Apple Bundt Cake

Big chunks of apples nestled into a cinnamon spice cake batter and covered in glorious homemade caramel sauce.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 tsp.vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 medium Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored. and chopped

Caramel Glaze

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp. heavy cream
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir into the batter just until blended.
4. Fold in the apples by hand. Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
5. Bake for 55-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then invert on to a wire rack.

Caramel Glaze

1. Heat the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.
3. Add in vanilla and stir until combined. Let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken.
4. Drizzle over the warm cake.

Recipe by:  iambaker.net

Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Chuck Roast

Moist and fall apart tender beef chuck roast in a tasty balsamic glaze that is so easy to make in the slow cooker!


INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon oil
3 pounds Harter House Chuck Roast
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound baby carrots (optional)
1 pound mini potatoes or diced potatoes (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the beef and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes and set aside.

Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes, before adding the garlic and red pepper flakes and cooking until fragrant, about a minute.

Place the beef, onions, broth, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, carrots and potatoes in a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-5 hours. (The beef will be falling apart tender when done!)

Remove the carrots, potatoes and beef and slice or shred the beef.

Skim any fat from the cooking juices, place it in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer, add the mixture of the cornstarch and water and cook until the glaze has thickened a bit.

OPTION

Skip the first 2 steps and place everything into the slow cooker.

OPTION

Instead of using the crock pot, place additional ingredients in the pot you cooked the meat in, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer,  and cook until meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours 

OR transfer the pot to a 275 F oven and braise until the meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours.

Recipe from Closetcooking.com

Lemon Anise Slush Recipe

I found this recipe in an old issue of Gourmet magazine quite a long time ago, I make it on the nicest summer days or whenever I get a craving. I also sampled it at Harter House World Flavors when I was sampling Limoncello Liqueur!

The thing that makes this special is the hint of unexpected anise flavor which pairs nicely with refreshing lemon.

There are a number of ways to approach this quencher. The original recipe calls for either water, or vodka (if you're not messing around) as the base. My mom tends to make this as a mid-day treat and find that water works great. Yogurt is an alternative if you're up for something creamier and more substantial. I tend to make it as a refreshing adult beverage. Or, my husband enjoys a pilsner in place of the water, and this is also a tasty variety. My favorite is to add a small splash of Limoncello (Liqueur) finishing things off in lemon-kissed heaven. It's optional, but if you happen to have some on hand, give it a try.

Find all the ingredients you need at your neighborhood Harter House Supermarkets!

Lemon Anise Slush

I like to crush the anise seeds a bit with my mortar and pestle before adding them to the blender, with the idea that it makes it easier for the blender to break down the seeds a bit. But I'm not actually sure it helps, and think of it more of an optional step than anything.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/3 cup sugar or honey, plus more to taste

3/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1 cup water or yogurt (vodka or pilsner for adult version)

ice cubes, to fill blender

water

2 tablespoons limoncello, optional but excellent!

Blend juice, sugar or honey, and seeds in a blender until the seeds break up quite a bit, at least thirty seconds. Longer if needed.

Add the water (or vodka, yogurt, pils), and enough ice to fill the blender. Blend until smooth. I sometimes need to add more water, to thin things out a bit and keep the blender going - do so a bit at a time. Depending on your blender, you might also need to stop on occasion to scrape the sides of the blender to get an even slush. Adjust for sweetness and lemon juice as you go. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6. Prep time: 5 min

Now sit back and pretend you are here!

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing 

Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s recipe, this Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing is wildly addictive! You can serve this salad as a light lunch or pair it with grilled chicken for a more substantial meal.
By Jennifer Segal

Ingredients

For the Thai Peanut Dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
2 tablespoons honey
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

For the Salad

4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
1 cup prepared shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.

If you use cucumbers, be sure to remove the seeds, as they can make the salad watery.

 ENJOY

FROM:  Once Upon a Chef Blog Post

Perfect Roast Chicken by Ina Garten

Serve with sides like fresh vegetables, seasoned potatoes, or creamy mac and cheese. Any leftovers can be shredded into chicken salad and packed in your lunch box for the next day.  It’s easy enough for even beginner-level cooks to perfect.

Photo: Melanie Acevedo

1 5- to 6-pound roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Scatter the onion slices around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1-1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small cup. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan. Combine the 2 tablespoons of chicken fat with the flour and add to the pan. Boil for a few minutes to cook the flour. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and season it to taste. Keep it warm over a very low flame while you carve the chicken.

Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve immediately with the warm gravy.

From the cookbook:

The Barefoot Contessa 

by Ina Garten

Mama's Rum Cake

A double dose of rum in the cake and in the glaze makes this cake extra moist and fragrant. One bite and you’ll see why it’s a favorite.

Ingredients

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup (6 oz.) gold rum (such as Bacardí Gold)
3/4 cup heavy cream

Rum Syrup

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz.) gold rum (such as Bacardí Gold)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make It

Step 1

Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 10-inch (10- to 15-cup) Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and egg yolk, beating well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually beat in rum. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in thirds, alternately with heavy cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low after each addition.

Step 3

Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes (cover loosely with aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent excess browning, if needed). Remove from oven.

Step 4

During final 10 minutes of bake time, prepare the Rum Syrup: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium. Add sugar and 1/4 cup water; let mixture come to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Carefully add rum and vanilla. (Mixture will bubble.) Boil, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat.

This recipes comes from Southern Living

Coq au Vin - Rooster with Wine

For best results,  let the finished dish cool and then refrigerate it ’till the next day, skimming any fat from the surface and re-heating the coq au vin very gently.

Photo by Kate Jackson

Ingredients

1/2 cup Harter House thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4- by 1 1/2-inch strips (optional)
2 or more tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken thighs/legs with skin, thoroughly dried
1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
20 pearl onions, peeled (can use frozen)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine, preferably Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or pinot noir
About 2 cups chicken stock (Homemade is best) or beef stock
1 or 2 garlic cloves, mashed or minced
About 1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, and quartered

SIDES

Carrots

Mashed or new potatoes

Directions

To make the coq au vin on your stove top, toss bacon in a heavy-bottomed casserole or pot along with 2 tablespoons oil over medium or medium-high until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the  bacon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.

2. Heat the drippings or oil remaining in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. (You may need to work in batches). Cook the chicken, turning frequently, until nicely browned on all sides. (If working in batches, return all the chicken to the pot.) Carefully pour the Cognac or Armagnac into the pot and wait until it becomes bubbling hot. If desired—and if you’re brave—ignite the sauce with a match. Let it flame for a minute, gently tilting the pot by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off the alcohol. To extinguish the flames, simply cover the pan with its lid.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and then nestle the onions, carrots and potatoes, around the chicken. Cover the pot and let the chicken simmer gently, turning the pieces once, for about 10 minutes.

4. Uncover the pot, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and vegetables so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.

5. Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the bacon, garlic, and tomato paste to the pot, cover, and gently simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness (there should be no trace of pink and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife). Grab some tongs and transfer the chicken pieces to the plate when they’re done.  If the vegetables are not quite tender, continue cooking them in the sauce, then return the chicken to the pot, add the mushrooms, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables. (If the sauce seems too thin, bring it to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock.) Taste the sauce and correct the seasoning accordingly. Serve the coq au vin immediately or let it cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. To reheat, skim any fat that has congealed on the surface of the stew and place the pot of coq au vin over medium-low heat.

NOTE

You can consider incorporating some flavor-making steps that were omitted in the making Julia Child's version of the French classic. back into your coq au vin routine to imbue it with layer after layer of complexity. First, uncork that bottle of red and douse the bird, allowing it to take an overnight bath in the fridge to infuse the meat with a subtle but certain depth of flavor—not to mention a slightly freakish maroon hue. Drain the chicken then pat it dry and continue with the searing, reserving the wine to use during cooking. 

Another easy trick? Sauté those teensy pearl onions in the rendered bacon drippings prior to adding them to the stew for what we think are obvious reasons. Same goes with the mushrooms. And never, ever serve the stew straightaway from the stovetop; rather, let it cool and then refrigerate it ’till the next day, skimming any fat from the surface and heating the coq au vin gently—and we do mean gently—over low heat until warmed through. And you thought you didn’t know how to speak French.

FROM - LeitesCulinaria.com     Adapted from Julia Child's Kitchen

Interesting reading about Julia Child and the History of this recipe.

Notes from cooks

Jackie made mashed potatoes.  She added more mushrooms and pearl onions than the recipe called for, and hungered for even more.  The dish was served with multi-colored baby carrots.  She served an Oregon medium-bodied Pinot Noir with this dish.

Krista served it with egg noodles and a salad, and her guests nearly licked their plates, they loved it so much.

Alice added crunchy French bread for dipping into the extra sauce.