Category Archives: Cook

by | June 11, 2012 · 8:00 am

{GIVEAWAY} Howling Wolf BBQ

This week we are celebrating dads by giving away what dad loves most – BBQ! We have had the honor and privilege of interviewing Ken Wolfe from Howling Wolf Gourmet Foods, who has enlightened us on us culinary BBQ perspective. If reading his story doesn’t make your mouth water for some delicious Father’s Day grilling, we aren’t sure what would! Please take the time to read about Howling Wolf and have the chance to win a BBQ combo pack with a bottle of the Howling Wolf Original BBQ sauce, Land & Sea Rub, and Dry Rub. Giveaway details are below.

Give us the one-minute bio of yourself.

I am a classically trained chef who has always had a passion for sauces, smoked foods, and BBQ. I started my career with a 3 1/2 year culinary apprenticeship in southern California, followed by two years of working as a chef in France. I spent most of my early career as a saucier, before moving up the ranks. Eventually I opened my own restaurant, Cafe Wyoming, in Dubois, Wyoming. At the Cafe, I featured my BBQ sauces and perfected my style of barbecuing. My ribs and sauce were mentioned in Jane & Michael Stern’s Roadfood 2005 edition. After six successful years, I sold the Cafe to focus on my sauces full time. I moved to Wisconsin five years ago and have been in the stores four years.

Tell us a little bit about how Howling Wolf BBQ got started?

I have always had a passion for BBQ growing up and as I progressed in the culinary field I was continually thinking of the possibility of starting a food line to eventually free me from the restaurant business. That line naturally became my own gourmet take on BBQ.

What inspires your BBQ flavors?

I love the diversity of flavors that the spice world offer. Combined with my passion for BBQ, I have been able to create some extra ordinary flavors that are both flavorful and very versatile. For example, My Cranberry Orange BBQ can be used as a glaze for Asian sweet and sour, and my original can be mixed with yogurt and takes on a middle eastern flavor.

Are you a gas or charcoal man?

At times gas is convenient but not only do I prefer charcoal but I prefer to make my own.

Describe your perfect BBQ meal.

I am always happy to devour a rack of perfectly smoked pork spare ribs but nothing beats a beautifully seasoned and smoked pork shoulder sandwich on a homemade roll topped with my homemade aged slaw and a good I.P.A.

How will you be spending your Father’s Day?

I will be doing something outside with my family most likely in the garden and it will most certainly end up with a nice dinner off the grill.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

In order to win the Howling Wolf BBQ Combo Pack, visit the Howling Wolf website and check out the different products and recipes. Leave us a comment on this post telling us how you would like to use a Howling Wolf product to put a smile on dad’s face this Father’s Day.

For an extra vote – like Haute Apple Pie on Facebook and let us know you did!

You must enter your comment by Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 11 p.m. CST. The winner of the giveaway will be announced Friday, June 15, 2012 and will be chosen at random. You must be over the age of 18 to vote and live in the Continental United States.

Happy Father’s Day to all those awesome dads out there!

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by | June 8, 2012 · 8:00 am

{Skinny BBQ Series} Tortilla Chicken Brats with Southwestern Sauerkraut

The grills have been rolled out and dusted off. The propane tanks filled. The charcoals are burning. It is grilling season again. Great news for the taste buds, bad news for the waistline. Enjoying a good brat or burger off the grill is a Midwesterners favorite pastime, but it can wreak havoc on your summer weight loss routine. This summer, we are running Skinny BBQ Series, lots of great grilled recipes from apps, to entrees, to desserts that you will not need to feel guilty about.

My good friend from college hails from the great state of New Mexico. If there are two things he has taught me, they are: tortillas and green chilies. We often grilled in college and never seemed to scrape enough money together to have buns lying around, so we would wrap our hot dogs and brats in tortillas. It cuts back on the carbs and calories and is surprisingly delicious! Now the chilies we are able to buy in cans here in the Midwest pale in comparison to the ones mailed straight from New Mexico, but they still get the flavor across.

When the lovely people at Gold’n Plump sent us some of their new chicken sausages, I was excited to create a meal that mixed my Germanic routes with my taste for Southwestern cuisine. Using Gold’n Plump’s new chicken bratwurst, I made a lean and spicy new twist on an old Wisconsin favorite.

