Linguine with Shrimp, Garlic, and Lemon

Linguine with Shrimp, Garlic, and Lemon is a deliciously beautiful and simple Italian supper that only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it's a great recipe to treat yourself after a long and stressful day.

The key to moist, tender shrimp is to be careful not to overcook them. Seafood is notorious for cooking up very quickly, especially little critters like scallops and shrimp, which you can take advantage of if looking for a quick meal. In this recipe, follow the visual cues and the shrimp will finish cooking off heat, giving you shrimp perfection.

If you can only find whole shrimp that is not peeled or de-veined at your grocery store, you will need to add

about 15 or so extra minutes to the prep time as you'll need to de-vein and peel the shrimp at home. I find the easiest way to do this is to use a sharp paring knife. Cut a shallow slit down the back of each shrimp. Pull the shell off and discard it. You should see a little black 'line'; that's the vein. With the tip of the blade, lift up and loosen the vein and pull it out. Touch it to the paper towel. It should stick, then you can easily move on to the next shrimp. Most grocery stores carry de-veined, easy peel shrimp, so hopefully you won't have to worry about this step anyway ;0)

If you love shrimp, you'll love this recipe. Shrimp scampi is definitely my favorite way to enjoy shrimp, and this recipe is a play on the scampi flavors with the addition of  pasta and  a light sauce to make it a great weeknight meal. Enjoy!

A few time saving tips: Mince the onion and press the garlic before you begin the recipe. The lemon can be squeezed (for fresh lemon juice) and parsley minced in step 4 while the pasta is cooking.


This recipe adapted from

Linguine with Shrimp, Garlic and Lemon

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients (4 to 6 servings)

• 1 and 1/4 pounds large shrimp (about 31 to 40) peeled and deveined
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 6 separate tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved into 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 pound of linguine
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley (or regular parsley if flat leaf is not available)

Instructions

1. Set a large dutch oven or stockpot with 4 quarts of water over high heat on the stove for the pasta.

2. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt, a pinch of fresh ground pepper and the sugar to season it. In a 12 inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat until it's just beginning to turn brown. Add the shrimp, and arrange them quickly so they are in a single layer in the pan. Cook for 1 minute without moving them. Stir and continue to cook until they are spotty brown and just pink at the edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover tightly with foil. Set aside.

3. Now add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the skillet until melted. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 or 6 minutes, and add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stir and cook for about 30 seconds, and add in 1/2 cup of broth. It will sizzle quite a bit, that's normal. As it boils, scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. When it's nearly evaporated (about 2 minutes) add in the rest of the broth and the dissolved cornstarch mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.

4. The pot of water for the pasta should be boiling at this point. Add the linguine and 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al-dente. (There should be directions on the package for this.) You can take this time to squeeze the juice from the lemon and mince the parsley, stopping occasionally to stir the pasta. When the pasta is done, scoop out about 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

5. Add in the remaining two tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, parsley, sauce and reserved shrimp (including any shrimp juice that may have accumulated) into the linguine. Toss to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, adding the pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve immediately.

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Non-alcoholic Black Bottom Pie

Non-alcoholic Black Bottom Pie is a great way to liven up plain old chocolate cream pie. Typical Black Bottom Pie consists of a chocolate cookie crumb crust, a layer of chocolate cream topped with an airy rum-chiffon layer, and a final layer of whipped cream. My recipe substitutes the rum with a lovely caramel-infused chiffon layer. The contrast of flavors and textures in this pie make it a delightful treat.

It's very important that you read through the entire recipe, and prep/measure out all your ingredients before you begin. Trust me on this. Also take note that the amounts of sugar and water can be tricky; the amount listed in the ingredient section is the total amount used, but in the instructions the water and sugar are both divided and used at different steps in the recipe.

Equipment needed: A food processor, hand held mixer, and at least two medium-sized identical mixing bowls (you'll divide the pie filling evenly between the bowls; you just have to 'eye ball it' and it's easier to divide evenly if the bowls are identical.)

This recipe adapted from: Cooks Country magazine.

