Lemon Basil Carrot Bundles

With many people planning turkey dinners for this weekend, here's a veggie plate suggestion that might just be a good addition to your menu.  The carrots can easily be prepared in advance, and re-heated at the last minute.  They taste as good as they look!

• 8 large carrots (about 2 pounds)
• 8 stems of green onion
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Pare or scrape carrots. Then cut into strips about 3 inches in length.
2. Cook carrots over medium heat until tender crisp.
3. Remove from heat.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
4. Place onion greens in a covered dish in the microwave.  Cook on high for 30 seconds.  Cool and use limp onion greens as ropes to tie the carrot bundles.
5. Gather carrot strips into eight bundles.
6. Tie each with an green onion stem. Trim off ends of carrot bundles to even out lengths, if desired.
7. Place bundles in a shallow bowl and drizzle with lemon basil mixture.
8. Cover and chill until serving time. 
9. Reheat in microwave oven for about 3 minutes or until piping hot.
10. Serve on a bed of steaming green peas, if desired!

Serves 8

Enjoy!

Apple Fritter Rings

It's autumn and we are enjoying apples every-which-way these days.  Once a year we have apple fritters...this year they became apple ring fritters.  I used a mandolin slicer to get thin (1/3 inch) slices and a dollar store apple corer to remove the core.

Apple Ring Fritters

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 large tart apples
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Blend flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat eggs and add milk; pour into flour mixture, stirring until smooth. 
3. Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices.
4. In an electric skillet or a heavy frying pan, heat oil to 375°. 
5. Dip apple rings into batter to coat and place into hot oil.
6. Fry several at a time until golden...turning over to cook on both sides. 
7. Drain on paper towels. 
8. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over hot fritters.  Or, serve warm with syrup.

Yield: about 18 - 24 fritters

And just for the fun of it...I tried apple ring pancakes using the very same method.

• Peel the apples. 
• Remove core. *If you do not have a corer, slice first and then use a biscuit cutter to cut out center circle.
• Slice thinly.
• Dip each apple slice into your favorite pancake batter. (I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter).
• Transfer the apple slices to greased and pre-heated skillet. 
• Cook on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, and then flip. 
• Cook until golden brown.
• Drizzle with syrup and enjoy!

 Both the fritters and the pancakes were great.  My pick?  The fritters, of course!

Cheesy Onion Rolls

Last summer, while in Winnipeg for some Celebration book launch events, we enjoyed some wonderful cheesy onion rolls made famous by a local bakery.  I came home with the recipe and am sharing my copykat version with you today.  The yeast dough I used is not the bakery original, but my favorite refrigerator yeast dough. 

Yeast Dough:

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons yeast (instant, fast rising)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

1. Stir together the water, potato flakes and sugar. 
2. Add eggs, softened butter, and yeast mixed with 3 cups flour. 
3. Beat with mixer on high speed. 
4. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft but knead-able dough is formed. 
5. Knead well. 
6. Place in a greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (About an hour in a warm place.)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

 Directions:

1. Punch down dough, and divide in half.
2. Roll each half out to form a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.
3. Brush each piece with half the melted butter; sprinkle each rectangle with half the cheese and poppy seeds.
4. Beat egg, and brush lightly over long edges.
5. Starting at one long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal.
6. Cut thick slices (about 1 1/2") and place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 
7. Press buns to flatten to about 3/4" thick.
8. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
9. Brush lightly with beaten egg.
10. Top each roll with onion slices. 
11. Add a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each bun (about 1 teaspoon).
12. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Cool on racks.

Yield: 20 large cheesy onion rolls.

*Here's what I love about this dough.  It is a wonderful refrigerator dough...and keeps well for several days in the fridge in a sealed container.  It is a simple thing to use half the dough for cheesy onion rolls today...and refrigerate the rest to use for cinnamon buns or more onion buns tomorrow (or the tomorrow after that!). 

Served alongside a salad...these cheesy onion rolls have been a lunchtime favorite in recent months.