Blue-Ribbon Apple Pie

It's apple pie season! Normally I make them with Granny Smith apples, lots of butter and lemon juice-- the traditional apple pie. This recipe intrigued me because of the cinnamon/sugar crust! It was really good-- and still very tart! ( I still used lemon juice). The apples for this pie came straight from Fishkill Orchards in NY!

Golden bubbly crust...

2/3 C. Sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Package Refrigerated Pie Dough
6 C. Apple Slices (I used Rome, Red Delicious and Macintosh)
1/2 Lemon
1 Egg, Beaten
1 Tbsp. Water

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside 1 Tbsp. for crust dusting. Add flour and salt to the bowl of sugar/cinnamon and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, squeeze lemon over the apple slices.

Don't skimp on the sugar, shuga!

In a lightly greased pie pan, press down first pie crust and trim edges. Sprinkle about 2 tbsps. of the flour mixture on the bottom. Add 1/3 of the apples and cover with 1/3 of the flour mixture; repeat twice. Place the other pie crust over the apples, press into the lower crust and flute the edges. Cut slits into the top crust.

Mix the egg and water and brush over the crust. Sprinkle with the original sugar/cinnamon that was set aside.

Bake for 30 minutes and golden brown.

This was a really yummy pie and paired perfectly with vanilla ice cream...blue ribbon for sure!
enjoy,
e

Baked Crispy Dijon Chicken

This chicken tastes good but the best part is the endless ways you can use this recipe to make different types of chicken!   So try it this first time, and then look at my different ways to spice it up!

A crispy crust that makes you think it was fried!

4 Chicken Breasts, lightly pounded
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 C. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Milk (I used 2%)
1/4 C. Panko Breadcrumbs
1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450. In a 9x13 pan, melt butter in oven.
Get two bowls. In bowl one, mix the milk and mustard. In bowl two, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese and some grinds of pepper.
Remove the pan from oven. In a 4-part process, dip chicken in milk mixture thoroughly, then coat with bread crumbs, place in buttered pan and then flip so both sides become buttered. Cook for about 40 minutes. It will be crispy and juicy!

A couple fun ideas:

#1 Italian: Dip in milk (no Dijon) and coat with a batter of panko, Italian seasoning and parmesan. Serve with marinara sauce over pasta (a more crispy Chicken Parmesan).

#2 Southern style: Add honey to the milk/Dijon mixture and coat with panko (and a little cayenne!) only. Serve with biscuits.

#3 Buffalo: Add a couple tablespoons of Franks Buffalo Sauce to the melted butter, and the milk and panko can stand alone. Do this with chicken tenders and serve with ranch.

A simple recipe and easy to make your own! I served the original over sautéed kale with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
enjoy, e

Garlicky Shrimp and Asparagus Orzo

Who wants dinner in 30 minutes? This is definitely a delectable dish that doesn't take a lot of time! Rich and delicious, but light enough to fool you into seconds! A more sophisticated shrimp scampi...and with the added benefit of green!

hmm...just wanna dive in!

1 lb. Raw Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Shallot, Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1/2 Bunch Asparagus, Cut into thirds
1/4 C. Sherry
A Couple Sprigs Fresh Thyme, chopped
1/4 Lemon
Sea Salt
Fresh Pepper
1 Cup Orzo, uncooked
Water to boil
Parmesan Cheese, optional

In a medium saucepan, boil salted water and add orzo. Cook 9 minutes, drain and set aside.
In a large pan, melt butter over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the asparagus and shrimp. Cook for about 4 minutes, constantly stirring until the shrimp is light pink. Add the sherry and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the orzo and stir. Squeeze the fresh lemon over all of it and stir.
Serve with a freshly grated parmesan.

This is super easy and can be served over pasta (think linguini), quinoa or rice. Serve with chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and crusty bread...definitely a dinner party dish!
Enjoy, e