Recipe: Apple Turnovers

Here is another recipe to celebrate fall! Don't let the recipe intimidate you - the crust uses a basic pie crust recipe that you would use to make any pie. Any type of apple will do for this recipe, but I found baking apples at the farmers' market. They turned out to be perfect - my husband gobbled them right up!

Ingredients for Crust:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
16 TBS. cold butter
6-8 TBS. ice water

Ingredients for Filling:
5-6 apples
3 TBS. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 TBS. flour

To make the crust, mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in cold butter until it's broken up into small pieces.

Add in ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just starts to stick together. The amount you'll need depends on the climate and the weather and what mood your dog is in that day. I think when I made this batch I ended up using about 10 tablespoons. Gently knead the dough, just a couple of times. Cut out two pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle them with a little flour.

Divide the dough into two balls and wrap each one in the plastic wrap. Set them in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour.

After the time has elapsed, roll out each dough ball on a floured surface. It may seem dry, so be patient and take your time with it.

I found a mini pie press which I used to cut out individual crusts. If you don't have a mini pie press, you can just cut around a large cup or a bowl. Set the crusts on a baking sheet or mat, and put them back in the fridge until the filling is made.

Now it is time to make the filling. Gather all of the ingredients.

Cut up all of the apples into small chunks, removing the stems and seeds.

In a large pot, melt the butter, and throw in the chopped apples. Cook for two minutes.

Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir for another minute.

Stir in the flour and cook for five minutes. The compote will thicken up.

Take the crusts out of the fridge. Put some of the filling on one side of the dough circle.

Fold the dough in half using either the pie press or your fingers. If there is too much filling, it will squeeze out of the crusts.

After all the turnovers are filled, you can brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake them in a 400° oven for 18-20 minutes.

As you can see, I overfilled most of mine, but that's okay. This one was the best looking.

If you like apples, you will definitely enjoy these turnovers. They are even great when they are cold, and saved nicely in the fridge for a week.

Printable: Apple Turnovers

Today's Farmers' Market Finds

Fall has come in more ways than one! In the last two weeks, the temperature has dropped from an average of 110° to an average of 80°, and fall produce started showing up! Squash and sweet potatoes were the first to arrive, but there is more coming every week! Here is what I found today:

pumpkin

apples

onion

pears

red potatoes

small tomatoes

raw honey

bee pollen

homemade brownies

homemade potpourri

If you haven't tried the homemade items at your local farmers' market, then check them out. These brownies are some of the best I've ever had, and I'm seriously addicted to them! I find that with many of the homemade foods, I'm getting the quality I would expect if I made it myself, but it saves me from doing the work! :)

Recipe: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

As soon as the air begins to smell like fall, I get really excited about all the baking possibilities. I love all things pumpkin, but one of my favorites is pumpkin bread. Here is my recipe for whole wheat pumpkin bread, which is hearty and delicious for those chilly fall days.

Ingredients:
3 c. whole wheat pastry flour (about 2 ½ c. soft white wheat berries)
1 TBS. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cardamom
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. applesauce
1 c. sugar
½ c. raw honey
2 c. pumpkin puree (or one 15-oz. can)

Use the pastry setting of a grain mill to make fresh whole wheat pastry flour.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla, applesauce, sugar, and raw honey.

Combine the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Then, add the pumpkin and stir well.

Divide the batter between two 9x5" loaf pans.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick to be sure it comes out clean.

Cool the bread for 5 minutes in the pans, and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. At this point you can also slice and enjoy it while it's still warm!

This recipe makes about 24 muffins, if you want to do that instead. The bread and muffins freeze well!

Printable: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Artisana Nut Butters Giveaway! (ENDED)

This next giveaway is for Artisana Organic Foods! Artisana makes 100% raw and organic nut butters. I was introduced to this company when I found their coconut butter at a natural foods store. I'd never had coconut butter before, so I had to try it. It turns out you can use coconut butter in many similar ways that you would use butter. I put it on a whole wheat tortilla, and the coconut butter took something plain and ordinary and put it over the top.

I learned that Artisana makes more than coconut butter and coconut oil. They make nut butters of all kinds, and they sent me some samples to try. Believe it or not, I'd never had any nut butter before besides peanut butter, so I was in for a whole new experience! The first one I tried was the Cacao Bliss. This flavor is a cacao coconut butter slightly sweetened with agave syrup. I spread it on a piece of toast. I won't say it's like Nutella, because it's not. It's slightly bitter, but bitter in a good sense - like dark chocolate bitter. It was a great treat for breakfast!

I tried the other samples, and every one was smooth and creamy. They are great alternatives to your everyday peanut butter. One of my favorites was the cashew butter, which is slighly sweet and so creamy that it nearly melted in my mouth.

All Artisana nut butters are 100% certified organic and raw. They are vegan friendly, and made in a facility that does not process gluten, dairy, or soy. These nut butters are a healthy addition to your snack or meal - there is no added sugar, and nut butters are a great source of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber! Artisana flavors include:

Almond Butter

Walnut Butter

Tahini Butter

Cashini Butter

Macadamia Butter

Pecan Butter

Cashew Butter

Cacao Bliss

Coconut Butter

Coconut Oil

The Prize:

(1) each flavor of the squeeze packs

(1) 8 oz. jar in flavor of your choice

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment here telling me what flavor(s) you want to try!

Extra Entries:

1. 'Like' me on Facebook, and leave a comment here telling me that you do.

2. 'Follow' me on Twitter, and leave a comment here telling me that you do.

