Apple Fritters. Quick and Easy. OH and if there's fruit in it, it's healthy and you can eat it for breakfast.

This is my recipe for  my quick, any day of the week, apple fritters.  I made them this am and am sitting here eating them.  I thought, absolutely, you'd like to make these and have them for yourself. 

Like most of my recipes, it's quick, it's easy and you will rock the fritters, plus, there's fruit so remember, they're healthy!  O_o  

TRACY'S QUICK APPLE FRITTERS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3-4 Tablespoons of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
(any spice you like with your apples, cinnamon, nutmeg or nothing)
1/4 tsp dry yeast (OPTIONAL!)

1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 grated (small) apples, I use Gala which are quite small so I use two, if you have giant apples, use one

IF you want to drizzle them, then you need some icing sugar, 1/3 cup? and a dribble of milk.  OR you can just dust them with icing sugar, your call.

some fat to cook them in.  I use 1/2 clear vegetable oil and coconut oil, ya, I went there. 

Quick INSTRUCTIONS

Mix, fry, eat.  

*I got a complaint that my recipes (and blog in general) was too long winded, so I wanted to be sure there were short instructions for ya, sweetie  *hehehehe*

LONG WINDED INSTRUCTIONS WITH PICTURES  

This is seriously a dump, fry, eat experience

IN a bowl, or 4 cup measuring cup like me, combine all the dry ingredients, flip them around with a fork.  In another bowl, mix the milk and egg (add vanilla if you're one of those!)  Combine the wet into the dry into a very thick batter
   
   
Peel and grate one or two apples, depending on their size.  Add them to the batter.
   

Mmmmm, gooey thick and droppy fritter batter.  I throw a towel over it while I get the cooking station ready.   ON the days I use yeast in the batter, I think it makes it slightly poofier if it rests.  On the days I don't use yeast (I don't always) resting makes it lighter as well...  either way, let it sit there while you get the fat ready.
  

Heat some oil, any combination that you like, in a frying pan.  I use cast iron because it keeps a nice heat.  I pour in enough oil to be about 1/2 inch deep, this is a shallow deep fry.  I drop 1/4 tsp water in the fat and turn the heat onto medium.  When the fat spits, or 'speaks' then I know it's the right temperature.  I am SURE there's better ways, like with a thermometer but I don't use them.  I also use the "put a wooden chopstick in the fat and if there's bubbles then it's hot enough" method. 

DO NOT cook these unless the fat is hot, they'll be gross.

When the fat is hot, I coat my spoon, lightly, and scoop out the batter without having any stick to the spoon, cool and chefy!

Since the batter sat and waited, I like it to rest, it may have gotten thinner, if it has, feel free to add a little more flour, this should be thick!

Drop, carefully, by spoonfuls into the fat, not too many at a time and cook till they are brown on the bottom, flip carefully and wait another moment or two till they're cooked through and brown on the bottom too.
   

Mmmm, breakfast!  You can make them bigger or smaller, have at it!
     

Transfer them to a rack with a paper towel underneath to catch any residual fat, there shouldn't be much if your fat is hot enough.  Allow to cool for a while, seriously, as much as I hate to say this, I prefer them room temperature to screaming hot out of the pan.

When they are cool (ish) make a light drizzle with confectioners sugar and a few drops of milk to make a pouring consistency.  You can pour or dunk, again your personal choice.
   

Serve them up to those you love.  I have no idea if they keep or freeze, they never last the day.

Gratuitous beauty food porn shots

QUICK THANK YOU!

My blog passed 100,000 hits today.  It was a really exciting moment, I was sitting here, watching it, when it went over.  Yeah, I was pretty thrilled. 

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for coming by, for reading what I write about what I cook.  I hope you enjoy using the recipes.  I hope you make them your own.  To those who send me notes about successes and failures, thank you for taking the time to let me know how the recipes I post here work for you.

I really appreciate it, I am humbled by it and I strive to post recipes and food ideas that matter, are easy on the wallet, easy on the soul, are sort of old school and that just make you feel good.

Thanks again for all the support, I really do appreciate it. 

Tracy 

Potato salad, in the pressure cooker. I'm about to revolutionize the way you make the classic summer gathering food. NOW you can make it for a gang of 50 or as a simple side for one. It's not banished to party land any more.

I am about to revolutionize the way you make potato salad.  

I love potato salad and only ever eat it when there's going to be a happening of substantial size at my house.  I make to take to parties, in enormous bowls, garnished with herbs and cherry tomatoes (if I'm feeling radical).  

I make a pretty classic, simple, straight forward potato salad.  Some things shouldn't be shushed up or tarted out of what made them classics to begin with.  

