Apple Butter Braised Short Ribs

If you all haven't noticed my love for apples is a little extreme. It's my favorite fruit, I mean it only doubles that it is so versatile when being used to bake, cook or just eat in general. My favorite dishes are savory dishes that apples tend to compliment - pork chops baked with apples, sweet potato gnocchi with chicken, bacon, apples and a brown butter sauce. I could go on and on, but apples are forever my go to if I want to add a little sweet to my dish. 

I made apple butter and boy, was it good. I've been craving the goodness of southern cooking lately and it brought me back to home. Though, when you make apple butter in the slow cooker, you tend to end up with many, many batches of it. Not complaining but as I didn't make it thinking of canning, I had to use it within 2 weeks. Lets just say the other posts that are about to show up, all pretty much use apple butter. Apple butter got my creative kitchen juices flowing, so this is how this delicious, mouth-watering, fall off the bone dish made its way into my kitchen.  

These braised short ribs got two thumbs up from my husband as he stuffed his mouth and told me how good they were, oh - and that we must have them again. Braised short ribs are so easy to make your own sauce, and just go, but when you come back, you come back to the best, easy meal.

Ingredients:

makes 4-6 servings

Braised Ribs:

salt & pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

Apple butter (best to make ahead in advance in crockpot or use store bought):

adapted from brown eyed baker.

3-6lbs apples (a mixture of fuji, gala, and pink lady is what I used)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

a pinch of cardamom & ginger

Additional needs:

apple cider or apple juice

2 cloves garlic, chopped

sweet onion

water

I highly recommend that if you don't have a cast iron, that you get one. If you don't have one, you can use a normal pan.

First, place crockpot on low heat. Then, get a large pan and cover the bottom with just enough olive oil. Now, take your braised ribs and season them with salt and pepper to your taste. once the oil is heated sear all sides about 1-2 minutes. You're not trying to cook these, just seal the juices in. Now that all sides are seared, place into crockpot.

Take a medium size bowl and combine apple butter, and just enough apple cider or juice and very little water. You don't want the mixture to be watery, but you don't want it as too thick either. I recommend using apple cider if you can find it, as it will give your ribs an even stronger flavor but if you don't have any, apple juice will do just fine. Add chopped garlic, and your desired amount of sweet onion to the apple butter mixture.

Top the braised short ribs with the mixture, making sure they all are nicely covered with the sauce and let cook for 6-8 hours. Some may fall off the bone, but that is perfectly okay. 

If you want, take the sauce after placing the braised ribs on a cutting board to cool, strain the sauce over a pot on medium high heat and boil for about 5-10 minutes or until sauce is thick and drizzle over your meat before serving. Sweet potato mash goes great with this meal. White or brown rice with veggies would as well. 

Tell me what you paired these delicious ribs with! 

3 Enticing Creme Brûlées

These creme brûlées were outstanding. I can't even accurately explain how delicious these were. Please be patient as I finish writing out the recipe for these 3. First: S'mores, Second: Blackberry White Chocolate, Third: Caramel Apple.

My husband is now begging for me to make more. A special one, just for him. Spiced Pumpkin is on his mind apparently. It's heading into the direction of Fall, so I'm trying to stick to the theme of that for a while, it's my favorite time of the year anyhow. All this baking is making me think of Halloween party food ideas; ignore that, there will be a post about that closer to October. Let's get started in what you'll need.

Caramel Apple - Ingredients:

• 2 Fuji Apples, sliced thinly, if possible.
• My go to recipe for homemade caramel here or buy caramel from the store. Add very little or it will be watery! Just a light drizzle will go far.
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 teapsoon Vanilla Extract or use Vanilla Bean.  
• (If you use Vanilla bean, you will need to cook it in your heavy creamer longer, let it sit and then strain the pieces out. It will give it a far better burst of flavor though. Just a thought, if you can find it.)

NEEDS:

• Pastry Torch or an oven with a Broiler.
• Ramkeins
• Strainer (this is optional, I just strained it before adding to the ramekins for a smoother finish)

This makes about 4-6 servings. I did not make that many but you can save the rest in the refrigerator for up to 2 days at least. Though, making them immediately is what I'd advise.

