This recipe uses curry powder to add a twist to traditional stir-fry. Of course, I found the original recipe to be a bit lacking. I added some more veggies and tweaked a couple ingredients, then served the stir-fry over couscous. Try it over rice or egg noodles as well. The vegetables can be swapped for whatever is available/in season (or to your preference).

You can look for beef pre-sliced for stir-fry to save time, but slicing it yourself will probably be cheaper. Look for tender cuts like top loin, top sirloin, tenderloin, or even flank. Placing the beef in the freezer for 10-15 minutes will help firm it up, making it easier to slice the beef into thin strips.

Curried Beef Stir-Fry
adapted from Southern Living

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange), sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 large apple, such as fuji, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
hot cooked couscous or rice, for serving

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Season beef with sea salt and black pepper. Add the beef, working in batches if needed, and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high, add additional oil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add red onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2-3 minutes, then add bell pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes, adding additional oil if needed, then add zucchini and saute 2-3 minutes. Add diced apple, apple juice, soy sauce, and curry powder. Bring liquid to a boil and return beef to pan along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Toss ingredients, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, adding additional apple juice if needed.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked couscous or rice.

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew James would love it. The rustic, hearty flavors have a slightly southern flair, given the recipe came from Southern Living magazine. Of course, I made a few alterations to the recipe (the original version had dried plums, which just did not sound good!) and the results were a big hit. The biggest substitution was using kielbasa instead of Italian sausage, which worked out really well in the dish.

The main issue I had with the original recipe was that it used pre-packaged measurements in the ingredient list (ex: 1/2 of a 20 oz  package of bite-sized dried plums), which means you have to actually buy the package or put forth your best guess on the amounts. Given the economy, many people are buying in bulk and using simple measurements such as “1 cup” or “1/2 cup” would lend itself better to the recipes usability.

Kielbasa & Peppers w/ Couscous
adapted from Southern Living

1 cup couscous
1 cup golden or regular raisins
1 lb kielbasa, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow) thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Cracked black pepper

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in couscous and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Cover and let set for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in raisins.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Over medium-high heat, saute bell peppers, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 tsp sea salt for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add kielbasa to pan and saute until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed. Add diced apples and an additional 1/4 tsp of sea salt and saute 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together chicken broth with orange juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Add to skillet and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 2 minutes or until liquid has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and toss all ingredients. Season to taste with cracked black pepper.

Serve kielbasa and peppers over a bed of couscous. Spoon additional sauce from the pan over top.

From Cooking Light magazine, this is a great recipe to bring to holiday dinners that incorporates sweet potatoes and apples without being overly sweet or too dessert-like. Made in any casserole, it is also easy to transport this dish without mishaps. I added cinnamon to the recipe to add a bit of warmth and compliment both the apples and sweet potatoes.

Allow bread slices to set out for a couple hours to dry and make better crumbs.

Sweet Potato & Apple Gratin
adapted from Cooking Light

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
4-5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp melted butter (unsalted)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 slices dry bread, crusts removed
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine apples with lemon juice in a large bowl and toss. Add sweet potatoes, maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss and spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once half-way through baking time.

Tear up bread slices and place in a food processor or chopper. Pulse until small crumbs form, and add olive oil and nutmeg. Pulse to combine. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown (if needed, drizzle with additional olive oil to prevent burning). Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, allowing baking juices to thicken.

While I work on getting Soupified up and running, please enjoy this delicious recipe of a Fall favorite: Baked Apples. As a twist, I’ve added a variety of dried fruits along with pecans and maple syrup to make a tasty treat perfect for dessert.

Baked Apples with Dried Fruit

4 large, firm baking apples such as Braeburn
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 cup dried fruit, such as apricots, cherries, and golden raisins (chopped if large)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
olive oil
caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 450F

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, maple syrup, dried fruit and pecans. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove stem and core from apples, creating a “tunnel” in the center, stopping about a half-inch from the bottom of the apple.

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a 9×9 inch baking pan. Place apples upright in the pan and spoon fruit mixture into the center of each apple, allowing mixture to overflow slightly. Drizzle again with olive oil (to keep apples and topping moist).

Bake apples for 30-35 minutes, until soft and apples begin to “burst.” In a small saucepan, combine any leftover fruit mixture with caramel syrup and place over low heat. To serve, cut apples in half and top with caramel mixture.

This recipe is a combination of inspiration. Back when I worked at the unversity’s main campus, the buffet would serve “Sweetza” every Thursday, which is pizza with some kind of a sweet cream cheese sauce, cinnamon apples, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. It was absolutely delicious (I know for a fact that several other people would visit the buffet that day solely for this “apple pizza”). Recently, I read an article on Slashfood about the rise of dessert pizzas, pizzas made with chocolate, peanut butter, and other sweet goodies. It reminded me of the Sweetza, which really was a genius hybrid of regular pizza and these new dessert pizzas.

Enter Midnight Snacks. In the first section of the book 10:15 PM Past Your Bedtime Repast, the first recipe is for “Impromptu Pizza.” Basically, the recipe provides ideas for making a personal size pizza out of everyday food items such as flour tortillas, sliced tomatoes, and shredded cheese. After reading through some of the variations, I decided to try my hand at my own Apple-izza in the spirit of the Sweetza.

I started with a flat whole wheat tortilla and added a couple ounces of cream cheese mixed with a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of milk. Then I thinly sliced an apple and created a layer over the cream cheese, slightly overlapping the slices. Next, I seasoned with a small pinch of salt and cinnamon sugar. I then topped it all with a light sprinkle of cheese and baked until bubbly. Once out of the oven, I sprinkled with a bit more cinnamon sugar and cut into pieces. 

I served this for brunch, but it could also be a great dessert or appetizer to a meal. Be sure to cut the apple thinly so the slices cook and soften quickly in the oven. Cheddar cheese and apples are a classic combination, but mozzarella also works. I would recommend a firm, crisp apple like Braeburn or Fuji, or you could use a Granny Smith and substitute caramel for the shredded cheese and add some chopped nuts to make a delicious caramel apple pizza.

Jenn’s Apple-izza 
1 flour tortilla
3 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp milk
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded cheese
cinnamon sugar 

Preheat oven to 400F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, cinnamon, and milk. Stir until smooth and spread over tortilla.

Arrange apple slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping the pieces. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and top with shredded cheese.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and the edges of the tortilla are golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar if desired.

Allow to cool 2-3 minutes and cut into pieces.