Using up some of those beautiful fall apples with a Chunky Spiced Applesauce...

I've been eying that gigantic box of apples since we picked them wondering what we are going to do with them all. I do have plans for a pie or two, but I'm waiting a few more days for that. When I noticed that the market had gotten its first shipment of cranberries this weekend, I had to pick up a bag (or three... yes, I hoard them as they freeze so well!)

So, why not mash the two together? That's exactly what I did to make this Chunky Spiced Applesauce. While the ingredients are not all that unique to create this applesauce, combined they make an explosive party-in-your-mouth atmosphere with each spoonful. Rather than using just one type of apple, I like to use a variety in applesauce - I used Fire Side, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and also tossed in a Granny Smith. Once they are cored and peeled, the apples sit in some cold water with half of a lemon while you continue with the recipe.

The fresh ruby-red cranberries are combined with granulated sugar, pure maple syrup, water, cinnamon and a dash of fresh nutmeg. They are brought to a boil and cooked until their skins pop - the apples are drained from the lemon-flavored water and then added to the cranberries. The two simmer away, covered, until the apples are soft and tender - the cover is then removed and any excess liquids are allowed to cook away , leaving you with a thick and luscious applesauce. You could puree this glossy applesauce if you enjoy a smooth texture, but we used a potato masher to leave the mixture a little more on the chunky side.

This is not your ordinary mundane looking applesauce - once fully cooked, the tart cranberries had stained the apples with a glorious deep pink color. Sweet with a tart bite and a subtle maple background, I just can't keep my spoon out of the bowl in the refrigerator!

Remember how I told you that we often make a big batch of rice on the weekends and store it in the freezer to pull out for quick dinners? It certainly came in handy tonight when I needed just a couple cups for this Southwestern Rice and Corn Frittata.

Frittatas are one of my favorite go-to dishes that don't need a lot of work and most of cooking time is done unattended in the oven. To start us off, a sauté of onions, a jalapeño, garlic clove and corn kernels give us our base flavors. This mixture is then added to a combination of eggs, egg whites, milk, chopped fresh cilantro, cooked brown jasmine rice and a couple handfuls of nutty fontina cheese. This is then placed back in the same skillet that you cooked the onions in (bonus for less clean up!) and cooks on top of the stove until the edges begin to set. The skillet is then slid into the oven and left alone until the center is just set. As it bakes, the rice slowly settles to the bottom forming a kind of crust while the fluffy eggs puff up above it. Sometimes these types of dishes can be so light that it takes a few pieces to fill you up, but the addition of the rice and corn made this golden frittata very filling while the lift from the eggs helped keep it from being too heavy.

Recipes
Chunky Spiced Applesauce

Southwestern Rice and Corn Frittata