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15 Ways to Eat Your Popcorn

January 14, 2011 by 10 Comments

This is a reprint of my column that ran in yesterday’s issue of the Record-Eagle.


“I don’t understand all these things people are doing to popcorn.  Why bother?  Popcorn is perfect with just a little salt on it.”  Thus said my father while we chatted on the phone a couple weeks ago.  At the time of our conversation I wholeheartedly agreed with him.  As soon as I put the phone back on the hook, though, my brain started saying, “Well, what about that whiskey caramel bacon popcorn?  Oh yeah.  And what about chipotle kettle corn?  And, and, and…” You get the idea.

*As I wrote this column I had the Paul Simon song, ‘Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover’ going through my head.  While I normally love this song, I had just watched an episode of ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ on dvd with Dinah Shore singing the aforementioned song.  It was wrong.  That’s all.  Just wrong.  If you don’t believe me, look that one up. A more accurate way of phrasing this would be “While I wrote this column I had the Dinah Shore version of ‘Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover’ going through my head and making me feel crazy.”

Popcorn is the ultimate snack food.  Portable, filling, inexpensive, tasty and customizable, popcorn can be eaten the way my dad prefers it or gussied up for company.  Don’t forget that popcorn is a whole grain and whole grain equals healthy. Because you still have the germ and bran of the grain, you retain the biggest source of vitamins and minerals in any plant. Popcorn also delivers mega doses of fiber and anti-oxidants (specifically, polyphenols) in a low-calorie, gluten-free vehicle. Of course, adding butter and cheese and other goodies does away with the low-calorie benefit, but hey… at least you’re starting out ahead of the game.

For the very best tasting and healthiest popcorn, step away from the microwave. Forget the fact that microwave and popcorn have been grafted together culturally. Microwave popcorn, like many pre-packaged foods, is full of ingredients that are questionable for you, thereby negating some of the wonderful health benefits of popcorn. When you air-pop or stove-top pop your popcorn, you retain control over what goes into the finished product: Omit any items to which you have aversions or sensitivities and make it taste exactly how you want it to taste. Who doesn’t like a little control every now and then?

Superbowl and hungry crowds loom: I can’t think of a better time to get knee-deep in popcorn. Grab a heavy pan with a lid and a capacity of at least eight quarts and I’ll walk you through fifteen of my favorite ways to eat popcorn.

*All of these methods require using a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot with a capacity of at least eight quarts and a tight fitting lid.

  1. Plain Salted Popcorn.  Add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil and 3 unpopped popcorn kernels to the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid.  Place pan over medium-high heat and cover.  When the oil is sizzling hot and the three test kernels have popped, remove the lid and add 2/3 of a cup of unpopped popcorn.  Immediately replace the lid.  When the kernels start popping, use oven-mitted hands to hold the lid on while firmly shaking the pan back and forth every 5 seconds.  When the popping slows down to a pop or two every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat.  Turn the popcorn into a lid and sprinkle lightly with fine salt.  And this is where my Dad would stop… but not me!
  2. Basic Kettle Corn.  Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn up until the test kernels pop.  When you add the 2/3 of a cup of unpopped popcorn, also add 2/3 of a cup of granulated sugar (either raw or white).  Immediately replace the lid and use oven-mitted hands to hold the lid in place while shaking the pan back and forth vigorously every five seconds.  When the popping slows down to a pop or two every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat and turn the popcorn into a large bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with fine salt and use a long handled spoon to stir gently.  Be careful- the hot sugar can burn!  Let cool to slightly warmer than room temperature before attempting to eat.
  3. Chipotle Kettle Corn. Follow the instructions for Basic Kettle Corn, but add ½-1 teaspoon of ground chipotle powder to the popcorn with the salt.  Stir gently and cool before eating. For more detailed instructions, see here.
  4. Bacon Kettle Corn.  Replace the coconut/canola/vegetable oil with an equal amount of bacon grease and follow the rest of the Basic Kettle Corn instructions. Along with the salt, add crispy crumbled bacon before stirring.
  5. Bacon Chipotle Kettle Corn.  Follow the instructions for the Bacon Kettle Corn, but add ½-1 teaspoon of ground chipotle powder along with the salt and crumbled bacon.
  6. Hot Sauce Popcorn.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  Sit down with a bowl of Plain Salted Popcorn and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce.  Shake a bit over the top, eat and repeat.
  7. Chili Butter Popcorn.  Prepare popcorn using instructions for the Plain Salted Popcorn.  Melt 4 tablespoons of salted butter and stir in 1-3 teaspoons of chili powder, to taste.  Drizzle over popcorn and toss to coat before serving.
  8. Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn.  In a microwave safe bowl, add 3 tablespoons of butter and ½-1 clove of garlic (minced or crushed through a garlic press) and cover with plastic wrap.  Heat on HIGH just until butter is melted, about 30 seconds.  Remove plastic wrap, stir, and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Follow the instructions to make Plain Salted Popcorn.  When you turn the popcorn into a bowl, drizzle with the garlic butter mixture and grate a generous amount of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Toss to coat, then serve.
  9. Pizza Popcorn.  Prepare like the Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn, but stir in ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 cup of diced stick pepperoni.
  10. Super Health Boost Popcorn. Follow the instructions for the Plain Salted Popcorn, using extra virgin coconut oil as the fat (and reducing the amount of fat to 1 tablespoon.) After turning the popcorn into a large bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of fine salt, 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseeds and 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes.  Toss to coat before serving.
  11. Croutons.  Really!  Use any of the savory popcorns as a healthier substitute for croutons on salad, Cheddar Cheese and Beer Soup, or Corn Chowder.  Try it sometime, you’ll be surprised how delicious it can be.
  12. Sweet and Salty Popcorn Trail Mix.  Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn.  After salting, let the popcorn cool completely before tossing in 1 cup each of M&Ms, salted peanuts, chocolate chips, and thin pretzel sticks.  Store in a wide-mouthed, airtight container.
  13. Mega Healthy Popcorn Trail Mix. Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn but omit the salt.  When the popcorn is completely cooled, stir in 2 cups of dried cherries or cranberries, 1 cup of raw cacao nibs, 2 cups of whole almonds and 1 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut.  Store in an airtight container.
  14. Way Too Good Toffee Chocolate Popcorn (inspired by Heather Arndt Anderson of Voodoo and Sauce) Prepare ½ cup of unpopped popcorn kernels with 3 tablespoons of fat like you would the Plain Salted Popcorn but omit the salt.  When the popcorn has been turned into a bowl, stir in ½ cup slivered almonds and 1 cup dried cherries. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside. In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt together ½ cup of light corn syrup, 1 cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of butter and ¼ teaspoon of salt over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and allow to boil hard for exactly 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour over the popcorn.  Stir with a long-handled wooden spoon and turn onto the silpat lined pan.  Sprinkle a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top and let the entire thing stand until completely cooled.  When the chocolate has returned to a firm state, use your hands to break into serving sized pieces.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  15. Muddy Buddy Popcorn (Inspired by the Chex Muddy Buddies recipe) Place 9 cups of plain popped popcorn into a large bowl.  Set aside.  Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) and ¼ cup butter (you can substitute margarine, but do not use tub or spread products) to a 1-quart microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for 1 minute.  Remove the bowl, stir, and heat again on HIGH for 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth when stirred.  Mix 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into the chocolate. Pour over the popcorn and stir until evenly coated.  Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar over the popcorn and toss until evenly distributed.  Transfer to a cookie sheet and spread out evenly.  Cool until the chocolate is set up.  Store in an airtight container.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Camping Food, Desserts, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: ,

