Pinto and Cabbage Soup with Rice

Once again, I found a YouTube video making pretty much what I had already half written as a recipe.  This time it was Spain on a Fork.  I'm giving him partial credit because he inspired me to add arborio to my version instead of having a side of chips for the starch.

When I use pintos, the recipe generally ends up Hispanic-themed.  I was sick, and had spent an hour watching videos of Indian food the day before, so this ended up closer to a curry.  It probably smelled very strong, but my nose was stuffed up.  Assuming it's twice as flavorful as what I tasted.

2 Tb olive oil
*1/2 tsp each brown mustard seed, cumin seed, and coriander seed
salt to taste
*1/2 tsp each turmeric powder and allspice
1 tsp paprika
1/2 yellow onion, diced, about 1 C
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice
*2 Tb tomato paste
1/2 small cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 lb)
1 C diced carrots (2-3)
*1/2 C arborio rice
*1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (about 3/4 C from dry)
*5 C vegetable or meat-based broth
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
*juice of 1 lemon

1.  If making the beans from dry, soak 8 hours, drain and rinse.  Bring to a simmer and cook 1-1/2 hours.  Drain.

2.  Heat the oil over medium in a soup pot.  Add the seeds and half a teaspoon of salt and cook until the seeds start to pop.  Add turmeric, allspice, and paprika and cook until fragrant.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.

3.  Add garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste.  I actually used my last bag of frozen cherry tomatoes because the plant has rebounded and there will be more soon.  It was about a pint.  Cook until broken down and some of the juice has reduced.

4.  Add sliced cabbage and stir to coat in the aromatic mixture.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, until broken down.

5.  Add in carrots, rice, beans, and broth.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If rice is not finished, simmer until tender.

6.  Stir in chopped cilantro and lemon juice.  Simmer 5 more minutes for flavors to meld.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve hot.

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as an appetizer

Difficulty rating  :)

Turkey Stock

In the theme of clearing out the freezer, I've had a turkey carcass in there since April.  It was long past time to make broth out of it.  Couldn't believe how much space opened up when I pulled it to defrost.

I don't use much stock or broth and just keep a bag of vegetable trimmings for whenever I need it.  I had two soups in a row on the meal plan calendar.  I could have changed one, but I was in a soup mood.  Caught two colds in a row, one possibly a mild Covid.  The first recipe was to use any meat left on the carcass.  The other was intended as a vegetarian one, but there's no dietary reason I couldn't use a turkey broth in it.  Many so-called vegetarian soups in my older cookbooks use chicken broth.

I had to look up the difference between stock and broth for this post.  I tend to use them interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference.  Broth is usually a quick simmer of only a few hours.  For stock, you cook the carcass/bones low and for a very long time, even 24 hours, to draw as much goodness out of the bones as possible.  Both can contain vegetables or not, and seasonings or not.  I tend to go easy on the herbs and spices and omit salt.  All that will be added when it's used.

Because I was using scraps instead of chopped chunks of vegetables, I took the extra step of making a vegetable broth first, then using that as the water for the long simmer.  This was purely to make it easier to save the meat off the carcass.  If you're trashing everything, save yourself the trouble.  Just letting you know for the photos.

*1 turkey carcass, either raw or leftover roasted, plus the neck and giblets if desired
3 qt water
*1/4 C apple cider vinegar 
*1 or 2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
*2 lbs mirepoix (1/2 onion, 1/4 carrot, 1/4 celery) or vegetable trimmings
*1 tsp dried thyme or sage, optional
Salt to taste

1.  To a large stockpot or a slow cooker, add all the ingredients.  The vinegar is for dissolving the collagen and marrow in the bones.  You don't taste it.  This is what makes the cooled stock gel up.  Stir everything and heat until just beginning to boil.

2.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 4 hours.  You want it just below the boil, so it doesn't kick up impurities.  I left mine in the Crockpot for over 8 hours.  You can go up to 24 if you have the patience.  Check on it every couple of hours.  Poke it to separate the bones as the cartilage dissolves.  Be careful, it's hot.

3.  Strain out all the flavorings and discard.  I used a fine mesh produce bag.  If desired, pick the meat off the bones and save to use as shredded meat.  I got 4 cups of turkey off a 12 lb bird's carcass.  That's a lot.  If desired, chill overnight and the fat will solidify at the top, then can be removed easily.

4.  Can be used immediately, refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes about 6 cups to 1 quart, depending on evaporation 

Difficulty  π

Apple-Scrap Jelly

I'm finally dealing with the apple cores and peels from canning day, plus the cores from all the apples I've eaten since then.

I've never made any kind of jelly, so it was an interesting process.  First, you make the juice by boiling the scraps with some water.  Then, after straining out the solids, you boil the juice with pectin and sugar.  That's the whole thing.  If you use store-bought juice, it's way less effort, but the whole point of this exercise was to make something out of garbage.

