunt, but my eyes seem to be drawn to all kinds of cute things lately.

The cookie recipe I’m sharing with you this week was one of those cute items I found online and just had to try. I then immediately messaged my sister with a photo, noting that they’d be good child’s birthday party fare.

Considering my niece is only five months old, I might be jumping the gun a bit, but luckily, my sister never stifles my unbridled, “I’m going to spoil the stuffing out of you” attitude.

Of course, aside from being cute, these cookies were also super delicious, so even though I still have over six months to wait for my niece’s first birthday party, they were still worth making in the meantime.

This comes from the blog “Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons.” You can find the original at https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/bear-paw-cookies/. I didn’t change the amounts on the ingredients, although I do think I ended up with a bit more than a teaspoon of instant coffee in mine.

Bear Paw Cookies

Bear paw cookies are cute but also have a rich flavor with a touch of coffee paired with chocolate.

Course Dessert

Keyword bear paws, chocolate, coffee, cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee I used a single serving of Via from Starbucks
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 bag dark chocolate melting wafers
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar for a couple minutes until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
Beat in the instant coffee, baking soda, cornstarch, salt and flour.
Scoop the dough by about a teaspoon-size onto the prepared cookie sheets, placing them about an inch apart (I started with much larger scoops—probably about tablespoon size—but my cookies spread quite a bit and were a lot larger than I wanted. You might need to experiment.).
Bake each batch for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.
After pulling the cookies from the oven, lightly press a melting wafer in the middle of each and then place three chocolate chips in a semi-circle along to the top of the wafer to create “claws.”
Let the cookies cool completely (the chocolate will need to set back up) before placing them into an airtight container.

If you’re not into coffee flavor, it does come through a decent amount in the finished cookies, so this may not be the recipe for you. But this same technique should work with any cookie dough that you wouldn’t mind having chocolate chips added into, so you’re not completely out of luck.

I’ve also seen white melting wafers, so if you would rather make polar bear paw prints instead, it would be easy to substitute in some white chocolate, too.

To be fair, I’m not sure if my little niece will be into bears at any point in her childhood, but since she’s related to me, I can guarantee she’ll be into cookies, so I think I’ll probably be able to talk her into eating a few either way. Of course, first I’ll have to wait on that set of teeth to come in.

This piece first appeared in print on April 12, 2018.

Tags bear paws, chocolate, coffee

Main Dish

Can’t stop thinking ‘gumbout’ New Orleans dish

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 5, 2018

New Orleans shrimp and sausage gumbo is a spicy, filling meal.

Sometimes I let my fridge do the talking when I’m trying to figure out what to make for dinner, so when I had several leftover stalks of celery, most of an onion and lots of diced bell peppers at my disposal, I took to the Internet for a solution.

Much to Joey’s delight, I decided on trying a recipe for gumbo.

I headed to the grocery store to finish out my ingredient list and realized that one item on the list, gumbo file, which is made from sassafras leaves, is not sold in most Kansas grocery stores (if someone knows a hidden spot it exists, let me know).

After doing a little research, I decided to get a little weird and substitute for the gumbo file with a bit of root beer, since it has much the same flavor. I tried my gumbo before and after adding it, and I had to admit that it had a nice influence on the taste, so just go with me on this one.

I found this recipe on the blog “Little Spice Jar.” You can find it at http://littlespicejar.com/new-orleans-gumbo-shrimp-sausage/. I added more garlic and changed up the type of Tabasco (which I highly recommend), and of course, subbed in root beer in my version.

New Orleans Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

New Orleans shrimp and sausage gumbo is a spicy, filling meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Keyword Andouille sausage, bell pepper, celery, gumbo, New Orleans, onions, shrimp

Ingredients

1/2 cup high-heat oil I used canola
1/2 cup flour
1 onion diced (I used yellow)
2 bell peppers diced (any color)
4 stalks celery diced
8-10 cloves minced garlic
8 ounces Andouille sausage sliced
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning I used Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce I used chipotle Tabasco
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes and juices diced
2 pounds raw shrimp peeled and de-veined
4 tablespoons root beer
White rice for serving

Instructions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Whisk in the flour until it is smooth and then stir continuously for about 20 minutes or until the roux turns to a medium brown (the author calls it “peanut butter color”).
Stir in the onions, bell peppers and celery and keep stirring until they soften (about 10 minutes).
Add the garlic and sausage and keep stirring until you can really smell the garlic.
Now add the bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, Tabasco sauce, cayenne, chicken broth and tomatoes, making sure to scrape the pan to get all the good bits off the bottom.
Bring the mixture to a very low boil and lower the heat to medium-low and leave the lid on for about 15 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 10 more minutes or until the shrimp is done (they will curl up a bit and become opaque). Add the root beer and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the bay leaves and serve the gumbo over white rice.

We reheated this on the stove over the next week so as not to overcook the shrimp, and it was good every single time. It makes a ton of food, especially when you’re serving it over rice, so we had quite a few meals of gumbo before it was all gone.

It’s definitely on the spicy side, so you could leave out the cayenne and replace it with paprika to tame it a bit if you like, but it was super good with the amount of kick it had.

It also helped me clean out my fridge and gave me a new use for root beer that I wasn’t expecting.

