Spinach, Apple and Gouda Salad

A recipe swap recipe from Rebe Moore who got it from the BYU Museum of Art Cafe.

1 crisp apple, diced
1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup smoked Gouda, cubed

1/4-1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped (I love the lightly salted Trader Joe's roasted almonds)

Baby spinach

Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl serve with your favorite honey mustard dressing.  We like Brianna's and Newmans Own Light honey mustard.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

A super easy appetizer that's always a crowd-pleaser.

1 jar apple jelly (or grape jelly), about 12 oz.

1 jar chili sauce

2-3 lbs. frozen meatballs

Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth.  Heat the mixture if needed to combine.  Add meatballs.  Cook on low for 2-5 hours, stirring to coat occasionally.  Serve with toothpicks.

Apple Salsa

This is great served with cinnamon sugar tortilla or pita chips.  Also super yummy with a pork loin roast as in the original recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

2 cups crunchy sweet apples (like Fuji), cored and diced (about 2 medium apples)

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)

¼ cup red onion, finely diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the apple salsa ingredients, stirring well to coat the apples with the lime juice and other ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mom’s Apple Cinnamon Muffins

From my Mom.  I remember waking up to these.  They're so good--especially the mini bite size ones.  Slightly adapted from her Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Muffins

1 egg                       

½ cup milk               

¼ cup vegetable oil   

1 cup grated apple (about 1 large apple)  

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder                               

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

Brown Sugar Topping

¼ cup brown sugar (packed)

¼ tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffins cups or 24-30 mini muffins.

In a large bowl, beat egg; stir in milk and oil and grate apple.

Mix in remaining ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) just until flour is moistened.  Batter should be lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle with brown sugar topping.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes large muffins, 9-11 minutes for mini-muffins or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Slow Cooker}

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Slow Cooker}

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Brine:

8 cups water

¼ cup salt

¼ cup sugar

Pork:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast or two 1-lb pork tenderloins trimmed of large fat pockets

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl (preferable glass)  Mix the 8 cups of water 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar.  Add the two 1 lb. pork tenderloin and put everything in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.  Remove roast from water, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred.  Serve with balsamic glaze or your favorite BBQ sauce:

Balsamic Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

*Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I added the brine, substituted thyme for sage, and upped the water.