Last week I attempted to make persimmon jam. This is a project that I mentioned briefly last month, and once there were finally enough fruits on the tree that were ripe enough, I set to it.
Now, there are two varieties of persimmons. The variety that most people are familiar with are called Fuyu - they're crisp, similar to apples or pears. During the late fall and early winter it wouldn't be too uncommon to see these at local farmers markets.
This is not the variety of tree that I have.
The variety that I have are called Hachiya. It would be unlikely to be familiar with this variety of persimmon unless you, or a neighbor, have a tree in your yard. The reason why they're not well none is simple: they do NOT transport well.
When a Hachiya persimmon is ripe it is very very very soft - holding a ripe Hachiya persimmon feels a lot like you're holding a water balloon, and they squish incredibly easy. When squished, the fruit inside oozes everywhere - the pulp of a ripe persimmon has a bright orange jelly like consistency, and that bright orange pulp is a bear to get out of clothing!
An unripe Hachiya persimmon tastes disgusting. There is an astringent flavor to it that removes all moisture from your mouth. Hands down, biting into one has been one of the grossest tasting food experiences of my life. Seriously, I would rather eat blood pudding if I had to choose.
HOWEVER, when the Hachiya persimmon is ripe it is fantastic. It is sweet and smooth and has an apricot like flavor that is heavenly.
Since I have a tree FULL of fruit I decided to try making persimmon jam, figuring that since it already has a jelly like consistency it would be an easy first step into home canning. Last Saturday I picked some fruit and set out to make some jelly for Christmas gifts. I'd bought the jars and lids, sugar, everything I needed and had selected a recipe that looked very easy. All it called for was 2 quarts of persimmon pulp, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup orange juice and the zest from one orange.
I pulped the persimmons and took an initial taste test to ensure that I had not included any under ripe fruits - everything tasted fine so I mixed together all of the ingredients and started cooking the jam per the recipes instructions.
Once everything was looking like it was ready, I prepped the jars for filling and took one final taste test of the finished product. I am so glad that I took that final test before actually canning the jam.
The astringent taste was back with full force. It was disgusting. I spent several minutes spitting into the kitchen sink "I CAN'T GET THE TASTE OUT OF MY MOUTH!!!!!"
Why it was initially sweet and apricot like, then after cooking disgustingly astringent I did not know.
Since then I have done some research and found that Hachiya persimmons have high levels of tannins, which cause the initial astringency. Once they've been through at least one frost the tannins evaporate, leaving the sweet pulp. HOWEVER baking reintroduces the tannins, causing the astringent flavor to return.
A couple articles that I read said that when baking with Hachiyas, the use of baking soda will offset the reintroduction of the tannins and effectively prevent the astringent taste from returning. But, I'm wondering if baking soda could be used when making a jam or chutney (yes, I found a chutney recipe using persimmons that sounded amazing and that I planned on making after the jam).
So, I'm left with all of the canning supplies but no canned product. I'm considering another attempt at canning and have found a couple of recipes that sounds great:
1 - pomegranate jelly
2 - strawberry balsamic jam
3 - cranberry tangerine chutney
I will admit that I am incredibly frustrated by this initial canning failure. I am fairly adept in the kitchen and I am very crafty. I frequently experiment with different recipes and crafts with various levels of success - some are fantastic and some are just okay. I am not accustomed to a complete and total failure. Part of my wants to throw in the towel, but the stubborn as hell part of me wants to keep trying until I get it right.
I think the fact that I've already lined up some additional recipes tells me that I'm going to continue with my attempts at home canning.
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, November 05, 2009
'Cause jam Don't Shake Like That...
For the past few days I've been thinking about what crafts I should make this holiday season. Boy-oh-boy, do I have some ideas. Nope, not going to share just yet... can't spoil ALL of the surprises.
However, I do need a little help.
I've decided that one of the projects I am likely to undertake is making some jams and/or jellies. I've chosen one flavor solely based upon free access to a specific fruit tree, so that particular flavor I'm not divulging (one of the surprises!).
