Category Archives: RECIPE

Mini Apple Hand Pies with Salted Caramel

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Happy 4th of July friends! In honor of celebrating our independence from those fun Brits who wanted us to drive on the left side of the road and favored the letters ‘S’ and ‘U’, I thought I’d share one of my most quintessentially American recipes. It doesn’t get much more American than eating apple pie and homemade ice cream. Am I right?

Kiwi+Peach: Mini Apple Hand Pies with Salted Caramel

These pies are the perfect dessert for cookout because you can just pick them up and pop them in your mouth. No cutlery needed. Plus they are precious, yea? Everything is cuter in miniature.

Kiwi+Peach: Mini Apple Hand Pies with Salted Caramel

Mini Apple Hand Pies with Salted Caramel

{adapted from Just a Taste, makes 8 little pies}

The Dough
1 cup whole wheat flour + some for flouring your work surface
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt {or sour cream}

The Filling
1 granny smith apple
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp caramel sauce
sea salt

The Wash
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Cube your butter and toss it in there. Go ahead and measure the yogurt but don’t add it yet. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour. Then mix in the sour cream and transfer to a well floured surface and knead it a bit. The dough will be pretty wet, so as you are kneading, slowly add more flour until it’s not sticky anymore. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle and then fold it into thirds. Roll it out and fold into thirds again. Then wrap it up in Glad wrap and stick it in the fridge while you work on the filling.

Preheat the oven to 450°F/225°C.

Peel your apple and chop it up pretty small. Put your little pieces of apple in a bowl. Douse it with the lemon juice and sprinkle with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Mix it up and let it sit for a bit.

Grab the dough from the fridge and turn it out on a well floured surface. Roll it out pretty thin. Use a 3 inch biscuit cutter {or a glass} to cut out you circles. Keep re-rolling it out until you’ve gotten as many circles as possible.

Spoon the apple filling onto half of the circles and top each with a generous 1/2 tsp of caramel sauce. {I used a sauce that came in a jar because I have had ZERO luck making my own caramel here in Germany. Something to do with the fact that their brown sugar isn’t real brown sugar.} Sprinkle with sea salt and then top with the other half of the circles. Press the edges together and then using a fork, really press them closed. Cut three slits in the top of each pie. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and water to make your egg wash. Brush the tops of your pies with the egg wash and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. When they are finished let them cool for a quick minute and then plate them up for your cook out!

Maple Baked Beans with Apple Salsa

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I think it’s high time I share my favorite baked beans recipe with you. No Southern get together seems to be complete without baked beans and everyone has a slightly different way of making them. I think that the apple salsa really takes mine to a whole new level in terms of taste as well as nutrition. I might go as far as to call these beans…healthy. {Or maybe not, there is still a good bit of sugar!} I can easily say that these are the best baked beans I’ve ever had. {Sorry Mama.} Give them a try this July 4th, and let me know if you agree!

Kiwi+Peach: Maple Baked Beans with Apple Salsa

Maple Baked Beans with Apple Salsa

3-4 slices of bacon {depending on the size of the dish you’re cooking the beans in}

The Beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup BBQ sauce

The Apple Salsa {inspired by Tupelo Honey Cafe}
1 granny smith apple
1/2 of a red pepper
1/2 of a green chili
1/4 of a sweet onion
1 tbsp honey
a dash of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C.

Put your bacon in a cold pan start heating over medium heat. You’re just doing this to render the fat, so once the white bit has become shiny and a bit translucent remove it from the heat. The bacon will cook completely in the oven, don’t worry.

In a medium bowl, combine your beans and BBQ sauce. Peel and dice your apple and add it to the bowl. Remove the seeds from the pepper and the chili. {Be careful with the chili seeds. Wash your hands with hot water and soap afterwards and avoid touching your eyes–ouch!} Dice them up and add them to the bowl. Peel and dice your onion and add it to the bowl too. Add in the bit of honey and salt and pepper and give it all a big stir.

Pour it into a baking dish. I used a 6in pie pan, but a 9×9 should be fine too {plus you’ll have room for more bacon}. Make a layer of bacon over the top and put it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes and you’re done!