Preheat the oven to 325° 

In a pot, you'll need to bring water to a boil. Keep it boiling.

Place the sliced apples (wrap in paper towel until fully dry) then add them to the bottom of the ramekin, drizzle with caramel and set aside. In a sauce pan, combine the sugar and brown sugar, along with the cinnamon; stir in the heavy cream. Stir constantly. You will bring this to a boil. Once it boils, you'll need to remove it from the heat, add a bit of it to the egg yolks, slowly or you will end up cooking the eggs. After adding a small amount to the eggs, pour the eggs into the sauce pan, place back on the stove, stir while adding the vanilla or vanilla bean.

Pour into the ramekins that have the apples in them.  Put ramekins into a slightly deep pan and place in oven; pour boiling water into pan, about half way up the ramekin. Make sure to not fill it too high. Let it cook in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The creme brûlée will still be jiggly but should be holding together. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes - then after cooling, lightly wrap in foil and  place in the refrigerator. Let cool for 3 hours or overnight. (I let them cool overnight) Done? Take out, place sugar on top and use your pastry torch to brûlée the top. DO NOT TOUCH, it will be hot. Let it cool, and try not to burn it, as a burnt sugar isn't all that tasty. If made in the oven broil until sugar is a light toasted brown.


Blueberry White Chocolate - Ingredients:

• Fresh Blackberries - you can use frozen but I wouldn't recommend it.
• 4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Spice
• White Chocolate Chips

NEEDS:

• Pastry Torch or Broiler
• Strainer (optional, only for a smoother finish)
• Ramekins  

Boil a pot of water, and keep it boiled until the end.


Preheat oven on 325°

Wash blackberries and wrap them inside a paper towel until dry. Make sure they're dry or if will cause the creme to split and not hold together. You do not want this or the watery taste it will have. Once dry, place them in the bottom of the ramekin along with your desired amount of white chocolate chips. Set aside.

Bring the cream and vanilla extract to a boil; stir constantly. Now, add the cardamom and remove from heat. Mix up the egg yolks with the 1/2 cup sugar, whisk until slightly pale; add a little bit of the cream at a time, not too much or you will end up cooking the egg. Add everything back to pot, strain and add to ramekins, place in a slightly deep pan - add the boiling water half way up the ramekins. Cook for 25-30 minutes, creme will be a bit jiggly. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes, once cool lightly wrap in foil and place in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Add sugar, torch with pastry torch or broiler. Let sugar topping cool, and enjoy!

Makes about 4-6 servings. Great for a party!


S'mores: I got my recipe and inspiration from her for this one. I did NOT add as much chocolate and tweaked a few things but mine ended up tasting a bit more like a s'mores brownie. It was still delicious and I changed quite a few things but her recipe is still amazing and worth a look at S'mores Creme Brûlée.

FOR Passion Fruit Creme Brulee:
I made this but I did not ensure it was fully dry and the creme did not settle and broke apart. Do everything the same as the blackberry, except the cardamon. Though, you can add whatever spice you'd like to kick it up a notch. Just make sure to wrap in paper towel to ensure it is full dry, and has no excess water. Cut into thin slices, place at bottom of ramekin, follow everything else, and enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes + Fruit Syrup

I've never made poppy seed anything before so this was a trial and error attempt in itself. I was planning on making lemon poppy seed donuts, or a lemon poppy seed yogurt tart, but I said 'You know what?' What if I put these into pancakes?! I talked it over with my husband, who tends to never object to anything I have the urge to make. So that, was that, it was game on once morning arrived.

These came out fluffy, not too sweet and definitely not tangy either. It was delicious and I have left over batter to make these again tomorrow morning along with some cheddar, bacon scones. If you don't have a zester, you can use a cheese grater. Not exactly the same but you got to use what you got.

*I tend to make everything from scratch, feel free to use pancake mix if you'd like. You'd have to adjust the recipe of course. It should still turn out the same.