One of my many issues with all of my crafty endeavors is that I am not satisfied taking on just ONE project. Nope. If I'm going to make sugar scrub, there needs to be multiple scent options. The same standard applies with jellies --- I NEED to make more than just one flavor of jam/jelly. This is where you come in! I've selected thirteen different options and obviously I can't possibly make all thirteen PLUS the top secret flavor. I'm thinking I should only make three flavors... four, tops.
Please, take a moment to review the following flavors and select up to three of the options in the poll to the right.
Thank you, and have a good day!
Amaretto Peach Pecan Preserves*
Blushing Peach Jam (blushing = raspberry)
Caramel Apple Jam
Clementine Marmalade
Chocolate Raspberry Jam
Mango Butter
Mango Raspberry Jam
Pear Vanilla Jam
Pomegranate Jelly
Pumpkin Butter
Rosemary Orange Marmalade
Sangria Jelly*
Tangerine Marmalade
* All alcohol content will be cooked out during the preparation of the noted recipes.
PS - Holy cow am I going to be buying a boatload of sugar.
PPS - Am I out of my mind for deciding to try making my own jams and jellies when I've never canned anything on my own before? I tried making a marionberry jam with my grandma up in Oregon years ago but it never fully jelled. It was more like marionberry syrup. Now, that may have been due to the fact that my grandma wasn't the most fantastic cook in the world (she was decent, but not spectacular) or due to the fact that I was only twelve years old. Theres also the possibility that that particular project was the first sign that I suck at canning and just haven't tried to do it again since so I'm completely unaware that I do, in fact, suck at canning. AND are holiday gifts really the proper venue to discover that this is not something that I'm good at?
PPS - VOTE! NOW!
However, I do need a little help.
I've decided that one of the projects I am likely to undertake is making some jams and/or jellies. I've chosen one flavor solely based upon free access to a specific fruit tree, so that particular flavor I'm not divulging (one of the surprises!).
One of my many issues with all of my crafty endeavors is that I am not satisfied taking on just ONE project. Nope. If I'm going to make sugar scrub, there needs to be multiple scent options. The same standard applies with jellies --- I NEED to make more than just one flavor of jam/jelly. This is where you come in! I've selected thirteen different options and obviously I can't possibly make all thirteen PLUS the top secret flavor. I'm thinking I should only make three flavors... four, tops.
Please, take a moment to review the following flavors and select up to three of the options in the poll to the right.
Thank you, and have a good day!
Amaretto Peach Pecan Preserves*
Blushing Peach Jam (blushing = raspberry)
Caramel Apple Jam
Clementine Marmalade
Chocolate Raspberry Jam
Mango Butter
Mango Raspberry Jam
Pear Vanilla Jam
Pomegranate Jelly
Pumpkin Butter
Rosemary Orange Marmalade
Sangria Jelly*
Tangerine Marmalade
* All alcohol content will be cooked out during the preparation of the noted recipes.
PS - Holy cow am I going to be buying a boatload of sugar.
PPS - Am I out of my mind for deciding to try making my own jams and jellies when I've never canned anything on my own before? I tried making a marionberry jam with my grandma up in Oregon years ago but it never fully jelled. It was more like marionberry syrup. Now, that may have been due to the fact that my grandma wasn't the most fantastic cook in the world (she was decent, but not spectacular) or due to the fact that I was only twelve years old. Theres also the possibility that that particular project was the first sign that I suck at canning and just haven't tried to do it again since so I'm completely unaware that I do, in fact, suck at canning. AND are holiday gifts really the proper venue to discover that this is not something that I'm good at?
PPS - VOTE! NOW!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Koolickles & Poppy Seed Chicken
One of my new favorite snacks are Koolickles.
My mom told me about this little treat after watching an episode of Alton Browns on the Food Network. She remembered that it called for "the big jar of dill pickles, two packets of cherry Kool-Aid, and a couple cups of sugar". Intrigued, I looked at the Food Networks website but wasn't able to find the recipe anywhere. So, I decided to wing it.