This isn't a recipe to change what you put in your salad but rather, how you make it.  Grab a glass of wine, let's begin: 

TRACY'S PRESSURE COOKER POTATO SALAD, For ONE OR For 50

Ingredients:

potatoes, waxy white or red ones, as many as you need
1 russet potato, just a small one, trust me
eggs, as many as you want in your salad
the dressing you prefer
OR make your own with
mayonnaise
mustard
aioli if you have any
celery, green onions, regular onions (diced small and rinsed in ice water),
vinegar, apple cider is my preferred choice
water
sugar
salt, pepper, herbs that you love

LONG winded directions, with pictures

IN your pressure cooker, put some water, about 2 cups and a steamer rack.  I use one of those flower types.  

CUT your potatoes into potato salad sized chunks.  Skin on or off, your choice.  You MUST use waxy potatoes, russets will fall apart.  THAT being said, one russet in the mix makes the dressing creamier and thicker so if you want a softer mouth feel, add one, also cut small.  Nestle your eggs into the potatoes at the top.  I have 4 lbs of potatoes so I am using 3.  When I do this for just me, I use one.

LOCK AND LOAD, 4 minutes, oh look at the before and after shot.  I open when the timer goes off, quick release this stuff.  See how different HAHAH  Remove the eggs to a towel on the side and
  
While your spuds are doing their spud thing, make your dressing in the biggest bowl you have.  Make your own or futz a recipe, depending on how much you need.  Make it thin thin thin!  The consistency of pouring cream.  Trust me, the hot potatoes suck this stuff up.  They absorb the flavor so incredibly. 

Today, mine was about a cup of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of dijon, zest and juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar,  thyme, white sugar, water till it was the right consistency.  I also had a little leftover aioli which I added.  The trick is to taste, taste, taste.
 
Drain the potatoes when the timer goes off and dump them into a collander, see the steamer insert I use?  Dump the potatoes, screaming hot, into the dressing and fold fold fold, carefully but not too fanatically.
   
They SOAK up the dressing, it's amazing.  Add whatever chopped veggies you want, I just wanted celery today.  Break the ends of the eggs and drop them into cold water, peel them.
  
Transfer the salad to a prettier bowl when it's all mixed in.  I put the whole eggs on top and cover the whole thing and put it in the fridge. When it's cold, I will chop the eggs, fold it all together one last time, put some sliced green onions on top and serve it up.

This recipe works for a small amount or a giant amount, 4 minutes, high pressure, on a steamer and you have a delicious, fabulous, quick, tasty, happiness inducing potato salad.

It's not just for OTHER people anymore!

Make it, enjoy it!

/tracy

QUICK Pressure cooker toffee, caramel, golden love, dulce de leche, make your own

A QUICKIE for you; 

I've been cooking sweetened condensed milk in a can, on the stove top, for 3 hours, for years and years.  It's the base of Banoffee pie.  Cook a pie shell, slice bananas in the cooled shell and pour THIS all over it, chill.   

I wanted to know if my pressure cooker would do it easier and without blowing up. 
It did and it didn't.

Don't fret or freak out, all the online "recipes" are rather horror mongering about the whole thing. This is easy and you're going to go and do it now.  It keeps, unopened, in the cupboard forever and it keeps, in the fridge for a while.  Make something with it, it's SO SO SO much more than the sum of it's cooked in the can parts. 

Don't worry, just do it. 

Tracy's Pressure cooker toffee sauce, caramel, dulce de leche, whatever you call your version. 

What you'll need

1.  Can of sweetened condensed milk
2.  water
3.  pressure cooker

What you'll need to do

Remove the label from your can of sweetened condensed milk.  Put it on a rack in your pressure cooker, turn the can on it's side so it will fit without passing the FULL mark. 

Cover the can with water. Lock and load, 16 minutes
   

DING DING DING

When the cooker dings, unplug it, do not release the pressure, just leave it.  Unplug it do that it doesn't stay on WARM. 

When the pressure is gone, about 15 minutes or so, remove the can, with tongs and put it on a towel to cool

   

When the can is cool enough to hold but still warm, open it.  Stir it with a knife, don't ask, it's just how I do it, and either use it or transfer it to a sealed container (don't leave it in the can once it's opened) and pop it in the fridge.  Nuke, gently, as you need it just to loosen it up.  *I* leave the sealed can in the cupboard without incident and have left it for months!!  

  

Spread it on toast, on fruit, use it as a dip, in a pie, in a flan, in custard, on a spoon, dip bananas in it, use it on ice cream, as ice cream or did I mention, just on a spoon? 

Put it in a pie!  Make my easy press in pie crust, bake it, when it's cool, fill it with this warm caramel and shove it in the fridge. DONE!  EASY! and you'll be a ROCK star

Oh and you're welcome :D  you're going to love this. 

/Tracy