Balsamic Mustard Dressing

I made salad dressing the other night.  I totally made it up too.  It's a nice and tart vinaigrette that still has some texture to it, so it doesn't run off of your lettuce... never to be seen again.

I hate it when that happens.

The recipe was inspired by looking in the refrigerator.  I wanted something simple and I thought that the mix of balsamic vinegar and mustard would work well together.

Balsamic Mustard Dressing:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 large teaspoon grainy dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Add everything to a container with a tight fitting lid (I used a mason jar) and shake it like a Polaroid picture.  Store in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Peach Jam

Peaches have been on mega sale recently and since all of my hobbies come right out of Little House on the Prairie I decided that the good deal meant that I needed to can these babies.  I made so much jam.  It was totally worth it, this might be my favorite batch of jam to date.

I got this recipe off of a wonderful blog called Food in Jars.  I've been reading Marisa's blog for years, way before Mr. T hooked me up with a sweet canning set, and I can't wait to really get into it and make more of the deliciousness that she has on there.

Note to the world... read the recipe all the way before you start cooking.  This calls for liquid pectin.  I missed that memo.  Learn from my mistakes.

Peach Jam:
(Food In Jars)

10 cups of peaches, peeled and chopped
6 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 packets (1 box) liquid pectin

Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound.

Add peaches and sugar to a large, non-reactive pot. Stir so that the peaches begin to release their juice and mingle with the sugar. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice and let jam continue to cook for about fifteen minutes. If the fruit hasn’t broken down much after that time is up, use a potato masher or immersion blender (taking care not to burn yourself with hot jam) to break down the chunks. Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.

Turn off the heat under the jam and fill jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

I got the baking itch on Saturday.  I was also trying to use up a couple of things in the house so they wouldn't go bad... like buttermilk.  (I swear, I'm always trying to use up some buttermilk)

I did some "googling" and came across this recipe from Bread Basket Case.  I had everything at the house already and a free afternoon, so away I went!!

I had some issues with the dough.  It was really sticky and I felt like it took me a lot of flour to get it to a workable dough.  Let's be honest though... it could be user error.  Oh well.  It was still seriously delicious and after I tried it I went ahead and made another batch to put in the freezer.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread:
(adapted from Bread Basket Case)

5 1/2 cup bread flour 
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 cups water
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
5 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package instant dry yeast

Place the oats in a mixing bowl. Add the water, and let stand for 15 or 20 minutes to soften. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for 3 minutes until thoroughly mixed. Turn the mixer to medium-low and mix for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Let rise for one hour. Fold the dough once during this rising, using a letter-style fold.

Divide the dough in half and shape into loaf pans. Brush the tops of the bread lightly with water, and press oatmeal gently onto the tops of the loaves. Cover the loaves, and let rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, using a pizza stone if possible, and preheating the stone as well. Put 1/2 cup ice cubes on a preheated tray or pan in the oven, and put the loaves on the stone (or on the oven rack). After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake 30 to 40 minutes.

My First 'Canning Friday'

Now that I'm diving into canning more and more I thought it would be a good idea to share some of what I'm learning with others.  Canning is scary to many people and the safety of it is why a lot of people stay away from it.  I was one of those people for a long time.

The truth of the matter is that there are some issues that can pop up if bacteria is introduced into the preserving environment but once you crack the code it really isn't that scary.  

I'm going to start sharing some of the canning knowledge I have (as little as it is) and what I'm learning from other people and books as well.  My hope is that even if people don't want to can anything they will at least learn something and be able to answer that final question in Jeopardy when it comes around.


The Ball Canning Company is a GREAT resource!  They were my first stop when I started researching the whole canning thing.  This link goes to their step by step guide.

This Friday we are going to talk about preparing the jars to be canned.  This is the first step in keeping bacteria away.

Before I start my canning process I fill up my waterbath canner.  It takes my poor still electric stove forever to heat it up.  So technically I guess this is step 1.