Tortilla Chicken Brats with Southwestern Sauerkraut
1 package Gold’n Plump Chicken Bratwurst
5 Flour or Corn Tortillas (Use whole wheat for an added health bonus)
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 jar green chilies
1 16 oz. jar of sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp chipolte powder
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
BBQ sauce (optional)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. At a medium-high heat, sauté garlic for one minute, stirring constantly. Add onion and jalapeño. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add green chilies and reduce heat to medium. Stir in sauerkraut. Mix throughly. Add chipolte powder, pepper, paprika and cumin. Simmer at medium to low heat until ready to serve.

Add bratwurst to grill. Grill for 15-18 minutes, turning on all sides to cook evenly at even intervals. In the last 2 minutes of grilling, add tortillas to the grill. Heat until slightly crisp edges form, watching closely to make sure they do not burn.

Lay tortilla flat. Add bratwurst and large spoonful of sauerkraut. Drizzle about 1 TBSP of your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Saz’s!) and wrap.

These chicken brats only have 7 G of fat and 150 calories. If I did not know it was chicken, I would never have guessed. Sauerkraut may add a little extra sodium but no fat and virtually no calories. The extra tablespoon of BBQ sauce may add about 20 calories or so, but I think it is well worth it. This meal tastes sinfully bad for you, but packs in at less than 500 calories! Now that is what I call skinny BBQ!

*Disclaimer: Gold’n Plump provided Haute Apple Pie with the products utilized in this post, however the content, images, recipes and opinions are all our own.

 

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by | June 4, 2012 · 7:45 am

Mango Coconut Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle

After recently returning from a vacation in Florida, I’ve been looking for ways to infuse a little more “tropical” into my life. So when some friends were hosting a shrimp boil over the weekend I decided to get experimental with flavors that would continue the beachy vibe of their party for dessert. The Mango Coconut Cookies I put together would be good on their own but the salted caramel drizzle gives them that extra something to make them quite addictive!


Mango Coconut Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 C flour
2 tsp ground flax seed (optional)
1 C coconut flakes
1 C dried mango, chopped into small bits
1/2 C prepared (or homemade) caramel topping
sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Next, beat in vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Finally, mix in flour, one cup at a time until batter is thick.

Use a spatula to stir in coconut, mango bits and flax seed if using until all items are well incorporated into batter.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Place a cooling rack on top of aluminum foil or waxed paper. Transfer cookies cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle with caramel topping and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.


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by | May 25, 2012 · 1:24 pm

Honey Almond Frozen Greek Yogurt

Summertime means…ice cream! Or for those a little more health conscious, frozen yogurt! The recent warm weather put me in the mood to whip up my first batch of frozen treats for the summer. I love Greek yogurt and currently use it in everything. So why not try it frozen? This cool concoction is packed with protein for a truly nutritious and heat beating experience.

Honey Almond Greek Frozen Yogurt 
1 32 oz container of vanilla Greek  yogurt
1/2 C 2% or skim milk
1/2 C sugar
1/2 TBSP almond extract
1 TBSP honey
1 C honey roasted sliced almonds

In a large bowl, add greek yogurt, milk and sugar. Stir until blended. Add honey and almond extract. Stir until mixed in. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

In a food processor, pulse almonds until roughly chopped. Set aside.

Add yogurt mixture to ice cream maker. Churn on low for about 15 minutes. With about five minutes left, add almonds.

Either place in container to freeze for later use (which will produce a harder consistency) or serve it up soft serve right out of the bowl.

Enjoy!

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by | May 18, 2012 · 8:00 am

Dole Summit Part II & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Last week I shared my adventures in lettuce from the Dole Salad’tude Summit in Monterey. This week, I want to share some innovative salad ideas that Dole shared with us, plus a fresh greens recipe of my own. The final reception and dinner for our event took place outside at the InterContinental in Monterey. Gorgeous venue for a delicious night of salads. Set up in stations, our night was filled with innovative ways to incorporate greens into your different events. Right up the Haute Apple Pie alley!

First I had to share the perfectly suited centerpiece ideas. This is a cheap, easy and beautiful way to spiff up a table, especially when salads and greens are on the menu. The tall tables were adorned with square wooden boxes with a full head of butter lettuce, surrounded by candles. One of the larger tables had a rustic farmers market quality to it with a large wicker basket filled with different shapes and sizes of greens and artichokes. An edible arrangement – reusable for dinner the next day.

