August 23, 2011: Vegetable Canning Recipe

When it comes down to it, canning vegetables like green beans, peas, and corn is quite easy. You just need to have the right equipment and follow the formula for success.

Canned corn in half pint, pint and quart size jars; jar vise for placing filled jars in your pressure cooker and taking them out, and corn shucker device.

The first step is preparing the vegetables. This year I bought a corn shucker device, shown in the photo above. It makes the process of removing the kernels from the ears of corn a breeze and it was worth every penny (I bought this one locally from a kitchen supply store for $12). Green beans need to have the stem removed, as well as the tough vein along its length, if possible. Then snap the beans into pieces that will fit in your jars, no more than 2 inches in length. For peas, you simply need to remove them from the pods. Carrots should be peeled and cut into slices about half an inch thick.

Now is a good time to get your pressure cooker going. Place a canning rack in the bottom and fill the pot halfway with water. Bring it to a gentle boil. While you’re at it, start a teapot full of water to boiling because you’ll need it soon.

Now comes the fun part. Simply place your vegetables in sterilized Mason jars (use your dishwasher since the temperature gets higher than you can stand washing by hand). Make sure you leave a half inch head space, which is about at the bottom of the screw channels at the top of the jar.

Now it’s time to add a bit of salt; use one half teaspoon for pint jars, one teaspoon for quarts. If you want to cut down on your sodium intake, halve those measurements. Take the boiling water in your teapot and fill up each jar to within half an inch of the top. Make sure the contents of your jars are covered.

Place new lids on the top of each jar and screw on a band, tightening just to finger tight.

Use a jar vise to grab each jar and carefully place it in your pressure cooker. Leave at least a tiny amount of space in between each jar. If you’re using half pint jars, you can place one on top of another to make more room. Fasten the lid on your pressure cooker but don’t yet put the pressure regulator (I call this the “jigger”) on top yet. You need to let hot steam exhaust from the whole where the jigger goes for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes of exhausting, place the pressure regulator on top. Now follow directions in your pressure cooker’s booklet for the amount of pressure required to cook at your altitude. Vegetables like those I described above shouldn’t take more than 20 to 30 minutes to process but since I live at a high elevation, I have to use 14 pounds of pressure; if you live below 2,000 feet in elevation you can use 11 pounds of pressure. After the pot gets up to the correct amount of pressure, reduce the heat to keep it steady.

Set a timer for the appropriate number of processing minutes. When the time is complete, turn the heat off and allow the cooker to reduce pressure to zero. You can slightly speed up this process by gently swishing a wet rag across the top of the pressure cooker. When no more pressure is left, remove the lid. Your jars of vegetables will still be boiling, so be very careful as you remove them with the jar vise. Place the jars on a cloth in an area where they won’t be disturbed for at least 12 hours.

July 26, 2011: Flower, Herb and Vegetable Garden Recipes

Now that July is almost over, your garden is sure to be producing lots of wonderful veggies and hopefully your flowering plants are just as happily producing! Here are a few recipes I’ve taken from a new book I got on my Kindle, Natural and Herbal Family Remedies: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-168 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin). I haven’t tried them all yet but I’m planning on doing so. Hope you can take advantage of your garden bounty with some or all of these, too.

Rose Water

1 cup fresh rose petals, chopped
2 cups cold water

Add rose petals to the water in a jar. Cover the jar and let it sit overnight. The next morning, strain the petals from the liquid and store the rose water in a clean jar in the refrigerator. To use: Moisten a cotton ball with the rose water and apply to your face. It is very refreshing and soothing, particularly on one of those hot, sultry days sure to come at the end of summer.

Sachets

Don’t toss away flower petals when you are dead heading your plants! Fill a square of open-weave fabric with dried flowers and herbs such as lavender, rose, basil, lemon balm, mint, rosemary, geraniums, sage – any plant that smells good! Gather the corners and secure the bundle with a pretty ribbon. Hang throughout the house or toss into drawers.

