It happened again…we made a little dessert this past weekend. We had 1 leftover apple and my husband was like “let’s turn it into dessert!” So after a recipe hunt, we decided on making this caramel apple bread pudding. This recipe was just to die for and so easy to put together. Instead of using the caramel bourbon vanilla sauce she used with her recipe, we made our own caramel. Also, we made a 1/3 recipe so it was just 2 servings and cooked in one dish (not the individual ramekins Martha used).

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
from Martha Stewart Living, November, 1998

2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and cut into matchsticks
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 day-old 8-ounce loaf brioche
1 1/4 C heavy cream
3 large eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
2 Tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
Caramel Bourbon Vanilla Sauce (we substituted this easy caramel sauce recipe)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place apples in a small bowl, and toss with lemon juice; set aside. Butter six 8-ounce ramekins or custard cups; place in a roasting pan. Cut brioche into eight slices, then quarter each slice; set brioche aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and nutmeg. Add brioche, and toss to coat.

Place 1 tablespoon caramel sauce into each ramekin. Add approximately 1/3 cup apple mixture, then 1/3 cup bread mixture. Add a second layer of sauce, apple, and bread.

Carefully place the roasting pan on the center oven rack. Fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1/2 inch of ramekin tops. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Cook 20 minutes. Remove foil; cook 20 minutes more. Remove roasting pan from the oven, and transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Using a towel, invert ramekins onto serving platter. Serve warm with remaining caramel sauce on the side.

One of my favorite dinner side dishes to make is Roasted Roots. It’s so simple, delicious, and satisfying. My dad came up with this “recipe” years ago and when I first moved in with my hubby and we started cooking together I asked my dad how to make it. His answer was simple: “Cut up your favorite root vegetables, coat them in a little olive oil, then season them with thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, and s&p.” When I asked how much of each spice to use, he just said to “use more than you think is appropriate.” Hysterical answer, but totally true.

We made this for dinner just last night and I thought it was about time I shared this “recipe” with you!

For root vegetables we use sweet potatoes, turnip, onions, carrots but really any root vegetable you like will work. Cut vegetables into 1-inch cubes. Slice onions into wedges. Coat with olive oil, herbs, and s&p. Cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. You may want to crank to a broil for the last 5 or 10 mins if you like them to get a little crunchy.

Enjoy!

Who doesn’t love tomato soup? There is no better match to a grilled cheese sandwich!

We made Gwyneth’s tomato soup a few weeks ago and it was delish. You slow roast tomatoes ahead of time and then add them to the soup at the end so the soup ends up being a little bit chunky, which I loved. We snazzed up the meal and served with a little toasted bread sprinkled with cheese and placed under the broiler to melt the cheese. So. Good.

We made it “creamy” by adding a little bit of milk at the end.

Enjoy!

Taco night is a universally loved meal for dinner, wouldn’t you agree? So on a recent ski trip long weekend when we were trying to think of something to make for a group dinner, we thought – tacos! But, instead of the typical “seasoning pack mixed with ground beef,” we decided to make beef barbacoa from scratch.