We both grew up with cranberry sauce out of a can... and when we discovered how easy it is to make your own and customize it, I don't think we could ever go back to the canned version. Earlier in the year I discovered Pomanders, which are oranges studded with whole cloves and used as a room freshener. We hung several of them up in our house, in closets, in the hallway, and they really made our house smell amazing... we both fell in love with the smell of oranges and cloves combined. So when I decided to make a cranberry sauce today, I decided to go heavy on the orange and also use cloves. Sweet, tart, slightly spicy... it pretty much smells like the holidays.
I've really been trying to cut back the sugar in recipes and I did so in this one as well. Most cranberry sauce recipes you find will use up to a cup of sugar or honey. With this one, I figured I've got the orange juice, the cranberry juice, the apple, the Triple Sec... plenty of sweet but a lot of tart. If you're not big into tart, you might want to use 1 cup of sugar in the recipe.
And in the holiday spirit, I chose Jim Carroll singing "People Who Died". (I apologize for the video showing Leo and Marky Mark.) -jen
juice and zest of one orange (about 1/3 cup juice)
juice and zest of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice)
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Triple Sec liqueur
1 apple (your choice), diced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring orange juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice and sugar to a boil. Add rinsed cranberries and bring back to a boil (about 5 minutes). Lower heat to a simmer and add citrus zests, Triple Sec, diced apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Simmer for 10-15 minutes (but not more than 15 minutes or it won't set). Remove from heat and let set. Serve at room temp or chilled - it's up to you.
I had this great plan to make gyros and tzatziki this weekend... and for a minute, it looked like it was a disaster. But as history has proven, necessity is the mother of invention and what I thought was a problem turned into awesomeness.
I grew up in the Chicago area where gyro stands are everywhere and I love them. Where we live now, in Humboldt, there's only one gyro place and it's a 15 minute drive each way. They don't load them up as much as they do in Chicago and so while they're decent, I always feel a little gypped. So I decided to make some gyros here at home. I hastily made the grocery list while I was at work; I couldn't check to see what we had on hand at home. When I went to make everything today, I realized the cucumbers I'd been counting on to use in the tzatziki had gone bad, so I had no cucs. We always have at least one onion on hand, but it seems this time was an exception. And I thought we had some leftover basil, but turns out we didn't. So a lot of my main ingredients were missing and Justin is gone for the weekend with our only car, so I had no way to get to the store.
Instead, I decided to try shredded apple in the tzatziki sauce and I was pretty much counting on not liking it as much as the classic cucumber. I was wrong. It came out awesome! Good crunch and just a slight sweetness at the end. Lacking fresh onion for my gyro loaf, I used some dried shallot, dried chive, and onion powder. And though I had no basil (fresh or dried), I did have fresh mint and decided to load the loaf up with a ton of herbs and spices! Sooooo good! I know there's like 25 ingredients in the gyros; we use what we have on hand. But I recognize most people don't have the spice and herb collection we do, so I made sure to add an alternative. Don't let it intimidate you!
While I typed this whole post out, I listened to the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" a few times on repeat. I love this song so much. So rad. And the retro 70s detective theme isn't so bad either. -jen
2 teaspoons dried chives (or half an onion chopped fine in food processor in place of shallots and chives)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
*1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried dill
*1 teaspoon ground dried lemon grass
*1 teaspoon dried marjoram
*1 teaspoon dried oregano
*1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
*1 teaspoon tarragon
*1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*If you don't have all of these herbs, you could replace the 7 teaspoons of herbs with 3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. Or 7 teaspoons of whatever combination you may have on hand.
In a large food processor, pulse old fashioned oats until they're about half their size. Add the remaining ingredients into the food processor and process about one minute until meat mixture feels tacky.
Place meat into a large bowl and cover meat with plastic wrap (not top of bowl, but place the plastic
wrap on the meat itself) and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Pack meat mixture into a 7"x4" loaf pan, pressing it down well to eliminate any air bubbles. Place a damp kitchen towel in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the loaf pan on top of the damp towel and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes 1/2 way up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake until inner temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove loaf pan from roasting pan and carefully pour off accumulated fat. Cool slightly before slicing thinly. Brown slices either in a non-stick skillet on medium-high or place in oven or toaster oven broiler until browned. Serve on a pita with lettuce or cabbage, onion, tomato and Apple Tzatziki sauce.
APPLE TZATZIKI Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes Difficulty: Easy Makes: almost 3 cups
1 small red apple, peeled
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 and 3/4 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Shred apple. Place shredded apple in a fine colander over an empty bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Once coated with lemon juice, toss again with teaspoon of the salt. Allow to drain for 30-60 minutes.
Place shredded apple in some cheese cloth or a clean tea towel and squeeze out remaining juice. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the shredded apple with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and all the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Can be served immediately but the flavours merry better if you refrigerate for an hour or more.
It's been a little while since I've posted a Rancid Recipe (such a delicious sounding title, to be sure). Today's music selection was inspired by a dream I recently had that Tim Armstrong and I were taking a class on identifying Hollywood celebrities. We both failed miserably, told the instructor that it was a bullshit class, and left to watch the movie "High Fidelity" with my brother. I don't know what the dream means, but it put me into a Tim Armstrong music kick: Op Ivy, Transplants, Tim Timebomb & Friends, his solo stuff, and of course, Rancid. Apparently, they knew from the very first show what it was all about.
The idea for this recipe popped into my head about a month ago, transformed a lot during late
nights of intoxication, Food Network, and conversation, and finally came into existence splendidly last night. Do you have any idea how tickled I am when a recipe from scratch turns out perfectly with no need for alterations?! Of course you don't, because you're not dining in my house (but perhaps you SHOULD be, Rancid members?) The stranger in my head does a little dance when this happens and there was dancing last night, by glob! It's a little time consuming (the recipe, not the dancing in my head), but well worth the time! The combination of mushrooms, onions and apples was killer!
I think some of the ingredients in this recipe need a little explanation, though. It does contain wild rice, as the title states, and I learned something - there is no correct way to cook wild rice. I got mine out of the bulk bin at my local co-op and followed the instructions on the dispenser: 2 cups liquid to 1 cup wild rice. I did exactly that, and the rice came out a little crunchy. I loved it. Justin didn't care for the consistency at all. So researching wild rice, I found that different suppliers process it differently and you can't always cook two different brands the same way. Basically, it's preference. Do you like it crunchy or do you want to cook it until the rice bursts open and is softer. Your call. You have to just follow the instructions on the one you purchase and adjust according to your preference.
The lion's mane mushrooms are my next ingredient to discuss. These obviously are not sold in your local supermarket (as Food Network often likes to tell its watchers about exotic foods). We can sometimes find them in our co-op or local organic stores, but we mostly buy them in the summer at our local farmers markets. And while you could use regular button mushrooms, crimini or portabello mushrooms for this recipe, there's no way you're going to get the same flavour out of them. Lion's mane was first described to us as having a lobster flavour. If you look them up on Wiki, it says when cooked, they have the consistency of seafood. Well, I sort of agree and disagree with both. Once that's in your head, that's what you think of (and now I put it in your head), but really, I'd just say they have a very rich, earthy flavour. They're awesome. If you like mushrooms and have never tried these, seek them out. It'll be worth it.
And so we move on to the musical stylings of my favourite band, Rancid, bringing us their song, "Last One To Die". As they wrap up their tour (which we very sadly don't get to see, again, because we're poor and live behind the Redwood Curtain) and prepare for a new album to come out, I think to myself - maybe they will be the last ones to die. -jen
3/4 cup oyster mushrooms (you can use all lion's mane if you like)
1 cup yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 of a large onion)
2 cups apple, peeled and diced (about 2 medium apples of your preference - sour or sweet, either would be tasty)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse wild rice to remove loose hulls and strain the water out. In a medium sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add rice and brown, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes. Add water and stir in chicken base, sage, tarragon, celery salt and black pepper. Bring just to a boil, then put a lid on the pan and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook without removing the lid or stirring for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. (If you don't like crunchy wild rice, you may want to use 1 more cup of water, 1 more teaspoon chicken base, and a little more of each herb) and cook until the rice grains burst, about 60 minutes, then drain any remaining water from rice.)
