Our Apple Pie Filling...such a fun day!

Our Apple Pie Filling

yields 7 quarts

6 pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced

4 ½ cups sugar

1 cup Clear Jel (non negotiable ingredient)

3 t cinnamon

1 t ground nutmeg

why would Mary be eating apple peels?

5 c unsweetened apple juice or cider

2 ½ c cold water

½ c lemon juice plus some  to add to   water while peeling apples to prevent  browning

Need:

*couple of big containers ½ filled with cold water and lemon juice or fruit fresh

*7 quart jars…I prefer wide mouth jars for this project.

*lids and rings…warm water in microwave to soften rubber on lids a couple minutes before canning

*Water bath canner

Measure out sugar and spices; mix together and separate in half.

Mix half in liquid into a Dutch oven or medium stockpot and stir to dissolve.

Mix the other half with Clear Jel and set aside.

Gently pack warmed jars 2/3 full apple slices. Meanwhile bring juice mix to boil. Rapidly whisk Clear Jel mix in. AS SOON as blended turn off heat.

Ladle one ladle of sauce over apples.  Fill jar to shoulder of jar with more apples add one more ladle of sauce.  Use non-metal blade or spatula handle to get sauce down into air spaces in apples. May be able to add a couple more slices apple to get to 1 inch headspace. Wipe rim with damp cloth. Adjust lids and process according to your Canning manual. I did 35 minutes for quarts.

T.W.E.A.K.S.

½ cider and ½ water

Pumpkin Pie Spice (4t)

Using Cane Sugar Crystals makes it extra yummy

Note:  if sauce is to thick it doesn’t get down in around slices, if too thin the apples float to the top…but it still will work.

Enjoy!! now and this winter when you need a quick desert!

Tomato Soup from the Garden's Abundance

My delightful Daughter-in-Law Mary Gray and I have been canning this for weeks to preserve

the abundance from our garden. We are really enjoying this!

If you make it let me know what you think or how you tweak it!

Appreciating abundant blessings!

Marian

Tomato Soup

For ½ bushel tomatos

Wash, core, and quarter tomatos.  Run thru food processor until smooth.

Put in stock pot that can hold about 10 qts.  Bring to boil.

Prepare and sautéed until tender:

1/2 c butter or olive oil

3# onions chopped, or 1/3 c dry minced

1 bunch chopped celery or 2 T celery seed crushed in mortar &pestle

1 c parsley chopped

1 pepper chopped

4 T shopped fresh Basil

1 t black pepper

Watch closely as it burns easily. Cool slightly

Pulse vegetable mix in processor until smooth.  Add to tomatos.

Add 1/8 c sea salt.

Add 1 T granulated garlic. Skim foam.

Jar in quarts and seal. Water bath for 35 minutes or pressure can for 20 minutes at 10#.

Makes 8 qts. Can 7  and have one for dinner!  Yum!!!

T.W.E.A.K.S.

Can use frozen tomatos…roast after thawing then process as rest of recipe

Make it a Meal

Top with homemade croutons and feta cheese and a dollop of pesto. Serve with a scoop of tuna or chicken  salad on a bed of lettuce

Or stir in a scoop of cooked quinoa for your protein.

Pesto, the taste of summer

Here is the Pesto recipe Mary Gray and I used.  YUM! 

PESTO

• 6 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts toasted
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano or asiago
• 6 cups packed basil leaves
• 1T fresh lemon juice(Costco’s organic Italian Lemon Juice is my favorite!!)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 teaspoon each pepper and sea salt

Preparation

Pulse garlic with 1T olive oil in a food processor until finely chopped, then, add nuts, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Scoop into another bowl and then add to food processor ½ of cheeses, 2 T EVOO, and 2 c basil; pulsing until finely chopped. Scoop into bowl and then add to processor remaining ½ of cheeses, 2 T EVOO, and 4 c basil, pulsing until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil if needed and blend until incorporated. Stir batches together to blend.

•Pesto keeps chilled,1- 2 weeks, its surface covered with ½ inch of olive oil or plastic wrap, so refrigerate some and freeze the rest.
•Pesto can be frozen in sealed plastic bags (press out any excess air) up to 3 months.

I scoop pesto onto cookie sheet lined with parchment, flash freeze, then store in canning jar in freezer.
One scoop melted over zucchini sauté is delish.  One scoop thawed and thinned with EVOO makes an excellent salad dressing.   Also, toss a couple of scoops with cooked spaghetti squash for a super side dish.

What is your favorite way to use pesto?  Any favorite T.W.E.A.K.I.N.G.S.?

Many wonderful summer days to you!

