Wild Grape Jelly

Wild grapes grow abundantly along the Grand River's trails and the fruit is ripe now. RuthieJ posted a link to a recipe from Canadian Living magazine for wild grape jelly. I did not have liquid pectin, so had to modify the recipe a little. Powdered pectin is added to the mixture earlier in the process than liquid pectin. Here is the method I used.

3 pounds wild grapes

I did not take the grapes off the stems, but I trimmed the stems as much as possible.
Put in a large pot with

3 cups water

Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes until grapes are soft. I mashed them with a potato masher at this point.
Place cooked grapes in a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth and drain overnight. I got 3-1/2 cups of grape juice and added 1/2 cup water to make 4 cups liquid.

Put 4 cups juice in a sauce pan and add 1 package of Certo powder. Bring to a boil and add 5 cups sugar. Bring to a boil again and boil hard for 1 minute. Skim off foam and place in sterilized jars with 2 piece lids. Process in a canner for 5 minutes if using 1 cup jars.

Makes 8 cups grape jelly that is really, really good!

Grandma's Chili Sauce

6 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups each chopped apples, pears, peaches
1 cup diced celery
2 sweet green peppers, diced
1 red pepper, sweet or hot seeded and diced
1-1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
1 tbsp pickling spice placed in a tea ball, or tied in a cheesecloth bag
2 tsp pickling salt
2 cups granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients except sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Add sugar and simmer for another 1/2 hour until desired thickness is obtained. Stir occasionally. Watch that the sauce does not stick, especially toward the end of cooking.

Place in hot canning jars. Process for 20 minutes in canner.

Makes 8 cups. ( I got just under 12 cups of sauce today after 2 hours and 15 minutes of cooking. I could have simmered it more with the lid off to make it thicker, but last year I scorched the pan and had to throw out some of the batch. Today's sauce is really good and is thick enough for me)

From the book Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard (a great book!)

Goulash Soup with Vegetarian Option

I had goulash soup at our local Christkindl Market and analyzed the ingredients closely. This is my adaptation of this spicy dish. I serve it with fresh spaetzle.

Cube 2 pounds of beef round into 2 cm dice
Dredge in flour and brown in oil in a large soup pot.

Add
1-2 onions, diced finely
1- 28 oz tin of diced tomatoes
4 cups of beef broth
3-5 cloves of finely diced garlic
1-2 tbsp of paprika
bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, oregano, hot pepper flakes to taste

Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours until meat is tender

Add
4 diced potatoes
4 average carrots, diced
1 large green pepper, diced

Simmer until vegetables are cooked

Vegetarian Option:
Sept 1/07

I modified this recipe and am very pleased with the vegetarian option:

Cook 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a tbsp of oil until softened. Add 1 tbsp flour to onion mixture and 2 cups of vegetable broth. I added 1 tsp Marmite for a richer flavour.

Add tomatoes, green peppers, potato, carrot and seasonings as above. Add salt to taste.
Simmer until vegetables are done.

I added one drained tin of kidney beans. Tofu, soy crumbles or other beans could be added instead, but it is very tasty and thick even without the beans.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Shredded Beef

My daughter called and asked for this recipe. It is a family creation, with no specific measures.

Beef roast and/or pork roast approx 2-3 pounds
We use pork tenderloin or beef round rather than fattier cuts. If you don't like hot peppers, use more tomato or sweet chili sauce.

Put in crockpot with

1- 28 oz tin diced tomatoes
1 cup canned salsa or chili sauce
pickled or canned hot peppers if desired

Cook in crockpot until meat shreds. Add more liquid or salsa during cooking to keep meat moist.
If you slice or dice the meat before cooking, it will finish faster. I usually cook this overnight for 8-10 hours.

Serve on buns, in tacos or over rice or noodles.

Whole Grain Tabouleh

This recipe is from the cookbook Simply in Season. You can be creative with this dish.

Prepare 1 cup uncooked bulgar, quinoa, or couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. You should have at least 2 cups or more of the cooked grain.

Add
1/4 c green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, mint or parsley
1 cup chopped vegetables: cucumbers, sweet peppers, diced summer squash
1 cup chickpeas (optional)

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice (preferably fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix and pour over salad.
Yields 6 cups

Blanc Mange

This is Blancmange playing tennis in a Monty Python movie.
(Monty Python is too bizarre for me, but I will never forget this very random scene...but then, the entire movie is random!)

My daughter asked me for this recipe so it is posted for her. She ate a lot of this when growing up. I seldom bought boxed puddings and made this instead with a number of variations.

Blanc Mange is a traditional European dish that started as a bland, milky meal with chicken that was served to invalids. It then evolved onto a dessert like flan, made with milk and egg that was set in a molded dish. It now refers to a pudding made with cornstarch or flour. It could be made stiff enough to be molded, but we like ours to be creamier. Here is the basic idea for a modern version using a microwave oven.

