Apple, Sauerkraut & Cheddar QUESADILLAS

 

I had saurkraut left over from my Adult Hallowe'en Hot Dogs and remembered making this years ago.  It has all the ingredients I like, it is easy to make, so I made it. And it was just as delicious as I remembered it to be.

Ingredients

1  Cup Sauerkraut, rinsed

1/2 Cup Water

2 - 9 to 10 inch Flour Tortillas

1-1/3 Cups Old Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 tart, juicy Apple, peeled and very thinly sliced (I omitted the peeling and used a mandolin to get very thin sliced

Directions

Put sauerkraut and water in a medium nonreactive skillet. Gently heat just until the liquid has evaporated but not so much that the sauerkraut begins to stick to the pan. Remove from the heat.

Gradually heat a large skillet, lightly sprayed with a cooking spray (I used canola oil spray), over medium heat.   Put one tortilla in the pan and immediately sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese over half of it. Quickly arrange about half the apple slices over the cheese, then top with half the sauerkraut, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle with another 1/3 cup cheese.

Fold the tortilla over the filled half and press gently on it with a spatula to seal. Heat the quesadilla until the bottom is golden, about 2 minutes, then carefully flip and lightly brown the other side. Slide the quesadilla onto a cutting board and cut it into halves or quarters. Prepare the second one in the same fashion.

Serve with your choice of sour cream, guacamole, fresh apple sliced or similar.

Suggestion: If you like, a little chopped ham tastes wonderful layered in with the other ingredients.  I haven't tried this but it sounds good.

Hallowe'en Apple Treats

 I made these with the kids.  They enjoyed making them and it is a healthy snack or dessert for Hallowe'en time.

Ingredients

One Crips Apple (I used Honeycrisp)

1 Tsp Lemon Juice

1 Pkg blanched slivered Almonds

Directions

1. Quarter and Core the Apple.
2. With a small sharp knife cut a lengthwise wedge from the skin side of each apple quarter, leaving the peel around the wedge edge for lips.
3. Rub the cut portions (all the white parts ie front and back) with lemon juice to prevent browning.
4. Poke 5 or 6 slivered almonds into the top and bottom of the cut out area to make snaggly teeth.

Swedish Apple Cake

I made this cake three times.  The first time it was PERFECT (can't find the perfect photo though, sorry).  The second time it collapsed so much in the middle that I didn't feel I could serve it.  This is the third time.  It was servable (is that a word??) but not perfect.   I think it must have to do with the types of apples it is baked with.  The more moist, the more collapsible.  I added this cake as I like it.  It is not too sweet, not too floofy (is that a word??).  It has a basic sponge type bottom with healthy apples on top.  I will continue to make it and when I find the secret to perfection, I will share it with you.

Swedish Apple Cake

Ingredients

§ 4 apples

§ 12 tablespoons of sugar

§ 6 tablespoons of flour

§ 1 pinch of baking powder

§ 1 tablespoon butter

§ 6 eggs

§ juice from 1/2 lemon

Instructions

1.     Whip the egg whites. Beat them on high and let them whip until they become frothy.

2.     Add 6 tablespoons of sugar, a bit at a time and mix until the sugar has dissolved.

3.     Mix the egg yolks with a mixer on a high speed until it becomes creamy, then add the remaining sugar ( 6 tablespoons), a tablespoon at a time. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture becomes thicker.

4.     Combine yolk and whites and fold them in with a big wood spatula, make sure not to over-mix. Add those 6 tablespoons of flour, a bit at a time, mixing really slow.

5.     The baking powder needs to be combined with lemon juice, so add a few drops of lemon juice to it, then add it to the mixture.

6.     Clean and cut the apples into slices. Add them to a hot skillet, add a tablespoon of butter and 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar, mixing from time to time. Let the apple cook until they soften a little and become golden brown.

7.     In a baking pan (with approximately 7 inches in diameter) place some waxed paper and add the apples. Then pour the baking mixture on top of them.

8.     Introduce the pan in the preheat oven at 350 F and let it bake for about 30 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a clean toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.

9.     Place a big plate over the pan and turn it upside down. Then remove the waxed paper, squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the cake and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  I used icing sugar as I had no coarse sugar, but it kind of melted onto the apples.

10.  This Swedish Apple Cake can be served just as it is or with vanilla custard.