The recipe I'm using is from the UC Extension master canner site, which I didn't know was a thing.  The course isn't available locally, which is super annoying.

I did make a couple of tiny changes.  I added a touch of lemon juice for contrast.  Adding additional acid is never a problem for water bath canning.  It makes it even safer.  I decreased the sugar content slightly.  With pectin, you can get away with that and still have a set.  And I made the last little jar and a half into mint jelly by adding peppermint extract and a touch of green water-based food coloring, so I could tell it apart.  Maybe a little too much food coloring, but the jelly was rosy from the red apple peels and I didn't want it to look brown.  What I am posting is the tested and approved recipe.

*about 4 lbs apple cores and peels or 4-1/2 C apple juice
5 C sugar
*1 box (3 Tb) powdered pectin

1.  If canning, prepare water bath canner for a 5-6 cup yield.  Sterilize jars by boiling for 10 minutes, or increase end processing time to 10 minutes to compensate.  Recipe only has times for half-pint or 4 oz jelly jars.  Do not make in pint or larger jars.

2.  To make the apple juice, put apple scraps and 4 C water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil for one minute, then lower heat to a simmer.  Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Run the contents of the pot through a jelly bag.  I don't have one, and used a cloth produce bag.  You could also line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth.  The goal is to get all the particles out.  You should have about 4-1/2 C of juice.

4.  Pour the juice back into the pot and stir in the pectin.  Bring to a boil over high heat for one minute, stirring constantly.

5.  Stir in the sugar to dissolve.  Bring to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down for one minute.  The mixture should feel thickened from the pectin, and you will see some cling to the sides.  Remove from heat.

6.  If canning, ladle hot jelly into hot jars.  Wipe the rims clean, place warmed lids on, and screw bands down finger tight.  Process 5 minutes for sterilized jars or 10 minutes for washed.  For not canning, portion into clean, non-reactive containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Makes 5-6 cups

Difficulty rating  :)

Chickpea, Greens, and Delicata Squash

To counteract the decadence of Thanksgiving, I invented this salad for the rest of the weekend.  I've never had delicata before, and not having to peel it was a huge draw.  They were cheap at Trader Joe's, and I haven't made squash for a while.

Total coincidence, Chewed Up made almost the exact same dish the day before.  Clinton did a honey mustard vinaigrette, but most of the ingredients overlapped with what I had planned.  I'm not making the croutons.  I was looking forward to a side of soft sliced bread, and roasted seeds for the crunch on the salad.

This salad has a lot of sub recipes in it, but it can be meal prepped in pieces and assembled later.

1 delicata squash
olive oil
5 oz container arugula, spinach, or any baby greens of choice
*1 can chickpeas, or 2/3 C dry soaked, simmered, and drained
*4 oz crumbled feta
juice of 1 lemon
*1 tsp date syrup or honey
salt and pepper
*1/4 tsp dried sage
pinch of allspice
4 oz feta
*1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Wash squash, then cut off the ends.  Slice lengthwise and scoop out seeds, reserving them in a bowl.  Slice crosswise into half-inch thick slices and arrange cut-side up on the parchment.  Drizzle with some olive oil and rub to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 20-25 minutes, flipping once during baking.

2.  While the squash is roasting, wash the guts off the seeds.  It takes a while.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Once the squash is out and in a holding container, you can reuse the parchment for the seeds.  Spread out in a thin layer.  Sprinkle with salt and allspice.  Roast until light brown and starting to pop, 10-15 minutes.  Check and stir every few minutes so they don't burn.

3.  For the dressing, whisk together 1/4 C oil, the lemon juice, date syrup, and sage.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If not acidic enough, add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar.

4.  To assemble, add greens to a serving bowl or plate.  Top with squash, chickpeas, and sliced onion.  Drizzle with dressing.  If desired, toss salad at this point.  Then garnish with feta and the roasted squash seeds.

Difficulty rating  :)

Farro and Spinach Salad

This was my side with the tuna, but it's a vegetarian main on its own.  I wanted an alternative grain to rice or barley.

Calling this a "salad" is kind of odd.  It isn't a casserole, not a rice dish, and I had it hot rather than chilled.  I couldn't figure out what other category worked.  Plus, it looked like a salad once it was garnished.

Farro is increasingly available in markets.  Kroger even sells a generic package of it.  The best price I've found is at Sprouts, and then you can get it out of the bins so you don't have to commit to a package until you know if you like it.  It's similar to barley or brown rice, and I find it makes a nice change that doesn't spike my blood sugar.

1 C dry farro
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz frozen spinach
1 Tb olive oil  
*1/2 C diced red onion
*sun-dried tomatoes for garnish
crumbled feta for garnish

1.  Rinse the farro and place in a saucepan with water to cover by one inch.  Season the water with a touch of salt.  Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover.  Cook until the grains have expanded and split, about half an hour.  Drain.  This also makes a good do-ahead.  5am was a bit earlier than I had in mind, but it was done.