My first attempt at the Koolickles I just got a normal sized jar of dill pickle spears, dumped in one packet of cherry flavored kool-aid, some sugar (didn't measure), shook the jar until it was all well mixed, and put it in the fridge. They came out okay, Grandma liked them, but I wasn't overly impressed.
However, I did like them enough to give it another try. This time I decided to follow my moms loose recollection of the recipe a little closer and I got the big 80 ounce jar of dill pickle spears and two packets of cherry kool-aid. I removed all of the spears from the jar, leaving the brine, and added the packets of kool-aid. The only dilema was how much sugar to add. I decided to follow the guidelines on the kool-aid packets and added two cups, put the lid back on the jar and shook the heck out of it until it was all well mixed and it appeared as though the kool-aid and sugar were both completely dissolved. I put the spears back in the jar, and put it in the fridge. This was this past Friday night, I had my 9 year old cousin for the weekend and it was a fun project for us to do together.
Tonight, Monday, we sampled the Koolickles. HUGE hit. They were much better than the first batch even though they haven't sit for as long as is recommended. Before writing this post I decided to Google the recipe rather than to just rely upon the loose interpretation provided by my mother and found this recipe.
I know it sounds weird - cherry pickles - but trust, they are tasty. The only other variation I may try is to use Splenda in place of sugar because I'm sure my diabetic sister would like these.
The other cooking project I did with my younger cousin was my famous (okay, so its not really "famous", but my Grandma loves it as does my mom and now my younger cousin... so, its getting there) "Poppy Seed Chicken".
A while back I read a cooking tip that recommended using ranch dressing in place of an egg bath for homemade chicken nuggets. I thought that sounded delicious and was anxious to try it, BUT Grandma doesn't like ranch dressing. The only salad dressing that Grandma likes is Maries Creamy Poppyseed. A light bulb went off.
Take your chicken pieces (breast, thigh, leg, all work equally well - the only piece I haven't tried this with is wings) and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper then place in a marinade of creamy poppyseed dressing - I use about 1/2 a bottle of Kraft brand simply because it's cheaper than the Maries brand. I typically allow this to marinade for about an hour.
Once the chicken pieces are done marinading, dredge the chicken pieces in a mixture of Italian Seasoning flavored bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese - the good stuff in the little tubs, not the crap in the can on the shelf in the pasta section...you should NEVER use that stuff for anything.
Bake the chicken on a cookie sheet. Heres where my grandma thinks I'm weird, when I cook meats of any kind I almost always start off at a low temperature, in this case 200F, for about 45 minutes, THEN I turn the heat up to 400F until the juices run clear when cut. I really need to time this some time - I think I cook it at 400F for another 30 minutes, but I could really be off here. The reason I start off with the lower temperature is that it seems to start the cooking process without drying out the meat. I read this technique somewhere and it stuck with me, I don't know how accurate it is but its worked well for me the majority of the time.
Whenever I make this chicken it gets rave reviews, my grandmother will talk about it for a couple of days afterwards. I think thats a clue that I need to start making it more frequently.
My mom told me about this little treat after watching an episode of Alton Browns on the Food Network. She remembered that it called for "the big jar of dill pickles, two packets of cherry Kool-Aid, and a couple cups of sugar". Intrigued, I looked at the Food Networks website but wasn't able to find the recipe anywhere. So, I decided to wing it.
My first attempt at the Koolickles I just got a normal sized jar of dill pickle spears, dumped in one packet of cherry flavored kool-aid, some sugar (didn't measure), shook the jar until it was all well mixed, and put it in the fridge. They came out okay, Grandma liked them, but I wasn't overly impressed.
However, I did like them enough to give it another try. This time I decided to follow my moms loose recollection of the recipe a little closer and I got the big 80 ounce jar of dill pickle spears and two packets of cherry kool-aid. I removed all of the spears from the jar, leaving the brine, and added the packets of kool-aid. The only dilema was how much sugar to add. I decided to follow the guidelines on the kool-aid packets and added two cups, put the lid back on the jar and shook the heck out of it until it was all well mixed and it appeared as though the kool-aid and sugar were both completely dissolved. I put the spears back in the jar, and put it in the fridge. This was this past Friday night, I had my 9 year old cousin for the weekend and it was a fun project for us to do together.
