Too tired to cook

It's a combination of the holidays and entering the third trimester but by about 4 or 5 in the afternoon, I'm exhausted.  Dinner has been pretty sad lately . . . turkey sandwiches, canned soup, Rainforest Cafe, Caesar salad from a bag with spaghetti from a jar . . . I know my family deserves healthier food and I'm turning back to my slow cooker.   For me, this soup is right up there with the White Chicken Chili - I love it and the leftovers disappear pretty quickly.

This is the combination of a few recipes - one from my sister in law where she makes it with rotisserie chicken on the stove top.  If you want to sub the chicken breast for cooked chicken, you can do the whole thing on the stove and only cook it for about a half hour.   This version take a bit longer but then I can make dinner while I still have a little energy.

Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as we enjoyed ours - Happy New Year!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
(6 servings)

For the slow cooker:
1 lb chicken breast
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes (Mexican style with green chiles)
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, minced or small can chopped green chiles (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt
pepper

For topping the soup:
chopped cilantro
shredded jack cheese
avocado, diced
4 corn tortillas
olive oil spray

Add the slow cooker ingredients to your slow cooker.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat.  Season with a little more salt and pepper. Return to the slow cooker.  Sometimes I also squeeze a lime into the soup at this point and adjust the seasonings (usually for me, that means more heat - red pepper flakes, tabasco etc).

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.  Cut the corn tortillas in half and then in strips.  Put them on a single layer on the baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until light brown and crunchy.

Top bowls of soup with tortilla strips, a little avocado, some cheese and cilantro.

Merry Christmas from Big & Little

My mom hears from some of her friends and relatives that we're a big hit here on the blog - in fact, some people aren't as interested in her recipes as they are in pictures of us.  So, we wanted to say thanks for reading her blog (even when it's not about us) and Merry Christmas.  

Here are some of the Christmas activities we've enjoyed this year:

My Preschool Christmas program - I'm 4th from the left and for the moment, not touching the angel in front of me.

Taking our mom to the Christmas Parade at Disneyland where I took about 70 pictures on mom's phone.  Mostly of the backs of elves and reindeer.   We also took her to the Monrovia Christmas parade.

Doing crafts with cinnamon dough

Learning that the rolling pin is not easy and not your friend

Baking cookies and learning that the stand mixer shouldn't be turned to high when you add the flour

Trying to read recipes 

Enjoying some sunny weather on our annual family trek to the desert in December

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Feeding the giraffes at the Living Desert 

Snuggling with dad on the couch listening to Christmas Carols and watching the fire

Picking out our tree

Decorating it

Ta-dah!  Notice the bottom row of ornaments placed so carefully by my little sister 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

White Chicken Lasagna

I've read lots of white chicken lasagna recipes over the years and haven't really tried one.  I had some of the ingredients for this on hand and it sounded good when I needed an idea for dinner recently so I gave it a try.  The "lasagna" title is a little deceiving - there's not much cheese (a little parmesan on top) and the sauce that holds it together made the filling seem more like pot pie (between lasagna noodles).  As I was making it, I had the idea that you could take your favorite pot pie recipe, and layer that between lasagna layers and have a very similar dish (and make it vegetarian by adding more veggies).  Here's what the layers looked like as I was assembling it:

It was delicious, light (no cream or cheese), and satisfying.  I'll add it to my rotation of rotisserie chicken recipes and make it again soon!

White Chicken Lasagna (serves 4-6)
adapted from Everyday Food 12/12

3 T unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup asparagus, sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 T flour
2.5 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup roughly chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
6 no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375.  In a saucepan, melt butter mover medium.  Add celery, onion and asparagus; cook until onion and celery are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour and cook about 1 minute.  Increase heat and slowly stir in broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until liquid thickens, 1 minute. Remove from heat.  Stir in chicken and artichokes; season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup chicken mixture on the bottom of a 2 quart pan (I used an 8x8 square).  Top with 2 lasagna noodles and about 1 cup of the chicken mixture.  Repeat for 2 more layers.  On the top lasagna noodles, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sundried Tomato, Mushroom & Pancetta Pasta

The other night I made something new for dinner that wasn't soup!  It was this pasta that I'm now in love with.  I kept patting my own back and tooting my own horn (as I was eating) about how amazing this combination of flavors was.  I hope you love it like I did!

Sundried Tomato, Mushroom & Pancetta Pasta (serves 4)
adapted from foodie-girl.com

8 oz spaghetti
4 oz pancetta, diced (TJs sells it this way)
1/2 cup diced onion & shallots (also from TJs - already diced)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup cream
1/4 cup julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the spaghetti.  In a large sauté pan, brown the pancetta until crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate.  In the same pan, add the onion & shallots. Saute until the onions are soft.  Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme and stir for one minute until fragrant.  Add the mushrooms along with some salt and pepper.  Saute for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.