Fruit/Vegetable Flour

This is a great way to use up an excess of vegetables from your garden! According to the author, any type of vegetable flour can be used in place of a half cup of white flour called for in a recipe (and makes the dish much healthier).

The process is pretty simple; you just slice the vegetables and then steam vegetables until partially cooked (anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the density of the vegetable). Place the slices on a cookie sheet and put in an oven set to the lowest temperature. When thoroughly dried (which takes anywhere from 6 to 10 hours), grind the vegetables.

I haven’t tried it but I’m thinking you could cover the pan and dry the vegetables outside on a warm day.

Vegetables suggested for making into flour include tomatoes, carrots, spinach leaves, sweet potatoes, apples or pears.

Vegetable Broth

Here’s another way to use up an excess of fresh produce – make a vegetable broth you can freeze and use in winter soups and sauces. Simply chop or mince a variety of vegetables and herbs and add them to about 4 cups of water in a stock pot. Let it simmer until all the vegetables are tender, then strain.

Suggested ingredients: tomatoes, greens, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, peas, green beans, parsley, thyme, mint, basil, rosemary, sage.

July 9, 2011: Parmesan Green Beans Recipe

If you’re lucky, you might get a big bounty of green beans from your garden this year (me - not so much; I’ll be lucky to get a handful). Although my family all love green beans, it gets old serving the same way over and over again.

This recipe is a slightly Candy-ified variation on one I found in this month’s issue of Relish magazine.

Parmesan Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and stem ends snapped off
1 t. olive oil
½ t. sesame oil
½ t. lemon pepper blend
½ t. dried citrus peel seasoning blend
½ t. garlic salt
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Snap the green beans into 2 inch pieces. Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a sauté pan to medium low. Add green beans. Cook, stirring frequently, until beans begin to brown. Add seasonings and water; cover and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cover from pan and let water evaporate. When liquid is almost all gone, add the grated cheese. Do not stir. Turn off heat and let cheese melt through and become crispy on the bottom of the pan.

Serves 4.

May 13, 2011: Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

Are you wondering what to do with that leftover chicken in your fridge and you’re tired of chicken salad sandwiches? How about making quick and easy individual chicken pot pies for dinner?

The other day at my women’s Bible study meeting, our hostess, Phyllis, was giving away several old cooking magazine she no longer wanted. Being the foodie that I am, I jumped at the chance to take them home. As I was thumbing through a Southern cooking issue from last Thanksgiving, I found several recipes for pot pies. Although I usually think of this dish as a comfort food for cooler weather, I had some leftover chicken and it sounded good right now (besides, it’s been staying rather cool here and doesn’t feel at all like spring).

I took a conglomeration of those pot pie recipes and turned them into this one, simple dish that was perfect for using up all the leftovers in my fridge. Don’t feel compelled to use the same vegetables I did; nearly anything you’ve got on hand will work nicely.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

4 T. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup half and half
¼ cup chicken stock (if necessary to thin sauce)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cooked cauliflower florets
2 red potatoes, cooked, peeled, and chopped
2 cups chicken, shredded
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 4 individual baking dishes, including the rims. Take the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and thaw at room temperature while preparing the pot pie filling.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the soup, half and half, and chicken stock and heat through. Add remaining ingredients, up until puff pastry, and stir until combined. Divide mixture between the four prepared dishes.

The dough on these was a little too thick - next time I will roll it out thinner so it completely covers the top of the bowls.

Place the puff pastry sheets onto a floured surface and cut into fourths. Lightly roll out the sheets so they fit your baking dishes (the thinner the better it will cook) and place over the top of the chicken filling in each dish. Press down lightly so it covers the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.

February 11, 2011: Beef Stew for a Cold Night’s Meal

There are few meals better on a bitterly cold winter’s night than a good, hearty stew. I’ve spent some time perfecting my recipe, making a thick and rich stew that’s more than enough to fill up my hungry husband.

The beauty of making stew is that it costs very little and goes a long way. You can use the cheapest cuts of meat (not just packages labeled “stew meat”, nearly any tough cut is perfect for the low, slow cooking method).