Sometimes you have to be inventive and flexible in your Midwestern kitchen.

This piece first appeared in print on April 5, 2018.

Tags Andouille sausage, bell pepper, Cajun, celery, New Orleans, onion, rice, shrimp

Dessert Uncategorized

You’ll love this recipe from the bottom of your ‘tart’

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 29, 2018

A rustic apple tart is easy on the eyes and the taste buds. It would be perfect with a scoop of ice cream.

There’s something intimidating about pastry. It’s hard to roll out perfect circles or to put it into pie pans without it cracking.

Plus, there are just too many people online who are true artists with dough, and that is extremely intimidating when I start hunting for new recipes.

The recipe I tried this week, though, is meant to look a little rough around the edges, and I managed to create something that looked delicious without worrying at all about getting fancy with my crust.

This recipe’s author is Jenn Segal. She used to work as a professional chef and has a cookbook, “Once Upon a Chef.” You can find this on her blog by the same name at https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/rustic-french-apple-tart.html. I doubled the vanilla and cinnamon in my version.

Rustic Apple Tart

A rustic apple tart is easy on the eyes and the taste buds. It would be perfect with a scoop of ice cream.

Course Dessert

Keyword apple, pastry, tart

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup cold water

Filling Ingredients

4 cups peeled baking apples cut into 1/8-inch slices (I used honeycrisp)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 rounded teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping Ingredients

About 1 tablespoon flour
1 egg beaten
About 1 tablespoons sugar turbinado or regular
1 tablespoon apricot jelly

Instructions

For the crust, pulse the flour, salt and sugar together a couple times in a food processor to combine them. Cube the butter and add it to the food processor and process until it’s about pea size. Add the water and pulse a few times until it’s just combined. (The dough will look very crumbly, but it’ll come together.)
Dump the dough mixture onto a floured counter and knead it until it comes together smoothly, adding more flour as necessary. Form it into a disk. Roll it out into about a 10-inch circle on the floured surface and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a rim.
Put it in the refrigerator while you peel and prep the apple mixture. Place the apple slices, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, butter and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
Remove the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment onto the counter. Roll it out to about 18 inches and about 1/8-inch thick, and slide it back onto the pan (it won’t fit very well, but that’s no worry).
Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour onto the dough and then place the apples in concentric circles, overlapping them as you go. Leave about two inches around the edge of the circle.
Fold the sides of the dough towards the center of the tart. It’ll create a two-inch rim around it and an opening in the middle. Pinch it together at the seams so it’ll stay put. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and then sprinkle the whole tart with the sugar.
Bake for about an hour or until the apples are soft and the crust is a golden brown.
Transfer the tart to a rack and let it cool. Combine the apricot jelly with 1-1/2 teaspoons water in a small bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir and brush onto the tart.
Cut into slices and serve warm.

Our whole house smelled amazing while this tart was baking, and I was so proud of myself when it came out of the oven. It looked fantastic.

I’ll have to keep this one in my recipe box for any time I want to impress guests with a “fancy” dessert but don’t want to stress over making one.

And I suppose if someone thinks it looks a little too unpolished, I’ll remind them that the word “rustic” is right there in the recipe title, so I clearly did everything right.

This piece first appeared in print on March 29, 2018.

Tags apple, cinnamon, pastry, tart

Main Dish

Try lamb so easy to cook it’ll make you feel sheepish

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 22, 2018

Making a rack of lamb becomes a lot less daunting with this recipe.

Last week, Joey and I stopped at a new restaurant in Kansas City on our way back from a conference in Iowa.

It was a cozy spot, and we got a table looking directly into the kitchen, which was fun, since we got to watch the chefs in action.

We decided to share an order of rabbit, cooked with a mole sauce and black beans. It was excellent and not something I’ve ever been brave enough to cook on my own at home.

Like rabbit, lamb is something that has always intimidated me in the kitchen. I know it tends to be a popular dish this time of year, but since it wasn’t something I grew up on, I’ve tended to avoid it.

I found a rack of lamb on sale recently, though, so I decided to overcome my fears and give it a try. Luckily, I found a recipe that promised to be an easy way to fix lamb.

This recipe comes from Buzzfeed’s food editor, Emily Fleischaker. You can find it at buzzfeed.com by searching “The Laziest, Most Delicious Way To Make Rack Of Lamb.” (A great title) I doubled the garlic in my version.

Rack of Lamb

Making a rack of lamb becomes a lot less daunting with this recipe.

Course Main Course

Keyword rack of lamb

Ingredients

2- pound rack of lamb
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice rye bread I used marble rye

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a food processor, combine the olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine
Break the slice of bread into pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse to create a paste.
Trim any extra fat off of the rack of lamb and spread the paste over the meaty side of the rack.
Add a bit more salt and pepper if desired.
Place on a baking sheet (line it with foil for easier cleanup), meaty side up, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees.
Let rest for a bit and cut between the bones to separate for serving.

This was a delicious dinner that I paired with some potatoes. The lamb was cooked perfectly, and the spice combination, while not fancy or complicated, was exactly the right amount.

While you could probably use some wheat bread instead of the rye, the flavor of the rye bread really comes through, so I’d recommend getting a loaf for this recipe.

This piece first appeared in print on March 22, 2018.

Tags rack of lamb