Super Yummy Hawaiian Dip

August 23, 2011 – 7:49 pm

Last week a coworker asked me if I wanted to try this dip. When he told me what was in it I was hesitant but did try it. And after trying it I couldn’t stop eating it. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about making some of it to have at my own house so I got the recipe. This is a really easy dip to make and it tastes sooooooo good. The Hawaiian theme makes it a great recipe to serve at your end-of-the-summer party.Josh and I thought we would adapt this and make a summer veggie dip that would be just as good but with more veggies from the garden.

Hawaiian Cheese Dip

Recipe courtesy of Brian R.’s “lady friend”

Ingredients:

1 8oz package of cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons crushed pineapple DO NOT DRAIN THE JUICE!

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon Lawrey’s seasoned salt

Blend all of the ingredients well, chill, and then serve.

By kristineleuze | Posted in Food | Tagged , , | Comments (4)

Put’em Up Book Review & Giveaway + a Recipe for Salsa Verde

August 19, 2011 – 8:12 pm

This, my dear friends, is the papery husk of a tomatillo. A tomatillo is a fruit much like a tomato and they are a staple of Latin American cuisine.

I think they are just beautiful. I used the tomatillos today to make this:

The tomatillo husk itself is much nicer to look at, but don’t let the color of the Salsa Verde put you off. Many years ago I was at a summer party and someone had brought Salsa Verde. I spent much of the afternoon hunched over the bowl of Salsa Verrde, hoarding it. It’s one of those things you can’t stop eating because the flavor is so good. I’ve been looking for a good Salsa Verde recipe ever since and I finally found one. The flavors will linger in your mouth for hours after eating it, it really is one of those special recipes. You don’t have to eat it with just chips either. You can use it to serve with chicken too. The recipe is in this awesome book:


Put ‘em Up!

The book is put out by one of my all-time favorite publishers, Storey Publishing (they have some of the more unusual and best-designed books!).

Storey is allowing me to give away a copy of this book to one lucky reader! Just comment on this post to be entered to win. The deadline to comment will be midnight on August 26th.

The author is Sherri Brooks Vinton, an author with a stunning resume. She is the founder of FarmFriendly LLC which has done great work raising awareness and finding support for local agriculture. She is a member of the Chef’s Collaborative, Women Chefs and Restauranteurs not to mention a member of the Northwest Organic Farmers’ Association. This book is about nourishing friends and family and keeping with tradition. Storey Publishing is a perfect fit for this book since they promote “country living” in harmony with the environment.

The book is divided into 2 sections: Technique and Recipes. The book spends quite a bit of time on technique so if you have never preserved anything before and have been scared to get into it, this is the book for you. It will teach you everything you need to know to preserve with confidence. If you have canned before and have been hoping to get into some newer and more up-to-date recipes, then this too is the book for you.

The book isn’t just about canning either. There are dehydration recipes, recipes for freezing, cocktail recipes, etc.

Here is a sampling of the recipes I hope to try soon:

-Berry Leather (Better than sugary Fruit Roll-Ups!)

-Olive Salad (for Muffalettas, yum!)

-Charred Chili Barbecue Sauce

-Homemade Raisins

-Chinese Plum Sauce

-Pickled Watermelon Rind with Cinnamon and Clove

If I still drank I would make the Red Hot Vodka and if I still had scapes I would make the Garlic Scapes in Oil. I don’t want to say this is a “hipsters” guide to preserving but it kind of is. The art in the book will appeal to a younger crowd as will the fresh, clean ingredients that are coming back around again in the culinary world. I give this book 5 stars!

Here is the recipe for the Salsa Verde:

Salsa Verde

From Put’em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton

4 pounds tomatillos, husks  removed

1 tablespoon oil

1cup vinegar

1 pound onions, chopped

1/2 pound chilis, seeded

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the broiler. Wash and dry the tomatillos.  Lightly brush half of the tomatillos with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet, stem side down. Broil until blackened in spots. Remove and cool to room temperature.

