Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

I made this Bundt cake in Fall of 2023. Our apple tree produced in abundance so I was able to make several different recipes with the bounty from my own tree. Our apples have a unique taste. In 2016, the summer after we got the house, we planted a Fuji Apple tree. What didn't occur to me was that across the lawn the previous owner had planted a Mock Crabapple Tree. Thanks to the bees, our Fuji apples are a little bit smaller and have a very slight tartness to them. It's actually a very pleasant taste.

This Bundt cake is smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze and so moist and delicious!

Fresh from the oven and this cake looked so perfect that I almost decided not to put the glaze on top.

Just look at that glaze! It was so beautifully perfect.

The kitchen smelled so good!

Look at how beautiful this cake was. I know I keep saying the word "beautiful" but I seriously, just look at it.

Apple Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

• 3 c All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1-1/4 c Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 c Plain Yogurt
• 1-1/4 c Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 3 large Eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
• 1 c Walnuts, chopped
• 3 c Apples, 2-3 large, peeled and chopped

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1 c Dark Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/4 c Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 c Heavy Cream
• 1/2 c Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 
2. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until combined and creamy.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly whisk until no large lumps remain. Try to avoid over-mixing.
6. Carefully fold in the walnuts and apple chunks.
7. Spoon/pour the thick batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
8. Bake for 55–75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Keep your eye on the cake after 55 minutes. Feel free to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack, then invert onto a serving plate once cooled and ready to serve.

1. Make the glaze:

As the cake cools, prepare the brown sugar glaze. 

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until the butter has melted, and then stop stirring and let the mixture come to a rapid boil.
3. Boil for 1 minute.
4. Turn the heat down to low, give it a quick stir, and let simmer for 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar.
6. Allow glaze to cool and slightly thicken for at least 10 minutes.
7. Spoon glaze over the cake right before serving. (Cake can still be warm when glazing.)
8. If your glaze thickened up too much as it cooled, warm in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.

1.  Enjoy!

               Ingrid

Pico de Gallo

It's amazing how easy Pico is to make. This recipe was a family favourite but I haven't made it in a while. If you have tortilla chips lovers, like I do, you may want to double this recipe. 

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

• 1 med Tomato, diced
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 sprigs Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 Scallion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno (to taste,) cilantro and scallion.
2. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Stir until evenly distributed.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Mom's Chicken and Dumplings

I posted my Mom's Chicken and Dumplings recipe a while ago and realized I had missed a couple of crucial ingredients in my transcription. I removed that one and am sharing the revised version. It's so much better with this correct version. I do apologize for that but I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.

Mom's Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 lbs Bone-in Chicken Breasts

10 Cups Water

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

2 Carrots, chopped

2 stalks Celery, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, or 1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 medium Onion, diced

1 Bay Leaf

2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in a large Dutch oven (I use an 8-quart). 
2. Pour water into the pot and add the first teaspoon of salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high until the meat can easily separate from the bone (about an hour). 
3. Remove the chicken from the pot, and allow it to cool. 
4. While the chicken cools, chop the vegetables and add them to the broth. 
5. Add the bay leaf, Oregano, salt, and pepper to the broth. 
6. Cook on medium-high until the vegetables are tender. 
7. As the vegetables cook separate the chicken from the bone.
8. Shred and add to the broth/vegetable mix. 
9. Warm the chicken for about 15 minutes before adding the dumpling batter.

For the Dumplings:

2 cups of Bisquick Baking Mix

3/4 cup Milk 

(You may substitute homemade, but this is my Mom's recipe so it's comfort food to me.)

1. In a bowl mix until well blended. 
2. Drop by tablespoons into broth. 
3. Turn down temperature to a strong simmer (3 on the average electric stove).
4. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
5. Cover and cook 10 more minutes until dumplings are cooked. You can test this by using a spoon to scrape the top layer of the dumpling. The inside should not be moist.
6. Spoon into bowls and enjoy.

Serves 8. 

     Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Penne with Spinach and Tomatoes

This recipe came about because of the combination of my son's lovely girlfriend being a vegetarian and joining BJs. Because of our membership at BJs we have an abundance of pasta, chiefly penne. This caused me to have to be creative with penne recipes. This recipe for penne with spinach and tomatoes is actually super easy but is often requested by my family. 

