Half Assed Kitchen

Apple turnovers

 

We were pretty pleased with our first attempt at apple turnovers. But then, it's hard to go wrong with puffy pastry. For the filling, we used classic apple pie mixins from Simply Recipes' Old Fashioned Apple Pie. Let us tell you, we could hardly stop eating the apples drenched in cinnamon, sugar, brandy, and vanilla long enough to scoop them into their shells.

The only thing that is less than terrific about this recipe is the apple peeling. We'll admit though (grudgingly) that the peeling is worth the results.

Rating: 3/4 assed (1/4 assed if you can find a sucker to peel and chop the apples for you)

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 boxes puff pastry (found in the freezer section at your grocery store)

2/3 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4-5 large apples (we like a mixture of tart and sweet: granny smith, braeburn, gala, fiji, etc.), peeled, cored, and chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons brandy (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except puff pastry. Lay puff pastry sheets flat and cut into quarters. Fill each square with apple mixture. Crimp edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry puffs and turns golden.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Chicken and spinach casserole

We have a confession to make. We haven't been bowled over by the Martha Stewart recipes we've tried from Everyday Food. More often than not, they haven't turned out well (pretzel-popcorn bars grainy with too much sugar, anyone?).

But earlier this week we hit upon a winner. Chicken and spinach casserole. It was written the way Everyday Food sometimes writes recipes, with the ingredients embedded in paragraph form. This makes it hard to glance at as you're frantically trying to whip up dinner.

So we've listed the ingredients for you. And added cheese. Those are pretty much our only variations, though. It's comforting and rich as is. Our kids even gobbled it up.

This is a smallish casserole, so double it if you're serving more than three adults or two adults and two children.

Rating: 3/4 assed (it almost made 1/2 assed, but had a few separate steps that were not hard, but mucked up the simplicity factor we consider when rating recipes).

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 cups french or sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt

Pepper

4 cups packed baby spinach

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup white wine

2 Tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, combine torn bread, 1 Tablespoon olive oil and some salt. Set aside.

In a medium pot, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add spinach and a little salt. Cook until wilted. Let cool and squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside.

Wipe pot clean and heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook until both are soft, about 8 minutes.

Add white wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated. Add flour and stir until incorporated into olive oil and wine. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in spinach and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 2-quart baking dish and top with parmesan and bread pieces. Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Zucchini Bread

Mmmm. Zucchini bread. We're not really sure what else to say about it. It's simple. It's yummy. We can pretend it's healthy because of all the zucchini.

This recipe makes a nice, moist loaf. (Except that we're not at all sure the words moist and loaf should ever be used in the same sentence).

Rating: 3/4 assed (Grating, blerg!)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups zucchini, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix sugars, applesauce and canola oil. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Once all is mixed, fold in zucchini.

Pour into two lightly greased loaf pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in center of loaves comes out clean.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Chicken saltimbocca

We always think of chicken saltimbocca as fancy and difficult. But it doesn't have to be. Just last night we threw together five quick stuffed chicken breasts and the results were outstanding. And the process? Simple. It's basically chicken, a thinly sliced, cured (or not-cured) meat like ham, prosciutto, or salami in a pinch, spinach, and parmesan. Pan fry in olive oil, then add broth, white wine, and lemon juice. Reduce and serve.

You can do that!

Rating: Truly 1/2 assed

Here's what you need and how you do it

4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (For the love of Dog, buy the breasts that are already sliced thin. Otherwise, place the breasts in a Ziploc and pound with a mallet until fairly flat.)

1 cup fresh, baby spinach

olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Several slices ham, prosciutto, or salami

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Toothpicks

In a medium-sized bowl, mix spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Lay thinly sliced or flattened chicken on a cutting board. Over each breast, place one or two slices of ham, prosciutto, or salami. On top of that, place a couple spinach leaves. Sprinkle with parmesan. Roll each breast like a jellyroll and secure with toothpick(s).

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken rolls and cook until outside is browned. Add broth, wine, and lemon juice. Scrape cooked bits of chicken from pan and bring to a simmer. Let it go until chicken is cooked through and broth is somewhat reduced.

Serve with a few spoonfuls of broth spooned over the top of chicken saltimbocca.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Asian noodle salad

We'll come right out and say it: This is an Emeril recipe. With very little tinkering from us. But it's a great one. We've taken it to potlucks, barbeques, and parties and it gets raves. Our favorite part? It's not your run-of-the-mill pasta salad or potato salad. It's simple and Asiany and fabulous.

Rating: Truly 1/2 assed

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1 pound soba noodles, cooked until tender (if you can't find Soba, go for whole wheat spaghetti)

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/2 cup bean sprouts (don't skip, these add a nice crunch)

1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced (buy pre-cut matchstick carrots if you can find them)

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

1 cup cashews, lightly crushed (you can substitute almonds, too)

3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil. To the noodles, add green onions, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, cashews, sesame seeds and soy sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.