Simple By Cindy

Custardy Apple Squares

Mar. 23
2016

I love the smell of apples cooking in the oven. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

This recipe captures the essence of that love. The entire house fills up with that wonderful aroma. It is warm and comforting; you know something special is on it’s way.

This recipe provides you with all the above.

You can taste the juiciness and sweetness of the apples. It is crisp and crunchy on the outside with the softness of the apple and custard on the inside.

It satisfies all my requirements; simple and fast. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, tasty home dessert that will leave your family and friends wanting more!

Make this one when you need to bring a dessert to a dinner.

Everyone will disappointed that you only bought one. Promise!

Ingredients for the Custardy Apple Squares

3 medium juicy sweet apples, such as Gala or Fuji, peeled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 tbsp. whole milk, at room temperature
2 tbsp. unsalted butter melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Center a rack in the oven .

Butter a 8-inch square baking pan

Slice the apples using a mandolin or a sharp knife.

If you are using a sharp knife, cut each of the four sides off the apple, discard the core.

Very carefully, with the cut side down, slice the apple into very thin 1/16 slices. This may take some time, but be consistent and precise. Do not cut them so thin that they will be transparent and fragile.

Preheat oven to 400.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together into a small bowl.

Using a hand mixer, electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk, beat the eggs , sugar and salt together for about 2-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the eggs are pale.

Add in the vanilla, milk and butter. Incorporate the flour into mixture slowly.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the apples into the batter. Keep turning them around until all the apple are coated with the batter.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top as evenly as you can. The batter will be bumpy; that’s its nature.

apple custard apple in bake befor baking

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and uniformly puffed- make sure the middle of the cake has risen and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Using a long, sharp chef’s knife, cut the cake into 8 squares in the pan.

Or flip it onto a plate and cut it into the squares.

Give the squares a dusting of confectioners’ sugar before serving.

It’s that simple!

Spicy Sesame Green Beans and Kale

Mar. 21
2016

The biggest question for me, when I am preparing a meal for my family or friends is always “what side dish should I make?

This question probably sounds familiar to you if you have ever developed a menu for a holiday or celebration. (Thanksgiving sound familiar?)

This blog, as it turns out, has so many wonderful side dishes for you to consider. I only post the ones that I tried and tested; and they are all exceptional!

This recipe is fantastic! The unusual mix of the green beans and kale is terrific. The combination of ginger and toasted sesame oil give it an asian flair. It whips up in no time at all. Everything about this recipe is simple, fast and delicious.

It would be equally as great for weeknight meal or any fancy dinner.

This recipe is courtesy of Giada De Laurentis “Happy Cooking” cookbook. It really has many fantastic, healthy recipes.

Go ahead and give this a try. You will love it too!

Today’s hint: Invest in at least one good knife. it will definitely make your work easier and more efficient!

Ingredients for the Spicy Green Beans and Kale

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
10 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 (I used four) garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch of kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (juice from 1/2 a lemon)
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

In a large heavy sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown, another 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, green beans and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Set your timer! You do not want to overcook the green beans.

Pour in the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the red pepper flakes and kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, 3-4 minutes.

Toss in the lemon juice and the sesame oil.

Toss to coat and serve immediately.

It’s that simple!

Cream Biscuits

Mar. 18
2016

So now that I am a connoisseur of making savory scones, I thought I would try to make biscuits.

I thought about all those Grandmas who would make them every Sunday morning and wondered why they did it.

Well it turns out that the prep time is minimal, the dough is super simple and it doesn’t take much time at all!

That’s why!

Again, it will seem like you worked a lot harder than you really did!

Give these a try. They were a huge “hit” for my family!

Ingredients for the Cream Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp. set aside
1 cup heavy cream, plus additional if required
1 egg, beaten

You will need a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. If you do not have one (as I did not) a round glass similar to that size will do just fine.

Preheat oven to 425.

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

Using a grater, grate the 6 tbsp. of butter into the the flour mixture.

Using your fingertips mix flour and butter mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add cream, stirring with a fork until just combined. If mixture is too dry, you can add more cream 1 tbsp. at a time until it is molded into a ball.

Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and gently knead it about 3 times until it forms a dough.

Pat or roll dough until it is an 8 1/2 round, and about 1/2 inch thick.

Using the round cutter or glass, cut out biscuits dipping the round cutter in flour after each use.

Arrange about 1 inch apart on baking sheet.

Gather and pat out scraps 1 or 2 more times and cut out more biscuits.

Brush the tops of each biscuit with beaten egg.

Bake until biscuits are pale golden brown and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

It’s that simple!

Trout with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Mar. 16
2016

After a weekend of nonstop eating, I really wanted to make something light. The ingredients for this fish recipe are always somewhere in my kitchen.

This recipe is courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis. She is a dependable resource for fast, simple weeknight dinners. She used sole for this recipe, but the supermarket did not have it, so I decided to try trout instead. It turned out fantastic!

The wonderful combination of capers, lemon, oregano and parsley give this dish a warm, comforting flavor. You can use any white fish for this recipe, such as sole, scallops or swordfish. It it also delicious on chicken!

This dish is easy and cooks very quickly, making it a must for any weeknight meal.

If you are wondering what to cook for dinner tonight, stop at your supermarket and buy any white fish of your choice. This sauce is so tender, delicate and easy, that I know it will be a go to whenever you are in a pinch for time!

You must give this a try! I assure you it will be worth it!

Ingredients for the Trout

4 trout fillets (or any white fish of your choice)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp.olive oil.
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup of capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice ( from 1-2 lemons)
1/2 cup low- sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves

Using paper towels, pat the fillets very dry. Season with the salt.

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Dredge the fillets in flour on both sides. Shake off excess and add fish to the pan.

Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on the first side or until they start to brown around the edges.

Using a wide spatula, flip the fillets gently and cook on the other side for 30 seconds.

Remove the fillets to a plate, adding the rest of the fillets to the pan. (you may need to add more olive oil and butter).

Add the garlic and capers to the pan and stir over medium heat for about 15 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and stir, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly.

Finish the sauce by stirring in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the parsley and oregano.

Spoon over the fish and serve.

Happy Eating!

It’s that simple!

Couscous with Chickpeas and Almonds

Mar. 14
2016

I am a big couscous fan. It is a fast, easy, healthy alternative to pasta and is just as satisfying.

There are several noteworthy facts about couscous. Firstly, it is made from two different sizes of the husked, unground semolina of hard wheat. Its taste is nuttier and sweeter than rice. In addition, it incorporates the flavor of any food that is cooked with it.

Because it is very small it cooks much faster than pasta. And finally, you can throw it into a cold salad with parsley, mint, tomatoes and olive oil, which will give the salad extra depth and texture.

This recipe piqued my interest because it has a little bit of a mediterranean flare. I am always looking for a good couscous recipe. This one made my list, and is courtesy of Finecooking.com.

I found this recipe to be simply delicious!

Ingredients for the Couscous

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper (about 10 oz.), cut into 1/4 inch dice
10 oz can (1 2/3 cups) couscous
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus 1/2 tsp. set aside
1/2 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
3-4 drops Tabasco or other hot sauce

Pre-heat oven to 325.

On a baking sheet, toast the almonds until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

In a small sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and sauté the red pepper until slightly soft, 3-4 minutes.

In a medium pan, bring 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of salt and the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil.

Pour in the couscous, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 5-7 minutes.

Add the red pepper, almonds, chickpeas and Tabasco to the couscous and fluff it with a fork.

Season with remaining salt and pepper.

It’s that simple!