Free Cookbooks

I do have recipes in the queue to be posted, I just haven't had time to 'pretty them up' and get the photos from boyfriend's camera.

What I do have for you, however, is a fun fact.  Amazon has free cookbooks! Whether you have a kindle, iPhone, iPad or simply a PC, you can download these free e-books with a variety of recipes (ranging from delicious to downright strange).  Amazon.com  can provide you with details about how to get set up with the kindle app on various platforms, but to get the free e-books all you need is an account (which is free to create).

I thought to share this, since today I came across an old (1894) cookbook for Sandwiches, of all things. It seemed appropriate.

So check it out.

Sandwiches by Sarah Tyson Heston Rorer (1894)

Applesauce

Apple Sauce is maybe one of the easiest things you can learn to make, and trust me, it tastes a million times better homemade than it does store bought.  Of course, when it comes to applesauce there are a million different ways to make it - cinnamon? sugar? lemon? butter?  Do you want a sweet treat or a sauce for a savoury dish?

Well, it all starts with a basic recipe. Here's what I made today, but keep in mind since this is one of those 'season to taste' dishes, it easily scales up.

Applesauce
5 red delicious apples
1 T brown sugar
1 t cinammon

1. Wash, peel, slice (quarter) and core apples.
2. Place apple in a large sauce pan and cover with water.
3. Bring to boil, simmer on med-high ~20 minutes, or until soft (test with a fork).
4. Drain apples and spoon into food processor.
5. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, whiz until smooth.

5 apples will make you around 1 1/2 cups of apple sauce. I highly recommend making a bigger batch, because fresh applesauce is one of the most delicious things in the world. However, I bought a bag of 99c/kg red delicious apples and ended up using all I had left for this batch.

This is the most basic recipe. You can switch out the apples (although I really do think any variety of red apples is best, but it depends on what's local, what's in season, and what you like).  Adding fresh squeezed lemon juice makes it a little tart, and you can add more sugar to adjust to your preferred level of sweetness. Ginger is a delicious additive to your apple sauce. 

If you have a food mill (who does!) you can skip peeling and coring the apples before you simmer them, when you process them through the food mill, you end up with a beautiful pink colour and it also keeps more of the nutrients since they live just under the skin. 

Easy Pasta Salad

We do meat-free Monday every week, and we get a bit bored of the easy option, which is spaghetti with lots of vegetables, so sometimes we like to try new things.  This week's new thing is... pasta salad. Easy, tasty, and moderately healthy! That's a great choice all around.

Pasta Salad
2 cups pasta (uncooked)
1 red pepper
2 green onions/shallots
1/4 - 1/2 cup italian salad dressing

1. Cook pasta in salted water until desired level of done-ness (I went for al dente).
2. Rinse and then finely chop red pepper and green onion.
3. Drain cooked pasta and tip into a large tupperware dish (or bowl).
4. Add red pepper and onion, pour in salad dressing and toss to coat. 
5. Let cool for 10-15 minutes then refrigerate.
6. Best if refrigerated for several hours or overnight.

I feel like I need one of those Staples buttons. "That was easy!".  We're having this as a side, not sure what to do as a main dish yet.

Also in the kitchen this weekend, we've got banana muffins and sour cream coffee cake. It smells delicious in here!