Granted, this is not a “Halloween” recipe, but this is a perfect Fall recipe to use all those wonderful apples.

My family went on a little apple picking/wagon ride at one of our favorite orchards recently and let me tell you – ain’t nothing like picking your own apples. My sweet little doll had a blast and now wants to apple pick on a daily basis. This is why I tell my husband we need to have lots of apple trees So to keep track, I need to have  tart cherry trees, peach trees, and apple trees. They are beautiful in the spring and produce in the late Summer/Fall. We would save so much money (ha ha ha).

Michigan Ingredient (part 1): Variety of Michigan Apples!!

I like to use tart apples such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, etc. They hold their same and the taste is just amazing. If you use a softer apple, such as Golden Delicious, keep in mind that the apple will not hold it’s shape as well.

Michigan Ingredients (part 2): Apple Cider, Cinnamon, and Meijer Brown Sugar

If you have an apple peeler and corer, please use it as it will make your job sooooo much easier. I have one, but it all depends on the size of the apple, and if the apple is on the “softer” side, etc.

Peel your apples.

Core the apples and chop. Seriously, this is the easiest recipe. It’s borderline embarrassing.

My family likes applesauce on the chunky side. So if you want your applesauce to be chunky, it is even easier as the chunks need to be larger as the apples will break down.

Look at how pretty. This is only half of the apples. I did not have a bowl big enough. I have a 5/6 quart slow cooker and it was filled to the top.

Sprinkle the apples heavily with cinnamon. If you are not a fan of cinnamon (which I don’t know anyone who is not a fan….), you do not have to have cinnamon to make this recipe. You can make it au naturel.

Give it a stir (take a fuzzy picture….). This was kind of hard to do in the slow cooker… but you can do it in the bowl if you want. I just didn’t have a bowl big enough…

Since it is quite a bit of apples, I decided to use 1 cup of apple cider.  Pour over the apples and cook on low for 6 hours.

If you cut the recipe in half, just cut the amount of liquid in half.  It all depends on how much liquid you want in your applesauce. It’s something that you can adjust to your own individual taste/preference as the apples (when they break down) will produce their own juice. AANNNNDDD of course, if you do not have apple cider, you can use water.

This is only have of the scraps of the apples. Why I took a picture, I don’t know… but it’s there. Let’s get real people!

Now I started this applesauce a little later in the day than I wanted; so I didn’t get to take a picture of taking the potato masher and mashing the apples in the slow cooker. It was about 9:30  in the evening and I was starting to get tired… yada yada yada.. 

When I add sugar, I usually sprinkle some in, give a little stir, and taste. Sometimes I add more, sometimes it’s just perfect. The amount of sweetness is a personal preference and a lot can depend on what apples you use.

Look at that. Chunky, homemade applesauce. So worth it.

When my daughter was a baby, I would make applesauce and puree it. I also didn’t add as much cinnamon. I eased her into my crazy world of cinnamon. This recipe makes quite a bit of apple sauce.

This applesauce is great to add to pancakes (inside the batter or even on top of the pancakes), oatmeal, warmed up and over ice cream, or just by itself.

Applesauce in Slow Cooker

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Side dish

Serves: 3.5 qts

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A perfect applesauce that can be added to pancakes, oatmeal, or just by itself!

Ingredients

• 1 peck of Michigan Apples (20 large)
• 1 cup Apple Cider
• Cinnamon
• Brown Sugar

Instructions

1. Peel and core your apples.
2. Chop your apples into large chunks. This will help assure you to have chunky applesauce.
3. Place chopped apples into your slow cooker and sprinkle with cinnamon. Use as much or as little of cinnamon for your family's taste. Stir to evenly coat the apples.
4. Pour 1 cup of apple cider over the apples. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
5. When your applesauce is done, you can either mash your apples with a potato masher or puree it. Sprinkle with brown sugar to taste. Store in glass jars.

#version#

I have been on a roasted veggies kick. I can’t help it. I know I have posted the pasta dish, but this one has potatoes and is perfect along side some eggs and smoked sausage. You could make it a bowl if you want.. add some cheese, add some other meats (or a different meat)… very versatile.

Michigan Ingredients: Green Pepper and Zucchini.

Some dear friends of ours dropped off some veggies recently and let me tell you… nothing says love like fresh produce!

Chop your peppers, line them up in rainbow fashion. You must do this as it looks so pretty. Some call it obsessive compulsive, I like to call it organized (ha ha ha).