Tonight, Monday, we sampled the Koolickles. HUGE hit. They were much better than the first batch even though they haven't sit for as long as is recommended. Before writing this post I decided to Google the recipe rather than to just rely upon the loose interpretation provided by my mother and found this recipe.
I know it sounds weird - cherry pickles - but trust, they are tasty. The only other variation I may try is to use Splenda in place of sugar because I'm sure my diabetic sister would like these.
The other cooking project I did with my younger cousin was my famous (okay, so its not really "famous", but my Grandma loves it as does my mom and now my younger cousin... so, its getting there) "Poppy Seed Chicken".
A while back I read a cooking tip that recommended using ranch dressing in place of an egg bath for homemade chicken nuggets. I thought that sounded delicious and was anxious to try it, BUT Grandma doesn't like ranch dressing. The only salad dressing that Grandma likes is Maries Creamy Poppyseed. A light bulb went off.
Take your chicken pieces (breast, thigh, leg, all work equally well - the only piece I haven't tried this with is wings) and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper then place in a marinade of creamy poppyseed dressing - I use about 1/2 a bottle of Kraft brand simply because it's cheaper than the Maries brand. I typically allow this to marinade for about an hour.
Once the chicken pieces are done marinading, dredge the chicken pieces in a mixture of Italian Seasoning flavored bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese - the good stuff in the little tubs, not the crap in the can on the shelf in the pasta section...you should NEVER use that stuff for anything.
Bake the chicken on a cookie sheet. Heres where my grandma thinks I'm weird, when I cook meats of any kind I almost always start off at a low temperature, in this case 200F, for about 45 minutes, THEN I turn the heat up to 400F until the juices run clear when cut. I really need to time this some time - I think I cook it at 400F for another 30 minutes, but I could really be off here. The reason I start off with the lower temperature is that it seems to start the cooking process without drying out the meat. I read this technique somewhere and it stuck with me, I don't know how accurate it is but its worked well for me the majority of the time.
Whenever I make this chicken it gets rave reviews, my grandmother will talk about it for a couple of days afterwards. I think thats a clue that I need to start making it more frequently.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Ambitious
I have some ambitious plans for this weekend and am hoping that by putting them here, it will give me some accountability to complete at least HALF of whats on my to do list.
1. Gardening
I know I'm getting a rather late start on this, but yesterday I purchased two tomato plants, one crookneck squash and one zucchini plant.
I'm going to put together a little container garden. Yes, I know the zucchini needs a lot of room, so I may actually put that one in the ground... I'll have to double check exactly big my largest container is (a half wine barrel) and see if that will be large enough.
I'm not sure what suddenly motivated me to try gardening. I've never been successful with plants in the past but I want to grow my own vegetables. Its often hard for me to get to the farmers market downtown on the weekend, and the grocery stores can be so pricey for fresh produce that is often tasteless and bland. And, theres not much that I love more than a homegrown tomato.
IF this experiment goes well, I'm probably going to put together a larger garden for next year. Building a few raised beds wouldn't be too challenging and then I could have a wider variety of produce. I definitely have the room for it, our property is close to half an acre, so if I was REALLY feeling ambitious I could, theoretically, have a more traditional garden in the back portion of the property. However, that would require things like getting a rototiller and a lot of manual labor.
2. PATIO
I SERIOUSLY need to clean up the back patio - primarily the bbq grill. I plan on having a bbq-tastic summer this year.
3. GOAT CHEESE
I'm going to be making my own goat cheese this weekend.