Add the white wine and stir, scraping the pan with your spoon to break up anything stuck to the bottom.  Bring to a boil and let the wine cook off until only a couple of tablespoons remain (about 5 minutes).  I tried to time it so that the pasta was cooking about this time.  You can turn the pan off the heat if you need to until the spaghetti gets going.

Add the cream.  Let the sauce slowly simmer, keeping an eye on the heat so the cream doesn't boil.  Add the sun dried tomatoes.  Add back the pancetta.  Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.  Reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid from the spaghetti.  Drain the spaghetti.  Add a little of the cooking liquid to the sauce if you need it to get it the right consistency.  I added about 2-3 tablespoons.  Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss.

Chocolate Crinkles

In our family, chocolate crinkles always show up at Christmas time.  I was at a friend's Christmas party last weekend and she had the most delicious ones . . . and they were gluten free!  I'm going to be making these for my family this season and wanted to share both versions of the recipe with you.

Chocolate Crinkles (makes 6 dozen)
Betty Crocker Cookie Book

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and cool slightly.  Mix oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar.  Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed.  Add vanilla.  In a separate bowl, Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix into the oil mixture.  Chill for several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball.  Roll in into the powdered sugar.  Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 9-11 minutes.  Don't over bake!

GF Chocolate Crinkles (makes 2 dozen)
Original Recipe here

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 oz)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided (plus 1/2 cup for cookie coating)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick baking spray.  Melt 1 cup chocolate chips, cool slightly.  Using a mixer, beat whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.  Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl to blend.  On low speed, beat this mixture into the meringue.  Mix in the lukewarm chocolate mixture and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl.  Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly.  Place on prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes.  Cool about 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Let me start by saying that fruity desserts don't excite me as much as something chocolate, caramel, or otherwise decadent.  And apple cake?  Ehh, I've had it.  But this?  This cake was amazing.  I'm making it for a second time in less than a month.  It could work for a brunch - it's a little like coffee cake - or it's great with a cup of after dinner coffee.

When I made it and poured it into the pan, I told my husband to come taste the leftover batter in the bowl - it was seriously delicious batter and the cake didn't disappoint.  I made it a day ahead, covered it, and served it the next night and it was moist and perfect.


Cinnamon Apple Cake (serves 10)
Original recipe and great photos here

• 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups chopped peeled Fuji apples (about 2 large)
• Cooking spray
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Take 2 Tablespoons of that mixture, and put it in a bowl with the apples.  Stir and let it set while you do the rest.
• 
  
•  eat 1.5 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed until well-blended (about 4 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Stir apple mixture into the batter.
• 
  
• Pour batter into a 9 inch springform pan that has been coated with cooking spray (or buttered).  Sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon mixture.
• 
  
• Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Cut with a serrated knife.

Thanksgiving Memories

I can't quite move on to Christmas yet without sharing some Thanksgiving memories and one more pumpkin recipe.  It's hard to believe that the holiday season is here . . . I got my Christmas boxes out of storage, addressed my Christmas cards, and graded my students' essays.  Now I'm counting down to going to our first Christmas party on Saturday and giving my finals next week.  

It's hard to recap the amazing trip we had to the east coast so I'm going to keep the post (mostly) to the actual Thanksgiving.  It was a beautiful New England day - sunny and cool.  My cousin is a wonderful hostess, not stressed at all, and everything from the beautiful table with the floral arrangements (that she did herself) to the two tasty turkeys and more side dishes than you can imagine was perfect.  But the real highlight is how warm and welcoming her home is and what a great time the family all had hanging out and being together.

There were Shirley Temples for the kids . . . 

Pictures with the turkey (not calling names - the literal Thanksgiving bird)

Venison appetizers

A deep fried turkey

The table - how cute are those turkeys?

Delicious desserts that we ate even though we were all so full

Phone calls home to California

And, football games . . . this was the next day but it's my favorite action shot

My contribution to the meal was pumpkin bread pudding - thanks for the recipe, Des!

The pumpkin bread pudding was super easy and delicious.  I admit I was a little skeptical of the recipe because other bread puddings I've made call for something crazy like 8-10 eggs, loads of heavy cream, etc. but this was honestly perfect.  I could have finished the pan for breakfast the next day!  It's a great dish to make for a holiday gathering - just because Thanksgiving is over, it's not too late!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce (makes a 9x13 pan)

from The Restless Chef

1 pound loaf of stale challah bread

Two eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8- 1/4 tsp. cloves

2 cups half and half

1 can of pumpkin puree

Salted caramel sauce (see note below)

Cube the stale challah bread (should be appx. 10 cups) and set out to dry more.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, seasonings, half and half and pumpkin.  Mix well.

