Apple Cranberry Orange Crunch Pie

INGREDIENTS for FILLING



5 medium-sized apples, peeled cored and sliced

The zest of 1 orange

The juice of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup fresh cranberries roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg



INGREDIENTS for TOPPING



1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 rounded tablespoons of oats

3 tablespoons of melted butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon



MISC



1 pre-made pie crust

Aluminum foil



DIRECTIONS



Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.



Mix together all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Be sure to stir well and mix evenly. Pour filling into uncooked pre-made pie crust.



Mix together all the ingredients for the topping until the consistency becomes crumb-like. Sprinkle evenly over the pie.



Bake for 1/2 hour then remove from oven. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 1/2 hour.





Depending how thick you cut your apples will affect how long it will take to bake your pie. Obviously, the thicker the apples, the longer it will take. To test, I take a sharp knife and stick it into the pie. If the apples are tough, I bake it until they become soft and I can easily stick a knife in the pie.



Once the pie is thoroughly baked, remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool.

Brown Sugar Peach Pie with Coconut Crunch

Ingredients
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 3 1/2 pounds or 12 peaches)
1/3 cup regular oats
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold edges under; flute. Line dough with a piece of foil, and arrange pie weights or dried beans on foil. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Remove pie weights and foil. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Cool crust on a wire rack.
Combine 1/3 cup sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over peaches. Toss gently. Spoon into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Combine 1/3 cup sugar, oats, coconut, and butter; sprinkle over peach mixture. Shield edges of crust with foil. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire

Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients
1⁄4 cup flour
3⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced (2 cups)
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1⁄2 tsp dried

Preparation

1. Mix flour and 1⁄2 tsp each salt and pepper on a plate. Addchicken; turn to coat. Shake off excess.



2. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate; cover to keep warm.



3. Add onion to skillet and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add broth, vinegar, thyme and remaining 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, 7 minutes or until onions are soft and sauce is



syrupy. Spoon over chicken.

Bourbon Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 - 1-1/2 lb pork tenderloin

For the Spice Rub:
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the Bourbon Glaze:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp Bourbon (I used Maker's Mark but any decent Bourbon or whisky could be used.)
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:


Mix the spice rub ingredients (salt, sugar, paprika, pepper, mustard powder and garlic powder in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Pour the spice mixture over the pork tenderloin and rub into all its surfaces. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by melting the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and adding the minced garlic. Cook about 1 minute.
Add the Bourbon, sugar, mustard, cinnamon and cloves and continue to simmer briskly over high heat, stirring almost continuously until it is thick and syrupy, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper. It should be well seasoned for the saltiness to stand up to the sweetness. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Get a hot grill or fire pit started and grill the tenderloins over high heat, turning occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. After the surface is seared a bit, baste the tenderloin on all sides with the Bourbon glaze repeatedly until all the glaze is used up during the final 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. This will take 3 to 4 minutes per size, about 12 to 15 minutes total depending on the heat of the grill and the size of the tenderloin. The internal temperature should be close to 160. Note that pork tenderloin is generally fairly small and thin, so it can overcook quickly. Try to avoid overcooking to maintain moisture and juiciness in the meat!
Note: the smoky, sweet flavor of the glaze can be augmented nicely by smoking woods. If you want, add some hickory, mesquite or apple smoking wood chips or chunks to your fire shortly before cooking the pork. Try to cover the grill with its lid during most of the cooking to hold in all that yummy, aromatic smoke!
Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes under aluminum foil.
Slice into thin medallions on the diagonal and serve. If there is extra pan drippings and glaze it can be spooned over the meat.

Roasted Duck with Maple Rosemary Glaze

Ingredients

1 5 pound duck, washed and trimmed

1 large white onion, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary

1/2 cup real maple syrup

2 tablespoons pure apple juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, fine diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper



Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Stuff cavity with chopped onions and chopped apple. 3. Fold the tail up and bind the legs, sealing the cavity shut. 4. With a sharp knife, pierce the skin liberally, being very careful not to puncture the flesh beneath. Do this to the top and bottom of the duck to allow the fat to drain easily as it cooks. Failure to make enough puncture holes will result in a greasy duck, and no one likes a greasy duck. 5. In a pan, combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a quick boil. 6. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the glaze thickens. 7. Pour the glaze over the duck and cook in preheated oven on a rack, elevated from the pan, for approximately 30 minutes per pound. 8. After cooking, discard onion and apple from cavity before carving.

Alternate method

Save some of the glaze and coat the duck twice during cooking. Keep in mind, cook time varies based on the weight of your duck. 30 minutes per lb.

Alternate method

For a simple, tasty duck gravy, take 3 tbs of drippings and in separate pan on stovetop add 3 tbs of flour, heat and stir until blended. Add 1 cup beef stock and 2 tbs of orange marmalade. Bring to boil, and then lower heat to simmer for five to ten minutes.

Apple Butter Pork Roast in a Maple Syrup and Apple Cider Brine

Ingredients
2 (2 pound) boneless pork loin roast
seasoning salt to taste
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Maple Syrup and Apple Cider Brine



Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Season the pork loins with seasoning salt, and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish or small roasting pan. Pour apple juice over the pork, and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. While the pork is roasting, mix together the apple butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and cloves. Remove pork roasts from the oven, and spread with apple butter mixture.
Cover, and return to the oven for 2 hours, or until fork-tender.

Brine



Ingredients:
7 cups hot water
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons cracked black peppercorns



Preparation:

Stir the hot water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Add the apple cider, maple syrup, and peppercorns. Cool to below 45 degrees F. in the refrigerator.



Trim any excess external fat from the meat. Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl or small crock; make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down. Refrigerate the pork in the cure. The chops should take 4-6 hours in the brine; the tenderloin, 6-8 hours; and the loin, 1-2 days. (Bone-in pork can take a day longer in the brine because of the bone, which gives it a larger diameter.) If marinating for a day or longer, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally.



To test flavor of brined pork, cut a small piece off the meat, pat it dry and pan-fry it. If the meat is sufficiently flavorful, remove it from the brine, let it come to room temperature and grill. If not, leave it in the brine and test again later.

The Worlds Best "FRIGIN" Meatballs Ever

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon drippings or olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces ground chuck
8 ounces ground pork sausage
2 tablespoons red wine
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup minced green onions, white parts only
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained and tossed with olive oil

Directions

Heat the bacon drippings (or olive oil) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Season the sauce with the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Place the remaining ingredients, except spaghetti, in a large mixing bowl. Mix together just until combined. Form meatballs by rolling meat mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Place meatballs on a plate as they are formed. (Hint: If your hands are slightly damp, the meatballs will roll more easily without sticking.)

Place the balls into the simmering sauce 1 at a time. Allow the sauce to return to a simmer, and cook, partially covered. Let the meatballs to rest undisturbed for 25 minutes before stirring. When the meatballs rise to the top, stir gently. Simmer, partially covered, for an additional hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the sauce from the heat and serve immediately over cooked spaghetti.