Step 1: Look over your jars to make sure there are no cracks or chips in the glass.


Step 2: Wash your jars, lids, and bands with warm, soapy water.  I like to wash mine in the dishwasher because it gets much hotter than hand washing does.


Step 3: Keep the jars warm.  I do this by filling my waterbath canner with simmering water and submerging the jars and lids in it.  Warm jars have a smaller chance of cracking when you fill them with hot liquid.

Blueberry Jam

Summer fruits are wonderful.  The farmer's market has tons of berries right now and they are just begging to be made into jam... so that's what I've been doing.

This is a really easy recipe, it tastes fantastic, and doesn't take that long to cook or process.

Blueberry Jam:
(Ball Canning)

4 cups blueberries
4 1/2 tablespoons pectin
3 cups sugar (I used 1 cup lemon sugar and 2 cups regular sugar)

According to the recipe you should be able to get 6 half pint jars of jam.  I was only able to get 5.  If you prepare 6 jars you'll be good to go. 

Prepare boiling water canner. Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Heat jars and in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set lids and bands aside.

Combine berries in an 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.


Add all of the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.

Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner. Bring water to gentle, steady boil.

Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Flavored Sugar

Wanna look cool and impress people with only a little bit of effort?!  Me too!  Making flavored sugar is one way to do that.  It's really easy and they add a lot to the different dishes you're making. 

Making a lemon pie?  Use lemon sugar!  Making an orange tart?  Use some orange sugar!  I love using the vanilla bean sugar in my coffee.  (I think I need to go make a cup of coffee) 

Citrus Sugar:

The peel of 1 orange and/or lemon (little to no white on it)
Enough plain white sugar to fill whatever container you're using, I used a mason jar

Lay the citrus peel out to dry for a couple of hours.  Moisture is not going to be the best friend of this sugar.  Letting it dry will keep the sugar from caking up.


















After the peel has dried some layer the peel and sugar in a jar. 

I like to let the peel sit out in the air, on top of a paper towel for at least half an hour.  This helps keep the sugar was caking up. 

Seal up the jar and let it sit for a couple of weeks.  I like to shake mine every couple of days so that the flavor will get all over everything.

Vanilla Bean Sugar:

1 vanilla bean per container.  Again, I used mason jars.
Enough sugar for your container

Split the vanilla bean down the middle.  All of the goodness is inside that little pod.

Fill your container up half way with sugar, stick the vanilla bean in the jar and fill the rest of the container up.  Let sit for a couple of weeks and enjoy.

Blueberry Pie

I was lucky as a child to have blueberry bushes in my back yard.  I didn't really appreciate them at that point in my life because my grandmother made my sister go outside and pick them in the heat, but we certainly enjoyed the pies and cobblers that my grandma made with them. 

This is not my grandma's pie but it's a really good basic pie.  There are many ways to top this pie.  The lattice topping is the most traditional and is really pretty.  Martha Stewart topped it with cut out stars, which is awesome for any summer party.

** See the splotchy spots on the pie crust?  It's because my egg wash puddled while it was resting.  It will still taste fine but it's not the prettiest pie in the world.  Just something to remember to check on when baking.

Blueberry Pie:
(Martha Stewart Baking Handbook)

All-purpose flour, for dusting
8 cups blueberries, picked over
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Pie crust

On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of the pie crust to about 12-inches round.  Dust off the excess flour and fit into a glass pie pan.  Trim the dough so that there's only 1/2-inch overhang all around the pie plate.  Crimp the edge however you'd like.  Roll out the remaining dough and chill both for about 30 minutes.

Place the blueberries in a large bowl.  Crush about a 1/2 cup of the berries.  Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.  Gently stir to combine.  Pour the fruit mixture into the chilled pie crust, mounding the berries slightly in the center.  Take the butter pieces and dot them all over the pie.