Penne with Spinach and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

12 oz Penne

2 c Fresh Spinach (packed)

1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes (or 2 Fresh Tomatoes, diced)

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/4 c Parmesan, grated

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Stir in the diced tomatoes (do not drain the juice) and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing them to simmer and reduce slightly.

4. Toss in the fresh spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted.

5. Add the cooked penne to the skillet and toss everything together to coat the pasta in the sauce. 

6. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to heat through.

7. Remove from heat

8. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Mom's Tuna Over Rice

I grew up on Tuna Over Rice. This was my Mom's every-other Wednesday night special. I have a theory on how it came to be a bi-weekly dish. My Mom grew up during the Great Depression. Canned tuna had already been around for a few decades by then (1904), and Campbell's created Cream of Mushroom in 1934. In 1950 my parents married and for a few years money was tight while Dad finished his military carrier. As the years went by their children began marrying and moving out while my folks financial situation went to upper middle class. I feel like Mom kept cooking that dish because of it's simplicity and because it darn tasty. 

As mentioned before in this blog my Mom never let us near the kitchen while she cooked so we had to figure out her recipes after she passed. I never attempted to try this recipe because I was never given the opportunity. I tried once but my then-husband kept asking for tweaks as I cooked and it turned into Tuna Noodle Casserole. The other day my oldest decided that he was interested in trying it. I had been lucky enough to have talked to Mom about this recipe before she was gone and knew it was only three ingredients. Out of curiosity I did look up variations but they seemed like cooks were trying too hard. The recipe is perfect on its own. Maybe you could add some garlic. It doesn't need it but my family believes "when in doubt add more garlic."

So here it is, at long last, my Mom's Tuna Over Rice.

Mom's Tuna Over Rice

Ingredients:

2 Cups Uncooked Rice

4 Cups Water (technically this is a fourth ingredient but I don't think it counts)

2 Cans Cream of Mushroom

2 Cans Tuna, drained (of course the liquid goes to the cats, that's the rule)

Directions:

1. Combine rice and water in a rice cooker (or however you prefer to cook it). Cook until done.
2. Mix cream of mushroom and tuna in a bowl.
3. Plate the rice and pour the tuna mixture over the top. 
4. Serve with side of choice.

Makes 5 servings.

 Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Pan-Fried Venison Roast

I love venison. Despite passing the hunter safety course many years ago I will not kill a deer. Like I told my then-husband and his brother "If I shot a deer you would find me draped over it, sobbing." This does not stop me from eating this delicious meat. A few weeks ago that husband had a health scare and sent all of his venison home with our youngest. This is not the first time he's sent us home with a large amount of venison. To him I send a gracious - Thank you so much! (Take care of yourself. The kids need you.)

I know people like to bar-be-que venison but I am one of those who would rather contain all of that precious juice, so I use a cast iron skillet. On the stove or over the grill, it doesn't matter as long as the juice doesn't get wasted. 

Pan-Friend Venison Roast

Ingredients:

Okay. This is where I am not going to be very helpful. I didn't measure the seasonings. Just use your own tastebuds to figure out how much you need.

3 lbs Venison Roast

Montreal Steak Seasoning (I love this stuff!)

Garlic Powder

3 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs Butter

2 Cloves Garlic, smashed

Directions:

1. Season the meat generously and refrigerate in a Ziploc bag over night.
2. Remove the venison from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking so it can come to room temp and cook more evenly. Pat dry.
3. Heat the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. You can also do this on your grill.
4. Add olive oil to skillet. When it's hot add the meat to the skillet.
5. When you have a nice sear on one side (anywhere from 2-5 minutes) flip the meat. Then, add butter and garlic cloves. Tilt the pan to the side and baste the meat by spooning the butter and aromatics over the chops.
6. Once the internal temperature reaches about 115-125F, remove the meat from the pan. Personally, I'm partial to rare, but do not cook venison over medium-rare (trust me on this one).
7. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

  

        Enjoy!

            Ingrid