Apple Crostata for Two
We went apple picking and we have A LOT of apples around here so I’ve been thinking of ways to use them up but keep it simple at the same time. I just don’t want to go to the trouble of baking a whole pie for two people. These mini apple crostatas are easy and quick to throw together with their fold-over crust. The apples are spiced with a little cinnamon and cardamom, one spice that is comfortingly familiar and the other is appealingly different. These crostatas are rustic and elegant and just the thing to treat yourself without over-doing it as you only get one. You have to share the other! 
Using a mix of sweet and tart apples offers a perfect balance of flavors. I used Stayman Winesap and Red Delicious as that is what we picked on our apple picking trip to Terhune Orchards.
You don’t want the filling to be dry so to remedy this, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar and dotted butter over the crostatas.
Allowing the tarts to cool on a wire rack is the last small but significant step toward a crisp crust. This keeps the crust from steaming itself as it cools.
For the effort used to throw together these crostatas, the reward was amazing!
We saw this cute dog on our way out of Terhune Orchards and I had to get a pic of him. <3
Blueberry Muffins for Two
When I wake up on a Saturday morning and I want just want something quick and easy these blueberry muffins are great! They are loaded with sweet juicy blueberries and the hint of lemon zest adds just the right amount of tartness. This recipe only makes 4 muffins, two for each of you and you’ll want two; one just won’t cut it! I could have had all four but we’re supposed to be practicing a little restraint here. I mean that’s what this site is all about! Portion control for two! Plus, it’s not nice to not share.
Blueberries are one of those fruits you can get at the grocery store when they aren’t in season and they still taste really good.
Blend the dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk the wet ingredients, (yogurt, egg, and lemon zest) until smooth in another bowl. After mixing both together gently fold in the blueberries and coconut oil, or butter if you prefer.
Sprinkle the lemon zest-sugar mixture before baking.
Bake in a 325 degree oven until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.
…and you’re done! See how easy that was? Remember to share and if you don’t feel like you’ve had enough bake them again on Sunday morning!
Pumpkin Spice Buttermilk Pancakes for Two
Pancakes are my favorite thing to eat for breakfast! Eating them just makes me happy! I am always adding things in to take advantage of seasonal produce. Somehow I feel better about the indulgence if there is fruit inside of them! I am on a pumpkin kick, but aren’t nearly all of us when fall rolls around? These cure my pumpkin and sweet craving all at once! The smell of the warm spices and the sweet butter and maple syrup all mingling together…yeah it’s divine! They only take a few minutes to put together, so get the coffee going and then get started on these and I promise you’ll be so glad you did!
The first thing I do is preheat the oven to 200 degrees. I can only fit 3 pancakes at a time in my skillet so you’ll want to put your first batch in the oven to stay warm. This recipe makes 6 pancakes if you use a 1/3 cup measuring cup for each pancake. Mix all of your dry ingredients together well in a medium bowl. Next, you’ll whisk all your wet ingredients together. Gently add your wet ingredients to your dry just until combined. It’s okay if you still see a few flour spots here and there. Now the hard part, let this batter rest for 10 minutes! Sometimes I fail at this but I noticed that my first batch aren’t nearly as fluffy as the second batch which sat out the full 10 minutes so go check your email or wash up the dishes you just messed up or set the table. I like to spray my 1/3 cup measuring cup with a little cooking spray before I scoop out the batter. The batter slips out of the measuring cup so much easier if you do this. I cook them on medium-low for 4 minutes and then flip and cook for 3 minutes or until they get a little brown around the edges. Serve these with a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top and of course, butter and syrup! If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice I have a recipe on how to make it yourself here. –> Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry for Two
I have to admit…we eat Chinese take-out a lot! It’s just too easy because they are literally right down the street! I’m really not a fan of any of the beef take-out dishes though, the beef is usually tough and kinda chewy…ewww. Not my favorite! I have been on the look-out for the BEST beef and broccoli recipe and I found it! You just won’t believe you made something so good when you try this one. Take-out can’t match this, no way, no how!
When I first started thinking about posting this recipe I thought to cut it in half but if you love this as much as we do, there might not be any leftovers, so I decided to keep it as is.
You’re going to want to have everything prepped before you start this recipe because once you start it goes fast! Do yourself a favor and put your steak in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing it, it will be much easier to slice partially frozen. Slice up the partially frozen beef in thin strips and put it in a bowl with the soy sauce and put it in the fridge for an hour, don’t forget to stir it once. In the meantime you can chop the red pepper and mince the garlic and ginger. I just put my garlic and ginger in the food processor. Put the garlic and ginger in a small bowl and add the sesame oil and set aside.
Next you’ll need to drain the beef and get your pan ready by adding 1 1/2 tsps of the peanut oil. Make sure the oil is smoking before adding half the beef, you’re doing this in two batches. Once you add the beef just quickly make sure each piece is touching the pan and not on top of other pieces and don’t touch them for one minute so they start to develop that nice browned color, then stir the meat and cook for only 30 seconds more. You might feel like the meat isn’t done but trust me…it will keep cooking after you take it off…don’t cook it longer. Put it in a bowl and do the next batch the same way, adding 1 1/2 tsp peaunt oil before adding that next batch of beef strips. Add this beef to the rest in the bowl and set this aside. Once you’ve done that add a Tbsp of peanut oil to your now empty pan and heat just until starting to smoke. Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds only. Add 1/3 cup of water, cover the pan and steam the broccoli for 2 minutes on medium heat. Transfer the broccoli to a paper towel lined plate. Our goal here is to keep the broccoli nice and green and still crunchy. Nothing worse than limp broccoli in your beef and broccoli! Next you’ll add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp peanut oil to the pan and then add the red peppers. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the ginger and garlic mixture to the middle of the pan and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant, then stir into the red peppers to combine. Add the beef and broccoli back into the pan, re-whisk the sauce and add it to the pan, tossing until everything is hot. Serve this with white or brown rice and maybe some hot tea would make it especially authentic!
‘B-L-T’ Pasta for Two
I love pasta dishes! They are so quick to put together and so comforting to eat! This one is reminiscent of a BLT in that it has bacon, spinach and tomato and also a few garlic toasted bread crumbs on top to mimic the bread. I think this tastes a lot better though!
Caramelized tomatoes give the sauce deep flavor, and the leeks add sweetness. The garlic crumbs on top are optional, but they add fabulous texture to the dish. If you’re not familiar with leeks be sure to slice only the white parts and throw away the green as it is too tough to eat, also be sure to swish the sliced leeks around in a large bowl full of cold water to clean them, they can sometimes be gritty. Lift the leeks out of the water with a slotted spoon. If you pour the leeks into a strainer you’re just dumping the grit back on them. I just love leeks! They are more mellow than green onions and give such a lovely flavor to the sauce. Serve this with Orange and Red Onion Salad and some of the Italian bread you used to make crumbs. I hope you love it as much as we do!
