Apple Cake

I got this fabulous recipe from my good friend Judy.  It is a very easy dessert to make and you can substitute apples with rhubarb!

Apple Facts

  • The crab-apple is the only apple native to North America.Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
  • 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
  • 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
  • 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
  • Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
  • A medium apple is about 80 calories.
  • The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
  • Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.
  • Apples are a member of the rose family.
  • Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.
  • It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
  • In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.
  • In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
  • Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
  • It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
  • The old saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This saying comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”
  • Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.

Apple or Rhubarb Cake

1 cup granulated sugarapplecake
½ cup margarine
1 egg
1+1/2 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup warm coffee (the secret ingredient!)
2 cups of cut-up apple or rhubarb

Topping

½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts

Mix in order given. Pour in a greased and floured 8x12x2 inch pan (or close to it) Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Enjoy!

Baked Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese

The Asparagus has played a role in the medicinal field as far back as 2000 BC. Studies show that asparagus has been used in medicine in preventing sleeplessness, to balance female hormones and to assist the reproductive system, to promote fertility, relieve menstrual discomfort and to increase breast milk for nursing mothers. It is used for respiratory diseases and for strengthening the lungs. Also for tuberculosis, AIDS, chronic fatigue, back pain, sports burnout, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, sciatica, coughs, to strengthen bones and marrow, hemorrhaging, stomach pains, kidney stones, cramps, convulsions, gall and liver ailments, to assist with weight loss, stress and nervous tension, intestinal worms, jaundice, skin diseases and to brighten vision. Scientific research has found that asparagus contains a substance that can break up oxalate crystals. Asparagus, being a good source of fiber, is a useful bowel brush with a laxative action that stimulates lazy bowels.

Asparagus contains the vitamins;  A, B, folic acid, C, E and the minerals  calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, selenium, iodine, magnesium, manganese, sulphur, silicon, florine

Asparagus is awesome and delicious. There are so many ways to cook Asparagus, but first did you know an easy way to remove the “woody” stem from  the stalk?  Don’t cut the stems before cooking. Snapping the stem is an easy natural way to remove the hard part from the delicious part. Just hold the sphere in your hand and grab the end of the stalk with your other hand and snap – it will break in the right spot.

Microwave the perfect asparagus; microwave for 1 minute and 35-40 seconds in a microwaveable plastic container with 2 tablespoons of water.

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Preheat oven to 375̊ F.

You need ½ lb of fresh Asparagus and ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Make marinade for the Asparagus
1 tablespoon Olive Oilaspargus
1 tablespoon White Wine
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper

  1. Wash asparagus and trim the woody ends.
  2. Combine the marinade ingredients and place in a plastic bag.  Add the asparagus and marinade in refrigerator for 15 minutes
  3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on a plate and roll each asparagus sphere in cheese until coated
  4. Arrange in a single layer in baking dish or cookie pan with raised edges, sprinkle remaining marinade over asparagus spheres.

Bake in a 375 oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown and sizzling hot. Do not overcook.

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

I just had the best Salmon Cakes I’ve ever tasted and they were pretty easy to make.  Any kitchen should have a mini food processor, such as a Cuisinart Mini-prep plus.  It does all the chopping for you.  Let me start my story with I was hungry and it was lunch and I am home from work to celebrate New Years Day.  So I had time to do this.  I purchased 3 envelopes of Chicken of the Sea Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon at Walmart *(in the tuna area) the other day, mostly because I eat a lot of salad and like to add protein like tuna, crab or salmon to my salad – which will be another story another time.  So I had this salmon in my pantry and saw a recipe on the back of the envelope for “Simple Salmon Cakes”  I looked at the ingredients I would need and had almost everything I needed except for bread crumbs, but I did make a loaf of bread a few days ago in my bread maker and it was sitting there, and I knew I wasn’t going to finish the bread before it got hard, so I chopped the remaining loaf in my Cuisinart Mini-Prep plus into tiny, soft bread crumbs.  I only needed a cup, so I put the rest in a zip lock and put it in the freezer for another day.

I didn’t have “green onions” so I used my left over red onion and threw it in the Cuisinart and chopped it fine, I had mini bell peppers from another recipe so I did the same with them and chopped them fine. So there you go, you can substitute veggies with what you have.  I also didn’t have any lemon juice, but had lime juice and used that instead.  So here is the actual recipe:

  • 1 5oz pouch of Chicken of the Sea Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion (or red or scallions)
  • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • Dash Cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
  • 1 medium egg (beaten)
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh is best!)
  • 3 tablespoon butter (I sprayed the pan with “pam” and used 1 tsp of butter)
  • 1/4 tsp of seasoned salt – I didn’t use salt

Combine onion, mayo, lemon or lime juice, and seasonings in a bowl. Add salmon, egg and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs or more if mixture is too loose to gather into your hand, mixture will and should be soft and loose, not stiff and sticky.  Gather about 1/2 cup mixture in your hand and form into a loose ball, roll around in remainder 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs to form a crust and place on a plate while you do the same with the rest.  Heat skillet spray with cooking spray and melt a tsp of butter on skillet.  Add each cake and cook for 4 minutes on the first side on medium heat (electric stove is #5) while this is cooking – wash your dishes.  It is better to be busy instead of bothering the cakes while they cook.  After 4 minutes, flip over and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Finish cleaning your mess.  When they are done, you can eat on a plate with a tablespoon of mayo (I use Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil reduced fat)  and tablespoon of relish (I use Famous Dave’s hot and sweet) or put between bread and dress how you like.  These are really good – you can be creative and use this stuffing in mushrooms and bake in a 350 oven for probably about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Welcome to Kitchen Moxy

Here it is New Year’s Eve 2013, Happy New Year!  It is mid-winter here in Montana and have decided I need something to keep me entertained for the next 5 months.  So rather than cooking and eating and cooking and eating for the next 5 months, I have decided to share my cooking knowledge and experiences with you.  I really hate to exercise, although I tackle the tread-mill 30 minutes every day, that is about the extent of my  self induced “pain-no-gain” every day.  So I opt to eat healthy whenever I can.

I have been cooking for about 40 years, I had to be sure dinner was on the table for my dad who worked shift work – when my mom was working. My mom, was born and raised in Europe, so she showed me how to make many recipes and I would like to share them with you as I did with my son and daughter.

I realize some folks do not know the basis or fundamentals of cooking or baking so I will be here for questions, and I also realize some of you are not “prep” savy, which is a learned talent, but very important for a successful dish.

I hope you follow me and interact with your own questions and if you have a recipe you would like to share or learn to make, let me know.  Time for 2013 to roll in – with this, I wish you all a good evening and a very Happy, Prosperous New Year!

Moxy