Peachy Pork Chops
I found myself with some very ripe peaches. Since I was having pork chops for dinner I decided to use the peaches as a glaze for the pork. The combination was wonderful. The sauce added sweetness and some tang. I have some sauce left over. Thinking of using it on duck the next time.
Peachy Pork Chops
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper
Oil*
About 1 cup of the peach glaze- recipe follows
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a skillet and brown the chops on both sides over high heat. Add the peach sauce and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until chops are just cooked through and glaze has thickened a bit. Watch so glaze does not burn. Serves 4.
* I actually used bacon fat
Fresh Peach Glaze/Sauce
5 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
½ c. cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. lime juice
2 T. minced garlic
1 t. salt, or a little more to suit your taste
½ t. smoked paprika
½ t. red pepper flakes, or more for a spicier chutney
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until peaches are tender and onion is translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. It should cook down to about 2 cups. Adjust seasonings. Will keep in fridge a couple of weeks- can be frozen.
Strawberries and Cream Bread
I have posted this recipe before, but have been getting requests for it, so I thought it was worth sharing again. Since strawberries are in season, it seemed like the right time to post this recipe.
This is one of my favorite quick breads. The bread is tender and full of the sweet taste of fresh strawberries.
The batter will be very thick- don’t worry- it is supposed to be that way. When it bakes, the juices from the fresh berries keeps it moist.
I always end up making a double batch, one loaf to eat fresh, and one to give as a gift, or freeze.
This bread is fine just the way it is for dessert, or you can top with sliced strawberries, ice cream, whipped cream or some melted chocolate. Or top it with all of them!!
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Strawberries and Cream Bread
1 ¾ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ t. each cinnamon and nutmeg
½ c. butter, at room temperature
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ c. sour cream, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1 c. fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped*
¾ c. chopped nuts, optional
Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In small bowl beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat 1 minute. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in strawberries and nuts and place batter in prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf. Freezes well.
* frozen berries are not recommended in this bread.
Peach Ice Cream- Custard Style
If there is a favorite summer treat for me- it is ice cream. I love to go to the local ice cream shop for a sundae or cone, and I love to make my own ice cream. When I found myself with a few extra peaches, I knew I wanted to use some of them to make ice cream. Peach ice cream is one of my absolute favorites.
I have made a peach ice cream before. I have posted the recipe before. This one is different because I made a custard base for my ice cream this time. A custard base just means that egg yolks, or eggs, are incorporated into the base of the ice cream. The base is heated up, so the eggs get cooked. In the other recipe, there are no eggs.
The custard base gives you a creamier end product. I wouldn’t say you have to make a custard-based ice cream for it to be good. They are just different. The custard base is a bit more work, but still not a difficult recipe at all.
This peach ice cream came out so good. Really creamy. I had perfectly ripe peaches. They were a little small, so I used 5 of them in this batch of ice cream. I used a vegetable peeler to remove the skins. I think that the skins get tough once cooked. Leave them on, if you prefer. I cut them off the pits, being sure to save all the juices, too. Then I just diced the peaches up pretty small.
If I just dumped the raw peaches into the ice cream base and froze it, they would end up as hard peachy cubes. By cooking the peaches first, they stay softer in the ice cream. This is true of any fruit ice cream. Using fruit that had been frozen, then thawed, will also work. I added a little vanilla, too. Not enough to overpower the peaches, but to add another layer of flavor.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Peach Ice Cream- Custard Style
4-5 peaches- mine were small- I used 5
1½ c. half and half
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3 egg yolks
1 c. sugar or to taste
1 t. vanilla
Peel the peaches. Cut the peaches to remove the pits. Discard pits. Dice up the peaches over a bowl to catch all the juices. In medium saucepan, place the peaches with the peach juice, half and half and cream. Over medium low heat, bring up to a simmer. Stir every few minutes, to prevent scorching. Let the mixture cook a few minutes, to soften the peaches. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Add ½ cup of the hot cream mixture to the eggs, whisking in well. Add another ½ cup of the cream mixture, whisking again. Add one last ½ cup of the hot cream and again, whisk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the cream and while whisking, simmer until mixture starts to thicken and will coat the back of a spoon. This will take about 5 minutes. Don’t use too high a heat, or you will scramble your eggs. Mixture should reach 160 degrees to be sure eggs are cooked. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a bowl. Allow ice cream base to cool down, then chill in fridge. Chilled mixture can be frozen in an ice cream maker once cold- in a few hours- or even the next day. Once mixture has been frozen in ice cream maker, place in a container and freeze until ready to serve. Makes about 5-6 cups of ice cream. |
Homemade Peach Preserves
After getting some peaches from a local market, I decided to make preserves with some of them. The peaches were so juicy and perfectly ripe. They smelled amazing. I knew I would not be able to eat them all. I used a basic preserve recipe, but added cinnamon for added flavor. I also used pectin in this batch.
