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Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu), Homemade Five Spice, + iPad Giveaway!

June 17, 2013 by 125 Comments

I have so much fun for you today! I have one my favourite recipes of all time and I’ve partnered with an amazing group of bloggers to give away something that I’m pretty excited about. I know you know WHAT it is because I stuffed it into the title, but let’s get to the recipe before we get into the whats, hows, and whens!

Are you familiar with char siu; that flavourful, luscious, sticky-sweet, bright-red pork served in House Special Soup, fried rice, and on skewers at Chinese restaurants? I have a serious fixation on the stuff. I can’t get enough of it. The problem with satisfying my need for it is twofold:

  • I don’t live near a Chinese restaurant. No. Really… It’s fifteen miles round trip to the nearest one and the nearest one is not worth driving fifteen miles round trip.
  • I’m not super fond of food dyes. They kind of weird me out, honestly… That’s why you don’t see a lot of things calling for food colouring here on Foodie with Family.

With these issues in mind, I started making my own a while back and I think it tastes vastly superior to what I can get at many restaurants. I use red beet powder (Amazon affiliate link)  because that not only adds a little sweetness, but adds a little red to the party without using food dye. Hey- I like pretty foods as much as the next gal,I just don’t like artificial food colouring! Does anyone else feel like diving face first into that plate?

Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu) and an #iPad #GIVEAWAY | Make Ahead Mondays www.foodiewithfamily.com

I had a very pregnant friend visiting when I plated this dish the other day. She happily helped me dispatch of the evidence after I snapped a couple shots. Her daughter -who normally doesn’t love meat dishes- assisted in the effort, too. It didn’t take us much time to make that dish look as clean as it did before I threw a pile of food on it.

I have to say a couple of words about the ingredients out of which the marinade is made. Don’t skip the Five Spice Powder. I used to think I couldn’t stand the stuff. It turns out -unsurprisingly- that what I hated was the little jars of indeterminate age that I got from the regular grocery store that then languished in my spice drawer for years on end. Homemade Five Spice Powder is a revelation, to say the least. Made of cinnamon, fennel seed, Szechuan (or Sichuan) peppercorn, star anise, and clove, it might sound a little odd to add to a savoury dish, but I tell ya, it does something special to pork. Chances are you’re pretty familiar with all or most of those ingredients. If I were a betting woman, I’d say the ingredient that most people haven’t used is the Szechuan peppercorn. It’s a key flavour in most Szechuan food. Unlike black or white peppercorns, it’s not known to be spicy or hot, but rather, it’s citrusy and numbs the tongue a bit. All in all, after making my own Homemade Five Spice, I have to say that I’ve done a 180° on my stance and I now sprinkle a little bit of it into nearly everything! If you don’t want to make Homemade Five Spice, you can use five spice powder purchased at an Asian grocer or a well-stocked grocery store.

Are you wondering what in the world you’d do with four whole tenderloins cooked into Chinese Barbecued Pork? Aside from slicing them and serving over rice as pictured and serving to your pregnant friends, you can dice them and toss it into fried rice or onto salad, slice thinly and add to your own House Special Soup or put on split rolls with a slaw for Chinese Barbecue Pork Sliders… I’m sure there are other options I haven’t thought of yet. How would you serve these?

Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu) and an #iPad #GIVEAWAY | Make Ahead Mondays www.foodiewithfamily.com

 

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Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu), Homemade Five Spice, and an iPad Giveaway!

Rating: 51

Fragrant, moist, and full of flavour (garlic, ginger, Sriracha, ) with a sticky-sweet, slightly charred glaze, this Szechuan Chinese restaurant standard is worlds better made at home! This recipe is for four pork tenderloins, leaving plenty to freeze for fast meals at a later date!

Ingredients

    For Homemade Five Spice Powder:
  • 2 teaspoons Szechuan Peppercorn
  • 8 whole star anise
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    • For the Chinese Barbecue Pork:
  • 4 good sized boneless pork tenderloins (about 4-6 pounds total weight)
  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 cup soju (Korean rice liquor) or light rum
  • 1/3 cup brown rice syrup or honey, plus additional for brushing while grilling
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons granulated onion or onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons red beet powder (can omit or substitute with 1 teaspoon red food colouring)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Homemade Five Spice or purchased five spice powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic or garlic powder

Instructions

To Make the Homemade Five Spice:

Put a clean, dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium low heat. Add the Szechuan peppercorns and shake the pan back and forth until the peppercorns are fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately add them to a spice grinder with the fennel seed and star anise. Grind until the mixture is as finely powdered as you can make it. Shake it through a fine mesh strainer. Discard what remains in the strainer. Take the sifted spices and stir in the ground cinnamon and cloves. Return this mixture to the spice grinder and grind momentarily to better combine the spices. Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool cupboard. For most potent flavour, use within three months.

To Make the Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu):

Add everything but the pork tenderloins and the spare honey to a large, resealable, zipper-top bag. Seal the bag and use your hands to gently squish and combine the ingredients until it is evenly mixed. Open the bag and add all of the pork tenderloins. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can, reseal it, place it on a rimmed baking dish and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning the bag halfway through the marinating process.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the tenderloins on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. While the tenderloins are roasting, begin preheating a grill, using high heat on half of the grill and low heat on the other half. When the tenderloins have roasted for 20 minutes, transfer them to the HIGH heat side of the grill. Drizzle honey over the tops of the tenderloins and use a heat-proof pastry brush to distribute the honey. When the bottom of the tenderloin has good colour, about 4 minutes, flip it over, drizzle it again with honey and brush to distribute. The second side should colour up more quickly than the first as it was brushed with honey. When that has nice colour and a couple of charred bits, transfer it to the LOW heat side of the grill, flipping it over in the process. Continue drizzling with honey, brushing, and grilling until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the tenderloin measures at least 145°F (medium rare). Transfer the cooked tenderloins to a clean, rimmed baking dish and lightly tent with foil. Allow them to rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing or chilling.

To Serve Immediately:

Slice or dice the pork -hot, warm, or room temperature- and serve over rice, in soup, or on sandwiches or salads.

To Freezer for Later Meals:

Chill the cooked Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu) before wrapping tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Place the wrapped pork on a baking sheet and put into the freezer. When the pork is frozen firmly, place the wrapped pork in a labeled, resealable zipper top bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

To Reheat:

For best results, remove the desired number of cooked tenderloins from the freezer, remove the foil and double layer of plastic wrap, and thaw in the refrigerator overniht. Reheat in a 350°F in a foil covered rimmed baking dish until heated all the way through, about 15-20 minutes.

