Healthy Baked Apples with Muesli Crisp (+ an announcement!)

I'm having a little love affair with breakfast. It's the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and I always want something hearty, sweet, and involving cinnamon in some way. These healthy baked apples with muesli crisp are the perfect solution. I'm going to eat them every day once apples are in season for real. It's gonna have to happen. With a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt sweetened with honey pleaseandthankyou.

It's good that I'm obsessed with something so wonderfully healthy because I seem to be putting on a little weight. Can you tell?

Yep! Baby #2 is growing in that there bump and it wants all the comfort food in the universe (seriously, all of it. send mashed potatoes and gravy). 

We are so happy and thankful to have had a relatively problem-free pregnancy so far and cannot wait to welcome a new little one into our family! Riley is beyond excited to be a big brother and I love it when he walks up to me to bury his face in my growing belly. Sometimes, in the sweetest little voice, he says "Hi baby" and I melt in a puddle on the floor.

Whew! I'm so relieved to get that out there.

Now I can bombard you with my woes about morning sickness and crampy legs and heartburn, right? No? Not so much? OK.

Let's get back to these baked apples...

Quite a while ago, the lovely folks at Seven Sundays in Minnesota sent me some of their delicious muesli and my love affair with this easy breakfast item began. I've eaten it soaked overnight, warmed, sprinkled over yogurt, and straight out of a bowl with milk. You really can't go wrong. I've decided that my favorite flavor is the Vanilla Cherry Pecan. Chewy dried cherries, buttery, crunchy pecans, and a hint of vanilla basically creates a perfect start to the day. And the perfect topping for baked apples.

I simply halved an apple and scooped out the core with a melon baller, then sprinkled each half with a little tiny bit of brown sugar (which it doesn't really need, to be honest) and topped that with the muesli. The dressed up apples baked for 30 minutes, concentrating their naturally sweet flavor and toasting the muesli to perfection. When they came out of the oven, I sprinkled a little cinnamon over the crisp and scooped a spoonful of creamy honey Greek yogurt in the middle of each apple. Heaven.

So, I'm going to continue stuffing these in my face because there's not a whole lot to feel bad about here.

You must make these. You MUST.

Healthy Baked Apples with Muesli Crisp

Serves 2

Total time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 apple (red delicious was, well, delicious...but use whatever you can find)
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup muesli (I used Seven Sundays Vanilla Cherry Pecan)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup honey or vanilla Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Begin by halving the apples lengthwise and scooping out the core (plus a little extra) with a melon baller.
3. Smear the butter evenly on each apple and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
4. Top with the muesli and bake for 30 minutes or until the apples are just tender but not mushy and the topping is golden.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer to serving plates.
6. Dollop with the Greek yogurt and eat immediately.

Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart

This Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart saved me a little. Let me explain...

I spent an entire day in the kitchen on Friday, which is not unusual for me, testing a recipe for Japanese Cheesecake. Everything had been going perfectly all day so I was feeling rather confident and pleased with myself. The egg whites were a perfect consistency, light and airy with stiff peaks. The cream cheese mixture was a beautiful pale yellow from the addition of egg whites and had a lovely fragrance thanks to delicate vanilla extract. Yes, everything was going just as planned. 

I folded the egg whites into the cream cheese, then scooped the whole lot into a prepared spring form pan. It was gorgeous, sure to come out perfectly after a little over an hour in the oven. About 5 minutes after plopping the cheesecake in the oven I realized that I completely left out a very important ingredient: flour. There was not a trace of flour in my cheesecake. There was no fixing this mistake. The time I had put into this somewhat intimidating recipe was tossed out the window with the dishwater, so to speak. Mistakes happen in cooking but it rarely gets easier, especially when it is something so completely ridiculous like leaving out an ingredient. Ugh.

When I got myself back in the kitchen on Sunday I was a tad apprehensive. I began with a simple slow cooker summer lasagna soup, which seemed like the easiest way to begin. Chop lots of vegetables, dump in some tomatoes and water, and set the timer. Easy. Next, I worked on this tart. Making the dough was therapeutic. I'm learning to really pay attention to how the humblest of ingredients come together to form something simple yet indulgent and comforting. Arranging the nectarines, drizzling them with local raw unfiltered honey, and folding the edges simply around the fruit made me so content. It's a little ridiculous, I know. But that's why I love what I do. It speaks to my soul.

I love rustic tarts because they are more relaxed than their more manicured counterparts. They don't require fancy pans, just a sheet of parchment and a sheet pan. And when they come out of the oven with that lovely golden crust that is perfectly imperfect, it makes me feel the way I want all food to feel: homemade, comforting, and authentic.

I added one final flourish to the crust before I popped it in the oven by mixing a little vanilla with the egg wash. The vanilla added just the right amount of sweet flavor without adding additional sugar. The fruit was not tossed with anything at all, just drizzled with honey I bought at the farmers market a couple weeks ago.

Failing with my Japanese Cheesecake inspired me to take a step back and revisit recipes that made me feel truly happy in the kitchen and at the table. I'll share the summer lasagna soup with you later this week (even the 2 year old ate every last bite not once, not twice, but THREE times!) but for now I hope this rustic nectarine tart brings you a little joy and comfort on this Monday morning the way it did for me.

Happy Summer my friends!

Rustic Honey Nectarine Tart

Makes one 9 inch tart

Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons furikake
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Scoop the butter onto a piece of parchment paper that is about 8 inches long.
3. Roll the parchment around the butter and use your hands to mold it into a log about 6 inches long.
4. When the butter is completely rolled up in the parchment, twist the ends and transfer to the refrigerator. Let chill for at least 2 hours.

