Refrigerator Pickles

I have been playing around with pickles lately...  **How do you continue writing after a statement like that?** 

Basically, I have been making pickles because they are delicious.  Last time I bought some pickles they were a lot sweeter than I wanted them to be.  The time before that there was too much garlic.  Getting annoyed that I didn't like the pickles I was getting I decided to make my own.  Looking at a simple recipe I threw something together that I like and hopefully you will too.

Pickled Cucumbers

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, to taste preference
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• Dill, green peppers, garlic, etc. to taste

Instructions

1. Place sliced cucumbers, onions, garlic, green peppers (or any combination thereof) in a jar.
2. Combine sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil making sure to fully dissolve the sugar.  Pour over the sliced vegetables.  Add fresh dill to taste, if desired.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Store in the refrigerator.

Before any of you go off on me - yes, I know that this isn't the best way to make pickles.  This is a way that I use when I want to make them quickly.  Last minute sort of deal.  There are probably better ways to pickle, but try this.  You may like it.  If not...no harm, no foul.

As always, until next time....
Happy Snacking!

Luke

Apple Sauce with Brandy

It has been a crazy week, what with me starting a new and amazing job and all it has been hard to get home in time to make a new meal and post it. I have fallen behind and have been a little uninspired as of late. However, with the inspiration from my friend at evolutionaryfoodie.wordpress.com I have decided to also share my apple sauce recipe.

This recipe works well with the winter holidays and is delicious served warm straight off of the stove. Or you could let it sit in the refrigerator and let the flavors settle and serve it cold. Either way, this simple and delicious treat is easy to make.

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 assorted apples (i.e., Rome, McIntosh, Royal Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 2 Tbsp. brandy or rum
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long)

Preparation

1. Peel (only peel if you do not want a chunkier apple sauce), core and cut the apples into large chunks, tossing them with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
2. Place the apples and remaining ingredients in a large, heavy pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover partially and cook until apples are very tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pot and cook 5 minutes more.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Coarsely mash the apples with the cooking juices (or blend apples in a food processor or blender if the skins are still on). I used a blender and it worked just fine. Make sure to have enough liquid in the blender as to not damage your equipment. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to use, up to 5 days. 

For this recipe, I used 3 Organic Piñata apples, 3 Organic Golden Delicious and 2 Organic Gala apples. Being from Wisconsin, I have a soft spot for Brandy Old Fashioned so my first choice is brandy, but rum also tastes great with this recipe. This is also something that you can play around with. Try changing out the apples I like my apple sauce a little sweeter, so I choose my apples accordingly (or just go with whatever is on sale, though it isn't always the best choice).

Play around and enjoy your food!

Until next time...

Happy Snacking!

Thai Red Peanut Curry

This post is coming a little late, but I am still going to get it up! So, I am just going to make this short. After a long day of working all I wanted when I came home was some Red Peanut Curry. Without any more a due:

The Recipe

Red Peanut Curry
Adapted from this recipe.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, sliced into small chunks
• Optional: 1-2 cups chopped eggplant, skin left on
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, OR substitute bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick (OR add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon to the sauce)
• handful fresh basil and coriander/cilantro

Red Curry Sauce

• 1 can coconut milk
• 2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh lemongrass, OR bottled/frozen prepared lemongrass
• 1 shallots OR 1/4 cup purple onion, sliced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, sliced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup or cooked tomato puree
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 11/2 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder, depending on how spicy you want it 
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, + more to taste
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Place all curry sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well. Pour the curry sauce in a wok, deep frying pan, or large pot. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables and continue simmering another 15 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked. 
2. Do a taste test, looking for a balance of flavors. If not salty or flavorful enough, add up to 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce. If too salty, add more fresh lime juice. If too sour, add a little more brown sugar. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. If not spicy enough, add a few fresh-cut chilies or dried crushed chili/cayenne pepper.
3. Ladle the curry into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle generously with fresh basil and coriander (cilantro), and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. ENJOY!

Yield: Serves 3-4 as a Main Entree

For this dish, feel free to add any and every vegetable you wish to the curry. Tonight I made it without the eggplant, but with tomato, green pepper, green beans, onion, carrot broccoli and shiitake mushrooms. Served on a bed of rice, it is hard to go wrong with this curry.

Goodnight everyone. And until next time...
Happy Snacking!

Green Tea-Mango Shortbread Cookies

You are in for a treat this week. It is not often that I share my family's or my own recipes. However, I decided to share with you a recipe that I am currently working on. (Oh, no! I have to make these cookies over and over until they are just right.) It is truly a rough life I lead.

Anyway, this is just a general recipe as it isn't solidified into how I like to make it just yet. I was inspired to make it by the tea I was drinking one day. Obviously it was a mango green tea and I was obsessed with cookies at the time. Working with mango which can get very juicy, and shortbread, which is essentially just butter, can get very tricky. Right now I am trying out variations of mixing in the mango straight into the cookie batter and a thumbprint shortbread with a mango compote.

The first time I made these cookies I just lightly chopped the mango and mixed it directly into the cookie batter and it turned out well. The second time that I made these cookies I put the mango into a food processor and it dulled out the green tea flavor because there was a lot of juice. Because I think that I am going to be solidifying the recipe as a thumbprint with the mango compote I will give you the recipe with the mango mixed it, but also feel free to play around with it.

The Recipe

Basic Shortbread Recipe

• 1/2 pound (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla and mix. 
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. 
3. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and bring everything together with your hands. Divide dough into two pieces and flatten slightly. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill OR prepare the shortbread cookie recipe below. 

Green Tea-Mango Shortbread Cookies

• 2 Tbs matcha powder 
• 1 cup chopped mango (about one whole mango) 
• Ingredients from above Basic Shortbread recipe

1. Add matcha (green tea) powder with the flour and salt and sift all ingredients together. 
2. As dough starts to come together add the chopped mango to the batter and lightly mix it enough to incorporate it into the batter, but not enough that it releases all of it's juices into the batter. 
3. Roll shortbread into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with your palm. 
4. Chill for 30 minutes. 
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 8-10 minutes and golden on the bottoms. 

Makes about 2 dozen small shortbread.

This is just intended to give you something to play with, as this by no means a solid recipe...YET! Enjoy, none-the-less.

Until next time...
Happy Snacking!