The Charmed Kitchen

Peach and Plum Sauce with Pork Chops

I had a few peaches and plums that were very ripe. I needed to use them soon. I also had a couple of pork chops, so a sauce for the pork seemed like a good idea. It really was. For the sauce, I added honey, vinegar and assorted spices in addition to onions, garlic and fruit. I let everything simmer down together until thickened. For the pork chops, I seasoned them with salt and pepper. Then, I pan seared them on high heat, just a few minutes per side. I added some of the peach and plum sauce to the pork chops and let them cook a few more minutes, until the chops were cooked and the sauce had caramelized a little.

Peach and Plum Sauce

2 T. oil
1 medium onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. peeled and pitted plums and peaches, diced fine- about 3 pieces of fruit
½ c. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. honey
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. hot sauce- or more to taste
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. grated ginger
1 t. smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Cook onion, in oil, until tender. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add rest of the ingredients and cook, over medium heat, until sauce is thickened. This will take about 20 minutes, depending on how juicy the fruit is. Makes about 1 ½ cups. Use as a sauce on pork, poultry or lamb.

Beet and Tomato Soup

I had a bunch of fresh beets in my fridge and since it’s a little cool today I thought I’d make soup with them. I took inspiration from what I had on hand including onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Adding the tomatoes was a last minute decision that worked out really well. The tomatoes added just the right amount of tart/sweet flavor.  The color was really pretty, too.

I must say this about working with beets. I love them. I love how they taste.  I love the color, and how everything I cook with beets turns out the most gorgeous color. I don’t, however, like the way my kitchen looks whenever I cook with beets. It’s like something out of a crime scene. Not blaming the beets. Just wondering how it is I can clean up everything, then walk in the kitchen the next day and find flecks of red all over? 🙂

Here is the recipe. It was a small bunch of beets, so I just made a small batch of soup, but it could easily be doubled.

Beet and Tomato Soup

1 bunch beets, about 1 lb.

oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 c. stock- I used chicken

1 potato, cubed

2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled and cubed

1 t. dill

salt and pepper to taste

Wash beets and trim leaving about 1 inch of the stem attached. Reserve greens.  Place beets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove beets and cool in cold water until you can handle them. While beets are cooling, cook onion in oil until tender. Peel and cube the beets. Add to the onions along with the stock, potatoes and tomatoes and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and chop up about 1 cup of the beet greens and add them to the soup along with the dill. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.

Vidalia Onion Relish

I taught a pickling class last night and brought along some of this relish for everyone to taste. It was, as always, a big hit. I used Vidalia onions, but any sweet onion will work. The relish itself has a nice balance of sour and sweet, with plenty of onion flavor. I use it on sandwiches, in potato and pasta salads and as an appetizer with cheese and crusty breads. It also makes a great gift. As you cook it down, the onions get quite tender, but actually crisp back up a little as the liquid cooks off.

Vidalia Onion Relish

6 qts.  ground Vidalia sweet onions (14 to 16 med. onions)

1/2 c. canning salt

1 qt.  cider vinegar

2 t. turmeric

1T. pickling spice

2 T. minced sweet pepper, any color

4 1/2 c. sugar

Grind enough Vidalia onions to yield 6 quarts.  Add 1/2 c. salt and let stand thirty minutes.  Squeeze juice from onion‑salt mixture and discard juice.  Sterilize canning jars.  To onions, add vinegar, sugar, spices, and pepper.  Bring to boil and cook for thirty minutes, stirring often.  Pack both onions and cooking liquid to cover in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Remove air bubbles.  Wipe jar rims.  Adjust lids.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Yield:  About 8 pints or 16 half-pints.

Source: So Easy To Preserve

Potato “Breaded” Chicken

I love my Mom’s breaded chicken. It was a staple at summer outings. I still make it. Pretty classic, with a flour dredge, egg dip and bread crumbs. I needed a different option the other day when making lunch for a friend who can’t eat gluten. I just “breaded” the chicken with potato flakes.  I sometimes use potato flakes as a thickener for veggie soups and the like. I have also used them as a coating for chicken and fish before. Even if you can have bread crumbs, the potato flakes are a fun way to coat chicken, fish or pork. It gives you a nice, crispy crust and is easy, too. The chicken breasts I had were pretty thick, so I cut them into  thinner pieces to help them cook faster and more evenly. You could also cut them into nuggets, if you prefer. I pan fried, but you can also brown them a little and finish in the oven, if you prefer.

