Apple Bread

     It been awhile since I last posted to my blog, I am sorry for keep you waiting. I have been cooking at my parents’ house in Florida. I still have no kitchen here in Ontario, Canada after the BIG FLOOD.  So I used my sister’s kitchen to make my favourite bread.

This kind of bread is called Quick Bread, it doesn’t need yeast and you don’t need to knead. You simply mix the ingredients, though you do need to do a bit of work on the main ingredients such as peeling and shredding the apple.

This recipe is great for people who want to learn how to make bread. You can eat it for breakfast, snack, dessert and any other time you want an apple bread fix.

There are few ways to shred apple; you can hand shred it with a grater, or use a chopper.  Be careful if you use a food processor.  Too long and you have applesauce not shredded apple.

Have fun!

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 beaten egg

1 cup sugar (you can use less sugar, about half cup)

1 ½ cup shredded, peeled granny smith apple

¼ cup cooking oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)

1.     Pre heat oven to 350 F

2.     Grease the 8x4x2 inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder and clove. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

3.     In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, apple and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture.

4.     Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy not smooth so don’t over mix it) Spoon batter into prepared pan.

5.     Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

6.     Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. (I said this but sometime I like to eat the bread while it is still warm)

7.     I like to wrap and store overnight before slicing because I find it tastes even better than when it is still warm. 

Chicken and Green Bean Salad with Apple and Radish Dressed with Miso Mayonnaise

     It has been a month since I last cooked in the kitchen and now I am back! I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I have two new recipes to share, I hope it is worth the wait. 

     The weather is becoming warmer and warmer, it is a great time to make these recipes because they can be served cold. They are good for a summer party.  These recipes are great to make ahead and these are also fantastic for leftovers.

    I love apple and radish, because they go well together, they have a slightly sweet taste and are refreshing to eat. 

    You can serve these dishes with any rice if you want. 

   

  

Chicken and Green Bean salad

2 chicken breasts

2 green part of a spring onion (shallot)

2 tbsp ginger, peeled and crushed

4 tbsp sake

1 2/3 cups green beans

3 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp hoisin (add more if you like)

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp chicken stock powder

salt and pepper

1. To measure the amount of water needed, put the chicken breast into a medium pot and add just enough water to cover, then remove the chicken and bring the water to coil.
2. Return the chicken to the pot with the spring onion, ginger and sake
3. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes, cut the chicken to check  to make sure it is cooked throughly but don’t overcook. Remove and leave to cool.
4. Cut top and tail off the beans and chop in half diagonally
5. Bring water in the pot to boiling, put beans in for 1 minute or 2. Be very careful not to overcook them. Drain and pat dry
6. Roughly shred the chicken when it is cool enough to handle
7. Place the beans and chicken in a bowl.
8. Combine the mayo, milk, chicken powder and hoisin and stir into the beans and chicken.
9. Season with salt and pepper.

Apple and Radish Dressed with Miso Mayonnaise

Serves 4

Dressing:

2 tsp white miso

1 tsp superfine sugar

1/2 cup mayo

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp shelled walnuts

3/4 cup red apple

2 1/2 cups radish

1. In a bowl, combine miso, sugar, mayo, and rice vinegar.
2. Cook the walnuts uncovered in a microwave on very low heat for one and half minutes. Leave to cool and roughly chop
3. Wash the apple complete with skin. Cut into 4 wedges, removing the core, then slice each wedge thinly pieces. Soak the apple in the water to keep it from discolouring.
4. Slice the radishes into thinly sliced round pieces
5. Combine the apple and radish together then put a bit dressing in at a time, don’t put all dressing in at once. 
6. Arrange in a serving bowl and sprinkle the walnut pieces on top