2 cup crushed strawberries (or any berry)
4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 3 oz liquid pectin pouch
2 T lemon juice
Combine crushed strawberries, lemon peel and sugar; let sit for 10 minutes. Add pectin and lemon juice and stir for 3 minutes. Ladle into 1/2 pint containers, leaving 1/2" head space. Seal and label. Let sit at room temperature until set - usually 24 hours or less. Lasts 3 weeks in the fridge or 1 year in the freezer.
Peach Jam: replace with 1 1/2 cup crushed peaches, reduce sugar to 3 1/4 cup, increase lemon juice to 2 1/2 T.
I just finished the last of my freezer jam two sandwiches ago and I miss it already! I made 2 batches of each. It lasted as long as it did because the second batch of each I crushed ahead of time, and it didn't set as well. I'm not really sure about the science, but if I had to guess (and I have already) the water needs to be drawn out by the sugar to enhance the fruit's natural pectin, instead of just seeping out from the cellular damage caused by the crushing. The batch set, but was kind of liquidy - Ian didn't like it so I was forced to eat it myself. Mostly set jam does make a good ice cream topper though.
This recipe was part of our starting effort to try to eat locally and seasonally whenever possible. Since this is a cold climate, in order to eat a nutritional variety in the winter you have to preserve. The strawberries and peaches were purchased from our local farmer's market. The peaches were incredibly cheap because I bought up their batch of "seconds" which means they were on the ground instead of the tree and would bruise up fast, but since I was crushing them I didn't care.
This coming summer we might step into canning, which besides jam, I'm looking forward to pickling. Not only cukes, but I have developed a great fondness for pickled green beans. Certainly I'll continue to freeze - I've already frozen green and jalepeno peppers - by chopping and laying out on a cookie sheet on wax paper. Good enough for cooking, at any rate. If I keep freezing stuff I'm going to need a basement freezer.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Baked Burgers
6 hamburger buns
1 lb ground beef
2 T finely chopped onion
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 cans (8oz?) tomato sauce
Hollow out centers of bun tops. Crumble removed bread and mix with beef, onion, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 cans of sauce. Place bun tops on bottoms and fill hollowed cavity with beef mix. Bake on sheet pan 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce on top of beef and bake another 5 minutes.
This recipe came from an old 1950's magazine; Time or Life or something like that. It was one of those recipe ads. The size of the can for tomato sauce was not specified....I can only imagine they probably only sold one size at the time. Most of the recipes in the magazine in general seemed very....bleeech. This I thought might have some potential, so decided to give it a whirl.
It wasn't awful. While mixing the beef, I could tell then that there was too much liquid. One can of sauce would probably have been plenty. The texture was generally mushy. I imagine this is what happens to meatloaf if you forget to put an egg in it. At the outset, I had been afraid the buns would burn, but really what happened is they toasted and got really hard. I can be kind and say that it was a texture contrast.
I won't be keeping this recipe card. I suppose with some tinkering it could be something different, but for my trouble I'd rather just make Sloppy Joes.
1 lb ground beef
2 T finely chopped onion
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 cans (8oz?) tomato sauce
Hollow out centers of bun tops. Crumble removed bread and mix with beef, onion, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 cans of sauce. Place bun tops on bottoms and fill hollowed cavity with beef mix. Bake on sheet pan 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce on top of beef and bake another 5 minutes.
This recipe came from an old 1950's magazine; Time or Life or something like that. It was one of those recipe ads. The size of the can for tomato sauce was not specified....I can only imagine they probably only sold one size at the time. Most of the recipes in the magazine in general seemed very....bleeech. This I thought might have some potential, so decided to give it a whirl.
It wasn't awful. While mixing the beef, I could tell then that there was too much liquid. One can of sauce would probably have been plenty. The texture was generally mushy. I imagine this is what happens to meatloaf if you forget to put an egg in it. At the outset, I had been afraid the buns would burn, but really what happened is they toasted and got really hard. I can be kind and say that it was a texture contrast.
I won't be keeping this recipe card. I suppose with some tinkering it could be something different, but for my trouble I'd rather just make Sloppy Joes.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Black Bean Lime Chili w/ Couscous
Couscous:
1 cup water
2/3 cup couscous
Chili:
3 T olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T chili powder
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 14.5 oz can black beans (undrained)
1 10 oz can or 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup lime juices (approx 3 limes)
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Bring water to boil - pour in couscous; stir in and cover. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered 15 minutes. Heat oil in stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add peppers and chili powder and cook another minute. Stir in tomatoes and beans; bring to a simmer and hold 5 minutes. Add chicken and stir in, until heated. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Fluff couscous with a fork and mix with chili. Makes 4-6 servings.