{This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. That means that if you head over to Amazon from the link and choose to buy the book, a tiny bit of the money you spent on the book will come back to me for the referral.} 

Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

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Last summer the Kiwi and I took a trip to Amsterdam, and while we were there, we got some of the tastiest blue cheese in the world. Since the cheese was special {tastiest in the world I tell you}, I didn’t want to use it on just an average meal. I wanted whatever we were going to make with it to be excellent in its own right, but, at the same time, complement the blue cheese perfectly. And that, my friends, is how the idea for this salad was born. The dressing is the Kiwi’s brain child via a Gordon Ramsey TV show he saw once. He originally made it for me as a syrup for my birthday pancakes, so calling it a dressing is a bit generous, but you won’t be disappointed. The amounts of powder sugar and balsamic vinegar here are just guidelines. Feel free to be a bit liberal, it will reduce and thicken either way.

Are you like this too with special ingredients {or any product for that matter}? Do you ration it and only use it on special occasions? I ration pecans too because we can’t find them here in Germany.  We got two bags when we were in Ireland this past fall, but we are down to our last few nuts now. Sad day.

Anyway…

Last month, the Kiwi had a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam on his way back from a business trip. Instead of sitting around at the airport, he decided to head into the city and go in search of more of that blue cheese. Luckily he found it, so naturally the first thing I made with it was this beauty. {Obviously, we’ve made this with blue cheese from the shop and its great too.  I’m just telling you about the Dutch blue cheese because its out of this world and if you’re ever there you should get some.}

This would be a great addition to any summer cookout. It’s really simple to whip up and I promise people will rave!  {Plus you’ll get props for bringing a salad!  You healthy thing you–just don’t mention all the sugar in the dressing.}

Kiwi+Peach: Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

The Salad
mixed field greens {I usually use a whole 500 gram bag, but it depends on how much you like rabbit food.}
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped pecans

The Dressing
1 pound of strawberries {3 1/2 cups}
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Before getting started, wash and dry your greens and return them to the fridge. This will make them nice and crisp.

Start heating your frying pan over medium high heat. Wash, core, and cut your strawberries into fourths. Throw them in the hot pan and add the maple syrup. Stir it in and then add the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and then let it simmer away for about 3-5 minutes or until it is thickened a bit and the strawberries are soft but not completely broken down. At this point I transfer it back to the bowl and put it in the fridge to chill a bit so that it doesn’t wilt the lettuce too much.

While the strawberries are cooling down, you can assemble the rest of the salad. Plate up your lettuce and generously sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles and chopped pecans. Top with strawberries and eat up!

‘Merica Week

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Happy Monday friends!  Just because the Kiwi and I are about as far from American food culture as we could be this week, doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you hanging for July 4th!  I would never do that.  In fact, I dub this week America Week.
Kiwi+Peach: America WeekIts true that America is a melting pot–full of foods from tons of different cultures, but I don’t think its fair to say that it lacks a food culture of its own.  I can only speak from a Southerner’s perspective, but there are tons of traditional goodies that create many wonderful food memories.  Who doesn’t have some memory associated with biscuits, apple pie, grits, or sweet tea?  Even the Kiwi, a converted Southerner, loved biscuits so much that he made it his mission to perfect the fluffy, homemade butter biscuit. {He will be sharing his tried and true recipe with y’all on Friday!}

In honor of July 4th and it help you in trying to decided what to make for that cook out, here is a round up of our most ‘Merican recipes.

Blue Cheese Burgers
Green Beans {grilled instead of roasted}
Ice Cream Sandwiches made with Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Coming up this week:
Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Strawberry Salad
Maple Baked Beans with Apple Salsa
Mini Apple Hand Pies with Salted Caramel
and, of course, Zane’s Biscuits {famous in small circles}

…and here’s some Johnny and June to get your week going. Happy ‘Merica Week y’all!

Lauren’s Summer Favourite

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The Kiwi has lovingly volunteered to help me out and share a few recipes of his own while we are away on holiday. Today’s recipe was the first thing he ever made for me {before he even knew about my love of coconut}, so I find it quite fitting that it’s the first thing he is sharing with y’all as well! So, without further ado, I’ll turn it over to the Kiwi.

I have no idea what the original source for this recipe was—I appropriated it from a couple of friends I was staying with after watching them make it and then made it my own—so there isn’t really a name for it. This was the first thing I ever cooked for Lauren {having not yet located a supply of lamb mince in Munich to make my usual favourite}. Ever since then it’s just been known to us as “Lauren’s favourite”.

