Pickles & Antipasto

Well as harvest is just around the corner....gardens are in full bloom and ready to enjoy.  My mother's and grandmother's are as bountiful as ever.  On my last trip home they stocked me up with goodies and so I thought I should share a couple pickling recipes with you today...

Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

1 1/4 cups white wine vinegar

1 1/4 cups water

1 tbsp. pickling salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 pound of sugar snap peas, stemmed & strung

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1-2 small dried chile peppers, slit lengthwise

2 tarragon sprigs

In a saucepan, bring to boil the vinegar, water, salt and sugar, stirring constantly to dissolve salt & sugar.  Let the liquid cool.

Pack the peas, garlic, chile peppers and tarragon into a 1 quart jar.  Pour the cooled liquid over the peas, and cover the jar with a non reactive cap.  Store the jar in the refrigerator for a t least two weeks before eating the peas.  Refrigerated, they will keep for several months.

Mustard Beans

8 cups of yellow beans, cut in 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup dry mustard

2 tsp. turmeric

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups brown sugar

1 tbsp. celery seed

3 cups white vinegar

1 cup water

Cook beans in lightly salted water until just tender crisp; drain.  In a large heavy saucepan, mix flour, mustard, turmeric, salt, sugar and celery seed.  Stir in vinegar & water gradually.  Bring to a boil over low heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Add beans to sauce and bring to a boil.  Pack in hot sterilized jars and seal.  Yields about 3 pints.

And finally, a recipe that my cousin & I usually make once a year...

Antipasto

1 cup olive oil

1 large cauliflower head, cut into tiny bite size pieces

2 large green peppers, chopped

2 - 10oz. cans (294ml) sliced ripe olives, drained & chopped

1 - 16oz. jar (500ml) green olives with pimento, drained & chopped

2 - 13oz. jars (375ml) pickled onions, drained & chopped

2 - 10oz. cans (284ml) mushroom stems & pieces, drained & chopped

1 - 4oz. jar (113ml) pimento, drained & chopped

1 - 48oz. jar (1.5L) mixed sweet pickles, drained & chopped

2 - 48oz. bottles (1.5L) ketchup

1 - 15oz. bottle (480ml) hot ketchup - if you cannot find this product use regular ketchup and add the desired amount of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce.

2 - 2oz. cans (55g) anchovies, drained & chopped

3 - 41/2oz. cans (113g) solid tuna, drained and flaked

3 - 4oz. cans (113g) small shrimp, drained & chopped

I find that the most important thing to take note of with this recipe is the prep.  Make sure all your ingredients are chopped up as finely as possible - WITHOUT USING AN ELECTRIC CHOPPER - you want your ingredients very tiny but not minced so this is very important to recognize.  This is very time consuming but well worth it in the long run.  Prep for this should take you about an hour and a half to two hours!

In a large heavy stock pot, saute your cauliflower, and green pepper in the olive oil.  Once that is done, add all other ingredients in order they are listed, except for your fish & shrimp.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.  Pour boiling water over tuna and shrimp to rinse.  Drain and add to mixture.  Gently stir and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Pour into sterilized jars using new lids.  Process.  Serve with crackers.

To Process:  Place jars on a rack in large deep pot.  Add hot water until jars are covered.  Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Lids will pop as they cool.  Tighten lids and store in a cool dark place. 

This recipe makes 16 - 8oz. jars of antipasto.

Peaze Pleaze....

So I have been busy planning dinners for the next few days.  My brother is coming to visit with his girlfriend.  And the other day I recieved a pkg. of seafood (halibut, shirmp, salmon and king crab legs) from my folks.  We are going to enjoy these morsels over the weekend but I have been racking my brain what to make as sides.  I am thinking is stand by will be a great addition to any of the seafood dishes we gorge on....

Sweet Pea Risotto Gratin

1- 10 oz. pkg. of frozen baby peas, thawed

6 cups chicken broth

5 tbsp. butter

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 lb. Arborio rice (risotto)

1 cup Parmigiano~Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

Puree half of the peas in food processor and set aside with whole peas.  In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth and keep warm.  Grease a 2 quart casserole and set aside.

In large saucepan, heat 3 tbsp. butter over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 mins.  Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with butter.  Add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the rice, lower the heat slightly and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding in half cup increments, letting the rice absorb the liquid (about 3 mins.) after each addition, and stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked, 20-25 mins.  The finished rice will be creamy but still firm to the bite.