Non-Alcoholic Black Bottom Pie

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours

Cook Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients (8 to 10 servings)

crust

• 28 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

pie filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 4 large egg yolks plus 1 egg white
• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons Torani caramel syrup flavoring
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 cups sweetened whipped cream

Instructions

1. Move an oven rack to middle position and set oven to heat to 350 degrees. Grind the broken cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs. Drizzle melted butter over crumbs. Replace lid and process for about 10 seconds to evenly distribute the butter. (It may be necessary to scrape down the sides once, I had to.) Pour the moist crumbs into a pie plate and press evenly over the bottom and up sides. I like to use a flat bottomed, metal measuring cup for this. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes before placing in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Moving on to the filling: whisk 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, half-and-half and egg yolks in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil, about 8 minutes.

3. Divide the custard evenly as best you can between two identical bowls. Whisk chocolate into one bowl until smooth, then pour into the now cooled pie crust and use a spatula to create an even surface. Place in the fridge. Whisk caramel syrup, 1 tablespoon water, and gelatin into a small bowl and let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Then stir it into the plain custard. Set the bowl of caramel custard in the fridge for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it's wobbly, but not set.

4. Combine the remaining sugar, egg white, remaining water and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water. (Do not let the bowl touch the water.) Using a hand held mixer, beat the mixture on medium high to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat until until the mixture is very thick and glossy and has cooled to room temperature, about 3 minutes.

5. Bring out the caramel custard from the fridge and whisk the cooled egg white mixture in until smooth. Pour into the pie plate over the chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Top with the sweetened whipped cream and serve.

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Baked Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

This hearty Baked Quinoa Casserole will warm your heart and lift your conscience; you'll sleep better knowing you had a healthy dinner consisting of nature's own super food.  Packed with steamed broccoli florets and strips of seasoned chicken breast, this creamy casserole is topped off with Gruyere cheese.

If you haven't heard of Quinoa, let me introduce you! Quinoa is a south American seed that is cooked just as any grain would be and is considered easy to digest. It's technically not a (cereal) grain and doesn't contain gluten, which has made it extremely popular with the rise of gluten-free diets as of late. It's packed with protein and fiber, among other nutrients and also has calcium, which has made it popular with vegan diets too. In the U.S. Quinoa has risen to super-star fame in just the last few years as more and more people move to alternative diets.

The first step in creating this recipe is to make your own creamy white sauce. The quinoa, chicken and broccoli will bake in this sauce and make the whole dish creamy and delicious. Use any poultry (chicken) seasoning you like to give the sauce a great depth of flavor. An additional seasoning blend, Emeril's Essence seasoning, is used to season the chicken and add a great savory flavor. If you can't find it, use your own favorite seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash or something similar). Steamed broccoli is mixed in towards the end of baking time and then the whole thing is topped off with melted Gruyere cheese! Casserole just isn't casserole unless there's cheese involved :0)

Note: The Quinoa is done cooking when it looks like it's popped open and is soft. If you find your casserole is still a bit on the liquid-y side after baking, just pop it back in the oven for a few extra minutes for the ingredients to finish soaking up the sauce.

My family and I really enjoyed eating this casserole, and I was glad to have prepared something that I knew was nutritious. I hope you enjoy it too :0)

Recipe adapted from www.pinchofyum.com one of my favorite recipe blogs :0)

Baked Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 to 55 minutes

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Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)

• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (about 3 slices)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence seasoning
• 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Set your oven to heat to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish well with shortening. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup milk, flour and poultry seasoning until combined. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk just to boiling, then whisk in the milk/flour mixture and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bacon, quinoa, one cup of water and the white sauce. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels. Slice into thin slices (approx 1/4 inch wide) and lay them on top of the white sauce mixture in the dish. Season with Emeril's basic blend by sprinkling all over the chicken. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 30 to 40 minutes, or until the quinoa is soft, the chicken cooked through and the sauce is thick and reduced.

3. While the casserole bakes, steam the broccoli florets by placing them in boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water. Set aside.