Take the second pie crust and decide how you want to to your pie.  I decided to go with the basic lattice pie so I cut the pie crust into strips.  Arrange the strips on the top of the pie.  In a small bowl mix the egg and half and half.  Brush the egg mixture all over the top of the pie.

Let the pie chill for an additional 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  After the pie has chilled move it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the crust is starting to turn golden.  Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes, turning halfway.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Basic Pizza Sauce

Since pizza night is pretty common in our house we go through a lot of pizza sauce.  I have my homemade pizza dough recipe down but I really hadn't tried to make pizza sauce.  I just happened to have a couple of cans of tomatoes in my panty and decided to try this recipe out while my dough was rising.

Pizza Sauce:
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

1/4 cup olive oil
2- 28 ounce cans of whole, peeled tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
salt
pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, cook for a minute.  Crush the tomatoes over the pan.  Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Cook over medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes as it cooks.

Cinnamon Apples

My grandma made us cinnamon apples all the time when I was a kid.  They were awesome and I still enjoy them.  Plus, they make the house smell wonderful!

Cinnamon Apples:

1 apple (whatever you have around the house), cut into cubes
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon sugar or 2 packets of Splenda

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Melt the butter.  When the butter has melted add the apples, spices, and sugar/Splenda to the pan.  Stir everything together and cook until the apples are soft.  Stir throughout the cooking time to make sure nothing sticks or burns.

Dry Pancake Mix

I think it's always a good idea to keep pancake mix in the house.  You never know when you're going to have an overnight guest or just want to have breakfast for dinner.  This is easy to make and keeps in the pantry for up to 6 months.

Dry Pancake Mix:
(all recipes)

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda


To make the pancakes:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk


Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

To prepare pancakes:
In a bowl, combine egg and milk. Whisk in 1 cup pancake mix. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.

Roasted Broccoli

Mr. T and I both love broccoli.  It's a staple in our house and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. This is a basic preparation from Ina Garten but something amazing happens when it is roasted in the oven.

Roasted Broccoli:
(adapted from Ina Garten)

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets off of the stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. (for the two of us I just cut up 1 head of broccoli and adjusted everything else to taste).

Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.  (I turned everything in the pan about half way through, but you probably don't have to)


Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Basic Pizza Dough

I, along with the rest of the United States, love pizza.  We do order out for pizza a decent amount but we also love to have make your own pizza nights here at the house.  Basic pizza dough obviously makes great pizza but it also is great for making strombolis and calzones.

This recipe makes 2 balls of dough.  I like to go ahead and throw one in the freezer so i'm always prepared.  If you're cooking for one then cut the loaf into smaller pieces.

Pizza Dough:
(Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Fine cornmeal, for dusting

In a small bowl , sprinkle the sugar and yeast in the warm water.  Mix with a fork and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine.  Add the yeast water mixture and the olive oil; pulse until the mixture comes together but it still slightly sticky.  Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured work surface; kneed four or five times until a smooth ball forms.

Place dough ball into a slightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down, fold onto its self four or five times.  Place back in the bowl, smooth side up, and let rise for an additional 30-40 minutes.

Punch dough down again.  Turn out on a floured surface and divide the dough into 2 pieces.  Knead each piece of dough 4 or 5 ties and turn into a smooth ball.  If freezing, wrap the dough in plastic and let thaw in the refrigerator before using.  Otherwise roll out and top with your favorite toppings.

Roasted Garlic

I recently acquired about 20 heads of garlic.  I've been trying to think of new ways to use it so we don't waste any.  One of thing that I had always seen done on tv but had never tried myself was roasting garlic.  I figured that this was the best time to try it out, if it didn't work... I still had more garlic.

It was seriously easy and made the garlic almost sweet.  It got really soft and I was able to just squeeze the cloves out.

Roasted Garlic:
1 head of garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top of the garlic off.

Place the head of garlic in a piece of parchment paper or foil and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Wrap the garlic up and cook for 30 minutes.