Chop your zucchini and potatoes. I would recommend chopping your potatoes on the smaller size as potatoes are super hearty and take a bit longer to roast…. but if they are smaller, they roast faster. You don’t want to have potatoes that have that “raw” taste.

Place all veggies in a bowl and add about 1/2-1 tablespoon of olive oil and the seasonings I used (you can season however you wish….) this time were onion powder, garlic salt, and lemon pepper.

“The colors spike… the colors!” Who can name that commercial from the 90’s? Look at how beautiful that is. It is like a colorful, healthy heaven! I could eat this every day and be content. Talk about getting your rainbow of foods for the day.  ANYWAYS….. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread the veggies out evenly in a single layer.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and roast for 30-35 minutes (or longer, depending on how “roasted” you want your veggies to be). You can roast these a bit longer, but I wanted my daughter to eat these as it is all about sacrifices we were eating breakfast for dinner  solo one evening (and I wanted to include a vegetable). Don’t you love having breakfast for dinner? We’ve been having them a lot this summer. Side note: She ate everything but the potatoes and a couple of zucchini pieces (and the sausage as she is going through a “I don’t want to eat meat” phase).

This is a great side dish for anything, but particularly when it’s breakfast for dinner. Get those veggies in people!!! It’s the summer and produce is booming in Michigan. Go and support your local farmers market

Roasted Vegetables... For Breakfast!

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 55 mins

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Roasted Vegetables that you can eat with any meal, even breakfast!!

Ingredients

• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Zucchini (medium sized)
• 1-2 Red Potatoes
• ½ to 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Garlic Salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon of Lemon Pepper
• salt and pepper to taste if needed

Instructions

1. Core and chop your peppers and zucchini to 1 inch sized pieces.
2. Chop your potatoes into smaller sized pieces (so that they cook and are not raw while the other veggies are completely roasted).
3. Mix all veggies in a bowl with olive oil and seasonings.
4. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread veggies out into an even layer.
5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and roast for 30-35 minutes (or longer, depending on how "roasted" you want your veggies to be).

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Red potatoes… seriously how versatile are they? Potatoes in general…. These are potatoes that you can make anywhere… anytime.  My family starting making these on the grill when the power was out  (for a few days) and we needed to make a side dish. You can dice your potatoes, you can slice your potatoes, you can chop your potatoes… you can make the potatoes any shape you want.

This is an embarrassingly simple dish. Red potatoes, onion, garlic, butter, and parsley (and of course salt and pepper).

Michigan Ingredient: Meijer butter

I know… I know… stretching it a bit are we? The potatoes were on sale, and I checked and they were not Michigan potatoes…

Scrub your potatoes clean so that you don’t have to peel them. Plus…. the peel has nutrients that people just simply throw away.

Chop your potatoes somewhat on the smaller side to speed up the cooking process so that you can cook the potatoes on the grill. THAT’S RIGHT… the grill Again, you can make the potatoes any shape, just keep in mind that the shape and size varies the cooking time.

Dice your onions. I believe that if you “chop,” that signifies that the pieces are bigger and when you “dice,” the pieces are smaller.  Fun with words everyone.  (ha)

Smash your garlic…

and mince. You can use one of those fancy tools, but again… I don’t have that tool. There’s no need. I firmly believe what Alton Brown is always saying… why have a specialty tool when you can use something in your kitchen that you already have, and also.. most times the specialty tool can only do one job.

Take some aluminum foil  (eye ball how much you think you need) and make sure you spray it with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place your potatoes down, onions and garlic on top, and take 4 tablespoons of butter (you can use more if you want, but the general rule is one tablespoon per potato) and cut each tablespoon in half and place over the potatoes. Season with parsley and salt and pepper.

Squeeze your foil tight, realize that you need more foil … and get more foil..

Wrap the potatoes tight and place on the grill.

You can cook these potatoes on the grill, in the oven, or even on a campfire while you are camping. Again, versatility is what makes these potatoes so great!!

Sprinkle with a little bit more parsley for color and voila! Red potatoes on the grill. You can serve these potatoes with anything… eggs, burgers, hot dogs, steaks… anything. And the leftovers are just as good. I would recommend pan frying them (or you can place on a campfire the next day) the next morning for breakfast.

Red Potatoes

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 4-5

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 55 mins

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A versatile red potato recipe that can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, or on a campfire.

