70 | AUGUST 26 • 2021 

Chill the brisket several hours to over-
night. Uncover and remove most (not all) 
of the fat that has solidified on top. Remove 
the beef from the pan to a cutting board 
(reserve all juices). Slice the brisket against 
the grain into thin slices. Return the beef to 
the roasting pan and overlap the slices, fan-
ning them slightly. Pour the reserved juices 
over the beef, add the apples and cover with 
foil and reheat at 250°F. for 1 or more hours 
(uncovered to brown the beef) until the 
beef is very tender. Makes 8-12 servings.

APRICOT PECAN BALSAMIC 
BAKED APPLES
Imagine an apple strudel … without the 
pastry. To make it a bit richer, serve with 
lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream 
(spiked with a bit of liqueur, if desired), or 
vanilla sauce,
Ingredients
Apples:
6 medium-size sweet apples, about 2 
pounds (Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala and 
Honeycrisp are good choices)
2 Tbsp. spiced rum, optional
Ground cinnamon
Filling:
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped pecans
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Core apples and peel the top third of each 
apple. Place the apples in a baking dish just 
large enough to accommodate them. 
Toss together the filling ingredients and 
divide them among the center of the cored 
apples. Any remaining filling can be sprin-
kled over the apples. Sprinkle the apples 
with the liqueur, if using.
Cover with foil and bake uncovered 
20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 20 
minutes more. Cool to room temperature. 
To serve, spoon pan juices over each apple 
and sprinkle with pecans. Serve with fresh 
whipped cream. Makes 6 servings. 

CIDER MILL GRILLED CHICKEN
Make lots of this chicken because the left-
overs are great. 
Ingredients

6 cups apple cider
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chili sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. course ground pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 chickens (about 3 pounds each), cut 
into 8 pieces each (or 12 chicken breasts 
with bones and skin)

Directions 
Pour the cider into saucepan over high 
heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and 
cook, stirring occasionally until the cider 
is reduced to 2 cups. Add the sugar, chili 
sauce, salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic, parsley, 
pepper sauce and thyme. Bring to boil, 
reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes more. 
Place the chicken pieces in a large baking 
dish and pour the sauce over. Cover with 
plastic wrap and chill several hours to over-
night to marinate, turning the pieces once 
or twice. Alternately, you may place the 
chicken in a large zipper-style bag and pour 
the sauce over. Seal the bag and turn it to 
coat the chicken. Chill until ready to cook.
Heat grill to medium high. Grill the 
chicken, turning it once or twice, until it is 
beginning color. Reduce the heat or place 
the pieces on a cooler spot of the grill and 
cook slowly, brushing with the marinade, 
until the chicken is cooked through (chick-
en breasts cook quickest, so remove those 
and keep warm in the oven until other 
pieces are cooked through). Makes 8-12 
servings. 

CARAMEL APPLE PECAN KUGEL
Ingredients
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, 
melted
1 cup brown sugar
1½ cups chopped pecans
1 pound thin noodles
4 large eggs
1½ cup chopped, peeled golden delicious 
apple
½ cup sugar
1 tsp, salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Spray a 9x13-inch (or 12-inch) glass or 
ceramic baking dish with nonstick cook-

ing spray. Pour the butter over the bottom 
of the pan and sprinkle with the sugar. 
Sprinkle the pecans over the sugar. 
Cook the noodles according to the pack-
age directions to al dente and drain well. 
Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and stir 
in remaining ingredients. Transfer the mix-
ture to the pan (do not stir).
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour or until the 
top is brown. Chill completely before cut-
ting the kugel into squares. Warm again at 
250°F for 1 hour (covered in foil) and serve 
warm. Makes 16-20 servings. 

TZIMMES
The addition of balsamic vinegar and dried 
cherries updates this classic holiday dish.
Ingredients
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups 2-inch pieces of carrots
2 cups 2-inch chunks sweet potatoes
2 cups 2-inch chunks parsnips
2 cups 2-inch chunks peeled apples (any 
variety)
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup honey
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped chives, garnish
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt butter or 
margarine in a medium saucepan over 
medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 
until golden. Let the onions cool slightly 
before transferring to a large bowl. Toss 
with remaining ingredients, except chives, 
and transfer the mixture to a large baking 
dish. Cover the baking dish with foil and 
bake for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are 
tender. Adjust seasonings and serve hot. 
Makes 12 servings. 

FOOD
DINING IN
continued from page 69