Falafel (Savory Chickpea Fritters)

September 26, 2010 by 32 Comments

This post is my entry for the second challenge in Project Food Blog: The interactive competitive series of culinary blogging challenges for the chance to advance and a shot at the ultimate prize: $10,000 and a special feature on Foodbuzz.com for one year.  I want to send out a big “Thank you!” to all of you who cast your votes for me.

The category for this challenge is “The Classics”.  Foodbuzz says, “Any food blogger worth their salt can make a classic dish sing, but can they go outside their comfort zone and tackle a foreign cuisine?”  In other words, they want we-the-contestants to tackle a classic dish from a foreign cuisine.  They also asked that we render said dish faithfully.

…I made another rule for myself, though. I wanted my classic foreign dish to be made entirely of items that I already had on hand. Yes, the rules require me to render the foreign dish faithfully, but I have to render my blog faithfully, as well. We do real food here, folks.  The kind of food that makes your mouth, heart, mind and pocket-book happy.  It wouldn’t have fit the bill if I ran up to the city and bought fifty bajillion exotic ingredients that aren’t available out here in Amish country.  I wanted to prove that you can whip up a fabulous ethnic feast on items that can be grown in your own yard or found in any two-bit grocery store in the back-forty.

Did I succeed?  Oh yeah.  Big time.

A meatless meal can be a hard sell in this home.  My crew is a real meat-loving bunch. My eldest boy once described himself as ninety-eight percent carnivore and two percent omnivore.

Let that sink in for a moment.

While I do insist on the occasional meatless meal, let’s just say my guys don’t usually beg for them. Well, at least they didn’t until I rediscovered falafel. Real falafel.*

*I’ll quantify that in a moment…

Aside from being so good that you crave it even after immediately eating it, it seriously does a body good. Made from ground chickpeas, it is packed so full of nutrients that I feel like the fine print on a prescription drug commercial listing them all here; mega-protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, Vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and folate. Not only that, but it’s low in fat, cholesterol and sodium.  Moreover, you know I love a recipe that’s mouthwatering, nutritious and cheap, right?  Well, hello!  Falafel isn’t just inexpensive, it’s dirt cheap. Score!

I spent my long-ago vegetarian years eating a lot of falafel. Back in the (vegetarian) day, I ate the stuff that came in dry mix boxes (yes, me!) but once or twice I had excellent versions at Middle Eastern eateries.  The boxed stuff just isn’t my bag, so to speak, anymore. It’s expensive and doesn’t taste fresh.  Mainly because it isn’t. The contest provided just the push I needed to learn, after all this time, how to make my own falafel from scratch. A little fiddling around with soaked chickpeas resulted in a recipe that rivals the best falafels I ever ate in restaurants.  In fact, I’d say (in sotto voce) it’s the best falafel I’ve ever had.

While the history and origins of the dish are contested (not surprisingly) the general consensus is that falafel was originally created in Egypt. It has since spread throughout the Middle East as a staple food and is even considered the National Snack of Israel. One bite of a savory, steaming hot chickpea fritters, and it’s obvious why it’s so well loved.  The crispy outer crust yields to a spicy, garlicky interior that is impossibly light for being made from such hearty beans.

Unlike most dishes made with chickpeas (i.e. hummus), falafel is made with dried beans that simply have been soaked, not cooked.  That makes this dish easy-chickpeasy.  Soak, blitz in the food processor with other ingredients, rest, pan fry, done.  Such a small amount of work for such a massive pay-off at such a tiny price. This kind of discovery is thrilling, I tell you!

Whether you stuff it in pitas or simply serve as a finger food with a variety of dipping sauces (like Tahini Sauce or *gasp* ketchup), Falafel is sure to please even the pickiest eaters.

Allow me to set the stage.

Me: “Dinner time!”

Two Youngest Boys: “I don’t wanna eat vegetables!”

Me: “Boys.  Come try these fritters.”

Boys: “Hey!  Those are fried!  Can I have them?  Do I have to share?  Can I eat it with my hands? Can I stab it with a toothpick?”

Me: “Yes.”

Boys descend on plate like a swarm of locusts in the Holy land.  Silence and an empty plate.

For the record, my carnivorous crew didn’t like the falafel.  They loved it. They inhaled it. They fished for little crunchy bits left on the plate. My little man who keeps promising he will like vegetables when he turns eight ate nearly his weight in it then asked whether we could have the ‘Middle Eastern hushpuppies’ again tomorrow. I’d call that an enthusiastic endorsement.

For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of this recipe, click here!

Falafel

  • 2 cups dried chickpeas
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt or sea salt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 8 to 14 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Canola, vegetable, safflower or peanut oil for frying.

Optional for serving:

  • Pita bread
  • Tahini sauce (see recipe below)
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped onions

Rinse and pick over the dried chickpeas, removing any debris, discolored or misshapen beans in the process.  Place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of cool water.  Place the bowl, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Drain the chickpeas and place in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade.  Add the onions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne to the work bowl, fix the cover in place and pulse until everything is finely ground but not pasty.  Sprinkle the baking soda and 8 tablespoons of the flour flour over the ground chickpea mixture and pulse again until it is evenly combined.  Scrape the falafel mixture into a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix in the remaining flour until the mixture does not stick to you as much.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cooking.