This recipe is best made in a crock pot (adjustable temperature crock pots with very low to very high settings work best) but you could also use a Dutch oven and roast it in a low temp oven.

Beef Stew

2 T. vegetable oil
½ - 1 pound beef cut into medium-sized chunks
Salt and pepper
¼ cup flour
½ white or yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1 large carrot or 5 baby carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large or 2 small ribs celery, leafy greens included, thickly sliced
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 – 2 ½ cups water
2 averaged-sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks
1 T. butter, softened
1 T. flour

Take a crock pot and turn it up to high heat. Add the oil and let it get warm.

Sprinkle the beef chunks with salt and pepper. Toss them in the flour, then add the meat to the heated oil in the crock pot. Lightly brown the meat, for about 15 minutes, if your crock pot is able to reach a high enough heat. If you are pressed for time or using a crock pot with only low heat settings, brown the meat in a saucepan and then add to the crock pot. Tip: The former method saves you from cleaning an extra pan.

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the meat mixture, stirring to coat. Add the package of dry soup mix and the water, stir to mix (the measurement is approximate; add enough water to cover all the ingredients plus about an inch). Toss in the cubed potatoes. Cover and cook on medium-low for about 6 hours.

Fifteen minutes before serving, mix together the softened butter and flour to form a roux. Turn the crock pot on high and stir in the roux. Let cook for another 15 minutes, until the stew thickens. Serve with French bread, rolls, or biscuits.

Tip: Use any vegetables you have on hand for this stew: leftover corn, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc.

February 1, 2011: Cold Weather Italian Dinner – Calzones and Minestrone

When it’s chilly outside, what’s better than hot soup and sandwiches? Most of us consider tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches comfort food, but this combination of Italian favorites takes that old standby and kicks it up a notch.

Since it’s only my husband and I eating, this recipe is enough for two people, although it makes six calzones (freeze the leftovers for a healthier, homemade “Hot Pocket” – great for a quick lunch).

Pizza Calzones

Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 ¼ t. yeast
1 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 ½ cups flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
Garlic salt (optional)

In the warmed bowl of an stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the olive oil, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Process on speed 2 for about 2 minutes; gradually add the remaining half cup of flour. Continue processing on speed 2 until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Turn dough out into greased bowl; cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Note: If making by hand, mix ingredients as directed in a large bowl. When mixed, turn out onto floured surface and knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic.

Punch down dough and separate into 6 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface.

Pizza Filling:
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pillow package pepperoni
5 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
10 – 12 large black olives, sliced
1 8-ounce package shredded Italian cheese blend

In small saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add diced garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms are soft, add the diced tomatoes and cook on low until most of the liquid is reduced. Toss in the sliced black olives.

Assemble Calzones:

For each circle of dough, place 8 – 10 pepperoni slices on lower half, spoon one-sixth of the sauce with vegetables over the pepperoni, then top with one-sixth of the cheese. Fold the top of the dough circle over the bottom and press edges together with the tines of a fork (use your fingers to seal the edge if necessary). Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with garlic salt (if using). Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake in oven heated to 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Minestrone Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ white onion, medium dice
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can vegetable broth
1 smallish carrot, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small can green beans (or about 1 cup frozen green beans)
1 – 2 t. Italian seasoning blend
½ - 1 cup water
1 dry cup salad macaroni (or macaroni variety of your choice)

Heat the olive oil in medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onion. Cook for a couple minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, through Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about half an hour. Add the water if the soup is too thick and return to boil. Add the uncooked macaroni and boil over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, until the macaroni is al dente.

Tip: Start the two dishes at the same time. Get your saucepan and pot out, heat and add the olive oil to each, then toss one clove garlic and the mushrooms in the saucepan and one clove garlic plus the diced onion in the pot. Divide the can of stewed tomatoes between them when ready. The calzone sauce will be done first, but you can keep it warm while you prepare the dough.