You can make peach preserves without added pectin, but because these were so ripe, I knew they would set better with the pectin. There is less pectin in very ripe fruit. The end result was just what I was going for. Pieces of peach, suspended in a soft gel, lightly flavored with the cinnamon. I may have to make another batch.
Peach Preserves
4 c. sliced peaches, about 2-3 lbs. of fresh
6 T. pectin
2 T. lemon juice
3-4 (4-inch) cinnamon sticks
7 c. sugar
Note: Before starting the preserves have your canning supplies ready including clean jars, lids, rings, water bath canner, funnel and ladle.
Prepare peaches by scalding in boiling water for a minute. Place in cold water, then slip off the skins. Cut in half and remove the pits and any fibrous parts near the pits. Slice peaches and place peaches and any juices in a large pot. Add the pectin, juice and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil, stirring often. Add the sugar and cook over high heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil that you can’t stir down. Stir constantly for 1 full minute.
Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. Skim off any foam, if needed. Ladle hot preserves into clean, hot jars, filling to ¼-inch from the top. Wipe rims and screw on lids until comfortably tight. Repeat until the jars are filled. Place jars in water bath canner filled with boiling water. Water must cover the jars by at least an inch or two. Cover pot. Once water returns to the boil, start timing. Process for 10 minutes, turn off heat and leave jars in pot for 5 minutes longer. Remove jars to counter with a towel on it, or a cooling rack. Keep out of drafts. Allow jars to cool, check seals. Makes about 9 half pint jars.
Adapted from Ball Blue Book
Strawberry Sorbet
Strawberry sorbet is a wonderful dessert to keep around, especially in summer. It is sweet and a little tart and very refreshing. It is such a pretty color. We made it in class the other night.
You can play around with adding other flavors. I sometimes add fresh herbs, like mint or lavender. Extracts, like vanilla, can be added, too.
Sorbets can be served on their own, with cake, or drizzled with chocolate sauce. I sometimes add a scoop of sorbet to a glass of lemonade or ice tea on a hot day. So refreshing. Sorbet can be a fun topper in cocktails, too.
You can make sorbet in an ice cream machine, if you have one, but you don’t need to. I don’t. It really is simple. As an added bonus, once your sorbet is made, you have it on hand whenever you need a dessert. The secret is to blend the sorbet a couple of times after it is frozen, if you can. Each time, the sorbet gets smoother and creamier. I use my food processor.
Strawberry Sorbet
1 1/2 lbs strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste – you could also sweeten with honey, if you prefer, or use no sweetener
1 T. lime or lemon juice
Wash and stem berries. Place in food processor with juice and blend until smooth. Sweeten to taste, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Place in a container with a lid and freeze. Once frozen, remove strawberry mix from freezer and sit it on the counter to soften a little bit. This is really the important part. You don’t want it to thaw, but you do want it soft just enough to break into chunks. Place chunks in food processor and blend it again. It will actually start to look a little creamy and lighter in color. You can serve it right away- or put it back in the freezer to serve later. At this point the sorbet is ready- but you can repeat the soften/process step once more, if you like, for even creamier sorbet. Makes 3-4 cups.
Mini Strawberry Shortcakes
These little shortcakes are as cute as they are tasty. You can have all the components ready, then just assemble when ready to serve.
Fun to serve at parties, picnics and cook outs. Because these are small, they work well with other desserts on larger dessert trays.
I made the shortcake base with a scone recipe, and used a small ice cream scoop to put the batter on the baking sheet. They ended up looking like little sandwich buns.
