Snickerdoodle Apple Bread

Now that it's officially fall, that means two things: apple picking and football!

It has become an annual tradition in our family to take a trip to Country Apple Orchard for a tractor ride out to pick apples. We eat to our heart's content and bring a giant bagful home to pack in school lunches and for baking. The best pairing with apple is cinnamon, of course, so this bread combines the best of both worlds!

And let's not forget to cheer on our favorite NFL team now that the football season is officially underway... Skol Vikings!

Snickerdoodle Apple Bread
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
Bread:
 1/2 tsp salt
 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
 1 cup light brown sugar
 1/4 cup granulated sugar
 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
 2 eggs, room temperature
 1 Tbsp vanilla
 1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)
 1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
   *can substitute any tart, firm baking apple
   *toss chopped apple with a little lemon juice to prevent browning

Topping:
 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Grease loaf pan with Crisco. Line pan with parchment paper (for easy removal) and spray with nonstick cooking spray (see photo below). Set aside.
3. Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
4. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, both sugars, and cinnamon for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth, again scraping sides as necessary.
5. Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture and milk in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Fold in apples and stir until just combined.
7. Mix together sugar and cinnamon for topping.
8. Pour 2/3 batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of topping. Layer with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining topping.
9. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until bread is set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift from pan, remove parchment, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
12. Store at room temperature for a few days or in refrigerator for longer.

Recipe adapted from Cookies & Cups.

Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles

Asian flavors are always a favorite at our house! Enjoy these delicious noodles as a vegetarian entree or serve them as a side dish. To transform this recipe into a complete meal, simply add cooked, shredded chicken breast and steamed, stir-fry vegetables!

Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles
Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients
8 oz package rice noodles
1 1/2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp pure sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, adds some heat!)

For garnish:
 4 green onions, sliced
 2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions
1. Cook and drain rice noodles according to package directions.
2. In small bowl, heat peanut butter in microwave for 15 seconds until melted. Add sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Whisk until well combined. (Peanut butter should completely break down to create a smooth sauce.)
3. Pour sauce over hot noodles. Toss to coat.
4. Top individual servings with 1 sliced green onion and 1/2 tsp sesame seeds. (For added crunch, try chopped peanuts!)

Recipe adapted from The Wholesome Dish.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This post is not so much a specific recipe as it is a flavor profile you can play around with to your liking!

While my husband and I were in Hawaii celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, he regularly ate a Mediterranean-style quinoa salad from the local ABC store. When we returned home to South Dakota, I did my best to recreate this dish that he enjoyed eating so much!

The finished product is a little bit different every time I make it because I just guesstimate the amount of each ingredient. Once the salad "looks" right, I do a taste test to make sure I like the balance of flavors and textures. Very scientific, I know! ;)

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
quinoa
sun dried tomatoes
artichoke hearts
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
feta cheese (crumbled)
pine nuts
sun dried tomato salad dressing (or other similar vinaigrette)

Directions
1. In medium-sized pot, combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until quinoa has absorbed all water. Remove from heat, cover pot, and let quinoa rest for 5-10 minutes. Uncover pot and fluff quinoa with fork. Put in refrigerator to cool completely.
2. While quinoa is cooling, drain sun dried tomatoes on paper towel to remove excess oil and then chop into smaller pieces. Drain water from artichoke hearts, slice into quarters, and then chop into smaller pieces. Drain liquid from chickpeas.
3. Toss all ingredients together in large serving bowl, starting with small amount of dressing and adding more to taste. (For reference, I used half jar of sun dried tomatoes, full can of artichoke hearts, half can of chickpeas, entire 4 oz container of crumbled feta cheese, and half bag of pine nuts.)
4. Salad is delicious served at room temperature and also stores well in refrigerator!