If you're in a hurry, remove the foil and one layer of plastic wrap, then defrost gently in the microwave. Remove the last layer of plastic wrap, place in a rimmed, microwave safe dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, venting one corner, and reheat on medium temperature until hot all the way through. The timing of this will depend on the strength of your microwave.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/06/17/chinese-barbecued-pork-char-siu-homemade-five-spice-and-an-ipad-giveaway/

Here is a list of marginally difficult to find ingredients available for purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate links all!):
Hoisin Sauce
Szechuan Peppercorns
Whole Star Anise
Fennel Seeds(Pssst. You can make THIS DELICIOUSNESS with your extra fennel.)
Brown Rice Syrup
Red Beet Powder
Toasted Sesame Oil
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

 

 How about an iPad giveaway?!?

iPad giveaway on www.foodiewithfamily.com #ipad #giveaway

I teamed up with this fabulous group of bloggers to give away an honest to goodness, brand-spankin’ new, glorious 16 GB iPad with Retina Display. My husband and I bought one of these 16 GB iPads with wi-fi for our family last winter. We have it crammed full of educational apps that make homeschooling so much easier. Okay, we also have some news apps and some silly photo filters on there, too, but as a tool for homeschool or other students, it is absolutely invaluable. Our favourite application is the astronomy app ‘Star Walk’. If it’s a clear night, there’s a good chance one of us is outside gazing up at the sky with the iPad in tow figuring out which constellation is where. My eleven year old has turned into a walking, talking, mini Carl Sagan who tells me about the billions and billions of stars in our Cosmos.

How to enter the giveaway:

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter (Oh, so many ways to enter!) Be sure to leave a comment here and register it on the widget to be entered to win from Foodie with Family.  And since I’m involved with such a great group, you can visit each of their blogs for more chances to enter! How awesome is that?

Avery Cooks

Bakeaholic Mama

Bless This Mess

Climbing Grier Mountain

Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Domestic Fits

Foodness Gracious

Nutmeg Nanny

Savory Simple

Very Culinary

iPad Giveaway Fine Print:

The giveaway ends one week from the start date of 6amEST, June 17th, 2013.  With apologies to my buddies in Canada, Mexico, Korea, and the rest of the world, the winner of this giveaway must have an address in and ship to an address in the United States. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or will forfeit the prize, so pretty please, check in at the end of the contest! Sometimes those emails get routed to spam folders and we’d hate to have you lose out because of that!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by a group of bloggers including me. We paid for the item ourselves and it is not a compensated post. There is an Amazon.com affiliate link for ingredients and another for an iPad in the post. If you choose to purchase any of those ingredients or an iPad after clicking through those links, I receive a small commission from Amazon.com which in no way effects the price of the item. Thank you!

Filed Under: Giveaways!, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Joy’s Prize Winning Secret Ingredient Tropical Icebox Pie | Grain and Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Raw.

June 14, 2013 by 21 Comments

If you’ve been visiting Foodie with Family for any amount of time, you know by now that I won’t give you a recipe JUST because it’s healthy, right? You know that I take a serious stand on the fact that food must -above all else- taste great.  Have I steered you wrong yet?

Joy's Secret Ingredient Lemon Lime Avocado No Sugar Icebox Pie | www.foodiewithfamily.com

So when I tell you I have a creamy, lemon-lime, sweet, luscious, icebox pie with a lovely crumb crust that is *GASP* actually good for you and has ZERO sugar, dairy, gluten, or grains in it, will you believe me? Oh you’d better believe me. What’s the secret? Let me tell you a story…

I have a friend on a very restrictive diet. She’s become something of a wizard at making delectables that fit all of the rules that limit what she can and cannot eat. A few weeks ago, a highly-regarded local restaurant held a pie contest. Contestants were asked to bring the pies along with a copy of their recipe. The recipe was to remain sealed and unexamined until the blind taste test was done. The winner would receive a meal at the restaurant, a generous cash prize (or gift card for the equivalent), and have their pie featured on the restaurant’s menu for the summer. There were categories for fruit pies, custard pies, and savoury pies. My friend entered her grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free pie in the contest with few hopes that it would get any attention.

When she came back later to collect her pie plate, she couldn’t find it anywhere. She found one of the contest organizers to ask where it was and was flabbergasted to learn that she had not just won her category, she had won the overall grand prize.

Now, let me tell you a little something about where we live. It’s full of hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people who aren’t always known for adventurous or mega health-conscious eating.

…And my friend won the contest with a pie that was arguably health food. If that and the fact that I don’t do-health-food-for-the-sake-of-health-food doesn’t convince you this is worth a try, maybe this picture will.

Joy's Secret Ingredient Lemon Lime Avocado No Sugar Icebox Pie | www.foodiewithfamily.com

How to make a delicious grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, raw pie. No joke!

Icebox pies are some of my all-time favourites, and this one is the current top of the heap. It’s like a pie plate full of the creamiest lemon lime ice cream of all time. Somehow it manages to be rich and indulgent but not weigh you down after you eat it. Are you ready to find out what’s in it? Maybe you’ve already figured out some of it!

The crust is finely chopped almonds or pecans, unsweetened flaked coconut, and pitted dates whizzed together in the food processor until it forms a clumpy, crumbly mess. This is pressed into the pie plate and refrigerated while the filling is prepared.

The filling? Are you holding onto your hat? Avocados, honey, lemon and lime juice and zest, extra virgin coconut oil, and just a kiss of vanilla extract are blitzed together in the food processor to form a smooth custard then poured into the crumb crust and frozen. Don’t even look at me like that. This isn’t just good. It’s GREAT!

Joy's Secret Ingredient Lemon Lime Avocado No Sugar Icebox Pie | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Look at that crust! I liked this crust so much that I think this might be my new go-to crumb crust for all pies that require them. In fact, I might even start using this instead of my graham cracker crust on my cheesecakes. The texture is the perfect combination of crumbly and coherent. It’s sweet and nutty. Gosh, folks… it’s just so good.

I am going to hop up and down on my couch until you try this. I won’t hear any excuses… even my avocado hating kids couldn’t get enough of this pie. Granted, they DID refer to it as guacamole pie, but I think it’s because they ate it, so who cares?

