You are here: Home / Archives for Recipes / Condiments

Homemade Slow-Cooker Pizza Sauce

July 25, 2011 by 13 Comments

 

Raise your hand if you think pizza is the perfect food.

I see a lot of hands. This might take a while.

I have my hand up. I’d stick both of them in the air and wave them like I used to do when I had the answer in History or English*, but then this would be a very short post.

*Yep. I was that kid. Nicknames? The Curve Breaker, Encyclopaedia Beccy, …

Do you know anyone who doesn’t like pizza? I would wager you that in actuality they just haven’t had the right pizza yet. There’s a lot of nasty stuff sold out there called pizza.  Gummy crusts, plastic cheese, poorly chosen or cooked  toppings, and insipid sauce- it’s no wonder some folks have the wrong idea.

Great pizzas start with great foundations that don’t have to be difficult. In fact, the less complicated your pizza process is, the better your pizza usually ends up tasting. With a little advanced planning, you can have all of the ingredients you need for your favourite pizza on hand for last minute cravings.

This sauce is the lynch pin for almost any pizza you could want. Crusts may vary -wheat, rye, cornmeal, semolina, what have you- and toppings are a matter of preference -pepperoni, sausage, broccoli, bacon, onions, spinach, pineapple and more- but a really good homemade sauce can be nearly universal (with the exception of white pizza, of course, but that’s another post entirely.)

Here, we use a slow-cooker in all it’s magnificent useful glory to whip up a big ole batch of the pizza sauce I love best. It’s perfect for the job because you want a low, slow simmer to fully develop all those lovely, large flavours that make up the best sauces. Our sauce ends up a thick, gorgeous brick red that you’ll want to use for more than just pizza; Dunking bread sticks, licking from spoons and a couple other fun uses* come to mind.

*As in a fun use I’m going to share with you here on Wednesday.

Why not buy a jar or a can? Pfffft. You can do better than that stuff easily and make it much, much less expensively!

The recipe yields a fairly substantial six cups which is sufficient for four or five pretty large pizzas, but is easily doubled, tripled or even quadrupled if you’d like to freeze up several pizzas-worth in individual portions. This is step number one in satisfying last minute pizza cravings. Step two is having pizza dough or pre-baked pizza shells (recipes here and here)  in the freezer. Let’s get sauced, shall we?

Print
Homemade Slow-Cooker Pizza Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: About 6 cups.

Deep, rich red and packed with herbs, garlic, olive oil and Italian cheese, this old-school pizza sauce will knock your socks off. The recipe yields plenty of sauce to freeze for future use.

This recipe is gently adapted from 'Not Your Mother's Slow-Cooker Cookbook' by Beth Hensperger.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
  • 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup (or more) water
  • 1-4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1-4 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 anchovy fillet
  • 1-2 tablespoons raw sugar or granulated sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese (or a blend)
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Whisk together the tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley flakes, olive oil, the anchovy fillet and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the crock of your slow-cooker until smooth.

Place the lid on the slow-cooker, turn it to 'LOW' and let simmer for four hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so to prevent scorching, or until brick red and very thick. You may add extra water by the tablespoon full if it begins thickening too quickly.

Stir in the grated cheese and taste.

Adjust seasoning (and sugar content) if necessary.

Cool completely and portion into single use portions and freeze until ready to make pizza.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/07/25/homemade-slow-cooker-pizza-sauce/

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Component Foods, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles

July 22, 2011 by 106 Comments

It’s common knowledge that I have a salty tooth rather than a sweet tooth. When the weather does what it has been doing lately (making us all do our best Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego impersonations) I can’t think of a single thing I find more refreshing than an icy-cold, salty, crunchy pickle. Oh yes. You can keep your popsicles* and those icy squeezy pop things whose name currently escapes me. I’m on deck with the pickles.

*I will, however, fight you for fudgesicles. That’s just the way it is.

It’s not just me, it’s my whole family: mother, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, grandparents, kids, husband…  I married a man who loves pickles so much he eats the pickles and then drinks the juice from the jar. In fact, in an attempt to show my husband just how much she loved him, my mom made a special pickle juice drink for him at our wedding. And he drank it*. Happily.

*He drinks pickle juice regularly in hot weather. He claims it is “Gatorade for people who don’t like sweets.” I love him.

