Author: featherheadlady

Christmas Jam

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Last Fall I came across a recipe for Christmas Jam. What was particularly intriguing to me was the use of cranberries and the warm spices. This is the time of year that fresh cranberries are available in the supermarkets, and I always buy several pounds so I can make whole cranberry sauce. I feel like chicken dishes need a side of cranberry sauce! When I canned my applesauce last Fall I threw in some cranberries along with the apples. The cranberries added a little color and gave it some nice pops of flavor. So this jam recipe really appealed to me. The tartness of the cranberries, in combination with the other berries, makes this jam particularly tasty. And when you add in the orange zest and the spices it does make this jam taste like a holiday!

Ingredients:

30 ounces of berries (I weighed out 10 oz of each)

Cranberries, blueberries, and strawberries

1 T orange zest

1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

1 package sure jell

1/2 cup water

small pat of butter

4 cups sugar

Coarsley chop your fruit. I used my mini ninja, and they were perfect after a few pulses. You don’t want to purée them.

In a heavy stainless pot combine the chopped fruit, water, spices, orange zest, and sure jell. Add a small pat of butter to reduce the foam.

Over medium high heat bring the berry mixture to a full boil stirring constantly. Once it boils add the sugar and bring it back up to a boil stirring occasionally. Once it is back at a boil, boil for one minute without stirring. Remove the pan from the heat.

Ladle the jam into sterilized jars leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Seal with lids and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove the jars to cool on a towel and let them sit 24 hours. Make sure all of your jars have sealed before storing. If you have any that didn’t seal refrigerate them.

I got 8 jars per batch. Enjoy on toast, pancakes, as a filling for cookies, as an ice cream topping, or just a plain old PB&J. If you are inclined to share, add a festive ribbon or bow and you have a delightful holiday gift. Homemade is best!

NOTES: Stick with 10 oz of cranberries, but you could also use raspberries or blackberries. I also substituted ground ginger for the cinnamon in my second batch. I like my jam to have some chunks of fruit but, if you prefer, you can do a finer chop on the berries.

Ramen and Veg

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The ramen experience! Everyone has had ramen. You can always tell when school is starting because grocery stores, particularly in college towns, have cases of ramen on an end cap! An inexpensive, satisfying, and easy to prepare meal for young people living on their own. Years ago when I was still working, a friend and coworker brought a ramen salad to a potluck we were having. The ramen in that salad is just crumbled, not cooked. The dressing hydrates it, but it still has a little crunch. After visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden Christmas light show our daughter and son-in-law took us to a restaurant that specializes in Ramen dishes (and served wonderful sushi and cocktails). After a cold, rainy walk the hot ramen was especially delicious. This doesn’t replicate the dish we had at the Torino Ramen in Wilmette, and it’s nothing like my friend’s salad recipe, or the ramen of your college days, but it is a tasty version of a ramen dish. We had this as a meal in itself, but it would also be a good side dish with a protein. This is a modified version of a recipe I saw online and, like most savory recipes, it can be further modified based on personal preferences.

Ingredients:

2 blocks of ramen

2 carrots matchsticked

2 cups of broccoli florets

1/2 red bell pepper sliced

1 cup snap peas

1 cup edamame

1 generous tsp each of ginger, paprika, Korean chili flakes, cumin and garlic

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 cups broth (I used chicken broth from Better than Bouillon)

1 T soy sauce

This is prepared stovetop in a large pot with a lid. Wash and prep your vegetables and add them to the pot along with the noodles. If you’re using the individual ramen packets discard the flavor packets.

In a bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the coconut milk, broth, and spices and pour it over the noodles and vegetables. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stopping halfway through to stir. You don’t want to overcook the noodles or the vegetables.

Plate, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy.

NOTE: Another recipe that can be modified based on ingredients you have on hand. The spice level is moderate. The next time I make this I will add some yellow miso paste. Miso is fermented soybean paste, and it adds great umami flavor.

Dumplings in Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

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This is something that I found scrolling reels on Instagram, a favorite past time of mine. To me, what makes cooking fun and interesting is experimenting with new recipes. To be honest, this was my first time using curry paste. I’ve used curry powder before which is typically used in Indian cuisine, but I’m a little scared of using too much heat in dishes. Particularly dishes I plan on eating. The red curry paste is make from chilis, is frequently used in Thai dishes, and it’s got a major kick. At least for me. There’s spice that makes your eyes water and takes your breath away, and there’s spice that’s a flavor bomb and enhances the dish. I’d say the red curry paste is in the middle. I need to train my palate. I’m working on it. I did cut the paste in half when I made this recipe. I usually have pot stickers aka dumplings in the freezer. Occasionally we have them for a quick lunch with a dipping sauce. This recipe comes together pretty quickly, and fed two of us plus leftovers. As with most savory recipes it’s a good outline that can be modified based on taste preferences and what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 14oz can of full fat coconut milk

2 T red Thai curry paste (I used 1 T, but suit yourself)

2-3 cloves of minced garlic

3 T soy sauce

2 T agave

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1-2 cups of broccoli florets

3 cups of chopped bok choy

15 frozen pot stickers/dumplings (flavor of your choice)

1/4 cup green onions chopped for garnish

sesame seeds for garnish

1-2 T chili crisp for more heat (I omitted)

Preheat your oven to 375. Use a 3.5 quart oven safe casserole dish. Put the milk, curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, and agave into the casserole pan and whisk together until everything is incorporated.

Once you’ve whisked the sauce ingredients wash and chop your vegetables.

Toss your vegetables in the sauce to evenly coat them. Nestle in the potstickers.

Spoon some of the sauce over each dumpling. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes. The potstickers went in frozen so check for doneness after 30 minutes. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Add chili crisp if you have a notion to. We enjoyed this with a little jasmine rice.

NOTE: Feel free to change out some of the vegetables. Cabbage, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, or sweet onions would be good additions or substitutions. I discovered super easy to use ginger paste at Aldi, and I keep jarred minced garlic in the fridge for a time saver because why not?!

Chocolate Beet Cake

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We used to regularly go out for breakfast on Sunday mornings, but since we adopted Leo, our rescue pup, I’ve been making our bacon and eggs at home. After breakfast and clean up I enjoy watching a couple of shows on the food network…Mary Makes it Easy, The Kitchen, and, most recently, Girl Meets Farm with Molly Yeh. Molly lives on a farm on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, and is a Juilliard music major turned food blogger. Her blog became very popular, and Saveur named her Food Blogger of the Year in 2015. This is a recipe from a recent episode of Girl Meets Farm that sounded very interesting, and I had to try it. We have a group of friends that we regularly get together with on Saturday nights, and we were celebrating three birthdays. It was a perfect time to try Molly’s Chocolate Beet Cake recipe. When I served it I left out the part about the beets because we have anti-veg folks as well as people who just plain old don’t like beets. I have made a chocolate sauerkraut cake and a chocolate zucchini cake before, but using beets never occurred to me. Save for a couple of slices the cake was devoured. Chocolate meets beets for a delicious smash up! Full credit for this recipe goes to Molly Yeh! Thank you for sharing your food Molly.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup (100 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

8 oz beets (1 1/2 cups) raw, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream at room temperature

3/4 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature

4 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp instant espresso powder

1 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, soft but not melted

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

zest of one orange

4 large eggs at room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350° and grease three 8” round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. In a high-speed blender whiz together the cocoa powder and boiling water. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes to bloom the cocoa and allow the mixture to cool a bit.

Add the beets and blend to a smooth purée.

Add the heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla and blend until just combined. Do not over blend.

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour and baking powder and lightly stir in the espresso powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer cream together the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and orange zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Reduce the speed to low and add the dry mixture and heavy cream mixture in 2 or 3 alternating additions, mixing until mostly combined. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish up the mixing, making sure to evenly mix without over mixing.

Distribute the batter among the 3 pans, spreading it out evenly with the bottom of a spoon or offset spatula.

Bake until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then loosen the edges with a butter knife, and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If necessary level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife. Once the cakes have cooled you’re ready to ice and assemble.

I used my standard cream cheese icing. Molly Yeh used a similar icing as well. If you prefer chocolate on chocolate that would be great too. Slice and enjoy.

NOTE: A great way to get vegetables into your kids, and even into non-veg adults.

I used melting chocolate and a piping bag to write the celebrants names, Patti, Chuck, and Chellie. I piped the names onto wax paper and kept them in the freezer until I was ready to serve the cake.

Mango and Black Bean Salsa

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Twenty five or more years ago we ate dinner at a lovely bistro in Chelsea, Michigan called the Common Grill. I enjoyed a fish dish that was served with a side of mango salsa. As I recall the fish was excellent, but to me the salsa was the star. This recipe is my attempt to replicate those beautiful bright flavors. I have made this countless times and it’s great served with pork, fish of course including fish tacos, or all by itself with some crispy, salty corn chips. Mangos not only taste delicious, but they are high in Vitamins A and C, contain potassium, and they’re a good source of fiber. Black beans are a good source of protein, fiber, and they are one of my favorite beans. It’s always a bonus when you can enjoy something so tasty that’s actually good for you. And it’s so pretty!

Ingredients:

2 ripe mangos diced

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1/4 cup red onion diced

juice of 2 limes

1 cup cilantro rough chopped

drizzle of olive oil

salt to taste

Prep all of your ingredients. To me, the most challenging part is peeling and chopping the mangos. You want the dice to be similar in size to the beans.

Once everything has been prepped combine the mango, beans, onion, and cilantro in a medium size bowl. Juice the limes and stir to combine. Add a little drizzle of olive oil and salt to taste.

Enjoy!!

NOTE: If you want the flavors kicked up a bit you can add some fresh diced jalapeños or habaneros. Best made up at least an hour or two before serving to allow the flavors to marry. Keep refrigerated.

Pork and Ramen

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I haven’t blogged anything in months, largely because we adopted a rescue pup just prior to Thanksgiving, and he’s turned our lives a little upside down. His name is Leo, and I tell people all the time that Leo is A LOT, but that really is an understatement. Hopefully with these few months under our belts as Leo’s new parents things will calm down. Hopefully. And I have missed working on my blog. In addition to sharing recipes with people, blogging keeps recipes I enjoy making and we enjoy eating where I can actually find them. Sometimes I find ideas and inspiration from instagram reels and other online sites, make notation on little slips of paper, and then waste time searching for those pieces of inspiration. This pork and ramen recipe is my interpretation of something I saw on Instagram. It comes together quickly, can be modified based on ingredients you have on hand, and is a simple yet delicious meal.

Ingredients:

2 packages of ramen (w/o seasoning)

1 cup of broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 T toasted sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 T ginger grated

1 cup green onions chopped

1 cup bell pepper sliced

1 T cornstarch with 2 T water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sesame Seeds for serving

Anyone who cooks on a regular basis knows that whatever you’re cooking comes together much faster when the ingredients have been prepped before you get started. Now that everything is ready, cook the ground meat in a large skillet over medium high heat until browned.

Once the meat has browned add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Stir until combined. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer.

Once it’s simmering add the ramen, peppers, and green onions. Simmer for about five minutes until the noodles are tender.

Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I did a quick stir fry of pea pods and served the meat and ramen over the pea pods. Super easy and super tasty! A quick stir fry of broccoli, bok choy, or cabbage would also all be good additions.

NOTE: Ground beef or chicken could be substituted for ground pork. I used Better than Bouillon Chicken broth but you could substitute vegetable or beef broth.

I usually buy a large knob of ginger, cut and peel it, and store it in the freezer. Recently I discovered tubes of ginger which are so convenient and easy to use.

Bean and Sausage Soup

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Another “it’s soup weather” recipe, and I do love soup weather. I’ve been making this soup for years, and I’m pretty sure it was a recipe I found on a jar of Randall’s beans. I must tell you, a jar of Randall’s beans is a great grocery find. They are perfect for soup, refried beans, and baked beans. Randalls do the soaking and cooking for us…so easy to use and delicious to eat. Beans are a great source of plant protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and they’re low in fat. As an added benefit, beans are great colon cleansers. 🙂 All beans are considered legumes, but not all legumes are considered beans. For instance peanuts are not really nuts, they are actually legumes…edible seeds that grow in pods. Personally, beans and nuts are more appetizing words than legumes, so bean soup it is.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound smoked sausage of your choice

6 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of diced onion

1 cup of diced celery

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

28 oz of diced tomatoes

48 oz jar Randall’s mixed beans

kale or spinach (optional)

Prep all of the veggies and cut the sausage into half moons.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven and sweat the veggies for a couple minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme.

Add the sausage, the tomatoes, and the broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30-45 minutes. Drain the jar of beans and add them to the soup pot.

If desired, add a few handfuls of chopped kale or spinach.

Continue to simmer for 10 minutes or so until the greens are wilted, and the beans are heated.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy. Delicious!

NOTE: Great served with some crusty bread and a bit of fresh grated parmigiana. I used Michigan smoked sausage from Dearborn, but feel free to use your favorite. You can also add additional vegetables like diced carrots or potatoes.

If you want to kick up the flavor a bit, add some red pepper flakes.

Caramel and Heath Bars

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My husband loves sweets, and Heath Bars are one of his favorite candy bars. So I modified a bar cookie recipe to incorporate toffee pieces with caramel, and they were a big hit. Here’s a bit of Heath trivia for you. Heath Bars were born in the USA. They were first manufactured in 1928 in Robinson, Illinois by two brothers, Bayard and Everett Heath. Their confectionery business was called Heath & Sons Inc., and the chocolate bars were marketed as “America’s Finest” with people traveling from afar to get some. When the Heath family sold the confectionary business and started a dairy farm, the brothers brought their candy making equipment with them. The dairymen delivering milk and cheese added Heath Toffee to the list of items customers could order. The Heath Bar also made an appearance in the supplies of fighters during World War II. Hershey began manufacturing Heath Bars in 1996.

