White Bean Stew and Snowy White Cupcakes

I was feeling under the weather for a couple of days and needed some winter comfort food. I started thinking about white bean stew which always warms me up all over!  After spending two days resting I had to make the trip to the grocery store, why? Because I was running out of healthy fruits and vegetables and I knew I would soon be turning to my favorite friend milk chocolate!

Cannellini beans are buttery, hearty and delicious so I made a pot of White Bean stew. This stew calls for just a few ingredients. You can also make it with or without meat. I also made brown rice sautéed in EVOO and onions and cooked in chicken broth.

White Bean Stew Recipe

Ingredients

1 small onion finely chopped
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Teaspoon of salt or more according to taste
1/2 tsp of black pepper or more according taste
Fine red pepper to taste
pinch of white pepper
Tablespoon butter
2 cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed under cold water

Directions

Melt butter and saute in a 3 quart pot with onions, garlic and pinch of salt and pepper until soft. Add tomato paste and saute 1 minute.  You can add the rinsed and drained beans to the pot and bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes on low.  Check seasonings and add if needed.

You can also make this with small beef or chicken cubes that you saute with the onions, garlic. Add the water just barely covering the meat and let cook until very tender before you add the beans. Add rinsed and drained beans and let cook on low for 15 minutes. Check seasoning and add of needed. 

My friends Matthew and Dani were coming over to see if my computer was toast so I decided to bake some of my Snowy White Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting. The bean stew is so healthy, low fat and delicious that I didn’t feel bad eating one cupcake! The rest of them I’m sharing with my taste testers, my co-workers today!  

Here is a photo of My Snowy White Toasted Coconut two layer cake a special request from my sweetie Steve.

Make Someone Smile Bake Something Delicious!

Boudro's shares Guacamole recipe for your Super Bowl party

You will love this delicious guacamole recipe for your Super Bowl party! Boudro's Bistro was my favorite restaurant in San Antonio! They were kind enough to let me share this recipe with everyone. Enjoy!

Boudro's Tableside Guacamole
Boudro's Bistro- San Antonio Riverwalk

List of Ingredients

Juice of 1/4 orange
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 avocado, seeded and scooped out of skin
2 Tbs. roasted and charred Roma tomatoes, diced (you can get away with regular)
1 serrano pepper, roasted, seeded and diced
1 Tbs. diced red onion
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
Sea salt - to taste

Directions

Squeeze juices into bowl, add avocado and coarsly chop. Add other ingredients except salt. Result should be crudely chopped, not mashed. Add salt to taste (more is better).

Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves

It was difficult but I finally made these grape leaves with my mom so I could get exact measurements for the ingredients. It is lways difficult since she rarely measures any ingredients. Enjoy!  

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups long grain rice
½ can chickpeas drained, split and peeled
2 ripe large tomatoes chopped
1 bunch parsley washed and chopped
1 medium onion chopped
White pepper to taste
Pinch of cinnamon
Fine red pepper to taste
Black pepper to taste
Dried or chopped fresh mint to taste
1 Teaspoon salt
Juice from 1 ½ lemons
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small jar grape leaves in water
Water to cover grape leaves in pot

Directions:

Wash rice well and drain.  Chop all vegetables  and mix all ingredients together.  Wash grape leaves, changing water several times and drain well.

Wrap grape leaves by putting stuffing mixture by tablespoons according to the size you want in the center of one of the leaves (for appetizers small and for a main course medium).  Turn in the corners and wrap loosely. Arrange and layer on bottom of medium size pot and sprinkle with salt and cover with a heavy dish. Fill water to cover grape leaves and cook on medium heat until it starts boiling. Turn down the heat and continue to cook on low for 45 minutes to an hour until done.  

Make someone smile cook something delicious!

Anna's Mile High Apple Pie Recipe

Here is the recipe to my Mile High Apple Pie! I added a few extra ingredients and comments to the recipe and I think it is even better! Remember to Make someone smile bake something delicous for someone you love!!!!

Mile High Apple PieAdapted from the Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time Life Books, 1997)

Ingredients:

Pastry:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
10 Tbs. (1 ¼ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10 Tbs. cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
7 Tbs. ice water
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

You may want to double this crust recipe to have a generous amount for the top crust. You can freeze any remaining dough for a few weeks.


Filling:

2 ½ lb. baking apples such as granny smith and or golden delicious, peeled cored, quartered and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices
½ cup sugar or brown sugar, plus more as needed to suit your taste
½ tsp. freshly ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch or flour

Glaze for top crust:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. heavy cream or milk

Directions:

To make the pastry, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center, add the butter and shortening and, using your fingertips, rub them into the flour mixture until small, flat pieces form. In a cup or small bowl, combine the water and vinegar. Using a fork, gently mix just enough of the liquid into the flour mixture so it comes together in a rough ball; do not overwork. Discard the remaining liquid. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the filling, in a bowl, toss together the apples, the 1/2 cup sugar (add more if the apples are tart), cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and cornstarch or flour.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface (leave the other half refrigerated) into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and then into quarters and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. I prefer glass or ceramic pie pans. The crust seems to bake up crisp and not soggy. Unfold and gently press into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the edges even with the rim of the pie pan. Roll out the remaining dough into a 10-inch round about 1/8 inch thick.

Add the apples into the pastry-lined pan, mounding them slightly in the center. Dot evenly with the butter. Brush the edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough round into quarters and unfold over the apples. Press together the top and bottom crusts to seal, then trim the edges flush with the rim of the dish and crimp to form an attractive edge. Beat together the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl and brush over the pastry. Make a few slits near the center to allow the steam to escape. I would suggest you put a sheet pan under your pie while baking to catch any filling that bubbles over.

Bake the pie for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the apples are tender (and the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let pie pie cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Anna's Mile High Apple Pie

My first blog post is dedicated to my Mile High Apple Pie! I have tried over a dozen pie crust recipes over the years and want to share with you the secret to a delicious flaky crust.

COLD is the word!!! Cold everything! Cold Ice water, cold bowl, cold flour, cold butter, cold vegetable shortening and a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar. Yes vinegar. It does amazing things to my pie crust.  Check back for this crust recipe and many more recipes and tips in the days, weeks and months ahead!

Make someone smile bake something delicious!!!

Anna