Apples Galore

Well, its just about that time, people! Time to put the flip flops away and bring out the comfy boots, time to exchange your spring flowers for earthy mums, time to plan a trip to the cider mill and stock up on the seasons crisp apples, gallons of cider and dozens of sugary donuts!

Apples are plentiful late in the summer and during the early fall, and recently I found a wonderful article from Food Network Magazine about all the awesome things we can do with them; I'll list a few of my fave's today!

1. For breakfast, mix chopped apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup into your oatmeal.
2. Shake up an apple mojito! Shake 3oz. apple juice, some lime juice, some mint and some ice in a cocktail shaker- pour in a glass and top with ginger ale.
3. Fill an omelet with sliced apples, ham and brie cheese!
4. Butter a whole-wheat pita bread, top it with apple slices and cinnamon. Toast it for 10 minutes in an oven at 350 degrees. Finish by drizzling with honey.
5. Any MY favorite!! Make an apple s'more!!! Put a marshmallow on a gingersnap, microwave 10 seconds and top with an apple slice and another gingersnap.

Ginger-Almond Fruit Plate

What can be better than fresh fruit during the month of July when pretty much everything is fresh and ripe? Then add the fabulousness of coming in from the hot summer heat and sitting down to a plateful of crispy, cold, tangy, sweet fruit! MMMmm, delic!

Now, I'm kind of a weirdo and I don't really have a taste for certain fruits so when I made this I used the stuff that I like! You need to do the same! This is really just about the method of incorporating the gingery dressing and the crunchy almonds to a beautiful fruit salad, and at the end of the day YOU need to love it and whatever you put in it, i.e., don't use fruits you don't like! Duh! :-D

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• about 1 pint of strawberries
• 3 clementines, peeled & sliced into rounds
• 1 pint of blueberries
• -OR- whatever fruit you prefer, perhaps 1 yellow grapefruit instead of the clementines, 1 pint of raspberries instead of the blueberries, etc.

• 1/2 cup honey (local honey from a cider mill or farmers market is always best!)
• 2 Tbls. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger root; (peel about 1-2 inches of fresh ginger root and grate it on a fine grater or a microplane/zester seen here)
• 1/3 cup of slivered or sliced almonds, toasted (toasting the almonds is quite easy- place the almonds on a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing around frequently, until just fragrant & lightly browned)

Arrange your fruit decoratively on a plate, or just toss together in a bowl. Combine the honey, lemon juice & ginger in a small bowl, using a fork or a small whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit & top with the almonds. Eat, smile, then make comment on NICHe in the KITCHe about how much you loved this! ;-)

Protein-Packed & Fresh Veggie Tabbouleh

So a few months back I started my venture on eating more "anti-inflammatory" foods, in order to help my body become the best it can be in all facets of life. (Check out this post to review where this all came from...) Well, long story short, it turns out I needed another knee scope last week to see what the heck was going on with this knee of mine that wasn't healing from a scope-gone-bad from December last year. So to continue my "anti-inflammatory" journey and prepare my body for the outpatient procedure and long recovery ahead, I sought out some high protein and high fiber recipes to give my body a good fighting chance!

Why do you need protein, and why do you need more of it when you're going under the knife and/or about to need your body to really work well for ya? Well, think of of it like this; Your muscles are like a factory you are building- and the bricks to assemble the building are found within protein-rich foods. So you have to have enough of the bricks to properly assemble your building, right!? And when you're body is already feeling slightly defeated, it deserves for YOU to be on top of things and give it as many bricks as you can!

Well, I'm NICHe in the KITCHe of course, and I'm not just going to cart in plates full of meat to eat- no way! There ARE ways to combine really great, tasty, low fat proteins with other recipes I love, and reep the benefits!

One recipe I came across combined the basics of the popular Middle Eastern parsley salad, and the protein benefits of the popularly growing, grain-like, quinoa. And I must say- I'm hooked! All the veggies provide tons of fiber and vitamins, and the quinoa is awesome for protein & antioxidants! This is a very well-rounded salad and it really is perfect to go as a side to a piece of grilled fish, BBQ chicken, shish kabob, shrimp stir fry, summery gazpacho soup...well, you get the point...