Ingredients

• 4 Red Potatoes
• 4 tablespoons of Butter
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Scrub your potatoes clean under semi-cool water.
2. Cut your potatoes into whatever shape you desire (slice, diced, chopped, etc.)
3. Dice your onion and mince your garlic.
4. Take aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place your potatoes down on the foil, then your onions and garlic.
5. Cut each tablespoon of butter in half, and place on top of the potatoes.
6. Season with salt and pepper and parsley. You can use as little or as much.
7. Squeeze your potatoes tight in the aluminum foil and use more foil if need be.
8. Place your potatoes on the grill, or in the oven, or over a campfire for about 30-45 minutes until potatoes are cooked/softened.
9. Once cooked, adjust any seasonings you may need to to taste.

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This is a dish that I actually started making when my daughter started eating solids. It is a light and fresh tasting dish that is highly addictive. To this day, she still loves the peppers. She eats those first before eating anything else.

This is a great side dish to have a barbecue, as it is light and you don’t have to worry about the dressing (typically mayo based) being out too long.

Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Orzo

I know, a bit of a stretch with the Michigan Ingredient here, BUT…. soon the produce season in Michigan will explode the scene  and there will be so many fresh ingredients, it will make your head spin.

First things first, chop your zucchini and peppers in half. I would recommend using the other halfs for a stir fry or to snack on because I mean, come on, veggies are great. I could easily be a vegetarian except for the minor detail that I love steak… and bacon.

Try to make the size of your veggies are the same to promote even roasting. When I was making this for my daughter, the “chunks” were much smaller. The size above is roughly 1/2  to 3/4 of an inch, give or take.

Place your veggies into a bowl and pour your olive oil over them. A little goes a long way, so trust me when I say that a tablespoon is sufficient.  Salt and pepper to taste, which I know seems weird to say when in fact you might not be tasting your veggies at this point; BUT you know your family best. If you need more pepper, use more pepper, or if you are limiting salt, don’t use as much salt.

Spread your veggies onto a greased, tin foil lined baking sheet in a single layer.

This is when I would start preheating my oven and getting my water boiling for the pasta.  I know it seems weird, but after making this all the time, I would go through this process so that everything times out where the pasta will be done around the same time the veggies are done (or close to it).

Of course, if you would like to roast your veggies longer, by all means, please do so. I know what tastes my family enjoys and not enjoys. Roasting the veggies brings the sweetness out of the veggies and makes it like a healthy candy that is good for you. My daughter still can not get enough of the peppers.

Combine your pasta and your veggies in a bowl (preferably the one you will be using, because who wants to dirty multiple dishes, not this girl). Zest your lemon over the pasta and veggies. Roll the lemon (to release the juices), cut that bad boy in half and squeeze half a lemon over the pasta. Give it a stir and a taste. If you want more lemon, by all means, use the other half.  This can be served hot or cold. Both are equally amazing.

Lemon Zucchini Pepper Pasta

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

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A light, fresh salad that will compliment any barbecue.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Orzo Pasta (dry)
• ¾ cup Zucchini (half medium) - chopped
• ½ to ¾ cup Red Bell Pepper (half red pepper) - chopped
• ½ to ¾ cup Orange Bell Pepper (half orange pepper) - chopped
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• Zest of one Lemon
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Half to one Lemon juice (depending on the size of Lemon and personal preference)

Instructions

1. Chop your veggies and place into a bowl.
2. Add your oil over the veggies in the bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well coated and spread your veggies onto a greased, tin-foil lined baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Preheat your oven to 425 and roast your veggies for 20-25 minutes.
4. While your oven is preheating, bring water to a boil and cook Orzo until Al dente.
5. Once your pasta and veggies are ready, combine in a bowl and zest your lemon over top.
6. Roll your lemon (to release the juices) and cut your lemon in half. Squeeze your lemon over the pasta and give it a stir. Taste the pasta with a veggie and if you would like more lemon, squeeze the other half into your dish.

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These muffins are amazing. Not too sweet, yet just the right  of sweetness to fully enjoy as a dessert. This is why it is acceptable to have them with dinner.

This is the recipe my family uses whenever we make macaroni and cheese. There is a slight lemon hint from the lemon zest, but not quite enough to put lemon in the title. It adds a great deal of freshness to the muffins. I’ve made the muffins before without lemon zest and you really can tell that it is missing.

Michigan Ingredient: Sugar

Unfortunately, blueberries are not quite in season yet in Michigan; but I had to include this recipe with the mac and cheese because it would almost be sacrilege if I didn’t.  Blueberries are usually in season in July and August.

First things first, combine the blueberries, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Doesn’t that look good? I could  just eat that by itself.