Our salad reception did nothing if not let me know that salad doesn’t have to be in a regular bowl. We were served salad in all shapes, sizes, colors and consistencies. Grilled Romaine for a barbecue, Huevos Rancheros atop a bed of lettuce for brunch, lettuce bruschetta and the one that wins the prize for most intriguing – the salad shooter. The Dole Southwest Salad mix was tossed together and put into a blender to make what basically tasted like a cold tortilla soup shooter. Surprisingly good, great presentation and a great conversation piece.

I have to admit that my salad trip (as well as the emergence of summer and farmer’s markets) has really gotten me into a fresh veggie kind of mood. This week I whipped up this Poppy Seed Chicken Salad in a lettuce wrap. It is great to make ahead of time and eat for lunch or dinner. It is the perfect meal to take to work or on a picnic!

Poppy Seed Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

1 head butter lettuce
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
2 C chicken stock
4 C water
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 TBSP fresh chopped chives
1 TBSP poppy seeds
2 TBSP Olive Oil Mayo
2 TBSP Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, boil chicken stock and water. Add chicken and boil until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from water and thinly slice or shred. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, add chicken, radishes, apples, celery, poppy seeds, chives, mayo and greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Tear off large pieces of butter lettuce. Scoop chicken salad onto lettuce leaves and serve.

I’d like to leave you with the names of a few more fabulous blogs to check out!

Bran Appetit
Dana Treat
Closet Cooking
Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Eat the Love
Bella’alimento
She’s Becoming Doughmesstic
Food Loves Writing

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by | May 11, 2012 · 8:00 am

Dole Salad’tude Summit: Part I

Spring is in the air and summer is approaching. The crock pot is about to start collecting dust and the grill will be in full force. Fresh veggies and lettuce at last! What better way to celebrate than go right to the source?

I was lucky enough to be a guest of the Dole Salad’tude Summit last week in Monterey, CA. Mingling amidst bloggers extraordinaire, I learned first hand the field to consumer process of growing, harvesting and selling lettuce. While Dole is often thought of for its pineapple, they are no stranger to lettuce.

The trip began last Wednesday, or at least it was supposed to. I had the unfortunate luck of some bad travel: dents in the plane, deboarding, reboarding, missed connections and a seven hour “layover” in Phoenix, bringing me to Monterey at 10:00 pm. Therefore, the lovely reception and dinner at the Sardine Factory in Monterey, I only saw via Twitter from the other bloggers. But I made it!

The following morning we started bright and early, traveling to Dole headquarters and having a roundtable discussion on new Dole lettuce products, roundtable discussion and salad tastings. We all agreed that kale is all the rage, people are less inclined to use iceberg lettuce and we all like to eat one dish meals. We tasted a variety of their bagged salads. I have to admit that I typically do not buy much bagged lettuce or pre-packaged salads, but this trip may have helped me turn a leaf. These products are fresh and carefully grown and packaged to ensure we are getting the best product possible. Since Wisconsin only allows a small spattering of local produce for about half the year, these are a great alternative.

While Dole is yet to delve into organic agriculture, they use as little pesticides as they can to supply a fresh and crispy product. We were all very pleased to find out that 85% of their lettuce has 0% traceability to pesticide. So if you don’t want to spring for organic lettuce, feel okay about it!

We dined for lunch on an eclectic mix of greens and veggies at La Bicyclette in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carrot risotto was the hit of the meal (look for a recreate from me in the future) as well as butternut squash and lamb sausage wood-fired pizzas.

We toured the lettuce farms and Dole processing plant in Salinas Valley which was a beautiful site to behold. Fields upon fields of fresh greenery. It was wonderful to see where your food comes from, and to feel great about it. The lettuce straight out of the field was delicious.

Next week I will fill you in on our innovative salad party and some ideas for you to try at home!

I met some wonderful people on this trip. A great smattering of food-loving bloggers from all over North America. Check out a few of these great blogs!

Gina’s Skinny Recipes
Coconut and Lime
Two Peas and Their Pod
Recipe Renovator
Baked Bree
A Communal Table

More links and some great recipes to follow next week! An extra special thanks to Dole for such a wonderful event.

Disclaimer: Dole provided transportation, lodging and meals for the Summit, however, all the opinions of the event are completely my own.

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by | May 7, 2012 · 8:08 am

Thai Venison Noodle Salad

I’ve mentioned many times that I’m always looking for new ways to use the wild game the hubs brings home, especially venison and especially ground venison. In general there are only so many things to be done with ground meat and I’ve pretty much tried them all in some form or another.