Suffice to say, this dish comprises a range of diced vegetables in a coconut sauce, served over pasta. As well as being extremely tasty, it features an agreeable spectrum of colours and feels perfect for a summer’s evening. If you’re feeling carnivorous, or you just have some leftover {cooked} chicken to use up, then you can stir it in at the end, but it’s really not necessary.

Kiwi+Peach: Lauren's Summer Favourite {written by the Kiwi}

Lauren’s Summer Favourite

The Pasta
200g {6 oz} whole wheat spaghetti
1tsp salt

The Sauce
½ a large zucchini
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
½ a large eggplant
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp whole wheat flour
½ can {200mL or 6 oz} coconut milk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Chop all of the vegetables into roughly 1.5cm {½ inch} cubes. Eggplant can sometimes have a bitter taste in the liquid around the seeds, so chop that first, place it in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt to draw out the moisture. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients, or even do this step half an hour ahead if you have time.

Preheat a large frying pan on medium-high. You’ll be sautéing the vegetables so that they cook quickly without turning to mush.

Separately, bring a pot of salted water to the boil in preparation for the pasta. Where I come from not even the poorest English Lit grad student could imagine life without an electric kettle and this job takes two minutes. However, in America folks prefer to eschew such cheap and easily-available conveniences in favour of heating the water laboriously on the stove.

The zucchini takes the longest to cook, so add it to the frying pan first along with the oil and start sautéing. After a couple of minutes add the peppers and finally, after a few minutes more, wash the salt off the eggplant cubes and add them to the pan as well. You’ll want to begin cooking the spaghetti as directed at about this point. Continue sautéing until the vegetables are soft, but not yet starting to break down. This process takes about 5-10 minutes in total.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour to soak up any remaining oil. Stir for about a minute, then add the coconut cream. Grind in the pepper and grate in the parmesan cheese. I recommend moving to Europe, where you can bind blocks of genuine Parmigiano Reggiano in every supermarket fridge. That doesn’t make a big difference to the recipe; it’s just something I like to recommend.

Continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. Serve over the spaghetti with a little grated parmesan and black pepper for garnish.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

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Today we are headed to Cinque Terre.  I could not be any more excited.  Cinque Terre has been on my must-see list since study abroad in college, and I just had to include it on our Tour of Italy itinerary.  I can’t wait to hike the famous trail, eat pesto on giant slices of warm fococcia bread, and hang out on the rocky beaches.

Apparently the fancy cupcake trend is ending. This kind of breaks my heart. I love cupcakes. They are probably my favorite form of dessert ever. It satisfies my sweet tooth, there are a million and a half different combinations of flavors {Elvis cupcake anyone?} so I never get bored, and portion control is built right in. What more can you ask for?

I’ll grant you, this is not a healthy cupcake, but every now and then you deserve a treat. So before cupcakes become so 2012, why not whip this up for that summer cookout you’re having next week? Folks will rave. I promise!

Kiwi+Peach: Strawberry Margarita Cupcake

Strawberry Margarita Cupcake

{yield 9 delicious cupcakes}

The Cupcake
1/3 cup unsalted butter {room temperature}
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
zest from 2/3 of a lime
juice from 2/3 of a lime
¼ tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp of salt
1/3 cup buttermilk

The Strawberry Margarita Filling
1/2 cup of strawberries
zest from 1/3 of a lime
juice from 1/3 of a lime
2 Tbsp tequila
¼ cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp coconut oil

The Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter {room temperature}
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup strawberry margarita filling

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.

Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Then mix in the lime zest and juice and vanilla.

While holding over the bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt to a wire strainer {or sifter}. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Begin with the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, then the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Don’t over mix it– mix until they are just incorporated.

To prepare your cupcake pan, line with the wrappers and either give them a spray with cooking spray or use a pastry brush to brush on a bit of melted butter or canola oil. {I did the latter because we don’t have cooking spray in Germany.} Once your pan in ready spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is springy and the edges are slightly browned. When they are finished, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

While the cupcakes are a cooking, get to work on the filling and the frosting.