Stir the bread into the seasoning and let it soak for at least 10 minutes.  I put it in a buttered 9x13 pan at this point and refrigerated it for a few hours before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees until it's firm all the way through, about 30-45 minutes (maybe more if you refrigerated it like me).  

Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit.  Spread with a thin layer of salted caramel sauce and serve more on the side.

For the salted caramel sauce:  My cousin had a jar in her cupboard and I opted not to make any more work for ourselves.  Here's a link for making your own.  Des says the secret is to not stir it while it's coming to a boil.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know that Thanksgiving is almost a week away, but we're headed out of town for the week and I wanted to share this.  Have a happy Thanksgiving - may your plate be full, your heart be grateful, and your half of the wishbone be longer!

The "before" picture for Thanksgiving dinner . . . a turkey Little and I met last week

If Turkeys Thought
- Jack Prelutsky, Children's Poet Laureate

If turkeys thought, they'd run away
a week before Thanksgiving day
but turkeys can't anticipate,
and so there's turkey on my plate

Thanksgiving
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter of the night
For health and food
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends

And I would be remiss if I didn't share a few menu ideas:

My favorite Stuffing

A good apple pie recipe

My mom's pecan pie

Pumpkin Soup

It's still that pumpkin time of year . . . I've been making this soup for a few years and the recipe was originally from Trader Joe's.  Last night I wanted something warm to go with our salad and decided to make a batch - this recipe is so quick it's definitely instant gratification.  I prefer it as a starter soup in a small portion rather than eating a whole big bowl; it has great flavor and has been a big hit for dinner parties.

Pumpkin Soup (4 first course or 2 main course servings)

1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling - plain pumpkin)
3 T butter
1 small onion, diced (I reduce this to about 1/2 cup max)
1/2 cup heavy cream (again, usually I start with 1/3 cup and see how it looks & tastes)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
pinch cayenne
1-2 T honey
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in butter until slightly caramelized.  Add water, pumpkin, spices, honey, and cream.  Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Creamy Lentil Soup

The other night I was thinking that lentil soup & fresh baked bread would be a great November evening meal . . .  and then it was 90 degrees on the day I had planned to make it.  Oh well - at least with the time change, it was dark and cool by dinner time.

I like a good lentil soup and if you look through the blog, there are a few versions of it already on here. This one is unique because you blend it smooth at the end and add a little half & half.  It also has potato to add some creaminess. I'm a big fan of having the soup smooth instead of chunky.  The bonus of lentil soup is that with 25 percent protein, lentils are one of the highest protein vegetables and they are great for a meatless meal.  If you're not a vegetarian, you could start by cooking 2-3 bacon slices in the pot, removing and crumbling the bacon to top the soup at the end, and cook the onions & leeks in the bacon drippings (and omit the olive oil).

Creamy Lentil Soup (serves 6)
from Cooking Light "Soups"

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped leek
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups water
2 cups chopped, peeled baking potato
1 cup dried lentils
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (14 oz) can vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon dry sherry

Heat olive oil in a big pot over medium high heat.  Add the leeks and onion and cook for about 4 minutes.  Add the water, potato, lentils, carrot, broth, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender.  The soup will be quite thick with not much broth left.  Blend until smooth.  Return to the pot, add the sherry & half-and-half and cook until warm.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

My girls love this stir fry that I make about once a week (really basic soy marinade, chicken breasts, carrots, snap peas & red bell pepper) and I thought that this new recipe might qualify as "good China food" so I can put it in rotation.  A bonus is that you make it in the crockpot and other than buying the chili sauce (Heinz makes one but I bought a more natural version with fewer ingredients), you'll probably have everything you need on hand.  Double check your chili sauce but with gf soy sauce, this would be an easy gf meal.  We ate it over rice with steamed broccoli and the girls actually liked it!  Big said that the "usual China food" I make is better but she did eat her whole serving.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (6 servings)
from Baked Bree

6 chicken breasts
olive oil
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T dijon mustard
1 (14oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet and add a little olive oil.  Brown the chicken breasts, about 2-3 minutes per side.  In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Put the chicken breasts in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork.

Happy Halloween: A Retrospective in Photos

2007 - First Halloween

2008 - Padawan

2009 -  Padawan again

2010 - Little as a little Pumpkin 

2010 - Big as Jessie the Cowgirl

2011 - Little refusing to be a dinosaur

2011 - Big as Rapunzel

2012 - Little as Elmo "i be elmo i get cannnnny"

2012 - Big as Princess Leia "with the wig buns"

White Chicken Chili

Lately, all I want is spicy food and I've become a little obsessed with this recipe.  When I made it last week, I ate all the leftovers within 2 or 3 days and last night I made another batch.  Now I'm at work looking at my yogurt, hummus, and veggies wishing I had brought the leftovers to eat for lunch.  You can make this a little thinner more like soup by adding broth or leave it thick like a true chili.  I like to eat it over tortilla chips (and pour Tapatio all over the top).  I haven't tried it in the crock pot yet but I think it would work well, especially if you only added the dairy at the end when you're ready to serve it.  My mom gave me the recipe awhile ago and I'm pretty sure it's from my Aunt Kathy - thank you!!