Some preparation notes:

  • There are a lot of ranges in this recipe instead of specifics. For instance, the recipe specifies six to twenty pitted dates. I know, it sounds crazy, but there’s a reason. Dates vary widely in size and moisture content. If you have adorable, tiny, pitted dates, you’re going to need more. If you have massive, luscious pitted dates, you’ll need fewer. In the places where I’ve given you ranges, start with the lower amounts and work your way up, tasting as you go. Because all of the ingredients used in this recipe are safe to eat raw, there’s no danger in doing that!
  • These can easily be made into individually sized pies. Use small single-serving pie shells to press your crust into and divide the filling between them. Voila! Mini icebox pies!
  • If you favour lime over lemon, replace all of the lemons called for with limes. Likewise, if you prefer all lemon to lime, sub in lemons for the limes.
  • The pie in my pictures is almost vegan… ALMOST, but not quite. It does contain honey, so if you’re looking to adapt this, you’ll want to nix the honey in favour of agave syrup. I personally prefer the honey, but it’s an easy substitute to flip this recipe all the way into the vegan camp.
  • There’s no doubt this pie is expensive with six whole avocados in it. If you’d like to make it more affordable, halve the amount of filling and make it in a standard pie plate instead of a deep dish one.
  • Don’t be tempted to substitute some other oil for the extra virgin coconut oil. Part of the alchemy that makes this pie filling so ever loving creamy is the viscosity and melting properties of this particular oil. It is creamy and solid at anything under 75°F. You can’t get that PLUS the mild flavour it delivers from any other oil.

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Joy’s Prize Winning Secret Ingredient Tropical Icebox Pie | Grain Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Raw.

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Joy’s Prize Winning Secret Ingredient Tropical Icebox Pie | Grain Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Raw.

This beautiful, creamy, indulgent, lemon-lime, mile-high, icebox pie just so happens to be good for you. How is that possible?

It's also friendly for a wide-range of dietary restrictions because it is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, sugar-free and raw. With one minor adjustment it is also vegan-friendly.

Ever so slightly adapted recipe courtesy of my friend Joy Hinterkopf

Ingredients

    For the Crust:
  • 3/4 cup whole, raw almonds
  • 1 cup unsweetened, finely flaked coconut
  • 6-20 pitted dates
    • For the Filling:
  • 6 perfectly ripe avocados
  • The juice and zest of 4 lemons, or more
  • the juice and zest of 2 limes
  • 1 cup extra virgin coconut oil, heated just to the melting point: 76°F.
  • 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups honey, or more to taste (Use agave instead to make this pie vegan.)
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of salt
    • Optional Garnish:
  • Thinly sliced limes
  • lime zest

Instructions

To Make the Crust:

Add the almonds and coconut flakes to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until it is the texture of fine fresh bread crumbs. Add 6 pitted dates to the work bowl and process until the dates are completely ground into the nuts and coconut. Open the food processor and pull out about a tablespoon of the mixture. Press it firmly together in your hands. If it clumps, it's ready. If it falls apart and doesn't hold together, return it to the food processor and add dates, 1 at a time, processing and testing after each addition, until it clumps well. Turn the mixture into a deep dish pie plate and press it firmly and evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Put the pie plate in the refrigerator while working on the filling.

To Make the Filling:

Wipe or rinse the food processor work bowl and blade clean. Halve and pit all of the avocados. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the shells into the work bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade. Immediately add the lemon and lime juice and zest, coconut oil, 3/4 cup of the honey, vanilla extract and salt. Fit the lid in place and process until smooth. Taste the mixture. If it needs additional sweetness or acidity, adjust it with more honey and/or lemon juice. Remember that things taste less sweet when they're frozen so you might want the mixture slightly sweeter than you think you'd like it. Scrape the filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth or mound it as you'd like. Put it directly into the freezer until the surface is firm (about 2 hours), then cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pie.

To Serve the Pie:

If you wish, you can garnish the pie with thin slices of lime and a scattering of lime zest. Slice the pie into wedges of desired size and serve while still frozen like an ice cream pie.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/06/14/joys-prize-winning-secret-ingredient-tropical-icebox-pie-grain-and-gluten-free-sugar-free-dairy-free-raw/

 

Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad

June 11, 2013 by 30 Comments

Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad | www.foodiewithfamily.com

I’m on a bit of a salad bender right now. Tossed salads, chopped salads, marinated salads: I can’t help myself. I can’t go a day without having a big bowl of one sort or another. One of my favourite things to do these days is turn regular vegetable side dishes into spectacular salads.

The top of the heap right now is a salad based on one of the most iconic Mexican street foods; Elote, or Mexican Sweet Corn. Elote makes me want to purr. I can’t get enough of the charred corn that is rubbed with mayonnaise, sprinkled with ground chipotle or chili powder, rolled in crumbled cotija cheese and chopped cilantro then topped off with a squeeze of lime juice. Mrawwwrrrrrrrrrr… I’m not much of a finger licker, but I am compelled to get every last bit of goodness from my fingers after eating it. Etiquette? Pshaw.

I wanted to do it up salad style so that it would travel a little more easily to a potluck because it is a touch on the awkward side to lay waste to someone else’s kitchen with a box full of corn to grill and all the other accoutrements in tow. The idea was to pack all of the classic Elote flavours into one easily portable, undeniably derivative, eminently edible marinated salad.

Thankfully, this is a dish that translates easily to the bowl from the cob. The mayonnaise and cheese that would otherwise be slathered and rolled onto the grilled corn serve to hold the salad together a bit, and the lime juice helps distribute the ground chipotle (my choice!) or chili powder. Because I’m a sucker for a bell peppers in salad, I finely chopped half of a red pepper to stir into the works. If you don’t like bell peppers, you can omit them or replace them with a hot pepper with great results.

A bowl of Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad is the ideal companion for grilled or broiled fish, pork, chicken or beef, but it’s also great as a stand alone lunch. I can’t lie… I often hide the leftovers in a container marked with a secret code so I can have it all to myself the next day.

How to Grill Corn:

The toughest part of preparing this salad is grilling the corn and that’s not hard at all… it just takes a bit of planning. When I’m grilling corn specifically for this salad or for use in salsas, I strip the husks from them completely and soak the ears of corn in a big bowl or pot of cold water. This helps keep the kernels from drying out and shriveling while they’re sitting on the grill.

Mexican Street Corn Salad | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Fire up the grill to high! While it’s getting screaming hot, drain the water off of the corn. Use tongs to place the cobs directly on the hot grill. Roast it over that high heat on the grill, turning often, until the kernels are bright yellow in most places with some charred, blackened areas. This will probably take about ten minutes.

Mexican Street Corn Salad | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Transfer the corn to a bowl (the one you used to soak them is fine) and let them cool until you can handle them easily.