10 Easy Easter Recipes

Easter is tomorrow! Yippee! I love Easter. It's always such a happy, joyful morning for religious reasons of course but also because it feels like the official 'Welcome Spring' day. When I was a kid, my mom dressed my sister and me in frilly pastel dresses, white lacy gloves and girly hats. Her Southern soul just needed her girls to be dressed to the nines on such an important holiday and, truthfully, I loved it.

I may not wear those things these days (I might get some strange looks if I did) but I do try to make some special dishes to help celebrate Easter with my family. Are you having trouble completing your Easter menu? Not to worry! I've collected 10 of my favorite easy Easter recipes from Set the Table and around the web to help you out!

1. Bourbon Thyme (with Meyer Lemonade) from Set the Table

It's Bourbon Thyme! | Set the Table

2. Japanese Bloody Mary from Set the Table

Japanese Bloody Mary | Set the Table

3. Herb Lemonade Station from HonestlyYUM

(PHOTO CREDIT: HonestlyYUM)

spring.inspiration.4.12

4. Roasted Carrot Soup with Greek Yogurt from Set the Table

Silky Carrot Soup with Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt | Set the Table

5. Miso Deviled Eggs from Set the Table

Miso Deviled Eggs | Set the Table

6. Lamb Bolognese from HonestlyYUM

(PHOTO CREDIT: HonestlyYUM)

Bucatini-lamb-bolognese

7. Ham & Sausage Hashbrown Egg Bake from Pinch of Yum

(PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay from Pinch of Yum)

smithfield-ham-31

8. Magic Custard Cake from White on Rice Couple

(PHOTO CREDIT: Todd & Diane from White on Rice Couple)

magic-cake-new-500-1

9. No Rise Cinnamon Rolls from Set the Table

No Rise Cinnamon Rolls

10. Lavender Latte from Turntable Kitchen

(PHOTO CREDIT: Turntable Kitchen)

I think serving coffee or tea at the end of a nice meal is a requirement. It provides time for everyone to relax and linger at the table just a little longer, talking about life and how full your tummy is and what you enjoyed the most about the meal. There is nothing like those last, sweet moments around the table reflecting on the time spent with those you love. This lavender latte is the perfect way to close a fabulous meal.

lavender_latte_top

Paleo Chocolate-Almond Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day friends! How is your day going so far? Any super romantical things happening out there? Tell me all your stories! I'm still in my PJ's, 2 cups of coffee into the day, and trying to wrap my head around getting outside to enjoy what seems to be a warm, sunshiney day out there. But first, I wanted to share this cookie recipe with you. There are some things about this recipe that are not often seen in my kitchen. First off, they have ZERO added sugar. There is a touch of honey but that is all. Second, these are Paleo AND gluten free! WHAT.

I was a little nervous when I first made these because the combination of ingredients did not equate cookie success. Without butter, sugar, and flour I thought they would for sure be a failure. But, because I was intensely determined, I went ahead and tossed everything in a bowl and gave it my all! I'm happy to report that they make the house smell delicious, just as any other cookie might.

A couple things to note before I send you off to make these for your GF, Paleo diet sweetheart:

• The dough will seem VERY dry when you roll it out. Placing it between two pieces of parchment after pressing it together with your hands will help.

• Depending on the consistency of your nut butter (I used almond but you could also use peanut) you may want to zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to loosen it up a bit so it is easier to stir with the honey.
• Do NOT- I repeat, do NOT- roll the dough out too thin. The cookies will absolutely crumble to pieces if they are to thin. Somewhere around 1/4inch and 1/3 inch is just about perfect.

The last tip I have for you is this: these cookies are best made with a tiny human who stole your heart the moment he entered this world...

Or with your bestie. Or while jamming out to your very favorite music. Whatever you do, make sure you have a happy heart and remember love in all it's forms. It's pretty great.

Paleo Chocolate-Almond Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup almond butter or peanut butter (Natural, unsweetened)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
•  

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the almond flour with the cocoa powder.
3. In another medium bowl, stir the almond butter, honey and almond milk together until smooth. If the nut butter seems to stiff, microwave it for 10 seconds to loosen it up and make it easier to stir.
4. Add the almond flour mixture to the nut butter and stir until combined.
5. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment laid out on a work surface. Press the dough together with your hands and flatten it into a disc.
6. Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and roll the dough to about 1/3 of an inch but no thinner than 1/4 inch.
7. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
8. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into shapes with a cookie cutter.
9. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet.
10. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown.
11. Cool completely on the baking sheet then transfer to the refrigerator again for another 30 minutes before eating.

2013: The Year in Recipes

Just the other day, I was thinking about how my view of the 21st century differed from what it actually became. I was convinced that we would all be wearing space suits and eating food similar to what astronauts consume on their space ships. Logical, right? The best part is that I was sure of these things in 1995, giving the world only 5 short years to get its act together and make these things happen.

I'm happy to report that I was completely wrong.

A lot happened this year. I turned 30; that was pretty big. I started Set the Table; that was awesome. A lot of other good things happened. Some sad things happened. All of them made me a very different person from what I was at the start of 2013 and I am grateful for that.

Another thing I am endlessly grateful for is the support and love you all have shown me through reading my posts, trying my recipes, and generally appreciating the work that goes into this blog. It's been absolutely wonderful in so many ways. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

To celebrate this past year, I wanted to share the top recipes from Set the Table. You people sure do love your cocktails! But thankfully there is also some food in there. You know, to even things out.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with Chorizo

Bourbon Apple Cider

Perfect Roast Chicken

Butternut Squash + Coconut Soup

Riley's Kale + Pineapple Smoothie

Pineapple + Honey Margarita

No Rise Cinnamon Rolls

Basil Gin Fizz

Spring Fling

Cheers to you all, friends! And Happy  New Year!