Golden Apple Cider with Turmeric & Spices

Happy Friday everyone. My Sophia is off from school today so we took the opportunity to go for a walk outdoors. The air is crispy and the skies are a bit moody, the sun is trying real hard to peek from behind the clouds. The ground is a bit damp, as we walked the forest preserve, the leaves are crunching beneath our feet and that smell slowly hits you: that fresh, earthy smell. Everything feels crispy and fresh as if the earth is preparing for its long winter nap at least in this part of the world.

It’s the perfect time to go inside and make a pot of warm and spice scented apple cider. Wish you all a happy warm and cozy weekend.

Golden Apple Cider with Turmeric & Spices

Ingredients:

4 cups 100% pure apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

3 green cardamom pods slightly crushed

2-3 slices of fresh turmeric peeled or half a tsp of ground turmeric

2-3 slices fresh ginger peeled or half a tsp of ground ginger

1/2 tsp of whole pink peppercorns

1 Apple thinly sliced and few more for garnish

Directions:

In a pot heat the ingredients together until fragrant. Strain and serve hot with a slice of apple.

Optional: For the adults I added a shot of Grand Marnier (an orange flavored liquor) and a shot of orange juice for the kids. By the way this will make your house smell amazzzzzing.

#warmdrinks #falldrinks #applecider #spiceapplecider #apples

Apple Cider Caramel No sugar added

Snacks are just so fun to prep. And let me tell you this snack is the perfect fall treat. I might of bought extra Apple cider by mistake 😉not. A good apple cider is one that uses freshly pressed apples and no sugar added. I started by reducing the Apple cider. It wasn’t my intention to make carmel but once I saw the Amber color I just added a touch of heavy cream and butter, you can add a shot of bourbon too and voilà it’s the perfect snack sprinkled with some flaky salt. Do I dare to say it’s a natural carmel sauce with no added sugar. Served it with Camembert, maybe pretzels, apples. Ok go to town with this it could be drizzled on everything, drizzled on a cake, pie, pancakes, in lattes, in chai. If you make it let me know how you use it! For the how to, its on my story now.

Ingredients

• 2 cups 100% apple cider

• 5 tbls unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 pinch flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Add the apple cider to a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Allow the apple cider to cook down to about 1/3 cup this could take up to 30-35 min.

• Reduce the heat and add the butter slowly one tbls at a time until it’s all melted and incorporated. Add the heavy cream stir to combine.

• Increase the heat back to medium-high heat. Continue to cook for a few more minutes. The mixture will bubble vigorously and it will deepen in color.

• Remove from heat, add a pinch of sea salt; stir to combine. Set aside to cool, the caramel sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

• This recipe will yield to 2/3-3/4 a cup of caramel.

• Store in the fridge

#caramel #falltreats #caramelsauce #applecider

Turkey cutlets with fall apples and sage cream sauce

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. It might be the crisp air, all shades of yellow, red and orange leaves, falling slowly exposing the deep brown woodsy branches. Or it might be the shorter days that bring us home sooner and longing for a cozy dinner together. Or it might be the idea of starting something new. With season changes comes a new lineup of fruits and veggies, and meals that require simmering or braising on the stovetop or in the oven a little longer perfuming the whole home with cozy smells and anticipation to eat. Fall meals are some of my favorites to prepare and eat. They are full of hearty flavors and delicious harvest fruits and veggies. Meals like roasted chicken, braised cuts of meat, bubbling pots of chilis and soups, apples, pies oh and squash, pumpkin and pomegrantes.

Today I have a simple hearty meal that showcases the seasons best ingredients. One that make us feel cozy inside but it doesnt need all day to cook making a great weeknight dinner option. The smell of apples and warm spice is all we are craving, also there are loads of apples in my house we got to use them up you know. This turkey cutlets (or chicken) with fall apples and sage cream sauce cooks in 30 minutes and hits all the autumn cooking notes. Its fast and loaded with fall flavors. The crispy apples add freshness to this dish while the fresh sage adds warm cozy notes. And dont forget about my pickled apples they made for the perfect finish that helps cut through the richness of the cream sauce.

Turkey cutlets with fall apples and sage cream sauce

Prep 20 minutes

Cooktime 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound turkey cutlets ( this recipe works well with chicken or pork cutlets as well

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 finely chopped shallot

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 2 firm apples sliced and seeds removed (any variety you like, but look for firm apples like honeycrisp)

• 1 pickled apple thinly sliced (optional) recipe on my webite

• 2 tbls olive oil

• 1 cup cold pressed apple cider (100% no sugar added)

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided

• Juice and zest of one lemon

Directions

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbls of olive oil in a pan. Add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes per side, turning once, until browned on both sides. Chicken will finish cooking in the sauce later. Transfer to a plate.

• To the same Pan, add the apples, garlic and shallots. Stir together for a minute. Add the sage and mix. Deglaze the pan by adding the cold pressed apple cider. scrape all the browned bits at the bottom. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices from the chicken back into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium stir in the cream, and 1 tbls of fresh sage. Taste and adjust your seasoning of salt and pepper; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in lemon juice and zest to brighten up the flavors stir to combine.

• Serve the chicken topped with the sauce and Fresh sage and the diced pickled apples to brighten the flavors and cut through the richness of the cream.

• For my pickled apple recipe

#pickledfoods #fallseason #cozymeals #fallflavors #applesandsage #tukey #chicken #creamsauce #sage