In a microwave proof dish combine

3 tbsp cornstarch (or flour)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar or sweetener

Add 2-1/2 cups milk (regular or soy)
It is easier to blend if the milk has been warmed, but I don't do this.
You can thin the pudding with extra milk after it has cooked to reach the desired consistency

Cook in microwave. I set it at 50% power for about 3-5 minutes.
Stir the pudding every minute. Remove after it thickens.
Add 1 tbsp butter (optional) and 1/2 tsp vanilla to the thickened pudding.

Variations:

Chocolate: Add 2-3 tbsp cocoa to sugar and cornstarch mixture. Use the greater amount of sugar.

Maple: Add 1/2 cup maple syrup instead of the sugar

Rice pudding: Add 1-2 cups cooked rice to thickened pudding. Add raisins and cinnamon if desired.

For a richer pudding with a custardy flavour, add one well beaten egg to the hot mixture. Stir a little of the hot pudding into the egg before adding the egg to the dish. You may have to return the pudding to the microwave for 15-30 seconds to set the egg.

"Mexican" Cheesecake

This is Mom's recipe which she learned in Mexico. I love cheesecakes, preferably plain, and flans served with fresh fruit or fruit sauce. A rich New York cheesecake, with lots of cream cheese, eggs and sour cream, is only an occasional indulgence. This cake is flavourful and low fat as well. Mom bakes it in a graham cracker crust, but I just put it in a cheesecake pan with no crust.

1 1/2 cups dry curd cottage cheese (I buy this in a 500 gram package in the dairy section, so I really use 2 cups)
4 eggs
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender or with beaters.
Pour into a 8"-9" cheesecake pan or deep pie dish.

Bake at 350 F until set, about 40 -50 minutes.
Chill before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are a family favourite and are just as quick to make as a trip to the store to buy cookies.

1 cup butter
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup white sugar

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in until smooth

2 eggs

In another bowl mix together

2 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp salt (these may need no salt if using salted butter)
1 tsp baking soda

Stir into butter mixture. Add

1-2 cups pure chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, or whatever.

Place on a cookie sheet by spoonfuls and bake in preheated oven (375F) for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

Fried Tofu and Spicy Peanut Sauce

This recipe is not for the meat-loving men in the family, but my daughters love tofu, especially fried. We enjoy Viet-Thai cuisine including their vegetarian options. This recipe turned out well and was still good the next day, even though the crispy edges had softened. It is adapted from the recipe on the side of the President's Choice tofu package.

1 lb medium firm tofu cut into 6 slices
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
salt to taste

Drain tofu and slice into even pieces. Wrap in a double folded tea towel for 15 minutes and pat dry. Coat tofu lightly with cornstarch and place in oil that has been heated in a frying pan. Fry until crispy and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes a side. Drain on a paper towel.

Peanut Sauce

We mix this up without measuring it and adjust things until they look and taste right.

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp water
A teaspoon or so of soy sauce and a couple of dashes of hot chili sauce

Mix together until smooth. The sauce should be the consistency of medium gravy. The peanut sauce in the picture above is too thick, but it was tasty.

Serve with rice and vegetables.

Pumpkin Loaf

This is one of our favourite quick breads. The loaf is easy to make, moist, cuts well and keeps well. The recipe can be adapted and changed and is difficult to ruin. I have seen it in a number of cookbooks and magazines over the years with slight variations.

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two standard loaf pans, either lining them with foil or greasing them.

3-1/3 cups flour (I use half whole wheat)
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups cooked pumpkin or applesauce
1/2 to 1 cup nuts, raisins, cut up dates or combination (optional)

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs, oil and pumpkin. Stir until well blended. Add fruit/nuts if desired and place in loaf pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
This recipe also works as muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375F.

Marinated Chicken

BBQ chicken is best marinated ahead of time. Here are two marinades that are delicious in their own way. The first has no added salt, but it gives the chicken great flavour for people who want or need to watch their salt intake. It was given to me by my longtime friend and work mate, Rhonda. The second is HOT HOT HOT...lip burning hot, but we love it. It was invented by my Mexican sister-in-law, Marcela.

Rhonda's Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

Makes enough to marinate 2 lbs chicken. Marinate for several hours or overnight.

Marcela's Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed if available)
1/2 cup pureed chipolte peppers (smoked jalapenos)
I puree a small tin of them in the blender and keep leftovers in the freezer.

Makes enough to marinate 2 lbs of chicken. Marinate for 1-4 hours or longer.

Barbeque chicken or cook on an indoor grill. Serve in buns, on a Caesar salad, or as an entree with vegetables.

Rice Krispie Squares and Variations

There is no easier dessert to take to a potluck or picnic. They are popular with young and old alike.

Basic Rice Krispie Squares

1/4 cup butter
40 large marshmallows or 5 cups of miniatures
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies

Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until the ingredients are puffy and melted. Stir mixture until smooth and add vanilla and cereal. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Cut into squares when cooled.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to mixture along with the cereal.

Honey Bunches of Oats Squares

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal

Microwave peanut butter, butter, and marshmallows on high for 1 minute until melted. Stir together until smooth and stir in cereal. Place in greased 9 inch square pan. Cut into squares when cooled. I make a recipe and a half and use a 9x13 pan as I like the bars a little thinner.