5 day Pickles

What to do with the all those fresh garden vegetables?

Brine 
4 Cups of vinegar
2 Cups water
2 T sugar
2 T salt

Spices
1 tsp oregano or three sprig of fresh dill
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red chilli peppers or small hot pepper

Assortments of sliced veggies 
cucumber
zucchini
carrots
peppers
green beans

Directions
Heat vinegar, water, sugar and salt till dissolved.

Cook veggies a short time in boiling water and leave crisp.  Put in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Fill sterilized jars with veggies, fresh dill or dried oregano, bay leaves and garlic.

Pour in liquid.

Seal and leave in the refrigerator for 5 days.  Makes two large jars.

Pickles keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

Pacific Asian Invasion Soup (Pho)

Made this a few times, and it turned out beautifully.  Comments were "to die for".  

Ingredients:
8 Cup chicken or vege stock
1/2 savoy cabbage chopped
5- or more brown and portbello mushrooms chopped
1 Cup brocoli chopped
1/2 onion chopped
5 garlic minced
4 - 7 anise stars
12 or more shrimp
one inch ginger grated
1/8 tsp ground pepper
a quarter of a cup fish sauce
Adjust flavours to taste and make with what you have.


Simmer for hours.
Take out star of anise.
And then add:
10 -12 shrimp and cook 3 minutes
2 Tlb sesame oil
1 to 2 Tlb soya sauce or tamari
two bunches of cooked and strained rice noodles

Add to each bowl:
slivers of raw sirloin beef strips
(bowls have to be deep enough to cook beef)
bean sprouts
fresh chopped basil

Serve the following items in individual bowls on the dinner table so each person can add to each bite:  
slices of jalapeño peppers rings
lime or lemon wedges
chopped fresh basil
And bottles of:
Hoisin Sauce
Sriracha Sauce

Indian Feast

We started to prepare the dinner the night before with the marinating of the chicken.  The vegetable curry dish can be started the next morning as well as the chipati dough.  
Delicious and not to difficult.

Tandori Chicken

6 to 8 chicken thigh

Ingredients 

1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tlb. tumeric
1 Tlb. paprika
1/2 tsp salt
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
juice of one lemon
2 Cups yogurt

Mix spices, garlic and ginger and add to chicken.  Add yogurt and let it marinate over night.

The next day, shake excess marinate from each chicken thigh and place on a pan.  Let air dry for 45 minutes prior to cooking to adhere the marinate to skin and thigh.

Bake on a sheet at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Vegetarian Indian Curry Dish

Dice and sauté in a large pot until vegetables are translucent
1 medium onion
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots
4 gloves of garlic

Add:
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 - 4 Tlb. curry
2 hot peppers sliced

Cook for additional 3 minutes stirring constantly




Add: 
6 C water or until everything is submerged
1 cauliflower head (sliced in pieces)
1 can of chic peas (drained and rinsed)
2 Tlb of concentrated stock

Cook for additional 30 minutes on medium heat

Add:
3 potatoes diced
1 bunch cilantro (minced)
1 C frozen peas
fresh pepper to taste
1 large can ( 796 ml or 28 ounce) of diced tomatoes minus the juices

Cook additional 30 minutes or more to reduce
Consistency should be like a thick gravy

Add:
1 Tlb garam masala
1/2 C yogurt

If you need more stock, curry, masala or yogurt add to taste bit by bit.  You do not want to over do it so adding it slowly and that is the secret. You can always add but cannot take away.

Chipati Indian Flatbread
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 to 1 C cold water  (enough to make it come to a moist ball)

Knead the dough and then form into 1to 2 inch balls.
Cover with a damp cloth and rest or a half an hour or more.
On a slightly floured surface, roll out the ball getting it nice and thin. Heat the frying pan and cook chipati in dry hot frying pan until deep brown and blistered.  Brush with melted butter.

We like the tandori chicken, balsmati rice and curry dish on the chapati.  
Serve the curry dish with a spoonful of yogurt and cilantro and the entire dish with a lemon slice.
The best part is ripping off the chapati and eating the dish without utensils.

There Is No Place Like Home "Pizza"

The list of possible pizza ingredients is endless as is the pizza crust. 

In this blog there are variations in crust including gluten free and ingredients 
including arugula, kale and even a barbecue chicken pizza recipe.  

Pizza Dough

1 Cup of beer

1 Tbl shortening

1 Tbl sugar

1 tsp salt

2 3/4 C white flour

1 1/4 tsp yeast

Makes 2 -12 inch pizzas

Variations 

sprinkle with 2 Tbl cornmeal

or use half whole wheat flour

Gluten free
3 C half and half rice and tapioca flour 
1tsp salt                                 1 Tbl yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder           3 Tbl sugar
warm water 110ºF                 1 Tbl olive oil
In a bowl combine yeast and 3/4 C warm water; let sit for 5 min. Sprinkle with half the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, powder and remainder of the sugar).  Make a well and add yeast mixture, oil and 
1/2 C warm water. Stir. Use flour on your hands to mix if needed. add more water or flour if needed. Spread and bake at 350 ºF without toppings in a greased pan for 20 minutes till crisp.  Add toppings and bake. Makes a yummy, crispy gluten free crust. This recipe makes two pizzas.

