All Those Apples

So after you go apple picking, you find yourself with a lot of apples! Then you start thinking, what am I going to do with all of those apples? And then you start thinking, I'm going to have to peel and slice most, if not all of them, and that's so time consuming. I still haven't finished that task!

Last week I decided to make cooked apples as a side for our dinner. There's nothing like pork chops and cooked apples. Anyone out there remember The Brady Bunch episode where Peter was a detective and he kept saying "porch chops and applesauce?" Even the writers knew the pairing was a hit. However, I wasn't going to be home in time to actually cook the apples like I normally would so I decided to take it to the grill. Joel was going to grill the chops anyway, so why not get all the dinner on it!

I washed, peeled, and sliced about five apples. You can use more or less depending on the size of your apples. And I used Granny Smith. I think they are the best for cooking and baking. Oh, and let's be honest, I didn't actually slice them. I used my handy slice and coring tool. It's the best tool in my drawer! 

From there, I threw handfuls of apples onto two pieces of aluminum foil. I eyeballed all of the added ingredients which consisted of brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. I then added a couple of pads of butter to each bundle.

Then just wrap them up and place in the fridge until you need them.

I would have loved to show you an after photo, but due to some miscommunication between me and the hubs, the apples never made it to the grill! He thought he I said that he only needed to grill the chops when he asked if there was something he needed to do to the apples. My response to that was, no just grill them. Not sure where the breakdown came from, but he grilled them after dinner and then took some for lunch with the leftovers. I forgot to ask him if they were any good!

I'm going to be sharing my apple recipes so you too can have ideas for all the ways to use your apples, especially before they spoil. Tonight, I think it's either an apple crisp or an apple shortbread bar! 

As they saying goes, "An apple a day."

XO,

Andrea

Mama Cooking: Lasagna Toss

I'm the kind of cook that needs a recipe for every meal. I love finding new ones to try, especially when watching hours of Food Network and scouring through their magazine. But I've been saying for years that I would love to just cook with freedom. Adding a little here, a little there, and mixing spices like I had attended Le Cordon Bleu. But the fact of the matter is, I don't know which spice pairs with another and which will overshadow a different one.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've become a little more brave when it comes to cooking and modifying recipes I've either seen or read about, and making them my own. It started with this lasagna toss. I call it that because you just toss all the ingredients together and it comes straight out of the pot and onto a plate. No layering or baking needed. Want to know more? Then keep reading.

I have all the ingredients I need here:

With the Italian sausage, I've kind of cheated in the seasoning department because all of the seasoning I need is in there! Love when I can take the guess work out of it! I also have pasta noodles, olive oil for the pan, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, two different cheeses, and some garlic.

I added a little olive oil to a pan to heat up and then minced the garlic. I added the garlic to the oil and let them start to soften. From there, I added the sausage. Remove it from its casing! And while you're doing all of that, bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

If you don't have this amazing tool, you need it! It's the Mix and Chop and it does all the work for you when chopping your meat while browning it! Simply twist and chop the meat to your desired groundness and let it continue to cook. I love it and use it constantly. You can get it here, and if you need a Pampered Chef consultant, I recommend Laurie Milbrodt. She's great! (And she doesn't know I gave her the shout out....)

After the sausage was cooked, I drained off any excess fat. From there I added a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.

I've also added my pasta to the salted boiling water. I used Rigattoni noodles, but you can use anything have on hand.

Okay, back to the meat sauce. I added half of a 15 oz container of Ricotta cheese and about half a bag of shredded mozzarella. You can take the time to shred your own, but who honestly has the time? Stir until combined and melted. 

By now your pasta should be ready. I don't take the time to drain my pasta. If Giada doesn't, then I don't need to either! I use my trusty pasta strainer and add ladles of pasta at a time to the meat sauce. Toss until completely coated.

And then it's time to put it on a plate! I added shredded Parmesan cheese to the top. You can also add fresh basil, but I didn't have any. Mine had all dried up in the planter.... I guess you do need to tend to it from time to time. I also served it with hunks of French bread on the side. 

And there you have it! Lasagna Toss! It was so easy and it was all my own. And I loved playing around with ingredients and just making a dish with them. And it got thumbs up from my husband so I would say it was a success!

XO,
Andrea