Candied Zucchini Snacks

While I love zucchini bread, I like to try new ideas and come up with new recipes.  This is a very easy one that you can make to suit whatever flavor you like.  You only need two ingredients and some water: zucchini, and a package of flavored gelatin.  But if you don't have gelatin, you can substitute powdered drink mixes and add a cup of sugar if they are not pre-sweetened.  You can leave out the packaged mixes and use 4 cups of any flavored fruit juice.  The cooking and drying times are the same for any of them.

CANDIED ZUCCHINI SNACKS

Zucchini, peeled, seeds removed and diced into pieces about 1" x 1/2", enough to measure 6 cups
Large box flavored gelatin
4 cups water

Prepare zucchini, try to keep the pieces as uniform as possible to assure even drying time.

In a large pot, bring 4 cups water to a boil.  Add the flavored gelatin to the water and stir, while boiling, for two minutes.  Add the zucchini and stir to cover.  If you need more liquid to cover, you can add more water.  Return to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain zucchini, reserving liquid for another batch if you'd like, and layer the pieces on the dehydrator trays.  Run the dehydrator at 130 degrees for 10 to 12 hours.  Stop when they are slightly pliable.  They will harden as they cool so don't over dry them or they will be hard as a rock.

Once they are totally dry, I'll edit the post with picture of them in that state, also.  I had a lot of liquid left, and one tray was empty, so I cut up a small zucchini and it's now simmering and I'll add it to the dehydrator when it's ready.

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6 cups dehydrated down to a little less than 2 cups.  They are very good, even better than I anticipated.  They are really delicious just as they are, but next time I might use either less water or more gelatin to bump up the flavor some.  But, I might not as, like I said, they are pretty good just like this.

Canning Collard Greens

Now that I feel more confidant using a pressure canner I decided to can some of the collard greens I've been growing this summer.  I gathered a huge pile of greens and realized I should have taken a laundry basket with me rather than a little plastic grocery bag.  The first leaf I picked didn't even fit in it.

I rinsed both sides of each leaf in cold water and placed on the dish drainer.  When it got full I moved the leaves onto a paper towel on the counter and rinsed the rest.  I began by cutting the stem from each leaf then stacked the halves together.

When I amassed a decent sized stack, I cut it in half long ways, then across into strips around 1/4" to 1/2" wide.

 Keep a lookout for critters.

I put the chopped collards into the 12 quart pressure canner and added water about 2/3 full.  I boiled the greens for 15 minutes then ladled into pint jars to which I then added 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  I wiped the rim of each jar with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar.  I placed the lid and hand tightened the rings.  After cleaning the canner after cooking the greens, I placed the bottom in, then the jars and the two liters of water this size calls for.  I secured the lid and processed for 70 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.

All those greens, they filled a 12 quart pot, only made 5 pints of greens.  That's why you need to cook them before packing into a jar.  If you pack them raw, once they are cooked you'll be left with just a few spoonfuls after processing. 

Also, please note, I processed these for 70 minutes because I was doing pints.  If you are doing quarts then you need to process for 90 minutes.  I also used 15 pounds of pressure because I'm a little over 1,000 feet elevation, if I was lower I would have only used 10.  I'm so glad I got over my fear of pressure canning.  I can't wait to do more.

Dragon Tongue Beans Are Amazing!!

Seed catalogs arriving in the middle of Winter is one of my favorite things.  I actually toss the majority of the mass market catalogs but I always make sure to order the beautiful one from Baker Creek Seeds.  This wasn't going to be a post singing Baker Creek Seeds' praises, but if you haven't experienced their catalog, order one.  It's the stuff dreams are made from.  The full color photographs are stunning, and their descriptions are spot on, as well.  And they don't make everything sound great, grand, and wonderful, either, they are honest in their descriptions.  If something is pretty, but tastes horrid, you will know.  If it's difficult to grow in certain areas, that is expressed, too.  Everything is GMO free, and they specialize in heirloom varieties.  I have only ordered my seeds from them for the last 3 years and they will forever have a loyal customer in me.  Also, this is not a sponsored ad for them, but I think I will let them see how much I love them.

But, anyway, here's the actual topic of this post:  Today's Dragon Tongue bean harvest. 

These beans are huge and the plants are so proliferate.  This is my third harvest and my biggest one so far, but there are many small beans and lots of blooms still on the plants so I know it won't be my last.  Also, I want to say that while the beans are huge, they are still very tender when cooked.  You can even eat them raw, my grandson ate a handful of them as soon as he picked them.

I'm going to try my hand at pressure canning these today.  I've never used a pressure canner and I'll admit I'm more than a little nervous about it.  My grandma would use it and had me terrified that it could BLOW at any minute and to stay out of the kitchen.  I'm sure that rattling it does will put my anxiety through the roof, but if it doesn't blow up and kill us all then it will all be worth it.  If the beans and I survive, I'll make another post on how they turn out.  If you don't see another post on it, well, then, you'll know, I suppose.

