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

Bread and Pesto

Today's recipes are short and simple.  Bread and pesto... Here we go.

Pesto

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup pine nuts
• Basil, a good handful (about 1 cup if you are measuring it out)
• Garlic, about 3 cloves
• 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
• 1 Cup Oil (traditionally Olive Oil, but any oil will work)

Directions

1. Roast the pine nuts in an oven set to 350° F for about 5 minutes. Make sure to stay close because you don't want to burn the nuts. If you start to smell them, pull them out quickly! Let them cool to room temperature.
2. In a food processor, blender (or even use an immersion blender if that's what you have) add all ingredients except the oil. Drizzle a little bit of the oil in before the first round of blending. As the pesto is blending slowly add the oil to get a better emulsion of ingredients. Once ingredients are blended you are all set.
3. Cool in the refrigerator and then serve or use!

Bread

Ingredients

• 2 Cups tepid water (about 100° F)
• 1 Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Cups flour

Directions

1. Combine and whisk together water, instant yeast, sugar and salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Slowly add flour into the wet mixture making sure to break up any clumps. Once thoroughly combined the dough will be watery. Continue to add flour until the dough sticky, but firm enough to pull out of the bowl.
3. Flour your workspace and place dough onto workspace and flour dough. Knead the bread until the dough is firm, but still a little pliable. 
4. In a large ovensafe bowl, spread some oil to cover the inside of bowl. Place kneaded dough into bowl and cover with oil from the bowl. Place cling wrap over the bowl and make it air tight. Method I use to raise dough: place covered dough in a gas oven that has NOT been turned. Turn on the oven to 500° F and keep it on for 30 seconds only then turn off the oven. Keep oven closed and leave the dough in there for 1 hour.
5. Next, place the dough in any pan you wish to bake it in. I usually use this bread for dipping and such, so I will usually bake it in a shallow pan. Preheat oven to 350° F and bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust begins to turn a golden brown. Take out of the oven and enjoy! 

This is all really less complex than I make it sound.  Go out and have fun with this recipe and enjoy!!!!

Until next time...

Happy Snacking!

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!

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel and Mirin Ginger Cranberry Sauce

I'm just going to update with a quick recipe today. Not too long ago I posted a recipe for Shichimi Mushroom Rice Bowls. The picture that I posted also had also featured the Baked Sweet Potato Falafel. Falafel happens to be something Oriana and I enjoy a lot. While searching for what would be on our Christmas dinner menu Oriana found an interesting twist on preparing it. The recipe comes from http://www.101cookbooks.com/ by way of Allegra McEvedy of Leon Restaurants. I really like sweet potatoes and this was amazing! Check it out!

The Recipe

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel and Mirin Ginger Cranberry Sauce (on the upper plate)

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel
Adapted from 101cookbooks.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (orange inside), around 700g or 1 1/2 pounds in total
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup chickpea flour 
• a splash of olive oil
• a sprinkling of sesame seeds
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees (220°C) and roast the sweet potatoes whole until just tender - 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leave the potatoes to cool, then peel.
2. Put the sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and gram/chickpea flour into a large bowl. Season well, and mash until smooth with no large chunks. Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies enormously).
3. Reheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Using a couple of soup spoons (put a well-heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides) or a falafel scoop if you have one, make the mixture into falafelly looking things and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.

Makes about 18 falafel, enough for 4 - 6.


Unlike normal falafel we went with a festive, holiday menu and decided to use a cranberry sauce to serve with the falafel. We decided on a Mirin Ginger Cranberry Sauce. This may not be for everyone, but it worked well with this recipe.


Mirin Ginger Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mirin (sweetened cooking sake)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 bag cranberries, washed
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced

Directions

1. Dissolve the sugar in the mirin. Bring to simmer. Add cranberries and continue to simmer until cranberries begin to crack. 
2. Once the cranberries begin to "pop" add the juice from the lemon, ginger and the garlic. Stir cranberry mixture to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the sauce pan and set the heat to low. When cranberries reach desired thickness remove from heat.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy!

And until next time...
Happy Snacking!