Mexican Street Corn Salad | www.foodiewithfamily.com

When you can pick them up and hold them in your hand easily (because you’ll need to do so to cut the kernels from the cob) you can move onto the recipe!

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Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad

Rating: 51

Traditional Elote- or Mexican street corn- gets a makeover in this super summer salad full of grill-roasted, slightly charred sweet corn, with a creamy Mexican inspired dressing of mayonnaise, ground chipotles, lime juice, and cilantro. Serve with grilled fish, chicken, pork or beef and you'll be the most popular summer cook in your neighborhood!

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 ears grilled sweet corn, cooled to a comfortable temperature *See Notes
  • 1/4 of a sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1/4 of a sweet red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional: can omit or replace with a seeded hot pepper)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, or freshly grated parmesan
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro (or parsley) leaves, coarsely chopped
  • the juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges for serving
  • 1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon ground chipotle pepper or chili powder, to taste. *See Notes
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Stand a cooled, grilled corn cob on a cutting board, flat end down. Holding the cob steady with your hand, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels away from the cob. Once you've cut away all of the kernels, use the dull, back side of the knife to scrape out any remaining juices or pulp from the corn cob. Discard the cobs.

Stir together the corn, pulp, onion, pepper, cheese, mayonnaise, cilantro (or parsley), lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the ground chipotle or chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper until everythig is evenly distributed. Taste and adjust with more ground chipotle or chili powder, and salt or pepper until it tastes just right. You can serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour to let the flavours meld. This is best eaten the day it is made, but will hold up reasonably for leftovers the next day.

Notes

While nothing beats freshly grilled corn for this salad, it can certainly be made -and deliciously- with leftover grilled corn. I often grill more corn than we can eat just so I can make salad or salsa from it the next day.

The 1 tablespoon measurement of ground chipotle powder or chili powder is the most traditional amount of heat added to Elote. We prefer it like this, but I understand that not everyone likes the same amount of spice my family does. Start on the low end and adjust up as you prefer!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/06/11/grilled-mexican-street-corn-salad/

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Happy Healthy and Wise, Rebecca, Recipes, Salads Tagged With: , , , , ,

Whipped Fruit Ice Pops

June 7, 2013 by 22 Comments

I am happy to be part of the 2013 Kraft Tastemakers team. This post is part of my continuing commitment to bring family friendly recipes to you that are made from things you’re likely to have in your pantry at most times. 

Do any of you remember the Jell-O Pudding Pops from the 80s? I ate my weight in those as a kid because the camp my dad ran procured them by the crate. I used to slip into the walk-in cooler for a pudding pop whenever the fancy struck. Less present, but equally loved, were the Jell-O Gelatin Pops.

Fruity, icy, and no drip, the pops seemed almost like they were whipped before they were frozen. I got it in my head the other day that I wanted these and since they’re no longer on the market, I made my own! I busted out my Knox Unflavoured Gelatin (that’s an Amazon affiliate link, by the way), a bottle of Cran-Raspberry Juice, a wee bit of sugar, and my trusty stand mixer and Vie-Oh-Lee! We had Whipped Fruit Ice Pops. Super smart snacking for summer, I’d say, wouldn’t you?

Whipped Fruit Ice Pops, Dairy Free | www.foodiewithfamily.com

They’re a little crazy looking, but I can explain! I wanted my ice pops to have the same consistency that I remembered so I made classic Knox Blocks, chilled ‘em until they were as firm as they should be, cut the stuff into small cubes, then beat the tar out of it all with my stand mixer. It got fluffy and airy and looked a little like I had whipped cream into it. That was fun and a little gross looking, honestly, but it made filling the ice pop molds evenly a bit of a challenge. It doesn’t effect the overall ability of the stuff (technical term) to freeze together coherently, but it looks a little irregular. I think it lends to the charm.

If you’re anxious to make some of this and don’t have ice pop molds, or if you want to be a bit more sophisticated and grown up about the whole thing, you could always scrape the whipped gelatine into a non-stick spritzed 9- by 13-inch baking dish and cover the lot with plastic wrap before freezing. After it’s solid, use a spatula to pry it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into small squares or punch into small circles with a round cookie cutter. Top it with berries and serve that like you’re Madame Fancy-Pants.

Frozen Whipped Fruit Gelatine | www.foodiewithfamily.com

When it’s not Dr. Seuss-y looking on a stick, it’s surprisingly sophisticated. Gelatine WAS the dessert of kings and queens for ages, after all.  This is a no-bake dessert that’ll keep everyone happy (including the cook!) This would be fantastic for the 4th of July! Do you need more ideas? Be sure to check out Recipes by KraftFoods.com for some fun summer help and more smart snacking ideas!

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Whipped Fruit Ice Pops

Rating: 51

Whipped Fruit Ice Pops

Airy, fruity, refreshing and wholesome, these Whipped Fruit Ice Pops are made from three simple ingredients. If you're feeling more sophisticated than popsicles, though, you can freeze the mixture in a pan, cut shapes from it, and serve topped with fresh berries!

Ingredients

  • 1 package (4 envelopes) Knox Unflavoured Gelatine
  • 4 cups unsweetened fruit juice (We like Cran-Raspberry and Grape the best.), separated
  • 1/4 cup sugar or honey
  • Also handy:
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • Popsicle molds or Dixie cups with popsicle sticks
  • Berries (if serving cut into shapes rather than in ice pop molds.)

Instructions

Pour 1 cup of the fruit juice into a heat-proof 2 quart dish. Sprinkle the gelatine over the top and let it sit, undisturbed, for 1 minute.

Stir the remaining juice and sugar or honey together in a heavy pan over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and the juice is simmering. Pour the hot juice over the gelatine in the bowl and whisk gently until the gelatine is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Spritz a cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, pour the hot juice mixture into the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Cut the firm gelatine into small cubes and scrape them into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or into a sturdy, large mixing bowl (if using a hand-mixer). Slowly start beating the gelatine (because little bits will want to jump out of the bowl and fly everywhere if you start on high speed) and work your way up to high speed. Beat the gelatine until it has been broken up into very small bits and looks almost creamy. This will take about 15 minutes.

If Making Ice Pops:

Lightly spritz the insides of ice pop molds or dixie cups with non-stick cooking spray to make them easier to remove once frozen. Use two spoons to fill the ice pop molds. Drop the sticks into the center of each mold or cup and freeze until solid. These are good for up to a month in the freezer.

