Induction cooktops & Misc. Recipes

Happy New Year!

I had a very nice Christmas break and as you can see by this issue I was busy changing some things in the Hysham Echo. Hopefully, from now on the paper will be printed in full color plus some other changes that I’m working on for future issues. If you have any ideas/stories/etc. that you would like to see in the paper please let me know - my contact information is on the top of the front page.
Now, on with the cooking column that is being sponsored by Van’s IGA:
One of the gifts that I received for Christmas was an induction cooktop. When I started doing some research on them I was surprised to see they have been around for quite some time. I have seen the commercials on TV advertising a certain brand but they have been around longer then those commercials! I received a cookbook from Norm Kropp, an exchange student from Germany, while I was teaching in Hysham in 1992 and in the front it says “Induction hobs: This is the very latest in high technology. When cooking by induction, the heat is produced directly in the base of the pan by means of electromagnetic exchange fields. This means that heat is produced only where it is needed. It is no longer necessary to heat the pan through the medium of the burner. The advantages of this new heating method are its fast reaction time and great safety, e.g. the ceramic glass hob around the burner remains virtually cold. The induction burner recognizes the right pan and switches itself off in case of overheating.”
You can’t use just any pan on these, they have to be a cooking vessel made of a ferromagnetic metal, or placed on an interface disk which enables non-induction cookware to be used on induction cooking surfaces. I have found that my cast iron cookware works perfectly. If a magnet sticks to the bottom of the pan - it can be used on the cooktop. I was amazed at how fast water boiled on it compared to my regular stove top, plus it uses less electricity as you plug it into a regular outlet in your kitchen, or wherever else you want to cook - like outside by the barbecue!
I have two different heating modes on mine: Power Mode and Temperature Mode. The Power Mode goes from Simmer to High and the Temperature Mode go from 140 degrees to 460 degrees. It also has a Time Mode so you can set the timer up to 170 minutes.
So far I am really sold on this and can see many different uses where I can use it. I really recommend that you check them out.
Now for a few recipes that I cooked over the break that I really liked.

Apple Dumplings
Source: http://thepioneerwoman.com

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon - To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda
Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each.
Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
Melt butter, then add sugar and BARELY STIR. Add vanilla, BARELY STIR, and pour entire mixture over apples. (You definitely want the mixture lumpy and grainy.)
Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Bourbon Street Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts - cut into bite-size-pieces
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove - crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken.
Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.
1/2 cup dried cherries - or dried cranberries
In a bowl, soak cherries or cranberries in hot water to cover until softened, about 10 minutes; drain.
1 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 lemon - zested and juiced
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Toss cherries, apples, zest, juice, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon together in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
1 cup water
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil;
1 T. packed brown sugar
3 T. apricot preserves
Remove from heat and add brown sugar and preserves to water. Return pan to medium-high and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and preserves are melted, about 3 minutes.
1 tsp. cornstarch - dissolved in
2 teaspoons water
Increase heat to high; add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Pour over fruit.
For the Topping:
1/4 cup butter - softened
In a wide frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Add nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
Add brown sugar and cinnamon; cook until sugar dissolves.
1 cup Japanese-style bread crumbs - (panko)
Add bread crumbs and stir to evenly coat. Spoon topping evenly over fruit.
Bake, uncovered, until apples are tender and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm .
I modified this recipe a little after I made it as the original recipe used Asian Pears, Jasmine tea and 5-spice seasoning. I substituted apples for pears, water for the tea and cinnamon for the 5-spice. Print this post