This idea started while brainstorming ways to deal with keeping the weeds and grass in check on our property. My brother had been coming around and mowing our back yard but totally slacked on it the past few months and the next thing we knew, Cooper was getting lost in the jungle that is our back yard. I COULD do it myself, but I can be rather prone to laziness and social obligations on the weekends. We COULD hire a lawn service, but with how large the property is, thats a couple hundred dollars a month. I'm trying to save some money here. My sisters boyfriend COULD come and do it but he's a jackass and you can't rely on him for crap (note, since this brainstorming session he has come over and cleared the jungle). Then I remembered reading how you can rent goats to come and clear overgrown weeds and brush. I looked into it, and with what it would cost to rent two goats for a day you could buy two pygmy goats of your own. I mentioned this to a friend of mine and she pointed out that if I got one that was a milker, I could also make my own goat cheese with the milk she produced. I thought this was a FANTASTIC idea. I LOVE goat cheese.
So, I did a little research and found this. Making goat cheese is SO incredibly easy! Or at least it sounds that way.
So, I was all gung ho on the idea of getting two pygmy goats. Pygmy because they don't get too terribly big (they can use a large dog house as their shelter as opposed to a barn) and that breed is very social and playful. I figured this would be good because Cooper is very social and playful and I know that if I brought a couple goats onto the property, Cooper would at least try to play with them.
Then I REALLY started thinking it over. I would have to get up at the ass crack of dawn every day to milk them, and I HATE mornings. They would have to be milked daily and I know that I couldn't count on anyone to come and milk them if I go away for a weekend, let alone a week in Europe or somewhere.
If I do end up with a larger garden next year, I would have to build a fence to keep them away from it otherwise they would eat all of my gardening efforts. If that happened I would have to invite all of my friends over for a fire roasted goat one night. So, ixnay on the oatgay.
However, the idea of making my own goat cheese stuck with me. Last night I stopped at Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods, and picked up some goat cheese. If this first attempt goes well, I found a rancher up in El Dorado Hills where I could purchase raw goats milk for future batches of goat cheese. Yes, raw goats milk would be unpasteurized, but that just means that its full of probiotics.
4. PHOTOSHOP
Four weeks ago a couple of my friends got married and I photographed their wedding. At first, I just started working on the photos slowly because, they're going to be in Ireland on their honeymoon for three weeks? Pshaw! I've got plenty of time! No reason to rush!
Then I started having all sorts of dental complications and was on either valium and/or vicodin and/or white wine each night. Now, I'm confident enough to work my photoshop magic with a glass or two of white wine, but I am not going to work on a friends wedding photos while hopped up on vicodin and/or valium. Next thing I knew, they were home. Now I've got to haul ass to get the photos done.
ALSO, last weekend I belatedly took some photos of one of my younger cousins for her Senior Portraits. The kid graduated high school early a few months ago but wouldn't coordinate with me for when we could get them done. Every time she wanted to get together it was a weekday when I was working and she only wanted to spend the weekends with her boyfriend. We finally got together last Sunday and now I need to go through those photos.
5. THIN OUT MY BOOKSHELVES
I seriously have too many books. Its a sickness, really. I keep every single book that I buy, with the exception of the ones I loan out and don't get back. THEN whenever anyones getting rid of books I always take a healthy portion of them. As a result, I've got books everywhere. I figure that I'll take some to a used book store and try to sell them and the ones that they don't take I'll donate to the library or goodwill or someplace.
6. FLIRT WITH THE BUTCHER
Last weekend I decided to stop into my local butcher and support the local businesses. Can I just say that the guy working the front counter was super cute?
Now, I'm BAD a picking up on when a guy is flirting with me. My natural thought and reaction is that he's just friendly.
When I went to the butchers, I had my cousin with me (we had just finished her portraits) and when we walked out I said "WOW. He was cute." Cousin said "He totally was! AND he was totally smiling and flirting with you!"
So, I think I need to go back this weekend.
Hopefully I'll be able to get at least half of this done.
1. Gardening
I know I'm getting a rather late start on this, but yesterday I purchased two tomato plants, one crookneck squash and one zucchini plant.
I'm going to put together a little container garden. Yes, I know the zucchini needs a lot of room, so I may actually put that one in the ground... I'll have to double check exactly big my largest container is (a half wine barrel) and see if that will be large enough.