If Making Whipped Fruit Gelatine to Serve on Plates:

Lightly spritz a 9- by 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Scrape the whipped gelatine into the prepared pan and use a silicone or rubber spatula to evenly distribute it and smooth the surface. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the gelatine and freeze until solid, about 5 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and use a spatula to pry the frozen slab of whipped gelatine out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares or a round cutter to punch out circles. Serve immediately topped with fresh berries.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/06/07/whipped-fruit-ice-pops/

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by KraftFoods. I am a compensated 2013 Kraft Tastemakers team member. All opinions remain, as always, my own.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Mixed Berry and Basil Sangria-By-The-Glass (and mocktail variation)

June 3, 2013 by 18 Comments

I like sangria a lot, but there’s one massive problem with most sangria recipes that are circulating out there. They assume you: a) have an enormous number of people partaking with you, b) you’re a lush, or c) you’re okay with leftovers going flat. None of these options suit me. Oh sure, I have an enormous number of people at my house at most times, but five-sevenths of them are not of drinking age, and I’m not that kind of mom. Can I get an amen out there from someone?

I have a solution. You knew that was coming right?

Mixed Berry Sangria by the glass with a Mocktail variation! www.foodiewithfamily.com

Raise your hand if you want a straw and a lounge chair and a glass of that right now. Yes? My hand is up, too. Way up. This solves all of my sangria related issues simultaneously PLUS another one I didn’t mention yet. Sweetness. Good golly, the prepackaged stuff is awfully sweet. And a lot of homemade recipes call on you to pour in lemon-lime soda or simple syrup which just about makes my teeth rattle. Never fear, though, my darling sweet-tooth friends… This is my favourite word; customizable. Happy sigh.

So what do we have here? We have a mixed berry and basil (don’t look at me like that. I’ll explain shortly.) sangria that is made up by the glass rather than pitcher or vat (Hallelujah!) and can be made with white wine (“leaded”) or white grape juice (Mocktail). That’s right… Foodie with Family is pleasing all the people all the time. I am doing a victory dance you wouldn’t believe right now.

How do we make this happen? We make this magic with ice cubes.

Wait for it.

Not just any ice cubes go into this, though, they’re the flavour component that screams sangria folks. That’s what makes this a by-the-glass option. I fill ice cube trays with fresh blueberries, although in a pinch, you could use frozen berries. Over the blueberries we pour plain old white grape juice. I use unsweetened because, well, see above. Also? Because I’m nearing forty. I have one more birthday before the big four-oh and my waistline reminds me of this. Into the freezer go the ice cube trays and then into zipper top freezer bags go the ice cubes to await the perfect sangria moment.

This is where it gets exciting for me.

Mixed Berry Sangria by the glass with a Mocktail variation! www.foodiewithfamily.com

When we do these, we bust out two different shaped glasses. This is our visual reference to make sure the kids don’t sip from the adult glasses, but we start the mocktail and the leaded versions the same way. Two or three of our blueberry/grape juice ice cubes, a couple of hulled and halved strawberries, and two or three fresh basil leaves.

Here’s the fun part for me… I love serving something festive to the kids while my husband and I have a sip or two. In the adult glasses, we pour a standard pour of white wine (three-quarters of a cup of, in our case, pinot grigio), followed by a splash of white grape juice, then a topping-off of plain seltzer water. In the kids’ glasses, we pour three quarters of a cup of white grape juice and top the glass off with plain seltzer. We give each glass a hearty stir and start a-sipping. Now you can adjust the sweetness if you would like. Want it sweeter? Just add a bit more grape juice. Ta-da!

Mixed Berry Sangria by the glass with a Mocktail variation! www.foodiewithfamily.com

It really is that easy.

My word, though, this is so refreshing in either form. Sparkly, slightly sweet, berry-and-basil fresh; this is the stuff to whet your whistle when the temperature is soaring.

Has anyone asked, “Why basil?” yet? Let me fill you in on this front… Basil plays very nicely indeed with fruits. If you doubt me, go cut a thin strip of basil and wrap it around the fresh berry of your choice, pop it in your mouth and chomp down. There’s something about the perfume of the basil that heightens the flavour of any berry it accompanies. It’s time basil makes it into more than just marinara, people. Free your basil!

Oh, and should you WISH to make a pitcher of this, you’re welcome to do so. It’s just pitchers of hooch don’t flow like water around my house, and this is a way we can still enjoy the fun that is sangria without compromising our moderation. What do you think? Can you see yourself with your feet up enjoying a glass (or two) of this?

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Mixed Berry and Basil Sangria-By-The-Glass (and mocktail variation) | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Mixed Berry and Basil Sangria-By-The-Glass (and mocktail variation) | Make Ahead Mondays

You don't need to whip up a whole pitcher to enjoy Sangria! Sparkly, slightly sweet, berry-and-basil fresh; this is the stuff to whet your whistle when the temperature is soaring. The sweet, perfumed basil is the perfect foil for sweet, perfumed berries. This is summer in an icy cold glass!

Ingredients

    For the Berry Grape Ice Cubes:
  • 1 pint fresh blueberries
  • 2-4 cups white grape juice, preferably unsweetened
    • For Mixed Berry Sangria-By-The-Glass, per glass:
  • 4 Berry Grape Ice Cubes
  • 3/4 cup white wine (we prefer Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
  • 2-4 fresh whole basil leaves
  • 2 large or 4 small fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • a splash of white grape juice
  • cold seltzer water
    • For Mixed Berry Sangria-By-The-Glass Mocktail, per glass:
  • 4 Berry Grape Ice Cubes
  • 3/4 cup white grape juice
  • 2-4 fresh whole basil leaves
  • 2 large or 4 small fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • cold seltzer water

Instructions

To Make Berry Grape Ice Cubes:

Without packing them, fill each depression in the ice cube tray with fresh blueberries. Pour the white grape juice in to cover them, put trays in the freezer until solid, then turn the ice cubes out into a resealable zipper top freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until ready to serve.

To Make the Sangria-By-The-Glass, either the regular or Mocktail version:

Add the Berry Grape Ice Cubes to each glass with the strawberries and fresh basil leaves. Pour the wine and/or grape juice over the cubes, top off with chilled seltzer and stir briskly. Sip contentedly!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/06/03/mixed-berry-and-basil-sangria-by-the-glass-and-mocktail-variation/

Filed Under: Beverages, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Filthy Burgers (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork, & Bacon Burgers)

May 31, 2013 by 20 Comments

Filthy Burger (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork and Bacon Burgers) | www.foodiewithfamily.com

“What do we want for dinner?”

“MEAT!”

If I had a dime for every time that call-and-response happened in this house, I’d be able to buy some amazing cuts of meat. Meat is expensive!

