Tag Archives: Apples

Steel cut oats with apples and cinnamon

23 Oct

Discovering new foods is one of my favourite things about blogging. I first read about steel cut oats a few months back on a blog I love and have wanted to try them ever since. Essentially, steel cut oats are unprocessed which means they keep more of their vitamins and minerals. The regular rolled oats we all know have been steamed and flattened so they cooks faster. Although I was intrigued, I put this food trial on the back burner because I was convinced I’d need to go out and hunt for the oats. Wasn’t I surprised when I stumbled upon them at Maxi Super C (oups! made a mistake, sorry guys) of all places. Yup, right there on the shelf, next to the regular Quaker oatmeal.

This ain't your grandma's oatmeal.

The next morning, as I took out the carton and started prepping, the BF looked skeptical. My previous attempt at “fancy” oatmeal had been somewhat of a catastrophe and I’m sure he had his doubts about this. But he loved it just as much as I did.

Steel cut oats have a completely different texture than regular oatmeal. They’ve got more bite. In fact, they’re almost chewy. The flavour is so much better too – a little nutty. It’s the perfect healthy, hearty breakfast to start your day off right. They take a while to cook (30 minutes), but it’s totally worth it. Plus, you can jazz them up with just about anything you like: maple syrup, raisins, nuts, bananas – name it.

In this version, I cooked the oats in milk for extra creaminess and added cinnamon, a shredded apple and a big dollop of apple butter that I had just made. It was so good, I ate the cold leftovers later in the morning and liked it just as much.

I’d give you a recipe, but this is one of those dishes that you can easily improvise. Just follow the instructions on the carton and add whatever fruit and spices float your boat 10 minutes before it is done. If you’re a little “Type A” and really need precise instructions, check out the recipe that inspired me on the blog Annie’s eats.

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Apple butter and canning

13 Oct

I had never even heard of apple butter before this, but as soon as I read the name I was hooked. APPLE BUTTER… Yum! It sounded rich, tangy, sweet and right up my alley. It’s all that and more with a nice hit of comforting spices, similar to those in apple pie. I discovered this recipe while searching for something original to make with apples, given they abound in market stalls right now. As a bonus, it includes simple instructions for canning, which allowed me to finally try my hand at the process.

Because I know you’re wondering by now (I sure was…), apple butter can be used in a variety of sweet and savory preparations. You can spread it on buttered toast, biscuits or muffins, add a spoonful in oatmeal, yogurt or on top of ice cream, and even use it for roasting pork or veggies. So far, I love it straight out of the jar!

Additional resources:
I ordered adorable mason jar labels from Mudandtwig on Etsy. I figure if I’m going to put so much effort into making something from scratch, I want the packaging to match. I can’t wait to get them!
Mason jars and lids aren’t so easy to find… After going to three different places, I finally found them at a Rona hardware store and thought I would share.
In case you’re a newbie at canning like me, Bernardin‘s website provides some pretty good info on the process.

Recipe
Adapted from 101 cookbooks
Yields about 6 cups

3.5 lbs of Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into pieces (any cooking apples will do)
1.5 litres of apple cider (can be replaced with apple juice)
1.5 cups of sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground spice mix for baking (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg)
¼ teaspoon additional ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Special equipment
Blender
Mason jars and lids (12 x 125 ml or 6 x 250 ml jars)
Candy thermometer (optional)
Spatter guard (optional)

If you want to keep things simple, you can forego canning and store the apple butter in the fridge. I think it would keep for about two weeks.

Preheat oven to 225 °F. Place jars (but not lids) on a baking sheet and heat for at least 10 minutes to sterilize. Wash lids in soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly with clean dish towel. Leave jars to cool in the oven while you make the apple butter.

In a big pot with a thick bottom, bring apples and cider to a simmer. Skim off the foam from the top – there will be a lot! Simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, until apples are soft. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes.

Puree the mix using a blender. Do this in batches, never filling the blender more than half way. Also place a cloth over the lid to protect your hands and arms from accidental splashes. Press down firmly on the lid while blending.

Using caution (it’s HOT), return the pureed apples to the pot and attach the candy thermometer to the side. Bring to a simmer/boil while stirring frequently. I found 210 °F to be just the right temperature to get bubbles going without boiling over. Keep a close watch on the pot as you adjust the temperature. You may also need to skim off the foam again – I sure did.

Once the mix is simmering, add the sugar, spices and lemon juice. Continue simmering for about 2 hours (yep, it’s long…), stirring very frequently to avoid sticking or burning. During the last half hour, the sauce will thicken a lot and the simmering will become more lava-like. I strongly recommend using a spatter guard if you have one. At the end, you should have a thick dark brown sauce that sets when you leave a small quantity to cool in a bowl. Remove from heat when ready.

In another big pot, put enough water to completely cover the mason jars and bring to a rapid boil. Fill the mason jars with apple butter, leaving some space at the top. Wipe rims with paper towels. Tightly screw on the dry lids. Using tongs, gently place a few jars in the pot of boiling water and boil for at least 10 minutes. Repeat in batches until all jars are done.

Voilà! You now have pretty little jars of goodness to give away as gifts or keep all to yourself.

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Muffins santé “Morning Glory”

27 May

Voici une autre de mes recettes favorites : des muffins goûteux remplis de bonnes choses. Ils sont parfaits pour le déjeuner ou  en snack sans culpabilité. Oui, c’est vrai… j’aime bien manger mais j’aime aussi entrer dans mes jeans. C’est pourquoi plusieurs des recettes qui font partie de mon quotidien sont plutôt ”light”, incluant celle-ci. J’ai toujours une “batch” de ces muffins au congélateur, à côté des pots de sauce à spaghetti et de potage. Tous de très bons dépanneurs pour le petit train train du quotidien.

Ma version allégée des classiques "Morning Glory".

Ces muffins sont une version allégée des typiques “Morning Glory” qui comprennent habituellement : noix de coco, pommes ou ananas, carottes, raisins secs et noix. En omettant les noix, en réduisant le sucre et en remplaçant les trois quarts de l’huile par de la compote de pommes, ils ne comptent qu’environ 200 calories chaque et conservent un super bon goût. Seul hic : il faut des moules en silicone… Sinon, bonne chance à essayer de les sortir d’un moule en métal, ou pire encore, à décoller le papier. Ça vaut définitivement l’investissement!

Ingrédients pour 12 muffins :
2 tasses de farine
1/2 tasse de sucre
2 c. à thé de bicarbonade de soude
2 c. à thé de canelle
1/4 c. à thé de sel
2 tasses de carottes râpées (environ 3 carottes)
1/2 tasse de raisins secs
1/2 tasse de noix de coco non sucrée (sucré ou non, c’est votre choix!)
1 pomme pelée et râpée
3 oeufs
1/4 de tasse d’huile végétale
3/4 de tasse de compote de pomme sans sucre (encore ici, c’est votre choix)
2 c. à thé de vanille

Préchauffer le four à 350 degrés F.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger la farine, le sucre, le bicarbonate de soude, la canelle et le sel. Incorporer les carottes, les raisins, la noix de coco et la pomme.

Dans un autre bol, mélanger les oeufs (les battre un peu à la fourchette), l’huile, la compote et la vanille. Ajouter le mélange d’oeufs à celui avec la farine. Mélanger seulement jusqu’à ce que le tout soit plus ou moins uniforme. Verser le mélange dans le moule.

Cuire au four de 25 à 3o minutes, ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dent inséré dans le milieu du muffin en ressorte propre.

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