To cook:

Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

Heat about 3/4 of an inch of oil to about 375°F in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed pan. While oil is heating, form the falafel mixture into ping pong size balls, using about 1-1/2 Tablespoons at a time.

When oil reaches the right temperature, drop about 6 balls in at a time.  Fry for about 1 minute, flip the balls and fry for an additional minute.  Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the falafel to the lined plate.

Serve hot with a side of tahini sauce or stuffed into pita halves with chopped tomatoes, onion and tahini sauce.

Get ‘em while they’re hot, boys!

Tahini Sauce

Adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt if Greek yogurt is not available)
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a blender, cover, and process on high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.  Serve over fried falafel or salad greens.

This is my second entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com.Did you like this recipe and the post?  I’d appreciate your vote of support!  You can cast it for me here! Or you can simply click on the yellow orange “Vote for Me” tab on the “Official Food Blog Contestant” badge up in the left sidebar.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Beans, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Garden Couscous Salad

July 19, 2010 by 5 Comments

So.  Is the room spinning or is it just me? I keep waiting for the opportunity to arise where I can kick off my shoes, lay on my back in the sand, find Bugs Bunny as Brunhilde hidden in the clouds, swim in a clear blue lake, and turn to a cooler fully stocked with everything I love to eat before winding up the evening singing songs and making s’mores around a campfire.

*This view of what summer should be is based largely on how I spent every summer day of my youth. Thanks so much, Mom and Dad for a spectacular childhood .  I blame you. In the nicest possible way.

Instead, I’ve been running my children to play practice*, manning the fort while The Evil Genius is off doing highly technical things in scary technical places with frighteningly technical people, preserving every bit of produce that stands still long enough to be pickled or frozen or canned, steadfastly ignoring my ever-growing pile of laundry, and ensuring that my children at least are laying on their backs in the grass trying to discern Elmer Fudd as Siegfried. It’s a tradition, you see.

*For the last week, three of my five sons have performed the parts of the cutest orphans you’ve ever seen in ‘The Sound of Music’.  Is it just me or does anyone else out there fail to remember orphans being in ‘The Sound of Music’?  Whatever.  They were cute.  And orphany.  Well, except for the fact that I still had to make three meals a day and ferry these ‘faux orphans’ to and from rehearsals and performances.  I coached them to come up with their back stories as orphans to help them be convincing.  (Old Theater Majors don’t die.  They just become stage moms.) “Think about how you got to the convent.  Do you know each other?  Are you brothers? How did you become orphans?  Did both of your parents die?  Did your mother drop you off here because she could no longer afford to feed you then run over and join the convent in a very specifically non-childcare capacity?”  I jest.  I didn’t ask them if both of their parents died.

The weather is hot, the garden is producin’ and there is very little time to spend in the kitchen. Couscous to the rescue.  While all couscous is good, I’m especially partial to Israeli couscous; the small, round, toasted pearls of couscous also known as ptitim.  Israeli couscous, unlike the ‘standard’ couscous, is toasted rather than dried.  The toasting imparts a subtle nutty flavor that is well-suited to both warm and cold dishes.  Hot weather requires cold food.  (You’ve heard this theory from me before, right?) A cold couscous salad is a surprisingly effective delivery vehicle for big, fresh, garden flavors. Toasty, nutty couscous tossed with the light flavors of a vinaigrette and all sorts of bounty from the garden; zucchini, broccoli, onions, and more.  Briny olives and salty feta give the salad some body.  Before you all think I’ve jumped the shark; yes.  I actually did mean to put those pickles in there.  The olive/broccoli/pickle combination is one of my mom’s most genius food combinations and it’s not as far out as you might think.  Think of pickles as a shortcut to adding cucumber and dill to this salad.  And when you put together cucumber, dill, olives and feta?  Well you could hardly object to that, right?  (Unless you’re an inveterate feta hater, then you’re off the boat already.  Substitute with extra sharp cheddar if you must. It’ll still taste great.)

As for what to serve this alongside, the possibilities are many; grilled or broiled fish, chicken or pork are all at home on a plate with a big serving of Garden Couscous Salad.  Pack it in picnic baskets.  Eat it alone as a light and healthy lunch.  Sneak it for guilt-free midnight snacks.  I’ve been known to tuck into a bowl for breakfast now and again, and that’s saying something because I’m not normally a breakfast kind of gal.

Don’t flip out and write this off when you see the length of the ingredient list; this is all readily available stuff (even in my little corner of East-of-Nowhere) and it is a very simple preparation.  The only semi-exotic ingredient is the Israeli couscous.  If you can’t find it locally, try Amazon. Prefer whole wheat? They have that, too!

I have a favor to ask.  Could you pop your head out the window and look upward for just a moment?  Look a little closer.  See that?  That’s life and Porky Pig and Bugs and Elmer and Sylvester and Tweety and Foghorn Leghorn and Brunhilde and Siegfried and summer passing us by.  Let’s make a pact.  I’ll lay down and admire the clouds a little if you do.  Do we have a deal?

Want a photo-free, printer-friendly version of this recipe minus my yadda yadda?  Click here!

Garden Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Israeli couscous
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 onion end (You are saving them right?  If not, cut off about 2 inches of the root end of an onion, peel and use that.)
  • 2 parsley stems from the freezer (Also saving these in a freezer bag, right? If not, toss a couple fresh stems of parsley into the pot.)
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher or coarse sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 broccoli crown, cut into small florets (Chop up and save the stem in a freezer bag for your next batch of broccoli soup!)
  • 1 cup black or Kalamata olives, sliced in half
  • 4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled or diced very small
  • 1 medium sized zucchini, washed and diced
  • 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced very small
  • 2 dill pickles, diced
  • 1/2 a sweet onion, peeled and diced very small
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
  • 3 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, to taste
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, to taste

Heat 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid.  When the oil is hot, add the dry couscous and stir well to coat.  Toast the couscous in the oil for about 1-2 minutes or just until a couple couscous grains begin to take on a light golden brown color but most of them remain pale.  Carefully add the water all at once along with the onion end, parsley stems and 1 teaspoon of the Kosher salt.  The water will boil up quickly and may spit a little, so be cautious.  Add the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the couscous is cooked through, but not mushy.  Pour the couscous into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.

