Oven-baked bbq chicken

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 3-pound chicken, cut into 2 wings, 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, the paprika and the garlic powder to a small bowl. Stir to combine. Rub the mix on the chicken pieces.
3. Combine the ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and the remaining 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan. In batches, add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to the prepared baking sheet. 
5. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared bbq sauce to a small bowl and brush over both sides of the chicken. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and brush with additional sauce and serve the remaining sauce for dipping.

Apple pie punch

Ingredients

• 1 apple, chopped or sliced
• 1 quart apple cider
• 2 cups pear nectar
• 24 ounces ginger ale
• Pearl Apple pie vodka

Instructions

1. Combine apple cider, pear nectar, and ginger ale. Stir well. Place apple slices inside pitcher.
2. Pour over ice and serve! If you're wanting to serve it warm, heat all of the liquid ingredients in a pot over a stove on low heat. 
3. Simmer for a few minutes until warm, place apple slices in the pot, and serve in mugs.

Apple crisp stuffed baked apples

Ingredients

• 8 apples
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Crumble topping

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup oats
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. First, prepare the crumble topping. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks, or with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
3. Peel and chop 4 of the apples. Add chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
4. Chop the tops off of the remaining 4 apples and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Discard the flesh or save it for another recipe.(See Note) You don't need to get every little bit out, just enough to make a "bowl" for the filling.
5. Fill scooped-out apples with apple filling from the sauce pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.
6. Place stuffed apples on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm and top with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired.

Apple cider sangria

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of pinot grigio
• 2 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
• 1 cup club soda
• 1/2 cup ginger brandy
• 3 honey crisp apples, chopped
• 3 pears, chopped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients together and stir, stir, stir. Refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

AUTUMN SANGRIA WITH PINOT NOIR AND APPLE CIDER

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 chopped apple
• 1 chopped pear
• 3 cinnamon sticks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a large pitcher and place in the refrigerator. 
2. Let sit overnight or several hours and serve cold. Serve over ice in a rimmed glass.

Pomegranate and Mint Lamb Chops

Ingredients

• ¾ cup pomegranate syrup or molasses
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 12 large mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 frenched lamb rib chops, about ½-inch to ¾-inch thick
• 1 cup fresh pomegranate for garnish
• fresh sprigs of mint for garnish

Directions

1. Blend the pomegranate syrup or molasses, vinegar, mustard, garlic, mint leaves, honey, olive oil and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a gallon size zip-close bag.
2. Add the chops to the bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Turn slowly so the marinade coats the chops. Refrigerate for 30-minutes.
3. Move oven rack 5 to 6-inches from broiler. Heat broiler to high. Line the bottom of an oven broiler pan with foil. Place broiler pan grill on top.
4. Remove chops from marinade and shake off excess. Place on broiler pan grill. Broil for 4 minutes. Turn and broil 3 to 4 minutes longer or until temperature reaches 145°F for medium rare.
5. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint sprigs before serving.

Skinny Broccoli and Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS

Stir Fry

• 2 large/extra-large sweet Vidalia onions, sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups lightly steamed broccoli
• 1 cup sliced baby portobello or white mushrooms
• 1/2 cup red pepper, diced small
• up to 1 cup additional vegetables, optional
• up to 1 cup cooked protein, optional
• bed of fresh kale or cooked rice for serving, optional

Sauce

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey or agave to keep vegan
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons white miso paste
• generous pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
• salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Please note the recipe requires you to have moderately fast knife and chopping skills because you'll be chopping and slicing most of the ingredients while the onions caramelize, including stirring together the sauce. If you're newer or slower in the kitchen, I recommend chopping everything and making the sauce before beginning to caramelize the onions so you're not scrambling or stressed.
2. Stir Fry - To a large non-stick skillet, well-seasoned cast iron skillet, or wok, add the onions, garlic, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and cook covered over high heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and as browned, soft, and tender as desired. Stir mixture intermittently, especially towards the end of cooking, to ensure nothing burns.
3. While onions are cooking, chop and steam the broccoli. To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the broccoli, cover with water, cover bowl with plasticwrap, and cook on high power for 3 to 4 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp-tender; don't overcook. Drain and set aside.
4. While broccoli steams and onions continue to caramelize, slice the mushrooms, peppers, prep any optional vegetables or protein you're using; set aside.
5. Sauce - To a small bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine; set aside.
6. After onions are caramelized, remove them from the skillet and place in a medium bowl; set aside.
7. To the skillet, add the mushrooms, peppers, optional additional vegetables, optional protein, the sauce, and allow mixture to simmer uncovered over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
8. Add the onions, broccoli, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, just enough to rewarm the onions and broccoli and coat with sauce.
9. Taste and if you think it needs a splash of apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, etc., add to taste.
10. Serve over a large handful of fresh kale or over a bed of rice. Stir fry is best warm and fresh, but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days and I enjoy leftovers chilled.

Creamy Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 medium apple, cored and chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Add apple to a large bowl and toss in lemon juice to keep from browning. Add the pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, coconut, and marshmallows and toss to combine. Stir in Greek yogurt, gently tossing to coat.
2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.

Roasted Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 bags yellow baby potatoes(1 ½ pound), either halved or quartered depending on size
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use, plus a drizzle for the baking sheet
• 1 teapsoon sea salt, plus a pinch, divided use
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 large red onion, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 strips apple smoked bacon, uncured, chopped into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. 
2. In a large bowl, add the halved baby potatoes along with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the 1 teaspoon of sea salt and the cracked pepper, and toss well to combine; drizzle a little bit of olive oil onto the foil lined baking sheet, and turn the baby potatoes out onto the baking sheet and roast for 35-40, or until golden-brown and tender; while potatoes roast, crisp the bacon and caramelize the red onion. 
3. In a medium-large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; when hot, add the sliced red onion and the tablespoon of sugar, and toss to coat with a pair of tongs; cook/caramelize the red onions on medium for about 12-14 minutes, or until a golden, caramel color, and softened; once onions are caramelized, add the pinch of sea salt to them, stir to incorporate, and remove from heat; set aside and keep warm until ready to add to potato salad. 
4. Next, in a medium, non-stick pan set over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until brown and crispy, and then remove them with a slotted spoon and onto a paper towel to drain; reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, and set aside to use in the vinaigrette; keep the drippings warm. Once the baby potatoes are roasted, remove from oven, and allow them to cool for a few moments while you prepare the warm, bacon vinaigrette, below.

Warm, Bacon Vinaigrette ingredients

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons reserved, warm bacon drippings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Direction  For Warm, Bacon Vinaigrette

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients beginning with the apple cider vinegar through the salt; slowly drizzle in the bacon drippings while whisking, and then the olive oil; whisk until the vinaigrette is well combined.

Assembling

Add the warm, roasted baby potatoes to a large bowl, and then add the caramelized red onion, the crispy bacon, the chopped flat-leaf parsley and the vinaigrette; toss well to completely combine, making sure that all of the potatoes are well dressed; divide equally among plates, and serve while still warm.

Apple and Pomegranate Quinoa and Kale Salad with Feta in a Curried Maple Dijon Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups kale, finely sliced
• 1 large apple, finely sliced or diced
• 1/4 cup pomegranate
• 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 15 minute, turn the heat off and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Toss the kale, quinoa, pomegranate, walnuts and feta with the mixture of the vinegar, oil, garlic, maple syrup, dijon mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper.