Bourbon Brown Sugar Mustard

As long as I was filling the canner for the cranberry ketchup, I decided to make mustard.  I finally finished off last year's, which took about four months longer than I was expecting, but I did make a lot of mustard last year between the fig and wholegrain versions.  This recipe was originally slated for late spring.

I've had the recipe from a guest post at Food in Jars bookmarked for several years.  When I went back to find it, it had been updated into a Dijon recipe.  After a comment and emailing Marisa of Food in Jars, the post was restored.  She didn't realize it had been removed on the last edit.  So here's the link, recipe courtesy of Kaela Porter of Local Kitchen.  It is a variation of Ball's Oktoberfest Beer Mustard, so I feel comfortable using it for canning.

Mustard seed is increasingly difficult to find because much of it comes from Ukraine.  Did not know that before this year.  I still have my bulk seeds from last year, which with hindsight was a much better buy than it appeared at the time.  One thing about buying in bulk is it avoids random shortages.  I still prefer to buy smaller quantities of ingredients when possible, but that just isn't a viable strategy these days.

After some consideration, I decided to make a half recipe, and that's what I'm going to post here.  I just couldn't bring myself to put a full cup of bourbon in the saucepan.  Reducing the yield brings it down to something that can be consumed at a single party, or within a month for a family.  There are still canning instructions for those who wish to process it.  And if you want to put up a lot, definitely double it back to the original recipe.

Mustard is one of those things that tends to siphon when you can it.  Two out of three jars did, making a huge mess in the pot.  I probably filled them a little too much or over-tightened the bands when I put on the lids.  Once the mustard cooled, I transferred them to a single jar and froze it for another time.

*1/2 C bourbon
1/4 C filtered water
*1/2 C brown mustard seeds
*1/4 C cider vinegar
*3 Tb mustard powder (or ground yellow mustard seeds, measured after grinding)
1/4 C lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher or canning salt

1.  Combine bourbon, water, and mustard seeds in a small bowl.  Cover and allow to steep until nearly all the liquid is absorbed, 4 hours to overnight.

2.  If canning, prepare jars and water bath canner for a 1-1/2 C yield.  If refrigerating, find a non-reactive container, preferably glass.  Plastic might pick up permanent color or odor.

3.  Transfer soaked seeds to a food processor and run until as smooth as you like.  Somewhat grainy is just fine and looks rustic.  This could take 2-3 minutes.  Add vinegar, mustard powder, brown sugar, and salt and run again until well combined.

4.  Pour slurry into a small saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to desired thickness, keeping in mind how much of the alcohol you want to boil off.  Be careful, your eyes are going to burn.  The mustard will thicken more on cooling, so leave it a little drippy.  About 3-5 minutes of boiling should do it.  Carefully taste (it's hot!) and add salt or vinegar as needed to taste, or more water if too thick.  It's going to be bitter and terribly strong, because all mustard is before it ages.  That doesn't mean you ruined it.

5.  If canning, fill jars to a generous 1/4" headspace, closer to 1/2".  I did need my extra prepped jar because I added more water and vinegar.  Since it was not full, it went in the fridge.  Never process a half-filled jar, because headspace is part of the canning equation.  Debubble and adjust headspace if necessary.  Wipe rims, secure lids, and process 10 minutes.  Allow to sit in canner 5 minutes before removing.  Cool, remove rims, wipe jars, and store.  If refrigerating, transfer to container, wait for it to stop steaming, and put on a lid.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Keep in mind that mustards in general benefit from aging.  It's best to wait a few days for refrigerated and a few weeks for canned before using.

Makes 1-1/2 cups

Difficulty rating  :)

Autumn Beans and Rice

It hasn't cooled yet, but we all want to start eating Fall foods.  I was over with summer before it started.

This meal-in-a-bowl recipe is quick and easy, nutritious, and satisfying.  I chose to cook the beans from scratch, but you can open a can to cut significant time off the preparation.

Not directly part of the recipe, but I'm trying a new thing with store-bought cilantro.  I can never seem to use a whole bunch before it starts to get slimy and gross.  This isn't an issue in the winter and spring, when I go and pick whatever I want off my own plants.  I saw a hack that has you rolling the washed and dried greens in a towel and refrigerating.  It's supposed to work with any herb or leafy green.  Let you know in a few posts if it made it all the way through the two weeks I planned to need it.

I ended up putting a whole lot of garnishes on this one, then realized I hadn't put on the cheese, yogurt, or cilantro yet!  It was really good, and I loved finding new pockets of ingredients.  It felt like I had gone out to eat somewhere they build your salads or meal bowls.

