CranBlackberry Sauce

A new twist on an old standard - YUMMY!

CRANBLACKBERRY SAUCE

1 cup orange juice with pulp
1 bag cranberries, washed and sorted

1 box blackberries, washed and sorted

1 kiwi, diced
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange peel

• Wash cranberries and drain in colander. 
• Mix orange juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved. 
• Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well.
• Add the cranberries and simmer over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often. 
• When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes uncovered or until all cranberries have ’popped’. 
• Sauce will thicken as it cools. 
• Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

Yields: 2 cups

***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.

MUSHROOM GRAVY ~ TASTE AND CREATE

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food.  The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog.

This month I was paired with PJ from Seduce Your Tastebuds. I love being paired with someone from another country as I inevitably learn sooooooo much, not to mention get to use my metric conversions.  I chose her Mushroom Gravy recipe. I chose it because I love mushrooms, but also for the unique way she makes it - in the pressure cooker!  Genius, pure genius!  I made pork cutlets and mashed potatoes for it to go on. And everyone loved it!

PJ's recipe:

Button mushrooms - 200grams , washed , pat dried and quatered
Onion- 1, chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder -1 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

Saute with a little oil and grind to a smooth paste with a little water

Pearl onions- 5 numbers
Green chilli - 1
Aniseed- 1/2 teaspoon
Poppy seeds- 1 teaspoons
Cashewnuts- 5 numbers
Ginger- 1" piece
Garlic- 2 cloves

1. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and saute onion till translucent
2. Put in tomato and cook till soft.
3. Add the curry leaves, ground paste, coriander powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.
4. Cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is very dry.
5. Put in the mushrooms and add 1/2 cup of water. Take care in this stage as water oozes out of mushrooms while cooking so adding too much water will make the gravy very watery.
6. Pressure cook this for 1 whistle or 8- 10 minutes.

Once the pressure releases,transfer into a serving dish and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Note :

• If the gravy becomes watery, cook uncovered for some time till the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
• Instead of cashew/ poppy seeds, grated coconut can be used.
• For a different flavor, garam masala/ sambar powder can be added in step 3

SALVITXADA ala Tamy

I was reading an email article from Tasting Table about Salvitxada and it sounded scrumptious.  So I set off on an internet search for other recipes.  Catalan Salbitxada sauce is eaten with "calcots", a special kind of green onion from Cataluna. Char-grilled green onions with Salbitxada sauce make both a good "tapa" and side dish for spring and summer. Tasty and easy to make, try this sauce with all types of grilled vegetables, not just onions. Traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, a food processor makes this sauce a snap.

Here is the recipe I came up with for us and what's left - it was scrumptious!

SALVITXADA ala Tamy     Makes 2 1/2 cups
4 tablespoons blanched almonds, toasted and ground to a fine coarse
4 fresh mild hot peppers, (membranes and seeds removed) finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons blood orange vinegar*
3/4 cup canola oil**
salt and pepper to taste

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Place almonds in hot oven to toast for 5-7 minutes. 
• Place in a food processor or mortar and pestle and coarsely grind.
• Peel and dice tomatoes and set aside.
• Finely chop the peppers, removing the seeds and membranes. 
• Peel and finely mince the garlic. 
• Mash ground almonds, peppers and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle or food processor.
• Mix in tomatoes, parsley and vinegar.
• Pulsing the food processor, drizzle in the canola oil until sauce becomes thick. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with grilled “calcots” (green onions) and/or chips and other grilled vegetables.

*Most recipes call for red wine vinegar, but I changed it for flavor alone.
**Most recipes called for olive oil, but I am not an olive lover - I even hate the smell so I changed it up for us.

POLYNESIAN CHICKEN & ITALIAN FARRO & GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

I also love to research foods we've never tried before as well as try old, old recipes or just plain make things up.  I also take requests if anyone would like me to test out a recipe for them.

Today we're making Polynesian chicken (the cheating way) and Italian Farro with Gorgonzola garlic dipping sauce.  I saw a package of Pedon Italian Farro  at the grocery store the other day and it looked interesting (reminded me of rich looking barley) - so the impulse buy won and here we are.

Here's the history lesson first:  Grano Farro has a long and glorious history: it is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in puls, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor. Important as it was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries following the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro's cultivation dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundreds of acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany.

Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of the French Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro among gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy as well, especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.  

POLYNESIAN CHICKEN

4 Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts

1 stick butter, divided in half

1 cup Frank's Sweet Chili hot sauce

1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

1/4 cup flour

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a small food processor,  grind the Knorr soup mix into a fine dust.
• Add the vegetable soup dust to the flour in a large plastic bag and mix well.
• Dredge chicken breasts in soup and flour mixture.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt one half of the butter.
• While that is melting, melt the remaining butter in a 2 cup measuring cup in the microwave.
• Add the hot sauce to the measuring cup and heat an additional 20 seconds. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
• In the skillet brown the chicken breasts on both sides until almost done. 
• Spray a small cookie sheet with PURE.
• Coat each piece of chicken with hot sauce mixture and lay on cookie sheet.

ITALIAN FARRO

small bag PEDON farro

2 tablespoons Frank's Sweet Chili hot sauce

• Bring a 2 quart pan of water to a boil.
• Add the Farro and simmer, 10-12 minutes.
• Drain thoroughly.
• Add hot sauce and toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.

GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons buttermilk

salt and pepper to taste

• In a small food processor, process the crumbles until finely ground.
• Add garlic, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Mix until well blended.
• Add buttermilk.  Add a bit more if you would like a thinner sauce.

SWEDISH MEATLOAF

MEATLOAF  
1 Jumbo egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large slice white bread, crusts removed, and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces ground pork, double ground
8 ounces ground beef, double ground
1 medium onion, grated or minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Olive Oil, heavy coat

• Whisk egg and cream together in small bowl. Stir in bread and set aside to soak.
• Blend hamburger & pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, and salt smooth and uniform.
• Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain.
• Add mixture to beef mixture and blend until well mixed.
• Form meat loaves.  
• Bake 45-60 minutes. 
• During the last 10-15 minutes prepare the sauce.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring constantly with whisk, until flour is light brown.
• Slowly whisk in broth.
• Add brown sugar and bring to simmer.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in cream and return to simmer.
• Add meatballs back to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over noodles.

PEANUT BUTTER FEATHER PANCAKES & HOMEMADE MAPLE SYRUP

Peanut Butter Feather Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup JIF Peanut Butter
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl, beat egg with Jif until blended. Stir in milk and melted butter.
• Add all at once to the dry ingredients, beating until blended. Add more milk to thin batter if necessary.
• Bake on a hot, lightly greased griddle until bubbles break on the surface. Turn and brown the other side.

Maple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
scant 1 cup water
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple extract

• Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a slow boil.
• Simmer gently 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
• Store in refrigerator.
  

SAUCES & REDUCTION SAUCE SPELLED OUT

Sauces typically consist of a flavorful liquid such as stocks, milk, cream, vegetable purees or butter and a thickener, an ingredient or combination of ingredients that gives the sauce a thicker consistency such as:

• Roux ~ which is equal parts fat and flour combined together over a low heat until a consistent paste is formed
• Cornstarch ~ a fine, white powder made from the ground starch removed from corn
• Arrowroot ~ is similar to cornstarch but made from ground plant roots
• Liaison ~ a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream, whisked together and carefully incorporated into a warm sauce.
  

The Five Classic French Mother Sauces are:

• Béchamel – is a rich, creamy, smooth white sauce with a subtle onion flavor made by simmering an onion studded with whole cloves in milk and then adding the infused milk, minus the onion, to a white sauce.
• Velouté – a rich, smooth, light colored sauce made by thickening chicken, veal or fish stock with roux.
• Espagnole – full-bodied sauce made by adding brown roux, pureed tomatoes and mirepoix (combination of onions, carrots and celery) to brown stock; usually used to make demi-glace.
• Tomato – traditionally made by adding a roux to tomatoes, vegetables and stock.
• Hollandaise – a smooth, buttery, pale yellow sauce made by whisking melted butter into a mixture of egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar. Hollandaise sauce is the only mother sauce served as is.

In 'classical' French cooking, sauces are a defining characteristic of French cuisine.

In the 19th century, the chef Antonin Carême classified sauces into four families, each of which was based on a mother sauce which are also called grandes sauces. Carême's four mother sauces were:

• Béchamel, based on milk, thickened with a white roux.
• Espagnole, based on brown stock (usually veal), thickened with a brown roux.
• Velouté, based on a white stock, thickened with a blonde roux.
• Allemande, based on velouté sauce, is thickened with egg yolks and heavy cream.
  

In the early 20th century, the chef Auguste Escoffier updated the classification, adding sauces such as tomato sauce, butter sauces and emulsified sauces such as Mayonnaise and Hollandaise.

A sauce which is derived from one of the mother sauces is sometimes called a small sauce, or secondary sauce. Most sauces commonly used in classical cuisine are small sauces, or derivatives of one of the above mentioned mother sauces.

