Greek Salad

Its Holiday Buffet time at work :-)  I decided to take my favorite salad, Greek Salad.  I love the combo of fresh veggies with the salty feta cheese. Mmmmmmm good.

1 english cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 flat of grape tomato
1 small red onion small chopped or sliced in thin slices
1 cube of feta cheese, cubed
1 can black or kalamata olives, whole

1 cup of greek style vinaigrette, store bought or fresh.
     1/2 cup Olive Oil
     just shy of 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
     dash or two of balsamic
    1/2 tsp oregeno
    1 crushed garlic clove
    salt and pepper to taste
 
   mix all ingredients well and let sit for 1 hour or so for flavours to meld.

Combine all veggies and add vinaigrette about 30 minutes before serving so everything doesnt get to soggy!

   

Harvest Apple Pie

pple pie is one of my favorite things to make around the holidays.

I decided to make this one a little early.  I will cool it and freeze it for Thanksgiving.  I dont have enough oven space to do this on the big day. Maybe I should invest in a Turkey Roaster so that I can free up more oven space during the holidays.

I like to mix apples in my pie, i like the combo of sweet and tart

2-3 Granny Smith Apples
2-3 Jonagold or Cameo Apples
1/4 cup of flour
3/4 cups of sugar
2 tsp. apple pie spices
2 tbls unsalted butter
Lemon Juice for the apples
Prepared Pie Crust or Puff Pastry Sheets

I like to slice up my apples thin, then toss them in the lemon juice about 1 tbls to keep them from browning.

Then I prepare the sugar,flour, and spice in a bowl and stir to incorporate then mix in with the apples.  Set aside while preparing the crust.

I use a prepared pie crust, its easy and tastes just as good as the ones I make, with less hassle.  Prep the bottom crust.  Then begin to carefully layer the apples.  I like to fill the crust nice and full.  Then arrange small pieces of the butter along the top.  You can also melt the butter and add to the apples and spice mix.

Then prep the top crust.  I like to either use a full crust with little cutouts.  I use the mine cookie cutters for shapes like stars and moons to cut out the vent holes.  This time I went with the traditional lattice top.  Which I am not very good at.  This is one of my best attempts in a long time.

Brush with a egg was if desired and then bake for 15 minutes in prepared 450 degree oven.  Then I cover lightly with foil, reduce temp to 350 and bake for another 30-40 minutes.  If the crust is not brown enough remove foil and bake until golden and bubbly.

Serve with french vanilla ice cream and I am in heaven.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

We just got back from Maui.  I miss the islands.  The warm sun, the ocean, and all the wonderful fresh fruit and fish.  We came back to Fairbanks to find snow and minus 0 temps.  Booooo.  Winter is here to stay this time.

I thought I would make a nice cake to remind me of the Islands.  And my hubby loves pineapple!

Here goes

Topping

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick of butter
4-5 pineapple rings
Marachino Cherries

Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pineapple juice (i used the juice from the can of pineapple rings)

Melt butter and pour in bottom of the pan. I like the bundt cake pan, but any will do. Add pineapple rings and put the cherries in the center.

Prepare cake

Add all dry ingredients and sift. Combine all wet ingredients in a separate bowl and lightly wisk. Add dry to the wet ingredients. Use a hand mixer and mix on med for about 2 minutes. Poor over the pineapple.

For bundt pan, bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350. I have a dark colored non stick pan, so it brown to fast, so I pull the heat down to about 310 and bake and check at 30 minutes and adjust cooking time. For light colored or glass pan use 350. Round or square cakes should be done in about aprox. 25 minutes depending on size of pan used.

Cool cake for 5 minutes and remove from pan onto serving platter. Serve and enjoy!