*2/3 C dry pintos or black beans, or 1 can drained and rinsed
*1 C long grain rice
*1 C frozen corn
*1 C diced tomatoes
*1 avocado or frozen avocado chunks, for garnish
sour cream or Greek yogurt for garnish
*1/2 C shredded cheese of choice, for garnish
Other garnishes such as cilantro, olives, diced green onion, etc

1.  If cooking the beans from dry, soak 8 hours, drain, and simmer 2 hours.  I also added cumin, salt, paprika, and onion to mine during the simmer.  You could add those to canned beans as well, but it won't infuse them.

2.  Cook rice according to package directions.  Simmer or microwave corn according to package directions.  If you want to have this as a cold salad, steps 1 & 2 are do-aheads.

3.  While everything else is cooking, prepare your garnishes.  Chop tomatoes and onions, scoop avocado, shred cheese, etc.

4.  To assemble, spoon beans and rice into each side of serving or individual bowls.  Top with small piles of corn and other garnishes.  Add a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle on cheese, and finish with herbs.  Can be served at once or packed for a to-go lunch.

Difficulty rating  :)

Cranberry Ketchup

Ok, so I clearly bought too many cranberries last fall.  I threw a couple of bags in the freezer in case they were expensive again this year, but I still have plenty of home-canned cranberry sauce, enough to get me through Thanksgiving, and a jar of mincemeat for December.  Time to flip through the Ball book.

There were two interesting recipes using cranberries.  The cranberry mustard was kind of on the high side of cranberry vs mustard ratio, so I skipped to the cranberry ketchup, which came highly recommended.  Without going into a deep history of ketchup, let's just say that tomato has not always been the base of choice for the condiment.  Mushroom was popular until about 150 years ago.  The key is vinegar and spices on a lightly sugared fruit or vegetable base, puréed into a sauce intended to be spread or dipped and often served chilled.

The Ball recipe uses 11 cups of cranberries and makes 8 half-pint jars (one canner load) of sauce.  Yeah, don't need that much and don't have that many cranberries in the freezer.  I did the math on a 1/4 batch to use roughly one bag of cranberries.  There's a handful left that I can throw into something.  Huge relief that the math was easy except the garlic, so I just upped it from 1-1/4 cloves to 2 small.  Weird thing, the first of my home-grown garlic that I grabbed didn't have split cloves; it's just one bulb.  I got the next smallest and it did split.  The other change I made to the recipe was to add "or chili powder" to the cayenne line, because I don't use cayenne.  Even if I wasn't allergic, I prefer the smokiness of a small hint of chili powder.

*2-3/4 C cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 C chopped yellow or sweet onion
2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 Tb water
3/4 C lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 C vinegar (the recipe doesn't specify type, but make sure it is 5% acidity)
*1/2 tsp dry mustard
*1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp kosher or canning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
*1/8 tsp ground allspice
*1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder

1.  If canning, prepare canner, jars, and lids for a 1 pint yield.  I did four 4 oz jelly jars.  From the photo at the top, you can see that I always prepare one extra jar in case the yield is off.  It's easier than quickly washing and sterilizing one at the last moment.  The math on this recipe was perfect.  If storing in the fridge or freezer, I recommend a glass jar, or at least something non-reactive like ceramic.  Plastic is acceptable, but the aromas could leach into it.

2.  In a non-reactive saucepan, combine cranberries, onions, garlic, and water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, until cranberries pop and become soft.  This will take a little longer if you start from frozen.

3.  Process in food processor until smooth.  This was a small enough batch for me to use the mini processor on the blender.  Return to saucepan, straining if desired for a smoother consistency.  If you leave the little bits of onion and cranberry skin in there, everyone will know it's homemade.

4.  Add brown sugar, vinegar (I used white wine vinegar), and remaining spice ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture is almost the consistency of commercial ketchup, about 5 minutes.  Remember that cranberries will gel up, so the finished product will be thicker than you expect.

5.  If canning, ladle hot ketchup into jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary.  Wipe rims, center lids on jars, and screw down rings fingertip-tight.  Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.  Wait 5 minutes before removing jars to cool.  Remove bands after 24 hours, wipe clean, and store.  If not canning, allow to cool until no longer steaming.  Transfer to container and refrigerate or freeze.  Open jars keep in the refrigerator several weeks.  Freezer for 6 months.  Canned, 12-18 months.

Makes 1 pint

Difficulty rating  :)

Corned Beef Hash

This recipe is all about comfort food.  Some days, you just want salt and fat fried up together.  I made a side salad to reduce the guilt factor, but there isn't much salvation for this one.

