Judi

Pineapple Jelly

Pineapple Jelly

I had a bottle of pineapple juice that I bought for some reason, then never used. I decided to do something with it. I looked around and found a few recipes for making jelly from the juice. That seemed like a great idea, so that is what I did. I was very happy with how it came out. From a 64 ounce bottle I got 2 batches of jelly and ended up with 13 jars in total. I got just over 6 jars in one batch. So here is how I made it. I think it will make nice gifts for the holidays.

Pineapple Jelly

4 c. pineapple juice

½ c. lemon juice

1 (1.75 oz.) box powdered pectin- or 6 Tablespoons pectin

5 c. sugar

Start water simmering in water bath canner. Water should be deep enough to cover jars with at least an inch or two of water. Wash 6 jelly jars and lids. Fill jars with hot water, set aside. Place lids in hot water and set aside. In large pot combine the juices and pectin. Stir until combined and bring to a boil over high heat. Once mixture reaches a boil that cannot be stirred down, boil 1 minute. Add the sugar, stir in and return to the boil. Once the jelly starts boiling hard, boil for a minute longer. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Drain the jars of the warm water. Ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a damp paper towel and screw on the lids. Lids should be fingertip tight. Repeat with remaining jars and lids. Place jars in the canner. Cover the pot and when the water returns to the boil, start timing. Process for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and leave jars in the canner 5-10 minutes more. Remove jars to a draft free counter on a towel or cooling rack and allow to cool down. Check the lids the next day. Makes about 6 jars.    

Apple Cider Sorbet

Apple Cider Sorbet

I’ve had my share of warm apple cider, but I never froze it before. This sorbet is such a nice dessert option. Light and naturally sweet, it is the perfect finish for any meal.

The cider is boiled down, to concentrate the sweetness. Then fresh apples are added and pureed. The mixture gets frozen, then pureed one more time- to really smooth out the texture. Cinnamon sticks impart their flavor when boiled in the cider. You could certainly used ground cinnamon, if you don’t have cinnamon sticks. Feel free to add other spices, too, like allspice, cloves or ginger.

Over the years, I have made all sorts of sorbets. I love the light, creamy texture. I am not sure why I never tried to make an apple sorbet before. I am so glad I finally did. This is a nice, lighter option for dessert. It is also a dairy-free option, for those who can’t have ice cream.

Apple Cider Sorbet

6 c. apple cider

2 (4-inch) cinnamon sticks

3 apples, peeled, cored and diced

In saucepan place cider and cinnamon sticks. Cook over medium high heat, uncovered, until cider has cooked down to 2 cups. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard them. Cool cider and combine in food processor with the apples. Puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a container with a lid. Freeze until solid. Remove from freezer and allow to soften for a few minutes. Break into chunks and puree in processor, until smooth and creamy in texture. You can serve it right away, or return to freezer to enjoy later. Makes 1 quart of sorbet.

Shrimp, Bacon and Spinach Salad

Shrimp and Bacon Spinach Salad

When I was a kid, my mom used to make a wilted salad. She would toss spinach with a hot dressing and then top the salad with hard cooked eggs and croutons. The dressing was made with some of the bacon fat, since there was always bacon in the salad, too.  That was the inspiration for this salad.

I had planned to make a tossed salad with some fresh spinach, but something told me to go in another direction. Since I already had bacon and shrimp, I decided to just put them all together. With just a few extra ingredients tossed in, I ended up with a really good dinner. Sort of like those wilted salads my mom used to make.

I didn’t have a lot of time, so the fact that it was ready in about 15 minutes was nice, too. I put the pasta on to cook when I started cooking the bacon to save even more time.

Shrimp, Bacon and Spinach Salad


3-4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots- or 1 small onion- chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. fresh spinach
8 oz. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
¼ c. sherry
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. grated ginger
½ t. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked pasta

Cook bacon in skillet until almost cooked. Add the shallots and cook until shallots are just turning brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted down. Add shrimp and continue cooking until shrimp are just barely cooked. Add sherry and seasonings and cook 2 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta and serve. Serves 2.
Note: You can add some fresh Parmesan cheese when serving, if you like.

Zesty Tomato Soup -Vegan

Zesty Tomato Soup

This is a fast and easy soup to make and full of flavor. I can tomatoes in the summer, so that is what I used. You can use store bought. If you wanted to use fresh tomatoes, you would need about 2 pounds. I just love the flavor of my home canned tomatoes so much. Next best thing to fresh.

