Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Easy Apple Dumplings)

Hello once again friends and food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today is National Apple Dumpling Day so I figured I would bring you a recipe for some of the best apple dumplings I have ever tasted. Nice and crisp on top, warm apple in the middle, and gooey goodness on the bottom. It’s been awhile since I’ve had these and I’m starting to crave them as I sit here typing this out. I think the secret to making this insanely delicious is to make sure you cook the sugar/butter mixture until it makes a thick, rich sauce almost the consistency of melted caramel. I’ve also found that you can make these with peaches instead of apples and they’re still amazing. For the diabetics out there, don’t worry, you can enjoy this as well. Just cut back on the butter, substitute Splenda for the sugar, and use Diet Mountain Dew instead of the regular. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss any new posts.

Easy Apple Dumplings

• 3/4 cup White Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 Large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
• 2 (10 oz) cans Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
• 2 Sticks Butter
• 1 1/2 cups White Sugar
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 (12 fluid oz) can Mountain Dew

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon together on a plate or shallow dish.
3. Cut each apple into 8 wedges; roll each wedge in the cinnamon sugar, shake off any excess, and set aside.
4. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles; roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end, pinch to seal, and place in the greased baking dish.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the 1 1/2 cups sugar; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
6. Add the 1 tsp cinnamon and the vanilla to the mixture and stir to combine; pour the mixture over the apple dumplings and then pour the Mountain Dew around the dumplings.
7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (American Macaroni Salad)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for a classic, delicious, macaroni salad courtesy of the Food Network Kitchens. This recipe is fairly simple and straight forward but there's lots of room for improvisation if you choose to do so. One of my personal favorites for this recipe is to add a can or two of tuna and some shredded cheese to make a cheesy tuna macaroni salad. You could also add shredded chicken if you wanted or you can just leave it meatless. For a Mexican twist, try adding a package of taco seasoning, some diced jalapeno, and some black olives. Give this a try and let me know what variations you went with in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you do miss any new recipe posts.

American Macaroni Salad

• 2 cups Elbow Macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and drained
• 1/3 cup Diced Celery
• 1/4 cup Minced Red Onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained
• 1 Tbsp Minced Flat-Leaf Parsley
• 1/2 cup Diced Tomato (optional)
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. In a large bowl combine the macaroni, celery, onion, parsley and tomato (if using).
2. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, sour cream and salt.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
5. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Cucumber Onion Salad)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Apparently this year has been a good year for cucumbers so I’ve been acquiring a lot of the extra cucumbers that friends and family have been giving away. I’ve been making this cucumber salad recipe quite a bit this summer and thought that I’d share for those of you that may have extra cucumbers and don’t quite know what to do with them. I’ve had variations of this recipe that other people have made but I think this is the best one I’ve had so far. It’s super easy to make and is great by itself or as a side dish. This would be a great salad to make this Labor Day if you’re planning on having friends and family over for a barbecue. Just to clear up any confusion, the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of salt, it’s not a typo. I know it seems like a lot but trust me, it’s not. Give this a try and if you love cucumbers as much as I do you’ll be making this again and again. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss a single post.

Cucumber Onion Salad

• 4 Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 Onion, slivered
• 1 1/2 cups White Vinegar
• 4 cups Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Salt

1. In a large bowl combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt; stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt then set aside while you slice your cucumbers and onion.
2. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to the vinegar mixture and stir well to combine.
3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. (Taste best when left overnight)

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Apple Chips)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a simple, easy to make, recipe for Apple Chips. I’m a big fan of my food dehydrator and I often will make my own beef jerky or fruit chips. However, some people don’t have a food dehydrator so I wanted to share this simple recipe that you can use to make your own apple chips using your oven. There are a couple of tips here I can give you first before you start in on making these. First, be sure to spray your pan or use parchment paper or the apple will stick and you will have wasted your time. Second, I recommend using a mandolin slicer or slicing attachment on a food processor to cut your apples so you get a consistent thickness and they all finish at the same time. Lastly, the apples will not feel crispy until they cool down so don’t keep them in the oven longer than they need just because you think they’re not done. Timing doesn’t have to be precise but you definitely don’t want to burn them. If your oven won’t go down to 225 degrees, use the lowest temp you can and adjust your timing accordingly. Sneak these into your kid’s or significant other’s lunch to give them a nice healthy treat. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single post.