I grew up eating my Grandma’s homemade dill pickles like the supply was endless and moved on to canning my own pickles as soon as I had a kitchen of my own. My little sister, Jessamine, and I compare our homemade pickles from year to year the way some people compare wine vintages. But there is one pickle that stands head-and-shoulders (were pickles to *have* heads and shoulders) above all others. I’m talking about the pickles you see here.

These are homemade refrigerated deli pickles, also known as Lithuanian half-sours, also known (in the commercial equivalent) as Claussen dill kosher pickles, also known as the best pickles ever known to mankind.

Here’s the thing. While I do love my other homemade pickles dearly (otherwise why would I continue canning ninety-something quarts year after year after year), these are by far my all-time favourites. CRUNCH. That’s what you hear when you bite these. There is no flop, no squish, no slime. These things almost bite back.

Claussens were long the benchmark for which I aimed in pickle making. No matter what, a canned pickle is not going to end up like that lovely Claussen: crunchy to the point of making noise when you bite it, cold, and seriously garlicky. Canned, shelf-stable pickles can be chilled, maintain some crunch and be as garlicky as you want them to be, but they are never, ever going to be the same thing because of science. When you heat process a jar of pickles you are, in actuality, cooking it and a cooked pickle just plain can’t be as crunchy as an un-cooked one.

Here’s where we get into bonus happy territory. You don’t have to cook anything to make these pickles; not one single thing. The brine is stirred together, the cucumbers are rinsed, trimmed and stuffed into a jar with garlic cloves and spices. Please, please, please give these a go even if you have never made a pickle before.  There is nothing scary or intimidating here. (Do you hear me Saint Tigerlily? No spectre of THE BOTCH!) Wash, slice, stuff, stir, pour, sit, wait. Okay wait. Yes. That last bit is hard. The waiting is hard. On the plus side, the wait is only two to four days which is significantly less than the six week wait of the canned pickles. Besides, as I said, there is the crunch factor.

Get on the homemade pickle train, my friends, there’s plenty of room for all of us and if you don’t know what to do with the leftover brine, just pass it to my husband. He’ll “dispose” of it for you. Crrrrrrrrrrunch!

Print
Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 gallons of pickles

Always crunchy and garlicky, this perfect homemade pickle requires no special equipment, no canning experience and tastes just like Claussen's refrigerated kosher dill pickles.

Ingredients

  • 35 to 40 small to medium pickling cucumbers
  • 1 gallon cold water
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
  • 2/3 c. canning or kosher salt (Do NOT use iodized salt!)
  • 4 cloves garlic or more, to taste
  • 4 fresh dill heads ~or~ 4 tablespoons dried dill seed (not weed!)

Instructions

Wash cucumbers but do not scrub them.

Trim 1/8-inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and slice in half lengthwise or into quarters, depending on how large your cucumbers are and how big you want them to be when they're done.

In a gallon jar (or large, wide-mouth, food-safe container) layer the dill heads or seed, garlic cloves and sliced cucumbers.

In a separate pitcher or bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the salt is dissolved.

Pour the brine over the cucumbers, taking care to make sure all of them are fully submerged. If needed, place a plate or mug or other non-reactive heavy item on the cucumbers to weigh them down and keep them under the brine!

Cover lightly with a lid just perched on top or secure a piece of cheesecloth over the jar with a rubber band to keep fruit flies away.

Leave out of direct sunlight on the counter for two to four days*, or until the cucumbers taste like pickles throughout.

Fix your lid onto your jar or container and chill. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months provided you keep them covered with brine.

*If at any point in the proceedings "fuzz" or "foam" develops on top of the brine, use a spoon to remove it. If there is "fuzz" attached to any of the cucumbers, remove the ones affected and be sure the others are still fully submerged.
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/07/22/homemade-claussen-knock-off-pickles/

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Canning, Component Foods, Condiments, Food Preservation, Healthy Foods, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian

Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce

July 7, 2011 by 20 Comments

First of all, you know this is going to be good; it’s hot fudge sauce. What you may not know, though, is just how good this particular hot fudge sauce is. It is, in fact, the best hot fudge sauce ever of all time Amen pass the beer nuts. This hot fudge sauce is not just the ne plus ultra of hot fudge sauces, it is a thing of power. Let me tell you a story.