4. When the chicken and quinoa have finished baking, stir in the broccoli florets and an additional 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water if needed. The casserole should be creamy and smooth and stir around easily. Sprinkle on the cheese and pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt. Serve.

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Herbed Roast Beef

Herbed Roast Beef is a delicious and beautiful center piece to any Sunday dinner or special occasion meal. Stuffed inside with an herb-mixture full of flavor, it is also coated on the outside with an herbed butter that melts into the seasoned meat. What's even better is this recipe is perfect for dressing up a cheaper cut of beef, saving you money.

The roast is sliced into horizontally and opened like a book. Now before you start slicing, make sure you orient your piece of meet so that you are slicing 'with' the grain for this step. When you're ready to serve this roast, you will want to slice 'against' the grain so it will be extra tender. A mixture of Thyme, Parsley, shallot, Olive oil and Dijon mustard is spread out all over the inside and the meat is 'closed' and tied with kitchen twine. Be sure to leave at least 1/2 inch of meat to act as a 'hinge'; don't slice all the way through. Then the meat is seasoned well with salt an pepper. At this point it's already looking good and it hasn't even been roasted yet!

The prepared roast will need to marinate for at least an hour, but I would recommend overnight to really let all the delicious flavors permeate the meat. Before placing it in the oven, the roast is seared in a pan to create a delicious crust and hold in all the juices as it cooks. It's slow roasted at a low temperature to your desired level of doneness, usually between 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

After removing the roast from the oven, spread the herb butter all over the top of the roast and let it melt in while the roast 'rests' for about 20 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle into the meat so your roast is nice and moist. (I moved mine from the carving board to a serving platter for the photos, leaving the juices behind. Trust me, this roast is juicy!)  This roast will make a beautiful center piece for any occasion. Enjoy!

Equipment Needed: Kitchen twine and a roasting pan with a V-rack that fits inside.

This recipe adapted from: Cooks Country magazine.

Herbed Roast Beef

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes plus overnight

Cook Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

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Ingredients (8 to 10)

• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (4 lbs) beef roast, fat trimmed
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the chopped parsley, thyme and shallot in a bowl. Scoop out two tablespoons of the herb mixture and transfer them to another bowl; adding the mustard and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to combine. Add the softened butter to the first bowl of herbs and stir with a fork to combine.

2. Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Following the photos above, slice horizontally through the roast to butterfly it. Sprinkle about half the salt and pepper inside. Spread the herb mustard mix on one interior side of the meat. 'Close' the meat, and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the rest of the salt and pepper all over the top, bottom and sides of the roast, rubbing it in a bit if necessary. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Move an oven rack to the middle position and set your oven to heat to 275 degrees F. Set a large skillet over medium high heat and add the remaining oil. Remove the roast from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. When the oil is just to smoking, place the roast in the skillet and brown well on all sides, using kitchen tongs to rotate the roast. Then place the roast in a V-rack set in a roasting pan, and roast in the oven for 1 and 1/2 hours (for medium-rare) or 2 hours for medium.

4. Transfer the roast to a cutting/carving board, spread the herb butter mixture on top, cover with foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice roast crosswise with the grain into thin slices (1/4 inch) and serve.

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Ambrosia Salad

What could be better than whipped cream, marshmallows, coconut and deliciously sweet and tangy fruit?! Ambrosia salad may be a throwback to the good old days of the 50's and 60's, but it's just as delicious today as it was back then. And I can't think of a more perfect side dish for a picnic or barbecue. And so ridiculously easy to throw together too.

I remember as a child, having Ambrosia salad at church potlucks and Thanksgiving dinners and eating all the marshmallows out first! (I was a very picky kid :0) Anyway, you can really throw just about any type of fruit in that you like, there are endless combinations. They're aaaaalllllllll good. You can't go wrong with marshmallows and Cool Whip. Seriously.
Make some tonight and enjoy it!

Ambrosia Salad

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: chill for 1 hour

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Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)

• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 1 medium banana sliced thin
• 1 (15 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
• (optional) 4 medium strawberries, hulled and sliced thin

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently stir to combine.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve.