3. Tell people about this giveaway on your Facebook page, making sure to link to my website, and leave a comment here telling me that you did.

4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, making sure to link to my website, and leave a comment here telling me that you did.

5. 'Like' Artisana on Facebook, and leave a comment on their page telling them that An Organic Wife sent you, and leave a comment here telling me that you did.

Rules:

This contest starts on Friday, September 16 and will end on Friday, September 23 at 12:00 am. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning. Please make sure that I have some way to get a hold of you! Either check back next Friday to see if you won, or leave your e-mail address so I can contact you. Good luck!

__________________________________________________

 

Thank you to all who entered for this great nut butter giveaway! There were 45 entries! Using a random generator, the winner is...

Allison

Congratulations, Allison! Please check your e-mail so that I can arrange to have your prize sent to you.

Recipe: Homemade Salsa

This recipe is brought to you by my dad, who grows all his own vegetables and makes tons of salsa every year. I am always the lucky recepient of a few jars, and it's so good. He makes it spicy, because that's the kind of family we are. He was kind enough to document the recipe process, so thanks dad, I can't wait to get my salsa!

Ingredients:
4 gallons tomatoes (preferably 1/2 beefy boys and 1/2 roma)
1 lb. of jalapeños
2-3 large onions
3/4 c. salt
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. cilantro
1/4 c. lime juice

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Immediately move them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove from the ice bath and the skins will peel off very easily.

Dice the tomatoes with a sharp knife and continue working in small batches until you have about 6 quarts of diced tomatoes. Drain any excess water before you continue.

Use a food processor to dice the jalapeños and onions. If you want a mild salsa cut the jalapeños down the center and scoop out the seeds and membranes before processing.

Pour in the salt, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro, and lime juice and combine.

That's it, you're ready to can.

This is a good, healthy recipe that you can enjoy all winter long with the right canning process!

Printable: Homemade Salsa

A Healthy Tailgate

It's that time of year... it's football season! Football is a way of life in our household, and my husband is the biggest football fanatic I've ever known. Food is a staple for football games, whether you're tailgating at your favorite stadium or watching from home. You can make great food for the big game that is also a little bit healthier. Here are a few easy but delicious ideas for your next football party.

Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite. I like to stuff them with chicken. You can add shredded carrots, onions, peppers, or whatever you want. My advice is to keep it simple because our men want to taste that meat.

 

Pizza is always a crowd pleaser. To make it healthier, use a whole wheat crust. You can find the recipe for crust here, but you can sometimes find good premade crusts at Whole Foods or other health food stores. Here is a BBQ Chicken Pizza; just spread barbeque sauce on the crust, add cooked chicken, caramelized red onions, and sharp cheddar.

Replace traditional fries with Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges. Mist extra virgin olive oil over cut sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, and as much cayanne pepper as your crowd can handle. Bake in a 400° F oven for 35-40 minutes.

Fresh veggie trays are appropriate at any party. I like to make everything I serve look pretty.

Of course there will be dessert! This one is made with fruit and has no added sugars. Throw some dates in a food processor and chop (it will be very sticky!). Shape into spheres, roll in shredded coconut, and place almond slivers on top.

Here it is all put together!

Now before I end, I have one more very important thing to say...

GO CHIEFS!!!

Have a great football season everyone!

Thanks so much to my wonderful husband, the Chiefs' biggest fan, for helping me with this post. :)

Sunflower Farmers Market comes to Oklahoma City

Sunflower Farmers Market is now open in Oklahoma City!

I was lucky enough to be able to go to their grand opening yesterday. The store opened at 7 AM, but I was there at 6 AM. Here is the crowd when I first arrived.

Everyone in line was very friendly and excited about what Sunflower would be able to provide. More healthy and organic foods have been desperately needed in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma was the sixth fattest state in 2011.

I was the 75th person in line. The first customer had been there since 3:50 AM! Sunflower gave away gift bags full of $50 worth of groceries to the first 200 people in line.

When the store opened at 7 AM, we were let loose (in an orderly fashion) into the store. The first thing you notice in the store is the giant produce section! This is where many of the customers flocked to.

Who can blame them? The produce was not only beautiful and fresh, but fairly priced. I hope this will motivate people to make more fresh fruit and vegetable choices.

Here are some other neat things I found. First, a honey filling station.

They also have a station where you can grind peanuts or almonds to make peanut and almond butter! I saw someone else use it, and it looks like a lot of fun.

Another large section of the store is the bulk bins section. Sunflower boasts over 250 bulk items. Besides nuts, dried fruits, rice, and candies, you can even get spices in bulk! This is really great because it allows you to buy just as much as you need, saving a lot of money.

I even met Rosie the Organic Chicken, for those of you who have read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

On the other side of the store, Sunflower has a large department dedicated to natural cleaning products and personal care items.

Sunflower is committed to bringing local products to their store. If there is anything local that the customers would like to see available, let them know and they will do their best to get it. These products are all made right here in Oklahoma.

It was really busy the morning of grand opening, so this is what I was able to grab in the midst of the crowds. I went back in the afternoon and got even more great products at great prices. Frozen veggies for $2.50? I'm used to paying $4. I had to stock up!

But before I left, I took a couple more pictures of this beautiful new store...

Sunflower Farmers Market stocks over 6,000 healthy and organic products. They are located on the northwest corner of 63rd and May in Oklahoma City, and are open daily from 7 AM to 11 PM. Stop by and visit them soon!