After the soup was finished, it occurred to me that it was vegan. I hadn’t planned it that way, it was just how it worked out. I used an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have one, you can puree it in a blender. You just have to be careful when blending anything that is hot. It will splash up. To avoid getting burned, remove the center piece from the blender lid and cover with a towel before you turn it on.

I simmered the soup uncovered, because I wanted it to cook down a bit to be thick once processed. It only took about 15 minutes. You can cook it longer, if you want a thicker soup. I served it with toasted rye bread croutons, but it would be fine just as it is.

Zesty Tomato Soup

3 T. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped

1 qt. canned tomatoes, or 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes

Cayenne pepper to taste

2 T. fresh parsley or 2 t. dried

1 c. almond milk- or whatever milk you prefer

Salt and pepper to taste

In medium saucepan heat oil and cook onion until it starts to brown a little. Add the celery and pepper and cook about 5 more minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup and add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasonings. Serve as is, or with croutons. Serves 3-4.   

Dukkah – A Taste of Egypt

Dukkah

Dukkah is an Egyptian dish that is a mix of toasted nuts and spices. It has a wonderful fragrance and crunchy texture. A lot of the flavor comes from toasting the nuts and spices before grinding them up. Toasting really brings out the flavor of both the nuts and the other ingredients.

Dukkah is traditionally served with olive oil and bread. You put some in a little bowl, and put olive oil in another little bowl. Dip your bread in the oil and then in the dukkah. I like to sprinkle it on fish or chicken before baking. Dukkah is also good tossed with cooked veggies, or sprinkled on an omelet. So simple and so tasty.

Dukkah

¾ c. each whole, blanched almonds and hazelnuts
½ c. (scant) coriander seeds
¼ c. cumin seeds
6 T. sesame seeds
In 300-degree oven toast nuts for about 20 minutes or until golden. Bake cumin and coriander seeds, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until you can smell them. Toast sesame seeds for about 5 minutes. Cool all ingredients. If you prefer, you can toast the seeds in a skillet, over medium heat. Just place the coriander and cumin seeds in a skillet and heat, stirring often, until they become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and continue toasting until sesame seeds are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Be careful not to burn them. Grind sesame seeds and spices into a coarse powder. In processor, chop nuts fine and combine with spices. To serve dukkah: pour olive oil in a small bowl. Place crusty bread and dukkah on a plate. Dip bread in oil then in the dukkah. I also use dukkah sprinkled on chicken and fish. Store in fridge or freezer for extended freshness.

Toasting the spices
Serving Dukkah with olive oil and bread

Pan de Muertos (Mexican Bread of the Dead)

Pan de Muertos

Halloween isn’t the only holiday this week. Many people will be celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It is a holiday to remember and honor loved ones who have passed. It traditionally runs from October 31 to November 2.

Pan de Muertos is a traditional bread made for this holiday. This is a version of that bread that is flavored with anise (or fennel) and orange. It is glazed, after baking, with an orange sauce, then sprinkled with a little extra sugar. I like to use rock sugar, which, as the name implies, is a large sugar that looks like small rocks.

I shaped the dough into a round shape, with a knob of dough on the top.  You can also mold the bread into different shapes like angels or animals.

The bread itself is so tasty. It is a rich dough with a lovely fragrance and texture.

Here is the recipe.

Pan de Muertos (Mexican Bread of the Dead)

1/4 c. each butter, milk and water

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t. active dry yeast (half a packet)

1/2 t. salt

2 t. anise seed or fennel seed

1/3 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 t. orange zest

Glaze:

1/4 c. each sugar and orange juice

1 T. orange zest

Topping:

2 T. sugar, I used rock sugar

Heat together butter, water and milk until the butter melts. Cool to warm. In a large bowl combine 1cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/3 c. sugar. Beat in the milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1- 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes then brush with glaze. To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with 2 T. sugar.

Ready to bake

Eat plain, or lightly toasted with butter

Halloween Quesadillas

Halloween Quesadillas

OK, maybe I’m taking the whole Halloween theme too far. I was making quesadillas the other day, and realized that the ingredients were black, orange and green. Thought the combination would be perfect for a Halloween party.

Quesadillas are a fun party food already, and by using black olives, orange sweet peppers, green chilies, onions and cheddar cheese,  they fit in well with the color scheme for Halloween. They taste great, too, which is always the most important thing in the end.

Of course other ingredients can be used. I have used nopales and green enchilada sauce.

I pan fried these, but you can also bake them in the oven. They can be made ahead, and warmed up before serving. Serve with a nice blood- red salsa. Ok, I’ll stop now.