I'm not sure what suddenly motivated me to try gardening. I've never been successful with plants in the past but I want to grow my own vegetables. Its often hard for me to get to the farmers market downtown on the weekend, and the grocery stores can be so pricey for fresh produce that is often tasteless and bland. And, theres not much that I love more than a homegrown tomato.
IF this experiment goes well, I'm probably going to put together a larger garden for next year. Building a few raised beds wouldn't be too challenging and then I could have a wider variety of produce. I definitely have the room for it, our property is close to half an acre, so if I was REALLY feeling ambitious I could, theoretically, have a more traditional garden in the back portion of the property. However, that would require things like getting a rototiller and a lot of manual labor.
2. PATIO
I SERIOUSLY need to clean up the back patio - primarily the bbq grill. I plan on having a bbq-tastic summer this year.
3. GOAT CHEESE
I'm going to be making my own goat cheese this weekend.
This idea started while brainstorming ways to deal with keeping the weeds and grass in check on our property. My brother had been coming around and mowing our back yard but totally slacked on it the past few months and the next thing we knew, Cooper was getting lost in the jungle that is our back yard. I COULD do it myself, but I can be rather prone to laziness and social obligations on the weekends. We COULD hire a lawn service, but with how large the property is, thats a couple hundred dollars a month. I'm trying to save some money here. My sisters boyfriend COULD come and do it but he's a jackass and you can't rely on him for crap (note, since this brainstorming session he has come over and cleared the jungle). Then I remembered reading how you can rent goats to come and clear overgrown weeds and brush. I looked into it, and with what it would cost to rent two goats for a day you could buy two pygmy goats of your own. I mentioned this to a friend of mine and she pointed out that if I got one that was a milker, I could also make my own goat cheese with the milk she produced. I thought this was a FANTASTIC idea. I LOVE goat cheese.
So, I did a little research and found this. Making goat cheese is SO incredibly easy! Or at least it sounds that way.
So, I was all gung ho on the idea of getting two pygmy goats. Pygmy because they don't get too terribly big (they can use a large dog house as their shelter as opposed to a barn) and that breed is very social and playful. I figured this would be good because Cooper is very social and playful and I know that if I brought a couple goats onto the property, Cooper would at least try to play with them.
Then I REALLY started thinking it over. I would have to get up at the ass crack of dawn every day to milk them, and I HATE mornings. They would have to be milked daily and I know that I couldn't count on anyone to come and milk them if I go away for a weekend, let alone a week in Europe or somewhere.
If I do end up with a larger garden next year, I would have to build a fence to keep them away from it otherwise they would eat all of my gardening efforts. If that happened I would have to invite all of my friends over for a fire roasted goat one night. So, ixnay on the oatgay.
However, the idea of making my own goat cheese stuck with me. Last night I stopped at Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods, and picked up some goat cheese. If this first attempt goes well, I found a rancher up in El Dorado Hills where I could purchase raw goats milk for future batches of goat cheese. Yes, raw goats milk would be unpasteurized, but that just means that its full of probiotics.
4. PHOTOSHOP
Four weeks ago a couple of my friends got married and I photographed their wedding. At first, I just started working on the photos slowly because, they're going to be in Ireland on their honeymoon for three weeks? Pshaw! I've got plenty of time! No reason to rush!
Then I started having all sorts of dental complications and was on either valium and/or vicodin and/or white wine each night. Now, I'm confident enough to work my photoshop magic with a glass or two of white wine, but I am not going to work on a friends wedding photos while hopped up on vicodin and/or valium. Next thing I knew, they were home. Now I've got to haul ass to get the photos done.
ALSO, last weekend I belatedly took some photos of one of my younger cousins for her Senior Portraits. The kid graduated high school early a few months ago but wouldn't coordinate with me for when we could get them done. Every time she wanted to get together it was a weekday when I was working and she only wanted to spend the weekends with her boyfriend. We finally got together last Sunday and now I need to go through those photos.