I walked into the fabulous meat market Oscar’s in the Adirondacks with my dad a couple of weeks ago. Oscar’s specializes in bacon. Am I the only one who starts drooling at the mere thought of a meat market full of bacon? Next to their beef bacon, hickory bacon, applewood bacon, jalapeno bacon, English, Irish and Canadian bacons were their preformed, fresh burger patties. One burger type in particular stood out because, well, it looked wonky. The meat was full of chunks of something I couldn’t quite identify from a distance. As I scootched along the glass case admiring all the porky goodness, I got close enough to catch the name on the tag; “Dirty Burgers”. In tiny little letters below the name were the words “Beef and BBQ Pork”. What? WHAT?!?

This was brilliant for a whole host of reasons.

Make your ground beef stretch further!

For starters, beef is expensive: pork shoulder (the base for my favourite pulled porks, both Number One and Number Two) is wickedly cheap. Using the far less expensive barbecue pulled pork as an extender in the beef lowers the overall cost of the burger. Don’t worry, though, they play nicely together: barbecue pulled pork brings a whole lot of flavour to the party without overwhelming the distinctive beefiness of a burger. The Evil Genius is usually a purist when it comes to burgers; salt, pepper, beef and NOTHING ELSE, but I didn’t have to work hard to sell the idea of these burgers at all. Guys love meat. More meat with your meat? BRILLIANT!

So why are my burgers filthy instead of merely dirty? I added bacon. Why? Well, shoo. You know what bacon does… It makes things delectable. Again, it’s meat upon meat upon meat. After being in Florida for four days then over at my dad’s for another three, I missed my hubby and wanted to knock a meal out of the ballpark. I was Big Papi Ortiz with this one, people. This was a home run of epic proportions bouncing off of windshields in the parking lot…

What beef should I use for the best burgers?

I’m a ground chuck girl. I love the proportion of fat to lean protein. In ground chuck’s case we’re talking about eighty/eighty five percent lean to fifteen/twenty percent fat. There was a time when that amount of fat would’ve sent me running, but I love a moist burger that’s cooked clean through and leaner ground beef just can’t deliver the moisture and flavour that the higher fat percentage does. Would I go fattier? No way, José. Then we’re just talking grease bomb. Ground chuck is my happy medium. I prefer to grind it myself because I like knowing how fresh it is and how clean my equipment is, but if you don’t have a grinder, just make friends with the folks at the meat counter and ask them to grind a chuck roast fresh for you! The fresher the beef, the better your burger will be!

Burgers with add-ins tend to fall apart

There’s no getting around it: if you add mix-ins to ground beef you have to fight the burger’s tendency to be fally aparty. You don’t want to smash the ground meat together too much because that yields a sorry hockey puck of a burger. Sad, sad, sad. So what’s the solution? I use the largest sized ring from my beloved cutter/mold set. (That’s an Amazon affiliate link below, folks.)

 

I set it on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, drop five ounces (my ultimate burger size) of meat into the mold and gently press it into place before pulling the mold straight up and off of my now perfectly shaped burger that isn’t overworked. Yes. I weigh it on a kitchen scale. Do you have to? Heck no. I just like uniformly sized burgers to help the pernicious yard-stick eye-balling of other people’s plates that happens around here.  Oh, I also do it because I have a little obsessive compulsion issue… I also use my scale for baking, but that’s another cup of coffee (and another Amazon affiliate link.)

 

 

Do you need the cutters/molds and a scale to make this recipe? Oh gosh no. I just think they help things along. If you want to form them by hand, just try to be consistent, not smash them together too hard, and keep it a uniform thickness throughout the burger.  Tapered edges tend to burn before the center of the burger is cooked and get raggedy from sticking to the grill.

How does this crazy mixed up burger taste?

It tastes like beefy, bacony, porky heaven. It made my burger purist husband so happy I thought he was going to burst. All of my boys inhaled these burgers like their middle names were all Hoover. And me? I loved them. I loved them madly. A perfectly grilled beef burger by itself is a very good thing, but a perfectly grilled beef burger studded with flavour bursts of barbecue pulled pork and crispy bits of bacon, topped with melted pepperjack cheese, tangy barbecue sauce, and tender lettuce on a toasted bun is my idea of bliss.

Mix up extra and freeze those burgers!

You can most definitely make a double batch of these! If you form them on the parchment like I suggest, you’re one step closer to a freezer stash of these burgers that are ready to pop on the grill. Just drape a quick piece of plastic wrap over the pan and stick it in the freezer until the burgers are solid.

Filthy Burger (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork and Bacon Burgers) | www.foodiewithfamily.com

You can then stack them (with parchment between the patties) in a freezer bag and keep there for up to three months or until you’re ready to grill. Put them straight onto the grill without thawing and cook like you would any frozen burger patty. Are you getting Independence Day party ideas yet? A plate full of meat always works here!

Filthy Burger (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork and Bacon Burgers) | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Which pulled pork should I use in the recipe?

I love using Slow-Cooker Cola Barbecue Pork in here because of the oomph from the chipotle pan juices. If you want a milder flavour, use my Slow-Cooker Cuban Pork. If you’re in a hurry, grab a deli-pack of purchased pulled pork from the store. I won’t tell!

Don’t undercook your bacon here!

We are a house divided on bacon. I like it crispy bordering on petrified: The Evil Genius loves it chewy. The kids all fall somewhere in between. For this recipe, you want to be sure to cook the bacon all the way to the crispy point because it will soften ever so slightly when it’s mixed in with the more moist ground chuck.

I asked a question on our Foodie with Family facebook community but I want to ask it here, too. Are you a burger purist? Or do you like your burgers gussied up? Are you willing to try a Filthy Burger? I think you oughta… Filthy (at least in this case) is good!

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Filthy Burgers (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork, & Bacon Burgers)

Rating: 51

Yield: Between 6 and 8 burgers, depending on size

This blissfully meaty, juicy, perfectly grilled beef burger is studded with barbecue pulled pork and crispy bits of bacon, topped with melted pepperjack cheese, tangy barbecue sauce, and tender lettuce on a toasted bun. It's sure to make you a grilling superstar this summer!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound of bacon, cooked until crisp through, drained and crumbled
  • 2 cups fully cooked barbecue pulled pork roughly chopped with a knife
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
  • kosher salt
    • For serving:
  • Toasted burger buns
  • tender lettuce (like mixed spring greens or butter lettuce)
  • slices of pepperjack or Monterey jack cheese
  • barbecue sauce

Instructions

Using clean hands, mix together the ground chuck, pulled pork, and bacon until everything is evenly distributed.

