Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Risotto

Remember back at the beginning I shared with y'all the joke Justin Wilson told about what is a cajun? Well this is an example since rice is used instead of oatmeal. You need to use arborio rice for the proper consistency, of course there should be andouille sausage as aren't many of us vegetarians.                               Prep time 15 min / Cook time 2 hours  (Total time 2 hours 15 min, Serves: 6)

Apple for the teach?

                                                         
Ingredients:
    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
    4 medium Granny Smith apples (diced)
    1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp ground allspice
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 1/2 cups arborio rice

Dark Brown, Light Brown & Refined Sugar

    1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
    or crystallized sugar cane juice
    4 cups apple juice, at room temperature
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    Sliced Almonds (optional)
    Dried Crasins (optional)
    Milk (optional)

                                                                        
                                                                         Directions:

The Finished Product

Star with coating your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, add apples, cinnamon, allspice, salt and cook (stir 3-5 min) or til apples begin to release their juices  Transfering to slow cooker add in rice stirring to coat. Sprinkle with brown sugar; add apple juice and vanilla.
 Cook on high 1 1/2-2 hours or until all liquid is absorbed. Cook on high 1 1/2-2 hours or until all liquid is absorbed.

Ladle risotto into bowls and serve hot.
Top with almonds and dried Crasins and drizzle with milk (if desired)
 
•3 Tbsp butter, cold
 •4 medium apples, peeled, cored, diced
 •1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 •1/4 tsp allspice, ground
 •1/4 tsp salt
 •1 1/2 cups aborio rice
 •1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 
                                                                    or crystallized cane juice                                                           

 •4 cups apple juice
 •1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional toppings
 •dried cranberries
 •toasted coconut
 •sliced almonds
                                  

                                                 
Instructions
 1.Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
 2.Melt butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Add apples, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until apples begin to release juices. Transfer to crock-pot.
 3.Add rice and stir to coat. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of rice. Add apple juice and vanilla.

Sweet and Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding

 

This is a yummy treat to have cook overnight for breakfast. The kitchen smells so good in the morning. It is a treat worth waking up to!                                                                                                                            

Prep time: 10 min / Cook time: 6 hours    (Total time:  6 hours 10 min)      Serves: 4-6

                                                                

Ingredients
 •4½ Cups cubed Bread (stale Brioche or French)
 •3 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
      (I like Grannie Smith's)
 •1 tsp. ground cinnamon
 •½ tsp. ground allspice
 •¼ Cup firmly packed light brown sugar or
      (crystallized cane sugar)
 •¼ tsp. salt
 •2 Cup milk or soy milk                                                                   
 •¼ Cup maple syrup

 •12 oz. cooked Andouile sausage
(crumbled)                                     


These next 2 ingredients  that are optional make
 it more like bread pudding or Bananas Foster                                                                           

• 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 
• One mashed or sliced banana (optional)

Instructions:
1.Lightly grease the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker. Press half of the bread cubes into the bottom of the cooker.
 2.In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar and salt. Add the milk and maple syrup and mix well.
 3.Pour half of the apple mixture over the bread in the slow cooker. Add in the raisins and banana at this time if using Gently press down on the apples to ensure the liquid is absorbed by the bread.
 4.Spread half of the soy sausage over the apples, followed by the remaining bread.

 5.Top the bread with the remaining sausage, followed by the     remaining apple mixture. Press on the apple to ensure the liquid is absorbed.
6.Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Spicy Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Another veggie I like is cabbage. I love that whole cruciferous tribe;  cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, collard greens and the like. Stuffed cabbage rolls are among my favorites. Here we go withe recipe:

Sauce Ingredients:                   

8 large cabbage leaves2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz)            
1/4 brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tb Worechestershire sauce
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tsp chili powder
Steam cabbage leave til workable. Mix the rest of ingredients let stand.

                                                                               Stuffing ingredients:                                                                                       4 slices bacon
                                                                                   4 Tb onion (chopped) 
   4 Tb celery (chopped)
   4 Tb parsley (chopped)
   1 clove garlic (minced)
   1 lb ground meat of choice
   1 1/2  cup cooked rice
   1/3 cup evaporated milk
   a pinch of thyme
   2 tsp Worechestershire sauce
  1 tsp salt (or to taste)
                                                   
                                                                                  1 egg beaten
                                                                                  1/4 cup parmessan cheese
                                                                                   (I prefer pecorino romano)

Fry bacon til crisp drain, crumble, set aside. (you want/need  2-3 Tb drippings to saute veggies) saute til wilted (garlic last in) put in ground meat cook til begins looses red color. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well if too much liquid in mixture allow to simmer til it evaporates. (few min) Divide stuffing between leaves fold leaf bottom up, sides/ends over roll to complete the package. Secure with toothpicks if need be, pour sauce (1 cup) into greased shallow baking dish (if you had excess drippings this is where you could use that) place rolls in sauce cover with  remaining sauce.  Bake in center of 350 degree oven (50 min) If rolls begin to brown too soon cover with foil. Spoon a little sauce over while baking. Sprinkle cheese twice using whichever fraction of the 1/4 cup of cheese you wish.Once before baking and a bit before presentation.

before sauce/ before baking

Cauliflower Supreme (Broccoli)

I'm a self-proclaimed Veggie freak so this recipe I came across I modified to fit my utmost favorite vegetable Cauliflower!  One of the first things I was taught to make was cauliflower with sharp cheddar cheese sauce.  This original recipe called for broccoli, however my thinking is that most any fresh/frozen non high water content veggie can be substituted.  I took the recipe that must have been complied for a quick side dish and made it my own as we are told to do with cooking most recipes.  I will give both the original then how I modified it.

Broccoli Supreme

                                                                   
Original ingredients and directions:
2 packages frozen chopped broccoli (10oz)
1 can cream of Mushroom soup                         
1 small can chopped chili peppers (drained)
1 envelope cheese sauce mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cook broccoli til tender, drain thoroughly. Combine with al but the shredded cheese. Top w/cheese with held. Bake  til bubbly (30 min)

                                                                         
  My variation ingredients and directions:

Cauliflower Supreme

Cauliflower (medium head)
 2 Tb butter
 2 Tb flour
 1 cup of milk
 1 medium Poblano (minced)       
1 bag shredded Sharp cheddar 
     (2 cups)                      

1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack (with jalepeno)

Take head and  break into florets, steam set aside in casserole dish. Begin Bechemel sauce by melting butter in pan when melted add flour bit by bit til incorporated. (cook for 1 min to cook out flour taste) Then add milk slowly stirring constantly. Sauce will appear to seize when first milk is put in but will loosen up as more milk is added. (continue slowly) I preheat my milk in the microwave for more fluidity in combining  the three ingredients.   Once combined, I add all the cheeses (reserving some to top), when smooth in corporate the peppers.  Turn in casserole dish, again, bake til bubbly (30 min)