While rice cooks, in a large saute pan or skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and apples. Saute for about 7 minutes, or until the onion becomes slightly translucent. Add sage, tarragon and salt and pepper (I used about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 a teaspoon black pepper), and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and add mixture to wild rice.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F. Carefully cut a pocket into the pork chops with a sharp knife,
making sure not to open the ends or the back side. Place each chop into a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and pound flat.
Season the outside of the pork chop (both sides) with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil on a sheet pan (we always cover ours with foil for easy clean up.) Stuff each pork chop with as much of the wild rice stuffing as it will hold and carefully lay the stuffed chop on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chop. Best to use a meat thermometer and cook until pork reaches 140 degrees F, then let rest. The carry-over will bring it to a safe 145 degrees.
A few days ago, we helped at a spaghetti dinner cancer benefit and at the end of the night, they sent us home with three giant loaves of french bread that were left over. We used one loaf just for bruschetta, but by the second day, we were sitting on two loaves of stale bread. It was bread pudding or stuffing... and since I actually had all the other ingredients at home (from the previously posted baked pumpkin recipe), I decided to go with bread pudding. I really had wanted to use whiskey in it, but hadn't realized that Justin had finished the Jameson, so I used what we had - rum. And it was great!
We're also trying to remember to give you guys some additional information such as cook time, prep time, serving size, and difficulty level. Thought it might help.
Samiam is just who was playing while I was baking. "Full On". -jen
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat 2-qt baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Combine cubed bread, apples, raisins, and pecans and place into baking dish (may come up over the edges a little, but that's okay.)
In a large saucepan, combine milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Over a medium-high heat, bring just to a simmer, then turn off heat. Temper eggs by ladling about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, beating constantly so they don't turn into scrambled eggs. Then pour egg mixture into milk mixture and whisk. Take wet ingredients and carefully pour over the bread mix in the baking dish. Using a spatula, gently press the bread down into the liquid so it's all saturated. Let sit for 10-20 minutes to absorb the liquid. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.
Right before Halloween, Justin and I headed to the pumpkin patch to get our carving pumpkins... it's something I have to do every year. While we were there, we grabbed some acorn squash, butternut squash, carnival squash, and a few sugar pie pumpkins. We had ideas for them... until the lady who was running the show told us how good they were stuffed with apples and raisins. Well, we did a little research, and then like usual, we winged it. It came out so awesome! I felt like it was a dessert, though it wasn't overly sweet (which is how we like our desserts). My sister in law topped it off with whipped cream to add a little kick to it. Justin thought it was a perfectly good meal and had no need to be labeled "dessert". Next one I make, I think I'm going to add some oats to it to give the stuffing even more body. Either way you eat it... it's going to be awesome!
Here were this year's pumpkins - mine is evil, Justin's is the cyclops.
And so, even though it's past Halloween, we're going to lay down some Misfits' "Halloween". -jen
APPLE AND OATS STUFFED PUMPKIN
1 small sugar pie pumpkin (2-3 pounds)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons amaretto liqueur (or whiskey, or brandy, or rum - it's all good)
2 tablespoons butter, cubed small
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the top off of your pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and string insides, discarding. Mix all of the remaining ingredients except the butter. Pack firmly into the pumpkin until about half way. Sprinkle with half of the cubed butter. Pack the remaining filling into the pumpkin and top with the remaining butter.
Place the lid back on top of the pumpkin. Place on a baking sheet or in a pie pan and bake for 1.5 - 2 hours, until pumpkin insides are tender.