For the most uniform burgers, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add 5 ounces of the meat mixture to a ring mold and gently press it into the edges of the mold forming a uniformly thick burger patty. Gently pull the ring mold straight up and tap down any edges that come up with it. Replace the ring mold on the parchment next to the burger and form another until all the meat mixture has been pressed into patties. Don't despair if you have a little meat that doesn't make a full burger. That can be your test patty and cook's tax. Eat that bad boy!

Place the tray with the burgers in the refrigerator while you preheat the grill to MEDIUM HIGH heat. After cleaning the hot grill, gently place the burgers over direct heat and sprinkle with kosher salt. Keep a spray bottle of water handy for flare-ups. Do not move the burgers once you've placed them on the grill until the brown (cooked) area goes at least halfway up the burger and you can easily slide your spatula under them, about 4 minutes. If there are flames flaring up because of fat from the burger, give them a little spritz with water. That should help long enough to cook the burger to the point where it will turn more easily. Flip the burgers carefully and continue grilling over MEDIUM HIGH heat until there are grill marks on the underside of the burger. Transfer the burgers over to one side of the grill and shut off the burners immediately under the burgers, turning the remaining burners onto MEDIUM LOW heat. This means your burgers will finish over indirect heat. When the interior temperature of the beef is 5°F below the point you like it (RARE: 125-130°F. MEDIUM: 140-150. WELL: 160-212°F.), lay the slices of pepperjack cheese on the burgers and use a spatula to immediately transfer them to a sided tray. Let them rest, lightly tented with foil, until the cheese is melted. Serve on top of tender greens on a toasted bun with as much barbecue sauce as you fancy!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/05/31/filthy-burgers-beef-barbecue-pulled-pork-bacon-burgers/

Disclosure: The links to the cutters/molds and kitchen scale are both Amazon affiliate links. If you click through those links and purchase the items, your price does not change, but I receive a small commission from Amazon to help keep things running smoothly on Foodie with Family. Thank you!

Filed Under: Main Dish, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Homemade Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda (Stevia Sweetened)

May 29, 2013 by 19 Comments

Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda | www.foodiewithfamily.com

I know it’s not popular to like soda let alone diet soda, but dangit, I do. I don’t let myself have it often, but I indulge in a diet Coke or Pepsi or Dr. Pepper about once a week. I know I’m not alone judging by the stacks upon stacks at the grocery store but I still feel like of naughty saying it because I know the stuff in those is pretty not great for you, particularly when consumed in abundance. The full-sweet versions are scarcely any better for you with their wall-to-wall calories and whatnot. What it boils down to is that soda, pop, or whatever you call it where you’re from is considered a treat to have infrequently in our home.

I get my fizzy fix on a daily basis, though, because I’m the devoted owner of a rather elderly SodaStream Home Seltzer and Soda Maker and I have worked that puppy out since the day I got it. I mostly make seltzer with it because that satisfies my fizz addiction. (That link is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you purchase that item through the link, the price doesn’t change for you but I get a small commission which helps keep the goodies coming here at Foodie with Family.) Sometimes, though, we just want that sweet bubbly stuff.

Most of the time I take care of my kids’ desires for fizzy lifting drinks by pouring a little unsweetened juice (grape, apple, cranberry… Whatever is on hand!) over ice then filling the rest of the glass with seltzer. As an adult, though, I’m a little wary of drinking my calories (hence the forbidden love for diet sodas) so I usually just sit out the fun and hold firm with my seltzer.

I saw zero calorie Stevia* sweetened soda at the store the other day for a pretty penny and it got my wheels turning. I’ve done homemade root beer syrup and loved it, so why not try a homemade Stevia soda? Diet soda at home? WOOHOO! For my first attempt, I decided to go with something I knew would mask some of the aftertaste Stevia sometimes has… something citrusy and borderline fruit punchy; Hibiscus Lime.

What is Stevia and where do I buy it?

*Are you familiar with Stevia? It’s the darling of the not-sugar-sweeteners crowd right now. It’s an entirely natural, un-engineered, from-the-leaf-of-a-plant-you-can-grow-yourself sweetener that is, ounce for ounce, three hundred times sweeter than sugar but with zero calories and no carbohydrates. Not only that, but it lends trace amounts of fiber. It’s suitable for diabetics and Kosher, to boot!

Hibiscus has a fruity, tart flavour much like cranberries and sweet undertones that are enhanced when something sweeter is added to the party; in this case, Stevia.The result is a tangy, tart, sweet, citrusy fruit punch type of soda.

The Stevia I used is available at most moderately well stocked grocery stores and my beloved Amazon. Oh, and hey… since it has three hundred times the sweetening power of sugar, that little canister goes a very long way. (Affiliate link below.)

So go to your local health food store or order some dried hibiscus flowers from Amazon.  I love tangy iced tea made from these, too, and keep about a pound on hand at all times. FYI, a pound of hibiscus flowers fills quite a few jars! (Another affiliate link!)

The beautiful thing about this is that I don’t have to slide it to the back of the counter and tell the kids you can’t share. I let the kids have at this until it’s gone.  Just look at that face.

Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Another beautiful thing about this recipe is that you whip up a batch of the syrup, keep it tightly covered indefinitely in the refrigerator, and then just pour it and seltzer over ice. There are no bulky bottles to shuffle around before and after drinking it. If you don’t have a home seltzer maker, you can always buy plain seltzer or club soda at the store. They don’t have any funky ingredients either. (Now if I can just figure out a calorie free caffeinated cola I’ll be a seriously happy camper.)

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Homemade Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda (Stevia Sweetened)

Rating: 51

Did you know it's possible to make a delicious, calorie-free, diet soda that's actually good for you at home? It's true! Citrusy, tart, tangy and sweet, this bright,Stevia sweetened Homemade Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda as a refreshing treat that you don't have to feel badly about this summer!

Ingredients

    To Make the Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Syrup:
  • 3 cups cool, fresh water
  • 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2 scant tablespoons Stevia powder
  • 1/4-1/2 cup fresh lime juice, to taste
    • To Make Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda:
  • 1 glass, ice optional
  • 1 tablespoon or more Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Syrup
  • chilled seltzer water or club soda

Instructions

To Make the Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Syrup:

Add the water and hibiscus flowers to a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring the water to a boil then shut off the heat, leaving the covered pan on the burner to steep until the liquid reaches room temperature. Line a colander with a coffee filter or use a fine mesh sieve to strain the liquid from the flowers. Discard the flowers, rinse the pot, and return the strained liquid to the pot over medium heat and stir in the Stevia. Don't be dismayed if it clumps at first, keep stirring and it will dissolve. Once the Stevia has dissolved, stir in 1/4 cup of the lime juice. Taste the syrup. If the flavour of the Stevia is pronounced, stir in a little more lime juice to help mask it. Pour the syrup into sterile jars with tight fitting lids.Store thusly in the refrigerator indefinitely.

