Sunday, August 23, 2009

Strawberry muffins



Strawberry muffins

quick & easy.

1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1/3 C veggie oil
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 1/2 c chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Grease muffin cups or line with liners

combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder.
place veggie oil in a 1 cup measuring cup, add egg adn top off with milk to equal 1 cup.

mix with flour mixture... fold in strawberries

Bake 20 -25 minutes in preheated oven or until done.

Monday, August 17, 2009

We love homemade Ketchup

Everyone asks me for my ketchup recipe, but I can't take the credit.
Here's the recipe below.
Good old Ball blue book recipe.



Tomato ketchup (Ball Blue Book of Preserving)

(yield: about 3 pints)

4 quarts chopped, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 24 large)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper (about ½ medium)
1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ cups vinegar

Combine tomatoes, onion, and pepper in a large saucepot. Cook until tomatoes are tender. Purée using a food processor or food mill. Cook purée rapidly until thick and reduced by one-half. Tie whole spices in a spice bag. Add spice bag, sugar, salt and paprika to tomato mixture. Simmer 25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove spice bag. Ladle hot ketchup into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Chinese Chicken salad

Ina Garten gets all the credit on this one. She's amazing, and we miss the Barefoot Contessa store we had here desperately...

This is a favorite for picnics, and family gatherings.. Very delicious.

Chinese Chicken salad.

Ingredients

  • 4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
  • Good olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
  • 2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Marinated Cucmbers

I just picked 6 cucumbers out of my garden because I was craving these! We LOVE them. give it a try, Tell me what you think...



Marinated Cucumbers

Ingredients

6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar ( I prefer agave)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard

Combine the cucs and onion, and in a small bowl mix all other ingredients mix well, and pour over, stir, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours... but better the next day!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Rhubarb Chutney



So Easy, and yummy. I love chutneys, and this was very easy. You could cut the sugar, but I found a bit more than 1 1/2 cups, helped cut a slightly to tangy chutney.... if you don't want so much sugar in it I would cut the cider vinegar a little. A bit to tangy for me. but it has a well rounded taste of sweet, sour and salt over all...
thinking about it now, I might (next time) add a little jalapeno and or ginger
to it for a little kick.... (hmmm? stay tuned I may make another batch!)
depends on what you like. I like it to hit every taste bud....

Rhubarb Chutney
  • 3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tsp salt
throw it all in a heavy pot and let it boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Sterilize some pint jars or which ever size you like, lids and bands. Pout into jars, wipe rims clean, put on lids and bands and turn up side down to cool, they will seal themselves.... makes about 2 pints.

try it first as is, then go back and try other added flavors.... for a fast easy yummy chutney, this is a good one.

Rhubarb cookies



RHUBARB COOKIES

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups diced fresh rhubarb

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 cup soft cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups confectioners' sugar


preheat oven to 350 degrees
cream shortening and brown sugar and then the eggs.
Separately, mix the flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to creamed mixture.
stir in rhubarb, it will be a bit stiff... then form medium size dollops and place on cookie sheet.
bake for about 15 minutes, let cool.
frost with cream cheese frosting if you like. keep in fridge, or freeze.

It is a cake like cookie. Very yummy! You could even add strawberries to these to if you liked! or some pecans! Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb muffins


I was in the mood for Strawberry adn Rhubarb, ANYTHING. So I thougthI'd make some
Strawberry rhubarb muffins, then freeze them, so when I want a treat for breakfast, I toss one in the microwave, and away I go...

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 c oil
2 eggs
1 cup strawberries chopped
1 cup rhubarb chopped
cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top.

preheat oven @ 400, butter/grease muffin tins.

mix first 4 ingredients. Separately, mix milk oil and eggs, then add to dry ingredients, stir lightly, and mix in strawberries and rhubarb. then pour into muffin tin, not quite full...
Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon over the top....bake 15-20 minutes.