(You'll want to eat this all up within 2 days or so, otherwise the veggies will start to get a little mushy)

P.S. This is totally Gluten-Free too, so safe for all you GF'ers out there!

Ingredients & Recipe: (adapted from Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Health)
Printable Recipe

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup quinoa (I like this Ancient Harvest brand)
• kosher salt
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• drizzle of olive oil
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced finely (skins are okay to eat)
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced very finely or grated
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely
• about 3 Tbls. fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1 tsp. dried paprika

Begin by preparing the quinoa; stir the quinoa and water in a small pot, add in a pinch of salt and bring up a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is fluffy & tender. Set aside to completely cool.

Meanwhile, do all your chopping of the veggies and combine them all in a large bowl. Stir in the lime juice and olive oil, and add the paprika.

When the quinoa is cool, gently stir it into the veggie mix. Chill the salad for at least 2 hours to let all the flavors merry together.

Muffaletta Pinwheels with Olive Tapenade

Mmm, I'm still licking my chops from this one (& I think Claire is too, hehe).

I served this "Big Easy inspired" appetizer at a Spanish Tapas couple's wedding shower a few weekends ago and personally, & it was my favorite! Yes, I mean, New Orleans inspired--which may sound a little wacky, and you might be wondering, "Spanish Tapas? How does that go with The Big Easy?" New Orleans is famous for more than just spicy creole crawfish, in fact, the area is filled with a "salad bowl" of cultures. These Muffuletta Pinwheels come from a Italian/Spanish-inspired "Muffuletta sandwich" that looks like this , which is typically quite large for the party I was hosting. So, utilizing a frozen puff-pastry sheet was what I decided to do to interpret the Muffuletta flavors for the Tapas shower!

Also, note to party planners: assemble these, bake them a few hours before serving, and then heat on a baking sheet just before serving- they will still be crispy and delicious!

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
• 10 slices of salami (I prefer Genoa, sliced thin)
• 4 slices of Provolone cheese
• 3 Tbls. Olive Tapenade a.k.a. olive salad (I used store bought, but here is a great recipe)

Bring the sheet of puff pastry out from the freezer about 30 minutes before you're ready to assemble to defrost. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees & prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

Spread the puff pastry sheet out on a work surface (like a cutting board), and begin to overlap the slices of salami so it covers the bottom portion of the sheet. Now, cover the salami with the slices of cheese. Finally, evenly spread the olive salad all over the uncovered puffy pastry.

Starting with the bottom portion, begin to roll the puff pastry up, as tightly as possible. Working with the seam-side down, use a sharp knife to to slice 1/2-inch slices. Carefully transfer each slice onto the prepared baking sheet, giving each some room in between to "puff up". Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until golden & toasty brown. (This makes about 15 pinwheels)

You Could Also Try...

• Like I mentioned above, you can bake these earlier in the day and then toast up in the oven before serving!
• Double or triple this recipe very easily for a bigger group.

Southwest Black-Bean Cakes

Alright foodies, I just got the hubster to mow down 3 of these vegetarian black-bean cakes in the last 12 hours! Do not pass this one up because you think a "veggie burger" is ridiculous, tasteless or only for those with a light appetite! These are flavorful and have awesome texture, and are filled with tons of fiber and protein. Serve with sour cream or a packet of Taco Bell sauce (like Mike did!)

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 2 cans (15-16 oz. cans) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, grated (about 2 cups)
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced very finely or pressed through a garlic-press
• 2 jalapenos, chopped finely (I used jarred)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. southwest season OR cumin
• 1 egg (lightly scrambled)
• S & P

Begin by doing all your prep work; slice your green onions, drain and rinse the beans, grate the sweet potato, mince or press the garlic, chop the jalapeno...

Preheat your oven to "broil". Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet, spray it with cooking spray.

Place a small pan over medium heat. Drizzle in a teaspoon or so, of olive oil into the pan and begin to cook the green onion for about 1 minute. Next, add in the garlic, jalapeno and spices, cook for 1-2 more minutes until everything is softened. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Now add the beans and a few dashes of S & P to the bowl. Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the beans, leaving about 1/4 of them whole. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the sweet potato & egg. Divide the "batter" into 8 balls, flatten each into "patties" and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 1-inch apart. Broil the cakes for about 8 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the cakes carefully, and broil on the other side, about 3 more minutes, until crisp.

