Quick Apple Cheddar Biscuits with Spicy Walnut Butter

It's prime apple season here in New England. As I sip my (fresh pressed) apple cider, savoring every juicy drop, I am reminded of how very fortunate we are to leave nearby to several beautiful apple orchards. I won't buy cider at any other time of the year other than the fall-it's just not worth it and quite honestly it makes the cups of cider I enjoy each fall that much more delicious.

With our towns close proximity to orchards it means our local supermarkets are also bursting with local apples-oh there are a few out-of-staters... a few New York apples or maybe even some Washington state ones...but honestly I would never buy them this time of year when our local orchards are filling the supermarket shelves with their apples.

First up are Cortland Apples...crisp and sturdy, Cortland apples are delicious for baking. They are a cross of McIntosh and Ben Davis varieties and get their name from Cortland County New York. But I picked mine right here in Connecticut.

I made apple biscuits using diced Cortland apples. I served the biscuits right from the oven with a spicy walnut butter.

Quick Apple Cheddar Biscuits with Spicy Walnut Butter

1 1/2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup diced Cortland (Gala, Granny Smith or Rome would be fine also) Apples, peeled (about 1 apple)
1/2 cup fat free milk

Butter:
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the Bisquick, cheddar, apples and milk; stir together using a wooden spoon. Drop biscuits 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 7-9 minutes. Serve warm with the spicy butter.

Makes 10 biscuits

To make the spicy butter, combine the softened butter, walnuts, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

Here are a few other super serving suggestions:
Serve warm with sausage patties
Spread with a bit of cream cheese and a few sliced roasted red peppers
Use for sandwiches made with regular or spiced ham
Serve as a "crouton" in a butternut squash soup

Sweet Summer Corn with Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter

I don't know about in your neck of the woods, but here in New England the corn is mighty tasty right now.


I love trying the different varieties and from a color perspective I can't decide whether or not I'm partial to the all yellow, all white or mixed kernal variety. It doesn't really matter, all I really know is that I just can't have enough of it right now. I do have a pet peeve about shopping for corn though. I hate when people take the ears of corn and pull the husks down to examine the corn and then toss it back in the bin. There are other ways to figure out if the corn is worthy of your cart. Here are a few super tips on selecting the most succulent corn:

• Make sure the outer leaves are a vibrant green free of brown spots.

• Look for the silk nearest the corn to be a light shade of yellow.

• Feel the corn to make sure it is firm from end to end.

This time of year when corn on the cob is so plentiful at farmer's markets and in supermarkets, it's usually so sweet and tasty it doesn't really need anything additional-just husk, cook and go. But if you're having a special dinner or cookout and want something to make ordinary corn seem a little less ordinary, compound butters are the ticket. Prepare several varieties of butter ahead of time and let your guests choose.


Here are some super tips for cooking your corn:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the corn (husks and silk removed) to the boiling water, remove from the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Grill the corn right in the husks, just loosen husks and remove just the silk then place the corn directly on the grill cook until charred.

Remove the husks from the corn place on a baking sheet coat lightly with oil and salt then roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely chopped habanero pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; chill until ready to use.


Use about 1 tablespoon of butter for each ear of corn. Wrap any remaining butter with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. The butter would be great on grilled steak, you may want to substitute Worcestershire sauce for the orange juice though.

A Nice Big Bowl of Flax Spaghetti

Please don't tell my kids...but... I've been sneaking ground flax seed into their Aunt Jemima pancake mix. In fact, I've been sneaking ground flax into just about everything I can think of lately. I can't tell them. If I told them I put flax in their usual foods they probably wouldn't eat them-they would find some reason why it tastes funny and push it aside. So when they ask what the little flecks are in the pancake batter I just smile and say "oh, probably just the eggs".

They probably won't believe me, but I only sneak things into their foods because I love them and want them to be healthy. Flax seeds are loaded with cholesterol lowering omega 3 fatty acids, they're fiber rich, immunity boosting and brain building. They'll do it too when they have kids.

Well given my flax obsession of late, it should come as no surprise that I was very excited on a recent visit to Trader Joe's to discover Trader Giotto's (isn't that clever - they made it Italian) Multi Grain Spaghetti with Flax. I couldn't wait to give it a try.