Another old favorite. This was originally a recipe from a show called Calorie Commando, which took favorite but fattening meals and cut down the fat and calories while still keeping them yummy. Sometimes the recipes were kind of meh, but there was always a neat tip. One tip that isn't used here (or in any of my current stash) is to use low-fat dairy products instead of fat-free. The reasoning, according to the host, is that there isn't much of a caloric difference but fat carries flavor, and the whole point is eating tasty food.
The original recipe called for serving the chili over the couscous, but I like it mixed in. It makes it easier to put in a container to heat later for lunch, and I also think the couscous gets a better chance to absorb the flavors.
1 cup water
2/3 cup couscous
Chili:
3 T olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T chili powder
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 14.5 oz can black beans (undrained)
1 10 oz can or 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup lime juices (approx 3 limes)
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Bring water to boil - pour in couscous; stir in and cover. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered 15 minutes. Heat oil in stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add peppers and chili powder and cook another minute. Stir in tomatoes and beans; bring to a simmer and hold 5 minutes. Add chicken and stir in, until heated. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Fluff couscous with a fork and mix with chili. Makes 4-6 servings.
Another old favorite. This was originally a recipe from a show called Calorie Commando, which took favorite but fattening meals and cut down the fat and calories while still keeping them yummy. Sometimes the recipes were kind of meh, but there was always a neat tip. One tip that isn't used here (or in any of my current stash) is to use low-fat dairy products instead of fat-free. The reasoning, according to the host, is that there isn't much of a caloric difference but fat carries flavor, and the whole point is eating tasty food.
The original recipe called for serving the chili over the couscous, but I like it mixed in. It makes it easier to put in a container to heat later for lunch, and I also think the couscous gets a better chance to absorb the flavors.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crisp Onion Crumbs
2 T unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup panko
2 T dehydrated minced onion
3/4 t salt, divided
2 sprays cooking spray
1 1/2 lb uncooked green fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, over medium-low heat melt 1 T butter; add panko, minced onion and 1/4 t salt. Increase heat to medium - stir often until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside - wipe skillet clean.
Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat. Add beans and mushrooms. Saute until lightly golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining T of butter and salt and stir until melted. Place in serving dish and coat with crumble topping.
For more tender beans, blanch first.
The original recipe looked as though it was intended to be a make-ahead recipe. There was a line that stated to put "beans and remaining butter and salt in a skillet until mixture is heated through". After much puzzling I determined that it was intended to be made ahead of time up to the point before adding the remaining butter and salt. Also 6 minutes doesn't seem to be enough time to cook beans. I did blanch and shock mine, and after the cooking they were just al dente, so I think without that step they would have been too crisp.
That said, it was pretty darn tasty. We added an extra 1/2 lb of beans because the recipe says it serves 8, and we had 12 for Thanksgiving.
3/4 cup panko
2 T dehydrated minced onion
3/4 t salt, divided
2 sprays cooking spray
1 1/2 lb uncooked green fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, over medium-low heat melt 1 T butter; add panko, minced onion and 1/4 t salt. Increase heat to medium - stir often until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside - wipe skillet clean.
Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat. Add beans and mushrooms. Saute until lightly golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining T of butter and salt and stir until melted. Place in serving dish and coat with crumble topping.
For more tender beans, blanch first.
The original recipe looked as though it was intended to be a make-ahead recipe. There was a line that stated to put "beans and remaining butter and salt in a skillet until mixture is heated through". After much puzzling I determined that it was intended to be made ahead of time up to the point before adding the remaining butter and salt. Also 6 minutes doesn't seem to be enough time to cook beans. I did blanch and shock mine, and after the cooking they were just al dente, so I think without that step they would have been too crisp.
That said, it was pretty darn tasty. We added an extra 1/2 lb of beans because the recipe says it serves 8, and we had 12 for Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sweet Potato and Onion Salad
3 sprays cooking spray
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/8 t fresh cracked back pepper
1 T white vinegar
1 oz frozen apple juice concentrate (undiluted) - approx 2 T
Coat non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Place potatoes and onions on sheet and coat with more cooking spray; toss to mix and coat. Roast 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; spoon into a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Toss with potatoes to coat.