Transfer the couscous into a large mixing bowl.  Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, red wine vinegar, minced garlic (or granulated garlic) and minced onion to the couscous and toss to distribute evenly.

Add remaining ingredients and toss until evenly combined.  This is best if covered tightly and refrigerated for an hour or more prior to serving, but it can be eaten immediately.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Pasta, Rebecca, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cranberry Coleslaw

June 24, 2010 by 4 Comments

After my admonition to remember coleslaw and beans in the Corn Dog Bread post I realized something; I had loads of bean recipes here on Foodie With Family, but not one single coleslaw.  That was a problem requiring an immediate remedy.

You will note that the word ‘law’ is contained within the word ‘coleslaw’.  That is because it is the law that you need to have coleslaw with summer classic meals; corn dogs, barbecued brisket or ribs, grilled chicken, and the like.  You can even go to jail if you fail to serve coleslaw with hamburgers*!

*That might not be strictly true, but it should be.

How have I gone so long without sharing my favorite coleslaw recipe with you?  I should be strung up by my toes and given fifty lashes with a wet noodle.  I am contrite.

This recipe came to me years ago from Val and we’ve been making it religiously ever since.  I should have the recipe memorized at this point, but the little cobwebby corners of my brain have been filled with knowledge helpful to tasks like not tripping over shoes in the middle of the floor, remembering to sweep the chair free of Legos before lowering myself into it, making the kids lock the chickens safely in the coop at night, and releasing the parking brake before easing Hannibal* out of the driveway.

*Hannibal is the new-to-us big burgundy passenger van we recently acquired.  It’s big, people.  Big big.  As in crossing the Alps on an elephant big. In fact, one friend pointed out how we would be providing a boost to the economy every time we filled the tank.  And her son helpfully mentioned that if I ever got confused after shopping I would have no trouble finding the van since all I had to think was, “Oh!  I know!  It’s the MASSIVE PURPLE VAN! It’s right THERE!” And I feed this child on occasion.  Why I oughta…

As I was saying, I should have this recipe long since memorized.  This means that I do not.  Thankfully, Val is on my speed dial. I use this speed dial very, very often.  In fact, the number assigned to her on my phone is starting to wear off and the phone is less than two months old. My itchy dialing finger may account for the fact that Val dropped her phone into the toilet this week thereby rendering the boys and me incapable of annoying her every fifteen minutes with ridiculous puns and questions like, “Do you remember that one thing we ate that one time at that one place?  Do you still have the recipe for it?”

Mercifully, step-maternal guilt kept her from happily taking a breather from our near-constant barrage against her peace; she kept her email window open the whole time.  And so, not even five minutes after a panicked email reading something like this:

“Hey!  Remember the cranberry coleslaw you make?  Do you still have the recipe?  I can’t find mine anywhere!”

Val kindly responded with the necessary ingredient list and equally kindly avoided mentioning that she gives me this recipe once quarterly on average.  And once again, she saved my dinner and life was good.

At least you didn’t know what you were missing, because if you’ve been having plain old coleslaw all this time, you are about to be pleasantly surprised.  I’m talking about Cranberry Coleslaw. I have to admit, the first time Val made this lo these many years ago I thought maybe she had jumped the shark.  The thought of stirring dried cranberries and almonds or sunflower seeds into a creamy coleslaw momentarily fired up my latent inner picky-eating 8 year old.  But then I remembered that Val has  never -for as long as I have known her-  presented me with something to eat that was anything shy of delicious.  After the first bite I stuffed my inner picky eater back into the box with a stern warning and a reminder that I’m a grown up now. I was convinced.  Cabbage and dried cranberries were meant to be together.  Sweet and tart cranberries turned out to be the perfect pairing for peppery and crunchy cabbage.  And when it was topped with a tangy, slightly honey-sweetened dressing and almonds or sunflower seeds it absolutely sang. Who knew?  Well, I mean aside from Val?

Are you ready for my usual “But wait!  There’s more!”? It’s healthy! It’s really, really good for you.  Because you replace all but a minute amount of the normal mayonnaise with Greek yogurt this is a coleslaw that you can eat with reckless abandon*. By using Greek yogurt, you preserve all the creaminess you would’ve had with mayonnaise but avoid all the fat and calories.  Can I get a “Glory, hallelu!”?

*I know, I know.  I say that a lot.  But I like eating with reckless abandon, so in all likelihood I’ll keep saying it.  Just so’s you know…

You can definitely do worse things than make a double batch.  It tastes better and better in the refrigerator.  In fact, as I type this, I’m tucking into a bowl of three day old coleslaw and it. is. amazing.  So if you were looking for a good coleslaw (or even if you weren’t) to go with your Corn Dog Bread, look no further.

For a printer friendly, photo-free version of this recipe, click here!

Cranberry Coleslaw: Printer Friendly Version

Adapted from Valerie Daly’s recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound bagged cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix (or 6 cups mixed shredded  cabbage and carrots)
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon shelled sunflower seeds or slivered almonds

Use a whisk to combine yogurt, honey, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt, pepper, and celery seed to make the dressing.  Set aside.

Add coleslaw vegetables to a mixing bowl.  Toss in 1/4 cup of the cranberries and 2 Tablespoons of the sunflower seeds.  Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat completely.  Transfer to a serving dish and scatter reserved cranberries and sunflower seeds over the top.  Store leftovers, tightly lidded, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Filed Under: Camping Food, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , ,

Homemade Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Yogurt Salsa (Raita)

May 27, 2010 by 13 Comments

Welcome to part II of the series of component dishes (Part I, Candied Jalapenos, can be read here!)  to make the transcendent ‘Second to Naanwich’ that still has me obsessed almost two weeks after eating it. While you can definitely buy Greek yogurt from the store to complete this dish, the homemade variety is so much tastier and less expensive.  I encourage you all to try making it from scratch.

I am addicted to Greek yogurt.  But man-oh-Friday, is it ever an expensive habit.  I was buying cases of it through our local health food co-operative at a price that -while lower than grocery stores- was still painful to pay.  I needed a less expensive way to feed my habit and I found it.

Googling ‘homemade Greek yogurt’ yields a bunch of folks, bless ‘em all, who tell you the same thing.  Strain your yogurt and ‘voila!’ it’s Greek yogurt.  Okie dokie.  Easy enough.  So if you want a super fast homemade Greek yogurt, just strain yourself a quart of yogurt.  And that’s good in a pinch, but when you’re talking volume, that can still get expensive.  So.  Take it back one step further and make your own yogurt.  This is just as exciting from a stick-it-to-the-man viewpoint as homemade buttermilk. It’s not hard people.  Don’t fear the yogurt.