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Savory Mushroom and Onion Shepherd's Pie

Savory Mushroom and Onion Shepherd's pie is a recipe that I grew up on. My mother would often make this for Sunday dinner and we'd hoover it up~ vegetables and all. It's not what I'd call a 'from scratch' recipe, but it does have a few secret ingredients that make it live up to its' savory name :0)

For really delicious tasting shepherd's pie, it's important to use homemade mashed potatoes. I have made the mistake of using instant potato pearls in the past, and ended up with...well...blech. My homemade mashed potato recipe is flavored with not only butter, salt and pepper; half and half and cream cheese make the potatoes fabulously creamy and delicious tasting on their own.

One ingredient that really makes this shepherd's pie great is instant onion soup mix. (I'd almost call it a secret ingredient; I use it often to season beef.) Sprinkled over the ground beef when it's browning in the skillet. It makes the beef mmm mmm good! This is the only onion in the recipe, no wiping away tears while dicing fresh onion.

The 'mushroom' in the title comes from condensed cream of mushroom soup, which the vegetables are mixed into to form the second layer. I love the way it flavors the veggies, and sinks down to flavor the ground beef even more when it's baking in the oven. I personally load the shredded cheese on the top of this casserole, but you can cut back to whatever your taste preference. Just make sure you don't skip it all together, cheese makes everything taste better, and in this recipe cheddar cheese pulls all the flavors together and makes this recipe over the top delicious. Enjoy it!

Shepherd's Pie

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients (8 servings)

• 3 medium size russet potatoes
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup (about 1/3 a package) of cream cheese
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tablespoons powdered onion soup mix
• salt
• pepper
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn
• 1 can (15 oz) sliced green beans
• 1 and 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into approximately 1 inch chunks. Place in a pot and fill with water to 1 inch above the potatoes. Generously salt the water and set over a medium high burner. Boil the potatoes until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Place in a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, whip the potatoes with the half and half, butter, cream cheese salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, brown hamburger in a large skillet using a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Sprinkle the onion soup mix and salt and pepper over to season the meat. Stir often and cook until no pink spots remain. Drain excess fat from pan if necessary. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

3. Set your oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the condensed onion soup mix with the peas, corn and green beans. Spread out over the hamburger layer in the baking dish.

4. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the vegetable mixture all the way to the sides of the dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the potatoes and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve.

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Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken

Wow! This has got to be one of my new favorite recipes, and will definitely be my go-to recipe for barbecued chicken. This Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken recipe seasons the meat with a rub that ends up melting as the chicken cooks and turning into an incredibly savory glaze.

It's truly incredible chicken. Rubbing meat with spices is an excellent way to season meat for the grill. But then you miss out on the sticky, savory glaze that screams 'barbecue'. Basting your meat with barbecue sauce gives you that great glaze and sticky fingers, but the glaze doesn't have time to really penetrate and season the meat. With this recipe you get the best of both worlds! It's mmm mmm good, and I don't think I'll ever buy a bottle of store bought barbecue sauce again.

I have a confession to make. Every time I used our grill (previous to this recipe), epic fails resulted. Every time. I have stomped and thrown fits and wanted to throw our grill on some train tracks somewhere. (Are you sensing my frustration here?) I would follow the recipe instructions exactly~ and end up with black lumps of coal for food. So I relegated all the grilling to my husband.

When this recipe came along, I made up my mind to figure out how to use our gas grill. No matter how many times I had to make it, I wouldn't give up. The third time was the charm, and this is what I ended up with! A whole plate full of YUM!

Gas and charcoal grills operate very differently and I"m not going to get into all of that. But I will share with you what I learned about using my gas grill. I finally figured out that I needed to let my grill temperature fall to the desired range after preheating before placing my food on it. I was placing food on the grill when it was still almost 500 degrees. DUH! Plus there is a lot of fat rendered from the skin on the chicken. I had a major grease fire in my grill at one point too. That also blackened my food very quickly.
Lessons learned: 1. Check the grill temperature. 2. Watch for grease fires. 3. Wait for the grill to cool some after preheating.