Use a tortilla (corn or flour) for the crust

Brush with olive oil and bake and then flip, brush and bake again. 
This will make your pizza crispy.

Add your favourite sauce and ingredients.

Unleavened pizza crust (no yeast)

2 cups flour

1 TB baking poder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 C water

1 Tbl cooking oil

Add dry ingredients, mix and then add liquid ingredients. Knead on floured surface till good consistency.

Spread and add favourite toppings

Kale and Arugula Pizza

After spreading out the dough on to pizza pan,

spread out favourite pizza sauce and then add 

topping for pizza.

Ingredients for topping

1 Cup of kale and arugula diced

3 small tomatoes sliced

3 large brown mushrooms sliced

1/2 sweet onion sliced 

4 cloves of garlic minced

large piece of broccoli in small pieces

1/2 yellow pepper sliced

4 large green olives sliced

4 - 5 pieces of sliced salami 

Add the veggies and then top with arugula and kale.









Add to the topping:
1 Cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 C grated white cheddar

Add sliced olives

Bake at  350º F for 15 minutes or so.

Barbecue chicken, cheddar and chive

Ingredients for topping and sauce:
4 large brown mushrooms
1/2  onion
1/2 red pepper
2 hot peppers
4 garlic cloves
1 Cup of corn
4 Tlb. chopped chives
1.5 C barbecue sauce
2 C cheddar cheese
2 C sliced chicken




Slice and sauté mushrooms, peppers, garlic and onions in olive oil on frying pan.
On a cookie sheet roast corn under broiler till brown.

Toss the chicken slices in half the barbecue sauce and bake for 10 minutes till crisp.

We used our chipotle barbecue sauce, look up the recipe on December 2013.

Instructions for assembling:
Spread remaining barbecue sauce over pizza crust
Add 2/3 of cheese mixture
Add caramelized mushrooms, garlic, peppers and onion mixture
Add oven roasted barbecued chicken
Add corn on top
Add remainder of the cheese
Add half of onion chives

Assemble and bake at 350ºF for 20 - 25 minutes.
After baked, top with fresh chives.

Kale and Feta Salad

As the kale is now growing in our gardens, it is a great 

time to be creative with your salads.  Great time of year for this tasty treat.

Ingredients 

1 bunch fresh kale 

1 C cranberries or raisins

1 C feta cheese

1/2 red onion sliced

1/2 C nuts (pine, walnut or almonds)

Dressing

3 Tlb olive oil

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp. sugar 

1 tsp quality or dried mustard 

2 cloves of garlic minced

freshly ground pepper

TIP: To make the kale soft, massage the kale with your hands using olive oil.  

Pacific Salmon Chowder

Ingredients
1-2 pounds of salmon

TIP: we asked for salmon scraps from the fish store

2 Tlb olive oil
3 carrots diced
3 celery stalks diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 onion diced
4 medium potatoes diced
1 C frozen corn
10 large sliced green olives
1 C chopped asparagus (optional)
2 - 2 1/2 C cream
1/2 C fresh minced dill
2 minced green onions

Add to taste
2- 4Tlb of vegetable concentrated stock (Better than Bouillon)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
dash hot sauce
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Directions

Add salmon to 6-8 cups of water and boil for approximately 60 -75 minutes to complete fish stock.

Strain the stock into a bowl and remove meat and skin from bones. Add meat back to stock and set aside.

Sauté onion, garlic and celery with oil in a large pot.

Add fish stock, salmon meat and olives.

Add carrots.  Cook the carrots until they are tender and add corn, potatoes, asparagus and green onions. Simmer additional 20 minutes.

Add cream and dill.

Simmer for another half an hour for flavours to meld.

Serve with a spoonful of yogurt sprinkled with minced dill on top.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Growing up this is the pie I always requested for my birthday! Still love this one.  

My mother's original recipe.

Use 9 inch pie crust -bought or prepared.

Filling 

4 egg yolks
1 1/4 C (or less ) sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
3/4 C lemon juice
1 Tbl. or more lemon grated peel
1 C milk
2 Tbl. butter

In a medium sauce pan, whisk yolk and sugar till light in colour.  Whisk in corn starch and then add lemon peel and milk.  Cook stirring on medium heat till it boils and thickens. Add butter. Let cool to room temperature. Add to pie crust.

Meringue

4 egg whites (room temperature)
1/2 to 3/4 C sugar
Add sugar to whites slowly while beating with electric beaters till meringue is stiff and peeks.

Put meringue on top, shaping into interesting peeks. Bake 20 minutes and chill.