Apple Pie Filling for the freezer

Got more apples?  Use this recipe to save them for the middle of winter when a nice warm pie sounds delicious or you need a quick homemade dessert.  This is one of the few recipes I'm going to post that I have a not try and never will.  I don't like cooked fruit, especially apples.  My boyfriend wanted to use some of the apples from his apples tree for pie filling.  Sounds like a challenge for me to find a way to freeze pie filling for future use.  This recipe is also very easy to cut down to the amount of apples you have.  The ingredients are all easily divided in to fourths.

Yields: enough for 4 piesIngredients:

•           16 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced

•           4 tablespoons lemon juice

•           4 cups white sugar

•           1 cup cornstarch

•           4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

•           1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

•           1 teaspoon salt

•           8 cups water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

2. Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

4. Ladle into 4 freezer containers or gallon freezer bags, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.

5. Seal and freeze. Can be stored for up to 12 months.

6. You can also make pies right away.

Apple Bread

Looking for something to use your fall apple on... Try Apple bread, similar to zucchini bread.  It freezes as well.  I would suggest using a food processor to grate the apple but it can be done with a hand grater, just messier.

1 ½ C flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 C sugar
1 ½ C finely shredded, peeled apple
¼ C cooking oil
½ C chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

1. Grease the bottom and ½ in up sides of an 8x4x2 in loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, apple, and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy) fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (It tastes just as good if you eat it warm).

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

The credit for this recipe goes to Vanessa and probably her mom.  It was so yummy and perfect because you make it the night before.  What is better than Hot ham and cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup on a cool fall day.  And another great thing about this recipe is that it took about 15 minutes to prep the night before.  Make the sauce first and while it cool assemble the sandwiches.

1 dozen small buns (dollar buns)
1/2 lbs. deli ham (or enough to fill the sandwich)
1/2 lbs. Swiss cheese (or enough to fill the sandwich)

Sauce:
2 sticks butter
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. yellow mustard

Mix all sauce ingredients in sauce pan, bring to boil. Cool.
Assemble sandwiches, place in 9x13 pans.
Spoon cooled sauce on top of buns.
Cover & refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes covered with tinfoil & 5 minutes uncovered.

Turkey Burger with Zucchini and Carrot

I was trying to figure out something to do with zucchini that I had.  This recipe sounded interesting and wasn't any harder to mix up than a a regular burger.  It turned out really good.  The burger has lots of flavor and is super healthy.  I just used regular hamburger buns and I didn't make the mayo mix.  I used 1 lbs. of Ground Turkey Breast and it made 4 large size burgers.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 4 small leaves Boston lettuce
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat broiler. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties, turning once, until no pink remains, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 1 ½ minutes.
4. Transfer the bread to individual plates. Top with the lettuce and burgers. If desired, combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice and serve with the burgers.

 Real Simple Recipes - Turkey Burger with Zucchini and Carrots