Every delicous bite is well worth the effort to learn your grill and have Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken on your dinner plate tonight! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Please let me know how it goes, I always love feedback!

This recipe adapted from

Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 to 50 minutes

Keywords: grill entree July 4th American spring summer fall

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Ingredients (4 to 6 servings)

Dry Rub

• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

chicken

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• (breast pieces halved crosswise and drumstick and thigh separated)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken by blotting dry with paper towels. Combine all ingredients for the dry rub and divide evenly in two separate bowls. Set one bowl aside. Rub the other bowl of seasoning all over chicken pieces and under the skin.

2. Cover and refrigerate seasoned chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.

3. While chicken is in the fridge, preheat your grill. Scrape clean and oil the grate. When the grill has reached a temperature of about 325 degrees, (low or medium low) it's ready for the chicken pieces. (Each grill is different, whether you use charcoal or gas. I burned three batches of chicken before I figured out I had to let my gas grill cool down for 20 minutes after preheating to come to the proper low temperature.)

4. Place the chicken skin side down and grill until the skin is crisp and well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Dredge the skin side of the partially cooked pieces in the second bowl of seasoning and return to the grill, skin side up. Grill, covered, until the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees for white meat, and 175 for dark. The rub will melt and turn into glaze on the chicken. Remove, tent with foil for about 5 minutes, and serve.

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Baked Apple Dumplings

These cute and sweet Baked Apple Dumplings are little gifts of love. A piece of home sweet home wrapped up like a present, just begging to be opened. Drizzled with cider sauce, wrapped in buttery pastry dough, a Baked Apple Dumpling is your own personal apple pie. Inside each dumpling you'll be surprised to find an oh so sweet filling in the middle. Trust me, if you present these dumplings for dessert to your guests, they'll be quite the show stopper. Talk about an impressive display of your homemaking skills! After all, the Seven Dwarfs were bursting with joy when Snow White said she could whip up a batch of these. And if you try them, you'll see why.

This recipe will be easier for someone who is comfortable in the kitchen and has made pies before, but my instructions are detailed enough that even a beginner shouldn't have trouble making these. The first thing I would suggest is making the Cider sauce and the pastry dough a day or two ahead of when you plan to bake the dumplings.

Just imagine sitting down to a breakfast smorgasbord with  these
 Baked Apple Dumplings as the star of the show.

This pastry dough is made from scratch, using a food processor to do most of the work for you, which is really nice. A combination of chilled butter and shortening are processed into the flour until the contents look like wet sand. This took me a good couple minutes, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides. My food processor is on the small side and a bit wimpy, so if you have a large capacity one it probably won't take that long. Just remember 'wet sand'.  Then, you'll combine the contents in a bowl with buttermilk (use store bought, not homemade clabbered milk) and mix it together. You should have a sticky dough. Dump it out and knead it on a floured surface a few times and it should be soft and lost it's stickiness. Work quickly, you don't want the dough to become warm. Shape it according to the directions, wrap it and put it in the fridge right away.

When I make the cider sauce, I keep my Pyrex 2 cup glass measuring cup next to the stove. While reducing the syrup down to the correct consistency, I periodically pour the contents from the pot into the measuring cup until it measures to 1 and 1/2 cups.

As for the apples themselves, use Golden Delicious, as suggested in the recipe. If you want to try a different type, be sure it's a crisp apple. Some apples, like McIntosh, can't take the heat of the oven and will just turn into mush. A strong apple must be used. I tried Ambrosia apples (which are my new favorite, and shown in the photographs below), and they were still hard after the recommended baking time. I had to cover the dumplings with foil so they wouldn't burn and bake for an additional 14 minutes before they were soft.

I used my teaspoon to cut the core and seeds out of these apples. Do you see the hole at the bottom of the one in the
center? No worries, I just plugged it with a small piece of apple.