For the filling, add the strawberries, lime zest and juice, and tequila to the bowl of a food processor and puree the mixture until there are no chunks of strawberry left. Pour into a small bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and cornstarch until they have dissolved and then add the coconut oil. Give it a hit in microwave for 30 seconds and then whisk until the coconut oil is incorporated. Pop it in the fridge until you are ready to use it so that it can thicken up a bit.

For the frosting, cream the butter, powdered sugar and filling together in a large bowl until it is a frosting like consistency.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a strawberry corer {or a knife} to scoop out the middle of your cupcakes. Spoon about a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the cupcake. Spread {or pipe if you want to be fancy} the frosting over the whole top of the cupcake making sure to cover the filling completely.

Then you could eat it as is… or you can decorate it! Top with a lime wedge or a bit of strawberry. Roll the rim of the cupcake in green sugar. Sprinkle with lime zest. Add a sombrero. Go crazy!

Sesame Chicken

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In college, my roommates and I wouldn’t think twice about ordering ‘Chinese’ take out. It was so easy! Our favorite place was just down the road, but of course we had them deliver it anyway. So we’d give them a call and 15 minutes later {give or take 5 minutes depending on if the dogs got out when the delivery guy showed up}, we’d be sitting down with our delicious, delicious General Tso’s, Mongolian beef, or sesame chicken… and a boat load of white rice… and maybe a egg roll or two. As good as it was though, we knew it wasn’t good for us.

About a month after I got to Germany, I started really craving some sesame chicken. The thought of trying to decipher German with a Chinese accent on the phone to order take out was just too much, but out of that moment of punking out came a wonderful discovery.

There are so many reasons to make your take out ‘Chinese’ yourself. Its not hard. {Okay. Its harder than it being delivered to your door, but technically speaking, its really not difficult to make.} It takes 30 minutes tops, it’s cheaper, and, most importantly, it’s so much healthier!

Kiwi+Peach: Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

{adapted for two from Slender Kitchen}

The Sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 cup chicken stock

The Rice
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg
1 heaping cup of brown rice
2 cups water
1 tsp salt

The Goods
2 chicken breasts
pinch of salt
a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp coconut oil
whatever veggies you have on hand {I’ve used finely diced zucchini and onions and broccoli all with good results.}
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.  Start heating an oven-safe pan on medium heat and a medium size pot on high heat.  Boil your jug too.

While all of that is heating up, grab a bowl and whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce.

Then we’ll get the rice started.  Measure the water from the jug and add it to your pot.  Once its boiling, throw your salt and rice in and give it a stir.  Lower the heat to medium and set your timer.  Cook according to the package instructions {usually 25-30 minutes for brown rice}.

In the pan, heat the olive oil and crack your egg.  Scramble for a couple minutes until its cooked through.  Put the cooked egg in a separate bowl and set aside.  Return pan to the heat.

Cut your chicken into bite sized bits and add it to a bowl.  Add the salt, pepper, and flour and let sit for a minute while you chop your veggies.  Add the coconut oil to the hot pan and add your chicken and veggies.  Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until the chicken has turned light brown.  Pour the sauce in the pan and transfer the pan to the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes.

When it’s finished baking, take it out and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serve the chicken over the rice and be proud you didn’t order take out!

Spanish Chicken

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We leave for our two week Tour of Italy tomorrow!

Weirdly, this week has flown by {usually the week before vacation drags, yea?}, but it’s probably just because I’ve had so many last minute things to get done. My to do list is two pages single-spaced! I can’t wait to get on the road and just relax!

Even though we will be away, we don’t want you to worry. We would never just abandon you for two whole weeks! The Kiwi and I have made sure that you will still have some great content in our absence. We’ll have new songs for your kitchen playlist, some great links from around the web, and loads of great recipes like this one which according to the Kiwi is the “best thing in the history of the world, ever.”

Kiwi+Peach: Spanish Chicken

Spanish Chicken

{adapted for two from Life is Great}

The Chicken
2 bone in chicken thighs and legs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper
zest from 1 orange

The Sides
1 sweet potato
1 red onion
1/2 of a large chorizo sausage {about 4 ounces/125 grams}

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Then wash the chicken and pat dry. Make sure it is really dry because we want the skin to crisp up! Put the chicken in the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the herbs, salt and pepper, and the orange zest then rub everything into the chicken really well. Pop it in the oven for a total of 60 minutes.