Unless you’ve been in a cave you’re probably at least minimally acquainted with the health benefits of yogurt by this point; the live and active cultures in the yogurt are like a magic bullet for intestinal health.* But don’t forget the calcium, magnesium, potassium, Vitamins B2 and B12 and protein.  Those are pretty handy to overall health, too.

*I’m sorry if you just lost your appetite reading the words ‘intestinal health’.  In my defense, as the mother of five boys ages twelve and under, I thought that was pretty restrained of me.  I could’ve said “It helps you poop regularly.”  Oh my gosh.  I’ve lost all sense of propriety. I need to hang out with girls more often.

Because I love you bigger than the bay, today’s post is a three-fer.  You get the recipe for Greek Yogurt made from scratch, but in the process, you also learn how to make ‘regular’ yogurt.  And you also get my favorite thing to do with Greek yogurt.  (Other than eating it straight with honey, making frozen yogurt, using it for dill dip, using it in place of sour cream, or turning it into tartar sauce…) Cucumber Yogurt Salsa.  This salsa is similar to a raita (an Indian and Pakistani condiment made to cool the palate) but it is made without what I think are key components of a honest-to-goodness raita (chiles, cumin, et al.) The red onion gives it the flavor punch I crave, but the dill and cucumber keep it cool and refreshing.  This is a crucial component to the Second to Naanwich (more information on the mythical Naanwich is here.)

I put Cucumber Yogurt Salsa on all sorts of things; burgers, sandwiches, vegetable sticks, spoons… Let your imagination run wild.  This is some good stuff.

So come on.  Make yourself some yogurt, I want y’all around for a while.  I like you.

For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of this recipe, click here!

Homemade Greek Yogurt (or regular yogurt)

Yield: About 4 cups of Greek yogurt

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts whole, 2% or 1% milkfat milk
  • 4 Tablespoons yogurt with live and active cultures (store bought or less than 36 hour old homemade yogurt)

Heat the milk in a saucepan to 180°F.  If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t sweat it.  You can watch the milk.  When it gets lots of little bubbles around the edge but before it boils, you’re good to go.  It’ll look like this.

And if you happen to get a little warmer than that, don’t worry.  See this?

No one from the yogurt police came to have words with me.  My yogurt turned out just fine.  The important part is waiting for the milk to cool to the right temperature before adding the yogurt.  That nice lukewarm temperature encourages the beneficial bacteria to get cuddly and reproduce.  Anything too hot kills them.  So…

Cover the pan and cool to about 116°F.  Again, don’t panic if a thermometer isn’t handy.  Simply drip a couple drops of the milk on the inside of your wrist.  If it feels pleasant and slightly warmer than body temperature without feeling hot or uncomfortable you can proceed.  Remove about 2 cups of the warm milk to a small bowl and whisk in the yogurt until evenly combined.  Whisk that back into the pan of milk.  Pour into jars or a bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and place in a warm dry place at least six to eight hours or until thickened, overnight if necessary.  A good place for this is an oven that is off but has the interior light on. If you stop at this point, you have regular yogurt.  Simply refrigerate at this point if that’s what you want.

To make Greek yogurt,  place the yogurt in the refrigerator for four hours to firm it a little further and allow some of the whey to separate.  After four hours, line a colander with fine mesh cheesecloth or a clean tea towel.  Pour the yogurt into the colander.  You can either gather the corners of the towel and tie it before hanging it over your sink for 5 hours like this.

Or you can place the colander over a bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight to drain.

After draining to desired consistency, turn into a bowl.

Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cucumber Yogurt Salsa (Raita)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Greek yogurt
  • 1 medium sized cucumber, peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 1/2 of a small red onion, peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.  It is preferable to cover tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, but this can be eaten immediately.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Component Foods, Food Preservation, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Candied Jalapenos

May 23, 2010 by 146 Comments

 

This last week, my baby brother Luke told me admiringly that I had finally done it.

“To which it do you refer?” I inquired.

“IT!” said Luke.

Luke was referring to this.

This sandwich blew my mind. It was the perfect sandwich. I do not use the phrase ‘perfect sandwich’ lightly. It is a very serious appellation to give a sandwich*. This one earned it.

*Could I possibly use the word ‘sandwich’ any more? There just doesn’t seem to be any way around it. And so I’d like every single English and composition teacher reading this to take a muscle relaxant right now to help them get through the rest of this post without cringing themselves into spasms.

Let me tell you what makes this bad boy so very bad*. The sandwich is built of naan brushed with ghee, tandoori style grilled chicken, cucumber and yogurt salsa, crunchy pickled onion rings and candied jalapenos. Un-bloody-believably delicious. The Evil Genius declared it to be ‘A Second-to-Naanwich’.

*Bad in a good way. As in phat. Not fat. It’s totally fly. I should probably stop now. Fo shizzle.

Every single component of this sandwich was made from scratch. Okay, so I didn’t grow the lettuce greens, spices or the chicken, but shy of that, all homemade. And over the next few posts, I will give you the recipes to make each component needed to reproduce this amazing sandwich in your own kitchen.

Even though this sandwich alone is worth the work of making each of these building blocks, you’re not just canning, yogurt, bread, and grilling for one purpose. Each of the ingredients can be used for multiple recipes. This is a springboard recipe. Once you’ve mastered each component, the world is your oyster. Are you ready for the first part? Here we go!

We’re starting with Candied Jalapenos for a very good reason. After being made, they need to sit for at least two weeks before you crack open the jar to start eating them. And by need, I mean it’s strictly optional, but you’ll be glad that you did. The flavors need time to meld and marry.

Candied Jalapenos. Ah. There’s a story here. A couple months ago, my friend Katie casually mentioned eating a sandwich made with candied jalapenos. She was singing the praises of what she described as an addictive jar of goodies. Then she said the magic words, “I wish I could figure out how to make these at home.” By this point, you know me enough to know what affect that statement has on me, right?  I quizzed her on the texture, flavor, and appearance of the jalapeno rings. I begged for photographs. I had her send me a picture of the ingredient list on the label. I asked her to describe the flavor to the very best of her food blogging abilities. She was game. She provided all the information and even sent a link to a recipe that she thought looked like it would come close to the benchmark for her.