The apples in this recipe are cored and cut at the equator. This way they are stable and won't wobble, spilling the filling. Use a melon baller or metal round teaspoon to remove the seeds and core. Be sure to remove stems, and if you don't like the remnants of the blossoms, you can remove them too. Just be sure to fill the whole with small slices of apple so the filling won't leak. I will sometimes get carried away with removing too much core and create a whole in the bottom. If you do this, no biggie, just fill it in with small bits of apple as mentioned above. No matter how fast I work, inevitably the first apples I have done are turning brown by the time I finish with the rest. Not to worry, it won't affect taste once they are baked. but I still try to work quickly anyway.

When I'm ready to assemble the dumplings, I have my filling already made and my dough just out of the fridge. Using some elbow grease, I roll it out cold on a lightly floured surface. Using a pizza cutter, I'll divide the dough into four equal parts. It may split apart at the edges, but this is okay, you can mush it back together once you wrap the apple halves. It's so much easier to work with cold dough.

To avoid the dough sloughing off the apples in the oven, lightly apply the egg wash around the edges of your dough square and make sure you pinch, crimp and smooth the edges together well. I'll even smoosh some thicker parts of dough (usually on top) to thinner parts of the apple (tends to be the bottom) for a more even distribution. Check the bottoms for holes in the dough. Don't forget to apply egg wash and cinnamon sugar to the tops before popping them in the oven! (Ask me how I know...)

Make sure you have some vanilla ice cream on hand to serve with these amazing dumplings. And please let me know how your experience goes with this recipe. I'd love to hear your feedback. I hope you find the end results worth the effort. Enjoy!

Equipment needed:  A food processor, rolling pin, small rounded scoop, and a baking sheet. Pizza cutter helpful but not necessary.

Apple Dumplings

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert apple pie American fall

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Ingredients (8 servings)

Dough

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
• 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

Apple Dumplings

• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, sofened
• 3 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
• 4 Golden Delicious apples
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and process until mixture resembles wet sand. You may have to stop periodically and scrape down the sides. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is soft and not sticky. Press dough into 8 by 4 inch rectangle, using a ruler to measure. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

2 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. In second bowl, combine softened butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture from step 2. Peel apples and halve through center equator. Remove the core with a melon baller or metal rounded teaspoon and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

3. On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into approximately a 12 inch square. Cut each 12 inch square into four equal squares. Working one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut side up, in center of each square. Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using pairing knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

4. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve with cider sauce and ice cream.

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Cider Sauce

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: dessert

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Ingredients (1 and 1/2 cups)

Cider Sauce

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine the cider, water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1 and 1/2 cups.

2. Off heat, whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over apple dumplings and serve. (If making this ahead, refrigerate after step 1. Follow step 2 just before you're ready to serve, warming the sauce on the stove top first while the dumplings are baking.)

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Easy Baked Risotto

This Easy Baked Risotto recipe takes all the guesswork and stirring out and puts the quick and easy in; while still keeping all the delicious creamy flavors. And it will still turn out just as good as if a seasoned chef prepared it the traditional way.

Traditional Risotto is a delicious, but labor intensive dish. I learned my lesson when I made some myself over the stove top. Whew! Thankfully I could employ my husband to help me stir so my arm wouldn't fall off. Was it delicious? Absolutely. But their has to be an easier way. Well, here it is!

Science comes to our aid, along with the wonderful invention of Aluminum foil. Uncooked Arborio rice is sauteed with melted butter in a large dutch oven for a couple minutes, and then all the broth is added in at once. Placing a large sheet of foil directly to the entire surface of the liquid and folding the edges over the pot keeps the steam from rising above the rice and drying it out. The foil prevents the liquid from evaporating and instead is absorbed by the rice. So you just pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes and it's basically done. Just stir in some cheese and parsley... and... voila! It's like magic.

I will tell you that I have altered this recipe and left out the onion. After cooking up several batches, the onion always tasted off. Like it didn't belong. I know a lot of Risotto recipes will tell you to use it, but I think the onion way over powers all the other delicious, creamy flavors. My whole family likes it much better when I leave out the onion. I have also left out the white wine, and replaced it with my substitute~ 1/2 cup of chicken broth with a tablespoon of the aforementioned liquor's vinegar (white wine vinegar). I like this substitution because it still provides a bit of that bitterness the wine would give, and also gives a broader spectrum of flavors.

