Cranberry Sauces/ Jellies

(image from here)

Cranberries might just be my favorite fruit. While it’s hard to beat the warm sultry sweetness of a ripe peach in the middle of summer, something about the crisp tartness of the cranberry really makes me happy. I will eat them in almost anything. Beyond muffins with orange zest, cranberries are fantastic in stuffings and sauces or even alone. (I know I’m in the vast minority by thinking that they are delicious – if puckery – on their own.) So, at a time when you may still be able to get cranberries in the supermarket (or maybe you have some left over),  I bring you this post-Thanksgiving post dedicated to cranberries. This year I made huge batches so that I could have left over jars of these “sauces” glittering like rubies in my cupboard. Although I like them that much, the recipes here make a reasonable quantity.

BASIC CRANBERRY SAUCE
This is really more of a jelly.

1 lb cranberries
2 c sugar
2 c water

1. Rinse and pick through the cranberries in a colander to remove any leaves, stems or rotten berries

2. Combine the ingredients in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Boil until all of the berries pop and mash them thoroughly with a potato masher.

3. Strain through a colander lined with cheese cloth or a fine sieve over a large bowl. Squeeze the skins to release and catch all of the juice. Return to the pan and boil for another 5-10 minutes, until the mixture feels like a thick broth.

4. Pour into sterile jars and cool. You may choose to finish canning these properly or just to stick them in the fridge once they are cool.

SPICED CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
1 c lightly chopped cranberries
1 c peeled, coarsely chopped, tart baking apples (I used Pink Lady, but Granny Smith would be good too)
2/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c water
1/4 c minced onion
1 tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 – 1/4 tsp salt

1. Combine everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Uncover and simmer for a few more minutes to thicken the mixture.

3. Pour into clean canning jars and cool and keep in the fridge or can properly.

Warm Potato Salad with Feta

I can’t get enough of this potato salad.  It’s pretty basic but very tasty and  it’s good warm or cold.

1 lb mixed chopped potatoes (I use fingerling, red skin, and purple)
3/4 cup chopped feta cheese
one bunch chopped green onions
4-5 grated carrots
1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
small handful chopped fresh dill
Black pepper
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3–4 tbsp lemon juice (depending on how tangy you like it)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove finely chopped garlic

Boil the potatoes until tender.  In a large bowl add feta, carrots, green onions, pepper, dill and pepper to the potatoes and mix.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and then pour over the potato salad.

Fig Walnut Honey Tart

I’ve never had fresh figs before and was craving them.  I’ve decided they are delicious.

Ingredients
1 recipe for single pie crust
1 pint fresh Black Mission figs, sliced thinly
handful coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardammon

Layer the sliced figs onto the crust, followed by the chopped walnuts.

In a small saucepan heat the honey on low and stir in the cinnamon and cardamon.  Drizzle over the top of the pie.

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes or until the crust is cooked.

How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food

Bittman, M. (2008). How to cook everything: 2,000 simple recipes for great food. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

How to cook everything : 2,000 simple recipes for great food (Book, 2008) [WorldCat.org].

This is the cookbook I’m going to tell you a little about.  But, first of all, let me point out that I’ve been a member of this blog since 13 February 2009 and this is my first post. I apologize to all of you.

So, to the book.

I haven’t always been a fan of Mark Bittman. There was some talk over on his blog about how small his kitchen is and he did a follow up article. I thought he was full of crap but he really DOES have a small kitchen (as small as any I’ve ever had) and has some really spectacular recipes. I picked up How to Cook Everything from the library this fall and use it all the time.

The recipes are simple to follow and require less time than some from New Best Recipe (which I still adore, by the way). I made Bittman’s Anadama bread. I’ve never made bread by hand before this (well, technically, I did work at a folk dance camp where I made bread for 150+ but that’s an entirely different experience). He includes good illustrations and basic instructions on things like quartering chickens, brining, deep-frying and  more. I’m going to purchase it for my home!

Indian-esque Baked Tofu

I started making this when I worked at Brighter Day in Savannah. They make a number of different variations in the deli (as well as a multitude of other tasty things) which I have adopted at home. The thing I like about baked tofu is the way that it firms up. It isn’t at all wobbly, and you don’t even have to press it because the moisture evaporates in the oven. This dish isn’t a meal in and of itself, but it goes well with green, grain or bean salads and other sorts of small tapa-like sides.

1 block extra firm tofu
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cardamom
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander seed
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp hulled sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper

1. Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes.