After carefully examining close to thirty recipes on candied jalapenos (who KNEW there were so many people candying jalapenos?) I called my local Cooperative Extension office to pick the brain of their home food preservation specialists. Since jalapenos are a low-acid food, some precautions need to be taken when canning them. You have two choices for safely canning peppers of any kind; you can pressure can them or you can acidify (i.e. add vinegar, lemon juice, etc…) the liquid in which you pack the peck of pickled peppers.

I opted for acidifying the pepper liquid because I wanted to maintain some of the texture of the peppers through the process.  Pressure canning these would turn them to flavorful mush.  The result was gobsmackingly, head-spinningly, brain-addlingly delicious.  Sweet, spicy and savory, candied jalapeno rings are way too easy to eat on just about everything.  I’ve stashed them in sandwiches, chopped them up on baked beans, tucked them into tacos, used the syrup to brush meat on the grill, perched a couple rings on top of a cream cheese laden cracker and all sorts of other evil things.

For such a simple thing to can, these pack tons of flavor.  You’re going to want to make as many of these as you possibly can simultaneously, because once that first jar is cracked open you’re not going to be able to stop eating them.  And I mean it.

Hey!  Don’t forget to come back over the next few days to get the other components to my Second-to-Naanwich.  You will love me.  That’s a promise.

Candied Jalapenos

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

Yield: About 9 half-pint jars of Candied Jalapenos plus additional jalapeno syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 6 cups white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers.  The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem.  Discard the stems.

Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds.  Set aside.

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar.

Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices to within 1/4-inch of the rim.  Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air.  Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary.  Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

*If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too.  It’s wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, or…  In short, don’t toss it out!

Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches.  Bring the water to a full rolling boil.  When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints.  When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack.  Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours.  When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label.

Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Or don’t.  I won’t tell!

 

 

 

4.9 from 19 reviews

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Candied Jalapenos
Author: 
Recipe type: Canning, Condiment, Ingredient
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 32
 

There aren’t words that exist to describe how addictive these little savoury, sweet, spicy, crunchy, garlicky pickled jalapeno rounds are. Put them on sandwiches, tacos, rice or bake them into cornbread. You’ll need more and more!
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 6 cups white granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Instructions
  1. Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.
  2. Slice the peppers into uniform ⅛-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
  3. In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within ¼ inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.
  4. Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
  5. *If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. It’s wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, or… In short, don’t toss it out!
  6. Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label.
  7. Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Or don’t. I won’t tell!

Notes
I know this sounds crazy, but double this recipe. People will beg you for jars of this and get surly if you say no. Just. Trust. Me.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Camping Food, Canning, Component Foods, Food Preservation, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Canned Barbecue Beans (El Pollo Loco BBQ Black Beans clone)

May 18, 2010 by 22 Comments

If I live to be a thousand years old I will never exhaust the possibilities offered by beans.  And what is there not to like about beans? They are- all at once- so inexpensive, so nutritious, so easy to store, so delicious, so versatile.

If you’ve been with me here at Foodie With Family for a while you’re pretty familiar with my adoration of beans.  They’re a quick, filling, el-cheapo way to feed a growing family.

“Quick?  Beans? Well, surely you aren’t making them from the dried state,” sayeth the doubting crowd.  Ah, but yes.  Yes, I am.  And here is where this post morphs from singing the praises of beans to evangelizing about canning.  Pressure canning, specifically.  And this requires a diversion of some length from beans…

Even if you were raised in a family who canned a great deal of food (as I was) chances are you heard something like this regarding pressure canning, “Pressure canners are DANGEROUS!  My Aunt Bertha had one explode on her once.  She leapt in front of it to protect the baby who was walking through the kitchen. They had to pull shrapnel from her neck.  Just missed the jugular.”  (The preceding cautionary tale was an amalgam of the pressure-canning horror stories from my own family members and friends.)  The truth is that pressure canners were dangerous.

The operative word here is ‘were’.  The reason so many of us have heirloom pressure canner tales of gore from ages of yore is because there were so many of them that actually exploded. But there is a whole new generation of pressure canners on the market now.  They have ratcheting, locking lids with metal-to-metal seals instead of  the inferior rubber gasket seals and their disturbing likelihood to warp, crack or otherwise deteriorate.

The Evil Genius has inspected Carol (Yes, my pressure canner has a name.  Don’t you name your appliances?) and pronounced her to be the domestic equivalent of a small-scale industrial sterilizer.  (And the man ought to know, he stares at/operates/programs/troubleshoots the real thing all day long every day. If the fellow who sits in front of the blast window on an industrial sterilizer waiting for little glass vials to explode says it’s safe, I think you can take his word for it.  And since I’m incapable of remaining on topic for more than three sentences, let me just ask one thing.  Does anyone else find it amusing that a man who is clearly NOT sterile [I remind you we had five sons in nine years] specializes in sterilizers?)

Hello?

Is anyone out there?

“Get back on topic already!”

I can take a hint…

Yes, well.  Here’s where I was going with this.  Pressure canning is very safe now.  Provided you use a new model pressure canner and follow the safety instructions.  And don’t let Aunt Bertha near it.  Just saying.

As for which pressure canner to use, I prefer this beauty:

 

This is the second to the largest model made by the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry.  Yes, it’s a little more expensive than its smaller siblings or cheap knock-offs made by other companies, but it can hold and process fourteen quarts simultaneously.  Come on!  That’s seriously amazing.  That means that it twice as efficient as models that hold seven quarts.  And it can double as a big old boiling water canner.  There’s no boiling water canner on earth that can do double duty like Carol.

I have major warm fuzzies for this company.  When I broke my gauge (read: my fault completely.  I didn’t read the directions.) they replaced it –free of charge- even after I confessed what happened to it.  They sent it via Priority Mail.  Did I mention they sent it for free?  As in gratis?  I declared my love for them over the phone.  I think they’re used to it. But we were talking about beans, weren’t we?

Ah yes, these beans.

As if Facebook wasn’t a giant enough time hoover for me, I recently discovered the existence of the fabulous and aptly named ‘Canning’ group.  In this group was a picture of a batch of barbecue beans one member had made. The original recipe described them as being a clone of El Pollo Loco’s  BBQ Black Beans.  Having never been to an El  Pollo Loco, I had no idea what that meant.  One look at the recipe, though, and I knew I had to try it.  The method was so simple.  And the payoff was huge.