The nice part about a hash is that most of the ingredients are pre-cooked leftovers.  Cook up some fresh onions and dump everything else in, stir-fry until warm.  If you want this for breakfast, crack an egg into it.  Maybe crumble some sausage or top with cheese.  Lunch and dinner, you can add peppers or other vegetables.  It's a meal in itself, but you could also have it with rice or bread and an additional veggie side.

2 Tb oil, bacon grease, or butter
*1/2 onion, chopped
1-1/2 lbs roasted potatoes, preferably Yukon or red
*1 lb cooked corned beef, cut in 1/2" chunks
salt and pepper to taste
garnishes such as mustard, cheese, eggs, bell peppers, or whatever you want

1.  Heat fat of choice in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-8 minutes.  If you are adding any other raw vegetable like bell pepper strips, add them to the pan now.

2.  Cut the roasted potatoes into 1/2" cubes, about the same size as the beef.  Add to the skillet and cook until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add corned beef and cook until everything is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Work in any additional garnishes and serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π

BBQ Quinoa Salad

This one was all about using up the canned corn.  I started looking through what I had, had half-used, and what really needed to be pulled from the garden.  What I ended up with was a cross between a quinoa tabouli, vegetarian taco salad, and bbq chicken salad minus the chicken.  Adding a can of chicken to this is a great idea, but I was on a vegetarian slot.

I admit, the main taste in this is the bbq sauce, so pick one you like.  I used the Victorian because there was half a jar in the fridge.  There's freshness from the parsley.  I should really use it more.  There's plenty in the garden.  But it was my last green onion.  I planted a few of the seeds from the one I let bolt.  Several sprouted, but the heat wave killed most of them.  I'll plant a few more once it looks like the 85º+ temperatures are done.  It was a hugely successful experiment that has saved me a lot of money over the past year.

*1 C dry quinoa, I used tri-color
*1 14 oz can corn, drained
*1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
*2 green onions
1 dry pint grape tomatoes
1 small can (5 oz?) sliced black olives
*1/2 C BBQ sauce
*1 C shredded or 4 oz crumbled cheese of choice

1.  Rinse quinoa thoroughly and cook according to package directions.  Even if what I bought says pre-rinsed, I still rinse them again to get rid of any soap-like saponins.  Fluff grains and chill until ready to assemble salad.

2.  chop parsley leaves into manageable bits.  Finely chop the green onions.  Slice the grape tomatoes in half.

3.  To assemble, toss together the quinoa, chopped parsley and onions, and drained corn.  Transfer into a serving bowl or individual salad bowls.

4.  On top of the salad, sprinkle olives, tomato halves, and about 2 Tb barbecue sauce per serving.  Top with sprinkles of cheese and serve.

Difficulty rating  π

Freezer Banking

I tend to talk a lot about pantry management as it pertains to what's in the shelf-stable storage.  That was the worst part of the food issue when I took over my mom's inventory.  Other than a few mentions of her mismanaged freezer, I pretty much ignore that aspect of meal planning.

I don't like to buy in bulk without a plan.  But these days, I find myself picking up anything that is a good deal with a reasonable shelf life or one I can extend with proper storage.  When chicken breasts were 99¢ per pound, I bought four of them.  Felt like I was stealing.  Smart & Final had ground beef for $2.99 per pound if you bought five pounds.  It was only 73% lean, which means 27% fat, but I had at least two ground beef recipes I wanted to make and only one pound of ground beef in the freezer.

Both of those buys got broken down into four-serving (one pound for the beef) portions and frozen.  I probably should have made 4 packets of 1.25 pounds for the ground beef, with all that fat, but I've been trying to make smaller portions anyway.  As much as I hated to buy five pounds of anything, it did feel good to know I was putting away 16 servings of chicken for less than $5 and 20 servings of ground beef for $15.  At the rate I eat meat, that's about 10 weeks, presuming I didn't have something in-between on a meat rotation.

So how long does meat really last in the freezer?  It depends on how you store it.  My Food Saver stopped sealing things, so I've been on the Ziplock train for the past few years.  It isn't as good as the vacuum seal you get from a Food Saver, so the items don't last as long.  Vacuum sealed meats can avoid freezer burn for 12-18 months.  Freezer bags, even the heavy duty ones, really only protect for 6 months, less if you have a power outage at any point and the items get above 10ºF.  Not sure why 10º is considered "freezing" for food safety purposes, probably as a buffer and to account for salt and fat needing to be frozen at lower temperatures.

I'm not into prepping freezer meals yet, mainly because they require extra containers.  Also, it's hard to find four-serving aluminum casseroles.  And I don't like single-use anything.  I try to use only previously-used freezer baggies for meats, since I know I won't reuse any that have had raw meat in them.  There's plenty of room still in my freezer if I were to remove the flours and the drop-in rack.