After you’ve put the chicken in to cook, peel and chop your sweet potato into 1 inch sized bits. At the 45 minute mark, take the chicken out and add the sweet potatoes to the pan then return to the oven.

Next, peel and chop your chorizo into 1 inch sized chunks. Go ahead and slice your onion into thick slices as well. At the 30 minute mark, take the chicken and potatoes out of the oven and add the chorizo and the onions then return it to the oven.

At the 15 minute mark, remove the pan again and using a basting brush, spread some of that yummy chorizo juice on the chicken and then return to the oven for the last 15.

When it’s finished plate it up and enjoy!

Roasted Green Beans

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Back in college, my friends and I would do what every other college kid does for spring break and go to the beach. There were a good number of us, so we rented this amazing ocean front apartment that had a pretty sick kitchen. After a couple nights of ridiculously long waits at pretty average restaurants, we decided to make use of said kitchen. Each of us made part of the meal, and while everything was delicious, the thing that stuck with me most were Jill’s green beans. “Really? Green beans?” you say. Really. While stupidly simple to make, they are simply out of this world. I bet they would be great on a grill too!

What about you? Do you like cooking on vacation? Part of traveling to me is checking out what the locals are eating. While I love going to random grocery stores and markets, when it comes to meals, we always search out a good restaurant filled with locals. However, this week The Kichtn is talking all about cooking while traveling, and I’m feeling a little inspired. Or maybe we will check this out.

Kiwi+Peach: Roasted Green Beans

Roasted Green Beans

Two handfuls of fresh green beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat the oven on broil.

Snap the ends off the beans and remove the strings on the sides. Wash them and pat dry.

Spread the beans out on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and garlic salt. Give it a stir to make sure that all the beans are covered with the oil and pop it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes*. About halfway through give them a stir. You’ll know they’re done when they start to crisp up.

*Time varies based on your oven. In the States, the top element in the oven seems to be very strong so it might be more like 10 minutes. Here it’s more like 20 minutes.

Veggie Drawer Pasta

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A big part of cooking for two is planning your meals so that you can use leftover ingredients before they go bad. For the most part, I’d say that the Kiwi and I do pretty well on that front, but we certainly aren’t perfect. Veggies are the hardest for us. We always end up with random halves just hanging out on the veggie shelf.

It’s always handy to have a couple super flexible recipes up your sleeve so you can just use up anything that is about to go off. This is one of my favorites for using up leftover veggies. You can throw just about any veggie in this and it’s going to taste great.

Veggie Drawer Pasta

{heavily adapted for two from Goddess of Scrumptiousness}

The Marinade
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
zest from 1/2 of a lemon
salt and pepper

The Tomatoes
15 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

The Pasta
4 oz whole wheat pasta

The Veggies
1 Tbsp olive oil
whatever you have on hand {I’ve had success with zucchini and bell peppers, but spinach would be great too.}

The Garlic Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C.

First we need to put our chicken in to marinate. Cut your chicken breasts in to bite sized pieces. In a small bowl mix your marinade ingredients together and toss the chicken in. Coat well with the marinade and put it in the fridge until you’re ready for it.

Slice your cherry tomatoes lengthwise and scatter them on a lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss on your rosemary, salt, and pepper. Give it a stir so that all the tomatoes are covered and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Take a break. Have a nice glass of tea and peruse Pinterest for a bit.

When the tomatoes have about 20 minutes left start heating a large pan on medium high heat. Boil your jug and start heating a large pot on medium high heat too.

When the jug finishes boiling put your pasta on. Cook according to the directions in the package {usually 11-13 minutes for whole wheat}. When the pasta is finished drain the water and set it to the side.

Chop the veggies you’re using into bite sized pieces and grab your chicken from the fridge. When your pan is nice and hot, pour in the olive oil and add your chicken and veggies. Let cook them cook for about 3 minutes on each side.

Now we’re going to get fancy with the sauce. Push the chicken and veggies to the edges of the pan making a whole in the middle like a donut. Drop in the butter and when it’s melted sprinkle with flour. Add your minced garlic. Slowly add your chicken stock whisking while you pour to avoid clumps. Stir your chicken and veggies in with the sauce and then let it simmer away for about 5 minutes our until the sauce is thick enough for your liking. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well. Plate up and top with the roasted tomatoes and some yummy parmesan cheese.