2. Combine and toss in a bowl with the oil and then all of the other ingredients. The tofu should be pretty well coated with spices, so if you need to add more than the amounts I’ve given, don’t be shy.

3. Spread the cubes out in a single layer on a baking sheet, making sure there is enough room between them.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 F.  Remove the tray from the oven and flip the cubes (they should be starting to brown). Return to the oven for another 15-20  minutes.

Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

Shiitake and Wild Rice Risotto

This week, I went to the wednesday farmer’s market to get sun gold cherry tomatoes and came back instead with a bunch of leeks, an eggplant and some shiitake mushrooms. It’s hard to resist beautiful produce.

I used to really hate mushrooms, but Matt loves them, so I’ve been making an effort and warming up to them slowly. In spite of this, I wasn’t sure about the flavor or strength of shiitakes, so I talked to the farmer a little bit. I also asked my brother about them (he’s a chef). Armed with a little more information, I headed into the kitchen. Here, I have to admit that I am a little bit of a mycophobe. Every time I chop mushrooms I wonder if they are really the type they’re supposed to be and if I am going to poison us by cooking with them. I recognize that this is irrational, but it’s true. After my first bite of this risotto, which was improvised but based on an existing recipe, my fears (mostly) melted away and I exclaimed, “I think I love shiitake mushrooms.” I hope you will love them this way too.

2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 oz. fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, chopped into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces
2 1/2 c wild rice mix (I got mine, a blend of about five varieties – from the bulk section of my health food store)
6-8 c veggie broth
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter with the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until they are soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms stir for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are softer and have deepened a little in color. Meanwhile, heat the broth separately.

Pour in the rice and stir until it is completely coated in butter.

Add the broth in 1/2 c increments, stirring frequently/ constantly between each addition. The broth from the previous addition should be absorbed before you add more. If 6-8 c of broth is not enough liquid, add hot water to supplement.

When the rice is still slightly al dente, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan.

Serve hot.

A few notes: This is much more filling than it looks. We are both good eaters and each of us finished only half of what we served ourselves. Also, wild rice + risotto = very long cooking time. Make sure you have a few hours to set aside for this. It’s worth it, though. I promise.

The Failed Yogurt Experiment

Over on my personal blog, I wrote about my yogurt-making experiment. If you would like to read it, or see more pictures of the pretty glass jars involved in the process, you can do so here and here.

‘Nola Bars & Update

I have decided to change the format of my other blog  (ameliaroberts.wordpress.com) to include a recipe column on fridays. As a result, I’m not sure how much I will be posting here from now on. Today, over at my personal blog, I posted my recipe for granola (‘nola) bars. They are pretty delicious. Keep checking in for any new additions.

Warm Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas are probably my favorite bean. Although it’s hard for me to play favorites. I threw this together tonight for a potluck. I had planned to make a Sardianian chickpea salad that I had saved the recipe for, but I was in a rush and didn’t want to start up my computer to find it. What I made ended up being more similar to foul madamas, which is something I love to get from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant.

1 c dried chick peas, soaked and then cooked (I think this works out to about two small cans’ worth…)
4 cloves garlic, crushed or diced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme
1-2 bay leaves
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
a handful of pine nuts
juice from 2-3 lemons
1/2 c roughly chopped fresh parsely
salt & pepper, to taste

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute 3 of the 4 cloves of garlic in the oil. When it is just beginning to brown, add the chick peas and stir.

2. Add the tomato, thyme and bay leaves, as well as the pine nuts. When the juice from the tomato is beginning to evaporate, add the lemon juice and parsely.

3. Cook, stirring frequently, until the juice has reduced by half. Then, add the parsely and the last clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about another two minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Coconut Delight Cookies

So, I have been baking a lot lately. If there was a graph to show how much cooking vs. baking lately, the baking bar would be taller. By a lot. I came up with this recipe one night a few weeks ago in a “what would happen if…” kind of mood… and I declared them a success.

1 c all purpose flour
½ c whole wheat flour
1 c toasted shredded coconut
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda

6 tbsp butter
1/3 c coconut cream (the coconut milk solid taken from the top of a can of coconut milk)
½ c crunchy peanut butter
½ c brown sugar
¼ c granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla

1. Cream together the butter, coconut cream and peanut butter. Add in the sugars, egg and vanilla.

2. Mix together the other ingredients and add to the peanut butter mixture.

3. Chill for a half hour and preheat the oven to 350.

4. Roll and cut or form into drop cookies and press down on the top with a fork.* Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown.

*for cut cookies this is purely aesthetic, but for peanut butter drop cookies, being flat helps them bake more evenly.