My relationship with my stepmom did not begin smoothly because I was, to put it succinctly, a surly nincompoop. There was no nincompoopitude from Val, who assured me kindly that she did not intend to try to take the place of my mother. It was all me people. I had that arena sewn right up.

And Val?

Val never tried to talk me out of  anything. Each time I visited, she smiled, talked books and movies, and fed me. Val turned out amazing food every time I was anywhere near her and it was not long before I removed my foot from my mouth to make room for dinner, and uncrossed my arms so I could hold a fork.

Then one day, Val served me a bowl of ice cream with a generous amount of this hot fudge sauce on it and I was smitten with both the sauce and Val.

I am fortunate enough to know now that my stepmom is one of my best friends AND I have her glorious hot fudge sauce. There isn’t enough time in the world for me to tell you all the things that make Val so wonderful, but I can spell out what makes this hot fudge sauce so special.

  • This is the best kind of hot fudge sauce. It drizzles onto your sundae and then partially firms up to a stretchy, chewy, caramel-like hot fudgy chocolate crown. Tell me you don’t want to eat that right now.
  • It takes 10 minutes to make and 8 of those minutes you are not to stir anything under penalty of sad sauce.
  • The ingredients are not at all exotic: unsweetened chocolate, butter, sugar, light corn syrup, a pinch of salt and vanilla extract. Hey ho, hot fudge!
  • A spoonful of this, straight from the jar in the refrigerator, is enough to turn a bad day good very, very quickly. I’ll direct your attention to the ingredient list. See? You’re smiling already!
  • This recipe comes from a woman who is arguably one of the most patient, loving, lovely, brilliant, forbearing, forgiving, well-read, witty, insightful people I’ve ever met. You can’t argue with hot fudge that comes from someone like that.

Go make yourself (or someone who you want to make a friend) a batch of this hot fudge sauce. I’ll wait. It’s worth it. In the meantime, I’m going to lick my jar…

4.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Grandma Val’s Hot Fudge Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Condiment
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Seriously fudgy hot fudge sauce that firms up ever so slightly when poured over ice cream to form caramel-like ribbons of chocolatey goodness. Oh yes. It does.
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
  1. Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and boiling water.
  3. Increase heat to medium and stir mixture until it reaches boiling.
  4. Boil without stirring for 8 minutes. Really. Do not stir that stuff.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. It will bubble up violently, so be careful.
  6. Let rest for 5 minutes before pouring into a heat-proof container with a tight fitting lid. (A canning jar works perfectly for this situation.) Be certain the container you use is small enough to fit into the microwave for reheating purposes.
  7. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.
To Reheat:
  1. Remove lid from the jar and microwave for about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir.
  3. Heat in additional 10 second bursts until the hot fudge flows freely when poured.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Condiments, Desserts, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam

June 29, 2011 by 12 Comments

When I was small, my mom made strawberry freezer jam every year during Michigan’s brief and glorious strawberry season.

It was my mom’s thing: her annual food preservation pièce de résistance. She scattered packets and boxes of pectin thither and yon, she mashed berries with the bottoms of drinking glasses, her potato masher, and anything else she could fit into her bowl.  Her blonde hair had strawberry streaks, her hands were fuchsia , and she smelled like a strawberry patch for days on end. True to her style, she never measured (measuring was a creativity killer and the man’s way of keeping her down*) but somehow it always turned out to be the best thing we had eaten all year.

*Power to the people! Or Up with the People! Oh, geez. I can never get that right. I’m sorry, Mom.

I played around with cooked jam over the years, but it never drew close to the juicy, soft-set, fresh-from-the-field taste of strawberry freezer jam. Is it because of my formative years and my mom’s painting the kitchen with strawberries? Oh, probably…

I want my kids to have that same memory when they’re adults. The full sensory memory of watching their mom make jam: smelling, tasting, feeling the ripe strawberries… The anticipation of the flavour when a jar is fetched from the freezer and twisted open… I want them to have a vision of me with strawberry streaks on my cheeks (since my hair is not light enough to show it), fuchsia hands and smelling like a strawberry patch. Of course, their Mama measures obsessively, but every childhood is a little different, isn’t it? At least I got the important stuff in there.

…And my jam, well, now it has two crucial ingredients that my Mom didn’t put in hers. Balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme.