5. THIN OUT MY BOOKSHELVES
I seriously have too many books. Its a sickness, really. I keep every single book that I buy, with the exception of the ones I loan out and don't get back. THEN whenever anyones getting rid of books I always take a healthy portion of them. As a result, I've got books everywhere. I figure that I'll take some to a used book store and try to sell them and the ones that they don't take I'll donate to the library or goodwill or someplace.
6. FLIRT WITH THE BUTCHER
Last weekend I decided to stop into my local butcher and support the local businesses. Can I just say that the guy working the front counter was super cute?
Now, I'm BAD a picking up on when a guy is flirting with me. My natural thought and reaction is that he's just friendly.
When I went to the butchers, I had my cousin with me (we had just finished her portraits) and when we walked out I said "WOW. He was cute." Cousin said "He totally was! AND he was totally smiling and flirting with you!"
So, I think I need to go back this weekend.
Hopefully I'll be able to get at least half of this done.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Pork 'n Pasta
A couple days ago I mentioned my compulsion for stocking my pantry with canned beans and tomato products. In an attempt to use up some of those items, I prepared dinner with a couple of them this evening.
I didn't want to go with the obvious chili or stew, so I took a peek at what else I had in the fridge and pantry to see what else I could come up with. I have no idea of what I should call the resulting dish. I'll try to write it up as much like a real recipe as I can.
Ingredients
1 lb gemelli pasta, or similar
1 lb ground pork
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
2 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can canelini beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag spinach, rinsed and torn into pieces
16 oz package sliced mushrooms
Italian seasoning
pepper
olive oil
shredded parmesan (the kind in the little tub, not in a can. Cheese should never come in a can)
Prepare pasta according to package directions (see! already sounding like real recipe). As a standard rule, I always add a little bit of olive oil and garlic salt with parsley to the water that I prepare the pasta in.
In a large pot, pour in a little bit of olive oil. Add in the garlic, onion, and pork and brown all 3 together. Once the pork has been adequately browned, add in the beans and tomatoes (do not drain the tomatoes). Stir in the mushrooms. Allow this mixture to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. At this point, it should look like this:
Rinse, drain and tear the spinach into pieces
Gradually add the spinach to the pork mixture, stirring as you go to allow the spinach to wilt into the sauce. Once you've added in all of the spinach, season to taste with pepper and Italian seasoning. I use the Italian seasoning that comes in one of those grinder bottles.
Serve with shredded parmesan cheese.
I'll probably make this dish again, but do some alterations to it. I think the sauce could have used some tomato past, not much though, maybe just one small can. OR, if I do it again, I may drain the tomatoes completely and add some cream and allow it to cook down some. I'll continue to experiment with it and see what develops.
I didn't want to go with the obvious chili or stew, so I took a peek at what else I had in the fridge and pantry to see what else I could come up with. I have no idea of what I should call the resulting dish. I'll try to write it up as much like a real recipe as I can.
Ingredients
1 lb gemelli pasta, or similar
1 lb ground pork
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
2 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can canelini beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag spinach, rinsed and torn into pieces
16 oz package sliced mushrooms
Italian seasoning
pepper
olive oil
shredded parmesan (the kind in the little tub, not in a can. Cheese should never come in a can)
Prepare pasta according to package directions (see! already sounding like real recipe). As a standard rule, I always add a little bit of olive oil and garlic salt with parsley to the water that I prepare the pasta in.
In a large pot, pour in a little bit of olive oil. Add in the garlic, onion, and pork and brown all 3 together. Once the pork has been adequately browned, add in the beans and tomatoes (do not drain the tomatoes). Stir in the mushrooms. Allow this mixture to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. At this point, it should look like this:
Rinse, drain and tear the spinach into pieces
Gradually add the spinach to the pork mixture, stirring as you go to allow the spinach to wilt into the sauce. Once you've added in all of the spinach, season to taste with pepper and Italian seasoning. I use the Italian seasoning that comes in one of those grinder bottles.