So lately I’ve been steering into totally new venison directions with Asian flavors like curry or this Thai inspired dish. Using the venison and beefing up (pardon the pun) the vegetables from the original recipe made this a light but filling meal and a good detour from the standard venison tacos and chili.

Thai Beef (or Venison) Noodle Salad
adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4
1 lb ground venison or beef
1/2 C chopped sugar snap peas
2 carrots, chopped
1 cucumber, julienned
3 scallions
1 inch piece ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/8 C fish sauce
1/8 C soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil (if using venison)
2 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
2/3 package angel hair noodles
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
sriracha to taste

In a large saute pan, add begin cooking ground beef or olive oil and venison over medium heat. When meat begins to brown, add garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook for 1-2 minutes until they begin to become aromatic. Add the snap peas and carrots and continue cooking until meat is nearly cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt well and add angel hair noodles. Cook according to package instructions.

Add 2 Tbsp sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice to meat and vegetable mixture. Stir and reduce heat to low and let flavors simmer for 2-3 minutes.


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by | April 30, 2012 · 7:45 am

Beet Barley Salad with Feta

Ah, the lowly beet. I’d always been skeptical of beets and had this belief that they tasted like dirt. And let’s be honest, half the time they DO taste like dirt or are gross gelatinous mush cakes sliding out of a can.

But I’ve had a few salads at restaurants lately that opened my eyes toward what a beet should really taste like. Inspired to give them a try, I concocted this side dish-turned-healthy lunch grain salad for my first foray with cooking beets at home. The key for me was roasting. You get a sweet earthiness (not dirt-i-ness) that’s surprisingly enjoyable – especially when combined with other strong flavors like pungent greens and tangy feta (goat cheese would also be delicious). It even had my similarly skeptical husband sneaking seconds.

Beet Barley Salad with Feta
1 C quick cooking pearl barley, cooked
1 large beet, peeled and roasted
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 oz feta cheese
1/4 C slivered almonds
3-4 stalks rainbow Swiss chard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Peel beet and chop into small cubes, placing them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast beet for 25-30 minutes or until edges are beginning to crisp and beet is tender.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine 2 C of water with barley. Bring to a boil and add a dash of salt. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Let barley cook, about 10 minutes until water has been absorbed. Barley should be slightly al dente.

Trim chard along the stalk to separate off the leaves. Roll leaves into a tube shape and julienne. Run your knife through the julienned shreds once or twice to avoid super long, stringy pieces. Place chard in a saute pan and drizzle very lightly with olive oil, just to prevent burning. Saute over medium heat until chard is just limp, about 5 minutes.

Transfer cooked barley to a large bowl. Mix in almonds and feta. Mix in Swiss chard. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars and mustard and toss with barley mixture. Season salt and pepper and mix to combine. Finally add the beets and very gently toss to combine.


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by | April 25, 2012 · 7:39 am

Cranberry Pecan Chicken

I love meals that can be assembled quickly and then slowly cook away in the oven. This Cranberry Pecan Chicken recipe is one of those easy dishes. A good friend of mine made it for a dinner party and I was so impressed with the combination of the sweet and savory flavor of the dish. Turns out it can be assembled in about 5 minutes, but still looks quite impressive when complete.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup french or Catalina dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place your chicken breasts in a large baking dish and spoon whole cranberry sauce over the chicken. Next, sprinkle the onion soup and pecans over the chicken and finish by drizzling the dressing over the whole dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked through.

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by | April 23, 2012 · 7:45 am

Curry Chutney Dip

My office recently moved from the ‘burbs to downtown Milwaukee and as despite not loving the longer commute, I am glad to be back near a plethora of great lunch options. One of my faves is Beans & Barley, a road-paver in Milwaukee’s local food scene, offering tons of vegan and vegetarian options at both their cafe and deli. If you live in Milwaukee and haven’t been there, you should absolutely go.

I get cravings for their flavor-packed vegan Curry Chutney Dip so I decided to try to make my own based on the ingredient list Beans so thoughtfully puts on their containers. I think I got the proportions pretty close! It’s great on crackers but even better on some snappy veggies.


Curry Chutney Dip
1 1/2 C veganaise
1 Tbsp mango chutney
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Madras curry
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
pinch kosher salt

In a small bowl, whisk together veganaise, chutney and lemon juice. Whisk in garlic, ginger and curry until well combined. Chop scallions and parsley and fold in to evenly distribute. Season with a pinch of salt.

Serve with any variety of crudite. I like carrots, snap peas and cucumbers.

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