Mother sauces are not commonly served as they are, but are augmented with additional ingredients to make small or derivative sauces. For example, Bechamel can be made into Mornay by the addition of Gruyère or any cheese one may like, and Espagnole becomes Bordelaise with the addition and reduction of red wine, shallots, and poached beef marrow.

To make a reduction sauce, start by preparing the meat as you normally would. Remove the meat from the pan and allowed to rest while you make the sauce. Remove the excess fat so that the sauce will not be greasy. Increase the volume of the pan drippings by adding stock, cream, wine, balsamic vinegar, or meat juices.

Allowed the sauce to simmer so that it reduces in volume. This reduction makes the sauce dense and thick, so that it can be used like a gravy. It also concentrates the flavors. As a result, reduction sauces are often very strongly flavored, and most cooks use only a little bit, so that the flavor does not becomes overwhelming. Reduction sauce can be poured over meat like a gravy, or arranged as a visual appeal on the plate.

Often the sauce is pressed through a sieve to clarify out chunks of vegetables or meat parts. Often it is paired with other sauces or flavorings and each person can layer the flavors as desired.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS & RASPBERRY BBQ SAUCE

When I went to the grocery store last night I ran across some awesome meat deals and these pork chops were perfect for a new BBQ sauce I wanted to try. Dave over at My Year on the Grill has been raving about a raspberry chipotle sauce that I can't get here either, but left me craving raspberries and at $4.99 a small box that craving was going to go unsatisfied until I ran across this raspberry vinegar at 3.99 a jar - a much better deal and it made an awesome sauce.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS & RASPBERRY BBQ SAUCE
6 tablespoons Alessi raspberry blush vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons grandma's molasses
1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot Pepper Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 thin pork chops
skewers

• Whisk all the ingredients (except pork chops) together until well blended over a medium heat.
• Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup.
• Skewer each pork chop with 2 skewers.
• Generously salt and pepper each side.
• Bring your grill to temperature.
• Brush each side with sauce.
• Spray grill surface with PURE.
• Place chops on grill, grilling uncovered for 2-3 minutes total, turning once.
  
• 

There is a storm scheduled for tomorrow but tonight was perfect for grilling!

CAJUN COCKTAIL SAUCE and a cute way to serve it

Just dropping in to offer a family favorite in time for Mardi Gras which officially starts 2/15, Fat Tuesday!

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Frank's red pepper hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste

• I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
• Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.
  

CARAMEL, MOCHA HOT FUDGE AND MILKY WAY FUDGE SAUCES

CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
2+ tablespoons water

• Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
  
• Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
• Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
  
• Serve warm.
• Makes 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
  
• Microwave20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving.

MOCHA HOT FUDGE SAUCE
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
scant 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted & cooled
3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons golden rum

• In a medium saucepan blend together the water, corn syrup dissolving the sugar and cocoa into it until smooth.
  
• Bring to a low boil.
  
• Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
  
• Gradually add the coffee and rum until desired flavor and consistency is reached.
• Serve warm.
• Makes 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
  
• Microwave20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving.

MILKY WAY FUDGE TOPPING
12 ounces Milky Way candy bars, cut into chunks
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup milk

• In a double boiler combine candy bars, chocolate and milk.
• Cook and stir constantly until melted and well blended and smooth.
• Store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator.

STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

• I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
• Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
  
• I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
  
• When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.

For the meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

• Crumble bread into a large bowl.
• Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
• Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
• Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
• Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
• Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
• Enjoy

**If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce, Broccoli Green Bean Almond Saute & StrawBlackberry topping for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won't eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.

When I do 'recipe experiment' night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I'm a 'no measure' cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS

1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

• In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add seasonings and blend well.
• Slow simmer 10 minutes.
• Cool.
• Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to 'swim'.
  
• Drain chops.
• Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
• Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  
• Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.
  

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

• Melt butter in a large saucepan.
• Add onions and garlic, Saute' until tender.
• Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  
• Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
• Cool 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate,
• Makes 4 cups.

BROCCOLI GREEN BEAN ALMOND SAUTE'

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed
1 broccoli crown, chopped small
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

• Heat olive oil in large skillet.
• Add vegetables and saute' until tender.
• Add soy sauce and white balsamic vinegar.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper.
• Add almonds, blend well and heat through.
• This dish is good hot OR cold!

STRAWBLACKBERRY SHORTCAKE TOPPING

1 pint blackberries, washed and sliced in thirds
1/2 pint strawberries, washed and chopped small
1/4 cup brown sugar

• Toss Together and marinate several hours.
• Serve over shortcake.
  

♥ ♥