Mediterranean Brown Rice Vegetable Bake

From Cooking Light

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chopped fennel
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups Mahatma Brown Rice, cooked
1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onions, garlic, and fennel; saute 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Set aside and cool completely.

2 In a large mixing bowl, mix together ricotta cheese and eggs. Add cooled, cooked vegetalbe mixture and the remaining ingredients, including Mahatma Brown Rice. Mix well.

3 Lightly coat a 1.5 quart oven proof baking dish with oil. Place mixture in dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

Fall = Apple Pie

I went apple picking with a few friends yesterday and concluded the day with a dinner party complete with homemade apple pie. Being the first pie I have made, I was nervous, but it turned out fantastic (...if we ignore the fact that juice oozed out while it was cooking, filling the house with smoke...).

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

Pastry for 2 crusts (recipe below)

8 cups sliced, peeled assorted baking apples - about 3 lbs.  (Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonathan)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg

0.5 teaspoon allspice

2 Tablespoons butter 

1 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon milk

Directions:

1 In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice.

2 Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and toss well to coat.

3 Fill pastry lined 9 inch pie pan with apple mixture. Dot with butter.

4 Place second crust on top of pie filling, cut slits in top of crust to vent. Seal the edges of the crust with a fork or by hand.

5 In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and milk. Brush mixture over top crust.

6 Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.

7 Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough 
From SmittenKitchen


Makes enough dough for one double-, or two single-crust pies.

2.5 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold


Gather your ingredients: Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Dice two sticks (8 ounces or 1 cup) of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces.


Make your mix: Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with the pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. When all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas, stop. Yes, even if it looks uneven.


Glue it together: Start by drizzling 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes, if there are any left!) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there. Gather the disparate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.



Pack it up: Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. I like to use the sides to pull in the dough and shape it into a disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.


Do ahead: Dough will keep in the fridge for about a week and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.

Spicy Three Bean Chili

This is a perfect fall dinner that will last for days and requires very little effort. Next time I'm going to try adding corn for some extra color and flavor.

Spicy Three Bean Chili
From my mom.


Ingredients
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 (15.5-oz.) can great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 (15.5-oz can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 (10-oz.) can Mild Enchilada Sauce
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
3-4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 In a 3.5 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Mix well.

2 Cover; cook on Low for 9-10 hours.

3 Serve topped with shredded cheese and a warm corn muffin.