2.  Puree the remaining raw tomatillos with the vinegar in a blender or food processor and remove to a large saucepan.

3.  Puree cooked tomatillos, onions, chilis and garlic.  Add to pan.

4.  Bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes.

5. Stir in cilantro and salt.

To can, process for 15 minutes then turn off heat and let the jars rest in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars and let sit for 24 hours. Store in a dark place for up to 1 year. Makes A LOT and is great for gifts.

 

Update: The winner of the giveaway is Gloria!!

By kristineleuze | Posted in Book Reviews, Food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (10)

Get Ready to Celebrate National Can-It-Forward Day (With a Giveaway)!

August 11, 2011 – 7:37 pm

I received some products in the mail from Ball and couldn’t wait to try them out! Here in Minnesota it’s canning season and there are lots of things to can. The peaches are in, corn is ready, green beans, tomatoes and pickling cucumbers are ready. We can and store food for a lot of reasons in Minnesota (some people need to for weather-related reasons) but mostly because we have such a short growing season. It’s nice to be able to open up a fresh jar of blueberry syrup in the dead of winter and be able to taste the sweetness that was preserved at the peak of the season.

Saturday, August 13th is National Can-It-Forward Day and during the remainder of August I am going to be giving away some things to help you preserve your favorite treats. Comment on this post to be entered to win a sampling of pectin, bread and butter pickle mix, salsa mix, a Blue Book Guide to Preserving and Ball product coupons. One winner will be chosen at random late Sunday night (August 14th, 2011). The contest is only open to U.S. residents as I will be paying for the shipping of these products myself. The products were mailed to me from Ball and I am sharing them with you. Now, onto the pictures and descriptions of what all I made while trying the new products from Ball!

Probably my favorite food of all time is the simple blueberry. I just love them. I love blueberry pancakes and muffins but nothing beats blueberry syrup, homemade and fresh without the high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavoring. This stuff is like liquid gold to me and it is well worth the time and effort of putting a batch together. The recipe can be found in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  The book is very reasonably priced and has several, several recipes. I will also post the recipe below.

The first thing you need to do before you start canning is to wash all of your jars and get your gear ready. One of the scarier parts of the recipe is pouring the hot syrup into the glass jars. The old funnel I had wasn’t the sturdiest. Ball sent me a new one and it is awesome. It’s very sturdy and well made. I love it!

The other scary part about canning is pulling the hot jars out of the boiling water bath. I used to have some scary tongs that you needed two hands to operate and nine out of ten times the jar slipped out of the tongs and splashed scalding hot water all over my hands. Ball has a new jar lifter out on the market. They are spring-loaded and easy to operate with one hand. I am very impressed with them.

The finished product is my most prized possession and these jars of blueberry syrup will last me all year. I will probably have some to give as gifts too if I don’t get too greedy. I love to send blueberry syrup and wild rice to friends and family not living in Minnesota— they are my two favorite Minnesota foods!

Making cute labels is fun but sometimes I don’t have the time. A nice alternative are these dissolvable labels. I like to save my jars but I can’t stand standing there scrubbing a label off a jar for 15 minutes just to save a buck so these new labels make me very happy. I have been waiting for someone to come out with these for years.

Next I whipped up some salsa, a summertime necessity! If I were making a large batch I would “can” them using a water bath but if you are making a small batch and you plan on eating the salsa within 3 weeks you can make a small batch. Ball sent me a salsa packet and all I had to do was dice some tomatoes, add the mix, some vinegar and then boil it all for 5 minutes.

To be honest, I didn’t expect the packet of dehydrated seasoning to produce a very yummy salsa so I didn’t buy many tomatoes but this stuff is really good! I was surprised. And then disappointed that I only made 2 jars!

I’m not sure if you are a pickle fanatic like my kids and I are, but we love pickles. We love a certain kind of pickle too. Spears, cold-packed. And if you love them as much as we do you may have noticed they are usually about $3.50 a jar and last about 2 days. I got lucky when I went to the farmer’s market yesterday and found pickling cucumbers.

