Monday, October 27, 2008

Perfect for fall: BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWISS CHARD

this is another annemarie recipe. sadly i missed the actual meal, but got the recipe via jara. perfecct recipe for that squash i have at home!

Top with chopped fresh cilantro, red onions, sour cream (or whole milk yogurt) and grated cheddar cheese, if you like.


2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin (i usually add a full 2 Tb. ... I love cumin.)
(2 Tb. corriander - see 'my notes' below)
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (I usually use 3 cans of tomatoes)
3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch) preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

My notes: Add an extra can or two of tomatoes or add one extra can and some tomato paste. Add a jalapeno or two. Add coriander to the spices. Add extra cumin and chili powder.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread


(i came across this on the internet today. sounds like the perfect topping for just about anything this fall. and it seems pretty easy! yummm!)

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and syrup til creamy.
2. Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla and beat til smooth.
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Notes on Canning - Where to find all the products

For those planning to do some canning: Notes on where to find all your supplies

After searching through many stores to find the right-sized jars (small, cute 8-oz for jams and fruit, quart-sized for tomatoes and tomato sauce, 1/2 pint for relishes and chutneys, pint-sized for veggies, and so on), the necessary pectin, and canning tools, here is what I've found:

5 Canning Tools Supply Kit - many stores sell a box of necessary equipment which includes a funnel, tongs, jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter and jar holder. These usually run around $10.00 at World Market or Whole Foods.

Jars - Ace Hardware on Saddle Creek (of all places) has the best selection of jars and always seems to have the small, fruit jars that I like. I think No Frills on Saddle Creek does as well although I haven't been there in awhile. Hy-Vee tends to carry larger jars such as quart and pint-size.

Lids - If you a re-using jars, it is a good idea to replace the lids. Most grocery stores and Ace Hardware seem to carry replacement lids and screw bands if you need them.

Pectin - Thus far I've only used recipes that called for liquid pectin. The only reason is that is what I can find at Hy-Vee (located right next to the canning jars). I'm sure the powder pectin works perfectly well, I just haven't found it yet.

Stock pots with a Canning Rack - Thank you Lindsey for your note! Lindsay found a large stock pot with a rack at World Market for $25.00 - not too bad!

Boiling Canning Method

For those who do not have or want to use a pressure cooker, here is a canning method for high-acid foods (i.e. - jam, jelly, fruit butter, conserve, salsa, chutney, condiments, pickles and basic tomatoes).

Boiling Method
(Using a large stock pot with a lid)

1. Clean the jars and closures: Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and drain. You don't need to dry them. (If using jars from previous canning projects, carefully examine jars. Discard any jars that have nicks, cracks, uneven rim surfaces or other damage or defects).)

2. Heat the jars: Place a rack in the bottom of a boiling-water canner (or stock pot), then place the required number of mason jars on the rack. When using 8-ounce or small jars, add water to the jars and the canner until it reaches the top of the jars. For pint and larger jars, add water to the jars and canner until the jars are about 2/3 full. cover the canner and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil the jars.

3. Prepare the closures: Set screw bands and lids in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil. Keep lids hot until you're ready to use them.

4. Prepare the recipe.

5. Fill the jars: a) Working with one jar at a time, remove the jar from the canner, pouring hot water back into the canner. Place the jar on a heat-protected work surface. b). If using, place funnel in jar. c). Ladle prepared food into hot jar, leaving the amount of headspace specified in the recipe. Headspace is the space between the top of the jar and the top of the food. d). If necessary, slide a nonmetallic utensil, such as a rubber spatula, down between the food and the inside of the jar two or three times to release the air bubbles. e). With a clean damp cloth or paper towler, wipe jar rim and threads. f). Using a magnetic or nonmetallic utensil, life a hot lid from the water and place it on the jar, centering the sealing compound on the rim of the jar. g). Place a screw band on the jar. With your fingers, screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Do not use a tool or excessive force to tighten the screw bands. h). Return jar to the rack in the hot water-filled canner. Repeat filling steps until all jars are filled.

6. Heat-process the filled jars: When all of the jars are in the canner, adjust the water level in the canner so that it covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner with a lid and bring water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling hard and continuously, begin counting the processing time specificed in the recipe.

7. Cool the jars: At the end of the processing time, turn the heat off and remove the canner lid. Let the canner cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the jars, lifting them out of the hot water without tilting them. Don't dry lids or jars at this point. You don't want to distrub the lids while the seal is being formed Place jars upright on a towel in a draft-free place and let cool, undisturbed for 24 hours.

8. Store (If lids did not seal, then use right away or freeze.)

Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam


Here is to a great time and some fantastic jam-making! It was so fun to see many of you last night!

Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam
(Makes about six 8-ounce (250 ml) jars)

3 cups crushed cored peeled pears (I'm thinking one could use apples as well)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I think we used 3 cups or maybe 2 1/2 - Lindsay, do you remember?)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of fresh nutmeg
1 pouch liquid pectin

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids. (See Boil Method Canning blog)

2. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine pears, cranberries, apple juice, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

3. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubble and adjust headspace, if needed, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner (or stock pot), ensuring they are completely cover with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

NOTE: I've noticed our jam is not quite as solid as I expected. I'm thinking that with the additional pears we added to each batch we should have let the mixture with the pectin boil just a bit longer.