I know it might sound bizarre, but this is the most strawberry-y jam ever. If you can imagine the most fresh, juicy, flavour-packed strawberry you’ve ever had that is multiplied by about fifteen, you have an idea of what this tastes like.

You may already know that adding balsamic vinegar to strawberries boosts the flavour, but did you know that infusing it with thyme has a similar effect? And when you add balsamic AND thyme, you get knock-you-flat strawberryness. Whizz-bang, ka-pow, shammalammadingdong strawberry power is what Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam is.

I was already a big fan of the strawberry/thyme combination thanks to my good buddy, Krysta over at Evil Chef Mom and the strawberry/balsamic combination thanks to, um, I don’t know what. I first read about combining all of them in jam form, though, over on Serious Eats when Lucy Baker made a batch that sounded tantalizing.

When I read Lucy’s post, I knew that was going to happen as soon as the sleepy New York strawberries finally burst onto the scene.

A friend brought a whole flat of strawberries my way two days ago and thankfully, I remembered my previous plans. Mercifully. Appreciatively. I am so grateful that I remembered those plans because this is the best strawberry jam I’ve ever shoveled shamelessly into my mouth by the spoonful.

Best. Strawberry. Jam. Ever.

(…except for my Mom’s…)

A Note About the Pectin I Use:

Pomona’s Universal Pectin is well worth any trouble you have finding it. You can double, triple or quadruple recipes (or more if you have appropriately sized vessels for preparing massive batches of jam) with no ill-effects, unlike most “normal” pectins. It has no funky preservatives, additives, and allows you to make the best jam you’ve ever eaten with much less sugar than your average pectin (even the low-sugar varieties) or no sugar at all.  I’m getting nothing out of this, the Pomona’s people don’t even know I exist *sniffsniff*. I seriously believe their product is the best and have years worth of experience to back up my claims.

Yes, it looks expensive. I mean honestly, $4-$6 per box? Yipes! But if you break it down, you’ll realize that each box has enough pectin powder to make 2-4 batches of jam. That works out to about $3.00 per batch (calculating for liberal use) which is equal to or  better than the most common commercial pectins. When you add the convenience of larger batches to the equal or better price per batch, I think the comparative value makes Pomona’s the much better bet.

You can use a standard commercial pectin to make Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam (see recipe notes) if necessary, but I stand by Pomona’s!

Print
Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam

Rating: 51

Don't let the complicated name fool you. This freezer jam is pure strawberry. While the balsamic vinegar and thyme may sound wacky, they both simply enhance the explosive natural freshness of strawberries.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mashed, hulled strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¾-2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Pomona’s Universal Pectin Powder(*See notes) + ¼ cup Pomona’s Calcium Water (or more, if necessary.)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Prepare freezer-safe jars or containers with airtight lids that can hold up to 6 cups of jam. (**See Notes)

Stir together sugar, crushed berries, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Add sprigs of thyme to water and bring to a boil. Strain and measure ¾ cup into a blender carafe. Sprinkle the pectin powder over the boiling water in the blender and add the lid. Open the vent on the blender lid, cover with a doubled dish towel or wash cloth, and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until the pectin powder is completely dissolved. Scrape into the berry mixture and stir well.

Pour the pectin water into the berry mixture and stir very well to combine. It should start to gel visibly. If it does not gel (although the gel will be much more soft-set than cooked jam), add 1 teaspoon of calcium water and blend well, repeating if necessary.

Ladle into prepared containers to within ½” of the rims, fix the lids on tightly and freeze immediately.

Notes

*If you can’t or don’t want to find Pomona’s Pectin, you can make your normal freezer jam (following the directions for the pectin you use) but adding 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice per 2 cups of crushed berries along with the amount of sugar specified in the pectin’s recipe.. To infuse the jam with thyme flavour, simmer the fresh thyme sprigs with the water and pectin. **You can use Gladware or Rubbermaid containers or canning jars. I prefer to use canning jars with two piece lids.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/06/29/strawberry-balsamic-thyme-freezer-jam/

 

Filed Under: Canning, Condiments, Food Preservation, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pickled Ginger (Gari)

June 24, 2011 by 9 Comments

I love sushi. I love it so much. I love everything about it. The fish, the rice, the nori, the little wad of wasabi, but as much as I love all of that, I love the pickled ginger, or gari, even more.

