Fare Exchange: Heath bars, messy garlic and crock-pot cooking

Jane Henegar

Good morning, good seekers and finders and cooks of all things delicious.

Signal Mountain Grandfather is hungry for homemade Heath bar cookies. His attempts to replicate his favorite versions just haven't hit the spot, so he has called on you for help.

Marguerite McCammon has a garlic dilemma: "I do not like to peel and mince garlic. Too messy. But we love the taste and the health properties of garlic. Would your readers tell me how to peel and mince easily or maybe even better, please say which kinds of garlic could be used with equal success: bagged peeled garlic, minced garlic in a jar, pickled garlic, garlic salt or garlic powder."

TWO GOOFS

Here's a correction with an apology: Last week I gave credit to the wrong cook for the wonderful One Pot Turkey Alfredo With Spinach and Bacon and inadvertently omitted an ingredient. It was the creation of Rosemary Palmer of notjustpaperandpaint.com, and the missing ingredient (whole milk) is intact in this version.

One-Pot Turkey Alfredo with Spinach and Bacon

This is a delicious one-pot meal using leftover turkey.

4 to 6 slices bacon

6 ounces baby spinach (4 cups packed)

Salt to taste

2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 cups chopped or cubed turkey (cooked)

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth or stock

3 cups whole milk

1 pound (4 cups) dry penne pasta

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Using a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, drain, cool and chop.

Add the spinach, salt and garlic into the pan, and cook just until the spinach is wilted.

Add the cooked turkey, butter, bacon, broth and milk back into the spinach mixture.

Bring to slight simmer, just below a boil, and add pasta.

Constantly stir this for 10 to 15 minutes, until pasta is cooked.

Add the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and stir until cheese is melted.

Remove from heat. Cover for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to continue to thicken.

Notes: Garlic can burn easily, so keep a careful eye on it. If you are using raw turkey or chicken, add to the bacon drippings and sauté until no pink remains. This is 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your chopped pieces.

If the dish isn't quite as creamy as desired, a little milk or broth can be added.

Use a rotisserie chicken for another time saver.

CROCK-POT FAVORITE

Margaret McNeil, busy blogger, recommended this recipe as a favorite in the crock pot.

"This is a great dish to cook when you're going to be gone all day. You can cook it when you're home, but the smell will have you salivating all day."

She provided background for this family favorite. "This French Dip, as it's usually called, is a hot roast beef sandwich served on French or hoagie rolls with the au jus - the unthickened natural juices from the cooked meat - served in a bowl on the side. The recipe I'm sharing takes time to prepare, but there's very little work involved since it's cooked in a crock pot.

"I always cook roast in a crock pot, so I opt for an English roast, which is a tough, but very flavorful, cut of meat. Inexpensive tougher cuts of meat are wonderful cooked in a crock pot because the long cooking time makes them tender. An English roast needs to be cooked in liquid so it's ideal for this recipe.

"Although the recipe calls for all visible fat to be removed from the roast, I leave a little bit for flavor. The roast - it doesn't have to be browned or coated with flour - goes in the crock pot."

French Dip Sandwiches

1 (3 to 4 pounds) top chuck roast

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

4 whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups water

French or hoagie rolls

Remove and discard all visible fat from roast. Place roast in a crock pot. Combine soy sauce, bouillon cube and spices; pour over roast. Add water. Cover and cook on low heat 10 to 12 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove meat from broth; shred with forks and keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Strain broth; skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve warm on desired bread.

Variation: If desired, put cheese on the bread before adding the meat. Put sandwiches on a baking pan and heat in a 350-degree oven for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese starts to melt. Makes 8 servings.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Barb Smith sent us a copy of her favorite cookbook, "Fabulous Feasts From Grainger County." The Rutledge Baptist Church in Rutledge, Tenn., printed it with a cover of Grainger County tomatoes. Sometimes you can buy these legendary tomatoes here, and Ms. Smith said there is no comparison with a Grainger County tomato straight from the fields. In fact, this cookbook has a complete section on Grainger County tomatoes. However, it was a dessert that merited the one folded-down page in her gift. That recipe follows, attributed to Chelsea Kirby.

The Best Peanut Butter Pie

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup sugar

10 tablespoons melted butter

Smucker's Magic Shell chocolate sauce

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup (heaping) creamy peanut butter (Jif works well)

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 large tub Cool Whip

Heath Bits milk chocolate toffee

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter thoroughly. Pack into deep-dish pie pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Place in freezer until cold.

Remove pie pan from freezer and empty container of Smucker's Magic Shell onto bottom of graham cracker crust. Place back in freezer to freeze completely.

Whip cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Mix on slow speed. Finally add in Cool Whip.

Remove crust from freezer and add the filling, smoothing into pie pan. Top with 1/2 bag of Heath bits. Cover and freeze. Let thaw 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

PALEO EATING

Daisy LaNieve found this recipe in a favorite cookbook, "Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love To Eat." The author is Melissa Joulwan.

This one sounds like November and would be great for breakfast. And it reminds Ms. L of her husband's declaration, in the middle of the Whole 30 diet. "No diet could be bad that includes bacon." This is, however, a particular kind of bacon; take note.

Fried Apples With Bacon and Pecans

1 strip sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon

8 roasted, unsalted pecan halves, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 large, crisp apples, cored and sliced (about 2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon

Zest from 1/4 lemon (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Generous pinch salt

Cut bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide pieces. Place the chopped bacon in a large, cold skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and fry the bacon until it's crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan with a wooden spoon. and drain on a paper towel. Wipe the grease out of the skillet, place it back on the heat and add the chopped pecans. Stir with a wooden spoon until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan.

In the same skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high. Add the apple slices, and saute until the apples begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the apple pie spice, lemon zest and salt with a fork, then add to the apples. Continue cooking until the apples are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Spoon into small dishes and sprinkle with the bacon and chopped pecans.

Tasty ideas: Serve with a pork chop, pork loin or roasted turkey to turn this dessert into a sweetly surprising side.

Variations: Skip the bacon and nuts, then drizzle the apples with a spoonful of sunflower butter that's been warmed in the microwave. Or use ripe pears as a stand-in for the apples.

Let's make a habit of this sweet and savory meeting. Next Wednesday?