Potato “Breaded” Chicken

½ mayo
1 c. potato flakes
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless or 6 boneless chicken thighs
Oil

Spread chicken pieces with the mayo. Season the potato flakes with a little salt and pepper. Place potato flakes on a plate or in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken pieces with the potato flakes, pressing a little to cover well. Heat oil in skillet until really hot. Cook chicken pieces in skillet, on both sides, until golden brown. Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked. Serves 3-4.

Homemade Popcorn Balls

When summer comes around I always think about amusement parks, and how much I enjoyed going when I was a kid. The rides, the sounds and smells, and the food. I especially liked popcorn balls.  There was an amusement park near my house that was known for their popcorn popcorn balls. I don’t make them often, but popcorn balls are always a special treat for friends and family. Just one of those old fashioned recipes that has so many fond memories attached to it.  This recipe is pretty easy, and kids, supervised, could help make them.  It calls for corn syrup. If you don’t want to use corn syrup, my recipe for a 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.

Marinated Tomato Salad

Tomato season is too short around here. I can never get enough of what my mom called “real tomatoes”. Sometimes, in the excitement of canning and dehydrating tomatoes, I find I haven’t remembered to eat enough of them. So anxious to get as many as possible put away for winter, I have denied  myself the pleasure of  fresh, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes. Well, not this year. I have been having tomatoes with my eggs for breakfast, creamy tomato soup for lunch and plenty of tomato sandwiches and salads. I thought I would share a few of my favorite tomato salad recipes with you. They are pretty simple. I think that is how it should be. When you have something as close to perfection as a ripe tomato, little more is needed.

Marinated Tomato Salad

3 large tomatoes, cut in wedges, or 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
2 T. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

Tomato and Feta Salad

3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
12 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil -I used a lemon infused olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Warm Pasta Salad

1 lb. Plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
4 oz. Fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped                                                                             1 T. dried basil or 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil                                               1 T. capers, optional
1 t. dried oregano
½ c. olive oil
¼ c. red wine vinegar
3 T. balsamic vinegar
Dash of hot red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 lb. Uncooked pasta

Combine all ingredients, except pasta and chill overnight. Cook pasta, drain and toss with tomato mixture. Mixture should be served right away . Serves 6.

Streusel Peach Muffins

I can’t get enough of peaches these days. I have been eating them fresh, making preserves, freezing peaches and cooking with them. This recipe is one of my favorites. I hadn’t made them in a long time, so I decided today was the day. Now I remember why I liked them so much. Perfect crumbly texture, not too sweet and that streusel topping. While they are really great warm from the oven, these muffins are still fine the next day, or even the day after that, assuming they last that long. They freeze, well, too.

Streusel Peach Muffins

Streusel topping:
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
½ t. nutmeg
4 T. cold butter

Batter:
2 c. flour
½ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
½ t. salt
½ c. cold butter- 1 stick
2 eggs
¾ c. half and half or buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. finely chopped fresh peaches, about 1 large
½ c. finely chopped pecans, optional

Heat oven to 375. Line 15 muffin tins with paper liners or grease them. Set aside. Make streusel by mixing together flour, sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl. Use your fingers, or a pastry blender, to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside. Make batter: In medium bowl combine flour with sugars and other dry ingredients. Mix well. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl beat eggs and add half and half and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture and fold in until just mixed. Mixture will look lumpy. Fold in peaches and nuts, if using. Scoop batter into prepared tins, filling about ¾ full. I get more than 12 from this recipe- normally about15, but it depends on how full you fill them. Sprinkle the tops with streusel. Place muffin tins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 or until golden brown. Cool a little before serving, if you can wait.

Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes and Herbs

I had a busy day and needed something fast for dinner. I also hate doing dishes so the idea of a one pot meal was very appealing. I looked at what I had on hand and this is the dish I came up with. I started with some basics, browned onion and chicken in a skillet. I also had some fresh tomatoes and peppers and pizza seasoning so it all came together quite nicely. By adding some chicken stock and pasta I was able to finish it all together  in the same pan. It was wonderful just the way it was- but you could top it with shredded cheese, if you like, or fresh herbs.

Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes and Herbs

1 T. oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 chicken, cut up

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes

1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced

3 c. chicken stock- you might need a little more*

2 t. pizza seasoning -recipe follows

8 oz. uncooked pasta- I used rotini**

salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, brown onion in oil. Add chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook a few minutes more. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta,  and bring to a simmer. Place lid on skillet and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is almost cooked. Add pasta and cook, covered, about 12 minutes longer, or until pasta is cooked. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking and to see if you need more stock. Time will vary depending on which pasta you choose. Adjust seasonings. Serve as is, or with cheese on top. Serves 4.

* Depending on how juicy your tomatoes are you might need a little more stock. I wanted to have some sauce with the dish so I liked the amount of stock I used.

** You could use more pasta just add more stock.

Pizza Seasoning

3 T. dried basil
2 T. dried oregano
1-T. red pepper flakes
1 T. dried minced onion
1-T. fennel seeds
1 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
To use: Add 1-2 teaspoons per cup of tomato sauce to make pizza sauce. Also good sprinkled on bagels with sauce and cheese or added to any tomato or pepper dish. Also makes a great cheese ball. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the seasoning with a little diced sweet red pepper, a diced green onion and a few slices of cooked, crumbled bacon or turkey bacon with 8-oz. cream cheese.

Peaches and Cream Crepes

I was invited to a party and wanted to bring something. Since I had fresh peaches I knew they would be part of the dish. I decided to use them in crepes. I wanted the crepes to be assembled ahead of time. It was a wine tasting- so I didn’t want to rely on my motor skills once the wine-tasting began. Just kidding. I did not want them to get soggy, but I didn’t want to try to assemble them at the party. That is part of the reason I used the cream cheese. By spreading a thin layer of cream cheese over each crepe first, it helped to keep them from getting soggy. I made them several hours before I needed them and they held up just fine.  I added a little strawberry jam for color, flavor and just a bit more sweetness. I could see making the crepes without the jam the next time, and them still being just fine.  We used them as a dessert, but these crepes would be a great breakfast or brunch dish, too.

Peaches and Cream Crepes

1 recipe basic crepes- recipe follows
2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced thin
¼ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. powdered sugar
Strawberry jam, optional

Make a batch of basic crepes and set aside until ready to use. Place sliced peaches in a bowl with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir until sugar is dissolved. Best to do this at least a couple of hours before you want to use them. This softens the peaches and allows juices to come out of the peaches. You need the juices for the cream cheese. You can do this the day before, then just finish the cream cheese and assemble.
Place cream cheese in a bowl and start beating with an electric mixer. Drain juices off the peaches and add the juice to the cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, too. Beat until cream cheese is fluffy.

To assemble the crepes: Place a crepe on work surface. Spread with some of the cream cheese. Along one side of the crepe place a small amount of strawberry jam, like a stripe. Place several slices of peach in a row, on top of the strawberry jam. Starting on the side of the crepe with the peaches gently roll up the crepe. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You will have 12. Serve as is, or you can top with powdered sugar, peach slices, warm jam, whipped or caramel sauce.

Basic Crepes

3/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk, approximately
Butter or oil for pan

Beat together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Stir in melted butter and then stir in milk until batter consistency is that of cream. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Beat again, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 12.

Crepes can be filled ahead or guests can fill their own. Fillings can be served warm and cold, and can be used as a main dish or a dessert.

Crepes with a vanilla caramel drizzle

I made a light caramel sauce for the crepes. It would help if I had measured more carefully. I just put 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan with a cup of sugar. Boiled it all together for about 3 minutes. Removed from the heat and added a teaspoon of vanilla, 3-4 tablespoons of butter and a splash of half and half. Stirred until smooth, then added some salt, for extra flavor.