Oh, pickled ginger, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You’re sweet and sour, spicy, fresh, snappy and PINK!* You pack so much punch into such a little package.

*Pink. Sigh. I love pink.

On those rare occasions when my husband and I can actually go. out. of. the. house. without. children, we almost invariably head for sushi joints. Being creatures of habit and fond of our ruts, we’ve established a little routine. (If you’re a sushi purist you may want to look away.)

  1. We look over the menu and order far too much sushi with the justification that we can take leftovers home to the children.
  2. When the sushi arrives, we each take an identical roll.
  3. He pours soy sauce over the bottom of his plate, drops his portion of the roll into it, piles it with wasabi then manoeuvers the whole thing to his mouth adeptly with chopsticks.
  4. I eat a piece of pickled ginger, put a couple dots of wasabi on my roll, dunk a corner in soy sauce, and dive in.
  5. We then repeat until we have to call for more pickled ginger and wasabi and the waitress gives us the stink eye.
  6. We call for a small box to house the one lonely California roll we managed to save for the children and waddle out of the restaurant clutching our overfilled bellies.
  7. We take a nap in the car then drive home.

I know. The glamour and high-living we exhibit is stunning. It’s okay if you need a moment to process that.

The pickled ginger, though. Mmmm. During each of my pregnancies, I craved it like other people crave ice cream. I ate it on everything from rice bowls to sandwiches. I sent my husband over to the Asian foods market across the street from his office to grab a new jar for me almost weekly. Then one day I looked at the ingredient list and saw two things I didn’t like; aspartame and food dye.

I sent him back the next day to get me a different brand. He came home with a white pickled ginger. Still with the aspartame. Blech.

It curbed my enthusiasm for pickled ginger a little bit until I got to thinking about making my own. It was a duh-and-a-half moment. Me. The Kitchen DIY Queen. I hadn’t even considered making my own. *headsmacksdesk

A little searching on the internet yielded a plethora of pickled ginger recipes for experimentation and an interesting tidbit of information about the pink connection for pickled ginger. I learned that young ginger, the variety that yields the best pickled ginger, naturally turns a soft pink when pickled. Old ginger, on the other hand, may not. So I ask you, what gives on the food dye?

After playing around with several recipes, I realized that the best of the lot was also the simplest. I also learned a few helpful tips:

  • While young ginger yielded the best texture and flavour, old ginger that was pickled also had a certain charm to it.
  • Slice the ginger as thinly as is humanly possible. A mandolin or extra sharp knife and a dose of patience is your best bet.
  • Slice across the ginger instead of slicing lengthwise. This yields an easier-to-chew result.
  • To easily peel ginger, scrape the edge of a regular spoon over knobs of ginger. The skin should easily peel away. If it doesn’t, and you have to dig the skin away with the spoon, you have older ginger.

Don’t be alarmed by the quantity yielded by this recipe. It keeps nearly forever in the refrigerator and -if you have friends that are like me- it makes a thoughtful and unique food gift.

Print
Pickled Ginger (Gari)
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Side Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 16
 

Snappy, spicy, sweet and sour, pickled ginger is not just for sushi. Serve with rice bowls or as a palate cleanser with seafood dishes. You’ll be thrilled at how easy it is to make this classic Japanese condiment.
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds young, fresh ginger (*see notes)
  • 2½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
  • 3 cups unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (**see notes)

Instructions
  1. Wash the ginger and use the edge of a spoon to gently scrape away the skin.
  2. Slice the ginger as thinly as you possibly can across the knob (not lengthwise!)
  3. Toss ginger slices with salt in a colander and leave over a bowl or the sink for one hour, tossing again occasionally.
  4. Lay the ginger slices out on a clean tea towel or paper towels to blot some of the excess moisture from them before putting them in a heat-proof jar or container that has a tight fitting lid.
  5. Bring the rice vinegar and sugar to a boil and pour immediately over the ginger.
  6. Put the lid on tightly and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
  7. Refrigerate for at least one week before serving.
  8. Stores indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Notes
*You can test the age of the ginger in your store several ways. In young ginger, the skin should look smooth and tight. It should feel heavy for its size when lifted. If you scrape your thumbnail over the skin gently, it should peel away with little effort. You can pickled older ginger, but it may be a little chewier. **Use granulated white sugar for the best looking pickled ginger. You can use raw sugar, but the pink colour will not be as pronounced and it may add a slight caramel flavour.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