If you're going to do freezer banking of items you regularly use, make sure you do use them.  Freezer burn is not yummy.  If you have a large chest freezer, writing down an inventory and sticking it to the freezer with a magnet is not a bad idea.  My chest freezer is on the small side, so I can pretty much keep track.  I found a plastic beach tote at Ross that is the right size to hold most of my meats, so now they aren't slipping all over the freezer.

Also, remember to write the contents and date on whatever you store them in.  The teriyaki lamb was not a pleasant surprise.

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Cookies

 

I haven't made peanut butter cookies in a while.  Cookies are a great snack to have on hand, either as portioned dough or pre-baked treats in the freezer.  Sure, they aren't healthy, but you don't always want an apple for afternoon snack.

This time, I decided to use the Bible's recipe, which is for honey PB cookies.  To mellow the honey tang, I decided to add white chocolate chips.  I'm putting it as mini chips in the recipe, but what I happen to have are micro-chips, the kind you use for cake decorating or in fancy espresso drinks because they melt easily. They melted into nothing in these cookies, which was my goal anyway.

Because these are traditional-recipe PB cookies, they will not be super soft.  Also, I used up the last of the free Bob's GF flour, so they came out crispy once cooled.  That just makes them great for dunking with tea, coffee, or Ovaltine.

Some of the amounts are going to be a bit odd because I made a half batch.  I saw "1 cup peanut butter" and skipped to the number of eggs in case I could cut it down.

1 C + 2 Tb flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
*1/2 C peanut butter, creamy or chunky ok
1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
*1/3 C honey
1/4 C sugar
1 egg, room temperature
*1/2 C white chocolate chips, mini preferred

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.

2.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.

3.  In mixer, cream together peanut butter, butter, honey, and sugar.  Quick tip for measuring the honey and PB: spray the measuring cup with pan spray first.  Once smooth, beat in egg.

4.  Stir in flour mixture until mostly combined.  Stir in chips.

5.  If dough is super soft, chill before proceeding.  Since I was using GF flour, my experience might be different, but I had to use a scoop.  Shape dough into 1-1/2" balls (about 1 oz) and place on cookie sheets 3" apart.  At this point, you can freeze the balls for later if desired.  If so, freeze them on wax paper on a flat tray, then store in a freezer baggie.  Defrost for a couple of hours before baking if you want to press them into shape.

6.  With the back of a floured fork, press down in a criss-cross pattern.  Bake 15 minutes, until just barely starting to brown.  By the time they start to look dark, they will be overdone.  Maybe start with 12 minutes and add time as necessary.  Allow to cool 2 minutes on the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 18

Difficulty rating  π

Creamed Corn Tart

 

I decided to make a quiche to use up some of the corn I had bought in March.  I bought havarti for it because it was on sale, then went looking for recipes.  All the Southern ones use whole kernel corn and cheddar.  Fine, I decided to go off on my own and make a vaguely French version of a corn and cheese pie.

My pot of tarragon never did well.  I picked the only surviving sprig and hung it up on the knob I usually dry basil on.  The same day, I moved the chives indoors to the kitchen greenhouse window, where they are finally flourishing.  I'll try that with the tarragon when it comes time to seed it again.  Even though it's Mexican tarragon, not French, I decided to use it as the herb for this pie.

I'm using the pâté brisée recipe for the crust, but subbing in some of my excess wheat flour.  I'm making progress.  There's still half a gallon of it in the freezer though.

For the Crust

1 C flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C butter or margarine, cut in chunks
1 egg
1-2 Tb cold water

1.  Either in a bowl or food processor, combine flour and salt.  Cut in butter about halfway.  Add the egg and pulse or cut into a crumbly mess.  Add 1 Tb water at a time until it just barely holds together.

2.  Pour out onto a work surface and knead a couple of strokes into a ball without adding any more flour or water.  Wrap in wax paper and chill 2 hours.

3.  Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface and place in either a tart pan or large pie pan.  I remembered to take a photo this time.  Chill until ready to use.

Filling and Assembly

*1 14 oz can cream style sweet corn
*1/2 C half-and-half
3 eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
*1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
4 oz Havarti cheese, preferably shredded, but finely chopped is ok

1.  Preheat oven to 400º.  In a bowl, whisk together corn, half-and-half, eggs, salt, and pepper.

2.  I prefer to put the other fillings in the crust before the custard, so I can see that they are evenly distributed.  Sprinkle onion, 3/4 of the cheese, and tarragon in chilled crust.

3.  Pour custard over onion and cheese, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 400º for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 375º and bake another 35-40 minutes, until set and crust is golden.

