Mel's Caramel Sauce

 

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions 

• In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir to combine carefully so it doesn't splash up the sides of the pan.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. During this step, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan, if needed.
• Increase the heat to just above medium and boil for 7 to 8 minutes until the mixture turns a dark golden amber color. The color of the mixture matters more than the exact time. It can go from golden to burned quickly, so keep a close eye on it. A candy thermometer will register anywhere from 350 to 370 degrees F.
• Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream, butter, vanilla and salt (do so carefully as the mixture will bubble and steam).
• Stir slowly until the ingredients are well combined and the sauce is smooth. If you feel any hard sugar crystals on the bottom or sides of the pan, don't aggressively scrape them up – just leave them be and stir around them.
• Pour the sauce into a jar or other container. Let cool until room temperature. Refrigerate for up to several weeks and reheat on low heat to warm for serving, if desired.

Notes

Double Batch: This sauce can easily be doubled. Use a larger pan and keep an eye on the timing; it will take a few minutes longer for the sugar/water mixture to get to the golden brown stage. 

How to Store Caramel Sauce: After the sauce has been made, immediately pour it into a container (so it doesn’t continue to cook in the hot pan). Let it cool completely before refrigerating. This helps prevent separation or grainy texture. Rewarm lightly in the microwave for a few seconds at a time before using.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

 

Apple Rhubarb Crisp   

• ▢½ cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
• ▢3 tablespoons corn starch
• ▢4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
• ▢2 cups apples (peeled and cut into chunks)
• ▢1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ▢½ cup packed brown sugar
• ▢½ cup butter (melted)
• ▢½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

1.                  Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.                  Combine sugar and corn starch in a large bowl. Add rhubarb and apples and gently toss to coat. Spoon into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

½ cup sugar,3 tablespoons corn starch,4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb,2 cups apples

3.                  In a small bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Bake for 50 minutes or until bubbly and fruit is tender.

1 cup old-fashioned oats,½ cup packed brown sugar,½ cup butter,½ cup all-purpose flour,1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4.                  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Use your favorite apple for this recipe. Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples are always a solid choice.
• Use gluten-free oats and flour to make this crisp GF.
• Baking time can vary based on the temperature in your oven. Bake until the top is a brown as you want it and the fruit is tender.
• Adjust the granulated sugar according to your apples and your preferences. If you want it more on the tart side, add a little less sugar. If you prefer sweeter desserts, add an additional ¼ cup sugar.
• If you use frozen rhubarb, make sure you thaw it first and drain off the extra liquid so your crisp isn't runny.
• Like a lot of streusel topping? Double the topping recipe for an extra thick layer.
• If you are serving the crisp directly from the oven, let it sit for 15-20 minutes before serving to let the juices thicken.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 98mgFiber: 4gSugar: 26g

Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.

 from Garnish with Lemon

Turkey Pot Pie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4YtUtLClvU 

Turkey Pot Pie Recipe - 1 stick butter (cut into pads) 1 large yellow onion (diced) 2 cloves garlic (minced) 1/2 c ap flour 4 c chicken stock 3 c cooked turkey (diced) 1 16 oz package peas and carrots (defrosted) 1/2 tsp rubbed sage 1 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 c heavy cream 2 sheets puff pastry (cut into 1 inch x 2 inch rectangles) 1 egg 1 tbs water Preheat oven to 415 degrees Heat dutch oven over medium high heat and melt the butter Sauté the onion and garlic until onion is translucent (about 4 minutes) Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute Whisk in the chicken stock and turn back to medium high. Bring to a simmer Add the turkey, peas, carrots, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and fold all ingredients together. Turn heat off and let sit 15 minutes (if the filling is too hot it will melt the butter in the puff pastry and won’t puff) Shingle the puff pastry around the outside of the filling and work your way into the center being sure to leave small gaps throughout to allow steam to escape Whisk together the egg and water then brush all over the puff pastry Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown Rest 15-20 minutes before scooping out

Bean Salad (healthy)

 

Ingredients

1x

2x

3x

Salad:

• 1 can (15-oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15-oz.) butter beans, rinsed and drained (cooked fresh beans may be substituted)
• 1 can (15-oz.) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2-1 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped fine
• 2 tomatoes, diced

Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar (either white wine or apple cider work well)
• Juice of one lemon
• dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 210 calories, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 7 g dietary fiber, 100 mg sodium, 4 g sugar, 0 g added sugar.

Directions

1. In large bowl, add beans. Mix in onion, celery, garlic, parsley, basil and rosemary, adding tomatoes last to keep them from unnecessarily breaking apart.
2. In separate mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Add dressing to beans and toss gently to coat.
3. Chill for at least an hour to allow beans to absorb flavor. Re-toss gently and serve.

Notes

1. 1 Tbsp. dried basil may be substituted for the basil.

Einkorn Poppy Seed Muffins

 For 12 muffins:

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose einkorn flour

• ½ cup (125g) sourdough discard (room temperature)

• ⅓–½ cup honey or sugar (honey pairs well with einkorn's flavor)

• Zest and juice of 1–2 lemons (about 2 tbsp juice)

• 1–2 tbsp poppy seeds

• ½ cup yogurt, sour cream, or ricotta (for moisture)

• 1–2 eggs

• ¼–⅓ cup melted butter or oil

• ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt

• Optional: ¼ cup milk if batter is too thick

Lemon glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tbsp lemon juice

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350–400°F (175–205°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk dry ingredients (einkorn flour, leaveners, salt, poppy seeds) in one bowl.

2. Mix wet ingredients (sourdough discard, sweetener, eggs, fat, yogurt, lemon zest/juice, vanilla) until smooth—beat vigorously for 1–2 minutes to develop structure with einkorn.

3. Fold wet into dry just until combined (thick batter is normal; avoid overmixing einkorn). Rest 30 minutes or overnight in fridge for better flavor and rise from sourdough.

4. Scoop into tins (use ice cream scoop for even portions). Bake 18–25 minutes until toothpick-clean and golden. Cool before glazing.

Tips

Einkorn absorbs less liquid than modern flour, so expect a denser, tender crumb—add milk if needed. For gluten-free alignment (per your interests), confirm pure einkorn suits your needs; active discard boosts rise over cold. Glaze adds sweetness to balance sourdough's tang. Store 3–5 days or freeze.