Just wanted to show another pic of all the beautiful variations you get from this one seed.  When they are cooked, sadly all the purple goes away, but you are left with the beautiful creamy color like the one on the right.  Another good note, there are zero strings on these, no matter how big they grow.  Also, you can leave them on the plant to dry and then use the inner beans like any dried beans.  I'd like to do that, but they are so tasty cooked that I don't know if I'll be able to leave any out to dry.

Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad

Our usual way of eating a cucumber is to smother it in Ranch dressing.  That's okay, but pretty boring.  I decided to make a sweet and spicy dressing out of ingredients I already had on hand.  I'm surprised at how delicious these come out.  My husband is not a fan of cucumbers normally, but even he loved these.  This is a salad that takes a little time due to salting and then marinating, but it is well worth it, trust me.

SWEET AND SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD

1-1/2 lbs cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, & thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1/2 c rice vinegar
1/2 c water
3 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbs minced sweet yellow onion

Place cucumber slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and toss well.  Let sit for 1 hour in the sink.  Also, toss the cucumbers a few times while they drain.  While cucumber slices are draining, prepare marinade below.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to a 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes).  Remove reduction from heat and add onion.  Let mixture cool to room temp.

When cucumbers are done resting, pat them dry with a few paper towels and then combine with the vinegar reduction.

This can be served immediately, but for best results refrigerate until well chilled.

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Muffins and Bread

Now that my garden if finally producing, I'm trying to come up with new recipes.  The zucchini is coming in pretty abundantly so that is going to be today's feature recipe.  This recipe is for making 24 muffins or two loaves, or 12 muffins and 1 loaf.  You get the idea.  I actually made both and put some in a little pan just because I thought it was cute.

GLAZED LEMON ZUCCHINI MUFFINS AND BREAD

4 eggs
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup milk of choice (I use non-dairy types)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups grated zucchini
4 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup milk of choice

1.  In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until light in color.  Add the oil, lemon juice, milk and zucchini.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and blend together just until blended.  Do not over mix.
2.  Pour batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and 12 count muffin tin.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for30 minutes for muffins and 45 minutes for loaf, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no raw batter on it.
3.  Mix together the glaze and dip the tops of the muffins into it.  Also use a brush to add glaze to the top of the loaf or pour slowly on top instead.  I used a wire rack over paper towels for easy clean-up.

Of course, you can always half the recipe and make just one loaf, but where's the fun in that?

Beans and Greens

My new favorite food is greens!  Or should that be my new favorite foods are greens?  I need the grammar nazi to help me out here.  But anyway, I love kale, and collards especially.  Tonight I picked a bunch of collard leaves from the garden, around 10 or 12 of the biggest ones. 

I brought them in and rinsed both sides of each leaf and cut out the stem in the middle.  If the leaves were smaller you can leave the stem in but when the are bigger like this they seem a little tough.  After removing the stem, I stacked them, and cut into smaller pieces, around 1" x 2" roughly.  Below is a basic recipe for making BEANS AND GREENS.

Olive oil
Collard leaves, 10-12 large, stems removed and roughly chopped
Medium yellow onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can navy beans, or pinto, or black eyed peas, rinsed well
salt
pepper
soy sauce

In a medium pan, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and let heat for 1 minute.  Add the onions and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add garlic and let cook for 1 minute.  Add the greens and let cook for 5 minutes, stir and about 5 minutes more or until tender.  Add the beans, stir, and heat through, about 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and a splash of soy sauce, stir and serve.

Peach Scones With Devonshire Cream

PI have been in the mood for scones for the last few days and I find that a little funny.  The first time I ever had a scone it was one I made.  A blueberry one, if I remember correctly, and I followed the recipe exact which is actually unusual for me.  I didn't like it at first.  It just wasn't sweet enough.  But I've made them a few more times over the years and I've really come to love them.

I wanted to use some sort of fruit in them, but wasn't particular so I dug through the freezer to see what I had on hand.  The frozen peaches seemed to jump out to me, so I decided to go with them.  I've tweaked the basic scone recipe that I've used in the past and it smells as good as it tastes.  You won't be disappointed.

PEACH SCONES

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda *I forgot to put it in the picture
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 butter
2/3 cup butter milk (or 1/4 cup powdered dry milk, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and water to make 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla, butter, nut flavoring (or plain vanilla)
1 cup diced peaches, fresh or frozen, thawed

Mix the dry ingredients together.  I actually sifted them, but that's not necessary and I only did it because I've been looking for an excuse to use my new sifter.  Add the butter, and blend using a pastry blender.  With a wooden spoon add the fruit and mix to combine.

Turn the dough onto a circle of parchment paper and press down into a circle about an inch thick. 

Cut into wedges and spread the wedges apart slightly. 

Brush with a wash of one egg white and 2 Tablespoons of a milk product.  I used almond mild as it was what I had on hand, but any kind would work.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Move the parchment paper and dough onto the backing pan.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.

