Caramelized Apple Cheddar Melts With A Honey Dijon Arugula Salad Food

ARUGULA WITH APPLES AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Whisk 3 tablespoons low-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon each olive oil, lemon juice and honey, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add 8 cups baby arugula,1 chopped apple, 1/3 cup each chopped walnuts and dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds; toss.

CARAMELIZED APPLE CHEDDAR MELTS WITH A HONEY DIJON ARUGULA SALAD

Steps:

• • Wash and dry all produce. • Halve, core, and finely dice apple. Strip thyme leaves from stems; mince leaves until you have 2 tsp (3 tsp for 4 servings). • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add apple; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. • Add ½ tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4), minced thyme, and 1 TBSP water (2 TBSP for 4). Cook, stirring, until apple is caramelized and jammy, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a small bowl.
• • Place sourdough on a clean work surface. Spread half the slices with mustard, then top with white cheddar, caramelized apple, and yellow cheddar. Place remaining bread slices on top to create sandwiches.
• • Melt 1 TBSP butter in pan used for apple over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook until golden brown on first side, 4-5 minutes. • Remove sandwiches; add another 1 TBSP butter to pan. Once butter has melted, return sandwiches to pan and cook on second side until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted, 4-5 minutes more. (For 4 servings, cook in two batches; repeat process with remaining sandwiches, adding 1 TBSP butter to the pan for each side.)
• • While sandwiches cook, add arugula to a large bowl along with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds; toss with as much Honey Dijon Dressing as you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Halve melts on a diagonal. • Divide salad and melts between plates. Serve with any remaining Honey Dijon Dressing on the side for dipping.

CARAMELIZED APPLES WITH CHEDDAR STREUSEL

Steps:

• For the streusel: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine flour, butter, brown sugar, pecans, and smoked paprika. Using a pastry cutter, work the ingredients until a rough dough forms; it should resemble large grains. Place streusel on a nonstick baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until toasty, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the apples: In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add sugar and water. Bring to a low boil, occasionally swirling the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn light brown to amber; this is a little tricky and needs to be watched continuously. When light brown, turn off the heat, add the apples and whisky, and light on fire to flambe (this will cook out some of the alcohol). Then, add the butter and turn heat to low. Cook the apples, flipping to coat in the caramel, about 2 to 4 minutes. In the meantime, combine the whipped cream and creme fraiche.
• To assemble: Divide the apples into 8 individual serving dishes or one large one. Top with a dollop of the creme fraiche mixture and some streusel.

CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the apples to the pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Sauté the apples, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, until they just start to turn tender.
• Sprinkle the apples with the remaining sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest.
• Toss the mixture gently and cook over medium heat for an additional 2 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the apples are crisp-tender.
• Transfer the apples from the skillet to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Turn the heat to high and add the apple cider to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
• Reduce the heat slightly and allow the cider and the pan juices to simmer for 1-3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
• If you desire a thicker sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in a teaspoon of water, stir it into the sauce, and allow it to thicken for a moment.
• Pour the finished sauce over the warm apples and serve immediately.

ARUGULA SALAD WITH MANCHEGO, APPLES, AND CARAMELIZED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Boil balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-high heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes.
• Whisk oil and Champagne vinegar in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep at room temperature. Rewarm balsamic syrup before using. Rewhisk vinaigrette before using.)
• Toss arugula, apples, half of cheese, dates, walnuts, and shallots in large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.
• Mound salad in center of each plate. Drizzle balsamic syrup around salads. Sprinkle remaining cheese atop salads.