Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Apple-Cranberry Crumble



This is my absolute favorite fall dessert! It's simple and so easy to make -- no baking skills required. A little sweet, a little tart. Perfection!

I know Thanksgiving dessert is all about pies but if you want to try something different and a bit lighter, go for it!

Serves 6

For the filling:
  • 6 to 8 medium apples (Braeburn, Fuji or Gala), peeled and sliced = 6 à 8 pommes de taille moyenne, épluchées et coupées en lamelles
  • 1 ½ cup fresh cranberries = 150 g de cranberries fraiches
  • cup freshly squeezed orange juice = 80 ml de jus d'orange pressé
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar = 2 cuillères à soupe de sucre
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch = 1 cuillère à soupe de maïzena
For the topping:
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour = 30 g de farine
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar = 50g de cassonade
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces = 40 g de beurre, coupé en petits dés
  • ¼ cup old-fashioned oats = 20 g (4 cuillères à soupe)  de flocons d'avoine

Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
 
Put apple slices and cranberries in a large bowl. Combine juice, sugar and cornstarch, and pour over apple-cranberry mixture. Toss well. Spoon apple mixture into a lightly buttered 8”x10” baking dish.
 
Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter in the food processor, pulse about 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle flour mixture and oats on top of the fruit filling. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm, into individual bowls, with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Note: I purposely keep the topping light and sparse, you may want to double the topping ingredients if you like a heavier layer on top.
 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup



Another soup. I hope you don't mind! The temperatures are dropping and I am craving soup on a daily basis now. Butternut squash and leek: another combination I love! If you lack the time to roast the butternut squash, you may just skip that step but it does add more depth to the soup.
 
If you've never peeled a butternut squash, check Simply Recipes tutorial here.
 
Makes about 4 servings

  • Olive oil = huile d'olive
  • 2 leeks, trimmed and chopped = 2 poireaux, coupées en morceaux
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed = 1 courge butternut, épluchée et coupée en cubes
  • 2 cups vegetable broth = 475 ml de bouillon de légumes
  • 1 cup water = 240 ml d'eau
  • Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
  • Pinch cinnamon = une pincée de cannelle
  • Pinch nutmeg = une pincée de noix de muscade

Spray butternut squash cubes with a little olive oil and roast on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Coat dutch oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add leek and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes. Add roasted butternut squash cubes and broth/water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with spices and salt and pepper to taste.

Purée with immersion blender until smooth. Enjoy!