Andrew and I picked out about 30 cucumbers the size we wanted them and brought them home to marvel over.

All you do then depending on how you want your pickles is use the Ball Kosher Pickle Mix with some water and vinegar, boil it, and pour it over the pickles. You let them sit for about 30 minutes then you pack them into jars. If you want your pickles to sit on your shelf you can process them and they will last for a year. If you are like me and want them cold packed, you just pack them in jars and put them in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3 months.That is of course unless you eat them all by then.

It’s very easy and very inexpensive if you already have the jars which I did. I made about $30.00 worth of pickles for about $9.00. The Kosher Pickle Mix is about $5.99 and the cucumbers were $4.00 at the farmer’s market.

It was a great day of canning for me. I will be trying some other things later next week and sharing them with you. Don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win a selection of Ball products! Here is the recipe for the Blueberry Syrup:

Blueberry Syrup

Makes about 3 (16 oz) pintsUse fresh blueberries and lemon to make the perfect syrup to top a morning waffle or an afternoon scoop of ice cream.

You will need:

8 cups blueberries, crushed (about 3-1/2 lb)
6 cups water, divided
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) COMBINE blueberries, 2 cups of the water and lemon zest in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.
2.) TRANSFER to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours.
3.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
4.) COMBINE sugar and remaining 4 cups water in a clean large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook until temperature reaches 230°F, adjusting for altitude. Add blueberry juice. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
5.) LADLE hot syrup into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

By kristineleuze | Posted in Food, Garden | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (15)

Homemade Fresh Cherry Pie

August 4, 2011 – 9:20 pm

The kids and I went into a cute little shop somewhere on Lake Minnetonka yesterday and bought the cutest little Cherry Pitter.

The kids wanted it because they love cherries and it looks like a robot. I wanted it because I am sucker for good package design and always worry about Chloe spitting out the pits vs swallowing them or worse.

You put the cherry in, stem side down but without the stem obviously.

The pit is pushed into the robots tummy to be emptied later. It’s very safe and fun to use. I thought it was definitely worth $10 just to have something cute in the kitchen the kids can appreciate as well. It’s very sturdy for that price too which I didn’t really expect.

This is how the cherry looks after it has been pitted.

We made a cherry pie with our fresh cherries. I decided on a recipe that called for tapioca as a thickener. I’m not sure if I will again. I think cornstarch would have been cheaper and easier and may even have produced better results. My pie didn’t set up very well. But that could be because I didn’t let the tapioca dissolve into the sugar enough.

Although the pie didn’t set up the way I would have liked it to, the taste was still amazing.

Although this looks like a lot of sugar, I’m convinced that there is far less sugar in a fresh cherry pie than if you use a can of cherry pie filling. You can always lessen  the amount of sugar you use as well.

Classic Cherry Pie

Recipe created by Lauren Fortgang
Oprah.com
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 1/2 sticks butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted (or frozen cherries, thawed and drained)
  • 3 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
Directions

To make dough: Place flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; combine on low speed. Cut butter into small cubes; add to bowl. Mix on low until butter resembles pea-size balls; then, while mixer is running, add 1/4 cup very cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until ingredients just come together. If dough won’t quite combine, add an extra tablespoon water.

Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into a flat, round disk. Roll each between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper until dough is 1/8-inch thick. Chill (in paper), lying flat, for at least 1 hour before using.

To make filling: Place cherries in a bowl. Toss with tapioca, sugar, and salt; let sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Remove dough from refrigerator and place on a countertop. Remove top piece of parchment from 1 sheet, and lay it dough side down in a 9-inch pie pan. Pull the other piece of paper off, and let dough sit for a few minutes to soften. When it has become pliable, gently press it into pan. Trim edges, but leave a 1/2-inch overhang.

Work with other dough sheet to prepare lattice top. Peel off top piece of paper and immediately place it back on dough. Flip dough over; remove and discard the other piece of paper. Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips.