To Make a Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Soda:

If desired, fill a glass with ice. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the Calorie-Free Hibiscus Lime Syrup into the glass. Pour 8 ounces of chilled seltzer or club soda over the syrup and ice. It will foam up like a proper soda, so be prepared to slurp! Stir gently, take a sip and adjust the sweetness if desired by adding more syrup. Serve immediately!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/05/29/homemade-calorie-free-hibiscus-lime-soda-stevia-sweetened/

Disclosure: The links to amazon.com above are affiliate links. If you purchase an item via one of these links, your price remains the same, but amazon sends me a small commission. Many thanks to those who purchase through these links! Also, I am not a doctor or registered dietician, so do your own research to see whether you find Stevia a suitable thing to add to your food. Google is thick with resources on the subject!

Filed Under: Beverages, Happy Healthy and Wise, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Watermelon, Feta, Pickled Red Onion and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Reduction

May 27, 2013 by 16 Comments

Watermelon, Feta, Arugula Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Balsamic Reduction | www.foodiewithfamily.com

The names a mouthful, eh? It is so long, in fact, that I had to leave off the whole Make Ahead Mondays part of the title. Leaving the moniker off of the title doesn’t make it any less of a Make Ahead Mondays superstar, though because this salad is f-to the-abulous! It is beyond good.

Last week, I was at Disney attending Food Blog Forum and I brought my mom and two of my sisters along with me. While I got inspired and educated (oh, and choked and almost died, but who’s keeping track, really?) by a-list bloggers, my mama and sisters wandered around Disney in the ninety-degree temps and fifty-thousand-percent humidity riding rides and finding the best salads Disney had to offer. The one they raved about was an arugula, watermelon, feta, and pickled red onion salad that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction. “It’s so good, Beccy! We HAVE to get you one!” they said. Not in unison, but you get the idea.

On our last day in Florida, I finally got to grab one of these salads at the Florida Fresh booth in Epcot Center. I understood the enthusiasm with my first bite. Peppery arugula topped with sweet, icy cold watermelon, crunchy pickled red onions, briny crumbled feta, and balsamic vinegar that was so concentrated it tasted almost sweet? Hoo yeah. I was hooked. Aside from a Dole Whip (soft serve pineapple frozen yogurt) I can’t think of another thing that would’ve satisfied my hunger without weighing me down in that oppressive heat. I vowed to them I would recreate it STAT when we got home.

This salad isn’t just delicious, it’s gorgeous. Just look!

(Many thanks to Diane Cu and Todd Porter for the introduction to animoto.com.)

So why is this such a mega-watt Make Ahead Mondays addition? Because it’s a three-fer. Heck, you might even say it’s a four-fer.

  • ONE: It makes enough pickled onions to make at least six dinner sized salads ~or~ make four dinner sized salads and tuck some into several sandwiches. These onions are better than good, they’re great!Pickled Red Onions | www.foodiewithfamily.com
  • TWO: It makes enough balsamic reduction to drizzle over at least fifteen dinner sized salads. I think you’ll find more things to drizzle than just salads when once you’ve tried it, though. I love it on roasted potatoes (sweet or regular) or carrots or turnips, fried eggs, corned beef hash, or glazed on grilled or roasted meats or fishes. Holy over-conjunctions, Batman. Seriously, though? So good. Balsamic Reduction for salads and glazes | www.foodiewithfamily.com
  • THREE: It uses another Make Ahead Mondays alumna; Homemade Feta Cheese. Oh, sure… You can use purchased feta, but if you made that gallon jar a while back, you may be looking for ways to use it up. This is a home run and a half!
  • FOUR: This salad! This salad is your four-fer qualifier. It’s so dad-burned good I’m at a loss for words. I guarantee it will cool you down and make you happy on the hottest of days. I can’t think of a better accompaniment to grilled ANYTHING than this.

Once you have the pickled onions and balsamic reduction in the refrigerator, you can assemble this salad in minutes. And once you’ve had this salad once, you’re going to want it again and again. Work-a-day weeknights, parties, picnics, and any old time is the right time for this mouthful of a salad.

Print
Watermelon, Feta, Pickled Red Onion and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Rating: 51

Watermelon, Feta, Pickled Red Onion and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Peppery arugula topped with sweet, icy cold watermelon, crunchy pickled red onions, briny crumbled feta, and balsamic vinegar that was so concentrated it tastes almost sweet. All things combine to form the perfect summer salad!

Ingredients

    For the Balsamic Reduction:
  • 3 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 bay leaf
    • For the Pickled Red Onions:
  • 1 large red onion
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • For the Salad:
  • 6 cups baby or tender arugula
  • 2 cups cubed watermelon, well chilled
  • 1/2 cup pickled onions (drained)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste
  • balsamic reduction to taste (Start with 1 teaspoon and work up from there.)

Instructions

To Create the Balsamic Reduction:

Add the balsamic vinegar to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Stir in the honey, add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the balsamic vinegar simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it has reduced in volume to about 1 1/4 cups total. Immediately pour into a sterile jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. Be sure it is well chilled before pouring on a salad. This will store indefinitely in the refrigerator.

To Make the Pickled Red Onions:

Slice the blossom end off of a red onion, lay the now stable, cut surface on your cutting board. Slice the onion in half and remove the peel. Holding the root end, slice the onion into thin half moons. Put them into a heat-proof bowl. Bring the vinegar and salt to a boil and quickly pour over the onions. Wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, removing the wrap and tossing with tongs every 20 minutes, then re-covering, until the onions are bendable. When they reach that point, load them into a jar, pour the pickling liquid over them and screw a lid tightly in place. Refrigerate until well chilled.

To Assemble the Salad:

Arrange the arugula on a serving platter. Scatter the pickled onions over the top, followed by half of the crumbled feta, the watermelon cubes, and the remaining feta. Use a spoon to drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over the salad immediately before serving.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/05/27/watermelon-feta-pickled-red-onion-and-arugula-salad-with-balsamic-reduction/

Filed Under: Happy Healthy and Wise, Rebecca, Recipes, Salads Tagged With: , , , ,
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