2.  Return farro to saucepan with a light drizzle of olive oil.  Add the spinach and return to a simmer.  The water the spinach gives off will be absorbed by the grains.

3.  Stir in the diced onion and taste.  Add salt and pepper as needed.  Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sun-dried tomato slices and feta.  Serve warm or room temperature.

Difficulty level  π

Mediterranean-Style Pan-Roasted Tuna

I tend to approach fish steak as the Other "other" white meat, and treat them like lean pork chops.  This time, it got a healthy treatment to counteract all the decadent food this time of year brings.

The nice thing about marinated meat is you prep it up to a day before and can go about your life.  I do wish I had thought far enough ahead to harvest the herbs the afternoon before.  I was out there pre-dawn, in my robe, in the rain, snipping parsley and cilantro from the lettuce patch.  At least the basil is in the backyard.  No one drove by.

This marinade is a generic Mediterranean one that works with any fish, chicken, or pork.  You can use it as a salad dressing or on pasta.  Toss it with roasted or steamed vegetables.  It's tangy and flavorful, and the oil brings a nice mouthfeel to the dish.

1/4 C olive oil
*juice of 1 lemon
*2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 C diced red onion
*1/2 C chopped herbs such as parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, and/or dill
1 lb tuna steak, about 1" thick

1.  Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.  Stir in garlic, onion, herbs, and salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

2.  Place tuna in a freezer bag and add marinade.  Seal, then squish everything around to coat the meat.  Place on a plate in the fridge, in case anything leaks.  Marinate 8-24 hours.

3.  When ready to cook, drizzle a little oil on a skillet and preheat on medium-high.  Slide meat and marinade onto the pan.

4.  Cook 8 minutes on one side, flip, and cook another 8 minutes.  I made the mistake of leaving the meat almost 2" thick and had to put on a lid for several minutes in order to get the inside to finish.  If your tuna isn't cooking on the inside, turn down the heat to medium and cover for several minutes.

5.  When the sauce has caramelized and the internal temperature of the fish is 145ºF, it is ready to serve.  Slice if desired.  Garnish with lemon wedges, additional herbs, or a side of tzatziki sauce.

Difficulty rating  π

Apples in Syrup (Canning)

There was a sale on five pound bags of apples.  I brought home one Granny Smith and one Pink Lady.  Realizing that was more than I could eat or bake with before they turned, I decided to can some of them.

Apples can be preserved in more ways than I realized.  What I decided to do was hot-pack fruit in syrup, to use in baking, with yogurt or oatmeal, or mash it into applesauce.  Every source I trust had instructions for it, and the nchfp even had pressure-canning directions.  I went with water bath instead so I wouldn't have to pre-sterilize the jars.  You only have to do that for times under 10 minutes, and these would have been 8 in a pressure canner.

I used wide mouth jars because I thought it would be easier to fill them, but the apples get so soft that it isn't an issue.  If you're cutting wedges or slices instead of quarters, a regular mouth jar is big enough.

If you aren't into canning, just use the apples after the cooking part.  You likely won't be making anywhere near as much as I did.  You can also do them as poached halves, maybe adding some white wine to the syrup.

For quantities here, I'm using the Ball book.  They give them for canner loads.  I did slightly less, and ended up with 7 jars instead of 8.  It's a lot of apples to peel.

10 to 12 lbs apples, stemmed, peeled, cored, and quartered or sliced
6 cups hot syrup, sweetness as desired

1.  Set up canner for an 8 pint or 4 quart yield.  Get the water started, because it's going to boil around the time you finish preparing the apples.  Set up a large bowl of water with an acid in it such as ascorbic acid or lemon juice.  This will prevent browning.  Set yourself up with a podcast or movie, because it's going to take at least an hour to prepare the apples.

2.  Wash the apples in hot water to remove the waxy coating every orchard puts on them after harvesting.  As you finish peeling, coring, and slicing the apples, toss them in the acidic water.  I kept the cores and peels to make apple jelly later.  Not today.

3.  Once all the apples are prepared, set up a large stock pot with 6 cups of water and how much sugar you want in your syrup.  I did a very light one of only a cup of sugar, in case I turn them into applesauce.  I can add more sugar if I make a cobbler or pie.  Bring to a boil until all the sugar is dissolved.

4.  Drain the apple slices and add to the syrup pot.  Return to a boil, stirring often.  Boil the apples for 5 minutes.  Hot pack replaces the air in the fruit with syrup through boiling and allows you to pack more fruit into each jar.

5.  Ladle hot apples into hot jars to 1/2" headspace.  Add cooking syrup, debubble, and adjust headspace.  Wipe rims, center lids, and screw on bands finger-tight.  Process 20 minutes for both pints and quarts.

Difficulty rating  :-0