The incorporation of whole wheat pastas into our dining repertoire has been a (sneaky) gradual process. I liken it to the process of switching my whole milk loving husband over to skim milk when we were first married-first the 2% for a couple of weeks, then the 1%, then the skim-all without mentioning it of course (I'm pretty sure he still thinks he's drinking whole milk and it's been 18 years). Obviously I can't keep switching the pasta a secret-with the color difference and all, but I have tried to do it gradually by serving half regular and half whole wheat. No one seems to balk too much and now my daughter even prefers the whole wheat to the regular.

The Trader Joe's Spaghetti with Flax was fabulous; it had a slightly nutty taste without being bitter like some other whole wheat pastas can sometimes be. It's packed with 6 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protien. It's a keeper.

In my recipe below the spaghetti is tossed with a browned butter, but if you prefer you may substitute extra virgin olive oil-next time I may even try flax oil. I chose to use Grana Padano Cheese for a change instead my usual Parmigiano Reggiano, but you can use whichever you prefer - a Pecorino would work well also.

Flax Spaghetti with Brown Butter, Basil and Grana Padano Cheese

8 ounces Trader Giotto's Spaghetti with Flax

2 cups quartered grape tomatoes

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

2 crushed Calabrese peppers (about 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted

4 ounces Grana Padano cheese, shaved

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to the water to taste if desired. Stir in the spaghetti, return to a boil and cook for 9 minutes; drain.

While the spaghetti is cooking combine the tomatoes, basil, crushed pepper and salt in a bowl.

Just before draining the spaghetti, brown the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the drained spaghetti and the tomato mixture; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts. Top with the shaved cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

It's all about the butter

It's difficult to say specifically what makes butter so good-it just is. After all, where would a pie crust be without butter to add a little tender flakiness? Would I really love lobster as much as I do without a small bowl of sweet melted butter to dip the claws into? Would a grilled cheese sandwich be as melt in your mouth delicious without a little (actually a lot) of softened butter slathered on before grilling? I wouldn't even think about eating warm, crusty french bread without butter.

Aside from just tasting good, butter is all natural-made from fresh cream. It's a source of vitamin E and trace amounts of vitamins A, K and D. But hold on, don't start eating it right off the butter plate yet; it is also a source of saturated fat, and like all things high in fat, it's best to use good judgement and control-you know, everything in moderation. Believe it or not though, we actually all need a little bit of fat in our diets.

While shopping at our recently opened Whole Foods supermarket the other day the Kerrygold butter caught my eye. It's hard not to notice the shiny gold package next to the not nearly as exciting cardboard ones.

I've been cooking with it and buttering bread with it for the last couple of days and I have to say I really like it. The butter has a deep golden hue and a lush, smooth texture-a little smoother and a little richer tasting than the butter we usually use. It was a tad more expensive, but I think it really added to the flavor of what I was preparing so I didn't really mind too much.


I wanted to use some pork tenderloin that was leftover from another day so I decided to make some pressed Cuban sandwiches. The pork was just pan roasted in a little butter and olive oil with salt and pepper. Typically though, the pork in a Cuban sandwich has been marinated in a garlicky mojo before roasting. So in order to impart some of that flavor into my already cooked pork, I decided to make what I will call a "mojo butter" and I slathered it on the inside of the sandwich before grilling. I thought the results were great...here's the recipe:


Cuban Pressed Sandwiches with Mojo Butter




Butter:
2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter, room temperature
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely chopped
pinch of oregano
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Sandwiches:
2 Cuban style rolls or Hoagie style rolls, split
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices baked ham, thinly sliced
4 slices pork tenderloin, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 sandwich sliced dill pickles
2 tablespoons canola oil


To make the mojo butter, in a small bowl stir together the butter, garlic, orange and lime zest, oregano, salt and pepper.


Slather the mojo butter on the cut sides of the rolls. Layer the bottom half of each roll with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 2 slices baked ham, 2 pickle slices and 2 slices of pork tenderloin. Top with the remaining roll halves.


Heat the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and immediately press down with either a sandwich press, foil wrapped brick or a cast iron pan. Cook 6-8 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

I heart butter!