I split them, and filled with sweetened strawberries. I replaced the top and added chocolate ganache and whipping cream to finish them off.
The scone is tender and not too sweet. Satisfying and light at the same time.
Mini Strawberry Shortcakes
The shortcakes
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 1/4 c. heavy cream or 1 cup half and half
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add cream to form soft dough. Stir mixture until it just holds together. Using an ice cream scoop place batter on baking sheet a couple of inches apart. You should get about a dozen. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes about 12. Cool on rack until ready to use.
The berries
2 lbs. strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste
Combine berries and sugar in medium bowl and place in fridge until ready to use. Berries should be in the sugar for at least a couple of hours and can even be prepped a day ahead to allow the juices to come out of the berries.
The ganache
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips or 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream.
Combine both in double boiler or in microwave and heat until mixture is just warm enough to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth.
The whipped cream – use whipped cream, sweetened or unsweetened according to your taste.
Assembly: Slice the caps off the tops of the shortcakes. Place a generous spoonful of the sliced berries on the bottoms of the shortcakes and spoon some of the strawberry liquid over them as well. Place the tops of the shortcakes back on and spoon on a dollop of the chocolate ganache. I let me get to room temperature so it didn’t drip down exactly as I had planned. Top with some whipped cream and serve. Makes about 12.
Amy’s Baked Beans
This is a wonderful recipe for baked beans. I got the recipe from my friend Amy. She used to make them for almost every summer barbecue. Unlike traditional “baked” beans, this recipe starts with canned beans.
I love traditional baked beans. The ones baked all day, until the beans get tender and the flavors are perfectly blended. But I don’t always have time to make them. By starting with canned beans, it saves a whole lot of time, without compromising flavor. When I serve these beans, everyone comes back for seconds.
It’s a simple recipe, with relatively few ingredients. It can be baked in the oven, or done in a crock pot.
Super easy and very tasty.
Amy’s Baked Beans*
6 c. chopped onion
1 lb. ground meat
1 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 cans tomato soup
3 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
Mix onion, meat and bacon in skillet and cook until onions are translucent. Drain off excess fat. Place in Dutch oven with remaining ingredients and cook, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes.
Note: You can also cook in a crock pot on high for 4 hours or longer. Uncover, for awhile, if you like, for thicker sauce.
*This recipe has been in the McWilliam family for several generations. They are also called Grandma McWilliam’s Beans and before that Aunt Elizabeth’s Beans.
Sous Vide Ribs
I have this fun kitchen machine called an immersion circulator, also known as a sous vide immersion circulator. They are used to cook food at very exact temperatures. It is a kitchen tool that is becoming more popular, but still unknown to a lot of people. They can be expensive, although prices seem to be coming down as more models hit the market. The one I have costs around $200, but you can find them for a lot less these days.
So why would you want to use/invest in one and how exactly is the food cooked?
Sous vide involves cooking your food in a bag, submerged in water. I know that doesn’t initially sound all that appealing, but it is pretty cool and has some advantages.
Have you ever fretted about overcooking a really expensive cut of meat? Or do you have trouble with the ends getting too done before the middle is cooked?
In an immersion circulator, you set the temperature that the water will be. If you like medium rare beef, you would set the temp at around 135 degrees F (57 Celsius). That means the water would maintain a temp of 135 degrees. When you put the meat in the circulator it can’t overcook. It will only get to a max of 135 degrees, or whatever temperature you like. The meat can’t overcook, even if you leave it in for several hours. It also will be cooked the same from one end the the other. This gives you the opportunity to cook less expensive cuts of meats for long periods, making them tender, but still rare. The leg of lamb we had for Easter was wonderful. When a guest was delayed, I didn’t have to worry about it getting overdone, either.
The sous vide machine is attached to a pot that is filled with water. Once you set it to the temperature you want, you place the bag with the meat in it, in the water. Set the timer and let the circulator do its job. You can also buy machines that are self contained. Check water levels once in awhile, but they don’t go down very much, even after long cooks.