Ingredients

12 T butter, melted

1 cup AP flour

1 cup long cooking oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

11 oz bag baking caramels

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 oz bag of heath bar pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper sprayed with Pam. Pour the baking caramels into a microwave safe bowl along with the heavy cream, and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Once the caramel is melted set it aside. You can also melt your caramel stovetop in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all of the caramel pieces are melted and mixture is smooth.

In a medium size bowl combine melted butter with the flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and salt.

Stir well to combine. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 8×8 pan using a spatula to even it out. Set the remaining mixture aside. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle the Heath Bar pieces over the base.

Pour the melted caramel on top of the Heath Bar pieces. Scatter the remaining oat mixture as evenly as possible over the top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.

Cut into bars and enjoy.

NOTE: You can substitute chocolate chips or chocolate candy pieces like KitKats, Snickers, or Reese Peanut Butter Cups to equal 1 cup. You can see in the picture that I tossed in a few random pieces of KitKats. If your kiddos get too much chocolate this Halloween you know what to do…chop it up and make a pan of bars!

One of the tricks I’ve learned after years of making bar cookies is to always line my pan with parchment paper with an overhang. This makes lifting the bars out of the pan, cutting them, and cleaning the pan, SO MUCH easier.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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A few weeks ago on a Friday evening I decided to make a treat to send with my husband to a meeting he was attending the next day. Because it was late-ish I decided bars would be less time consuming than cookies. I looked through several recipes and modified a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I thought would work in a 9×13 pan. Initially I thought it might be a fail because as the bars cooled the center sank a bit and the sides seemed extra tall. But everyone loved them and they were gobbled up in no time. The side pieces are perfect for the people that love the crispy edge pieces, and the center is still soft and chewy for the people who, like my daughter, prefer center bites…like the cinnamon roll in the middle of the pan. Today I made another pan of these cookie bars to share with friends. Still less time consuming than individual cookies. Still have sides that are taller and crispier than the center. Still just as delicious.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups (405 g) all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 T cornstarch

18 T of butter melted

1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed

3 eggs

1 T vanilla

3 cups of chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli and combine milk and dark chocolate)

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper allowing for overhang. The parchment paper makes for easy clean up, no sticking, and the bars lift out easily for cutting.

Combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar together with the melted butter.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in the vanilla.

Dump the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture. Stir until combined. Set aside 1/2 cup of chips and stir the remaining 2 1/2 cups into the batter.

Evenly distribute the batter into your prepared pan. Use a spatula to even out the batter. Sprinkle the chips you set aside over the top.

If you’re into sweet and salty sprinkle some salt flakes on top of the batter. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown.

Allow them to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

NOTE: You can change up the chips based on personal preference…butterscotch, peanut butter, white chocolate, or any combination. This recipe would also be good with some chopped walnuts. I always freeze some individual bars and other desserts in case someone is looking for a midnight snack. These freeze nicely.

Zucchini Ravioli

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I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I am hooked on Instagram reels, particularly food reels. I was intrigued by these little ravioli pockets made with zucchini, and since I had a plan to can tomato sauce yesterday, I decided it was a perfect day to try my hand at these “healthier” ravioli. And to test my sauce. This is the time of year that zucchini is very plentiful, but you don’t want to use the giant ones. Save those for making breads and cakes and savory dishes like ratatouille. The pockets were fun and easy to make. I must admit that ravioli made with homemade pasta trumps zucchini ravioli by a smidge, but I thought these were delicious. And if you’re counting calories, all the better! Love experimenting with new things…and even happier when they are a success.

Filling Ingredients:

15 oz of ricotta

1 egg

1 1/2 cups of mozzarella

3/4 cup fresh grated parmigiana

1 1/2 cups of chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)

2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

tomato sauce of your choosing

And 3 medium size zucchini

Add all of the filling ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir well to combine.

I used a mandolin to slice my zucchini but you could also use a peeler. You want the slices to be nice and thin to get a good fold.

Preheat your oven to 375. Start forming your ravioli. Take two zucchini ribbons and crisscross them. Put a generous tablespoon of filling in the center and fold the ends over to form a pocket.

The filling and zucchini made approximately 2 dozen ravioli.

I lined a jelly roll pan with heavy foil (for easy clean-up) and spread about a cup of sauce in the pan. Arrange the ravioli on top of the sauce.

Add a dollop of sauce on top of each pocket.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serve with a nice salad and some garlic bread, and enjoy a delicious, healthy, almost diet worthy dinner!

NOTE: You can modify the filling based on personal preference. My filling recipe is basically the filling I use for stuffed shells and lasagna. Fresh parsley or basil could be substituted for the spinach.

Prefer an Alfredo over a red sauce…that would be delicious as well.