salted-butter apple galette

  I had every intention of going to the gym this morning until I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw another picture of a salted-butter apple galette from @bonappetitmag that they have continuously been insisting be made by everyone. So, naturally, I completely abandoned my gym plans to bake, literally scurrying into the kitchen for the November issue.

I always say my dream job would be to work for Bon Appétit. I'll read each issue cover to cover countless times until the next month's arrives; I'm talking editor's letter and all. 

Not only is this recipe super yummy, it's super simple and looks super impressive. The only ingredient I didn't have was salted butter for the brown butter but that was quickly solved with a couple of big pinches of sea salt added to the pan and again on top before baking. 

Recipe via Bon Appétit here

pizza pizza

Pizzas are perfect because you can top them with just about anything and when you make them at home you can really go to town making it exactly how you want. I like my pizza to have thin crust and no red sauce (although i'm a-okay with tomato sauce if it's take-out and loaded with toppings) but I definitely do not want sauce getting in my way of prosciutto and arugula...and garlic-y olive oil-y crust..

What I used:
Trader Joe's pizza dough
Mozzarella cheese (in a ball, then sliced)
Garlic
Olive Oil
Prosciutto
Arugula

How to make it:
Prepare dough as directed (remove from bag, let rest on floured work surface for 30-40 minutes)--
OR make your own
Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Chop garlic and slice mozzarella
Once dough has rested, add more flour to work surface and dough (flip to make sure it's all covered or it may stick) and use a floured rolling pin to roll out dough as thinly as desired.
Carefully move dough to a lightly oiled baking sheet and top with olive oil and garlic (rub it all over with your hands) then mozzarella
Bake in the oven until crust looks almost done, then slide pizza off of baking sheet and directly onto rack to finish baking--this is the only way I am able to get the crust crispy on the bottom
Once out of the oven, top with prosciutto and arugula and drizzle with olive oil

bacon wrapped dates

"Bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates" is just so many words. I mean, it gets to the point, but it really takes you right to the point. Then there's calling them Devils on Horseback, which is probably the most common name used for little bacon wrapped goodies like these, but that gets you no where near the point. Although it is kind of cute when you think about it, as if the bacon is the devil riding the little date (horse?)...and makes me think that maybe all tiny and delicious things wrapped up in something even more delicious have these kinds of names, liiiiike Pigs in a Blanket. Either way, these are so yummy and easy to make and no matter what you choose to call them, i'm pretty sure you'll love them (if you love bacon and goat cheese, of course). 

What you need:

pitted dates

goat cheese

bacon

honey

What you do:

Soak toothpicks in water while prepping the dates.

Use a knife to cut each date lengthwise on one side so that you can open in up and smear in the goat cheese.

Once all of the dates are cut open, spread a little bit of goat cheese into each and close back up.

Slice bacon into thirds and, one at a time, wrap a piece of bacon around each date and poke a toothpick all the way through to secure.

Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high, cook in batches of no more than ten-twelve dates, rotating them often, until the bacon is cooked and crispy all the way around. 

homemade granola

I'm all about homemade granola. Not only is it super simple to make, but it tastes about a million times better than any I have ever bought at the store. This granola is made from start to being able to eat it in under an hour and the base recipe only requires five ingredients; not to mention, there's no butter or oil. Personally, my favorite ways to have it are with almond milk, sliced bananas and peanut butter or with plain greek yogurt (or almond milk), fresh strawberries and shredded coconut. But, really, it tastes just as good as a snack all by itself. 

All you need is:

4 cups oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp water 

1/4 tsp baking soda

pour of vanilla

Heat oven to 325 degrees F

Add the brown sugar, honey and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let bubble for 1 minute, stirring. Turn off heat; add the baking soda and vanilla and stir until foamy. 

Pour your oats into the pan (or pour everything into a separate bowl; i'd just rather have one less dish to wash) and mix well, trying to coat each one. *This is when you would add any additional nuts or seeds. I like sliced almonds and shredded coconut. 

Pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, using a spatula to mix the granola half way through. Baking time will vary according to your oven so keep an eye on when your granola begins to get golden. Remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheet, it will harden as it cools. *This is when you would add any other mix-ins such as dried fruit or chocolate chips, or anything you wouldn't cook in the oven but want in your granola.

Recipe can be halved, or quartered, or doubled...