Day 4 of a Week of Summer Salads My Own Coleslaw

My Own Coleslaw    :)

          No Dairy, No Sugar

finely chop or shred a head of cabbage and toss with

1 Tablespoon of sea salt.  Set aside for about 1 hour

in a small jar stir dressing together:

          1/4 c lemon juice (my fav is “Italian Volcano Organic“ from Costco)**

          1/3 c coconut oil (may have to warm ever so slightly to get to liquid)

          sweeten to taste with stevia or xylitol ***

          salt and pepper to taste

          1/2 T ground celery seed (my mortar & pestle is a indispensable tool!)

          onion powder or grated Vidalia-type onion to taste

Directions:

          drain cabbage and toss with dressing

***depends on a few things:  liquid stevia, or powdered, or xylitol

          --I prefer xylitol because it naturally kills yeast, and it replenishes the enamel on your teeth. It is 40% sweeter than sugar so you can use less, and 
raises your blood sugar more slowly.

          --I make my own liquid stevia “tea” ...it's easy !!:  steep a lot of stevia leaves in boiled water for 30 min then freeze in ice cube tray.  YaaY!! No Carbs!

Not an artificial sweetener! 

Make your life easy

Special refrigeration at summer parties in not needed since there is 
no mayonnaise or sour cream in this recipe

Make it a Meal

blue cheese is exceptionally yummy…unless you don’t like blue cheese…

Feta is good too!  4 ounces = 1 serving protein

T.W.E.A.K.s

          I LOVE cheddar Sesame Sticks on coleslaw!

          **can use raw apple cider vinegar as alternative
          
          add a small bunch of fresh cilantro chopped and tossed together…

          will reduce it’s shelf-life as cilantro gets mushy with-in about a day of 
          being “chopped”

          use baby kale instead of cabbage!!

I think I could eat this every single day!

Panzanella

based on recipe by Barefoot Contessa

Serves:  12 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons EVOO

 6 cups day-old French bread cut into 1-inch cubes      

1 teaspoon sea  or “Real” salt

2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 cucumber, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized cubes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized cubes

1/2 red onion  very thinly sliced

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic, fresh or granulated

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons rice or raw apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 teaspoon sea  or “Real” salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Gently  heat the oil in a large heavy pan. Add the bread and toss with salt; Toast over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

T.W.E.A.K.s

Double or triple vinaigrette recipe, combining in a small  canning jar.  Shake to mix.  Now you have chemical free dressing for the rest of the week!

Make it a complete meal

Add feta or goat cheese

Or leave seeds of pepper and tomatos in and add freshly toasted pine nuts for a complete protein.

         

Looking forward to harvesting tomatos and cucumbers so I can make this!

Tabbouleh

1-2 cups cooked grain original recipe is bulgur (cut wheat) 

     my preference is quinoa, have used barley or rice blends

(see notes in Orzo Salad recipe above)
2 large bunches fresh parsley finely chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh mint
1-2 cucumbers diced
2-4 tomatos diced
1/3 c EVOO
1/3 c lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
3 finely chopped green onions or shallots or 3T chopped chives
s and p to taste

Directions:

toss together and enjoy! will last 2-3 days in refridge

Make it count as meal with complete protein 

can add sesame seeds (1-2 tablespoons per person)

feta is also yummy in it too!

T.W.E.A.K.s

Lovely served in whole colored bell peppers or hollowed out tomatos.

Fun appetizers served in mini peppers or cherry tomatos

Enjoy!

Summer Salads

I've had several requests for summer salads that satisfy as a meal. I will post one each day this week. Enjoy!!

Orzo Salad

original recipe credited to Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 # rice, cooked

1/3 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 c arugula torn

¾ c feta crumbled

½ c dried cherries

12 fresh basil leaves, minced

12 fresh mint leaves, minced

¼ c nuts

3 tablespoons lemon juice my favorite brand is Italian Volcano Organic

            available at Costco

1 ½  teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

T.W.E.A.K.s

lemon sorrel for arugula

craisins for dried cherries

walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, or raw sunflower seeds; toast for best flavor

I use rice rather than orzo pasta.  We are working to minimize wheat products in our diet.  white and brown rice are not a better choice for us. It is still too hybridized and processed.  I use Lundberg’s Wild Rice blend, black japonica rice (not as pretty a salad), or Lundberg’s Wehani. I find these locally available even in our area.  

Directions

Drain rice and toss with 3 T EVOO, spread out on cookie sheet to cool.

Toss remaining ingredients, add rice when cool. Toss and serve.

 Note:  With grain, nuts, seeds and cheese this makes a complete protein.  With the fruit and greens,  it makes a complete meal.