I made this while visiting my parents in Connecticut for Thanksgiving, although not for the big dinner. We decided to make this last-minute like, and had everything on hand except apple juice concentrate. We did have apple cider, so we figured concentrate is a 3 to 1 ratio, so reduced about at 1/4 cup of cider down to the proper amount. Some of the onions flaked off on their own and were pretty charred. Some of them were edible but others were too black. The chunks of onion that the layers stayed together fared best. Alternatively, I suppose they could be flaked into separate layers, and tossed in about half-way through the cooking time.
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/8 t fresh cracked back pepper
1 T white vinegar
1 oz frozen apple juice concentrate (undiluted) - approx 2 T
Coat non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Place potatoes and onions on sheet and coat with more cooking spray; toss to mix and coat. Roast 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; spoon into a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Toss with potatoes to coat.
I made this while visiting my parents in Connecticut for Thanksgiving, although not for the big dinner. We decided to make this last-minute like, and had everything on hand except apple juice concentrate. We did have apple cider, so we figured concentrate is a 3 to 1 ratio, so reduced about at 1/4 cup of cider down to the proper amount. Some of the onions flaked off on their own and were pretty charred. Some of them were edible but others were too black. The chunks of onion that the layers stayed together fared best. Alternatively, I suppose they could be flaked into separate layers, and tossed in about half-way through the cooking time.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Cabbage Roll Stew
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped into large pieces
1/2 cup red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 T brown sugar
1 T white vinegar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t whole caraway seeds
1 t garlic powder
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 T Italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked rice.
In large stockpot, brown meat and drain fat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add cabbage and wine - cook covered on med hi heat 5 minutes until cabbage wilts. Add remaining ingredients except for rice. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare rice according to package directions. Combine with cabbage mixture.
This was originally a recipe I found that was titled "Unstuffed Cabbage Roll." It appealed to me not only because I wouldn't have to go through the tedium of trying to make little packages of cabbage, but also because I find the rolls themselves a little difficult to eat. This was a recipe that took all the flavors but a simple presentation. I tweaked it to my liking, and finally decided it was no longer a "dish" but a "stew" once I had had my way with it. Don't be afraid to make small tweaks, even to well known chef recipes. Food should be how you like it, not how someone else says it should be. If those two views coincide, sure, but don't be pinned down.
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped into large pieces
1/2 cup red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 T brown sugar
1 T white vinegar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t whole caraway seeds
1 t garlic powder
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 T Italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked rice.
In large stockpot, brown meat and drain fat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add cabbage and wine - cook covered on med hi heat 5 minutes until cabbage wilts. Add remaining ingredients except for rice. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare rice according to package directions. Combine with cabbage mixture.
This was originally a recipe I found that was titled "Unstuffed Cabbage Roll." It appealed to me not only because I wouldn't have to go through the tedium of trying to make little packages of cabbage, but also because I find the rolls themselves a little difficult to eat. This was a recipe that took all the flavors but a simple presentation. I tweaked it to my liking, and finally decided it was no longer a "dish" but a "stew" once I had had my way with it. Don't be afraid to make small tweaks, even to well known chef recipes. Food should be how you like it, not how someone else says it should be. If those two views coincide, sure, but don't be pinned down.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Pear Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 firm pears, quartered
3/4 cup white wine
1 T sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 t tarragon
2 T butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
Place pears in saucepan. Mix wine, sugar, lemon juice and tarragon; pour over pears. Boil covered until tender - ~20 min. Meanwhile melt butter in skillet. Season breasts with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Add broth and cook on low for 20 min. Add pears and cooking liquid and cook until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve each breast with 2 pear quarters and spoon sauce over.
This is a recipe that is in my current rotation; I originally tried it years ago, when almost all of my recipes in my box were untested. My roommate Rob and I would go shopping on Sunday and get the ingredients for something new to try. We were very skeptical about this combination, but had decided we would try everything once. It is very tasty, and is also the first thing I ever cooked for my hubby, Ian.
2 firm pears, quartered
3/4 cup white wine
1 T sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 t tarragon
2 T butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
Place pears in saucepan. Mix wine, sugar, lemon juice and tarragon; pour over pears. Boil covered until tender - ~20 min. Meanwhile melt butter in skillet. Season breasts with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Add broth and cook on low for 20 min. Add pears and cooking liquid and cook until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve each breast with 2 pear quarters and spoon sauce over.
This is a recipe that is in my current rotation; I originally tried it years ago, when almost all of my recipes in my box were untested. My roommate Rob and I would go shopping on Sunday and get the ingredients for something new to try. We were very skeptical about this combination, but had decided we would try everything once. It is very tasty, and is also the first thing I ever cooked for my hubby, Ian.
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