White Chicken Chili (makes 4-6 servings)

2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
2 (15oz) cans Great Northern or Cannelini beans
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chills
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half & half or whole milk

Rinse and drain the beans.  In a large pot, saute onion in oil until soft. Add chicken, beans, broth, chiles, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and half & half.  Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Time!

I don't have pictures of my kids in their costumes yet, but I'll post some soon.  I have pumpkin on the brain and wanted to re-post two of my favorite recipes for this time of year. I"m making both of these this weekend!

If you click on the "Pumpkin" label on the right side of the site, you'll see all the rest of the recipes!

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds (makes 1 cup)
from Martha Stewart's website

1 cup pumpkin seeds, fresh out of the pumpkin and rinsed
4 T sugar
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
cayenne pepper to taste

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I think foil would work fine) and spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer.  Bake in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, stirring once or twice.  You want the seeds to be really dry but not toasted or brown. 

Mix the spices in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the sugar.  Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Toast, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and the seeds caramelize and turn light brown - about 45 seconds - 2 minutes. 

Dump the seeds right into the bowl with the spices and stir well to coat the seeds.  Let them cool off and enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumb Cake (9x13 pan)

1 yellow cake mix (18.25 oz)
4 eggs
1/2 c. butter melted + 3 T butter, softened
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. Reserve 1 cup cake mix. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the cake mix with one beaten egg and 1/2 c. melted butter. Mix well and then pat into the bottom of the pan.
In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin, 3 eggs (beaten), 1/2 c. white sugar, brown sugar, and spices. Pour over crust.
In a small bowl, combine the reserved 1 cup of cake mix, 1/4 c. sugar, and 3 T softened butter. Crumble over the pumpkin filling. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pumpkin is just set in the middle.

Variations: I often make it in a large springform and cut it into wedges like a pie. You'll get fewer servings that way but it looks fancier. You can sprinkle 1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans?) over the top right before baking.

Apple picking in Oak Glen

I don't think we're going to make it to a pumpkin patch this year - we'll probably end up getting ours from Trader Joes or one of those concrete parking lot "patches" nearby - but we did have a fun fall outing over the weekend.  Some friends told us about going to Oak Glen to pick apples (how have I never heard of this until recently, by the way?) and we decided to do the same on our way to Palm Desert.  Oak Glen is located over a mile above sea level in Yucaipa, about 20 minutes from the 10 freeway.  There are several little farms, restaurants, hiking trails, markets, and other attractions.  I picked Los Rios Rancho because they allow you to pick apples during the week instead of just on Saturday and Sunday.  You could also pick your own pumpkins and a family who was just leaving had picked strawberries and raspberries which I'm assuming are at the end of their picking season.  The cider press wasn't open that day so my original idea of fresh cider didn't pan out (it's readily available to buy, we  just couldn't press the apples we picked that day) but we're enjoying our fresh apples!

The actual apple picking was easy for the kids - lots of low-hanging fruit (literally, not in the figurative sense) and we got to pick Rome apples which are a little tart, crisp, and good for baking.  It was $20 for a peck (about 10 lbs) and it took us about 15-20 minutes to fill our bag.

We had yummy tri-tip sandwiches with cole slaw and fresh apple cider for lunch.  Fun outing - I'd do it again!

Check out this website for all sorts of information on Oak Glen.
If you don't want to make the drive, Wolfes Market in Claremont carries Oak Glen cider.

Los Rios Rancho
39611 Oak Glen Road #13
Yucaipa, CA 92399

In Palm Desert, we had to bake something with our fresh apples and decided on turnovers.  They were delicious and super easy.

Apple Turnovers (serves 8)

1 lb of apples (2 medium) peeled, cored, and diced
1 T flour
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 T sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 egg, separated
1 pkg (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss diced apples with flour.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add apples, raisins, sugar, lemon juice, and ginger.  Cook, stirring, 4-5 minutes or until apples are tender.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Stir in egg yolk.

Unfold one pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out slightly to measure 11 inches square.  With a pizza cutter (or sharp knife), cut into 4 equal squares.  Spoon 1/4 cup of the apple mixture into the center of one square.  Brush the edges with the egg white.  Fold in half diagonally to form a triangle.  Use a fork to crimp the edges to seal and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper).  Repeat.  Bake at 400 degrees for 14-15 minutes until puffed and nicely browned on top.  While the first 4 turnovers bake, repeat rolling, filling, and folding with the remaining pastry sheet, ingredients, and egg white.

Remove turnovers from pans to wire rack to cool, 10 minutes.

Appx 330 cal/serving.