A few minutes before the risotto is done, stir in the pureed and whole peas.  Turn on the broiler.  Remove the cooked rice from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter and 3/4 cup cheese.  Season with salt & pepper.  Stir the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and the bread crumbs together.  Transfer the risotto to the prepared casserole dish and top with the bread crumb mixture.  Place the dish under the broiler for about 2 mins or until the top becomes golden.  Serve immediately!!!

Not only does this taste outstanding but it has a bold green color to it that will jazz up any old plate!!! Enjoy!

MWAH~

Stroganoff The Sensational Way....

Aunty Sandy's Sensation Stroganoff

1 block of cream cheese

2 tins cream of mushroom soup

2 cups sour cream

1 large onion, chopped & sauted

25 mushrooms, chopped & sauted

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Saute onions & mushrooms in 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Once they are cooked, add all other ingredients and heat through.

This is great when you throw in meatballs or sauted flank steak.

Serve overtop of egg noodles.  Put on your fancy eatin pants (elastic waisted) for this one!!!!

Yum - me!!!!

Salmon Swamon....

Funny enough, growing up, my parents could NEVER get me to eat any form of fish.  They say I would sit at the table and chew and chew and chew, but hardly ever swallow the stuff.  How times have changed!!!! Now, I love the stuff and can't get my husband to eat.  They say payback's a #$%&*%!!! So I thought I would share this version that my good friend Nicole cooks up at her house every now and then!!!

This might just be the easiest recipe, and the most delish for that of salmon...

Nic's Sensational Salmon

1 flat of boneless, skinless salmon

1/2 cup pancake syrup

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Cut salmon into 4 serving portions.  Place all portions in a ziploc bag, adding all the remaining ingredients and mush around!  Marinate for as long as time permits. (I have gotten into the habit of doing individual portions in smaller ziplocs and dividing up the sauce between the bags - and then freezing).  Grill in frying pan or on bbq grill for approx. 5 mins per side, or less (depending on how cooked you like your fish ~ remember...it will continue cooking once you take it off the grill and tent it).

This is a quick and yummy meal paired with a salad!

MWAH~

Going Greek....

It's BBQ season and these are some tasty little morsels for the grill...

Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Dill Sauce
2 lbs. ground lamb (have butcher grind a 2 ½ -3 lb. boneless lamb shoulder)
1 T. minced garlic
1 tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
½ cup minced onion
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves or 1 T. dried mint
2 T. chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large egg

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for burgers. Mix well and form into 8 patties, ½” thick and 3” in diameter. Heat grill to medium or heat a 10” skillet with 1 T. olive oil.
Grill burgers or fry in skillet for 4-5 minutes per side. Burgers should be slightly pink in center.

Yogurt Dill Sauce:
8 oz. container plain yogurt
1 T. dried dill weed
1 T. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground white pepper
2 T. chopped onion
2 T. chopped fresh mint leaves or 2 tsp. dried mint
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made a day ahead.

Sandwiches:
4 pita bread rounds, cut into halves to form a pocket
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
Yogurt Dill Sauce
Place a burger in pita pocket. Tuck in some tomatoes, onion and green pepper. Drizzle about 2 T. dill sauce on top. Serve at once. 

A Yummy Sidedish....

Today's recipe is another quicky favorite......this recipe makes you think outside the bowl!!!

Cheesy Stuffing Cups
1 tbsp. oil
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup water
1 box of stove top stuffing
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 cup shedded cheddar cheese, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook celery in oil in a frying pan on stove. Stir in water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add stuffing mix, cranberries & walnuts. Add 1/2 cup of cheese and the egg. Mix lightly.
Spoon mixture evenly into 8 greased muffin tins, sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 10 minutes or until heated through.
Makes 8 servings.

Welcome Culinary Crusaders...

Hi there fellow chefs & chefettes....thought I would get one recipe posted on here tonight before I hit the pillow. I love this simple yet yummy recipe with cresent dinner rolls!!!!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
1 lb. ground beef
4 slices of bacon chopped
1 small chopped onion
1 cup cheeze whiz
1 pkg. of crescent dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook beef, bacon and onion in frying pan until browned - drain off fat. Return to stove and add cheeze whiz. Mix until melted, remove from heat and set aside.
Unroll crescent roll dough onto baking sheet lined with wax paper. Press all triangle perferations together to form on large rectangle of dough. Spread meat filling over dough. Begin at one end and roll up, placing seam side down on cookie sheet and folding ends under.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut diagonally into 6 slices to serve.
I serve this with a side of bbq sauce!
MWAH~