 

Filed Under: Condiments, Food Preservation, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Spicy Smoky Barbecue Sauce

May 26, 2011 by 12 Comments

Everybody needs a good barbecue sauce in their pantry. It’s easy to say, but that can be as hard to find as the perfect pair of jeans. Barbecue sauces on store shelves tend to be sickeningly sweet, anemically flavoured, glorified ketchup. Homemade barbecue sauce  is almost inevitably better than what you can buy, but is often close to the last thing you want to be making right before grilling or barbecuing extravaganzas. What you need is that great jar or bottle of something extraordinary that is ready to go whenever you feel the undeniable urge to slather barbecue sauce on something. Boy. Do I have the solution for you or what?*

*The answer is that I do indeed have the solution for you, but I was raised in Northern Michigan and that’s just how we talk. You are now able to book your fudgie vacation with a calm mind. (Oh, er, Fudgies are tourists in Northern Michigan so named for their frequenting of the local fudge shops. NOW you can go cross the Big Mac. As in the Mackinac Bridge? Never mind. You shouldn’t go. You should just stay here and make barbecue sauce. Michiganders. We’re an enigma.)

I received a jar of barbecue sauce from my friend, Melissa, as part of the Pay It Forward homemade gift exchange.  We popped open the jar and dipped our pinkies in for a taste. Then we dunked in our index fingers. Then we grabbed spoons. It was good. Really, really good. Melissa had the recipe posted on her blog, so I knew a batch of this was in my future. As I set about making my batch I made a few changes based on both a lack of certain ingredients and an exhausted food budget. It turned out so well that I kept the changes even when the budget and pantry were both refreshed.

Let me tell you about this sauce.  The first thing that will hit you when you taste it is the spicy smokiness followed by a vinegar tang with garlic and onion. It is tomato based, but that is balanced, almost equally, by the presence of smooth, pungent Dijon mustard. It is a hybrid, really, of the best of Kansas City and South Carolina styles. It is smooth and thick, brushable, spreadable, spoonable. In short, it’s great stuff. This is easily my favorite barbecue sauce right now for everything from dunking fried chicken to dolloping on hamburgers to brushing on chicken at the tail end of grilling.

…And bonus on bonus? You can can this! Make a big old batch, jar it up and process it using your choice of boiling water bath or pressure canning. No desire to can? No problem.* Just put it in the clean jars, put the lids on tight and shove it into your refrigerator for up to a month. You could even freeze it for up to six months if you really wanted to do so.  In my book, though, canning it and stashing it on my shelves next to my Candied Jalapenos (Hey! Did you enter the giveaway?) is just this side of Nirvana.

*No problem, for now. You will be assimilated. The desire to can is strong in you. (Jedi hand wave) I sense this.

All this boils down to just one crucial point. Make the sauce.

Seriously.

Make. This. Sauce.

If not today, then very, very soon. Memorial Day and grilling season are upon us. You will be a rock star when you serve this. Also? People will tell you you’re beautiful. You may get marriage proposals. Or book proposals. Or whatever. Just make it. Okay?

Print
Spicy Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Sauce
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6 pints
 