Apple Chips

• 2 Golden Delicious Apples, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp White Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
2. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a zip lock bag; add the apple slices to the bag, seal, and shake to coat the apple slices. (Use more sugar and cinnamon if necessary.)
3. Arrange the apples slices on a metal baking sheet that has either been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour then flip them over and continue to bake until they are dried and the edges curl up, about 45 minutes to 1 hour more.
5. Transfer the apple chips to a wire rack until cooled and crispy.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a wonderful recipe for some of the tastiest chicken I've ever had. I love to use my slow cooker, especially for chicken, because it's just so easy and it makes your house smell wonderful. Today's recipe is almost a double recipe since you get to make a nice sauce with the juices right in the slow cooker. The sauce itself is just amazing in my opinion and I love to toss the sauce with some linguini or angel hair pasta and serve the chicken right on top. If you really want to make a nice pasta dish you could add some nice sliced mushrooms or another vegetable. This dish is actually pretty healthy with its high protein and low carbs and tasty on its own if you choose not to add it to some rice or pasta. Give it a try for yourself and see what you think. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don't miss a single post.

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 (14oz) can Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Water

1. In a bowl mix together the oregano, salt, and lemon pepper; rub the mixture into the chicken on all sides.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat; brown the chicken in the butter/oil for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, and then place the chicken in a slow cooker.
3. In the same skillet add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic; bring the mixture to a boil then pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours.
5. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it to the slow cooker along with the parsley; cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice if desired.

Gluten Free Friday! (GF Spicy Pork Chops and Rice)

Hello again food lovers and welcome to this week's Gluten Free Friday recipe post. Today I bring you a delicious one-dish recipe that's healthy, easy to make, and packed with protein at 53g per serving. All of the ingredients, including the Old Bay seasoning, are naturally gluten free except for the Worcestershire sauce. Be sure that you buy a gluten free Worcestershire sauce for this recipe. The Old Bay Seasoning and Green Chiles in this dish give it a nice subtle heat but if like your food spicy then feel free to add some chopped jalapeno for that extra kick. Give it a try and let me know what you think and/or what you'd change or do differently with this dish. As always, feel free to post any comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren't already so you don't miss a single recipe post.

GF Spicy Pork Chops and Rice

• 4 (7oz each) Bone-In Pork Chops
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, divided
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 (10 oz) can Tomatoes with Green Chiles
• 1 (15 oz) can Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup Uncooked Rice
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp GF Worcestershire Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle the pork chops with Old Bay Seasoning on each side, reserving 1 tsp of the seasoning for later.
3. Pan sear the pork chops, about 2-3 minutes on each side until both sides are golden brown; remove from the skillet and set aside. (You aren’t looking for doneness, just a good color on each side.)
4. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for about one minute.
5. Add the can of tomatoes with green chiles, black eyed peas, chicken broth, rice, Worcestershire, and the reserved 1 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning; stir until combined and then top with the pork chops.
6. Bring the mixture to a simmer; place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for about 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 pork chop and 1/4 of rice

Per serving: Calories: 519; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 137mg; Sodium: 987mg; Carbohydrate: 48g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 53g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 175mg; Vitamin A: 4%; Vitamin C: 38%; Iron: 13%; Calcium: 2%

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Kafta)

Welcome everyone to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for Kafta which is a Lebanese beef kabob. The combination of flavors in this meat are really just out of this world and you will definitely have friends and family requesting the recipe. Traditionally the way you eat Kafta is to take a piece of pita bread and wrap it around the skewer and pull the skewer out while gripping the meat with the bread. You would dress these almost like a Greek Gyro by topping it with tomato, onion, and then either a Tahini sauce or Tzatziki sauce. This meat mixture can be used to make delicious burgers as well. Give this recipe a try for yourself and I promise you won't be disappointed. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you're aren't already so you don't miss a single post.

Kafta

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1 tsp Salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 6 Wooden or Metal Skewers

1. Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill for high heat; if using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
2. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended.
3. Divide the meat mixture into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long. (Alternatively you can make meatballs and skewer 4 or 5 meatballs per skewer.)
4. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.