Appled to a Crisp

Oh, Pesach.....I actually love it. Why? Well, aside from getting to spend time with my family over the course of many days of yuntif (and many many many meals) and getting almost 2 weeks off from work (this is THE reason I work in Jewish education....just kidding), I get to really put my chef's hat on and challenge myself to create food that tastes really good - that you may actually want to eat when it's NOT Pesach, too! My Quinoa and Cheese from a couple days ago is one of those recipes that I can already see myself making throughout the year, when I need a good side dish to bring to a milchig Shabbos meal (or, hello, Shavuos coming up!).

For the final days of Pesach, you still need something a little bit sweet....but after almost a week of matzah and butter (preferably Breakstones) with salt, matzah and cream cheese, matzah and jelly, matzah pizza, matzah lasagna, etc. we all wanted something a little bit lighter. When I think "light," I think fruit. You all know that lemon is my #1 favorite flavor, but cinnamon is a close second, and apple-cinnamon is a winning combo in my book. My mom started to briefly mention something that one of our neighbors made, where she baked apples that had been sprinkled with chopped nuts and had a cinnamon stick somewhere in there....and then inspiration struck (cue the gospel choir): why not make individual apple crisps....like, actually take a whole apple, coat it with a crisp topping, and bake it like I do with a normal baked apple? I did just that: made a really simple crisp topping, packed it around apples that I had peeled and cored, and then filled the apples with raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The apples got soft on the inside, the outside got crispy, and the gooey caramel filling was perfect. Try this one - just substitute flour during the year for the cake meal. Trust me on this one!

Crisped Apples

4 apples
1 stick margarine, divided
2/3 cup cake meal
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup brown sugar, divided
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water

1. Peel the apples. Cut the tops and bottoms off of each apple, so that they are flat on top and can stand sturdily. Using a paring knife and/or a spoon, remove the cores from each apple so that there is a clean "tunnel".
2. In a small microwaveable bowl, melt 4 tbsp. of margarine. Add the cake meal, ground almonds, 2/3 cup of brown sugar, and 1 tsp. of cinnamon and mix to make a semi-wet and crumbly mixture.
3. Pack about a quarter of the mixture onto each apple, coating the apples evenly, but not too thickly with the crumb topping so that they apples are completely covered. Place the apples standing up in an 8x8 inch greased dish.
4. Place a spoonful of raisins inside each apple "tunnel," as well as a generous sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. Put the remaining raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the dish in the middle of all the apples. 
 5. Cut the remaining 4 tbsp. of margarine into small pieces and put one piece in the middle of each apple. Place the other pieces along the dish on top of any sugar or raisins that you sprinkled in. (Top the apples with any remaining crumb mixture.)
6. Pour the water along the base of the dish and bake the apples at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the crumb topping gets crispy. Check the apples after 30 minutes to see if they are done or to check if you need to add additional water, so that the caramel doesn't burn.

Don't Pass-over Quinoa and Cheese!

Okay, I admit, I've been pretty terrible about updating this blog in the last few weeks. But, in my defense, the last few weeks have been a little bit insane for me. First, I had the Manischewitz cook-off in NYC (which I didn't win...more on that in a minute). Then, unfortunately, my grandmother passed away, so I was home for a while with my family. Then, less than a week after shiva ended, Pesach came. And, in the middle of all this craziness, I made the decision to leave Baltimore and I applied to, interviewed for, was offered, and accepted a new job in New York City, which I will be starting in less than 2 months. It's been a whirlwind!

So, about the cook-off - I had a blast. I really did. I went in with no expectation of winning, which really allowed me to relax and enjoy myself and just have fun with it. I loved pretending like I was on the Food Network, and having all the cameras and interviewers in my face was really exhilarating! I think I may need to make the winning dish for myself....because I was so busy that whole day that I didn't even get to try any of the other contestants' dishes!!

Anyway, back to Pesach. So I love experimenting with Pesach food and making it...well...edible :-) Desserts are my thing, in particular, and this year I made tiramisu, chocolate trifle, key lime pie, peach-blueberry cobbler, mandel bread, and chocolate chunk cookies. All were delish, thankyouverymuch :-) But i wanted to experiment with something savory. I decided to go to my old stand-by - mac and cheese. Of course, I can't do macaroni noodles (and I refuse to go anywhere near Pesadik pasta...ick), but I do love to try new recipes with quinoa.....and then it came to me: Quinoa and Cheese! Made a little quinoa, sauteed some veggies, made a quick little cheese sauce (using potato starch instead of flour in the roux) and voila - I think it came out pretty good! You be the judge.....

Quinoa and Cheese

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
4 tbsp. margarine, divided
1 red pepper, finely diced
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms
2 tbsp. potato starch
2 cups skim milk
8 slices American cheese (or  6 oz. any shredded cheese, like cheddar)
salt, pepper
3/4 cup matzo meal

1. Put quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes, or until quinoa is fluffed and all water is absorbed. Transfer cooked quinoa into a mixing bowl.
2. Melt 2 tsbp. of margarine in the same pot. Add veggies and sautee until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. Add potato starch to veggies and stir until absorbed.
4. Add milk slowly, whisking as you pour. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the milk to a bubble. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until it thickens.
5. Turn heat off. Add cheese to cream sauce and stir to melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour cheese sauce over cooked quinoa and mix thoroughly. Taste and season as needed.
7. Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish.
8. Melt remaining 2 tbsp. of margarine in a small bowl in the microwave until melted. Add matzo meal and toss to coat. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the quinoa and cheese.
9. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven heat to broil, and broil for 5 minutes or until the top gets browned and the cheese begins to bubble.