Serve with shredded parmesan cheese.
I'll probably make this dish again, but do some alterations to it. I think the sauce could have used some tomato past, not much though, maybe just one small can. OR, if I do it again, I may drain the tomatoes completely and add some cream and allow it to cook down some. I'll continue to experiment with it and see what develops.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
I Don't Know What My Issue Is
As any one of my friends can attest, I have plenty of strange little quirks:
I can't go #2 in public bathrooms (it has to be a real urgent situation in order for me to do so).
No matter how messy my environment is, all books have to be facing in the same direction on the bookshelf.
I will buy any bath product that says it contains minerals or salts from the Dead Sea.
The list goes on, but you get the idea. Recently, I realized that I have another quirk. Almost every single time I go to the grocery store, I buy some variety of canned tomatoes and beans. Even if its not on my list and I am fairly certain I have some at home. As a result, my pantry is overflowing with both:
I do use both a lot in pasta sauces, soups, stews, chilis, etc, but I don't know why I buy them so compulsively.
Keep in mind that these photos do not show the dried beans and lentils that I have as well. Seriously, I have practically every variety of dried beans and lentils. Its as though I'm preparing for some sort of natural disaster.
I'm formulating a recipe to prepare for tomorrow night that will at least use up some of the tomato cans and possibly some beans as well. Hopefully it will turn out well, if so I'll post the recipe here.
I can't go #2 in public bathrooms (it has to be a real urgent situation in order for me to do so).
No matter how messy my environment is, all books have to be facing in the same direction on the bookshelf.
I will buy any bath product that says it contains minerals or salts from the Dead Sea.
The list goes on, but you get the idea. Recently, I realized that I have another quirk. Almost every single time I go to the grocery store, I buy some variety of canned tomatoes and beans. Even if its not on my list and I am fairly certain I have some at home. As a result, my pantry is overflowing with both:
I do use both a lot in pasta sauces, soups, stews, chilis, etc, but I don't know why I buy them so compulsively.
Keep in mind that these photos do not show the dried beans and lentils that I have as well. Seriously, I have practically every variety of dried beans and lentils. Its as though I'm preparing for some sort of natural disaster.
I'm formulating a recipe to prepare for tomorrow night that will at least use up some of the tomato cans and possibly some beans as well. Hopefully it will turn out well, if so I'll post the recipe here.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Cooking and Talking.
I made dinner tonight. I was going through some of my Grandmas magazines this afternoon - she buys all of the magazines at the supermarket checkout for their recipes, yet she doesn't cook. Anyways, I found a recipe for a lasagna that I just jad to make this evening. Instead of using lasagna noodles, you use chees raviolis. It was fantastic - I forgot to take any photos though so you'll just have to trust me as to how good it was. I did modify the recipe a little though and added some spinach to the layers.
While cleaning up after dinner I realized that I must talk to my grandmother about my coworkers A LOT. She asked me if I wanted to take some of the leftovers to work tomorrow, and I said yes. Then, she said "I suppose you'll need some for your two boys as well, won't you?"
Also, I'm in a wedding next month. My oldest friend Caren is getting married. I'd like for my nails to grow out some before the wedding so I think I'm going to have to resort to my old stand by for getting my hair and nails to grow for a special occaision - prenatal vitamins.
I leave you with a photo of my niece Kylee and I, this was taken about 3 weeks ago. She is so cute! I can't wait for her personality to really come out.
While cleaning up after dinner I realized that I must talk to my grandmother about my coworkers A LOT. She asked me if I wanted to take some of the leftovers to work tomorrow, and I said yes. Then, she said "I suppose you'll need some for your two boys as well, won't you?"
Also, I'm in a wedding next month. My oldest friend Caren is getting married. I'd like for my nails to grow out some before the wedding so I think I'm going to have to resort to my old stand by for getting my hair and nails to grow for a special occaision - prenatal vitamins.
I leave you with a photo of my niece Kylee and I, this was taken about 3 weeks ago. She is so cute! I can't wait for her personality to really come out.
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