Spicy, smoky, smooth, spoonable, pourable, dunkable, brushable; this barbecue sauce is everything a great barbecue sauce should be.
Ingredients
  • 3 yellow onions, chopped
  • 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups tomato paste
  • 2 cups Dijon mustard
  • 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups molasses
  • 1 cup raw or brown sugar
  • 1½ cups hoisin sauce
  • 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons ground New Mexican chili powder (this is simply ground New Mexico Chiles. *See notes for help finding it.)
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions
  1. Add the oil, onions and garlic to a heavy-bottomed stockpot (to help prevent scorching) over medium low heat.
  2. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and mostly translucent. Do not brown the onions and garlic.
  3. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  4. Bring to a simmer (gently bubbling state) and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly before blending until smooth, using either a stick (immersion) blender or a standard blender.
  6. You can either split into 1-cup portions to freeze, transfer to a jar with a tight fitting lid for refrigerator storage, or proceed on to canning the sauce…
To Boiling Water Bath Can the Sauce for Shelf Storage:
  1. Fill sterile canning jars to within ¼-inch of the top.
  2. Wipe the rims with a paper towel dipped in vinegar.
  3. Lay clean, new lids on the jars and screw on the rings to finger-tip tightness.
  4. Place in a canner with water to cover the lids by 2-inches.
  5. Bring to a boil, with the lid in place, and boil for 30 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes for quarts.
  6. Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes before carefully transferring jars to a cooling rack to rest for 24 hours.
  7. Remove rings, wipe jars, label and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.
To Pressure Can the Sauce for Shelf Storage:
  1. Fill sterile canning jars to within 1-inch of the top.
  2. Wipe rims with a paper towel dipped in vinegar.
  3. Place lids on jars and screw on rings to finger-tip tightness.
  4. Place in a pressure canner according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
  5. Process at 10 pounds of pressure for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.
  6. Allow the pressure canner to come back to atmosphere naturally. (Do not cool canner by pouring water over it.)
  7. Transfer the jars to a cooling rack to rest for 24 hour hours.
  8. Remove rings, wipe jars, label and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Notes
If you opt to freeze the sauce, be sure to do so in serving sized portions. It doesn’t do you any good to have a ¾ gallon block of rock-solid, frozen barbecue sauce in the freezer! *If you’re having difficulty finding Ground New Mexico Chile Powder, see the Pantry Builder link below the recipe.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

Foodie With Family Pantry Builder:

(In the interest of disclosure, please know that these links take you to Amazon.com. If you buy something I link to, I get a very small commission from Amazon. It does not increase your price at all. This is the same price I pay for it because I buy it from Amazon, too.)

New Mexico Chile Pepper, 1.9-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)New Mexican Chili Ground, 16-Ounce Jars (Pack of 3)

 

Filed Under: Canning, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes

2 Minute Garlic Anchovy Mayonnaise

April 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Stinky is good.

When it comes to food, that is. Some of the best food in the world is the stinkiest. In fact, I’d hazard to say that within reason*, the stankier it is, the better it ends up tasting.

*Exceptions: Durian and, um, durian.

Stinky is one of the identifying characteristics in many foods considered to be great sources of umami; anchovies, bleu cheese, fish sauce, garlic, onions, bacon… They give a rounder, fuller-bodied flavor to foods even when included in minute amounts. Their presence assures us that whatever we’re eating will have that certain satisfying something something to them that is almost indefinable.

Anchovies and garlic are two of my favorite odiferous ingredients that are always and forever and without fail in my pantry. I add those two in varying amounts to most savoury dishes that come out of my kitchen. And no, we’re not picking hairy little anchovy bones from our teeth constantly. When you smash them lightly with a fork and toss them into oil or butter or sauce as it simmers, anchovies have the marvelous property of melting into whatever it is they’re thrown. The result is a subtle flavor, not at all assertive, that elevates just about any dish in which it hides.

Some of my favorite subtle places to tuck smashed anchovies:

  • Pizza and marinara sauce (duh, right?)
  • Cream sauce for pork chops or pan fried chicken
  • Salad dressing (Et tu, Caesar Salad?)
  • Stuffed, halved cherry tomatoes

And my favorite places to take advantage of the whole, long fillets of oil-packed anchovies:

  • On homemade flatbread with black olives and sun-dried tomatoes for pissaladière
  • On pizza
  • Tossed into salads
  • Served with bread and butter

And one of my most favorite applications is blending it into mayonnaise with garlic, lemon, salt and pepper. When thick, it makes a stupendous savoury spread for sandwiches or dip for vegetable sticks. When thinned, it turns into a gorgeous, flavorful, creamy Caesar salad dressing.  The first time my kids tried it, they thought it was Ranch dressing*. Hey ho! Good stuff, 3 main ingredients, no preservatives?   Anchovies for the win!

*From my kids, that is the ultimate stamp of approval. If it tastes like Ranch they will eat it. No questions asked.

Last night we used it on our falafel fresh from the deep-fry. It comes highly recommended by six out of our seven. The last abstained from voting because he preferred to eat the garlic anchovy mayonnaise by the spoonful and eschew the falafel.

Great ways to serve 2 Minute Garlic Anchovy Mayonnaise:

  • As dip for vegetables or falafel.
  • Spread on bread for a sandwich.
  • On the side of grilled steak, chicken or pork.
  • As sauce for fajitas or gyros.
  • With steamed artichokes for dunking leaves.
  • Tossed into Romaine lettuce with leftover grilled chicken for a fast Caesar salad.

