Caramel Apple Pie

Yum!!! This is an easy to follow recipe and will reep great rewards!

Ingredients:

2 Pie Crusts-refridgerated pie crust dough makes it easy, if you make your own, way to go!!

Apple Filling:
6 granny smith apples-peeled, cored and chopped 1/4" thick
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cream, room temp
1/4 cup butter, room temp

Appliances:
Dutch Oven-for apples
Large scale sauce pan-deep and wide
Pie Dish

Directions:
Apple Filling:
1) Put dutch oven over med-high heat. Once warmed throughout, add in cut apples, stirring for about 1 minute, make sure not to burn, but to warm the apples, you'll begin to smell them-delicous! Add in butter, incorporate all apples with butter, sauteing, lower heat. Continue stirring, apples to become soft. After 3-4 minutes, add in dry ingredients, and if needed a bit more butter-it never hurts! Bring pot back to med-high heat until sauce is near bubbling, then reduce heat to low, cover, stir occasionally, should not be near burning temp.

Carmel:

*Special Note*-Proced with caution, always, when working with any candied topping. Make sure no babies or puppies nearby.

1) Pour sugar into pan, swirling around to evenly distribute. Heat on medium until sugar melts and caramelizes. Sugar will turn a reddish-brown color when ready. Do not stir or disturb. If sugar needs to be redistributed, gently swirl pan.

2) Stir butter and cream, being careful to avoid splashes-I added cream first, with pan off heat, will sizzle. Caramel will be extremely hot! Then add butter, off heat still to avoid major splashing onto yourself and onto stovetop. Continue stirring until butter and cream are fully incorporated.

3) Let simmer on medium heat for one minute. Remove from heat.

Prepare pie crust dough:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Dough should be at room temperature. Add first pie crust to bottom of pie dish, pressing into dish and against sides. Make three long slits into other pie crust, this is your vent for the top. Set aside.

Adding pie filling and caramel sauce to pie crust dough.
1) Take applie filling off of heat, uncover, and stir one last time.

2) Pour/ladle half of apple filling into pie dish. Pour caramel evenly over the apple filling, then add the remaining applie filling mixture.

3) Cover with remaining pie crust, folding top into dish to create a seal with the other crust. I'm not creative with crimping yet, but both crusts should meet, no curst hanging over edge of dish. Push dough against pie dish, then taking a fork, press fork into dough, all along the edge of dish. If this doesn't make sense, look up crimping pie dough on youtube to get demonstration. Once you have done this, you have it down pat!

4) Place pie dish in center of oven rack, bake 30-40 minutes, pie should be golden, filing bubbling. Set on pie rack for 2-3 hours, cover with lose dish towel.

5) Servie it up! If you want it warmed, place back in oven on warm setting.

If you wish to omit caramel, then omit the caramel recipe, everything else should follow suit.

Bon appetit!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I believe some old fashion recipes are important to have in a cooking repertoire. Chicken noodle soup is one of them, because it is not just tasty, but nutritious, healthy, and helps soothe whatever is ailing anyone, with all the vitamins from the veggies and the protein from the chicken. I know that this recipe will carry me many years to make for my family, whether for sick little ones, to warm the tummy, or as a to be cherished comfort food. Prep is simple, crockpot does majority of the work, ingredients simple.

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer chicken
2 cartons Kitchen Basics Chicken Broth
4 large celery stalk sticks-3 chopped, one cut in half
3 large carrots-2 chopped, one cut in half
2 yellow onions-1 quartered, one chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 package whole wheat flat noodles (or whatever type of noodle you prefer)
Seasonings: salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, mustard seed, thyme (have all on hand and add to taste, gonna need to season this generously, but to your standards and desires, I love flavor, so I was very generous-especially salt and pepper!)

Appliances:
1 large oval crockpot, large enough to hold chicken and the broth
1 Large skillet

Directions:
1. Let's start with the mirepoix (pronounced meer-pwa). Put the skillet on med-high heat, add in olive oil. When you feel the warmth on your hand hovering over the skillet, add in the chopped onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery and minced garlic. Distribute the mirepoix to incorporate the oil, and continue to saute, lowering heat if needed-no browning. All veggies should become soft and translucent. Might take 15 mins to get desired consistency.

2. Turn on crockpot to high.

3. Next, combine 1 Tbsp. each of the seasonings to make a dry rub, and rub this onto entire whole chicken-wash your hands afterwards!! Place quartered onion, carrot cut in half and celery stalk stick cut in half, and insert into the empty chicken cavity, legs should be tied-I found the chicken at Fresh & Easy, already ready to use, no yucky cleaning out cavity, and already tied perfectly. Place chicken into crockpot, add in the broth. Add generous salt and pepper to the broth, and let this all sit for 3-4 hours, turning chicken over once or twice-broth might not cover chicken, and that is ok, but turning it to coat it is key to tenderness and flavor.

4. After 4th hour, remove chicken from pot, remove onion/celery/carrot from cavity and disgard. Remove string. Chicken should be fal off the bone tender. Begin pulling meat from bones, disgarding fat if desired as well, using tongs and fork. Once meat off all bones, using two forks, shred meat into strands, leaving some whole pieces if desired. Once shredded, add back to crock pot, taste broth for savor level, and reduce heat to low for 2-3 hours.

5. Finally, add in noodles in last 1/2 hour, remember to taste broth again to see if salt/pepper needed, prior to noodles and after. If too salty, add in some water.

6. Remove from heat, let stand for 15 minutes off of heat, in a soup terene for example then serve. This is so delicious, and will receive praise and cheers.

I will attempt to make leftovers into various international soups, such as adding Asian ingredients for a "pho". Once you have this base, you can morph left overs into your desires.

Bon appetit!!