The hardest part of the whole project was waiting two weeks after processing to try them. Their hermetically sealed jars beckoned from their shelf in the basement, “Eat me!”

And boy, oh boy, these beans are good.  There is no hint at all of the paltry ten minutes of hands-on time (well, alright, twenty minutes if you count wiping and labeling the jars.) that went into creating this masterpiece. Smoky, spicy, saucy- they taste like beans that have baked for hours upon hours in the oven rather than beans poured from a jar that sat in the basement.  These beans alone are reason enough to justify the price of a new pressure canner even if they’re the only thing you ever make in it. How can that possibly be?

Let me paint you a little mental picture.  Let’s say, hypothetically, that you have five sons.  (Could happen, you know…) And let’s say that two of them are in a play; rehearsal is on Tuesday and the show is on Thursday, a column due Wednesday, paperwork to fill out at the bank on Thursday morning, a house full of company coming for the weekend on Friday and they’re planning on eating with you.  Right.  So, where in there are you going to find time to make a delicious and filling dinner for your company?  Try this one on for size.  Throw on a pot of rice.  Open and reheat a couple jars of Canned Barbecue Beans.  Put a couple links of your favorite sausage on the grill (Kielbasa, smoked sausage, link-chorizo, what-have-you…) and toss together a salad. Fluff the rice, top with the beans and sausage and serve with a salad and something icy cold to drink.

But hang on. It’s cheap, people!  It’s dirt cheap!  You can’t get food much cheaper than this, and you certainly can’t buy food of this quality for anywhere near this little in any store. And more banging of the drum… it’s so very good for you.  Fiber, vitamins, minerals, no funky preservatives or additives.  It’s great food the way food was intended to be.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, with no photos and sidebars, click here!

Canned Barbecue Beans

adapted from Creative Canning and Mary Kay Craig

  • 1 pound (or slightly more) black beans or a mix of pinto and black beans, rinsed, picked over and soaked 8 hours or overnight
  • 2 onions, peeled and small
  • 5 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (I used my favorite homemade Kansas City style sauce, but bottled sauce will do the job in a pinch.)
  • 2-3 drops liquid smoke per pint jar
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder per pint jar, to taste, or 1/2 of a fresh jalapeno, minced, per pint jar.

After the beans have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them.  What you see below is mixture of black beans and pinto beans that is approximately equal by weight.

Divide the beans between five clean pint jars. The beans should fill the jars about halfway.  Divide the onions and minced garlic evenly between the jars.

Add the chipotle powder (or minced jalapenos) and liquid smoke to each jar.

Add 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce to each jar. Notice how the pinto beans have been stained by the black beans?  That’s just inevitable.  Don’t let it worry you.

Then add clean, fresh water to the jars to within an inch of the top rim.  Insert a chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times per jar to release any trapped air bubbles.

Adjust the liquid if needed to maintain one-inch of clearance  from the upper rim.  Wipe the rims, add new two-piece lids and process, according to your canner’s manufacturer’s recommendations, at 15 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.

How is that possible that you don’t have to cook the beans first? Pressure canning is more than just efficient, it’s convenient.  As you’re processing the jars, you’re also cooking the beans inside the jars.  It’s like doing a little bit of kitchen magic.

And now comes the tricky part.   You have to wait at least two weeks for the beans to soak up the liquid in the jar.  You could even wait four weeks for the ultimate experience, if you can stand it.  You’ll be making another batch as soon as you open up that first jar, though.  I guarantee you that!

P.S.  There was a really neat phenomenon that happened with these jars.  Because you form a vacuum inside the jars (by design) when pressure canning, the liquid inside the jars can continue to boil long after they’re removed from the canner.  One jar’s contents boiled for thirty-five minutes after it was sitting on the cooling rack!  The Evil Genius assures me that this is perfectly normal and safe.

Filed Under: Beans, Camping Food, Canning, Component Foods, Food Preservation, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , ,

Ham and Cheese Bites

May 4, 2010 by 15 Comments

This past weekend I officially became my mother.

If you’ve been reading me for a while, you’re aware that I am the eldest child in a large family that includes a baby sister.  This baby sister of mine is still in high school.  Sadly, she is not hopelessly stupid.  No, she’s in high school because she’s younger than I am (*cough* much younger *cough*).  And I might’ve mentioned that my Mom is fun before, right? Well, Mom throws massive parties for my little sister.  Loads of teenage girls and food and games at her house.  And birthdays?  Whoah.  There have been years where she’s allowed Airlia to have eight or ten girls sleep over.  She did this for me and for each and every one of my siblings. And for this, I mocked my Mom mercilessly.

“Geez, Mom!  Why can’t you say no?  You’re going to be exhausted!  Do they even appreciate everything you do? You’re making them WHAT to eat?  Holy Cow!”

And Mom would respond with a smile and a shrug and say, “I like it!”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Last week the boys were bemoaning the fact that they hadn’t been able to get together with their friends as much as usual.  Before I knew what I was doing her words popped out of my mouth, “Hey!  Why don’t you each invite a couple friends over on Saturday and I’ll make pizza!  It’ll be fun!”  That last sentence barely got through my lips before I clamped my hands over my mouth.  But it was already too late.  In the time it took me to pick myself up off the floor they had each invited a couple friends.  How many?  I really had no idea.

A quick glance at the calendar showed me that I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for that morning.  “Guys?  Hey guys?  Could you come here for a second?” I called, thinking I still had time to back out…  Five bright, shining faces turned toward me… “Um, never mind…” I mumbled.  I could get the blood work done, do the grocery shopping, come home and make pizza for a crowd before three, right?

Saturday morning dawned and I rolled myself out of bed to get to the doctor’s office right as they opened.  Several vials of blood and a “WOW!  I’ve never seen anybody bruise like YOU before!” from the phlebotomist later, I hurried toward the grocery store.  I tarried a little looking over packages, stocked up in the meat department, grabbed mozzarella and extra Bandaids and headed for the register.  And it was there I realized I didn’t have my debit card.  “No problem!” said I to self. “I’ll just use a check.”  I was out of checks.

