Recipe of the Week: Apple Brownies



So, this apple walks into a brownie... actually, that's a bit misleading. For you see this week's recipe, while it may be called "Apple Brownies," has a lot more in common with what you might know as a "Blondie." In other words, there is no chocolate (brown) to be found here - just apple-y goodness along with the always welcome crunch of pecans. A better name would probably be "Applies" but since that's already a word and would require an ensuing explanation of pronounciation, we'll just stick with Apple Brownies.

Apple Brownies

You need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Granny Smith apples, ppeled, cored, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar then beat in egg
3. Stir in apples and pecans
4. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients
5. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well
6. Pour into a buttered, 8x8 baking dish
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean from center of brownie

Find more great fruit recipes on Ruma's web site!

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Recipe of the Week: Corned Beef and Cabbage

*just a suggestion

Cead Mile Failte! We're having some techinical difficulties with our graphic elements today, so we hope you don't mind another green beer. Luckily, it still fits our theme!

Last week we brought you a rather non-traditional St. Patty's Day recipe to try - cookies made green by the magic of fresh produce. (OK, it was just shredded zucchini, but the taste was rather magical.) This week we're keeping it fresh while keeping with tradition... nothing makes a more traditional St. Patrick's Day than corned beef and cabbage.

It takes some time but, hey, you waited all year for this day, you can wait a few hours for this delicious dish! Besides, we're sure you'll figure out some way to pass the time*!
Slainte!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

You need:

• 4 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 onion peeled and left whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and cut in wedges
• 6 large potatoes, quartered
• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. In a 6 quare Dutch oven, place beef brisket, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion, bay leaves and salt
2. Fill pan with water to cover everything, plus one inch
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes
4. Skim residue from surface of water
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours until meat can be pulled apart with a fork
6. Add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots, pressing them down into the liquid
7. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender
8. Skim oil from surface of water
9. Stir in butter and parsely
10. Remove from heat
11. Remove meat from pan and place on serving dish to rest for 15 minutes
12. Remove vegetables from pan and keep warm
13. Slice meat diagonally, against the grain
14. Spoon juices over meat and vegetables and serve

Find more great fruit recipes on Ruma's web site!

____________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: St. Patty's Day Cookies



You know what really grinds our gears? Lazy attempts to Irish-up food around St. Patrick's Day. What do we mean by that? Well, for example, putting green food coloring in things like beer (see above) and insisting there's something special about it. Not that we're averse to "going green" for the holiday, we just think if you're going to do it there ought to be some value added. To wit: this week's recipe! Not only are we working for our green, we're adding flavor and nutritional value - to cookies!

Now, before you cringe at the idea of a cookie made with zucchini consider this: on a recent episode of "Top Chef All-Stars" one of our favorite chefs, Richard, whipped up zucchini cookies for guest judges Cookie Monster, Elmo and Telly. Even Cookie Monster had to admit they were tasty and Elmo LOVED them - and when have Muppets ever steered us wrong?

St. Patty's Day Zucchini & Chocolate Chip Cookies

You need:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup granola
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy
3. Stir in the egg and vanilla, mix well, then stir in the shredded zucchini
4. Sift together the flower, baking soda and cinnamon then stir into the zucchini mixture
5. Stir in the oats, granola and chocolate chips
6. Drop dough from a teaspoon ont an unprepared cookie sheet
7. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven
9. Cool and serve; makes 2 dozen cookies



Find more great fruit recipes on Ruma's web site!

____________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Bananas Foster

Can it be that time of year already? Whoo hoo, next week (March 8) is Mardi Gras! To help you celebrate, we're offering up a very quick, but most decadent dessert recipe that's as closely tied to New Orleans as Fat Tuesday itself!

We're still making sure you get some fruit but in the spirit of the holiday it's in a really, really indulgent setting. Our friend the banana is the star of this famed NOLA dish and he's potassium-packed and ready to party. He's got no qualms about dropping peel and doing a sweet cannonball into a pool of butter, rum, vanilla and sugar. Won't you join him? C'mon, you only live once!

Bananas Foster

You need:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons rum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter
2. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon
3. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan
4. Cook until bananas are hot, about 1 to 2 minutes
5. Serve immediately over vanilla ice cream

Find more great fruit recipes on Ruma's web site!

_____________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!