Serve right away with a side of sour cream. To store in the fridge, allow the cakes to cool on a cooling rack and store in a Tupperware container between pieces of wax paper.

Spicy-Herb Baked Feta Cheese

Dear Feta Cheese,

I love you! I love you in a block or crumbled up. I love you all alone, in a salad and in a spinach pie (amongst other things). I especially love you stuffed in an olive to go with a spicy bloody- mary! I enjoy your saltiness and creaminess, and I especially enjoy how versatile you can be. You, Feta Cheese, make me a very happy lady when you're in town. Please come back soon, you're always welcome at the Klebba residence.

Love, NICHe in the KITCHe

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 1 (8 ounce) chunk feta cheese (I love Bulgarian feta the best)
• olive oil (optional)
• 2 Tbls. crushed red pepper flakes
• dried oregano, garlic powder and fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to about 300 degrees. Set the feta block on a small oven-safe dish. Drizzle the cheese with a little olive oil (about 1-2 Tbls.), and cover pretty liberally (or to your likings) with pepper flakes, oregano, garlic powder and pepper.

Bake the seasoned cheese, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until it is soft. Serve with a variety of crackers or veggie chunks.

You Could Also Try...

• Sprinkle whatever dried herbs you love on top of the feta before baking for a more personalized taste!
• This is a super easy appetizer to take to a party; do everything ahead of time except bake it once you get to your destination.

Sausage Shots

We all need appetizer ideas with all the upcoming holiday dinners and parties coming up! I have a girlfriend who requested I come up with something "meaty" to fulfill her family members before Thanksgiving dinner. I figured anything with yummy sausage, cheese and biscuit should be satisfying and this recipe is pretty inexpensive and easy to do!

Ingredients & Recipe
Printable Recipe

• 1 lb. Sausage, like Bob Evans Sausage Roll (Italian or Original Recipe)
• 2 cups of biscuit mix (check the back of your Pancake mix box to see if it has a biscuit recipe, if so you can just use that!)
• 2 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper.

Mix together all ingredients in a big bowl until well combined. Use your hands to roll up 1-inch balls, place on baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until browned.

You Could Also Try...

• Substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, even ground beef for the sausage.
• Set out toothpicks for family and friends to use to pick up the sausage shots.

Alert: Football Food! Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

So, it's homecoming weekend this weekend at my alma mater. The Spartans of Michigan State University will be kicking the pants off of Northwestern at the Spartan Stadium on Saturday!

If you're in East Lansing this weekend, be sure to check out all the fun festivities!

Bring this delicious dip over to the tailgate party on Saturday, but only if you're okay with people asking you for the recipe. It is so tasty and different from the typical "chip and dip" type tailgate foods. I tried this recipe shortly after I become obsessed with "bloody-mary's" on our honeymoon and wanted another "hot" snack to bring me back to my happy place in Mexico.

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• 3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boiled/poached and then shredded
• 1 (12oz) bottle of hot sauce (I LOVE Frank's Red Hot sauce)
• 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
• 1 (12 oz) bottle of Ranch dressing (you could use Bleu Cheese too)
• 2-3 ribs of celery, minced finely
• 1 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss together the shredded chicken and the bottle of hot sauce. Spread the chicken mix out over the bottom of a "brownie" pan (13 x 9 x 2 pan). In a medium-large saucepan over the stove, heat up and stir the cream cheese and ranch dressing until well combined and smooth. Pour evenly over the chicken mixture, sprinkle with the minced celery and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top, and continue to bake for about 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is gooey and melty! Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks, tortilla chips, pumpernickel rods, pretzels or another scoop-able food!

You Could Also Try...

• Sprinkle some extra crushed red pepper flakes over the top before serving for even more heat!
• Substitute low-fat cream cheese and/or low-fat dressing for a lighter appetizer
• To take to another location, assemble everything except the shredded cheese ahead of time, take the dish to the party and bake fresh!