I zoned out for a moment or two then snapped back into gear.  I asked the clerk to put my cart in the walk-in while I ran to the bank.  She obliged and I burned rubber.  The kind ladies at the bank printed out a check or two for me and I retraced my trail back to the store.  They retrieved my cart while I wrote out the check.  The cashier ran the check through the little machine.  Then she ran it through again.  Then againandagainandagainandagainandagain.  “Hmmm, it doesn’t look like it’s working,” said the clerk.  She beckoned for the head cashier who repeated the againandagainandagain performance and then also announced that it wasn’t working.  They called the manager over the PA system. *

*Important sidebar:  Have you ever noticed that some people have no idea how to use Public Address Systems?  They labour under the misconception that you must French kiss the microphone for it to work.  What she actually said was, “Manager on three. Three?  Manager needed on three.  Three.” Why she needed to repeat the check-out aisle number was beyond me. Between her awkward phrasing and the fact that the microphone was practically down her throat, it ended up sounding like, “Manager I pee-pee?  Manager need egg. I pee-pee.”  But I digress…

God love him, that manager got there as quickly as he could, but it still took him a while.  And he too ran the check through the machine several times before asking, “Was this transaction suspended?  You can’t pay with a check if the transaction has been suspended.”  He offered  to void every item in my cart and re-ring it so I could use my check.  Thirty minutes later, I exited the store with my groceries and went home as quickly as the speed limit would allow.  On the drive home, I called my sister and recounted what I had done that morning and told her about the upcoming party.

“Ha!” said my sympathetic sister, Jessamine. “You’re just like Mom!  You and a party?  You don’t know how many are coming?  You. Are. Exactly. Like. Mom!”

I thoughtfully responded, “No I’m not!  Mom always plans games.  I didn’t plan any games!”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

So to recap, I had a large-ish blood draw that morning, messed up by not having a debit card or checks with me to pay for crucial ingredients for that afternoon’s pizza party, broke the grocery store’s system and was on my way home to whip up food for a crowd of as-yet-undetermined size.  Are you with me?

I got home and changed into a summery dress.*

*One more sidebar.  I can’t wear clothing that I’ve worn to a doctor’s office or hospital before they’ve been washed again.  I mean, come on!  They’re like big old petri dishes. Someone else needs to tell me they do the same thing right now.  Someone?  Hello?

As I stood propped against my counter in the kitchen making an octuple batch of pizza dough (and I’m not exaggerating.  I told you.  I didn’t know how many people were coming and NO ONE goes hungry at my house on account of me…) the boys entered the room.  One (or more… Who could tell?  I was woozy.) said, “Hey!  That dress looks just like one Nana would wear.”  And at that moment I realized they were totally right.  I. Was. Exactly. Like. Mom.

But you know what?  I smiled, shrugged and said, “I like it!”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Let me tell you.  The party was a total success.  And at our finest hour, we had seventeen kids running around, through, and over our home and property.  That’s 1-7.  Or 10 plus 7.  Or my five kids in addition to twelve kids who sprang from other people’s loins.  Sorry.  Is that unappetizing?

I had turned out a gallon of iced tea (supplemented by a gallon from my brilliant friend, Lisa), a gallon of lemonade and a gallon of Arnold Palmers, three sheet pizzas (one pepperoni and cheese, one cheese only, and one bacon and pineapple and onion beauty) one fifteen-inch round pizza (feta and spinach and hot pepper and olive and bacon) and two nine-by-thirteen pans full of Chaos in the Kitchen‘s brilliant pizza bites. By the time the crowd broke up and went home we had exactly ZERO leftovers.

My kids looked at me, gratefulness in their eyes for such a fun time, and said, “We’re starved!”

I had a little dough left from the pizza bites, a pound of ham-off-the-bone and a few cubes of cheese sitting around, so I threw together my take on the aforementioned pizza bites; Ham and Cheese Bites.

The Ham and Cheese Bites were inhaled by my poor-long-suffering children who went to bed five minutes later, starving once again…

For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of this recipe minus the blahdy-blahdy, click here!

 

Ham and Cheese Bites

adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen’s Pizza Bites

Yield: 30 Ham and Cheese Bites

Ingredients:

  • Double batch of homemade pizza dough (see recipe below) or 2 packages of purchased pizza dough
  • 30 wafer-thin slices of deli ham
  • 30 (1/2″ to 3/4″) cubes Swiss cheese
  • 30 (1/2″ to 3/4″) cubes Mozzarella cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons semolina flour or corn meal (for sprinkling the pan), divided
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon dried chives
  • 3/4 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or seasoning salt

Divide the pizza dough into 30 equal-ish pieces.  Let rest.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lay out one piece of deli ham.  Top with a cube each of mozzarella and Swiss cheese.

Tuck the ham around the cheese to form a little packet.

Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining ham and cheese.  Set the plate aside.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the bottom of a 9″x13″ rimmed baking pan.  Repeat in another pan with the other olive oil.  Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon over the olive oil in each of the pans.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, spread out into a circle (or blob) roughly twice the size of your ham packets.  If the dough tears, do your best to patch the holes. Lay a packet of ham and cheese, seam side down, on the dough.

Pull the corners of the dough up toward the top of the ham and squeeze dough together to enclose the ham.

Pinch the dough closed at the seams and make sure there are no openings.  Place the dough, pinched side down, in the prepared pans.  Repeat with the remaining dough, making five rows of three dough balls in each pan.

Place the butter, chives, onion, garlic, and seasoning salt into a small microwave-safe dish.  Warm in the microwave until the butter is melted.  Stir together with a fork and brush over the dough.

Place pans into hot oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Some cheese may leak out of the bread and bubble up.  This is most definitely not a problem.  Call cook’s dibs on the crunchy cheese bits.

If desired, you can brush again with any leftover butter when you remove the pans from the oven. Allow to rest for five minutes before removing from the pans.  Serve warm with your favorite sauce.  Ours is listed below…

Creamy Horseradish Mustard Dip

You can serve this on sandwiches and no one will hate you for it.  No need to restrict it to the Ham and Cheese Bites…

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

Stir all ingredients together with a fork or a small whisk.  Store unused portions tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Semolina Pizza Dough

adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

Ingredients:

  • 1-3/4 cups (7-3/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/4 cups (7-1/8 ounces) coarse semolina flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon) mix together all the dough ingredients until a soft, cohesive dough forms.  It will not be perfectly smooth, it should have a rather rough appearance.  Cover and let the dough raise for an hour at room temperature.  At this point, you can use the dough or refrigerate it for up to 36 hours.

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Holiday Food, kid food, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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