Chimichurri Chimichurri Chim Chim Churri!

What is the purpose of food? In a world full of diverse diets, questions of quality, and preferences of flavor, texture and beauty it is difficult at times to not obsessed over food. Food is meant to nourish and fuel our bodies. That's it. It is important to most people that mealtime be a pleasant experience, but obsessing over complexity and originality is really unnecessary (unless centering your life around food is really what you want to do with your life). 
Every now and then I discover a new recipe that changes my attitude toward food. This recipe has reminded me that simple nutritious meals are often the best and there is no shame in them. A simple sauce can heighten a meal from hum-drum to Yum-nom. This sauce is a variation of the Chimichurri Sauce from Diana's The Humble Kitchen. I hope you enjoy it!

Chimichurri Sauce

1/4-1/3 Red Onion, quartered
1 large clove Garlic
A large handful of Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
1/3 Cup Butter, melted
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until it has an even consistency. Use to garnish pan-fried or grilled meats, grilled vegetables, or tortilla chips.

Breakfast Apple Biscuits

I got this idea from Joy the Baker, but this is my own recipe, and it's delicious if I do say so myself. They make a great to-go breakfast or snack (these would even be great as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream..maybe some syrupy strawberries on top...Mmm strawberries.), and one can whip them up in about 30 minutes, doing the dishes and all.
When I found the idea on Joy's baking boot camp series, I immediately was reminded of the fried apples and biscuits my momma used to make for breakfast-sooo yummy. She made big fluffy biscuits and a pan full of buttery sticky cinnamon apples, so I thought of coarse bake them together, why didn't I think of that myself! Today I whipped these up without even looking at a recipe, and therefore I am now recording the recipe for you and me. (Disclosure: I have a Betty Crocker recipe for biscuits memorized so I can easily adapt it for whatever I'm making be it dumplings, cinnamon rolls, cobbler, or biscuits!)

Fried Apple Biscuits

2 cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Coconut Oil, solid
3/4 cup Milk or Water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in coconut oil. After apples are made, stir in the milk or water pat together into a ball and set on a floured surface. Roll dough out into a large rectangle, pour fried apples (recipe below) onto one half, careful to leave an inch uncovered around the edges. Flatten and distribute apples as desired. Pull other half of the dough rectangle over the apples and pinch the edges closed and reshape the now smaller dough rectangle with the outside edges of your hands. Feel free to " be the boss", as Joy says. You can pat, squish, even carefully pick up and reposition the dough. 

When  you're happy with the thickness and shape, cut into 12 small squares, three length cuts and four width cuts. Position an inch apart on a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 12 minutes. At least that how hot and how long it bakes where I live.

Fried Apples

1 large or two small organic Braeburn Apples (Golden Delicious work well here too)

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Honey

Pinch of Salt

A couple good shakes of Cinnamon (about 1/4 tsp) I don't like too much cinnamon in stuff

In an 8" skillet, melt butter, add cored and somewhat thinly sliced apples, salt, honey and cinnamon. Simmer apples stirring and flipping a few times until fork tender. Keep in mind they will cook a bit more during baking and we don't want them mushy, so a little crispness is ok.

Now, you can make the biscuits and apples separately and just pull a biscuit apart slather with butter ladle the apples over and drizzle with more honey like we did when I was a kid. In fact I highly recommend it! But, I like them this way too for a more hands on consuming situation. For example, toddlers can enjoy them a bit easier without the mess of separate elements.

 Just a thought, why not try different fruit fillings like strawberries, peaches, pears or plums, even savory with cheese in the middle, herbs added to dough, marinara sauce for pizza bites, so many possibilities! Enjoy!