Halloween Quesadillas

Large flour tortillas

oil

sliced or shredded cheese

sliced black olives

chopped orange sweet peppers

chopped sweet onion

diced green chilies, fresh or canned

Mix olives with veggies and set aside. Place tortilla on work surface and spread one half with some of the veggie mixture. Top with some of the cheese and fold over. Press slightly. Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Heat oil in skillet and cook quesadillas over medium heat until golden on both sides and heated through. Remove to cutting board and cut into wedges before serving. Serve on a platter with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Note: If you would rather bake the quesadillas assemble as directed above. Place on a baking sheet and brush with a little oil. Bake in a preheated  425 degree oven until golden, about 15 minutes

Apple Bacon Fritters with Maple Glaze

Apple Bacon Fritters with Maple Glaze

I recently posted a recipe for apple fritters. I also love this variation on that recipe. The batter contains diced, fresh apples and crispy bacon. The combination is really special.

Fritters aren’t difficult to make. They really don’t take that long to make, either. I prefer to make fritters close to when I am serving them- so my guests can enjoy them warm.

They make a wonderful dessert, or a fun addition to a breakfast or brunch menu. I dipped them in the maple glaze, which also went well with the apples and bacon.

I must warn you, they are addictive.

Apple and Bacon Fritters

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. melted butter

1 c. diced apples

1 c. cooked, crumbled bacon

oil for frying- I used coconut oil

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the apples and bacon. Heat oil to 375. If using gluten free flour, heat oil to 350. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about  4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Dip in maple glaze (recipe follows) while warm. Makes about 32.

Maple Glaze

1 c. Powdered sugar

1/2 c. maple syrup

a little water if mixture gets too thick

Combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

“Bat” Wings

Bat “Wings”

With Halloween fast approaching I thought I’d share this recipe for bat wings. OK, not really bat wings, but you already knew that. I just add black food coloring to barbecue sauce and use it to color chicken wings. You could also use black cocoa powder to make the sauce black.

I made a batch for a Halloween party a few years ago and someone actually asked if they were real bat wings.

A word of warning- when you use black food coloring it will transfer to you. No matter how careful you are when you eat the wings, you’ll end up with purple fingers.  Also, for the best effect, keep the wings intact- no trimming off of the tips.  You can separate the drums before serving, if you like. Makes eating a little easier. They look pretty cool when set out on the table. Creepy- but very tasty.

Bat Wings

2-3 lbs. whole chicken wings

salt and pepper

1 c. barbecue sauce- store bought or home made

black food coloring- handle carefully- it stains

Place chicken wings in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile in medium bowl combine sauce with food coloring. Add just a little black food coloring at a time. Too much will alter the flavor of the food. Remove wings from the oven and dip them in the bowl of sauce. Turn to coat. Place wings on a clean baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake an addition 45 minutes. You can baste them with additional sauce during the baking, if you like.  Place on a serving platter and provide plenty of napkins.

A pile of "bat" wings

A pile of “bat” wings

Homemade Popcorn Balls

Homemade Popcorn Balls

I have fond memories of eating popcorn balls when I was a kid. One memory was during the summer. An amusement park near my home was famous for their popcorn balls. Every time we went there, we would end the day with popcorn balls.

The other memory was making our own, around Halloween. They seem to be a part of more than a few Halloween parties when I was younger.

I don’t make them often, but popcorn balls are always a special treat for friends and family. This recipe is pretty easy. Kids, supervised, could help make them. You just have to make sure the mix cools down enough before you let them form the popcorn into balls.

I am a bit of a purist and enjoy them plain, but you can add Halloween themed candies to the mix, to dress them  up for a party. Candy corn or black and orange M&M’s would both work.

The recipe calls for corn syrup. If you don’t want to use corn syrup, my recipe for a corn syrup substitute, (sugar syrup) is listed below.

Homemade Popcorn Balls

9 c. popped popcorn
1 c. sugar
1 T. butter
1 T. vanilla
1 c. corn syrup*

Place popcorn in large bowl and set aside. Combine sugar, butter, vanilla and corn syrup in a saucepan. Heat and boil until thick, about 4 minutes. Pour over popcorn. Stir until well coated. Let cool until safe enough to handle. With buttered hands form mixture into balls. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap until ready to eat. Best eaten within a few days of making. Makes about 8.

*If you don’t have corn syrup- or don’t want to use it here is a way to make a substitute for it.

Sugar Syrup- corn syrup substitute

3  cups granulated sugar

1 cup Water

1/2  tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/4 t. salt

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook to soft-ball stage. Stir frequently.

Soft ball stage occurs at 235-245 degrees. This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.

Remove from heat. Cool and store at room temperature. It will keep well for a month or two.

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