One disadvantage is that the meat will not get that nice sear on the outside that comes from more traditional methods of cooking. To remedy that, you remove the meat from the bag, once it has cooked, and brown it then. I like to use a smoking hot skillet for this. You brown the meat over high heat, turning it until it looks the way you want it to look. This actually worked great for the ribs. You could also place the meat under the boiler for a few minutes or even on a hot grill.
Another slight disadvantage, is not smelling the meat cook. Because everything is sealed up in bags, there are no yummy aromas in the house. At least, not until you open the bags to brown the meat. I have confused guests, who arrived for dinner, but smelled nothing cooking.
It is a nice way to cook in hot weather. Sous vide does not nearly generate the heat that an oven would.
Cooking the Ribs
So for my spare ribs, I wanted them to be very tender, but not mushy. I set the pork to cook at 145 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius. That is the minimum safe temperature for pork. You can cook it at a slightly higher temperature- but not lower. I seasoned the meat with salt and my Ethiopian seasoning. I used a freezer Ziploc bag. I made sure I got as much air out of the bag as I could, and made sure it was sealed. I then double bagged the ribs, to be safe. Using a vacuum sealer or pump will help remove more air. Nice, but not a must.
I cooked my ribs for 12 hours the first time I made them. I have cooked them for as long as 24 hours. There is a lot of leeway for how long you have to sous vide meat. Tougher cuts should be cooked longer, to make them more tender. The 12 hour ribs were very tender, but the 24 hour ribs were better. Once the time was up, I took the ribs out, heated up my skillet, and browned the ribs on both sides. This is when you can add sauce, if you like. I added a sweet and sour sauce to this batch. They were tender and very juicy.
Unlike poaching, the meat is never in contact with the water, so all the flavor stays in the meat. Because you have such precise control, you don’t end up with overcooked meat, either.
There are videos all over the internet that discuss and share sous vide cooking as well as groups on Facebook. I am still learning and don’t consider myself an expert. I just wanted to try cooking my ribs this way. I was very happy with the result. I can’t say whether an immersion circulator is a good investment for you or not. I will say that I love mine and am using it several times a week.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
This has always been a favorite cake of mine. The mixture of moist cake and berries would be great on their own, but that crunchy, crumb topping- oh my! Talk about a wonderful combination.
It isn’t a difficult cake to make at all. In class the other night we made this crumb cake. It came out perfect. It is an extra nice cake to take along to picnics and cook outs since there is no frosting to worry about. It can be served plain, or served with a scoop of ice cream of some whipped cream.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!
Blueberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. milk
1 pint blueberries, fresh or frozen
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in blueberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Note: I have used a 9-inch round pan and it worked fine.
Giant Strawberry Shortcake
This is a great dessert for a party, picnic or barbecue. Instead of making a bunch of individual shortcakes, make one really big one. It makes quite an impression.
We made this recipe in class last night. It came out beautiful!!
When ready to serve it, just cut into slices, like cake or pie. I often serve this shortcake with ice cream on the side. Feel free to switch up which fruits you use. I used kiwi fruit with the strawberries, but you can add different fruits. Peaches would go well with the strawberries or blueberries. Just have fun and use fruit combinations you like.
For Memorial Day or the 4th of July, you could use a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Giant Strawberry Shortcake
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1/2 t. lemon juice
2 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 stick cold butter plus 1 T. softened
1/2 c. plus 1 T. sugar
1 qt. strawberries, sliced thin
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 c. chopped nuts, toasted, I left the nuts whole
whipped cream, optional
In small bowl combine egg, milk and lemon juice and set aside. In larger bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and baking powder. Cut in cold butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Add egg mixture and stir until mixture forms into a soft dough. Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface about 10 times. On greased baking sheet pat dough into a 15×6-inch oval. Sprinkle dough with the 1 tablespoon of sugar and dot with the softened butter. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Place on wire rack to cool. Toss the berries with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Allow to stand 30 minutes. Split the shortcake lengthwise and remove the top. Spoon over the half the berries and replace top of shortcake. Combine the kiwi with the remaining berries.Spoon over the remaining fruit and sprinkle with the nuts. Dot with whipped cream, if desired. Cut in wedges to serve. Serves 8.
Note: you can bake shortcake day ahead and prep the fruit day ahead, keeping it chilled and just assemble when ready to serve.