How would you use it?

Print
2 Minute Garlic Anchovy Mayonnaise
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Dressing
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Just four main ingredients plus salt and pepper make this creamy, savoury spread-slash-dip-slash-dressing reminiscent of Caesar salad flavours. Use on sandwiches, vegetables, or grilled meats.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup mayonnaise (homemade or store bought)
  • 2 peeled cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
  1. Add the garlic, anchovy fillets, and lemon juice to a blender or food processor fitted with a blade. Process on high until smooth.
  2. Add the mayonnaise and pulse on high until all you have an even, mostly smooth texture.
  3. Scrape into a bowl or jar. You can serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes
If you choose to thin this for use as dressing, you can either add a splash or milk or another splash of lemon juice.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 



 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar

March 29, 2011 by 8 Comments

My friend Pamela is a good person to know.

She knits the most amazing things. She sews like an angel and can sing your pants off*.

*Make that sings like an angel and can sew your pants on. Really. She could probably sing while sewing on your pants and knitting you a sweater. She’s good like that.

Her kids and my kids and her mister and my mister and she and I get along famously.  A few weeks back, as our crew was getting ready to leave their casa, my kids started complaining loudly about how starved they were. STARVED, they said. Clearly this was hooey since they had done nothing but eat all day without cease.  Pamela, though, kind soul that she is, saw in an instant just how much longer that one hour drive home would feel with five griping children. She rifled through her cabinets and handed the kids a goody bag full of chips, crackers and granola bars. Then she handed me a jar full of a concoction from her own private stash; Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Raw Sugar.

Home again, I tucked the kids into bed, cracked open the jar, sniffed and swooned.  Bourbon and vanilla swirled around me.  I dipped my finger into the jar and sampled and swooned again. Holy moly. Oh yummy yum yum. The caramel crunchy raw sugar had soaked up all the bourbon and vanilla flavours. Every little grain was a perfect blend of caramel, bourbon and vanilla.

Life is very good with a jar of this around the house. Happily, Pamela shared her method. And luckily for all of us, it’s as easy to make as a cup of boiled water.

Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe.

Yield: About 2 quarts of infused sugar. Keeps indefinitely.

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 whole vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
  • 8 cups raw (turbinado or demerara) sugar
  • 6 teaspoons bourbon (Use one that is good enough to sip for best results.)

Fill a wide-mouthed half-gallon jar about halfway with raw sugar, shove the split vanilla beans into the sugar and pour 2 teaspoons of the bourbon into the jar.

Pour more sugar into the jar until it is about 2/3 full. Pour in another 2 teaspoons of bourbon. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake the jar HARD and repeatedly to distribute the ingredients well. Open the lid, fill the sugar to the bottom ring of the jar.  Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of bourbon, tighten the lid again and shake it, shake it, shake it. Shake what your Mama gave you.  Stash the jar in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using. You can top the jar off as it gets lower, just lid it and shake it every time you do.

If the sugar hardens up, place a slice of apple in the jar, tighten the lid and let it sit overnight. Remove the apple and stir before re-lidding.

Print
Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Ingredient
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Crunchy textured, caramelly, raw sugar infused with real vanilla beans and bourbon. Sprinkle on cookies, cakes, muffins or stir into coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Ingredients
  • 4-6 whole vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
  • 8 cups raw (turbinado or demerara) sugar
  • 6 teaspoons bourbon (Use one that is good enough to sip for best results.)

Instructions
  1. Fill a wide-mouthed half-gallon jar about halfway with raw sugar, shove the split vanilla beans into the sugar and pour 2 teaspoons of the bourbon into the jar. Pour more sugar into the jar until it is about ⅔ full. Pour in another 2 teaspoons of bourbon. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake the jar HARD and repeatedly to distribute the ingredients well. Open the lid, fill the sugar to the bottom ring of the jar. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of bourbon, tighten the lid again and shake it, shake it, shake it. Shake what your Mama gave you. Stash the jar in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using. You can top the jar off as it gets lower, just lid it and shake it every time you do.

Notes
If the sugar hardens up, place a slice of apple in the jar, tighten the lid and let it sit overnight. Remove the apple and stir before re-lidding.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

 

Filed Under: Component Foods, Condiments, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , ,
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»