I also love this recipe because baking in the oven allows me to cook another dish (such as a protein) on the stove top while the risotto is baking. You can serve a simple, yet fancy meal without the hassle.

Creamy Baked Risotto

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake saute side Italian

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Ingredients (Serves 6 to 8)

• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 and 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. With the oven rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring broth, water and bay leaves to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and keep warm over the lowest possible heat.

2. When broth is hot, melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the rice for about 2 minutes, or until the ends of the rice become translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup of broth and add to the rice and cook, stirring until completely absorbed, about 1 minute.

3. Pour the rest of the broth over the rice. Cover the dutch oven with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing down so that it rests on top of the surface of the broth. (Careful, it will be very warm. I would suggest wearing oven mittens.) The aluminum foil should overlap all sides of the dutch oven. Crimp foil around the edges and cover with the lid for a tight seal. Bake until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

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Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) is one of the best recipes for soup that I've ever eaten. Ever. The ingredients are simple enough~ and there's nothing fancy about the way you cook them. But when they come together magic happens in your mouth. Even thinking about it now causes some cravings; I'm probably going to have to make up another batch after I write this post!

This recipe originated from 'The Olive Garden' restaurant. It was so popular people started to experiment at home to see if they could come close to cooking up a batch that tasted like the original. In doing research for this recipe, I came across a few variations. This one I'm sharing with you in my opinion, is the most accurate.

The ingredients for this soup are simple, yet lovely together. Italian sausage, bacon and minced onion are sauteed and combined with chicken stock, potato slices, coarsely chopped kale and cream (half and half). I will admit: I don't eat kale very often, but this is one recipe that it is perfect for. Don't leave it out! All these flavors combine to create a savory and flavorful soup that you just can't get enough of. Seriously.

A few tips: I have written the recipe instructions so that you slice the potato while the meat is cooking on the stove top. I noticed that if I did it before I started cooking, during recipe prep, that the potatoes had started to turn brown before I got them in the pot. Just remember while slicing the potato, to take some time to stir your sauteing meet around frequently, so it cooks evenly.

Also a word about olive oil: In this recipe the olive oil called for is not Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or EVOO). It is the less refined plain old 'olive oil' as stated below. There is a difference. When a recipe calls for olive oil and you're not sure which one to use, check to see if it's going to be cooked. You don't want to heat EVOO. Yep Rachel Ray, I said it. EVOO is extra extra refined (hence the name) and is made to be served at room temperature. Because it's so refined, it burns at a much lower temperature that regular olive oil.  If you'd like to use olive oil to saute your meets or veggies~ that's great. Just make sure you have a bottle of 'olive oil' on hand to use. The smoking point is higher (the point at which it's the correct temperature to add your ingredients to saute) and it's made for cooking. EVOO is best in vinaigrette, salad, bread dipping, or drizzled over your Italian entree just before serving for an extra dimension of flavor.
Whew. I'll get of my soap box now :0) 

If I could jump out of the screen and tell you to try this soup today, I would! I love it and it's my new favorite. I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Give it a try!

Zuppa Toscana Soup

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Keywords: saute soup/stew Italian

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Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild
• 4 oz bacon, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, minced
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 medium russet potatoes, skins washed
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 cup packed kale chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 cup finely shredded Romano cheese for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Crumble sausage (remove casings) and cook, breaking large clumps apart, until sausage is fully cooked and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate or bowl. Remove all but 1 teaspoon fat from the pan. Add diced bacon and saute for about 5 minutes. Add onion and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Saute until the bacon is cooked through (not crunchy) and onions are soft, about 5 minutes more.

2. While the sausage and bacon cook, slice the potatoes lengthwise, and slice each half lengthwise again. Slice each portion crosswise into thin slices approximately 1/8 inch thick.

3. Add the chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sausage, kale, sugar, salt and pepper to the bacon/onion mixture. Bring soup just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Remove excess fat from the surface with a large spoon or ladle. Stir in the half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese over individual servings. Garnish with seasoned croutons if desired. Serve.

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