DEVONSHIRE CREAM

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/4 cup sour cream
6 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat together until smooth and serve with the scones.


This recipe would really work with any fruit you'd like to use.  Berries are another favorite of mine.  Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of this recipe and what your favorite type of scone might be.  Thanks for stopping by!!

One-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice

I've been really wanting some Tex-Mex food lately but couldn't make up my mind exactly what I wanted.  I started going through my pantry, fridge and freezer and grabbing everything that I thought would make a great dish.  One other thing I really love about this recipe is that it is all in one pot, so fewer dishes to be washed.  Anything that will save me some time cleaning up afterwards the better I like it.

The ingredients I used are:  (Printable Recipe)

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
• 1 cup of uncooked brown extra-long grain rice
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 15oz can of pinto beans with pork, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• sour cream 
  
  
  
  
  

1. Start by sauteing onions in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until they start to soften.
2. Season diced chicken with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Add chicken to pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken has started to brown.
4. Move chicken to one side of pan, in the other side of the pan add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and saute uncooked rice for about 2 minutes or just until some grains start to turn golden brown.
5. Stir in beans, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
6. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.
   
7. Cook about 40 minutes or until rice is tender.
8. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
9. Sprinkle with cheese, recover and let set for 2-3 off heat to melt cheese.
   
10. Garnish with sour cream.
    

There are several ways that you can alter this based on what you have in your pantry.  I used pinto beans with pork added, but plain pinto beans would have been great, as well as black beans.  If you don't have brown rice, use whatever rice you do have and adjust the cooking time according to the type.  For garnishes, you can also add chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped green onions, and/or guacamole.  The amount of spices listed above makes it very flavorful but not very spicy, adjust to your preference.

Easy Homemade Barbeque Sauce

The pork roast I made last night ended up being a little on the dry side.  The leftover roast will be shredded and smothered in this BBQ sauce I came up with today.  It's pretty simple and uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

1/2 cup ketchup
Small dash of Worcestershire sauce
Small dash of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried chopped onions
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Place all ingredients in a medium microwave safe bowl and stir until they are thoroughly combined.  Microwave on high, covered, for 2 minutes, stir, and microwave for 2 additional minutes.  Use immediately or refrigerate for later use.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of delicious barbeque sauce.  I have this in a jar for storing in the fridge.  I would like to try making it in bulk and canning it.  That's another project to add to my list.

I Have Herbs. Now What Do I Do?

A couple of months ago I attended a Make It Herself workshop at my local Home Depot where they showed us how to make an herb tower.  They had one preassembled and they assembled one while we were there and filled it with herbs.  They gave both away as door prizes and I won this one filled with plants.  I've been nurturing it along and it's been doing pretty well.

The top one contains Greek oregano, next down is rosemary, below that is chocolate mint, and then sweet basil.  The bottom pot came with the soil but with no seeds or plants so I later planted baby pak choy that I never got around to picking and has since gone to seed, so I'm going to harvest those seeds whenever they get ready, although I'm not exactly sure when that will be.

I love to cook with fresh herbs but I so rarely do it as fresh herbs in a grocery store are usually very expensive.  If you click on any of the herb names above it will take you to my Pinterest page for recipes I found for each.

I picked a few herbs here and there but they were starting to get overgrown so I cut them all back to let them grow again.

I brought all the ones I snipped off inside to dehydrate so they don't go to waste.

You can see in the bottom right that I started plucking the rosemary off the stem but was worried about it falling through the rack even though I put a screen on it, so I decided to leave them on the stem and will remove them later.  I did that will all of them except the basil since those leaves were pretty good size.  My dehydrator has a setting for herbs, which is 95 degrees F, so I just set it on that and will check every couple of hours to see how they are doing.

Please share in the comments some of your favorite ways to use these herbs.  I'm always looking for new recipes.

The Great Potato Experiment

We were late in getting our garden in this year but things are still growing pretty well.  I'm hoping for a nice fall as that will let me harvest later than typical. 

My husband helped me rig up a contraption in what I hope will help them produce more.  I'd seen potato towers on Pinterest and other sites and decided to make a frugal version.

I have five potato plants that came up, which surprised me as it seemed to take so long I'd given up on them.  I kept mounding the soil up on the plants but they were starting to get pretty big and the soil kept rolling off the mound.  I stopped at my local dollar store and purchased five laundry baskets for $1 each.  I also purchased 14 qts. of potting soil.

My husband used a shop knife to cut the bottom out of each basket.  I put the basket over an individual plant, maneuvering them so that each plant was able to get a basket.

Since laundry baskets have holes along the sides, I layered hay up against the sides on the inside to hold the soil in.

Then I layered the baskets with the potting soil and garden soil. I also had my husband zip-tie them all together as the first two were leaning a bit so I could get all the baskets in there and I was afraid the addition of the heavy soil would wind up toppling them.  I watered them well and the hay also helped to hold in the water.

Here's hoping my experiment works!