Apple Fritter Pull-A-Part Bread

Pretty soon it will be that time of year when I love to go to the apple orchards and gather up my favorite ingredient for baking. If you follow my recipes,  you'll find hundreds of apple recipes....like this incredible pull-apart apple fritter bread.  OMG….how can anything so easy to make be this incredible!  Now this is a treat that will make you forget your end of summer blues for sure!  I give you the choice of two different glazes because I like both so much I could choose which one I like better! 

Apple Fritter Pull-A-Part Bread

1 Pillsbury Grands Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits (8 in a can)

2 medium granny smith apples, finely diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small skillet over medium heat, combine diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Open your biscuits and lay them out on a cutting board.  You now want to either cut each biscuit in half or carefully pull each one apart in the middle to make a total of 16 rounds. I use a paring knife and cut each biscuit in half horizontally. You can use either method.  Flatten each biscuit half with your hands to shape and thin them out a little.

Add about a tablespoon of apple filling on each round of dough. Once you have topped each round, stack the dough rounds on top of each other in groups of four. Continue to do this until you have 4 stacks of four using all 16 dough halves.

Now carefully gather each stack of four and lay them in the loaf pan, arranging it so that it fills the pan. Don’t worry about making them even or that they are not the same size. They will all rise together later.

Cover the loaf pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for about 5-10 minutes. Then flip it upside down on your rack to let it continue to cool. While the bread cools make the glaze.

White Glaze

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup half and half or more if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla

Simply whisk together the powdered sugar and half and half a little at a time to get the consistency you want. I like my glaze thick so I don’t use a lot of liquid. Once you get the right consistency, add the vanilla and whisk again. Drizzle generously over fritter loaf.

Or for a real treat make the cream cheese glaze.....

Cream Cheese Glaze

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 15 second intervals until it is softened enough to stir it together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until fully combined. Drizzle over bread and enjoy!

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I LOVE MY AEROGARDEN!

 

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I have always cooked a lot with fresh herbs and I found them to be very expensive and hard to keep fresh. So last month I bought this Aerogarden so that I could grow my own. It came with little seed pods for basil, dill and oregano and all I had to do was add some water to the little tank and put the seed pods in the water. Turn on the grow light and within days they began to sprout! I was so excited! They grew very quickly and so I moved them to this little pots on my window sill so I could have fresh herbs whenever I want them. I just snip off what I need and they continue to grow.

 

 

But I wanted more herbs.... so I ordered more little seed pods. This time I got Rosemary, parsley, and cilantro. Now they are sprouting! I do nothing....other than put a few drops of plant food in the water once a week. And Voila I have herbs. So today I bought another Areogarden and I plan to plant more herbs and lettuce! 

 

Love this little gadget. Its on sale this week at Amazon so I just bought another one!  If you want one, please click on this link and you can use the Welcome Home code that helps me feed the homeless, both four legged and two.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKK8Z78/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=welchome08-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=3704a6a3b0d94eeb9cf61d144c1c391f&creativeASIN=B07CKK8Z78&th=1I&fbclid=IwAR2Ae4YR2rPN87b2Dbv7YB9DjzqQtNLqK6_49U0uK9bhasSEbx7fRS0LDxU

 

 

Steak Tacos

 


















Who doesn’t like tacos now and then. Sometimes I just crave these things…whether I make them with chicken or shrimp or fish, I always have room for tacos. This weekend I made steak tacos with an easy citrus marinade. I love this recipe for the most tender grilled or stove top steak tacos!

 

 

 

  Steak Tacos

 

 For the  Steak and Marinade 

1 pound flank steak, (or use Sirloin) trimmed of all excess fat

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

Juice of 1 medium orange (about 1/4 cup)

Juice of 1 medium lime (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

salt, for marinade and for grilling the steak

black pepper, for marinade and for grilling the steak

Canola oil, for coating the grill or butter for skillet

12 small corn or flour tortillas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toppings

 

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese              

chopped fresh cilantro

diced onion  

diced tomatoes

Avocado

cilantro

In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the olive oil, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Lay steak in dish and pour marinade over the steak. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 5 hours (do not marinate for more than 5 hours or the steak will break down and soften too much).

When ready to grill, remove the steak from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while you prepare any toppings and preheat the grill. 

To cook on the grill:

Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat.  Brush the grill grates with oil. Remove the steak from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Grill the steak for about 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once, until medium-rare. Move steak to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes (this allows the juices to sink into the meat), then cut the steak into thin, 1/4-inch slices, slicing it across the grain.

 

To cook on the stove:

Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add butter and IMMEDIATELY add the steak to the pan. Sear for 3 minutes without moving the steak. Turn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare to medium (or cook longer for desired doneness). Remove from pan and allow the steak rest on a cutting board, covered with foil, for 5 minutes.

 











  

While the steak is resting, warm the flour or corn tortillas. I like to double up on my tortillas but you can use one or two.

To warm the tortillas: place them in a dry skillet heated over medium-high or heat them on the grill for about 30 seconds per side, until warmed through. Or you can use the microwave and warm for 10 seconds.

Preparation:

While the steak is resting, warm the flour or corn tortillas. I like to double up on my tortillas but you can use one or two.

To warm the tortillas: place them in a dry skillet heated over medium-high or heat them on the grill for about 30 seconds per side, until warmed through. Or you can use the microwave and warm for 10 seconds.

Assemble the tacos: fill the tortillas with a few slices of beef. Sprinkle with cheese and any desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home

Classic Chicken Parmesan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is probably my favorite Italian recipe for chicken. What’s not to like about a chicken breast covered with a crispy bread coating smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese and served with your favorite pasta!

Classic Chicken Parmesan

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

3 large chicken breasts sliced horizontally to make 6 fillets

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Homemade sauce (see below) or Ragu Chunky Onion, Garlic

8 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded

1/3 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 

9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

 

 

Make your dredging station with 3 shallow pans or bowls.  Place flour in the first shallow dish. Place the beaten eggs in a second dish. Next, combine Panko, Italian crumbs, grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste in a third shallow dish.

Pat each breast dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper before dredging. Dredge chicken into flour and shake to remove any excess.

Next, dip chicken in beaten eggs & then into bread crumb mixture (press to adhere to chicken). 

Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken on each side, about 4 minutes per side or until golden (it doesn’t need to cook through as it will continue to cook in the oven). Once chicken has browned, transfer to plate and set aside.  
 

 

Place 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. Add browned chicken on top of the sauce. Top each piece with a tablespoon or two of sauce (I like very little sauce but you can use as much as you like).

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top each chicken breast with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. Don’t skimp on the cheese!

 

 

 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly and chicken reaches 165 degrees. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For The Homemade Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

14 ounces tomato puree

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 teaspoon sugar

Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry onion until transparent (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, Italian herbs and sugar (If using). Cover with lid to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.

 
























 

 

Serve:  Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over pasta.

 

 
NOTES:

    It’s best to use chicken breasts that are all approximately the same size so that they’ll bake at the same rate.  I usually slice mine in half to make them thinner so they cook evenly and faster.

 

    You can add as much or as little sauce as you like to the chicken. I typically spoon a little over the top, then put more sauce in a serving bowl for other that like more. 

 

      Use whole milk mozzarella cheese  but you could also use a fresh mozzarella cheese or fontina cheese. 

 

  You can make your own sauce or buy a 26 ounce jar of Ragu Chunky Onion, Tomato and garlic.  Or you can use whatever sauce you prefer.  I like Ragu Chunky sauces because I think they taste the most authentic to Italian sauces. 

 

 

 

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