Slice the pumpkin into quarters and serve topped with the stuffing. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may have leftover filling that wouldn't fit inside. I suggest saving it and mixing it in with some oatmeal for breakfast the next morning!
So I've been tromping around the wooded hills here in Humboldt lately, and after harvesting some wild apples, onions, and some laurel leaves, I made a nice pork recipe. I saw a lot of pig sign in the hills, taking walks every day, that reminded me of my hunting days, several years back. When I returned home, the wife said she'd be brave enough to try my concoction, so I decided to make it tonight. Up in the hills, I had fresh laurel leaves, or what most folks know as "bay", and that has a very different flavor than the dried "bay" leaves. However, there's no loss of flavor in the dish, simply a different one, when using dried "bay". The apples, onions, and peppers all combine to make a delicious medley of flavors that the pork chops only compliment.
The trick to this meal is that it can mostly be done ahead of time and the total prep time, in terms of work hours, is less than 30 minutes. And it yields a great end result!
The brine is the key in this dish. It can be used for the chops, a loin roast, chicken thighs, a turkey, etc. When one figures out that its uses, and subsequently its variations, are endless, then one truly becomes "Lucky". It can be made, and used, days ahead of time or used for as little as 2 hrs, if necessary. - justin
Osker: Lucky
FALL HARVEST BRINE
5 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp herbs De Provence
1 star anise pod
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole brown mustard seeds
2 bay (or fresh laurel) leaves
10 whole cloves
4 large, bone-in pork chops, approx 3 lbs
Bring all ingredients, except the pork, to a boil and reduce to a simmer for five minutes, to allow flavors to incorporate. After five minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Place pork chops and brine in a Ziploc bag or air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
FALL HARVEST PORK CHOPS
2 cups chopped red bell pepper, deseeded
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2-1/2 cups chopped green apples (I used Granny Smiths)
In a 13x9 baking dish, combine the chopped bell pepper, onion, apple, olive oil, salt, and black pepper and toss thoroughly. Place the brined chops on top of the veggies and apples, spacing them evenly apart. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of Dry Meat Rub on each side of each chop. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until an internal temp of 145 is reached, or approximately 45 minutes. Cover dish with aluminum foil and allow meat to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
I quit my job yesterday. Still woke up at 7:30am this morning and didn't really know what to do with myself. We had apples. So I got out the deep fryer, emptied the old oil, cleaned it out, filled it with some fresh peanut oil, and in about 10 minutes, whipped up some apple fritters! Best way to start off the first day into the unknown! And I had no idea how easy they were!
Justin put on some Murder City Devils... and it just seemed..... right. So here they are, singing "Dancin' Shoes". I couldn't find a good live version, but the song is still awesome. I love The Murder City Devils. -jen
P.S. If anyone has work for me, let me know!
CINNAMON APPLE FRITTERS
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon amaretto liqueur (or vanilla extract)
1 egg
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 medium apple, chopped with skin on
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat 3" oil in skillet or a deep fryer to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat cooled butter, milk, amaretto liqueur, and egg. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Add to wet mix until blended. Fold in lemon zest and apples.
Carefully drop large spoonfuls of batter into hot oil. Fry for about 4 minutes (until deep golden brown), turning to cook evenly. Toss in sugar as soon as they come out of the fryer.
Makes about 6 apple fritters.
Note: These were delicious as is. But we both thought they might be a little better if the dough itself was slightly sweetened. So next time I make them, I'm going to try maybe 1/4 cup of brown sugar mixed with the butter before adding the milk, egg, etc.
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In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring orange juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice and sugar to a boil. Add rinsed cranberries and bring back to a boil (about 5 minutes). Lower heat to a simmer and add citrus zests, Triple Sec, diced apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Simmer for 10-15 minutes (but not more than 15 minutes or it won't set). Remove from heat and let set. Serve at room temp or chilled - it's up to you. 