4.  Allow to cool before cutting and serving, especially if it's in a removable-bottom tart pan and you plan to put it on a pretty platter.  Can also be served chilled, and is a good do-ahead for brunch the next day.

Makes one pie, 4-6 main servings or up to 10 as a side.

Difficulty rating  :)

Caribbean Black Bean Curry

When I went searching for a black bean curry, Caribbean recipes popped up almost exclusively.  Ok, I can deal with that.  I settled on this one from Olive Magazine.

The biggest difference between this curry and the Indian ones I usually attempt is that there's no coconut milk.  It's tomato-based, with plenty of spices and nothing really to mellow them.  I need to cut down on my saturated fat anyway.

This recipe also doesn't add salt.  It's advertised as a healthy option, and definitely is.  I chose to have it with cheesy gorditas, so we're just going to ignore the healthy part.  It doesn't need the salt.  Soy sauce provides some, as do the canned ingredients.

I really liked the flavor combinations.  Mostly, you taste the thyme, and I only put in half of the original recipe's teaspoon.  The "sweet" spices balance it and the bay leaf, so it doesn't taste muddy.  And yes, this is a long list of ingredients because of the spices.  It's a curry.  You don't taste the maple syrup.  It must just cut down the acidity of the tomatoes.

This is also a very fast recipe to make.  The longest step is sautéing the onion and spices.  Other than that, you dump it all in and bring to a simmer.  If you're having it with rice, start the rice first.  I left it simmering while the gorditas were frying, and they do not take long.

*2 Tb coconut oil
*1 C diced onion
*1 tsp grated ginger
*2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
*1/2 tsp dried thyme
*1 bay leaf
*1 small cinnamon stick
*1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 Tb soy sauce
*1 Tb maple syrup or brown sugar
1 small can roasted red peppers
*1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
*1 14.5 oz can black beans
*1 Tb lime juice (1 lime)
cilantro leaves for garnish

1.  In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, ginger, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, coriander, and allspice.  Cook until the onion is softened, stirring frequently, about 5-8 minutes.

2.  While that's cooking, chop the red peppers into strips or dice.  I totally forgot to put them on my grocery list, so they did not end up in the dish.  If you would like to add a hot pepper, chop that up at this time, too.  Drain and rinse the beans.

3.  Add red peppers, tomatoes with their juice, black beans, soy, and maple syrup to the pan and stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, for flavors to meld.  Finish with the lime juice and serve hot.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.  Can be served over rice, potatoes, noodles, with tortillas, or as a stew.

Difficulty rating  π

Peach and Rosewater Muffins

 

This was for the rest of the peaches my co-worker brought in.  We just started making new sweets at work, and they're really good.  It doesn't help that I've been closing more and snacking on them at the end of the day.  I promised to turn the peaches into something slightly healthier.

I started with a nice recipe from Christina's Cucina and made it just a tiny bit lighter.  The best I could do with the oil was to sub applesauce for half of it.  I keep nonfat yogurt at home.  And I used the liquid egg white masquerading as whole egg that I'm probably going to keep buying as long as it's cheaper than in-shell eggs.  An oatmeal crumble topping brought in a touch of fiber, and that's my breakfast muffin.

I chose to accent the peaches with rosewater because I have some.  If you want to use vanilla or almond extract, or even coconut extract, go ahead!  And if you would rather make loaves or coffee cake shapes, that is perfectly acceptable.  You just need to grease the loaf or cake pan, which you don't need to do with muffin liners.  Not into oatmeal?  Sprinkle with powdered sugar after cooling or drizzle with a thin icing.  What I love about quick bread recipes is how adaptable they are.

2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C olive oil (or 1/4 C + 1/4 C applesauce)
1 C plain yogurt
*1/2 tsp rosewater or other extract
*1-1/2 C chopped peaches, either fresh or frozen & defrosted
2 Tb rolled oats, moistened and tossed in 1/2 tsp sugar, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350º and line a muffin tin with papers or grease a loaf pan.

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, stir together eggs, oil, (applesauce), yogurt, and rosewater.

3.  Stir wet mixture into dry until almost incorporated.  Then stir in peaches.  It's ok if there are still lumps.

4.  Portion into muffin tin.  I used the 3 Tb cookie scoop, which almost fills a muffin liner, and got 15 full cups.  If you do the standard 3/4 full, you'll get at least 18.  In a small bowl, get oatmeal damp with a few drops of water, then toss with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Sprinkle tops of muffins.

5.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test.  They don't have enough sugar in them to get golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes, remove from pan, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Makes 15-18

Difficulty rating  :)