Pour filling into pie shell. Lay half of dough strips evenly across the top, keeping a 1/4- to 1/2-inch gap between strips. Form a lattice by weaving the remaining strips perpendicular to the first layer (again keeping a 1/4- to 1/2-inch gap between strips).

Trim excess dough around rim so edges of lattice match up with the ½-inch overhang of bottom crust. Dust your fingers with flour, then pinch top and bottom layers of dough together to form a ridged crust. Continue crimping dough around entire pie shell, flouring your fingers as needed.

Place pie pan on a baking sheet, and set it on a rack in bottom third of oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg in a bowl. Pull pie out of oven and brush egg on crust. Return to oven and lower heat to 350°; bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling and thickened. Remove from oven. Allow to cool at least 1 hour before serving.

By kristineleuze | Posted in Food, Kid Activities | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Pasta Salad, Zucchini Cake and More, What We Did With Our CSA This Week

July 25, 2011 – 12:55 pm

We joined a CSA this year, Loon Organics, because we knew we wouldn’t have enough time to tend to the garden this year. My only regret has been that I signed up for an every other week share instead of a weekly share! This last box we got was breathtaking. The vegetables don’t look anything like the underdeveloped and sometimes still dusty organic vegetables you might often find when shopping for organic. These specimens of deliciousness look no different from the prized veggies you might find at the county fair sporting a purple ribbon, and they are organic.

The above picture is a cold pasta salad I made with angel hair pasta. I love cold pasta salads, especially in the summer. Vegetables from the farm I included in this salad are yellow summer squash and zucchini. I then added some strips of basil, also from the farm. I then added kalamata olives, white beans (I ate all the black beans we received 2 weeks ago already) and tomatoes. I just tossed with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper.

We got to go out the farm and dig our own red potatoes! The kids drank enough organic lemonade to float themselves home. I couldn’t wait to get home and put together a simple potato salad using just potatoes, red onion, celery and mayonnaise.

I like simple, clean flavors best during summer. One of my favorite things to eat on a hot day is a simple cucumber salad. Using the cucumbers we received from the farm I made something my mom always has ready for lunch time, a cold salad consisted of sliced cucumbers, red onions and vinegar and oil.

The highlight of the CSA box was the zucchini. Because I love zucchini cake! The recipe I used this year comes from Martha Stewart’s July magazine. I changed it a little but it was still delicious. Zucchini makes any cake supremely moist. I love moist cakes. I think it would be good to try with some bananas as well. The kids had to help me make it.

Andrew likes to sift.

Chloe likes to whisk.

I don’t know what I enjoy more, baking or my small collection of Pyrex. I have This Pyrex Book on my wish list but I’m afraid of developing a severe addiction. Next thing you know I will be driving to flea markets all over the state looking for that one piece!

The cake turned out beautifully. I omitted the orange glaze that Martha suggested and just made a plain glaze since I didn’t have an orange on hand. We served it with a little whipped cream and fresh raspberries from our garden but it is good plain too. It would be great with a cup of coffee.

Zucchini Bundt Cake

Adapted From Martha Stewart Living
 

1  1/2 sticks butter, melted

1  1/2 cups flour

2  1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 medium zucchini (will measure when grated and dried to 2 1/2 cups)

3 eggs

1  1/2 cups sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 325°. Brush a 6 cup bundt pan with melted butter and dust with flour. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2.  Grate zucchini on the large holes of a grater then fold into paper towel and/or kitchen towel and press the excess water out.

3.  Stir together eggs and sugar, then stir in melted butter and zucchini. Stir in flour mixture. Transfer batter to pan.

4.  Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen and turn onto wire rack. Let cool for another 30 minutes.

I thought this cake was best on the second day. I mixed a small amount of powdered sugar and milk together to use as a glaze then sifted more powdered sugar on top. I thought it came out about perfect. Martha’s version is a little different, calling for an orange glaze and cardamom but I think this works just fine and is a little less complicated. She also topped hers with candied zucchini for a fancier presentation.

By kristineleuze | Posted in Food | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 26 other followers