Ingredients - Fruit syrup recipe below:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour   
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Lemon Zest
• 1 & 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Exstract
• 3 tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons Poppy Seeds

Fruit Syrup:

• Blackberries or blueberries
• Pinch of Cardamom Spice
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water

In a bowl, combine the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together. Now, zest the lemon making sure you do not zest the white of the lemon, just the yellow or it will be bitter. Once you have your desired amount of lemon zest, as there is no wrong and no right (I used two whole lemons), add the sugar to it. Mixing well, it will almost make a paste. Add lemon zest/sugar mixture to the dry mix and set aside.

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make it yourself. I always do, there truly isn't much of a difference. Take the milk, add it into a bowl, add the lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes, stirring as you go, slowly add the vanilla. Sometimes it will curdle, this is time. Add to dry mixture, it will be a little thick, do not worry. Add the melted butter you set to the side, and finally add the poppy seeds. Make sure it is all well mixed together. Place on a hot skillet or griddle pan and cook until bubbles form, then flip. I like my pancakes a lighter color so I flip them early, but cook as desired. 

I added a pinch of fresh lemon juice to my pancakes after buttering them, and then added fresh black berries on top with a hint of honey. It was so delicious, my husband finished all 4 pancakes and wanted more! Serve with your favorite fruit OR make a fruit syrup. For the fruit syrup, put berries, water, and sugar into a pan on medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Once it dissolves, bring the heat down a bit and let cook for 20-30 mins or until fruit is soft, add the pinch of cardamom -- at this point you can either strain the big pieces out of the syrup or you can leave it together and drizzle over your pancakes. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Upcoming:

Cheddar Bacon Scones

S'mores, Blackberry White Chocolate, and Caramel Apple Creme Brûlée 

S'mores Cupcakes

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Apple Trifle

Spiced Pumpkin Trifle

Chicken in a Bacon Apple Cider sauce

Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

Poppy Seed, Lemon & Parmesan Crusted Salmon with Pumpkin Puree

Peppermint Creme Brûlée 

Honey Orange Chicken Wings

Sweet Potato Hash, with Sausage, Egg and Onions

Firecracker Shrimp

more to come, but here is a list for now. As you can see, I'm obsessing over Fall, as I always do. It's my favorite time of the year. Almost all of these will be coming back to back, so keep your eye on the blog, or subscribe! Have a great day everyone.

Apple Chipotle Salmon and Pumpkin puree.

*I use all organic ingredients for all who have wondered. I try to have the freshest ingredients possible.

This recipe is just in time for Fall. I looked and looked to see if I could find a recipe like this on google, and I didn't not. So, this was me playing Mad Scientist in the kitchen. It didn't come out as I expected....it came out beyond my expectations, and was simply delicious. Proud to say, this was a pair made in kitchen heaven by me.

Everyone else is making recipes for desserts and simple things to go with pumpkin, but here is a real dish for dinner, that you can really enjoy and put your pumpkin to use. Here is what you'll need:

Wild caught salmon
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Garlic
Cinnamon & Nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp Pepper
White Cooking Wine (optional)"
Marinade of your choosing

Your flavors will vary from mine, which is fine! Have fun with it, and season everything to your personal taste. I made my own fresh apple, honey chipotle sauce to marinade my salmon in. I'll have a tutorial soon for all of you!

Marinade your salmon in anything you please. Season it well, and let it sit for about an hour. I found that my salmon doubled in size and flavor when it let it sit within my marinade, that I made for 24hrs - hence, my friend telling me it looked like a chicken leg, haha. You can make pumpkin puree yourself or just buy it in a can. I bought organic pumpkin puree from Whole Foods. When I was ready, I heated the pumpkin and added a bit of raw honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and milk to make it creamier.

Heat up your skillet on medium high, coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil. Pan sear salmon for 4-5 minutes on each side. It should be a hue of orange instead of red on the outside when fully done. You do not want to over cook a salmon, it is done when it easily flakes with a fork. It's better to undercook salmon, than to overcook it. Just before it is done, pour the white cooking wine and let it reduce and you're all set for dinner.

Once everything is done, serve it with sweet corn, or broccoli. Honestly, anything goes with this! Think of Fall when cooking this, have fun, just experiment. The greatest things are made by accident.

This recipe is easy enough, for those who aren't so confident in the kitchen to enjoy!

-- Be on the look out for homemade Lemon Lavender cookies for your Fall teas, and coffee.