Combine the remaining dry ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. I usually use a fork because I would rather clean a fork than a whisk. I know horrible right? BUUUUUUTTTTTTTT….. normally I am prepping these and the whisk is already dirty from making the cheese sauce for the macaroni and cheese. SOOOOOOOO… priorities? Yes, let’s go with that.  Please note that a well is created for the liquid ingredients.

Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour into the well. If it runs over, that is fine. It does not mean that the recipe fails. I promise. Stir until the ingredients are barely combined. When it comes to making muffins, you do not want to over-stir them. I want to say that I overheard a grandparent say this, so it must be true. If there appears to be a couple of “dry” lumps, that’s no big deal.

At this time, I would preheat the oven at this point (to 425) and then pour (or spoon) your muffin batter into the muffin tin. I like to make “bigger” muffins, so usually this recipe yields 10 muffins for me that are “bigger”. The recipe can stretch to 12 muffins, your muffins will just be slightly smaller.

If you have empty cavities, please pour water in them to promote even baking. My mom has always done this for as long as I can remember and whatever she was baking would always turn out great.  Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes until the muffins pass the toothpick test.

Blueberry Muffins

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Cuisine: Breads

Serves: 10-12 muffins

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of Fresh Blueberries
• 2 tablespoons of Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1¾ cups of Flour
• ¼ cup of Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon of Salt
• ¾ cup of Milk
• ⅓ cup Oil
• 1 Egg

Instructions

1. Combine your blueberries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl. Create a well in which the liquid ingredients will be poured into.
3. Combine the milk, oil, and egg into a small bowl. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined (Do not over-stir).
4. Add your blueberries and stir until just combined.
5. Preheat your oven at 425 degrees while your pour your muffin batter into a muffin pan. *
6. Bake for 20-25 until the toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

*Note: If you do not use all of the muffin cavities, fill the empty spaces with water to promote even baking.

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It’s that time of year where everyone is starting to cook more Mexican/Spanish recipes for Cinco de Mayo. I am jumping on the bandwagon; however, I cook Mexican dishes all year long.

This is a rather simple recipe. Back in the day, my family would just make the Rice-a-Roni (the San Francisco Treat ding ding) Spanish Rice and then call it a day. This recipe comes from a cookbook titled “Cooking Basics,”   in which it gives simple recipes that the novice cook can make. It is not overly complicated and the ingredients are simple.

Over the years, I have modified the recipe to suite my needs; and I would say that this recipe is the one that I continually make over and over without modifying same.

Sometimes you can even turn this recipe into a “meal” by added left over taco meat or chicken fajita meat. Mind you, that if you do this, do so after the rice cooks so that the seasonings of your taco meat or chicken fajita meat do not overpower/drown out the seasoning of the Spanish rice.

Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Tomato Sauce and Meijer Diced Tomatoes

( Meijer was founded in Greenville, Michigan and the fact that the name brand is great and affordable is an added bonus )

First things first, chop up your green peppers and onion and mince your garlic (if you are using real… if you don’t have real, it’s ok to substitute garlic powder).  Sometimes people feel it is necessary to wait to add the garlic when you saute your onion (and in this case green pepper), but I live on the wild side and never do that. Anytime there is a time where onion and garlic are to be sauted, I always combine them at once and have never had a problem.

Saute your veggies with your rice until the veggies are soft and the rice starts to brown. You can use either white rice or brown or a combination. The recipe works with either rice.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low to low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. I know that the heat range seems a little odd, but I noticed that when cooking on a gas stove, low is perfect; however, cooking on an electric stove, you need a little bit more “juice” so that it doesn’t take forever to cook.

If you are making this into a meal, you would then add your left over meat (heated up of course) and serve.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Spanish Rice

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Side Dish/Main Meal

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 5-7 servings

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

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Ingredients

• ⅛ teaspoon of Garlic Powder or Small Clove of Garlic
• 1 Medium sized Onion
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 cup of Rice (Brown or White)
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2¼ cups Water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon o f Chili Powder
• 1 15 oz. can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced Mexican Tomatoes/Tomatoes with Green Chilies (undrained)

Instructions

1. Dice up your onion and green pepper. If you are using real garlic, mince up same.
2. Pour your oil into a dutch oven or large covered skillet and add your veggies and rice. Saute.
3. Once your veggies are softened and your rice starts to brown, add your water, seasonings, tomato sauce and diced Mexican tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil.
4. Cover and simmer over medium low to low for 30 to 40 minutes. Sauce will thicken upon standing.

Notes

Note: This can be made into a meal by adding left over taco or chicken fajita meat. Be sure to add the meat after the Spanish Rice has cooked so that seasonings of your meat do not overpower the rice.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Basics

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